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2013 Regular Season

Firestorm ready to begin quest for repeat as champs

Marquee matchups and quick hits around the league

January 19th, 2013

After a Stanley Cup championship run that stunned everybody but the players in the Hamilton Firestorm locker room, they’re ready to attempt the improbable again.

 

The Firestorm will launch the lockout shortened AFHL season today by handing out their rings and raising their first championship banner at their home ice arena prior to their matchup with the Ottawa Knights. Then they will embark on a new journey to become the first team to capture back-to-back titles in AFHL history, and they hope to do it with a roster that is almost fully intact from last year.

Some of the many star players remaining with the club include Marc-Andre Fleury, Claude Giroux, Patrick Sharp, Brad Richards, Teemu Selanne, Shea Weber and Ryan Suter. The belief within the Firestorm organization is that what this group of players did last spring was the start of something special.

Just ask general manager Gates Imbeau.

“There’s no doubt in my mind about these players after what they did in the playoffs,” Imbeau told a media scrum after a team practice yesterday. “It made me have a newfound appreciation for all of these guys. There’s no doubt they’re going to build on it. So much of this season is mental, and they’ve got the mental toughness to do it.”

While their core roster hasn’t changed, their reputation will never be the same – but the Firestorm are confident they can handle the scrutiny in an abbreviated season after many ups and downs last year.

 

Claude Giroux will once again be the backbone of the Firestorm multifaceted attack.

“We know we have the experience and the leadership to handle the short amount of time,” said Claude Giroux. “We know we’re going to be targeted by every team that comes in here and in every building we go to on the road, but we’re ready for that.”

Team captain Shea Weber believes having the same coaching staff and the same philosophies will be an advantage for them.

“Winning starts with leadership,” said Weber. “We’re very fortunate to have Gates Imbeau at the helm. He’s a smart man who knows how to win. He has all of us very excited to start this next chapter.”

Here is the timetable for the festivities surrounding Hamilton’s opener today at their home ice arena and their Stanley Cup banner raising ceremony:

11:00 AM: Pregame Fan Fest outside of the arena, featuring street hockey, face painting, a tattoo artist, merchandise sales, and giveaways from their mascot and Ice Girls.

12:15 PM: The Stanley Cup will be on display at center ice at a neighborhood rink in a small town near-by. Ice to open for skating at 11 AM.

12:30 PM: Firestorm coach Gates Imbeau and star forward Claude Giroux will sign autographs at the Toyota display outside of the home ice arena.

1:00 PM (approximately): Stanley Cup to be marched from neighborhood rink into home ice arena.

1:30 PM: Live pregame show broadcast.

2:00 PM: Firestorm request that fans with tickets be in their seats.

2:30 PM: On-ice ceremony to begin. The ceremony will be broadcast live, in its entirety, on NBC.

3:00 PM (approx.): Puck drop for the matchup with the Ottawa Knights, to be broadcast on NBC and aired on 1250 and the Firestorm radio network.

 

*

 

With the AFHL season set to begin, the questions and stories surrounding the abbreviated season are aplenty. Here are some of the things going on around the league.

The season debuts with the first of two heated rivalry matchups scheduled between the Toronto Red Devils and the Lakehead IceHoles.

“It’s going to be awesome,” said Lakehead forward Steven Stamkos. “The energy in the building is going to be through the roof. There’s not a better team we’d like to play in the first game.”

Toronto forward Bobby Ryan said it will feel “like the first game of the playoffs. There’s extra motivation because of the rivalry. It didn’t take me long to get a hatred for that team. I learned not to like them fast. And I think that goes for everybody who lives in Toronto and guys that put on a Red Devils jersey.”

The Montreal Xtreme and No. 1 overall draft pick Nail Yakupov will open against the 2012 President Trophy winning North Bay Warriors.

 

“It’s been a long time and we’re a day away,” Xtreme coach Keith Cancilla said. “We’ve got some new faces and more talent in our lineup. Our organization is excited to take the next step in our rebuilding plan.”

There are plenty of rookie-of-the-year candidates this season, including Alex Galchenyuk (Manhattan), Jakob Silfverberg (Pittsburgh), Dougie Hamilton (Oshawa City), Chris Kreider (Deer Park), Jonathan Huberdeau (Montreal) and Mikael Granlund (Twin City).

But expect Justin Schultz (San Diego) and Nail Yakupov (Montreal) to be in a season-long battle for the rookie scoring lead. By the way, Victoria rookie Damien Brunner is not eligible because at age 26 he’s too old.

The headaches are gone for Sid the Kid, whose post-concussion symptoms have nagged one of the game’s greatest stars for the last two years. Crosby, 25, is ready to help the Buffalo Phantoms return to the Stanley Cup Finals after falling short to Hamilton last Spring.

Like other teams in the league, the San Diego Gulls are also offering a few incentives to encourage fans to buy tickets and come out and cheer on the team. For the first two games of the season, food and merchandise at the game will be half-price and the 50/50 draw is guaranteed to be a whopping $100,000. On opening night, there will also be player introductions and a give-away of 75 autographed jerseys. The team will give more prizes away during the game and fans will be treated to an autographed game used stick giveaway at the end of the night.

San Diego GM Lucas Main says he’s still rebuilding the Gulls after taking over the struggling only six months ago and it continues to be a long process, but he’s enjoying the challenge.

“We had plenty of time to prepare for this rebuild and get ready for this season so we had a good plan and the players came in. My coaching staff and I have to give the players credit – they came into the shortened camp ready to play. They came in in great shape. We’ve had some great workouts. We look forward to the youth movement this year.”

In Victoria, there is concern for Vipers goaltender Carey Price, who didn’t practice after tweaking a groin injury in an intra-squad game on Thursday night. Coach Chris Hartley said his No. 1 goalie will play.

Mark Scheifele will be in the opening night lineup for the Fort Drum Killers. GM Stryska expects him to play second fiddle to Mikko Koivu for the entire season.

After finishing the past two regular seasons with the best overall record in the AFHL, the North Bay Warriors are chomping at the bit to win it all this year.

“This team has been built to win it all for the past two years,” said GM Brunetta. “We’ve been waiting too long to start this season. It was weird to have a shortened camp and power through everything at top speed. But we know what’s on the line. We know the energy in the arena is going to be crazy from the get go. Hockey’s back and we couldn’t be more ready to start winning.”

AFHL teams had only six days of camp with no pre-season games to prepare, so injuries are expected aplenty. There are lots of concerns over groin pulls and other injuries to players who didn’t keep in game shape by playing in Europe during the lockout.

There is also concern for how fans will react after a lockout that seemed to many like a needless squabble between millionaire players and billionaire owners. However, AFHL arenas are expected to be packed as usual for the openers.

As of late Friday night, tickets for the Firestorm sold-out opener were being offered for as high as $1,500 on StubHub for a seat in the lower section.

June 16, 2023/0 Comments/by develop-user
https://theafhl.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/2012-trophy-pic-1.bmp 215 351 develop-user https://theafhl.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/IMG_2153-removebg-preview.webp develop-user2023-06-16 12:04:192023-06-16 12:04:19Firestorm ready to begin quest for repeat as champs
2013 Regular Season

Surprise starts stealing early attention

Lakehead beats Toronto in opening week grudge match;

Early season surprises and shockers around the league

January 28th, 2013

The IceHoles and Red Devils talked trash, laid the smack down, and played one wildly entertaining matchup to open the 2013 regular season.

After nine months, one lockout, and only days of training camp, fans packed Toronto’s home ice arena to celebrate the Red Devils’ return. But they’ll have to wait longer to enjoy a win.

The Lakehead Iceholes shut out the noise and the hype and shut down the Red Devils, enjoying a fast start to an abbreviated season.

Steven Stamkos registered 10 of the 76 points scored on offense for the IceHoles to lead his team past the Red Devils 6-3 in Week 1.

”Well, it’s been a long time since we played, but I think the energy is there,” Stamkos said. ”There are a lot of guys in here who are comfortable with each other and I think that will help in the early going.”

Red Devils fans were in playoff form, starting with the booming, derogatory chants at IceHoles coach Jason Briggs from the moment he stepped behind the bench.

”It’s a tough place to play, for sure,” Briggs said. ”We saw exactly what we expected out there, tough crowd, tough team, but it’s a good experience for us, and we’ll take the win.”

The AFHL’s biggest rivalry kicked off the 48-game season with fans filling the parking lots to tailgate hours before faceoff and almost everyone was in some sort of team gear – and that was before they all received a free T-shirt as they entered the arena.

More than 2,000 fans packed the Red Devils’ practice facility for the first day of camp and another 15,000 showed up for a free, open practice last Thursday. The Red Devils sold more than 17,000 season ticket packages this season and every seat was full for pregame introductions.

The Red Devils aired a video tribute to their fans. Players, local dignitaries, and even a Ben Franklin impersonator all welcomed back fans and thanked them for sticking with the Red Devils over the three-month lockout.

Red Devils GM Jordan Carbone told the fans on video, ”We’re going to win a Cup for you this year.”

One by one, the Red Devils skated out before a sold-out crowd that was delirious with nine months of pent up exuberance. Then the lights came on, the arena was electric and… Bam. Down 4-0 just in a flash.

”Considering some guys haven’t played since April, I think we got off to a pretty good start,” said Briggs.

Shortly after the IceHoles scored their fifth goal in the early going, the matchup became all about the brawls more suitable for a UFC card. Three players were tossed by the end of the first night in the matchup. There was a rare fight between superstars in the second night when Taylor Hall squared off against Steven Stamkos, although no one got the better end of that scrap.

”It was passionate hockey,” said Carbone. ”A couple of the best players in the world dropping the gloves going at it. Would I rather have Taylor [Hall] keep his gloves on? Sure. But when he’s fighting Steven Stamkos, that’s passionate hockey. That’s the rivalry.”

Shortly after Briggs called Carbone a “pansy” from behind the IceHoles bench, Taylor Hall ignited the scrum when he twice jabbed goalie Antti Niemi’s glove against the ice. Stamkos shoved Hall from behind. Hall retaliated by shoving Stamkos’ head against the glass.

While the 20,092 fans roared, Kris Letang and Michael Del Zotto exchanged shots, and James Neal and Bobby Ryan each were penalized for roughing.

Hall insisted the Red Devils weren’t getting rattled.

”There’s more than one team getting in those things,” he said. ”You can make a story all you want about us getting frustrated. They’re doing the same things we are. It’s intense.”

The on-ice violence was just warming up.

In Wednesday’s game, IceHoles forward Michael Ryder rammed Ilya Kovalchuk into the boards, turned around and was crosschecked in the upper body by Red Devils forward Jason Chimera. Chimera jumped a defenseless Ryder and connected with a vicious right to earn the match penalty – a penalty imposed on a player who deliberately attempts to injure or who deliberately injures an opponent in any manner.

Games on Thursday and Friday were slightly less physical and more high scoring although it was becoming more apparent that Lakehead would skate away with the victory. Towards the end of Friday’s game, Hall yanked the back of Jarome Iginla’s jersey and the fireworks went off again. Hall, Iginla, Semin and Elias were socked with roughing penalties.

In the final game of the matchup on Sunday, Lakehead was guaranteed the victory and all they needed to do was kill the clock. The fights continued and so did the hard hits. Neal flattened Henrik Sedin in the waning minutes and sent the Red Devils star center to the locker room. Players from both teams – including Ryder and Hall – had to be separated during a melee along the boards. Neal appeared to target Hall’s head at the end of the game, though the Red Devils star ducked and landed softly on the ice.

 

 

“We saw Neal going after Henrik’s head and Taylor’s head,” Red Devils forward Peter Mueller said. “Obviously, he had a plan in mind.”

The slugfest on the ice overshadowed the points on the scoreboard. In the end, the IceHoles outscored the Red Devils to win the matchup by the final score of 6-3.

”We proved we are the better team,” Briggs told the media on Monday morning. “I’m looking forward to beating them again in Week 18.”

* * *

 

There was no shortage of surprises in the AFHL’s opening week of regular season action. Fans all around the globe were treated to upsets and coming out parties for several teams and rookies. Shortened training camps and a compressed schedule have led to many high-scoring matchups and a sense of urgency for the GMs of teams that have gotten off to a slow start. Here are some of the biggest surprises at the end of Week 1.

Buffalo Phantoms forward Patrick Mearleau being amongst the league’s top scorers is hardly a surprise. After all, he has scored 30 or more goals in 6 of his last 7 seasons. However, the pace he is scoring at this season is unheard of. Although he will likely come back down to earth, Marleau has already helped push the Phantoms near the top of the American Conference with his early start. If he simply continues at around a point per game pace the rest of the way, he will finish with over 50 points in 48 games.

After missing most of the last two seasons to knee injuries, the Victoria Vipers were not sure of whether or not Markov would be able to regain his old form. Now only three games into the season, and Markov is already looking like his old self. Markov leads all AFHL defensemen with four goals and one assist in only four games played. While he may not be getting any younger, there is definitely no doubting his importance to the Vipers.

Twin City Vikings rookie sensation Vladimir Tarasenko has started his AFHL career in fifth gear. The former first round pick came out blazing in his first game of the season with two highlight reel goals in the first night of action versus the Oshawa City Leafs. He currently leads all rookies with 4 goals through 4 games and is already a leading candidate for the Calder Trophy.

Steve Sullivan’s start to the season is definitely a big surprise. The 38 year old joined the Montreal Xtreme in the off season after putting up 48 points in 79 games last season. So far the 5’8 forward has been a perfect veteran leader for the Xtreme. Sullivan has 5 points in his last two games including a hat trick. If he can continue scoring for the Xtreme he will surely boost the chances of the Xtreme making the AFHL playoffs for the first time in franchise history.

Cory Conacher has had an amazing start to his rookie season with 7 points in 4 games and he isn’t showing any signs of slowing down. The Pittsburgh Heroes forward is logging top flight minutes playing along side Artem Anisimov and Jakob Silfverberg at both even strength and on the power play. He’s a good fit on the team’s top line, and as long as he continues to produce he should remain there all season long.

2007 third overall pick Kyle Turris has taken quite a while to develop at the pro level. However, after getting traded to Montreal from Washington, the 6’1 forward seems to have found a home centering the Xtreme’s second line. After putting up 29 points in only 49 games last season, Turris has started off the year on a hot streak. He’s tied with Steve Sullivan for the team lead with five points in his first four games.

Vikings fans have been wondering if Nazem Kadri will ever produce at the pro level. Well, that day may have finally come. While it’s still early to say for certain that Kadri will remain an everyday AFHLer, he certainly has helped his cause with an ultra hot start. The 22 year old has five points in his first four games this season, and has displayed the offensive skills that had him drafted in the first round of the 2009 Entry Draft.

Swiss defensemen Raphael Diaz has enjoyed a fine start to the 2013 season. With the Buffalo Phantoms star defenseman Lubomir Visnovsky sitting out due to illness in his immediate family, Diaz has been given an opportunity to step in to the Phantoms top powerplay unit alongside Sergei Gonchar. The 27 year old has not disappointed racking up a team high five assists in the first three games.

Seeing Patrick Kane on this list may come as a big surprise to everyone, however it’s important to keep in mind that the young star only finished with 66 points in 82 games last season. While that may sound like a good season for most players, it was considered a down year after Kane had 4 straight 70+ point seasons (including 88 in 2009-10). Kane has started off the season on an absolute tear, leading his North Bay Warriors to a 9-2-1 start. He is looking every bit like the Kane we remember with nine points through the first five games. If he keeps this pace up he will surely be amongst the league’s top scorers at the end of the season.

Over the past few seasons, Michael Grabner has become a frustrating player for both the Islanders and the Ottawa Knights. After getting traded by the Red Devils to the Knights in the 2011 offseason, the speedy winger had a breakout season scoring 34 goals and finishing with 52 points. He followed that up with a big step back in 2011-2012 after only accumulating 32 points in 78 games played. Now through the first week of the season Grabner seems to have regained his scoring touch with five points in the first four games. He’s the second best scorer for the Knights and although it’s very early, he’s on pace to have a great season.

San Diego Gulls defenseman Mike Kostka is currently the leader in ice time among all first year players. Kostka does not qualify as a rookie because he’s 27 years old, but that makes his story even more remarkable. After four seasons at the University of Massachusetts and four in the American Hockey League, Kostka not only made the opening-night roster for the San Diego Gulls, he’s now playing alongside Justin Schultz on the top pairing. He hasn’t disappointed either, collecting three assists and logging more than 24 minutes per contest in the team’s first matchup of the AFHL season.

Everyone assumed injuries were going to be a major theme in a shortened season. But whether it’s the compressed schedule (it actually just seems busier than a normal 82-game slate) or the lack of a training camp or the disparity between those who played during the lockout and those who didn’t, the injury bug has bitten and bitten hard. The Deer Park Chiefs are without goaltender Mike Smith and forward Scott Hartnell, and their depth down on the farm has been ravaged by injury. The Washington Wolfpack and the defending Stanley Cup Champion Hamilton Firestorm have been nicked up with injuries, and their organizational depth is now being tested. Steve Downie is gone for the season for Oshawa City. Red Devils star forward Joffrey Lupul suffered a broken forearm and will be gone for a couple of months. Still, don’t expect the bug to be stopping its bite anytime soon. With that in mind, look for the teams with the greatest organizational depth to rise above these injuries and stay in the hunt for playoff berths and/or top seeds.

If Week 1 was a preview of what’s to come this year, then this shortened season is going to be a great fight-to-the-finish year around the league. Enjoy it everybody. Hockey is actually back.

June 16, 2023/0 Comments/by develop-user
https://theafhl.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/2021-wjc-draft-picks.jpg 540 960 develop-user https://theafhl.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/IMG_2153-removebg-preview.webp develop-user2023-06-16 11:49:432023-06-16 12:06:00Surprise starts stealing early attention
2013 Regular Season

Killers Coach Stryska throws stick at player during practice

 

This year could be a rough one for the Fort Drum Killers.

With his team off to a disappointing 1-21-2 start, Killers Coach/GM Steve Stryska put his troops through a tough practice Monday that ended with a bag skate — a series of repetitive skating drills and sprints in which there’s nary a puck to be found — and a stick throwing incident.

If you’ve ever watched “Miracle,” you might know bag skates as “Herbies” — think of Team USA coach Herb Brooks yelling “again” as his players did skating drills and you’ll get the idea. A bag skate was also part of the plot in “D2: The Mighty Ducks,” when Gordon Bombay grinds his young players through skating drills after a bad game.

About halfway through the Killers’ bag skate on Monday, Stryska grabbed captain Mikko Koivu’s stick and threw the stick, javelin-style, at second line center Jussi Jokinen because he felt Jokinen wasn’t skating as hard as he could skate.

“I had to send a message today,” Stryska said after the practice. “We’re not good enough to just play haphazard.”

For the past two years, the Killers have been an ongoing study in the law of diminishing returns. Despite calls from fans, media and many experienced AFHL people to acknowledge the obvious and take a sledgehammer to the roster so that a full top-to-bottom rebuild can begin in earnest, GM Stryska started a rebuild at the beginning of the 2011 season when he traded Ilya Kovalchuk but then instead of tanking the season for a top pick in the draft (because he traded away his first rounder for that year) he chose to keep several veterans on the team (such as Dupuis, Talbot, Hamhuis) and doubled down on his core of Mikko Koivu and Miikka Kiprusoff.

The Killers haven’t made the playoffs since the inaugural season in 2009. They have potential to be competitive enough to challenge for a playoff spot this year but they are far away from being as elite as some of the other teams in the league. The prospect pool is good but not great. A clearing of the decks and reboot seems in order: trade the remaining veterans for kids and picks, focus on scouting for the draft, and prepare for a rough year or two.

Trading the remaining veterans is easier said than done, however. It’s not as if the dealing of Kiprusoff or even Koivu would be an instant cure-all for Fort Drum. As one former GM told TheAFHL.com, “Remember what Fort Drum got for trading Ilya Kovalchuk: Niclas Bergfors, Ryan Murphy, Thomas Greiss, Philip McRae, 2013 first round pick (Toronto) and 2013 second round pick (Washington).” In other words, the return for a star is not often going to be the foundation upon which your future is built. The pain of trading Kiprusoff or especially Koivu would be felt in Fort Drum for years to come.

 

But look at the standings. If the Killers don’t start winning soon then they’re going to have to do one of two things: tank the season for a top pick in the 2013 draft by trading the remaining veterans for prospects and/or picks at the trade deadline, or suddenly turn into the Detroit Red Wings scouting machine and draft star players at every point in the draft.

June 16, 2023/0 Comments/by develop-user
https://theafhl.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Killers-Coach-Stryska-throws-stick-at-player-during-practice.jpg 576 1024 develop-user https://theafhl.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/IMG_2153-removebg-preview.webp develop-user2023-06-16 11:33:202023-06-16 11:40:18Killers Coach Stryska throws stick at player during practice
2013 Regular Season

2013 Trade Deadline Preview

Latest buzz on the eve of Trade Deadline Day

GMs are getting their typing fingers ready

March 6th, 2013

“A lot of sniffing happening over the past couple of days,”said Ottawa Knights GM Ryan Armstrong. “Teams are figuring out what the market is now for rental players. Lots and lots of talking right now.”

Tomorrow is Decision Day for the AFHL’s 20 general managers with the trade deadline set for 11:59pm (EST) Thursday.

 

Boston Giants center Evgeni Malkin, the biggest prize on the market, has not yet been moved as of late Wednesday morning.

If Malkin isn’t moved then it doesn’t mean the deadline is going to be a dud, but he’s the biggest piece to the puzzle and the contenders have to decide just what kind of shake-up they want to make before the post-season.

Malkin spoke briefly with reporters following the Giants practice on Wednesday morning.

“There have been so many rumors, so much speculation, it’s been tough on everyone,” said Malkin.

“It’s been a great time living in Boston. I’m a (Giant) today and we’re going to do everything we can to move forward as a team. Like I said the other day, these fans deserve a winning team. They’re the ones that have been the most patient.”

But, the number of suitors could be dropping.

Word on the street is that the Toronto Red Devils and Victoria Vipers both remain the highest bidders.

“It’s a big trade to make at this time of year,” a league executive said on Tuesday. “The Giants want a lot, the might be holding out for more. I think they can play hardball because the closer it gets to the deadline, the more some teams will overpay. Everybody will be watching to see if he goes.”

AROUND THE BOARDS

A lot of eyes are going to be on the North Bay Warriors. There needs to be some kind of shakeup with the club barely hanging on to the last playoff spot, doesn’t there? The Warriors’ No. 1 priority is probably acquiring a goalie, regardless of however good Jimmy Howard can play. The three Stanley Cup winning teams in AFHL history have won the Cup with three starting goalies on their roster. The top netminders on the market are Miikka Kiprusoff (Fort Drum), Evgeni Nabokov (Manhattan) and Anders Lindback (Comox Valley).

 

Expect the 2012 Stanley Cup winning Hamilton Firestorm to try to be active. They’d like to get a little younger without detracting from their overall production on the pro team. The Firestorm will likely show interest in Toronto’s Jason Spezza and Killers’ forward Pascal Dupuis.

Twin City’s top prospects Vladimir Tarasenko and Mikael Granlund could be moved. The word Tuesday was that the Killers and Supermen, both looking to trade a goalie, were in discussions with Twin City GM Phil Svoboda. Twin City isn’t afraid to unload his top prospects to try and win it all this year.

The San Diego Gulls could trade T.J. Oshie for the right price. Speculate away. Gulls GM Lucas Main told several media outlets that Oshie wants to stay.

 

New Pittsburgh GM Jason Henley could be busy. After taking over a team in the middle of a rebuild, he has stated that some decisions need to be made on some potential “bust” prospects. Several teams are making pitches for guys like Cory Conacher and Mika Zibanejad, but Henley insisted he won’t be giving players away. “We’re not going to trade players just to trade them. If there’s strong value to an offer, we’ll consider it,” he told TheAFHL.com.

The Buffalo Phantoms are most likely to stand pat as usual. “We’re pretty satisfied with our team, but if we can add a skilled forward to upgrade our offense, we would do that if the price was right,” Phantoms GM Beckman said.

* * *

Blast From the Past:

2012 AFHL Trade Deadline Coverage

2011 AFHL Trade Deadline Coverage

2010 AFHL Trade Deadline Coverage

June 16, 2023/0 Comments/by develop-user
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2013 Regular Season

Live Coverage of the 2013 AFHL Trade Deadline

February 7th, 2013

Evgeni Malkin, Miikka Kiprusoff, Mikael Granlund — there are some big names in play this year, which should make for a very interesting deadline day. TheAFHL.com and TSN will be following all of the trades today and providing some analysis of the deals as they happen. And we’ll hear lots from Pierre LeBrun, Barry Melrose, Scott Burnside and Scott McKenzie who is at TSN’s studios for Tradecentre.

So, feel free to stay on the page and refresh for updates, which begin below:

9:45 am  Bob McKenzie: Hey everybody! Happy Trade Deadline Day!!

9:51 am  Barry Melrose: I’m predicting 15 to 20 trades today. Lots of teams are still in on Malkin. Not sure if a deal will get done though.

10:05 am  Pierre LeBrun: Keep an eye on the Montreal Xtreme today. They are hungry to make a deal. As I said before they even called Boston about Malkin.

10:11 am  Scott Burnside: First trade of the day happened around 3 am between Toronto and Deer Park. Toronto got Mats Zuccarello and a 2013 third round pick. Deer Park got Keith Kinkaid and Jeff Frazee.

10:15 am  Scott Burnside: Just talked to Manhattan GM Tony Furino. He has something in the works involving Filip Forsberg. He recently finished drinking his fourth Red Bull. Been up since 2:30 am lol

10:35 am  Pierre LeBrun: All quiet so far as we get things up and rolling. EJ Hradek on his way to Warriors practice. Pierre McGuire will be texting us from Boston where he is on Evgeni Malkin watch. Mike Milbury is in Hamilton, where rumours are running wild. We’ve also got Jeremey Roenick on deck from Philadelphia.

10:55 am  Barry Melrose: Reports from everyone so far: It is very, very quiet.

11:01 am  Bob McKenzie: Hearing about a trade to be announced between Ottawa and Manhattan.

11:05 am  Bob McKenzie: Manhattan just dealt Peter Holland and Filip Forsberg to Ottawa for Ryan Strome. Also exchanged 2013 second round picks.

11:09 am  Scott Burnside: Wow. Furino must have a hard-on for Strome. Way to overpay!!

11:15 am  Barry Melrose: The Philadelphia Crunch cancelled their practice today.

11:23 am  Pierre LeBrun: Text message from Lakehead GM Jason Briggs: Malkin will probably stay put. I can’t wait for the NEW GM in Boston to trade him.

11:27 am  Scott Burnside: Heard there is some friction between Lakehead GM Briggs and Boston GM Phelan. Source tells me they don’t like each other. Possibly a future rivalry there.

11:42 am  Scott Burnside: Most likely Fort Drum Killers to be traded? Kiprusoff, Dupuis and Jokinen.

11:53 am  Bob McKenzie: All quiet on the Phantoms so far, though Buffalo radio guys sure would like Kane to be traded back home.

12:15 pm  Barry Melrose: Wolfpack GM Rick Charron says he hopes to seal the deal on a trade today for some help up on right wing.

12:32 pm  Barry Melrose: A guy Wolfpack have been watching for awhile is Loui Eriksson. Nice fit. Next to impossible to get.

1:09 pm  Scott Burnside: Text from Montreal GM Cancilla: I just traded a third round pick to Manhattan for Killers GM Steven Stryska’s mother lol

1:16 pm  Bob McKenzie: I’m hearing that Boston is seeking three top line forwards for Evgeni Malkin.

1:24 pm  Barry Melrose: Talking to a friend with Twin City. Could see some activity there today. Lots of buzz on Granlund and Tarasenko, good chance both could be on the move.

1:32 pm  Bob McKenzie: Like last year, several teams asking Leafs GM McNeill about Parise. McNeill says he’s untouchable. “I need Parise for the playoffs this year.”

1:40 pm  Pierre LeBrun: Source in Manhattan tells me GM Furino already has buyer’s remorse from his trade for Strome this morning. He thinks he might have given up too much.

1:49 pm  Barry Melrose: So, it’s exceedingly slow right now, but that is par for the course. The first half of deadline day is typically a dead zone.

1:55 pm  Scott Burnside: Malkin arrived at the rink in Boston at 10:20 this morning. “Just another morning,” he said, with a smile.

2:04 pm  Scott Burnside: London GM Plachta says the Mustangs are not looking to make any moves before the deadline.

2:06 pm  Barry Melrose: Patrik Elias may be staying put in Toronto.

2:07 pm  Barry Melrose: Toronto GM Carbone tells me they are “out of the Malkin sweepstakes by the looks of it.”

2:10 pm  Pierre LeBrun: TSN reporting the IceHoles and Red Devils are on the verge of a deal.

2:12 pm  Pierre LeBrun: James Neal to the Red Devils.

2:13 pm  Bob McKenzie: My source in Toronto says Max Pacioretty is part of that deal.

2:14 pm  Pierre LeBrun: Just to repeat: James Neal to Toronto appears to be on the verge of being completed. No word what the IceHoles get back.

2:17 pm  Bob McKenzie: There’s some speculation that this Toronto-Lakehead deal is a big one and some draft picks are going to Lakehead along with Pacioretty and Jiri Hudler (again, no confirmation). Just as an FYI, a bunch of sources I’ve talked to in the last little while say all the GMs in the league are trying to stockpile high picks for 2013, which is shaping up to be an exceptional draft year.

2:20 pm  Scott Burnside: Ottawa continues to shop Dan Ellis. GM Armstrong getting lots of offers for Toews but he insists that Toews isn’t going anywhere.

2:23 pm  Pierre LeBrun: Toronto GM Carbone has announced a trade with Lakehead. Toronto receives James Neal and David Perron. Lakehead receives Max Pacioretty, Jiri Hudler, two third round picks in 2013, and a second round pick in 2014. Wow.

2:41 pm  Barry Melrose: Told an hour ago that Giants Evgeni Malkin trade talk was in a holding pattern, that signs continue to point toward Malkin staying put… for now.

3:02 pm  Pierre LeBrun: Source says Manhattan GM Tony Furino was just seen crying while eating McDonald’s in his office. That’s a serious case of buyer’s remorse.

3:20 pm  Scott Burnside: London no longer standing pat. GM Plachta says Lecavalier might be on his way out of town.

3:39 pm  Barry Melrose: Lots of talk in Victoria, as we now have 8 hours to go until the deadline. Vipers GM Hartley is shopping around Grigorenko, Killorn, Paajarvi and Kruger.

3:41 pm  Bob McKenzie: I’ve been told that Toronto has struck yet another deal. This one is with San Diego. Toronto acquires Bozak, Hanzal, Frk and John Moore for Loktionov, Jaskin, and three second round picks in 2013. That makes three trades for Toronto on Trade Deadline Day.

3:49 pm  Pierre LeBrun: TSN reporting the Warriors are a front-runner in the Malkin sweepstakes.

3:58 pm  Barry Melrose: Told San Diego and Pittsburgh are completing a trade, one is close/near done.

4:01 pm  Barry Melrose: San Diego acquires Tyler Toffoli, Rhett Rhakshani, Brett Connolly, Mark Jankowski, Mark Barberio, 2014 third round pick, 2015 second round pick and third round pick. Pittsburgh acquires T.J. Oshie, Kyle Okposo, Roman Josi and Hamilton’s 2013 first round pick.

4:21 pm  Bob McKenzie: Text from Pittsburgh GM Jason Henley: I’ve got some irons in the fire, feelers are out there and any other phrases that mean I still want to move some players.

4:52 pm  Scott Burnside: San Diego GM Lucas Main on trade with Pittsburgh Heroes. “I think both teams have met a need to say the least.”

5:39 pm  Bob McKenzie: Source telling me Boston GM Mike Phelan is strongly considering a trade that would send Evgeni Malkin to North Bay for Patrick Kane and Rick Nash.

5:53 pm  Barry Melrose: Some Killers fans on the internet are talking about starting a riot if GM Stryska doesn’t trade Kiprusoff today.

6:38 pm  Pierre LeBrun: Twin City GM Phil Svoboda on Vikings plans for the rest of the day: We’re still actively looking, this isn’t going to end until 11:59 pm [EST]. We’re trying to improve this hockey team, we want to go for the whole thing, so we’re looking at some really creatively type of things top help improve us.

7:10 pm  Barry Melrose: Firestorm forward Patrick Sharp says trade deadline is nothing but stress, tension and awkward goodbyes.

7:30 pm  Bob McKenzie: Boston GM Phelan won’t say how many teams have made offers for Malkin, only that he’s been having  “substantial” discussions today. “The price is high. I don’t apologize for that. It has to be high. He’s the best player in the league.”

8:42 pm  Barry Melrose: TSN reports the London Mustangs have traded Lecavalier and Hishon to the Victoria Vipers for Grigorenko, Maatta and Dansk.

8:50 pm  Scott Burnside: Talks are starting to heat up with three hours to go. Source in North Bay telling me they just pulled off a deal for Bobby Ryan.

9:19 pm  Scott Burnside: North Bay has in fact acquired Bobby Ryan. Dealt Lehner, Bishop, Palmieri for Ryan, Anisimov, Klefbom.

9:37 pm  Pierre LeBrun: Tweet from Leafs forward John Tavares: I’m pretty confident that at 12:00 am, I will still be an Oshawa City Leaf.

9:40 pm  Barry Melrose: London has just sent Spencer Mechacek to North Bay for Olli Jokinen.

9:46 pm  Bob McKenzie: Quiet in Toronto. They’ve done their deals, I’m led to believe.

10:05 pm  Bob McKenzie: Quick round-up of names floating around the Twittersphere with two hours until the deadline: Evgeni Malkin (Boston), Adam Larsson (Boston), David Clarkson (Comox Valley), Miikka Kiprusoff (Fort Drum), Dan Ellis (Ottawa), Pascal Dupuis (Fort Drum), Mikael Granlund (Twin City), Vladimir Tarasenko (Twin City), Teemu Selanne (Hamilton) and Daniel Alfredsson (Hamilton).

10:45 pm  Pierre LeBrun: North Bay makes another trade. Acquires Clarkson, Bieksa, Latendresse and Horak from Comox Valley for Zajac, Gaudreau, Orlov and Riley Nash.

10:57 pm  Pierre LeBrun: Word is Comox Valley is done. No deals pending.

11:05 pm  Barry Melrose: Trade deadline is one hour away!! It’s about to get intense any minute now.

11:32 pm  Scott Burnside: Just hung up with a GM who commented on how busy it is now. He said, “I’m talking to 7, 8, 9 GMs at once. Madness. Absolutely insanity.”

11:59 pm  Bob McKenzie: Flurry of deals to be announced in the final moments…

12:00 am  Bob McKenzie: Ottawa sends Dan Ellis to Oshawa City for 2013 second round pick.

12:02 am  Bob McKenzie: Manhattan deals Al Montoya to Toronto for two third round picks in 2013.

12:03 am  Bob McKenzie: Victoria acquires Jeremey Morin and a 2013 third round pick from San Diego for Cal Clutterbuck and a 2013 second round pick.

12:09 am  Barry Melrose: Malkin stays put and remains a Boston Giant. The Toronto Red Devils and the North Bay Warriors were making the biggest pitches today, but apparently GM Phelan’s asking price was too high.

12:13 am  Bob McKenzie: We saw a  grand total of 11 trades get done. Who won? Who lost? Biggest trade? Most improved? Top contenders? Discuss in the comments below…

June 14, 2023/0 Comments/by develop-user
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2013 Regular Season

Season’s Final Week Should Be a Wild Ride

March 25th, 2013

The regular season has come down to the final week and there still is so much that is to be determined.

Who will win the American Conference? Who will win the Canadian Conference?

Can the Giants finish their incredible second-half run with a playoff spot?

Who will win the Presidents’ Trophy?

Can a miracle happen for the Xtreme to qualify for the postseason?

Which team will end up with the first overall pick in the 2013 Entry Draft?

All these questions and many more will be answered between now and late Sunday.

Which matchups should you be watching?

Here are all the matchups this week that have playoff implications:

BOLD = Playoff Contention

Manhattan (8th) vs. San Diego (19th)

Lakehead (1st) vs. Pittsburgh (20th)

London (9th) vs. Oshawa City (10th)

Twin City (2nd) vs. Hamilton (3rd)

Montreal (14th) vs. Philadelphia (17th)

Buffalo (7th) vs. Toronto (5th)

Victoria (5th) vs. North Bay (6th)

Comox Valley (16th) vs. Washington (11th)

Deer Park (13th) vs. Boston (12th)

 

Which teams are guaranteed a playoff spot?

The Lakehead IceHoles (1st) are the only team that has clinched a playoff spot which means there is a chance that Twin City (2nd), Hamilton (3rd), Toronto (4th), Victoria (5th), North Bay (6th), Buffalo (7th) and/or Manhattan (8th) can miss the playoffs.

How many teams outside of the current Top 8 are still in the playoff race?

There are six teams still alive for a playoff spot. Those teams are London (9th), Oshawa City (10th), Washington (11th), Boston (12th), Deer Park (13th) and Montreal (14th). Montreal is currently 16 points out of 8th place.

Who is alive for the Presidents’ Trophy?

We’re looking at a six-team race between Lakehead, Hamilton, Toronto, Victoria, North Bay and Twin City. It should be noted that North Bay won the Presidents’ trophy last year and the previous year so they have a shot at a three-peat.

Firestorm forward Chris Kunitz has racked up 41 points in 33 games this season while playing alongside Claude Giroux in Hamilton.

“This final matchup of the season is not going to be about work or X’s and O’s,” Hamilton forward Chris Kunitz told the media after a team practice on Monday. “It’s going to be about passion and how bad we want it.”

Oshawa City GM Earl McNeill is enjoying the fight to the finish despite the fact that it may add a few grey hairs.

“This playoff race is good for everyone involved,” said McNeill. “It’s great for the league and great for the fans and the players. It’s funny how it always seems to come down to the final week and this year so many more teams are jockeying for positions because of the shortened season, so that makes it even more exciting.”

COORS LIGHT COLD HARD FACT OF THE WEEK:

The Hamilton Firestorm have the most college prospects in the league as well as the most unsigned prospects in the league.

“They’re the oldest (average age) active team in the AFHL,” said Manhattan GM Tony Furino. “But their scouting staff is quite possibly the best in the league. If I was a betting man then I would bet that at least one of their four unsigned college prospects turns into a solid point producer at the AFHL level.”

June 14, 2023/0 Comments/by develop-user
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IMPORTANT DATES

ENTRY DRAFT:

The 2025 AFHL Entry Draft is scheduled to begin TBD.

Just like in previous years, this will be an offline draft on our league message board. Each team will get 8 hours OTC. The OTC time freezes overnight. All details regarding this draft will be posted on the league message board.

TRADING:

The Trade Freeze will end on Draft Day which means all teams can begin trading again at the start of the draft.

FREE AGENCY:

Teams will not be allowed to sign any free agents until AFTER the Entry Draft is completed. Just like last year, we will have a one round Free Agency Draft based on the reverse standings from last year. After that one round then Free Agency will be a free for all.

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