Laval's Joshua Roy leads the AHL in points following week one of the 2023-24 season. Find out which other players have piled up points to start the year.u
The American Hockey League's 2023-24 season kicked off on Friday, October 13th, and already we're catching glimpses of which clubs, and players, are standing out from the pack.
While it's early, and the very nature of the AAA system invites large amounts of roster-turn over, several players are stamping their claims on the virgin season.
A mix of big-show veterans and emerging stars lead the way on the AHL scoresheet to start the season. Here are some of the major names piling up points across the league:
Joshua Roy - Laval Rocket - 11 Points
20-year-old Joshua Roy, with all puns intended, has been a proverbial rocket to start the year.
The 2021 fifth-round pick has compiled a sparkling stat sheet of five goals and six assists for 11 points in just five games for the Laval Rocket.
The budding Habs star left-winger put up a whopping 99 points for the Sherbrooke Phoenix of the QMJHL in 2022-23, while clocking 11 points in seven games for Canada in World Jr. U-20 Championships.
Soak it in fans of La Belle Province, you just might be seeing a star-in-the-making.
Sheldon Rempal - Henderson Silver Knights - 8 Points
Much like their NHL counterpart, the Henderson Silver Knights have been a wagon these past two seasons.
Leading the charge in the 'A' is forward Sheldon Rempal, who's currently enjoining a brisk eight points in five games, including five goals
Rempal enters his sixth professional season in 2023-24 after finishing second on the Silver Knights roster with 63 points a year ago.
In 267 career AHL contests with Henderson, Abbotsford, Chicago and Ontario, Rempal has totaled 84 goals and 128 assists for 212 points, and he participated in the AHL All-Star Classic as a rookie in 2019.
A native of Calgary, Alta., Rempal has played 12 games in the National Hockey League with Los Angeles, Carolina, Vancouver, and Vegas.
Arshdeep Bains - Abbotsford Canucks - 8 Points
Arshdeep Bains turned heads during his final rookie season in the WHL, putting up a whopping 112 points and becoming the first South Asian Player to win the Bob Clarke Trophy.
Earning his way into the Canucks organization the hard way, Bains has been a fan favorite in Abbotsford, putting up 38 points in 62 games last season.
He's off to a hot start with seven assists and eight points in just five games in 2023-24.
Christian Wolanin - Abbotsford Canucks - 8 Points
The highest-scoring defenseman of the young season, Christian Wolanin, an NHL and AHl veteran, has found his scoring touch with the Canucks organization.
A fourth-round draft pick of the Senators in 2015 who's suited up for 86 NHL games between the Sens, Kings, Sabres, and Canucks, Wolanin put up career highs in points with Abbotsford in 2022-23, netting 55 points in 49 games, including five points in six playoff games.
He's already up to eight points in five games to start the young season and could find himself as an attractive call-up option for the big-Nucks if push comes to shove.
Connor Zary - Calgary Wranglers - 8 Points
Calgary Wranglers center Connor Zary, the 24th overall pick in the 2020 entry draft, entered his second season with the Wranglers with a bang, putting up eight assists in only four games.
Following up a career-high 86-point campaign in the WHL with the Kamloops Blazers in 2019-20, Zary has emerged as a solid two-way player with a knack for setting up and scoring his own goals, banking 58 points across 72 games in 2022-23 with the Wranglers.
Lias Andersson - Laval Rocket - 7 Points
25-year-old Swede Lias Andersson has benefitted mightily from the emergence of fellow Rocket Joshua Roy.
The multi-team NHL and AHL veteran, drafted seventh overall by the New York Rangers in 2017, has started hot in 2023-24 with five goals and seven points across five games.
Splitting time between the Rangers and Los Angeles Kings systems in recent years, Andersson put together a solid 59-point, 31-goal campaign in 2022-23 with the Ontario Reign.
He signed a one-year, two-way deal with the Canadiens this past July.
Adam Gaudette - Springfield Thunderbirds - 7 Points
Big show veteran Adam Gaudette is only 27 years of age, yet he's already clocked in over 200 National Hockey League games to his credit with stints on the Vancouver Canucks, Chicago Blackhawks and Ottawa Senators.
Splitting time between the Toronto Marlies and Springfield Thunderbirds in 2022-23 after being sent to the Blues in the package for Ryan O'Reilly, Gaudette has started hot in his second go-round with the birds, netting five goals and seven points in five games to start the fresh season.
Peter Holland - Colorado Eagles - 7 Points
Peter Holland is making the most of his second chance in the world of pro hockey.
The 32-year-old, who announced his retirement in March of 2022, signed a PTO with the Colorado Avalanche this past summer.
Impressing the recent Cup winners, Holland signed a one-year AHL contract with Avs AHL affiliate Colorado Eagles earlier this month and has set to work banking seven points in four games.
A 15th overall selection of the Anaheim Ducks in the 2009 Entry Draft, Holland has further suited up for the Leafs, Rangers, and Coyotes, banking 85 points through 266 career NHL games.
