#chrisbourque

BY: Jason Chaimovich,  AHL SPRINGFIELD, Mass. … The American Hockey League announced today that forward T.J. Tynan of the Colorado Eagles was voted the winner of the Les Cunningham Award as the AHL’s most valuable player for the 2020-21 season. The award was voted on by coaches, players, and media members in each of the league’s 28 active cities. Tynan recorded 35 points in 27 contests for the Eagles in 2020-21, good for a 1.30 points-per-game average that ranked first among all AHL skaters who played at least half of their teams’ games. Tynan finished second in the league with 27 assists – his third straight top-3 finish – and recorded assists in eight straight games from Mar. 12 to Apr. 11 and nine straight from Apr. 14 to May 9, the two longest such streaks in the league this season. Tynan, who was named team captain before the Eagles’ home opener on Feb. 24, added one goal and two assists in two postseason games for Colorado. A native of Orland Park, Ill., Tynan has played 436 AHL games over seven pro seasons and has totaled 71 goals and 277 assists for 348 points, tied for the most in the league since the start of the 2014-15 season. The three-time AHL All-Star won a Calder Cup championship with Lake Erie in 2016, reached the Finals with Chicago in 2019, and amassed 24 points in 44 AHL playoff games. Tynan was a third-round selection by Columbus in the 2011 NHL Draft and has skated in 19 career NHL games with the Blue Jackets and Colorado Avalanche, posting one assist. The AHL’s most valuable player award honors the late Les Cunningham, a member of the AHL Hall of Fame who was a five-time league All-Star and three-time Calder Cup champion with the Cleveland Barons. Previous winners of the award include Carl Liscombe (1948, ’49), Johnny Bower (1956, ’57, ’58), Fred Glover (1960, ’62, ’64), Mike Nykoluk (1967), Gilles Villemure (1969, ’70), Doug Gibson (1975, ’77), Pelle Lindbergh (1981), Paul Gardner (1985, ’86), Tim Tookey (1987), Jody Gage (1988), John Anderson (1992), Don Biggs (1993), Derek Armstrong (2001), Jason Spezza (2005), Keith Aucoin (2010), Cory Conacher (2012), Tyler Johnson (2013), Travis Morin (2014), Chris Bourque (2016), Kenny Agostino (2017), Phil Varone (2018), Daniel Carr (2019) and Gerry Mayhew (2020). Since 1936, the American Hockey League continues to serve as the top development league for all 31 National Hockey League teams. Nearly 90 percent of all players competing in the NHL are AHL graduates, and through the years the American Hockey League has been home to more than 100 honored members of the Hockey Hall of Fame. THE AHL HOME Read the full article

BY: Jason Chaimovitch, American Hockey League SPRINGFIELD, Mass. … The American Hockey League announced today that forward Gerry Mayhew of the Iowa Wild has been voted the winner of the Les Cunningham Award as the AHL’s most valuable player for the 2019-20 season. The award is voted on by coaches, players, and members of the media in each of the league’s 31 cities. Mayhew scored a league-best 39 goals – the most by an AHL skater since 2011-12 – and finished third with 61 points in 49 games, helping Iowa to the best regular-season record in franchise history. Ten of Mayhew’s goals were game-winners and he registered 11 multiple-goal outings, including a natural hat trick in a 3-0 win over San Diego on Feb. 14. Mayhew tied a franchise mark with a 10-game scoring streak from Dec. 12 to Jan. 10 and earned CCM/AHL Player of the Month honors for January after totaling 12 goals and 19 points in 11 contests. Among Mayhew’s 39 tallies were 13 power-play goals and two shorthanded markers, and he also led the Wild in plus/minus rating at plus-16. Iowa was 26-7-1-2 in games when Mayhew registered a point. Mayhew represented Iowa at the 2020 AHL All-Star Classic and was voted a Second Team AHL All-Star at left wing for 2019-20. He also made his National Hockey League debut this season, notching two goals in 13 games with Minnesota – including a goal in his first appearance on Oct. 15 in Toronto. A native of Wyandotte, Mich., Mayhew turned pro with Iowa in 2017 after four years at Ferris State University and spent his first two pro seasons on an AHL contract before signing with Minnesota on May 10, 2019. He has skated in 209 regular-season games with Iowa and has compiled 88 goals and 72 assists for 160 points; he added nine goals and two assists in 11 Calder Cup Playoff games with the Wild in 2019. The AHL’s most valuable player award honors the late Les Cunningham, a member of the AHL Hall of Fame who was a five-time league All-Star and three-time Calder Cup champion with the Cleveland Barons. Previous winners of the award include Carl Liscombe (1948, ’49), Johnny Bower (1956, ’57, ’58), Fred Glover (1960, ’62, ’64), Mike Nykoluk (1967), Gilles Villemure (1969, ’70), Doug Gibson (1975, ’77), Pelle Lindbergh (1981), Paul Gardner (1985, ’86), Tim Tookey (1987), Jody Gage (1988), John Anderson (1992), Don Biggs (1993), Derek Armstrong (2001), Jason Spezza (2005), Keith Aucoin (2010), Cory Conacher (2012), Tyler Johnson (2013), Travis Morin (2014), Chris Bourque (2016), Kenny Agostino (2017), Phil Varone (2018) and Daniel Carr (2019). In operation since 1936, the American Hockey League continues to serve as the top development league for all 31 National Hockey League teams. Nearly 90 percent of all players competing in the NHL are AHL graduates, and through the years the American Hockey League has been home to more than 100 honored members of the Hockey Hall of Fame. Read the full article

BY: Bob Crawford, Hartford Wolf Pack Hartford, CT - The Wolf Pack (19-23-3-2, 43 pts., .457) returned from the AHL All-Star break with a 5-2 loss at Springfield on Friday night.  Hartford came back from a 2-0 first-period deficit to tie that game at two, on goals by John Gilmour and Connor Brickley, but the Thunderbirds went on to tally the final three of the contest.  Then, on Saturday night at the XL Center vs. North Division-leading Rochester, the Wolf Pack got a late third-period goal from Ville Meskanen to avoid a shutout, but that was the only one of 35 Hartford tries to elude Americans goaltender Jonas Johansson in a 4-1 Rochester victory. For the latest AHL standings, click here. This week: The Wolf Pack have a busy week on tap, with four games in six days, starting Tuesday night at home vs. Bridgeport.  That game faces off at 7:00 PM, and then the Wolf Pack get their first look at the Syracuse Crunch Friday night at the XL Center, in a 7:15 game.  After that, Hartford makes its first trip of the year to Allentown, PA for a pair of battles against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.  The Wolf Pack and Phantoms tangle Saturday night at 7:05 and Sunday afternoon at 3:05. Tuesday, February 5 vs. the Bridgeport Sound Tigers (Islanders) at the XL Center, 7:00 PM This is Bridgeport’s last trip of the season to the XL Center and the second-to-last of ten meetings between the AHL’s Connecticut rivals.  The Wolf Pack are 4-3-1-0 thus far on the year against the Sound Tigers, 2-1-1-0 at home. The Sound Tigers come into this week winners of two of their last three games, but since January 2, when they were 21-9-4-1, they have won only four of 13 contests (4-8-0-1).  Bridgeport still sits second in the Atlantic Division at 25-17-4-2 for 56 points, 12 points behind Charlotte and one point up on Providence. Former Wolf Pack forward Chris Bourque (10-24-34 in 46 GP) has put up 3-4-7 in the last four games, to take over the Sound Tiger team points lead. At this and every Wolf Pack home game, fans are encouraged to come early for “Hockey Happy Hour” in the Comcast Coliseum Club, presented by Minuteman Press.  Enjoy $2 beers and $5 appetizers from 5:00 PM until puck drop. Tickets for this and all 2018-19 Wolf Pack home games are on sale now at the Agera Energy Ticket Office at the XL Center, online at hartfordwolfpack.com and by phone at (877) 522-8499.  Tickets purchased in advance for kids 12 or younger start at just $13 each, and all tickets will have a $3 day-of-game increase. Broadcast – live with Bob Crawford and Mark Bailey on News Radio 1410 AM, and 100.9 FM, WPOP, online at iheart.com and on iHeartRadio.  Video streaming at theahl.com/AHLTV.  Friday, February 8 vs. the Syracuse Crunch (Tampa Bay) at the XL Center, 7:15 PM This being a Friday-night Wolf Pack home game, fans can enjoy $1 hot dogs, and $2 draft beers and fountain sodas, through the start of the second period, presented by Nomads Adventure Quest. This is Pride and Diversity Night at the XL Center.  Join the Wolf Pack as they team up with the “You Can Play Project” to promote equality and diversity in the community. The Crunch are the highest-scoring team in the AHL, averaging 3.81 goals-per-game, and come into the week on a six-game winning streak.  At 27-13-2-1 for 57 points, Syracuse is three points behind first-place Rochester in the North Division. Syracuse scoring leader Carter Verhaeghe (22-32-54 in 43 GP) has the second-most points in the AHL and is tied for fourth in the league in goals, and Cory Conacher (15-30-45 in 39 GP) is tied for fourth among AHL skaters in points and assists. This is the first time the Wolf Pack and Crunch have seen each other this season, the opener of a two-game season series.  The two clubs split a pair of meetings last year, with Syracuse winning 3-2 in their only XL Center visit January 6. At this and every Wolf Pack home game, fans are encouraged to come early for “Hockey Happy Hour” in the Comcast Coliseum Club, presented by Minuteman Press.  Enjoy $2 beers and $5 appetizers from 5:15 PM until puck drop. Tickets for this and all 2018-19 Wolf Pack home games are on sale now at the Agera Energy Ticket Office at the XL Center, online at hartfordwolfpack.com and by phone at (877) 522-8499.  Tickets purchased in advance for kids 12 or younger start at just $13 each, and all tickets will have a $3 day-of-game increase. Broadcast – live with Bob Crawford and Mark Bailey on News Radio 1410 AM, and 100.9 FM, WPOP, online at iheart.com and on iHeartRadio.  Video streaming at theahl.com/AHLTV.  Saturday, February 9 at the Lehigh Valley Phantoms (Philadelphia) at the PPL Center, 7:05 PM This is the Wolf Pack’s first visit of the season to Allentown, after having won two of their three home games vs. the Phantoms.  Hartford swept three meetings between the two teams at the PPL Center last year, all by one-goal margins, including an overtime win and a shootout win. Lehigh Valley (25-17-3-2, 55 pts.) is currently tied with Providence for the last playoff spot in the Atlantic Division, one point behind Bridgeport and three points ahead of Springfield. Former Wolf Pack forward Dale Weise, who played 194 games in a Wolf Pack/CT Whale uniform from 2008-09 through 2010-11, had a goal and an assist for the Phantoms in a 7-5 home win over Bridgeport Friday night, his first AHL game since the 2011 playoffs with the Whale. Broadcast – live with Bob Crawford on News Radio 1410 AM, and 100.9 FM, WPOP, online at iheart.com and on iHeartRadio.  Video streaming at theahl.com/AHLTV.  Sunday, February 10 at the Lehigh Valley Phantoms (Philadelphia) at the PPL Center, 3:05 PM The Wolf Pack come into the week 7-14-1-2 on the road, and the Phantoms are 13-9-0-1 at home. In 12 all-time games at the PPL Center, the Wolf Pack are 10-2-0-0. Broadcast – live with Bob Crawford on News Radio 1410 AM, and 100.9 FM, WPOP, online at iheart.com and on iHeartRadio.  Video streaming at theahl.com/AHLTV.  Recent Transactions: Dustin Tokarski – returned to the Wolf Pack by the New York Rangers January 28. Zach Tolkinen – signed by the Wolf Pack to a Professional Tryout (PTO) agreement January 31 Pack Tracks: Join the Wolf Pack for its first Craft Beer Night Friday, February 22, when the Springfield Thunderbirds visit the XL Center for a 7:15 PM start.  Enjoy 90 minutes of tastings from Back East, Connecticut Valley, and Hanging Hills brewing companies for only $50.  That cost includes a game ticket.  For more information, click here. Once again this season, fans can enjoy $1 hot dogs, and $2 draft beers and fountain sodas, at every Friday Wolf Pack home game, through the start of the second period, presented by Nomads Adventure Quest.  After this Friday, the Wolf Pack’s next Friday home date is February 22, when they host the Springfield Thunderbirds in a 7:15 PM game. Each of the Wolf Pack’s Sunday and Wednesday home games will feature the Wolf Pack’s “Click It or Ticket Family Value Pack”.  The Family Value Pack includes two tickets, two sodas, and two hot dogs, all for just $40.  The next Family Value Pack game is Wednesday, February 13, when the Toronto Marlies come to town for a 7:00 PM game. Every Wolf Pack Wednesday home game is a “Winning Wednesday”.  If the Wolf Pack win at home on a Wednesday, fans can show their Winning Wednesday ticket at the Agera Energy Ticket Office at the XL Center and receive a free ticket to the next Wednesday Wolf Pack home game (some restrictions apply).  The Wolf Pack’s next Wednesday home game is February 13, a 7:00 PM contest vs. the Toronto Marlies. Wolf Pack home game tickets can be purchased at the Agera Energy Ticket Office at the XL Center, online at hartfordwolfpack.com and by phone at (877) 522-8499.  Tickets purchased in advance for kids 12 or younger start at just $13 each, and all tickets will have a $3 day-of-game increase. To speak with a Wolf Pack representative about season or group tickets, or any of the Wolf Pack’s many ticketing options, call (855) 762-6451, or click here to request more info. TRACK THE PACK ON-LINE AT HARTFORDWOLFPACK.COM Read the full article

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