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Krystof Hrabik Suspended 30 Games In AHL

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March 30: After serving 28 of his 30 games, Hrabik has been reinstated by the AHL. This follows an evaluation of his progress in an education and training program, conducted in conjunction with the NHL’s Player Inclusion Committee. He is eligible to re-join the Barracuda for the stretch run, but Curtis Pashelka of the Mercury News tweets that Hrabik will continue training on his own while he awaits assignment to the ECHL.

Jan 21: The AHL has issued a suspension of 30 games to San Jose Barracuda forward Krystof Hrabik for a racial gesture directed at Tucson Roadrunners forward Boko Imama. The incident occurred on January 12, and Hrabik was put on indefinite suspension. He has served three games so far and will be eligible to return to the lineup on April 3. He may apply for a reduction in suspension after March 12, based on an evaluation of his progress in the necessary education and training with the Player Inclusion Committee.

AHL president Scott Howson released the following statement:

The AHL stands with Boko Imama. It is unfair that any player should be subjected to comments or gestures based on their race; they should be judged only on their ability to perform as a player on the ice, as a teammate in the locker room and as a member of their community.

The San Jose Sharks, NHL affiliate of the Barracuda, have also released a statement, which in part reads:

The Barracuda and San Jose Sharks organizations were appalled to learn of this incident. We offer our sincerest apologies to Boko, the Roadrunners organization, the AHL, our fans, and the entire hockey community. While we support the ability for individuals to atone and learn from disrespectful incidents in this context, these actions are in direct opposition to the Barracuda and Shark organizations’ values. 

Hrabik, 22, is not under contract with the Sharks. He signed a one-year AHL contract last summer which covers the 2021-22 season. In 21 games, he has four points.

Imama, 25, was acquired by the Arizona Coyotes last summer in a deal with the Los Angeles Kings and signed a one-year, two-way NHL contract in August. He has played in 27 games for the Roadrunners this season, recording eight points. This is not the first time that an incident like this has occurred to him in the minor leagues. In 2020–exactly two years ago–Brandon Manning, then playing with the Bakersfield Condors, was suspended five games for directing a racial slur at Imama.

Los Angeles Kings Sign Kim Nousiainen

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After signing him to an amateur tryout for their AHL affiliate earlier this week, the Los Angeles Kings have now inked Kim Nousiainen to a three-year entry-level contract. The deal will start in the 2022-23 season and carries an average annual value of just over $859K.

Nousiainen, 21, was selected 119th overall in the 2019 draft, the seventh player off the board for the Kings. He’s now also the seventh player from that class to sign his entry-level deal, following Andre Lee’s just a few days ago. Standing just 5’8″, the undersized defenseman has been a regular in Liiga for three seasons, suiting up with KalPa Kuopio. This season in 35 games, Nousiainen recorded four goals and 14 points, which actually ranked second among the team’s defensemen.

Just last month, the Kings’ prospect pool was ranked second in the NHL by The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler, and Nousiainen landed 18th in their group. Wheeler suggested at the time that it would be prudent to bring the young defenseman into the system and give him a chance to prove himself at the AHL level–exactly what they’ve now done.

Not really an overly offensive player, Nousianien is a non-stop workhorse whose feet never stop moving and even engages physically more than you might expect from such a small frame. Whether that frame can handle those kinds of minutes in North America is unclear at this point, but he’s obviously done enough to land a contract from the Kings. The next step is proving he can compete in the AHL, on an Ontario Reign team he joined this week.

Carolina Hurricanes Sign Noel Gunler

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Now that his season overseas has ended, Noel Gunler is on his way to North America. The Carolina Hurricanes have signed Gunler to a three-year, entry-level contract that starts in 2022-23, and an AHL professional tryout contract for the rest of this season. The young forward will join the Chicago Wolves for now, something Hurricanes general manager Don Waddell mentioned in a statement:

Noel is a sharpshooter who has the pace to play our up-tempo style. We’re lucky to have him join the Wolves for their playoff run.

Gunler, 20, was selected in the second round in 2020, 41st overall after his first full season in the SHL. After impressing at the World Juniors last year, and finding his way to Brynas, he’s taken his game to an entirely new level, scoring 13 goals and 23 points in 52 games. While those numbers don’t pop out and suggest he’ll become an immediate star in North America, Gunler’s upside is significant.

For the Hurricanes, adding another prospect with a high offensive ceiling is important, but it’s the Wolves who are going to benefit the quickest. Chicago is currently the best team in the AHL with a 40-11-10 record and figure to be a top contender for the Calder Cup. Adding another young talent will only help that chase, and allow Gunler to jump right into a competitive atmosphere to start his career with the Hurricanes organization.

AHL Shuffle: 03/29/22

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There may not be another more interesting day on the NHL schedule than today, as the nine games include several hugely important playoff matchups. The Toronto Maple Leafs try to exorcise old ghosts against the Boston Bruins, the New York Rangers face the Pittsburgh Penguins in a battle for second in the Metro, the Carolina Hurricanes travel to face the Tampa Bay Lightning in a matchup of Stanley Cup contenders, and the Colorado Avalanche face the Calgary Flames in a war of the top two Western Conference seeds. Even around those games, there are some must-wins for teams like the Dallas Stars and Nashville Predators, making tonight an impressive slate of action. As all of those teams and others prepare for action, we’ll keep track of all the minor league shuffling.

Atlantic Division

  • The Detroit Red Wings announced that they have recalled goaltender Victor Brattstrom from the Grand Rapids Griffins under emergency conditions. Brattstrom has yet to make his NHL debut, and has spent a majority of the season with the Griffins, posting a 3.55 goals against average and .890 save-percentage in 20 games at the AHL level, as well as three games with the Toledo Walleye of the ECHL.

Metropolitan Division

  • The New York Islanders have officially recalled Cory Schneider from the minor leagues, as Ilya Sorokin continues to be unavailable for the team. The team explained that though he’s feeling better, Sorokin did not travel with the team and they will reassess in the coming days.
  • The Pittsburgh Penguins have recalled Anthony Angello from the AHL, giving them another body as they prepare for the game tonight. Angello, 26, has played just one NHL game so far this season.
  • The Philadelphia Flyers have recalled goaltender Felix Sandstrom under emergency conditions, as Carter Hart deals with a minor injury. The team is in Minnesota this evening to take on the Wild, a game that could see Philadelphia officially eliminated from postseason contention.

Central Division

Pacific Division

  • The San Jose Sharks have recalled Lane Pederson, who has actually played in 27 games for the team this season. It may be hard to remember many of those games though, as the young forward is still sitting on zero goals this year, and has just two points in those 27 appearances.

This page will be updated throughout the day

Washington Capitals Extend Mike Vecchione

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The Washington Capitals have signed Mike Vecchione to a one-year, two-way extension that will keep him in the organization through 2022-23. The pending free agent forward will earn a $750K salary in the NHL, and a $275K salary in the AHL next season.

Vecchione, 29, has played just one game for the Capitals this season, his first NHL experience since originally signing out of the NCAA in 2017. Once a highly sought-after college free agent, the minor league veteran has now settled into a top role in the AHL, where he’ll likely play out most of this new contract.

In 46 games with the Hershey Bears this year, Vecchione has 38 points, taking his AHL total to 162 in 257 games. This new contract means he won’t have to fight for a new contract in the summer when he would have hit free agency and keeps him with the same organization–something that has been out of reach the past few seasons.

While he doesn’t provide any real impactful depth for the Capitals, there is at least a chance that he could see some more NHL time. If he does, he’ll cost just the league minimum, a handy option to have as Washington and the rest of the league continue to deal with a relatively flat cap.

Snapshots: Three Stars, Hanson, Murray

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The NHL has released its Three Stars for last week, with Cam Talbot of the Minnesota Wild taking the top spot. The Wild went out and landed the best reigning Vezina Trophy winner at the deadline, but the incumbent started managed to post a 3-0 record with a .959 save percentage last week. Talbot now has 27 wins on the year and carries a .911 save percentage into the stretch run.

Second and third went to two Alberta superstars, as Johnny Gaudreau and Leon Draisaitl take home the honors. The Calgary Flames forward ended up with ten points in three games including a five-assist effort against Edmonton, and now has reached 90 points for the second time in his career. Meanwhile, the Oilers had their own star in Draisaitl, who added six goals and two assists last week. That takes him to 47 of each on the year, setting him up for the third 100+ point season of his career, should he stay healthy down the stretch.

  • The Lehigh Valley Phantoms have signed a pair of college free agents to professional tryouts, adding goaltender Darion Hanson from the University of Connecticut and Will Riedell from Ohio State. Neither one has signed NHL or even AHL contracts to this point, but will get a chance to taste professional hockey down the stretch before deciding what comes next. Hanson, 24, had a .923 save percentage in 35 starts for UConn this season.
  • Matt Murray was back on the ice this morning for the Ottawa Senators, as he works his way back from an upper-body injury. The veteran netminder has been out since earlier this month, leading to the Senators recalling and taking Mads Sogaard on the road with them to Nashville for tomorrow’s game. Murray, 27, has had a nightmare season, losing 14 of 20 appearances and seeing time in the minor leagues. While he had been seemingly turning things around in late February, two early starts in March saw him allow 13 goals on 53 shots before going back on the shelf.

Carolina Hurricanes Acquire Tarmo Reunanen

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The AHL trade deadline frenzy continues, this time with the Carolina Hurricanes adding some interesting defensive depth from the New York Rangers. The Hurricanes have acquired Tarmo Reunanen in exchange for Maxim Letunov. Because this deal was done after the NHL trade deadline, both players are no longer eligible to play in the NHL this season. They can however continue to play in the AHL, where they will report to their new teams.

Reunanen, 24, is in the final year of his entry-level contract, originally signed with the Rangers in 2019, and will be a restricted free agent at the end of the season. The fourth-round pick actually played in four NHL games last season, but has been limited to minor league action this time around, recording 17 points in 40 games with the Hartford Wolf Pack. He’ll now join the Chicago Wolves, who happen to be the best team in the AHL so far, sitting first in the Central Division with a 39-11-10 record.

This is an interesting move for the Hurricanes because of Reunanen’s contract status, even though he could potentially return to Finland in the offseason. Adding an RFA for Letunov, who will be a Group VI unrestricted free agent at the end of the year, seems like at the very least a nice swap of assets for Carolina.

The 26-year-old Letunov has been a good minor league player over the last few years, but has seen his offensive output drop considerably this season. In 60 games with the Wolves he had just 23 points, something that will be easily replaced by Richard Panik, who was also loaned to the team today from the Bridgeport Islanders.

That’s not to say the Hartford Wolf Pack are throwing in the towel, though. Letunov was a second-round pick in 2014 and has shown a scoring touch in the past, even reaching 40 points in 50 games during the 2019-20 season. That same season he managed three games with the San Jose Sharks, where he scored his first (and only) NHL goal. With Hartford still firmly in the playoff chase in the AHL’s Atlantic Division, he should help their offensive output down the stretch.

Boston Bruins, St. Louis Blues Complete Minor League Trade

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Though the NHL trade deadline was last week, the AHL’s is today, with players dealt today still eligible to suit up down the stretch and into the playoffs. While there usually isn’t a ton of action, today did see Brady Lyle traded from the Providence Bruins to the Springfield Thunderbirds in exchange for future considerations.

Lyle, 22, is in the first season of his two-year, entry-level contract that he signed with the Boston Bruins last spring. He has yet to earn a recall to the NHL at all, and had just nine points in 48 games for Providence this season. He will not be eligible to play for St. Louis for the rest of the season, but can help Springfield as they continue their chase for the Calder Cup. The Thunderbirds are currently in first place in the Atlantic Division, six points ahead of Providence–though they’ve played four more games than the Bruins.

Boston clears a roster spot with the deal, though they already had five empty slots to work with this spring when it comes to undrafted signings. Lyle was one of those signings a year ago, after going undrafted out of the OHL. The 22-year-old finished his junior career with 65 points in 62 games for the Owen Sound Attack in 2019-20, but hasn’t been able to find that kind of offense at the professional level.

AHL Shuffle: 03/28/22

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Before you know it, the NHL regular season is going to be over. The Vegas Golden Knights have already played 68 of 82, and several others will join them at that number this evening. One of those is the Washington Capitals, who will take on the Carolina Hurricanes in a potential playoff preview. If the playoffs started today it would be the Florida Panthers facing that second wild card spot, but things are awfully tight at the top of the Eastern Conference standings, meaning games like tonight’s could have serious implications on seeding. As they and others prepare, we’ll keep track of all the minor league shuffling.

Atlantic Division

  • The Detroit Red Wings have sent Chase Pearson back to the AHL, even though he wasn’t actually a part of that 11-2 debacle last night. Pearson played his only NHL game a few days ago, seeing just under eight minutes of ice time against the New York Islanders. The 24-year-old will now return to the AHL, where he has seven goals and 17 points in 47 games.
  • The Toronto Maple Leafs have recalled Kyle Clifford and Carl Dahlstrom from Toronto of the AHL on an emergency basis.  Clifford has played in 13 games with the Maple Leafs (plus two more with St. Louis) so far this season while Dahlstrom made his Toronto debut back in January.  There’s no word on which players were injured to trigger the emergency recall.

Metropolitan Division

  • With several days off, the New Jersey Devils have sent Kevin Bahl and A.J. Greer back to the AHL for the time being. The team doesn’t play again until Thursday in Boston, before returning for another four-game homestand to begin April.

Central Division

  • The Arizona Coyotes have once again recalled Jan Jenik from the minor leagues, after sending him down a few days ago. The 21-year-old forward has played three games for the Coyotes this season but is still looking for his first point of the year. In 46 games with the Tucson Roadrunners, he has 39 points.

Pacific Division

  • The Vegas Golden Knights have recalled Pavel Dorofeyev once again, adding the young forward ahead of their game Wednesday. In an interesting quirk of the schedule, the Golden Knights will actually play two consecutive games in Seattle this week, before continuing their road trip to Vancouver. Dorofeyev gives them another healthy forward to put in the lineup, should they need it.
  • The Anaheim Ducks have sent Lukas Dostal back to the AHL, this time after making a start on Saturday night against the San Jose Sharks. The young netminder is now 1-2 in his four NHL appearances, though does still hold a .907 save percentage.

This page will be updated throughout the day

Anaheim Ducks Sign Josh Lopina

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After his University of Massachusetts was eliminated from the NCAA Division I Men’s Ice Hockey Tournament on Friday, 2021 draft pick Josh Lopina signed his entry-level contract with the Anaheim Ducks today, per the team. Lopina will sign an amateur try-out contract (ATO) with the AHL’s San Diego Gulls for the remainder of the season, getting a sneak peek of hockey life within the Ducks organization. The terms of his NHL deal are not yet available.

Lopina was a bit of a surprise pick last year in the fourth round, but the double-overager came into the draft with a strong freshman season at UMass under his belt (23 points in 29 games) and an NCAA championship. He’s improved on those numbers this season, scoring 12 goals and 27 points in 27 games, the first time at any recorded level that Lopina has had a point-per-game season.

Undoubtedly a late bloomer, Lopina will get a chance to continue his upward rise in the Ducks organization. Likely destined for a full-time AHL role next season, he’ll get a chance to grow there alongside other Ducks youngsters like Jacob Perreault and the newly-acquired Drew Helleson.

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