Category Archives: Pro
Reign’s Budaj piling up AHL awards for net excellence
April 21st, 2016In his 14-year professional career, goaltender Peter Budaj had never experienced such an overwhelmingly successful season as that in 2015-16 for the Ontario Reign, the Los Angeles Kings’ American Hockey League affiliate. Budaj, 33, a native of Banska Bystrica, Slovakia, started 60 of the Reign’s 68 games, posted a 1.75 goals-against average, .932 save percentage…
AHL Calder Cup playoffs coming into sharper focus
April 11th, 2016Sixteen of the American Hockey League’s 30 teams qualify for the upcoming Calder Cup championship playoffs — eight teams each from the AHL’s Western and Eastern conferences and four teams in each of the league’s four geographic divisions. The 2016 Calder Cup champion will need to win four elimination series – division semifinals, division finals,…
New rivalries drive California’s AHL teams
March 25th, 2016In its first season, the American Hockey League’s (AHL) new Pacific Division has carved out its own unique identity with new rivalries and a frantic sprint to the upcoming Calder Cup playoffs. The seven-team division – buttressed by five new California franchises – is actually a jigsaw puzzle assembled from teams that competed in four…
Riverside native Marino staying in shape, staying in pro game
March 21st, 2016When opportunity has knocked, Riverside’s Brandon Marino has enthusiastically answered. This time, though, he wasn’t sure if leaving the front porch light on was such a good idea. The 29-year-old forward and his fiancée were settling into Brampton, Ont., where he was playing for the ECHL’s Beast. Then the American Hockey League’s (AHL) Utica Comets…
After setting AHL career wins record, Sommer keeps winning
March 11th, 2016The San Jose Barracuda, which currently finds itself in the thick of a torrid race in the American Hockey League’s Pacific Division for a Calder Cup playoff berth, picked up its 25th win of the season after defeating the visiting Bakersfield Condors 4-2 March 6 at the SAP Center. The career win was the 642nd…
Stockton’s Grant turns up the Heat
February 17th, 2016Stockton Heat center Derek Grant opened the 2016 calendar year on quite as auspicious note. The 25-year old native of Abbotsford, B.C., tallied 10 goals and nine assists in 10 games to help lead Stockton to an 8-1-1-0 record during that span and a meteoric climb from seventh to fourth place in the American Hockey…
Los Angeles chosen to host 2017 NHL All-Star Game
February 2nd, 2016The National Hockey League announced over the weekend the selection of the Los Angeles Kings, Staples Center and the city of Los Angeles as hosts of the 2017 NHL All-Star celebration. The league’s mid-season showcase will take place Saturday, Jan. 28 and Sunday, Jan. 29 and will include the NHL All-Star Skills Competition and the…
Time to shine for California at AHL All-Star Classic
January 26th, 2016Players from the five California teams in the American Hockey League’s (AHL) Pacific Division will be out to shine when the 2016 Toyota AHL All-Star Classic takes place on Jan. 31 and Feb. 1 in Syracuse, N.Y. All 30 AHL teams will be represented in the upcoming event, hosted by the Syracuse Crunch. Nine players…
Condors’ Ford excels in California homecoming
January 8th, 2016Matt Ford’s homecoming with the Bakersfield Condors of the American Hockey League (AHL) is, by his own account, going quite nicely. “I’ve taken the best opportunity to come back,” said Ford, a San Fernando Valley native. “First of all, you can’t beat the weather, and being able to come home has been a blessing for…
Taking Liberties With… Rocco Grimaldi
December 27th, 2015Rocco Grimaldi Center, Portland Pirates (American Hockey League) Hometown: Rossmoor Last Amateur Team: University of North Dakota Youth Programs: California Wave, Little Caesars (Detroit) From California Wave to riding the waves of pro hockey, Rocco Grimaldi has experienced the highs (winning USA Hockey national championships and World Junior gold) and lows (season-ending knee surgery in…