17 CHL Grads Win Calder Cup AHL Title with the Hershey Bears
The Hershey Bears set a new American Hockey League record when they earned their 10th Calder Cup Championship title with a 4-1 victory in game six over the Manitoba Moose Friday night in front of 15,003 fans at the MTS Centre in Winnipeg, MB.
A total of 17 Canadian Hockey League graduates were on the Bears final roster that celebrated the win including Head Coach Bob Woods who played two seasons with the WHL’s Brandon Wheat Kings from 1987-89 and his Assistant Coach Mark French who served as an Assistant Coach with the OHL’s North Bay Centennials for two seasons in 1999-01.
Goaltender Michal Neuvirth, who played two seasons with the OHL’s Plymouth Whalers, Windsor Spitfires, and Oshawa Generals from 2006-08 was named most valuable player of the 2008-09 Calder Cup Playoffs receiving the Jack A. Butterfield Trophy. The 21-year-old 2006 second round draft choice of the Washington Capitals won all 16 post-season games for the Bears and finished with a goals-against-average of 1.92 and save percentage of .932 with four shutouts.
Alexandre Giroux who played with the QMJHL’s Hull Olympiques and Rouyn-Noranda Huskies from 1998-01 scored the insurance marker at 11:16 of the first period to record his league-best 15th goal of the post-season to go with 13 assists for 28 points in 22 games. Giroux scored 60 goals during the regular season to win the league scoring title and MVP honours.
Defenceman John Carlson played 16 games with the Bears scoring two goals and one assist for three points after playing the entire 2008-09 season with the London Knights.
On the other side, 20 members of the Moose final roster are graduates of the CHL including Head Coach Scott Arniel who played three seasons with the Cornwall Royals from 1979-82. Mario Bliznak who played with the WHL’s Vancouver Giants from 2005-08 scored the lone goal for the Moose in the final contest with assists from Cody Hodgson of the OHL’s Brampton Battalion from 2006-09 and Shaun Heshka, a member of the Everett Silvertips from 2003-06.
The Hershey Bears are affiliated with the NHL’s Washington Capitals while the Manitoba Moose are affiliated with the Vancouver Canucks.
Hershey Bears CHL Grads:
Head Coach Bob Woods, Brandon (1987-89)
Assistant Coach Mark French, North Bay (1999-01)
Alexandre Giroux, Hull/Rouyn-Noranda (1998-01)
Mathieu Perreault, Acadie-Bathurst (2005-08)
Oskar Osala, Mississauga (2005-07)
Francois Bouchard, Baie-Comeau (2004-08)
Quintin Laing, Kelowna (1996-00)
Karl Alzner, Calgary (2004-08)
Patrick McNeill, Saginaw (2003-07)
Tyler Sloan, Kamloops (2000-02)
Dean Arsene, Regina/Edmonton/Kootenay (1996-01)
Darren Reid, Medicine Hat (2001-04)
Kip Brennan, Windsor/Sudbury (1996-01)
Grant McNeill, Prince Albert (1999-03)
Daren Machesney, Brampton (2004-06)
Michal Neuvirth, Plymouth/Windsor/Oshawa (2006-08)
John Carlson, London (2008-09)
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Manitoba Moose CHL Grads:
Head Coach Scott Arniel, Cornwall (1979-82)
Jason Jaffray, Edmonton/Kootenay/Swift Current (1998-02)
Michael Grabner, Spokane (2004-07)
Guillaume Desbiens, Rouyn-Noranda (2001-05)
Michel Ouellet, Rimouski (1998-02)
Alexandre Bolduc, Rouyn-Noranda/Shawinigan (2001-05)
Nolan Baumgartner, Kamloops (1992-96)
Mike Keane, Moose Jaw (1984-87)
Shaun Heshka, Everett (2003-06)
Maxime Fortunus, Baie-Comeau (1999-03)
Mario Bliznak, Vancouver (2005-08)
Pierre-Cedric Labrie, Baie-Comeau (2006-07)
Mark Fistric, Vancouver (2002-06)
Zack Fitzgerald, Seattle (2001-05)
Tommy Maxwell, Medicine Hat (2002-06)
Nathan McIver, Toronto St. Michael’s (2002-05)
Taylor Ellington, Everett (2004-09)
Curtis Sanford, Owen Sound (1996-00)
Travis Ehrhardt, Moose Jaw/Portland (2005-09)
Cody Hodgson, Brampton (2006-09)
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Congratulations to all Canadian Hockey League graduates on a terrific season!
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Photo and files courtesy of www.theahl.com and www.hersheybears.com