32 'AHL' Thoughts: Inside AHL Hockey

Editor's Note: With everything going on in the American Hockey League (AHL) behind the scenes, it's never been more important to get AHL news from an AHL reporter - someone who is tuned in and understanding of how the AHL works (it is a vastly different league with different nuances than the NHL).

Special thanks to Elliotte Friedman for allowing us to steal his column's title (yes, we asked!) while we think about what to name this column in the future. This column will serve a similar purpose, but geared for hockey fans interested in the latest news and latest I'm hearing around the AHL.

The American Hockey League (AHL) has long served as the top development league for the NHL and with the addition of the Coachella Valley Firebirds (Seattle Kraken) this season, the AHL has 32 teams to line up with the NHL's expansion to 32 teams. For the first time, the 2022-23 season showcased all 32 NHL teams having their own AHL affiliate.

Affiliation agreements between NHL and AHL franchises come up for renewal/negotiation with regularity.

What is currently happening with the Carolina Hurricanes and Chicago Wolves is a little bit more than that.

There have been a lot of questions, and not a lot of answers as to what is causing some of the tension - both between Carolina and Chicago and with AHL teams and newly extended President/CEO Scott Howson.

I've spent the better part of the last month speaking with AHL and NHL executives across both leagues, both on and off the record, to piece together the picture. As we approach the summer and the news on the ice slows down, things off the ice will pick up and, hopefully, more of these columns will follow as more information becomes available.

So, I hope this will clear things up.

1. Carolina and AHL Chicago are both dug in on their respective sides.

The affiliation agreement between the two franchises ended at the conclusion of the 2022-23 season, and Wolves GM Wendell Young made the first move in sending a mass chain email to over 120 hockey agents and agencies last month stating that the Wolves will become a completely independent AHL franchise - free of an NHL partnership - for the upcoming 2023-24 season.

Our initial report: https://insideahlhockey.com/article/chicago-wolves-planning-to-go-fully-independent-for-2023-24-season

2. Based off everything I've been told, the Wolves are preparing for free agency on July 1st as if they will not have an NHL partnership with Carolina.

This isn't posturing for a better affiliation deal by Chicago. They believe they can field a competitive team without an NHL prospect pool, which is a bold take on its own considering all of the lineup hurdles they will endure to be able to play in the AHL in 2023-24.

3. So far, they've re-signed defenseman Alex Green to an AHL contract for the 2023-24 season. Green put up 5G-21A in 73 games in his first full year in the AHL in 2021-22 with Syracuse. This past season, he was traded to Chicago from Laval after recording one assist in five games with the Rocket. He recorded five points (one goal, four assists) in 35 games with the Wolves in 2022-23.

Green will enter the 2023-24 season with 139 AHL games of experience, so he won't count as a veteran players under the AHL's development rules (fully explained below).

4. A lot of reporters have mentioned the AHL's veteran rule as a hurdle. That is, that AHL teams are only allowed to dress six "veteran" players - players who enter the start of the regular season with 260 or more games of pro experience. And of those six, only five can have accrued more than 320 pro games at the start of the season.

The Wolves don't see this as an issue at all in constructing their roster for next season.

5. What I haven't seen mentioned anywhere, AHL and NHL media outlets alike, is that in addition to needing to fill out the rest of the 18-skater lineup with 12 skaters that are not considered veterans the Chicago Wolves will need to have four "rookies" actively in their lineup every game in order their scheduled game to even be played.

A rookie is any player entering the season with less than 64 games of pro experience. If the Chicago Wolves don't have four "rookies" actively in their lineup - not just on their roster, but in the game night lineup - then they will have to forfeit that game.

"We'll need to sign at least six [rookies]," a Chicago Wolves source told InsideAHLHockey.com earlier this month.

6. I'm told the AHL will be giving the Wolves absolutely zero leeway with any of the rules regarding fielding a lineup that abides by all those guidelines should they not come to an affiliation agreement with Carolina and field their own team.

7. Carolina doesn't have many options in regards to finding another AHL team to partner with.

All of the 31 other NHL and AHL franchises are currently engaged in affiliation agreements. While it's possible the Hurricanes could find a dual partnership for the 2023-24 season, they would be sending their prospects to an AHL team run by a different NHL organization and one looking to give their own prospects ample ice time and opportunity.

8. The Hurricanes cannot create a 33rd AHL team. They can buy an existing independently owned franchise, but there currently aren't any for sale.

9. That is why the NHL and Bill Daly, and the AHL and President/CEO Scott Howson have stepped in and are trying to find a solution there that works for all parties involved.

It's not exactly a good look for either league to have one of its teams going rogue.

10. Financially speaking, the Chicago Wolves won't have trouble spending big money to entice higher end AHL-level free agents that don't have any NHL runway left in their respective careers.

Their owner, Don Levin, "could probably buy an NHL, or even NBA team".

So I don't think the Wolves don't have the financial means to operate without an NHL partner. It's going to come down to how competitive a roster they can construct without an NHL teams' age-eligible prospect pool while also fitting their roster - and gameday lineup - under the AHL's development rules.

11. The AHL held it's spring edition of the Board of Governors (BoG) meeting on Tuesday.

Obviously, the big news coming out of the meeting was that the BoG agreed on the multi-year extension of Scott Howson to remain as the league's President/CEO of the league. I'm hearing it's a two-year extension (the league announced his first deal as a three-year deal, so the wording here "multi-year" tends to line up with that line of thinking too).

12. While the decision to elect Howson to serve as the league's President/CEO in 2020 was unanimous, last week's decision on the extension was not and the reports in April from Darren Dreger - that there were some league executives unhappy with Howson - has merit.

13. I'm told some of the disagreements/tension has to do with Howson's handling on the business-side of things. While Howson boasted at the 2023 AHL All-Star Classic in Laval in February that this season will be a record revenue year, and it will be, it's a bit misleading that things are all sunshine and rainbows for a couple of reasons.

The obvious one is that the league expanded to 32 franchises, adding a Coachella Valley franchise that has proved to be a big addition to team-generated revenue for the league. Naturally, having 32 franchises' revenue totals to add compared to 31 should yield more revenue.

"When you add franchises in Henderson and Coachella Valley that are putting up significant numbers, that's really where you see the growth in overall [team-generated] revenue," Syracuse Crunch owner Howard Dolgon told InsideAHLHockey.com via phone last week.

14. The other part of this -- and this is where those disgruntled with Howson might have some standing - is that while team-generated revenue has increased, the league-generated revenue hasn't grown much, if at all - at least not to the liking of several of the AHL's independently owned franchises.

"There's a difference between league-generated revenue, which has not really increased, and the team-generated revenue, which continues to increase,"  Dolgon told InsideAHLHockey.com after this past week's BoG meeting.

15. It appears for now that Howson and the BoG are on the same page as far as what is expected moving forward, and the likely reason his contract was extended. But with only two years, Howson doesn't have a lot of time - or much of a leash - to right the ship and start making headway on the league-generated revenue shortcomings.

"It's always good to have debate on issues relating to either how the league is run or who's running. And obviously, it was important for a league as a whole to decide before we went too far into the offseason and got closer to the 2023-24 season to make a decision on who was going to run the league, from a President standpoint," Dolgon said, adding, "Having said that, I think there's a lot of work to be done as a league. I think the marching orders that the president has now are pretty clear on what's important to move this league forward so we don't get passed by other leagues. Clearly we are the second best hockey league in the world. And we need our brand, our media, our streaming platform, our digital platform, our sponsorships to be equal to the quality of the hockey we play. And to get there, we can't lag behind. We know the quality of the hockey is going to be first and foremost. We've always maintained that. [But] we've got to get the standards up in the other areas. And I think we would be in unanimous agreement about that as well."

16. I think it's also worth noting a source told InsideAHLHockey.com that the AHL's BoG spring meeting was not adjourned, meaning it will have to continue in the near future - likely via conference call - with board members expected to be ready when the continuation is formally scheduled.

"There are still a few more topics to be discussed," I was told in regards to that.

17. One of the potential topics up for discussion? Maybe the AHL's 23-team extended playoff format. I'm told when it was introduced and approved that it was a two or three year agreement - with these 2023 Calder Cup Playoffs being the second year of the 23-team format.

A two-year agreement would mean that the future of the Calder Cup Playoffs - and what the format would look like - would need to be voted on and approved this summer by the BoG. If it's a three-year agreement, then of course there's at least one more year of the 23-team expanded playoff field with opening round best-of-three series.

18. There are big changes coming for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins moving forward, how they are operated and Pittsburgh's overall presence around the team including a much-needed increase in their day-to-day on-site involvement.

19. Fenway Sports Group (FSG) have been working closely with Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan during the Pittsburgh Penguins transition between former GM Ron Hextall and whoever they hire to fill their current vacancy.

Relative to the AHL club, I'm told FSG will mandate to their new GM that this AHL Penguins club needs to be highly competitive -- on the persistent advice from Sullivan, specifically, in making sure the organization's top prospects are developing in a winning environment.

20. It might come as a surprise that Sullivan is so adamant about building/investing more in constructing an AHL roster as he has taken flack for barely giving the AHL Penguins' call ups - and young players like Jonathan Gruden - much of an opportunity in terms of ice time.

But Sullivan, along with assistant coach Mike Vellucci understand the importance of building from within and winning at the AHL level as well as anyone. That should be music to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins fans' ears.

"This is a [Sullivan] thing more than whoever the new [GM] is... and right now [Sullivan] has the hammer with the Fenway guys," One NHL source told InsideAHLHockey.com a few weeks ago.

21. Not that Pittsburgh's GM interview process has reached it's finalists, but I'm hearing to keep an eye on Marc Bergevin, Jason Botterill and John Chayka specifically.

22. Whether or not that will continue to be AHL Penguins GM Erik Heasley in 2023-24 probably depends on who the new GM coming into Pittsburgh will be, but the fact that Heasley has been around for the transition might be a sign that he'll remain in the organization in a different role should the new NHL Penguins GM bring in his own personnel for that position.

23. The same goes the AHL Penguins' coaching staff, though in talking with coaches around the AHL this season the sentiment they expressed the most was just the way J.D. Forrest and his staff had such a well-structured team despite certainly not having the depth to match their opposition over the long run.

24. Speaking of AHL coaches, there are already quite a few head coaching vacancies around the league and one newly hired head coach.

25. San Diego head coach Roy Sommer retired at the conclusion of the 2022-23 campaign after 25 consecutive seasons as an AHL head coach. He is the AHL's all-time leader in coaching wins (828) and games coached (1,813).

Anaheim was quick to bring in their next head coach for their AHL affiliate in San Diego, naming Matt McIlvane as the Gulls' new bench boss for the 2023-24 season.

26. Other AHL head coach vacancies:

Henderson (VGK) relieved Manny Vivieros of his coaching duties

Iowa (MIN) Tim Army was released one night after Iowa was eliminated by Rockford in Central Division's best-of-three opening round series.

Grand Rapids (DET) let go of now former longtime Griffins head coach Ben Simon.

27. As the NHL gets down to its Conference Finals round, the AHL's 2023 Calder Cup Playoffs is down to eight teams in the Divisional finals round (best-of-five).

In the Atlantic Division Finals, the Hershey Bears (WSH) have a 2-0 series lead on the Hartford WolfPack (NYR) with a chance to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals with a win Wednesday night in Game 3.

28. A bit of confusion arose when Adam Clendening had his suspension reduced from three games to two games for a not-so-good looking late hit on Providence Bruins - and Boston 1st rounder - Fabian Lysell in the Wolf Pack's opening round series. The reduction from three to two games came because the extra game tacked on the two game suspension was incorrectly applied as an accumulation of game misconducts.

We'll tackle the AHL's officiating conundrum and offer an inside look at the AHL's new player safety committee in a future column. . 29. Similarly in the North Division Finals, the Rochester Americans (BUF) can advance to the Eastern Conference Finals with a Game 3 win Wednesday night on home ice after they went to Toronto and won the first two games of the series on the road.

30. In the Central Division, Milwaukee (NSH) and Texas (DAL) split the two games in Milwaukee with the Admirals taking Game 1 and Texas evening the series in Game 2 with series shifting to Texas for the final three games of the series.

31. In the Pacific Division Finals, it's a matchup of the top two finishing regular season teams as the Coachella Valley Firebirds and Calgary Wranglers are in the midst of a dogfight, as evidenced by Monday night's Game 3 triple overtime thriller which saw the Firebirds take a 2-1 series lead off the stick of Ryker Evans after 111 minutes of hockey.

The Firebirds  came out firing on the road to steal Game 1 in Calgary. The Wranglers evened the series with a Game 2 win but because they opted to host the first two games at home, the series ends in Palm Springs with Games 3, 4 and - if necessary Game 5.

32. If you've read through the nearly 3,000 words of this AHL column, I commend you!

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