Chirps from Center Ice

Consider this your Thursday Weekly Offseason update a day early….

— The Grand Rapids Griffins are the Calder Cup Champions. They closed out the Syracuse Crunch in Game 6 last night. Here are my words for Bob Howard’s blog from Game 5 and Game 6.

— The Hershey Bears have a new bench boss. His name is Mike Haviland. He’s won everywhere he has been. He started in the ECHL, won two league titles there, moved up to the AHL with Norfolk and was named AHL’s Coach of the Year in 2007, moved on to Rockford and coached the IceHogs in their maiden AHL season. The IceHogs haven’t won a playoff game since. He’s most recently been an associate coach with Admirals this past season on Hampton Roads.

— Chris Bourque is going back to Russia, with Ak Bars Kazan of the KHL.

— The Wheeling Nailers and the rest of the ECHL announced their 2013-2014 schedule today.

— 107 days to opening night. Probably 100 days till we get our schedule. Heh.

Keeping my eye in the transfer wires as more and more guys are jumping the pond to Europe and beyond. If any Penguin makes the jump, I’ll blog about it. If not, see you next Thursday!