AHL notebook: Full postseason, addition of 32nd team made 2022 memorable

The American Hockey League got back to normal in 2022 following a trying time due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Along the way, a Calder Cup champion was crowned, several players and coaches used the AHL to vault themselves to NHL roles, and a 32nd team was added.
Here is a look at 2022 in review for the NHL's top developmental league:

Back on track

Following a time that saw the 2020-21 season truncated and the 2020 and 2021 Calder Cup playoffs cancelled because of concerns surrounding COVID-19, the AHL was able to complete a full regular season as well as the postseason in 2021-22. That achievement allowed the league and its teams to begin their post-pandemic financial recovery.

Chicago completes a dream season

Chicago, the Carolina Hurricanes AHL affiliate, had a memorable season, first leading the regular season with a 50-16-5-5 record and then going 14-4 in the playoffs to win the Calder Cup, the third in team history.
Carolina prospects also won the Calder Cup in 2019 with the Hurricanes' former affiliate, Charlotte. Before Carolina, the last NHL organization to have won the Calder Cup in back-to-back seasons was the Washington Capitals, who did so with Hershey in 2009 and 2010.
The Wolves' 110 points led the AHL. In the playoffs, Chicago defeated Rockford (Chicago Blackhawks), Milwaukee (Nashville Predators) and Stockton (Calgary Flames) en route to the final, where it defeated Springfield (St. Louis Blues) in five games in the best-of-7 series. Forward Josh Leivo, who signed with the Blues in the offseason, won the Jack A. Butterfield Trophy as the most valuable player in the postseason with 29 points (15 goals, 14 assists) in 18 games.
Goalie Pyotr Kochetkov, now with the Hurricanes, excelled in the postseason for Chicago. After playing 15 AHL games after joining the team following the completion of his season with Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod of the Kontinental Hockey League, Kochetkov was 5-1 with a 1.65 goals-against average and .950 save percentage.

Coaches develop too

The AHL long has been a steppingstone for up-and-coming coaches as well as players.
After winning the Calder Cup, Chicago coach Ryan Warsofsky was hired as an assistant with the San Jose Sharks.
Jay Woodcroft was named coach of the Edmonton Oilers, replacing Dave Tippett on Feb. 10. Woodcroft was in his fourth season as coach of Bakersfield, the Oilers AHL affiliate.
Scott Allen was elevated from Hershey coach to an assistant with Washington. Jay Varady went from coach of Tucson (Arizona Coyotes) to an assistant for the Detroit Red Wings.

Seattle debuts AHL affiliate

The AHL grew to a record 32 teams in October when the Seattle Kraken iced their AHL affiliate, Coachella Valley.
Last season the Kraken split Charlotte with the Florida Panthers. Dan Bylsma, coach of the 2008-09 Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins, is the coach for Coachella Valley after serving as an assistant for Charlotte last season.
While awaiting completion of Acrisure Arena in Palm Desert, California, just outside of Palm Springs, the expansion team played 20 of its first 24 games on the road. Following four home dates in the Seattle area in October, Coachella Valley had a stretch of 16 consecutive road games and went 10-3-3-0.
Coachella Valley finally played at its new home Dec. 18, defeating Tucson 4-3 in front of 10,087 fans. Forward Cameron Hughes scored the first goal in arena history.

Top picks develop in the AHL

Some of the top names from the 2022 NHL Draft have taken on the AHL at 18 years old.
Defenseman
Simon Nemec
, selected No. 2 by the New Jersey Devils, has 11 points (three goals, eight assists) in 24 games with Utica in his first season in North America. Nemec will play for Slovakia at the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship.
Cleveland (Columbus Blue Jackets) defenseman
David Jiricek
, the No. 6 pick, has had a strong start. Jiricek leads AHL rookie defensemen with 20 points (five goals, 15 assists) in 19 games and has played a key role in Cleveland's top-ranked power play (32.7 percent).
Forward
Shane Wright
, selected No. 4 by Seattle, was assigned to Coachella Valley on a conditioning stint after playing the first month of the NHL season with the Kraken. He had four goals in five AHL games. On loan from the Kraken, he will captain Canada at the World Junior Championship.