THE AHL REPORT

The AHL Report is the newest section to be added to the family of Illegal Curve feature articles, appearing each and every Sunday at your favourite hockey blog. Although the report will explore a wide range of topics, a special emphasis will be placed on developing prospects and NHL call-ups.

A rash of late-season injuries across the National Hockey League has forced the purging of countless rosters in the American Hockey League and will continue to create headaches for general managers and coaches everywhere looking to close out the regular season schedule with a steady line-up.

Perhaps no team has been affected by this March Madness more than the Manitoba Moose (I apologize for the alliteration). In an article that appeared in Saturday's Winnipeg Free Press, hockey writer Tim Campbell noted that the Moose have used 50 (yes fifty) different players this season. Presently, the parent Vancouver Canucks employ the services of Rick Rypien, Nathan McIver, Luc Bourdon and Ryan Shannon, players who have all spent the majority of the season in the 'A'.

The Canucks, much to the chagrin of Moose general manager Craig Heisinger and coach Scott Arniel, have yo-yoed players up and down all season as they have dealt with injuries to key players, most recently Aaron Miller and Matthias Ohlund. I could write ad nauseum about how unfair this is for the surging Moose but the reality of the situation suggests something different.

In fact, affiliation agreements allow NHL teams to call up players whenever they desire, regardless of the duration. The Vancouver Canucks supply the Moose with a myriad of cash and prospects so they are are entitled to shop-till-they-drop. And from all accounts, the Moose/Canucks relationship is one of the best amongst NHL/AHL affiliations.

My major beef lies in the fact that Canucks GM Dave Nonis has left the Moose scrambling on way too many occassions. The Moose are one of the top teams in the AHL, and are currently on an 8 game winning streak. The Moose, with a record of 40-24-5, are in second place in the North Division and are a serious Calder Cup threat this season. I have to question the relevance of flying Nathan McIver and Luc Bourdon all around North America when they don't even dress half the time. It is plain to see that McIver is a solid physical presence who offers something different than say Mike Weaver, but the Moose are stuck signing ECHL players to last minute contracts when they deserve better. You would think that Nonis could have traded for a 7th defenceman at the NHL's trade deadline ( Bryce Salvador comes to mind) but again, he has McIver and Bourdon to choose from.

The situation is obviously complex as the Canucks are pushing hard for the last couple of playoff spots in the Western Conference. Nonetheless, one has to wonder if inviting Luc Bourdon to sit in the press box in Vancouver is a better situation than allowing him to play big minutes on the blueline for the Manitoba Moose, who happen to require his services a little more.

For Illegal Curve, I'm Ezra Ginsburg.

THE AHL REPORT

The AHL Report is the newest section to be added to the family of Illegal Curve feature articles, appearing each and every Sunday at your favourite hockey blog. Although the report will explore a wide range of topics, a special emphasis will be placed on developing prospects and NHL call-ups.

It was a busy week in the American Hockey League, with goalie goals, fisticuffs, trades and playoff races in both the Eastern and Western Conferences ramping up, so let's get right to the latest news and notes......

- Manitoba Moose goaltender Drew MacIntyre made history-and highlight reels across the sports world- on Wednesday night by scoring the overtime goal in 2-1 victory over the Chicago Wolves. It should be noted that MacIntyre was credited for the goal but didn't actually shoot the puck into the net. With the Moose about to receive a delayed penalty, the Wolves passed the puck to a phantom defenseman, and the disc sailed all the way to the other end of the ice into an empty net. From what I could find on the 'Net, MacIntyre was the second Moose goaltender to score a goal (Fred Brathwaite being the other) and only the 9th such player do so in the history of the AHL. MacIntyre, a 2001 Detroit Red Wings draft pick, has been sensational for the Moose this year, sporting a 21-15-1 record, 2.14 GAA and .927 save percentage. He also has one goal and an assist on offense.

Here is the youtube.com link to the goal: http://youtube.com/watch?v=GBmBBRf2ooE

- In a Euro Curve/AHL Report crossover story, it appears Russian forward Stanislav Chistov may have some problems reporting to the Providence Bruins. Chistov, who was recently placed on waivers by the Boston Bruins, played in the Russian Super League past the December 15 deadline for players who are transferring from a European league to the AHL. Providence, which already has a stacked offense with the likes of Pascal Pelletier and Jeff Hoggan, would love to have the skill set Chistov offers for their playoff run.

- The Hershey Bears and Springfield Falcons pulled off a major move on Thursday, before the clear-day roster deadline, as slick defenseman Danny Syvret was sent to the Bears in exchange for rugged forward Grant Potulny. The 22-year-old Syvret, an Edmonton Oilers prospect, is expected to find himself in a better situation in Hershey, while Potulny is expected to help out Springfield's top line, particularly leading scorer Robbie Schremp.

- 3-time Stanley Cup champion Darren McCarty recently signed a one-year contract with the Detroit Red Wings, and is skating with the Grand Rapids Griffins until he proves he is capable of moving up. McCarty played in only 32 games with the Calgary Flames in 2006'07 and had been previously playing with the Flint Generals of the East Coast Hockey League this season. In weekend games against the Manitoba Moose on Friday and Saturday, McCarty chucked the knuckles on two separate occasions. McCarty first tangled with genetic freak Zack Fitzgerald and then threw down with defenseman Nathan McIver. From all accounts, McCarty took both fights.

Here is a list of the Top 10 scorers in the American Hockey League (as of Feb.23, 2008)

1 Jason Krog, Chicago Wolves (25 goals, 52 assists, 77 points)
2 Martin St. Pierre, Rockford IceHogs (16 goals, 49 assists, 65 points)
3. Cal O'Reilly,Milwaukee Admirals (13 goals, 49 assists, 62 points)
4. Grant Stevenson,Quad City Flames (25 goals, 34 assists, 59 points)
5. Jeff Tambellini, Bridgeport Sound Tigers (29 goals, 29 assists, 58 points)
6. Pierre-Alexandre Parenteau, Hartford Wolf Pack (24 goals, 34 assists, 58 points)
7. Teddy Purcell, Manchester Monarchs (16 goals, 42 assists, 58 points)
8. Pascal Pelletier, Providence Bruins (28 goals, 28 assists, 56 points)
9 Andrew Ebbett, Portland Pirates (13 goals, 42 assists, 55 points)
10 Gabe Gauthier, Manchester Monarchs (20 goals, 32 assists, 52 points)

For Illegal Curve, I'm Ezra Ginsburg.

EURO CURVE

Euro Curve takes a daily look at the latest international hockey news.

Writers Note: I apologize for not writing a blog yesterday but a sore throat kept me off the website and in bed. I promise today's blog will be as good as a Janne Niinimaa slapshot ( Currently playing with HC Davos of Swiss League).

- Yutaka Fukufuji, the first Japanese born player to ever play in the NHL, is trying to stick with the AHL's Manitoba Moose as one of the teams starting goaltenders. Unfortunately for Fukufuji, 25, he is in tough against incumbent Drew MacIntyre, and Boston College standout Cory Schneider. Fukufuji, an 8th round draft pick of the Los Angeles Kings in 2004, is believed to be headed for the East Coast Hockey League.

- The Anaheim Ducks were parading the Stanley Cup around London Wednesday, taking in some sights and even attending a Premier League football ( not soccer!) game. The Ducks face the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday, September 29 to kick off the NHL's regular season schedule. The two teams meet again Sunday. Both games will be played at the new 02 Arena, a 20,000-seat venue which will also host an NFL game between the Miami Dolphins and New York Giants in October.

- New York Rangers Draft Pick Alexei Cherepanov (2007, 1/17) scored his first goal of the season last night for Avangard (Omsk) as the Russian Super League team beat VITYAZ (Chekhov) 7-5. Cherepanov was voted the games second star. Cherepanov, who was expected to be Russia's best player in the recent Under-20 Super Series tournament against Canada, had been sidelined with an injury for most of the tournament. Cherepanov, widely considered one of the best prospects in the Super League, had 18 goals and 11 assists in 46 games for Avangard Omsk last season.

- Here's a look at the top scorers in Russia's top league:

RUSSIAN SUPER LEAGUE STATISTICS ( courtesy of www.rushockey.com)

EARLY REGULAR SEASON LEADERS ( Points)

# Player Team Pos G P(G+A)
1 Alexanderov Viktor Metallurg Nk F 9 12 (7 + 5)
2 Mihaylov Egor Metallurg Nk F 9 11 (5 + 6)
3 Mozyakin Sergey Khimik F 9 10 (7 + 3)
4 Morozov Alexei Ak Bars F 9 10 (4 + 6)
5 Antipov Vladimir Salavat Yulaev F 8 10 (2 + 8)
6 Saprikin Oleg CSKA F 9 9 (7 + 2)
7 Bashkirov Andrei HC MVD F 9 9 (5 + 4)
8 Yuhansson Andreas SKA F 9 9 (5 + 4)
9 Mihnov Alexei Lokomotiv F 9 9 (4 + 5)
10 Pokotilo Vadim Amur F 9 8 (6 + 2)
11 Dobrishkin Yuri Torpedo F 8 8 (5 + 3)
12 Antonenko Oleg HC MVD F 9 8 (5 + 3)
13 Haritonov Alexander Dynamo F 9 8 (5 + 3)
14 Badyukov Alexei Dynamo C 9 8 (4 + 4)
15 Korolyuk Alexander Vityaz F 9 8 (3 + 5)
16 Sushinsky Maxim SKA F 9 8 (3 + 5)
17 Yachmenev Vitaly Dynamo F 9 8 (3 + 5)
18 Yashin Alexei Lokomotiv C 9 8 (2 + 6)
19 Chupin Alexei Dynamo C 9 8 (2 + 6)
20 Leschev Albert Khimik C 9 8 (2 + 6)

For Illegal Curve, I'm Ezra Ginsburg.

About the Writer: Ezra Ginsburg made a name for himself on the local hockey scene in 1998, when, at the tender age of 16, he held The First Annual Ezzy's Whiz Bang Hockey Draft, held at Rightway Sports on Corydon Avenue. The pool featured 16 teams and introduced an interesting draft format, which allowed players to be picked up off of the free agent market through a simple bidding process. The winner of the pool that year was Adam Sheps, but it was Ezra and friend Aaron Bernstein's acquisition of Petr Nedved which showed a knack for insider knowledge of European players. In 98'99, Nedved was acquired by the New York Rangers 26 games into the season after he had spent the last year playing for Sparta Praha of the Czech Extra League. Ginsburg and Bernstein picked up Nedved for 30 dollars ( one of the most lucrative fantasy offer sheets in history at the time) and rode his 47 points in 56 games to a respectable second place finish.