Manchester Monarchs win their first AHL Calder Cup Championship in their 14th and last season in the league.
Los Angeles Kings‘ 3rd year prospect center Jordan Weal(19) won the Jack A. Butterfield Trophy as MVP of the playoffs.
He scored a leading 22 points (10 goals, 12 assists) with a +12 rating.
With series wins over Portland Pirates (3-2), Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (4-1), Hartford Wolf Pack (4-1) in the Eastern Conference Finals and Utica Comets (4-1) they put together 15 victories to claim the title.
It was the second year in a row that the MacGregor Kilpatrick Trophy winner, regular season points champs, won the whole thing.
The team will switch leagues and affiliations, as Ontario Reign become the new direct farm club and the Monarchs will continue their relationship with the parent team in the ECHL.
South Carolina Stingrays‘ undrafted rookie right wing Derek DeBlois(13) lit up the score sheet during the regular season and continues on an even better tear in the Kelly Cup Playoffs.
He scored 21 goals and 24 assists with a +17 rating through 59 ECHL games in 2014/2015 and has added another 8 tallies and 10 helpers in only 17 postseason contests with a +11 plus/minus.
The 5’11” 180 lbs. forward had a good run in four years of college hockey at University Of Michigan but maxed out at 20 points during his final two campaigns.
He was also an NCAA/CCHA Regular Season Champ in 2011 and named assistant captain for his senior year.
His game really seems to have been elevated since turning pro.
He was invited to Worcester Sharks‘ training camp and was recalled for 4 AHL games late season scoring 1 goal.
The 24-year old should get another look from a top affiliate of an NHL team as he enters his sophomore season and may just help his current team to a title.
Winnipeg Jets‘ 5th round pick in the 2011 draft (#149 overall) tough, second year right wing Austen Brassard(50) saw his offensive abilities come to life with affiliate St. John’s IceCaps.
He posted career high AHL games played (75), goals (6), assists (12) and points (18), while still playing mostly a fourth line energy role.
The 6’2″ 207 lbs. forward was many times a healthy scratch in his rookie season appearing in only 29 games and none in the postseason as the team went all the way to the Calder Cup Finals.
He had some decent scoring prowess with Belleville Bulls of the OHL managing an average of 20 goals and close to 20 assists in each of his last three campaigns.
He also saw his fighting jump up to a new level in his final year of junior hockey to 8, but has seemed to pick and choose his battles since turning pro with only 4 5-minute major penalties in each of his two seasons.
The 22-year old is signed through 2015/2016 on his entry level deal and it will be interesting to see if he can further increase his totals and playing time.
4th year undrafted center Ahmed Mahfouz(19) may be pro hockey greatest under-achiever of the moment.
Playing in his fourth season, second with Federal Hockey League‘s Dayton Demons he won his second title, President’s Cup in 2013/2014 (his first was as a rookie with Akwesasne Warriors).
The 5’11” 198 lbs. forward from Ottawa, ON has been league MVP two straight seasons, scored the most goals for two, had the most assists (63 helpers) and points (96) this past campaign and of course, was rookie of the year.
He played one game this past season on call up to the Central Hockey League with Brampton Beast. He scored a goal.
The 25-year old is basically almost a 2 point-per-game player in single A hockey and is a bit of a pest with well over 100 penalty minutes each run.
He should push himself a bit and take it up to the next level.
After scoring AHL Player Of The Week honors the last week of November for his 5 goals, +3 performance in a couple of games with Rochester Americans, assistant captain, left wing Derek Whitmore(21) received his first ever call-up to the NHL.
Originally undrafted, he has played in Buffalo Sabres‘ prospect system for 4 years. He was re-signed twice in the past two seasons as his numbers have steadily increased playing for their AHL affiliates.
In two games, he has yet to put up a point but has played over 10 minutes in each of the contests. He’s always been a very accountable player out there.
He currently leads the Amerks in scoring with 13 goals and 7 assists in 29 games.
