Prospecting: AHL Rookies Trending Up for Firebirds

As most American Hockey League teams reached the halfway mark of its 72-game regular season over a busy weekend, it's an opportune time to check in on the progress of four AHL rookies and Kraken prospects contributing to affiliate Coachella Valley's first-place standing in the Pacific Division and overall best record in the 32-team league.
The quartet of Ryker Evans, Ville Petman, Peetro Seppala, and Tye Kartye are all adjusting to the increased speed and physicality of the AHL while turning in productive seasons. Evans, a defenseman drafted 35th overall in the 2021 NHL Draft, leads the Firebirds rookies in scoring with three goals and 20 assists.

Petman and Kartye have seven goals apiece to top the group. Kartye scored his seventh goal of the season to start the CVF scoring in Sunday's 4-2 comeback home win while Petman notched an assist on the Firebirds' important insurance goal. Kartye has 20 points on the season (7 G, 13 A) and Petman stands at 15 points (7 G, 8 A). Defenseman Seppala is in double-digits himself with a goal and nine assists.
By all accounts, Evans is prospering both on and off the ice in his first year as a professional. He was named an AHL All-Star earlier this month. The 21-year-old said the biggest adjustment is "consistency and being the best player I can be every single day."
"For me, that means playing my game, skating with the puck, working on my shot, getting my shot through to the net," said Evans. "Being consistent on both ends of the ice is how I can grow my game."
Evans is rooming with Carsen Twarynski, the Kraken's expansion draft choice from Philadelphia, and Luke Henman, in his second year of AHL play after becoming the first player signed by Seattle in mid-May 2021. It's the first season during which Evans didn't live with his family (during his younger days) or billet family (as a juniors player in Regina, SK).
"It's definitely a change this year," said Evans. "It's the three of us in a house. It's been awesome getting to know my teammates and there's always something to do [away from the rink]. The nice weather here definitely doesn't limit us. You can be outside pretty much every day ... not many hockey players are allowed to do that [during a season]."
Evans says his roommates are avid golfers and he'll tag along but to date does not have the bug for the game as his roommates and many other Firebirds players.
Firebirds coach Dan Bylsma said in a recent conversation that all four AHL rookies are meeting the challenge of upgrading their skills and competitive level in a higher standard of play, whether it's Evans and Kartye stepping up from juniors or Petman, 23, and Seppala, 22, already accustomed to playing against opponents who are five to even 15 years older during three-plus seasons in their native Finland top pro league.
"The pace of the NHL [during training camp and preseason games] and American League Hockey is something [AHL rookies] need to do: Adjust to making plays quicker, reading plays quicker, learning to play defense, getting adjusted to the speed.
"I would say it to this point in the season Ville Petman is our most improved player. 'Pets' is showing his compete level more and more every day. He is adding some nice offense and ability. He's developed into a penalty killer who is willing to block shots. He showed pretty well in a preseason game for Seattle. He had some bite to him and played heavy that's a big part of his game."
Bylsma said "I might put Ryker Evans in there [for most improved player] as well. Over the last month, his play improved leaps and bounds."
Early in last summer's development camp, seeing Seppala for the first time in person, Bylsma liked what he was seeing from the 22-year-old who had logged three full seasons (plus six games as an 18-year-old in 2017-2018) in Finland's top professional league, SM-Liiga: "He's a heady player. He sees the game well and was reading plays quicker [compared to some of the other prospects skating at the Kraken Community Iceplex]."
Bylsma added Petman and Seppala are both thriving despite playing a much heavier schedule of games - and the first 22 dates away from the brand-new home arena in Coachella Valley.
"The early season was filled with some difficult travel," said Bylsma. "No one was in their home beds [for nearly two months before the new training center opened in November]. It was a tough slog. For those two [Petman and Seppala], they were adjusting to the North American game [smaller rink size] and the sheer number of games at the same time."
Bylsma has praised his veteran core of leaders (Max McCormick, John Hayden, Kole Lind, Alexander True) for mentoring their younger teammates by both words and example. For Evans, he and his defensive partner Jimmy Schuldt have been a steady force for Firebirds. Schuldt, 27, has appeared in 187 AHL games and played one game with Vegas in the spring of 2018 after a stellar four-year career with NCAA Division I St. Cloud State.
"He's been awesome to play with," said Evans. "He's taught me a lot. He's really big on communication and he has a different way to look at the game. I admire his positivity every day."
Evans said he and his fellow younger players can't help but enjoy working toward the current state of being the AHL's top team - steadily in a top-five tier that includes venerable AHL franchises such as the Hershey Bears, Toronto Marlies, and Providence Bruins.
"We have a great combination of veterans and young guys," said Evans. "Everyone's got a role and everyone's fulfilling their roles. It's an amazing team to play on. I don't think I've had this much fun playing hockey in a few seasons.