Examining Calder Cup Prospects for Last Year’s Final Four Games Led by the Hershey Bears

Picking a Calder Cup champion in October has long been a fool’s errand.

This is the AHL, after all. Despite the injuries, declines, and rapid growth of players that can occur in any league at any level of hockey, little remains the same in this league. Rosters fluctuate from the end of NHL training camps deep into the postseason. And with so much quality young talent, the progress that could be made between October and June could be huge.

So let’s compromise. Let’s take a look at the Calder Cup Playoff final four from last June and see where they stand now that the 2024-25 season is officially open.

HERSHEY BEARS (Washington Capitals)

The Bears are restless.

Less than a month after winning their second consecutive Calder Cup, the team went out and signed defenseman Brad Hunt. The 36-year-old has plenty of NHL experience and was a First Team All-Star last year with the Colorado Eagles. Forward Luke Philp, who came out of Rockford, had 29 goals in 2022-23 before injury derailed most of last season for him. Spencer Smallman is also the new forward option for head coach Todd Nelson.

No team has had a Calder Cup three-peat since 1962 when the Springfield Indians did so. It was a very different AHL then, however, with looser organizations, less profit, and much less emphasis on player development. That the Bears have been able to maintain such a level of consistency in today’s AHL is remarkable.

Hershey didn’t show any sign of a Calder Cup hangover last year. Nelson has five Calder Cup titles to his name and always keeps his players hungry. With Nelson, a top-level leadership group, and new talent hungry to win the Calder Trophy, there’s good reason to think the Bears can make a serious run again.

COACHELLA VALLEY FIREBIRDS (Seattle Kraken)

A lot has changed in just four months for the Firebirds, who have reached back-to-back Calder Cup finals in their first two seasons.

Head coach Dan Bylsma completed his turn on the NHL bench, becoming the head coach of the Seattle Kraken. Joining him in Seattle is Firebirds assistant coach Jessica Campbell. Top prospects Ryker Evans and Shane Wright made the full jump to Seattle. Free agency also hit the Firebirds perhaps harder than any other club in the AHL. Goalie Chris Driedger (Charlotte) is gone. The backfield lost Connor Carrick (Bakersfield) and Jimmy Schuldt (San Jose). Among the forwards, senior outfielder Andrew Poturalski is headed to San Jose. Top veterans Cameron Hughes and Kole Lind both jumped to the Texas Stars. Devin Shore is with the Iowa Wild. Marian Studenic went to the SHL.

But Seattle acted quickly to make up for that loss. The Kraken brought in Derek Laxdal to replace Bylsma. This is the head coach who propelled Oshawa to the OHL finals last year and had great success with Texas in the past. Captain Max McCormick is back on a new contract after scoring a career-best 32 goals last season. The defense team has been rebuilt with Nikolas Brouillard (Hartford) and Max Lajoie (Toronto) coming in to help. The forwards now have an excellent two-way option in Brandon Biro (Rochester) and Ben Meyers (Anaheim) and Mitchell Stephens (Laval). First round pick Eduard Sale will take the AHL at age 19.

How all these new pieces will fit together is largely unknown. But Seattle has made a move to give the Firebirds a chance at another long postseason run.

CLEVELAND MONSTERS (Columbus Blue Jackets)

For starters, defensemen David Jiricek and Jake Christiansen are now with the Blue Jackets. With a strong start, first rounder Denton Mateychuk may not be too far away from joining them on Columbus’ blue line, either. Captain Brendan Gaunce (Iowa) is gone as is Carson Meyer (San Diego).

But goalkeeper Jet Greaves bounced back after an excellent playoff game. Trey Fix-Wolansky is a reliable producer offensively. Watching Mateychuk’s development continue to unfold will be an exciting story for fans in Columbus and Cleveland. Last season head coach Trent Vogelhuber led one of the toughest, most heart-and-soul teams in the league, a team that took the Bears to Game 7 in overtime in the Eastern Conference Finals before ultimately falling. There have been changes, but Vogelhuber has shown an impressive touch that has made him a strong contender for an NHL job at the end.

MILWAUKEE ADMIRALS (Nashville Predators)

Has Milwaukee never met?

This is a club that has missed the playoffs three times since entering the AHL in 2001. The Nashville-Milwaukee alliance has produced star after club in the NHL since the two sides came together during the Predators’ 1998-99 expansion season. Their first three seasons together had the Admirals playing outside of the former IHL, and Milwaukee never missed a postseason cut.

If the Firebirds have been the lucky Calder Cup Finals team for the past two seasons, the Admirals have taken that responsibility to the Western Conference Finals. In both seasons they were a true Calder Cup contender only to see those runs end both times against the Firebirds.

Most notable for the Admirals is the departure of forward Yaroslav Askarov, whose desire to move elsewhere led to a trade to San Jose. They will need Magnus Chrona, who is part of Askarov’s return, to man the net this season with Troy Grosenick (Iowa) also gone. Defensively, Nick Blankenburg is a new face as is Lucas Johansen, and Ryan Ufko impressed as an offseason addition last spring. Kieffer Bellows signed with the organization and will provide valuable offensive pop. Vinnie Hinostroza and Jake Lucchini provided additional assists. Zach L’Heureux has shown the ability to take over games, especially in the Calder Cup Playoffs, and could be a huge force this season. Karl Taylor ranks among the top coaches in the AHL as well, and the Admirals are the type of team that should show continued improvement as the season progresses.

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