This is a frantic time in the season. The playoff pushes, clinching scenarios, and mad dash to the finish line keep your head on a swivel. It’s times like these when covering the American Hockey League [https://thehockeynews.com/ahl] wild as a game is happening on the ice yet all the action seems to be going down in cities around the league. THE PLAYOFF PUSHES ARE COMING DOWN TO THE WIRE The Atlantic Division has three teams fighting for three spots. The Lehigh Valley Phantoms swept their back to back over the weekend and are only two points behind the Springfield Thunderbirds and only three points behind the Hershey Bears. It makes the Phantoms against Thunderbirds game on Wednesday night a mini playoff game. The North Division meanwhile is essentially a wrap with all five teams in (the Rochester Americans need one point and they’ll clinch the final spot). The real chase is at the top with the Syracuse Crunch and Laval Rocket fighting for the top spot. The Rocket have a three point lead with two games remaining and the top spot secures the only bye in the division. Related: Bruins James Hagens to Providence Isn’t The Popular Move, It’s The Smart One [https://thehockeynews.com/ahl/latest-news/bruins-james-hagens-to-providence-isn-t-the-popular-move-it-s-the-smart-one] The Central Division is locked up thanks to a Milwaukee Admirals win over the Iowa Wild. The only question is what the seeding looks like as the three-seeded Texas Stars and fourth place Manitoba Moose are separated by two points and can flip spots in the final week. All of this leads to a crazy finish to the season, which will wrap up in the weekend ahead. THE OBSTACLES DAVID CARLE WOULD FACE IN THE NHL The Denver Pioneers won the National Championship with a 2-1 victory over the Wisconsin Badgers. It’s the second title in three years for the Pioneers and the third in five years under David Carle. The victory only boosts Carle’s coaching stock. The 36 year old has established himself as the best college hockey coach and this recent victory, with a young team that didn’t feature elite prospects, removes any doubt. The question everyone has is when, not if, he’ll coach at the next level, whether it’s the NHL and even the AHL. The problem is Carle will face obstacles he doesn’t face in college. The big one being no control over his roster. Multiple AHL coaches have noted that it’s harder to adjust from the college or junior ranks because of the lack of control. Players get called up and sent down all the time and that movement doesn’t happen in college. Even with the transfer window and the money being poured into players, the coaches have a stronger say in how their roster is built. The other thing is the age gap. Steve Konowalchuk, who coached the Thunderbirds and was in the Western Hockey League beforehand mentioned that his biggest adjustment to the AHL was the age gap between players. “You have 20 year olds and players with kids,” Konowalchuk noted in a conversation with The Hockey News [https://thehockeynews.com/]. The other obstacle for college coaches, and one Carle hasn’t dealt with in Denver, is the losing. College coaches win and win a lot and the seasons aren’t long or brutal. If Carle is hired by an NHL team, he’ll likely go to a rebuilding team. And the losses can pile up and take a toll on a coach. Eventually, the money and the fame of the NHL will be too much to pass up. Likewise, a team will take a chance on the hottest college coach. That said, even with the success, it’s not a given Carle will translate to the NHL. QUICK HITS The Providence Bruins clinched the best record in the AHL with their win on Sunday. With 110 points in 70 games, they have a chance to break the record for the highest points percentage in league history if they win one of their last two games (or earn two points with a pair of overtime losses). The Ontario Reign clinched the Pacific Division with their win on Saturday night. They’ve been the best team out west and now, they’ll also have the travel advantage, which goes a long way in the Calder Cup Playoffs for a Pacific Division team. It seems fitting that the Bridgeport Islanders clinched a playoff spot on their home ice. They are moving to Hamilton after season but beyond that, they won four home games last season in a historically bad 2024-25. They rattled off 10 wins in a row at home to secure their spot in the playoffs. William Villeneuve made his NHL debut this week. The young defenseman on the Toronto Marlies seemed like an AHL lifer but with the Maple Leafs playing out the string, he’s getting a chance to show what he can do at the next level. Maybe he’ll become a regular on the NHL team by next season.
