When the blue and white confetti fell on the ice, the Toronto Marlies were celebrated as the Calder Cup champions. Everyone who followed the American Hockey League all season took notice of the job this team did to turn things around and run through the gauntlet of the playoffs. What went unnoticed during the celebration was the Chicago Wolves' quiet exit to the locker room, the slow and sad skate from the handshake line off the ice. 

The Wolves are overlooked in the wake of the Calder Cup Final. They deserve their praise for the season they put together, something they never received in a season where they were always in the shadow of another great AHL team. 

The playoffs showed how good the Wolves became. They ended the season as a team that was built to win it all. They almost did. Yes, the Wolves lost the Final in five games but four of the five games were decided by one goal. A bounce here or there, and they are the ones hoisting the Cup. 

Following a run like this, it’s easy to say they’ll be back. They probably won’t. It’s hard to run through the marathon and make it to the Calder Cup Final, and tougher to get back. Last season’s Western Conference winner and Calder champ, the Abbotsford Canucks, didn’t make the playoffs. The Wolves have a tough mountain to climb, and this team won’t be the same, especially with all the turnover that comes in the AHL, and this team’s prospects, notably Bradly Nadeau, are poised to spend next season with the Carolina Hurricanes. 

That said, they have a lot to look forward to. This is a well-coached team led by Spiros Anastas, who turned them into a contender after he was hired early on this season. Plus, there’s a culture from the top down in place that emphasizes winning. The Hurricanes will allow their prospects to develop, and the Wolves will keep stocking the team with talented AHL veterans.

The culture in place allowed Nadeau to develop into a young and talented winger who makes the rest of his line better. But he was probably going to look great regardless. It’s Justin Robidas, Felix Unger Sorum, and Ivan Ryabkin who will make significant strides in this environment. 

It was weird to cover a Calder Cup Final game and to cover a title-clincher. Usually, teams have a media setup after the games, and in the Final, the AHL takes over to run things. When the final horn sounds and the champion is declared, nobody knows what to do (jokingly, some of the Toronto writers responded, “I’ve never seen a Cup and just want to experience this as well”). Everyone is prepared until they aren’t. 

Luckily, the Marlies were prepared. They had all hands on deck and were ready for the celebration. It’s unlikely many of the Marlies staff members were around for the 2018 team but it felt like they were with the way they orchestrated the celebration. 

During the third period, I sat next to Luke Fox of SportsNet in the press box and worked alongside him. That was cool, like when a rookie skates on the same line as Connor McDavid or Sidney Crosby. The playoffs bring out the NHL media members, and Toronto has no shortage of them, including David Alter and Ken Campbell, two colleagues at The Hockey News. As someone who covers the AHL all season, the Calder Cup Playoffs, in a way, are a call-up where it’s comparable to covering hockey at the next level. 

Then there’s the celebration on the ice. Going on the ice to join the players while they are celebrating is an experience everyone in hockey hopes for, although in the moment, there is a big fear of falling (and becoming an internet meme for years to come). The other feeling is trying to figure out what to do next. Once the players hoist the Cup, everyone starts scurrying around looking for coaches and players to talk to. 

One of the best moments through it all was seeing Logan Shaw, the 33-year-old forward and captain of the Marlies, taking it all in. While everyone focuses on the prospects, the veterans have a greater appreciation for this moment, one they’ve waited their whole career for. Hours after the team won and the players returned to the locker room to celebrate, Shaw went back on the ice with the Calder Cup trophy, his wife, and his kids just to soak in the moment. With his kids running around on the ice, he had this expression of joy, knowing how hard it is to make it to the top, especially in the AHL. 

After the game, Shaw was asked why he stayed in Toronto to build a winner. He could have signed elsewhere on teams that would give him a better shot at playing in the NHL but signed a three-year deal with the Marlies instead. “They just did a lot for my family, they’ve always been special to me, and they are a family-first organization, so if someone is going to respect you like that, I’m going to respect them back,” Shaw stated during the on-ice celebrations. In the AHL, teams only go as far as their veterans take them, and the Marlies understood that. They took care of the people who carried them, and it paid off with this title. 

Speaking of veterans, Vinni Lettieri was the best skater on the Marlies throughout the playoffs. His 26 points in 23 playoff games led all skaters, and he would have won the Calder Cup Playoffs MVP if not for the stellar play from Artur Ahktyamov. 

Lettieri led the Marlies in points. Second on the team was defenseman William Villeneuve, with 23 points. Interestingly, he’s the locker room DJ for the Marlies, something Shaw confirmed after the victory. Villeneuve would play “Beer For My Horses” by Toby Keith and Willie Nelson after every win. As the team celebrated the title, that song was blasted throughout Coca-Cola Coliseum. 

The offseason is moving fast, and so are the players, coaches, and everyone else. It’s hard to keep up with everything, especially after the long grind that is the Calder Cup Playoffs. 

Kim Weiss became the head coach of the PWHL Las Vegas team. It was only a matter of time before that happened since Weiss was one of the highly regarded coaches in the AHL and part of the well-built Colorado Eagles. 

The Hamilton Hammers also made some big moves following the Jay McKee hire. McKee brought Vince Laise with him from Brantford in the OHL, while also snagging one of the top goalie coaches in the AHL, Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins coach Kain Tisi. These moves are possible because of the team’s location, since Hamilton is a prime spot for OHL coaches or coaches who grew up in the greater Toronto area. It’s a plus of their relocation from Bridgeport. 

The New York Rangers signed Dylan Garand to a two-year deal, making him the backup for next season. Garand was the primary starter for the Hartford Wolf Pack for the past few years and is finally rewarded for putting in the work. The question is if he’s ready and if he’ll hold up as a smaller goaltender in the NHL. 

The Maple Leafs made a trade with the Philadelphia Flyers this week that impacts both AHL teams. The Maple Leafs, in particular, acquired Emil Andrae, who is a borderline NHLer and will move up and down throughout next season, presumably, swapping places with Villeneuve. 

Well, friends, this season was a long one, so let’s empty the notebook. Here are a few lists to wrap up the season. After covering over 70 games and nine months of AHL hockey, there are plenty of lists, starting with some of the iconic moments. 

5) The 12-round shootout between the Lehigh Valley Phantoms and the Hartford Wolf Pack: By the time the fifth or sixth skater is on the ice, everyone wonders if there’s anyone left. Luckily for the Wolf Pack, they had Justin Dowling hobble out there and muster up just enough energy to win it. 

4) The 5-on-5 line brawl between the Bridgeport Islanders and the Wolf Pack: Back in the day, the line brawls were a common occurrence in the AHL. However, they still happen from time to time, and this Battle of Connecticut lived up to the hype, highlighted by Hunter Drew going after Wolf Pack goaltender Spencer Martin, who threw a few punches on the Islanders’ enforcer. 

3) The final day of the regular season: The Hershey Bears and Rochester Americans fittingly closed out the regular season. It was the last regular-season game on the mic for legendary broadcaster Don Stevens, plus the Amerks needed a point to make it to the playoffs. They forced the game into overtime, and the bench celebrated like they won a playoff series, while the Bears took the game in overtime, so everyone left the arena happy. 

2) Bridgeport’s final playoff game: This was one of the most bizarre games to attend. The Islanders were heading to Hamilton after the season and hosted the Bears for Game 1 of the series. As the game was happening, the team was having what was equivalent to an estate sale, selling everything in the team store for extremely low prices. The store didn’t have enough bags for all of the items, and some fans were carrying four or five jerseys in their hands. 

1) Marlies Calder Cup clincher: There’s nothing like playoff hockey, and the Calder Cup Playoffs were a wild ride. Every series was a battle, and by the end, the Marlies and Wolves were two teams ready to hoist the Cup. The Marlies not only won the Cup but did it on their home ice in front of fans who were thirsting for a championship. 

It’s early and near impossible to predict what next season will look like. However, the playoffs and the high that came with it must have some teams feeling optimistic about the season ahead.