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San Diego Gulls Hire Matt McIlvane

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After now-former head coach Roy Sommer retired at the end of the 2022-23 season, the San Diego Gulls, an AHL affiliate of the Anaheim Ducks, have now found their head coaching replacement. Matt McIlvane will be brought in as the fifth coach in franchise history, recently enjoying the same role for EC Red Bull Salzburg of the ICE Hockey League in Austria. Before working as a head coach in Austria, McIlvane was an assistant coach for EHC Munchen of the DEL, Germany’s professional hockey league.

Coaching for Salzburg, McIlvane racked up a total record of 94-42-22-19 in four seasons, and also posted an incredible postseason record, leading his team to a 31-8 mark behind the bench. Salzburg was able to win back-to-back championships the last two seasons under the leadership of McIlvane. When asked about the head coaching hire, the General Manager of the Anaheim Ducks, Pat Verbeek, said, “Matt brings a winning pedigree to our organization in addition to a strong culture of development and performance. Our players in San Diego will benefit from his leadership, philosophy, and his championship experience in Europe and the international level.”

McIlvane was also excited to return to North America; when asked about joining the Ducks organization, McIlvane said, “I am humbled to be the next coach of the San Diego Gulls. I am incredibly grateful to Pat Verbeek for the trust to take on this responsibility. The Samueli family runs a first-class organization, and it is an honor to join the hockey club. I can’t wait to meet the rest of the management, staff, and players. We are ready for the challenge to develop Ducks prospects into NHL players and give the fans at Pechanga Arena San Diego an exciting team to cheer for.”

Over the last couple of seasons, the Gulls have been unable to post a winning record. During the 2021-22 season, the Gulls posted a record of 28-33-7, losing in the preliminary round to the Ontario Reign in two games. This season, performance continued to decline in San Diego, finishing 10th in the AHL’s Pacific Division after going 20-49-3. In McIlvane’s hiring, the Ducks organization is clearly looking for someone to procure the next generation of NHL talent in Anaheim, as well as returning the Gulls to the postseason.

Carl Dahlstrom Linked To SHL

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At the beginning of the season, it appeared as though Carl Dahlstrom had positioned himself to be one of the first call-ups for the Toronto Maple Leafs, receiving NHL pay (and ice time) whenever the team suffered an injury on defense. Instead, Dahlstrom suffered the injury, going down with a shoulder issue that required surgery.

After months on the sidelines recovering, he has recently re-joined the Toronto Marlies for their playoff run, playing eight games over the last few weeks. Whenever the Marlies’ season ends, it might be the last we see of Dahlstrom on North American ice—at least for now.

The veteran defenseman has been linked to Farjestad BK of the SHL, with former Rockford IceHogs teammates speaking highly of him for the club. A return to Sweden could end any chance of another NHL stint for the 28-year-old defenseman, who has 67 games under his belt at the highest level.

Just three of those have come since the end of 2019-20, though, as he struggled with injuries for multiple clubs. With so much depth currently on the Maple Leafs, there’s no way he’ll get into the NHL playoff lineup, and as a pending unrestricted free agent, finding a home for next season is a priority.

Skyler Brind’Amour Signs AHL Contract

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After telling the Edmonton Oilers that he wasn’t signing with them and instead joining the Charlotte Checkers on a professional tryout, Skyler Brind’Amour has committed to playing in North Carolina next season. The recent NCAA champion has signed a two-year AHL contract that begins in 2023-24.

Brind’Amour, 23, was initially selected in the sixth round by the Oilers, but after spending two years in the BCHL and then another four with Quinnipiac University, he won’t join the team that drafted him. He would have become an unrestricted free agent in August, but Edmonton likely gave him free rein to seek another option, resulting in his trip to Charlotte.

The gig has geographical perks, as his father—Rod Brind’Amour—coaches the Carolina Hurricanes just across the state. The Checkers, a long-time affiliate of the Hurricanes, switched their partnership to the Florida Panthers a few seasons ago.

Brind’Amour scored 14 goals and 32 points in 41 games this season and is known for his never-ending work ethic more than anything else. The checking center still has a long road ahead of him if he’s to crack an NHL roster.

Stars/Wild Notes: Wallstedt, Eriksson Ek, Pavelski

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With the Iowa Wild’s quick elimination from the AHL’s Calder Cup Playoffs, The Athletic’s Michael Russo reports the Minnesota Wild are expected to call up their complement of Black Aces today to be around the team while their playoff run continues. While most won’t be called up after Iowa’s exit meetings, Russo said that top goalie prospect Jesper Wallstedt has already been recalled and will serve as the third goalie behind the team’s tandem of Filip Gustavsson and Marc-Andre Fleury.

Wallstedt, 20, didn’t have the playoff performance he wanted in Iowa, recording a .897 save percentage in two overtime losses as Iowa lost their best-of-three series against the Rockford IceHogs. It doesn’t diminish what was a promising stretch run to the season for him, wrapping up his first pro season in North America with a .908 save percentage and a shutout in 38 games for Iowa. Selected 20th overall in the 2021 NHL Draft, Wallstedt remains one of the best goalie prospects in the league and should gain valuable experience from being around the Minnesota team for the rest of their postseason.

  • After attempting to return from injury in Game 3 and skating just one shift, things aren’t looking up for the health of Wild center Joel Eriksson Ek. Head coach Dean Evason told reporters today Eriksson Ek hasn’t skated since his latest injury, as he’s still in the process of evaluation and “not close” to returning to the lineup. Eyes now turn to Sam Steel and Frédérick Gaudreau, who have both performed well so far in the series, to shoulder Eriksson Ek’s absence.
  • On the flip side, Dallas Stars winger Joe Pavelski continues to progress in his recovery after a hit in Game 1 that caused him to enter concussion protocol. Pavelski skated with the team today for the first time since the injury, and head coach Peter DeBoer told reporters Pavelski’s progressed in his recovery each day. It remains unclear whether Pavelski will return this series.

Winnipeg Jets Recall Arvid Holm On Emergency Basis

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The Winnipeg Jets recalled goaltender Arvid Holm from the AHL’s Manitoba Moose on an emergency basis, the team said today. With David Rittich absent from practice for undisclosed reasons this morning, per Scott Billeck of the Winnipeg Sun, Holm could serve as the backup to Connor Hellebuyck for tonight’s Game 4.

Holm, 24, has been the third netminder on Winnipeg’s depth chart this season, but a lack of injuries to the Winnipeg crease kept him out of action during the regular season. Holm finished his AHL regular-season campaign with a 2.67 goals-against average, a .911 save percentage, and an 18-11-4 record in 35 games.

It was a solid development step this season for the 6-foot-5 netminder, who Winnipeg selected in the sixth round of the 2017 NHL Draft. He was expected to serve as the starter when Manitoba began their AHL playoff run next Friday, but pending the result of the Jets’ series and Rittich’s availability, he could remain with the NHL club past that date.

Holm’s recall gives Winnipeg four goalies on their active roster, although the younger Oskari Salminen is there to serve as a Black Ace. If Hellebuyck or Holm also becomes unavailable, however, Salminen would then be the team’s backup netminder.

Already down 2-1 in the series, the Jets hope they won’t have to utilize Holm or Salminen to try and keep their season alive.

Kings Recall Tobias Bjornfot And Cal Petersen

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With their AHL affiliate in Ontario being eliminated on Friday, Los Angeles has elected to bring a couple of extra players up.  They announced that defenseman Tobias Bjornfot and goaltender Cal Petersen were recalled from the Reign while also loaning goaltender David Hrenak to Greenville of the ECHL with the Swamp Rabbits still playing at that level.

Bjornfot is no stranger to being recalled this season as this is the ninth (and final) time that he is getting promoted.  The 22-year-old played in ten games with the Kings during the regular season, the fewest appearances at the top level he has had in the last three seasons.  In those contests, Bjornfot picked up an assist along with 11 hits and 12 blocks while logging a little over 14 minutes a night.

At the minor league level, Bjornfot was a bit more productive but certainly didn’t light up the scoresheet either, collecting five goals and seven helpers in 50 games.  It should be his final season in the minors as he’ll be waiver-eligible next season and it’s unlikely that Los Angeles will want to risk losing him for free by trying to send him down again.

As for Petersen, it has been a year to forget for the 28-year-old.  After a rough start to the year that saw him post a save percentage of just .868 in 10 appearances, he cleared waivers at the beginning of December and was sent down to the minors.  He fared a bit better down there, putting up a .904 SV% in 40 regular season contests but that type of performance won’t be enough to see him pushing for playing time in the postseason.  Instead, he’ll likely serve as the third-string option, allowing Hrenak to go back to the ECHL where he spent the majority of his season.

Winnipeg Jets Reassign Danny Zhilkin To AHL

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The Winnipeg Jets organization has announced that prospect forward Danny Zhilkin has been reassigned from the OHL’s Kitchener Rangers to the Jets’ AHL affiliate, the Manitoba Moose. This reassignment comes after the Rangers fell in their second-round playoff series to the London Knights in five games.

The move allows Zhilkin, 19, to be with the Moose as they embark on what they hope will be a long Calder Cup playoff run. The Moose begin their first-round playoff series against the Milwaukee Admirals on Friday, and while it’s somewhat unlikely that Zhilkin actually sees the ice, he will get a firsthand experience to see what playoff hockey looks like at the professional level.

Zhilkin is a 2022 third-round pick who has not yet made his professional debut. He earned the right to be a 2022 top-80 selection off the back of a solid 2021-22 OHL season, where he scored 55 points in 66 games for the Guelph Storm, while also serving as an alternate captain. This season, he scored 26 points in 25 games for Guelph before being dealt to the Kitchener Rangers.

Zhilkin scored 17 goals and 30 points in 35 games in Kitchener and helped them achieve one of the most significant upsets in recent CHL history. Zhilkin and the Rangers swept the first-seeded Windsor Spitfires, who were led by 2022 fourth-overall pick Shane Wright.

While their run fizzled out after that victory, Zhilkin got his first real taste of being a difference-maker in playoff hockey. Now, he’ll take more of a backseat role watching Manitoba as the team attempts to defeat the Admirals and make it to the Central Division Finals.

Wild Fire Most Of AHL Coaching Staff

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The Wild will have close to a new coaching staff at the AHL level next season as they announced that the contracts of head coach Tim Army and assistants Nate DiCasmirro and Nolan Yonkman will not be renewed for next season.

Iowa had a 34-27-11 record this season but they were quickly eliminated in the opening round of the playoffs, dropping their best-of-three series against Rockford (Chicago) in two straight games.  Top prospects Marco Rossi (51 points in 53 games) and Jesper Wallstedt (.908 SV% in 38 contests) both had good seasons but their improvement evidently wasn’t enough to keep the coaching staff intact.

Army has led Iowa for the past five seasons but they haven’t had a lot of postseason success in that stretch, winning just one series back in 2019.  The 59-year-old also has some NHL coaching experience having spent six years as an assistant with Colorado which could help get him some interest elsewhere this summer.

As for DiCasmirro, he was in his second season as an assistant with the team, his first full-time coaching role after a long playing career that ended in 2019.  He also served as an assistant for Austria at the most recent World Juniors.  Yonkman, meanwhile, was also in his second season with the team in what was his first full-time coaching role since returning in 2019.

This will be GM Bill Guerin’s first opportunity to hire an AHL head coach as Army had completed his first season before Guerin took over running Minnesota in 2019.  The only coach believed to be returning is goaltending coach Richard Bachman.  Iowa joins Grand Rapids (Detroit), Henderson (Vegas), and San Diego (Anaheim) as teams looking for a new head coach at the AHL level.

Michael Russo of The Athletic was the first to report that the coaching changes were being made.

Panthers Recall Lucas Carlsson

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After Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad left last night’s loss to Boston early with an injury, they’ve opted to bring up some extra depth on the back end.  Florida has recalled blueliner Lucas Carlsson from Charlotte of the AHL, per the AHL’s transactions log.

The 25-year-old spent the majority of this season with the Checkers and was one of the top-scoring defensemen in the minors, collecting 20 goals and 34 assists in 61 games.  That helped earn him a spot on the second All-Star team.  For context, his career goal total in the AHL heading into this season was 18 in 143 contests.  He’s off to a nice start to the playoffs as well, picking up four points in three games in their first-round victory over Lehigh Valley.

However, despite how well Carlsson performed in the minors, it didn’t translate into much NHL time as he played just twice for Florida this season.  By comparison, he suited up in 40 contests for the Panthers last year, a career-high.

Even if Ekblad isn’t able to play, there’s a chance that Carlsson won’t be the one taking his place in the lineup.  The Panthers also have Casey Fitzgerald and rookie Michael Benning on the active roster and one of them could get the nod as well.  But if they’re looking for someone to play on the power play especially, Carlsson could be an interesting addition to the lineup with how things have gone for him this season in Charlotte.

Minnesota Wild Reassign Sammy Walker

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The Minnesota Wild have reassigned forward Sammy Walker back to their AHL affiliate, the Iowa Wild.

The Athletic’s Michael Russo reported earlier today that top Wild center Joel Eriksson Ek left today’s practice with the non-scratches, hinting that he could be nearing a return to the ice. Walker had been on the Wild’s roster as a reserve player to help deal with Eriksson Ek’s absence, so this reassignment combined with Russo’s note from practice points to the increasingly likely possibility that Eriksson Ek is getting ready to play again.

Of course, another possible factor motivating this reassignment is the fact that AHL Iowa is fighting to keep their season alive tonight against the Rockford IceHogs. A Rocco Grimaldi overtime winner for Rockford in the first game of the AHL’s best-of-three playoff qualifying series put Iowa on the brink of elimination, so seeing as Walker has been one of their top scoring forwards this season it makes sense that the organization would want him back in the AHL to keep Iowa’s Calder Cup hopes alive.

That being said, NHL considerations always come first so it’s more likely that this reassignment has to do with Eriksson Ek’s progress than the team sacrificing a reserve insurance player in order to help out their affiliate in a qualifying-round series.

Should Eriksson Ek make his return soon, he would provide the Wild with a major boost in their currently deadlocked first-round series against the Dallas Stars. His 61 points this season were tops among Wild centers and his defensive play has drawn rave reviews from across the league for years now.

As for Walker, he’ll now get the chance to help AHL Iowa save their season. The former Minnesota Gopher has scored 27 goals and 48 points in 56 AHL games, an impressive performance for a rookie professional. He didn’t get into either of the Wild’s two playoff games, and last played in the NHL on April 13th.

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