Why AHL in FloHockey Matters: Because the NHL Path Is in One Place
Few analysts know the state of minor league hockey better than Chris Peters, and FloHockey’s top content creator and analyst didn’t mince words when talking about the new season the American Hockey League is about to enter in 2024-2025.
The AHL is streaming live on FloHockey and the FloSports network this season, and hockey fans are about to get a new experience.
“The biggest thing AHL fans can expect from this new partnership is A LOT,” said Peters. “You’ll get every game of your favorite team as usual, but you’ll get more AHL-specific content, more coverage to look forward to and more opportunities to watch other leagues and other games on the Flo platform.”
FloHockey has added the AHL to its list of available leagues, meaning an NHL hockey fan can sign up for FloHockey and follow the journey of hope and progress across all NHL-affiliated farm teams, never before available to hockey fans with a single subscription.
The AHL Hockey season begins on Oct. 11 and 1,152 games along with the All-Star Classic and Calder Cup Playoffs will be available on FloHockey and the FloSports app.
Here’s why that’s a big deal, according to Peters.
FloHockey is a Must-Have Subscription for Hockey Fans
With the new partnership, FloHockey is now the best site in the world to find hockey prospects. Not only can you read in-depth prospect analysis, but you can watch players live throughout the season. with high fidelity and streaming speed gives AHL viewers their best experience yet.
“For the first time, NHL fans need only one subscription to track their entire farm schedule,” Peters said. “You have both the AHL and ECHL ambassador in one place. Something this comprehensive has never existed before, which will give NHL fans a better understanding of how the development system works, how their players are doing, how the top prospects are doing and will allow them to make a deeper connection with their favorite team.
“They will know who the future stars of their favorite team are before anyone else.”
FloHockey And AHL Partnership Creates Something Never Before In Hockey
That ability to watch every NHL prospect within their professional farm system has never been available on a single broadcast platform before.
But as Peters said, it’s not just the AHL and ECHL in FloHockey that makes this partnership historic.
“In addition to the farm clubs, you can watch eligible or already drafted players compete in the USHL, BCHL, CJHL and more,” he said. “We also broadcast Division I NCAA men’s and women’s hockey with Atlantic Hockey America and the University of Alaska. You can also watch a number of high-level youth/minor hockey leagues including the Canadian Sport School Hockey League which has been the training ground for some of the NHL’s rising stars in recent years.
“You can follow almost every player’s path to the NHL in one place, getting to know players before they become stars on a deeper level than reading about them or seeing clips on YouTube. You can check the prospects yourself now.”
Why the AHL Is One of the Most Important Hockey Leagues in the World
Most of the NHL players have played in the AHL and it is considered the highest development league in the world.
“Considering 87% of players who played in the NHL last season spent at least some time in the AHL, it’s one of the best finishing schools in professional sports,” Peters said.
“Very few players skip this step, because it’s a very important part of the process to reach the NHL.”
“If you consider the elite training, the high level of competition outside of the NHL,” Peters added, “the direct connection with the NHL franchise and how they want a certain player to play or develop, the ideal place for a player to supercharge their development is to ensure that they are ready for the highest level.” .
“There are very few leagues in the minor leagues that host as many players on their way to the top of the league than the AHL,” Peters added.
Who Will Be The NHL’s Next Big Star? AHL Can Tell You
Some of the biggest stars in hockey have given a preview of what their NHL careers will look like in the AHL.
“Almost every goaltender who has played in the NHL in the last 20 years has spent at least some time in the AHL including every Vezina Trophy winner, except one, since 2001,” Peters said. “So that includes players like Connor Hellebucyk, Andrei Vasilevskiy, Marc-Andre Fleury, Carey Price and on and on that reached their progression to the AHL.”
But it’s not just goals. Stars like Nikita Kucherov, Brad Marchand, William Nylander, Mikko Rantanen, Jonathan Marchessault were great in the AHL.
And the AHL is also an important place to develop coaches.
“Besides the players, the AHL has been a great place to train some of the NHL’s best coaches including recent Stanley Cup winners Jon Cooper, Jared Bednar, Bruce Cassidy and Craig Berube,” said Peters.
Here’s Why Chris Peters Is Excited About AHL Coming To FloSports
“As a big fan of the NHL Draft and prospects, I’m excited to be able to watch another step in the development phase as a player chases his dream. At Flo, there will be certain players to watch all the time before they make it to the NHL as they go through the minors, college and the pros.
“Having the opportunity to tell those stories and provide fans with so many different types of content they can share and engage with is really exciting. We have a lot planned for this season and there is a lot of excitement that we are trying to bring to this audience. We’re all hockey fans here, so we’ll work hard to bring them the kinds of stories they’ve been dying to see.
“The ecosystem of hockey under the NHL is diverse, but a large part of it now resides at FloHockey, which will give fans a unique insight into the path these players take.”
“Having the opportunity to get to know these leagues better will make hockey fans enjoy the journey NHL players take even more,” added Peters. “I hope fans will sample all the different leagues they now have access to with a FloHockey subscription.
“We really can’t wait to continue. Come October! “
AHL schedule for October 11, 2024
- 7:00 PM EDT: Milwaukee Admirals vs. Grand Rapids Griffins, Van Andel Arena – Grand Rapids, MI
- 7:00 PM EDT: Syracuse Crunch vs. Utica Comets, Adirondack Bank Center – Utica, NY
- 7:05 PM EDT: Laval Rocket vs. Providence Bruins, Amica Mutual Pavilion – Providence, RI
- 7:05 PM EDT: Belleville Senators vs. Rochester Americans, Blue Cross Arena – Rochester, NY
- 7:00 PM CDT: Henderson Silver Knights vs. Texas Stars, HEB Center at Cedar Park – Cedar Park, TX
- 7:00 PM MDT: Abbotsford Canucks vs. Calgary Wranglers, Scotiabank Saddledome – Calgary, AB
- 7:05 PM MDT: Tucson Roadrunners vs. Colorado Eagles, Blue Arena – Loveland, CO
- 7:00 PM PDT: Bakersfield Condors vs. Coachella Valley Firebirds, Acrisure Arena – Palm Desert, CA
AHL schedule for October 12, 2024
- 4:00 PM EDT: San Diego Gulls vs. Toronto Marlies, Coca-Cola Coliseum – Toronto, ON
- 6:05 PM EDT: Charlotte Checkers vs. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza – Wilkes-Barre, PA
- 7:00 PM EDT: Providence Bruins vs. Bridgeport Islanders, Total Mortgage Arena – Bridgeport, CT
- 7:00 PM EDT: Cleveland Monsters vs. Hershey Bears, Giant Center – Hershey, PA
- 6:00 PM CDT: Manitoba Moose vs. Iowa Wild, Wells Fargo Arena – Des Moines, IA
- 7:00 PM EDT: Belleville Senators vs. Syracuse Crunch, Upstate Medical University Arena – Syracuse, NY
- 7:00 PM EDT: Rochester Americans vs. Utica Comets, Adirondack Bank Center – Utica, NY
- 7:05 PM EDT: Hartford Wolf Pack vs. Lehigh Valley Phantoms, PPL Center – Allentown, PA
- 7:05 PM EDT: Laval Rocket vs. Springfield Thunderbirds, MassMutual Center – Springfield, MA
- 7:00 PM CDT: Milwaukee Admirals vs. Chicago Wolves, Allstate Arena – Rosemont, IL
- 7:00 PM CDT: Grand Rapids Griffins vs. Rockford IceHogs, BMO Center – Rockford, IL
- 7:00 PM CDT: Henderson Silver Knights vs. Texas Stars, HEB Center at Cedar Park – Cedar Park, TX
- 6:00 PM PDT: San Jose Barracuda vs. Ontario Reign, Toyota Arena – Ontario, CA
- 7:05 PM MDT: Tucson Roadrunners vs. Colorado Eagles, Blue Arena – Loveland, CO
AHL schedule for October 13, 2024
- 1:00 PM MDT: Abbotsford Canucks vs. Calgary Wranglers, Scotiabank Saddledome – Calgary, AB
- 3:00 PM EDT: Charlotte Checkers vs. Bridgeport Islanders, Total Mortgage Arena – Bridgeport, CT
- 3:05 PM EDT: Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins vs. Springfield Thunderbirds, MassMutual Center – Springfield, MA
- 3:00 PM CDT: Manitoba Moose vs. Iowa Wild, Wells Fargo Arena – Des Moines, IA
- 4:00 PM EDT: San Diego Gulls vs. Toronto Marlies, Coca-Cola Coliseum – Toronto, ON
- 5:00 PM EDT: Cleveland Monsters vs. Hershey Bears, Giant Center – Hershey, PA
- 3:00 PM PDT: San Jose Barracuda vs. Ontario Reign, Toyota Arena – Ontario, CA
When Does the 2024 AHL Season Start?
The season starts on Oct. 11, 2024 when the Milwaukee Admirals travel to the Grand Rapids Griffins at 7 pm EDT and the Syracuse Crunch travel to the Utica Comets at the same time.
There are 29 games in total during the opening weekend.
How does the AHL Hockey schedule work?
Here is a breakdown of the scheduled games for the week:
- On Monday, 15 games will be played this season.
- On Tuesday, 57 games will be played this season.
- On Wednesday, 197 games will be played this season.
- On Thursday, 15 games will be played this season.
- On Friday, 302 games will be played this season.
- On Saturday, 392 games will be played this season.
- On Sunday, 174 games will be played this season.
When Do Hershey Bears Start Seasoning?
The defending AHL champions and 13-time Calder Cup winners will begin their seasons and raise the banner on Oct. 12 against the Cleveland Monsters at the Giant Center. It’s a rematch of the Eastern Conference finals.
When is the AHL All-Star Classic?
The 2025 AHL All-Star Classic is hosted by the Coachella Valley Firebirds in Palm Desert, Calif. Since Feb. 2 to Feb. 3. The professional game is on Feb. 3 and will be followed by the AHL Hall of Fame Induction and Awards Ceremony.
How to Watch AHL on FloHockey
The AHL streams on FloHockey and the FloSports app. Live matches, replays, highlights and breaking news will be available on both platforms.
NHL Prospect Coverage on FloHockey
The best and most complete coverage of NHL minor league hockey and NHL Draft news is available on FloHockey. Don’t miss the latest prospect guides, rankings and more from Chris Peters and the FloHockey staff.
Watch ECHL, USHL, AHL and more on FloHockey
FloHockey is home to broadcasts from some of the top hockey leagues in North America, including the ECHL and more. Check the broadcast schedule to watch more hockey.
Join the Hockey Chat on FloHockey Social
Source link