AHL Notebook: Downing's return to Iowa boost for team

Grayson Downing

"The Neutral Zone" American Hockey League Report

Return of Downing should help Iowa: Iowa Wild forward Grayson Downing will definitely bring the team some more momentun down the stretch as the player is returning to playing action after an injury.

Downing, a 23-year-old center, has nine goals in the past 15 games and is tied for the team lead with 10 goals in only 19 games, the same amount Zack Mitchell has in 36 games. 

Downing has been playing well consistently since returning from a knee injury suffered at the Traverse City prospect tournament in September and then a shoulder injury suffered in December.

“[Downing] is a very intelligent player with the puck with good hands who can distribute,” Wild assistant GM Brent Flahr, who doubles as Iowa’s GM, said Sunday from Helsinki, Finland, where he’s scouting the world junior championships. “He’s got a quick release and actually has a sneaky shot. He’s able to score. He’s not the biggest body and his skating is going to have to improve to get to the next level, but he does a good job of finding holes in quiet areas to get open."

Iowa started the 2015-16 AHL season no victories and 13 losses in November, but they have now won three of its past four, and a lot of that has to do with centers Tyler Graovac and Downing being healthy. 

Iowa's struggles in the beginning of 2015-16 may have had to do with center Zac Dalpe needing hip surgery after only one game, and Downing and Graovac hurt in Minnesota (NHL), which guaranteed Iowa struggles early.

AHL STANDINGS (AS OF 1/4/2015):
Eastern Conference
Rank Atlantic Division GP W L OTL SL PTS PCT GF GA STK P10 S/O PIM
1 Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins 32 23 8 0 1 47 0.734 107 68 2-0-0-0 6-3-0-1 0-1 397
2 Hershey Bears 35 18 11 1 5 42 0.600 104 105 2-0-0-0 5-5-0-0 1-5 518
3 Portland Pirates 32 18 13 1 0 37 0.578 100 89 0-1-0-0 8-2-0-0 1-0 419
4 Bridgeport Sound Tigers 36 19 14 2 1 41 0.569 91 91 0-1-0-0 3-5-1-1 1-1 559
5 Lehigh Valley Phantoms 36 17 16 2 1 37 0.514 100 98 3-0-1-1 5-3-1-1 3-1 411
6 Providence Bruins 34 13 15 5 1 32 0.471 93 103 1-0-0-0 4-5-1-0 0-1 401
7 Hartford Wolf Pack 34 14 18 2 0 30 0.441 79 101 0-2-0-0 4-6-0-0 3-0 391
8 Springfield Falcons 33 13 18 1 1 28 0.424 84 109 0-1-0-0 3-6-0-1 0-1 424

Rank North Division GP W L OTL SL PTS PCT GF GA STK P10 S/O PIM
1 Toronto Marlies 36 27 7 2 0 56 0.778 138 88 3-0-0-0 7-2-1-0 3-0 515
2 Albany Devils 31 20 8 3 0 43 0.694 88 65 4-0-0-0 6-4-0-0 0-0 504
3 St. John's IceCaps 33 16 9 5 3 40 0.606 101 103 1-0-0-0 4-4-1-1 1-3 494
4 Utica Comets 33 16 12 3 2 37 0.561 98 89 0-2-1-0 5-3-1-1 1-2 481
5 Syracuse Crunch 33 14 13 5 1 34 0.515 83 92 0-1-1-0 4-3-3-0 0-1 579
6 Rochester Americans 33 15 15 2 1 33 0.500 84 109 0-1-1-0 5-4-1-0 3-1 403
7 Binghamton Senators 31 11 17 3 0 25 0.403 90 108 5-0-1-0 5-4-1-0 1-0 666

Western Conference
Rank Central Division GP W L OTL SL PTS PCT GF GA STK P10 S/O PIM
1 Milwaukee Admirals 35 23 10 2 0 48 0.686 104 92 1-0-1-0 7-2-1-0 5-0 522
2 Rockford IceHogs 34 20 9 2 3 45 0.662 98 90 1-0-0-0 4-4-1-1 1-3 535
3 Grand Rapids Griffins 30 19 10 0 1 39 0.650 94 72 2-0-0-0 8-2-0-0 0-1 455
4 Charlotte Checkers 32 19 11 1 1 40 0.625 99 93 8-0-1-1 8-0-1-1 4-1 470
5 Lake Erie Monsters 33 17 12 2 2 38 0.576 86 91 0-3-0-0 3-6-1-0 2-2 557
6 Chicago Wolves 32 16 13 1 2 35 0.547 96 87 2-0-0-0 5-5-0-0 1-2 486
7 Manitoba Moose 30 9 17 1 3 22 0.367 63 99 0-1-0-1 4-4-0-2 0-3 404
8 Iowa Wild 36 8 23 2 3 21 0.292 73 114 1-0-0-0 4-5-1-0 2-3 374

Rank Pacific Division GP W L OTL SL PTS PCT GF GA STK P10 S/O PIM
1 Ontario Reign 28 17 8 2 1 37 0.661 72 58 0-3-0-0 5-4-0-1 0-1 542
2 San Diego Gulls 30 17 12 0 1 35 0.583 85 87 2-0-0-0 6-4-0-0 4-1 650
3 San Jose Barracuda 29 14 10 2 3 33 0.569 83 88 3-0-0-0 6-2-2-0 3-3 395
4 Texas Stars 36 17 14 2 3 39 0.542 139 130 0-1-0-1 4-4-0-2 0-3 433
5 Bakersfield Condors 29 13 12 2 2 30 0.517 84 87 0-1-0-1 4-3-2-1 1-2 445
6 San Antonio Rampage 34 14 13 7 0 35 0.515 100 105 0-3-1-0 3-6-1-0 1-0 490
7 Stockton Heat 28 12 14 0 2 26 0.464 81 86 3-0-0-0 4-6-0-0 2-2 450

AHL Notebook: Three teams who have a shot at the 2015-16 Calder Cup

"The Neutral Zone" AHL Report

The Manchester Monarchs reigned supreme last season in the American Hockey League, winning the Calder Cup championship in their final season in Manchester before moving to Ontario in Canada.

But since we're halfway through the 2015-16 AHL season, let's take a look at five teams that have a shot at the Calder Cup:

William Nylander currently leads
the Toronto Marlies in 2015-16 in
goals with 14.

Toronto Marlies: The Marlies are clearly in control of first place in the league standings with 48 points. They've played 30 games so far, with 23 wins, 5 losses, and 2 overtime losses. They have no Shootout losses. The only problem currently with the Marlies is their special teams. They are currently 9th overall in the AHL in Power Play Percentage (18.4), but they make up for that by being 3rd overall in the league in Penalty Killing Percentage (87.9). William Nylander currently leads the team in goals this season with 14. The Marlies are 8-1-1-0 in their last 10 games.

Wikles-Barre/Scranton Penguins: The Penguins are second in the AHL standings with 43 points, five points behind the Marlies. Their record is currently 21-5-0-1 in 27 games played this season. They are 7th in the league in Power Play Percentage (19.0), and 5th in the league in Penalty Kill Percentage (87.6).

Rockford IceHogs: Rockford has 40 points with a record of 18-7-2-2 in 29 games. Their Power Play Percentage (14.7) is a surprising 20th overall in the league, while their Penalty Kill Percentage (83.2) is 16th in the league. But the IceHogs have the record and stats to lead them at least to the second round of the Calder Cup Playoffs this season.

AHL Notebook: Staff Additions, Suspensions Announced

AHL Announces Staff Additions:

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. -- American Hockey League President and Chief Executive Officer David Andrews announced today that Emily Aasand has been named Manager of Digital and Social Media for the AHL. 

Aasand joins the league office having most recently worked as a communication specialist for the University of North Dakota Alumni Association and Foundation. Her experience in professional and collegiate hockey includes full-time public relations internships with the Philadelphia Flyers in 2013-14 and the University of North Dakota athletic department in 2012-13. 

A native of Devils Lake, N.D., Aasand graduated from the University of North Dakota with a degree in communications.

AHL Announced Some Suspensions On Dec. 9.:

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. -- The American Hockey League today announced the following suspensions: 

San Antonio Rampage left wing Patrick Bordeleau has been suspended for one (1) game as a consequence of a boarding incident in a game vs. Rockford on Dec. 6. 

Bordeleau was suspended under the provisions of AHL Rule 28.1 (supplementary discipline). He will miss San Antonio’s game Wednesday (Dec. 9) vs. Charlotte. 

Providence Bruins left wing Colton Hargrove has been suspended for one (1) game as a consequence of his game misconduct for charging, assessed in a game vs. Springfield on Dec. 6. 


Hargrove was suspended under the provisions of AHL Rule 28.1 (supplementary discipline). He will miss Providence’s game Friday (Dec. 11) vs. Hartford.