Chirps from Center Ice

A fan blog about the AHL's Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins

Category Archives: The AHL

2026-27 AHL Schedule Released

Comments Off on 2026-27 AHL Schedule Released Posted by on July 9, 2026

I was traveling when the schedule was announced Thursday at 2, so after taking a look at it after I set up camp deep in South Central Pennsylvania, here’s some thoughts:

First, as we always do, the Penguins release is here and the League release is here.

1) Do you have a schedule matrix of opponents? Anyone in the Conference we are not playing?

Nope. We play all eight (yes, eight, more on that in a minute) teams in the North once at home and once on the road but for Cleveland who we play twice at home and twice on the road. Rockford, Milwaukee and Chicago are also on the schedule, once at home and on the road.

2) Longest road trip? Longest home stand?

Longest road trip is in March, when they start in Providence on March 13, travel to Hartford the next day, then Toronto, Hamilton, Rochester followed by a road game against Lehigh Valley. There are three separate four game home stands.

3) How many three in threes?

Three, if I counted right, up from two last year.

4) How many work night and Sunday home games?

Eight, yes, eight Sunday home games, up from four the year prior. They must see something in these that I don’t, cause I don’t like ’em. On top of that, as if to make it more agonizing, they start at various times of 3, 5 and 6 p.m.

No Monday games, two home Tuesday games, one road, six Wednesday home games, eight on the road and no Thursdays.

5) Any off the wall schedule time quirks?

There’s a Tuesday road game on December 8 in Charlotte that starts at 10:30 a.m. The Wednesday, March 17 game in Toronto against the Marlies starts at 1:30 p.m. and will be played at Scotiabank Arena, the home of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Oh, and the midweek games start at 6:35, a half hour earlier for some reason.

6) Where’s the All-Star Classic this year?

Cleveland, Ohio.

7) Playoff structure?

Will likely be different this season with only seven teams in the division. That means you take the three highest seeds in the division and give them byes to the second round. The four seed plays the five seed in a best-of three with the winner getting the one seed. Two and three play each other from there.

8) What about preseason games?

No word on that yet.

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Twelve games (6 home / 6 road) with Hershey and Lehigh Valley, eight with Charlotte, six with Hartford and Springfield and only four again with Providence, who apparently are fine with continuing to fill up their schedule with Hartford (12 times) and Springfield (14 times) but I gotta hand it to them, they also have Rockford, Milwaukee and Chicago on their schedule. That’s the first time in a while I have seen the Bruins venture out into the Western Conference.

Anyway, now back to summer!

The AHL, WBS

Home Opener Announced – Full Slate Thursday

Comments Off on Home Opener Announced – Full Slate Thursday Posted by on July 8, 2026

It’s that time of year again. The 2026-27 AHL schedule will be released Thursday and on the eve of the big event, the 32 AHL teams announced their home openers. For the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins, it’s October 3 vs. Springfield. They are the Hartford Wolf Pack’s opener a week later.

Full slate of home openers here…

I’ll be traveling to my next camping destination so I’ll check out the Penguins schedule after I get camp setup and settled Thursday evening. With one less opponent in the Atlantic with Bridgeport moving to the North as the Hamilton Hammers, expect even more dates with the Hershey’s and the Lehigh Valley’s of the world, buddy.

The AHL, WBS

Au Nord De La Frontière – Wilkes-Barre / Toronto Eastern Conference Final Set

Comments Off on Au Nord De La Frontière – Wilkes-Barre / Toronto Eastern Conference Final Set Posted by on May 24, 2026

Yeah, yeah, yeah, they speak primarily English in the great province of Ontario and not French, but it fits here.

The Toronto Marlies score two goals on the road late in the third period of Game 5 to stun the Cleveland Monsters 3-2 and will advance to the Eastern Conference Finals where they will meet the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins after the Penguins dispatched the Springfield Thunderbirds Saturday night.

Here’s the schedule….

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More to get into, of course, and we will in due time. The teams met just twice in the regular season with Toronto beating the Pens 4-3 in overtime in November and the Pens returning the favor with a 4-3 regulation win in Toronto in March. Wilkes-Barre blew a 3-0 third period lead in November and lost in overtime and nearly let slip a 4-1 lead heading into the third back in March but hung on to win in regulation.

(Au Nord De La Frontière translates to, “north of the border” in case you were wondering)

The AHL, WBS

Birds Flock Together – Wilkes-Barre / Springfield Atlantic Division Final Set

Comments Off on Birds Flock Together – Wilkes-Barre / Springfield Atlantic Division Final Set Posted by on May 7, 2026

After beating the Hershey Bears in Game 4 of the Atlantic Division Semifinals Thursday, and with Springfield ousting the Providence Bruins in four games, the two teams have set a schedule.

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I’ll offer my thoughts on Springfield in the Weekend Preview Friday, but know this, Springfield does not quit. Expect a battle.

The AHL, WBS

A Sweet Date — Wilkes-Barre / Hershey Atlantic Division Semifinal Set

Comments Off on A Sweet Date — Wilkes-Barre / Hershey Atlantic Division Semifinal Set Posted by on April 25, 2026

We have our first major upset.

The Springfield Thunderbirds, who finished 21 points behind the Charlotte Checkers in the regular season have beaten Checkers 2-1 in overtime win Game 3 Saturday. Springfield’s wins the series 2-1.

This means that the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins will play the Hershey Bears, who dispatched the fourth seeded Bridgeport Islanders in two games earlier this week.

Here’s the schedule. Game 1 Thursday in Wilkes-Barre followed by Game 2 Saturday.

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Quick thumbnail on Hershey, Clay Stevenson won the Bears the series against Bridgeport with a 18 save shutout in Game 1 and then 24 saves in Game 2 with some timely stops in that one. He’s got the experience, backing up Hunter Shepard in the 2024 Calder Cup Finals. The last thing the Penguins need is to run into a hot goaltender.

Anyway, strap in, it’s the Bears so you know it’s going to be a battle.

The AHL, WBS

2026 Calder Cup Playoffs Preview

1 Comment Posted by on April 21, 2026

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I think I let it slip that I think that the Penguins win the thing this year, but let’s talk our way through it, shall we?

Before we do though, a moment of silence for the Calgary Wranglers, Abbotsford Canucks, Tucson Roadrunners, Rockford IceHogs, Iowa Wild, Belleville Senators, Utica Comets, Lehigh Valley Phantoms and Hartford Wolf Pack who did not qualify for the Calder Cup Playoffs this season. Better luck next time, brother.

Alright, let’s get into it starting out in the Western Conference and work our way East.

Pacific Division First Round (Best of Three)

First Round Bye: Ontario Reign

(2) Colorado Eagles vs. (7) San Diego Gulls – couple things I’m looking at as I fly blind here in the West, which are trends and head to heads. Both teams finished the season on losing streaks (0-3 for San Diego and 0-2 for Colorado) and you could maybe see a bit of an upset here for San Diego and make a case, but I’m not going there this quickly. Eagles in two.

(3) Henderson Silver Knights vs. (6) San Jose Barracuda – Henderson made a resurgence this year and I think they are just getting started. Barracuda steal a game though, Silver Knights in three.

(4) Coachella Valley Firebirds vs. (5) Bakersfield Condors – It’s a bad matchup for the Firebirds. Bako went 6-1-0-1 against the Firebirds this season. No room for error here. I think Coachella Valley steals one though. Condors in three.

Pacific Division Semifinals (Best of Five)

(1) Ontario Reign vs. (5) Bakersfield Condors – Reign went 7-1 against the Condors this season. That’s some dominance. Reign in three.

(2) Colorado Eagles vs. (3) Henderson Silver Knights – Colorado went 6-2 against the Silver Knights this year, but those matchups were all before March. This is a different Henderson team. I don’t know why, but I am smelling upset. Silver Knights in five.

Pacific Division Finals (Best of Five)

(1) Ontario Reign vs. (3) Henderson Silver Knights – I think it’s the two best teams in the division as they sit right now, so I am confident this far in. Flip a coin here. Ontario won the division easily but if there was another three weeks left in the season it may be another story with Henderson. How much starch is left in a resurgent Henderson team here? Reign in five.

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Central Division First Round (Best of Three)

First Round Byes: Grand Rapids Griffins, Chicago Wolves, Texas Stars

(4) Manitoba Moose vs. (5) Milwaukee Admirals – It’s not the best matchup for the Moose head to head, but the trends here have the team that is rolling vs. the team that is faltering advancing. It’s Manitoba. Moose in two.

Central Division Semifinals (Best of Five)

(1) Grand Rapids Griffins vs. (4) Manitoba Moose – You aren’t going to find many teams that the Griffins have losing records against. That’s remarkable consistency. I can see the Moose stealing one, though. Griffins in four.

(2) Chicago Wolves vs. (3) Texas Stars – Texas, despite finishing five points behind the Wolves in standings, owned Chicago in the regular season. Stars in three.

Central Division Finals (Best of Five)

(1) Grand Rapids Griffins vs. (3) Texas Stars – Grand Rapids is just getting rolling here. Griffins in four.

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North Division First Round (Best of Three)

First Round Byes: Laval Rocket, Syracuse Crunch, Cleveland Monsters

(4) Toronto Marlies vs. (5) Rochester Americans – The Amerks were a mess in the final weeks of the season, needing overtime on the final day of the regular season in Hershey to clip a resurgent Utica Comets team. That doesn’t bode well in a tossup matchup like this one is. Marlies in three.

North Division Semifinals (Best of Five)

(1) Laval Rocket vs. (4) Toronto Marlies – I think it’s a tossup, but Toronto has been too inconsistent for me to pick them to advance here. Rocket in four.

(2) Syracuse Crunch vs. (3) Cleveland Monsters – Another tossup here but an early upset, I don’t like the way that Syracuse has been trending these past few weeks. Monsters in five.

North Division Finals (Best of Five)

(1) Laval Rocket vs. (3) Cleveland Monsters – I think every playoffs, you run into a team that isn’t supposed to be here and next thing you know they survive and advance. I think we found that team here in Cleveland, who bounce the Rocket in five.

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Atlantic Division First Round (Best of Three)

First Round Byes: Providence Bruins, Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins

(3) Charlotte Checkers vs. (6) Springfield Thunderbirds – For as much as Penguins fans want the upset (myself included) it ain’t happening here. Checkers in three.

(4) Bridgeport Islanders vs. (5) Hershey Bears – The argument here is that over the past few weeks, Bridgeport has been the best team in the division, not Providence or the Penguins. Hershey is a one or two line team and Derek King is in over his head as head coach of the Bears. Islanders in two.

Atlantic Division Semifinals (Best of Five)

(1) Providence Bruins vs. (4) Bridgeport Islanders – Providence went 11-1 against Bridgeport in the regular season. The Islanders though, give the Bruins a scare, but not enough here. Bruins in five.

(2) Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins vs. (3) Charlotte Checkers – Inevitable that these teams meet in the playoffs, no? Wilkes-Barre can’t be touched five on five, Kirk MacDonald has pressed all the right buttons this season and while the Checkers kept the Penguins honest this season finishing 8 points behind, the Penguins advance here. It’ll be a 2-3 format with the final three in Charlotte. Wilkes-Barre needs to win one in North Carolina. It’ll be Game Four. Penguins in four.

Atlantic Division Finals (Best of Five)

(1) Providence Bruins vs. (2) Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins – Inevitable that these teams meet in the playoffs, no? Look, Providence won the regular season title by feasting on the Hartford’s (8-2) the Bridgeport’s (11-1) and Springfield’s (7-5) of the division and filling out the rest of their schedule with North Division cupcakes like Utica (4-2) and Belleville (4-0) – they have winning records against every team in their division, except the Penguins, where they went 1-2-1 and made sure the series with the Penguins ended in January. That said, do I expect a walk in the park? No. The Bruins push the Penguins to the brink, but Wilkes-Barre survives it’s first postseason scare. Penguins in five.

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Western Conference Finals (Best of Seven)

(1) Grand Rapids Griffins vs. (1) Ontario Reign – I don’t like how chalky things shaped up here in the West. These teams didn’t meet, but Grand Rapids plowed through every team they faced this season while Ontario struggled with teams in its own division. Griffins in five.

Eastern Conference Finals (Best of Seven)

(2) Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins vs. (3) Cleveland Monsters – I had Laval making it here up until a few minutes ago as I write this on Sunday evening. Syracuse has been too inconsistent down the stretch, but the West was too chalky for my liking and so unless I can make a case for Bridgeport vs. Laval, which I cannot in all honesty, Laval had to get bounced and why not Cleveland. But it’s twelve bells in the W-B and midnight strikes for this Cinderella. Penguins in six.

Calder Cup Finals (Best of Seven)

(1) Grand Rapids Griffins vs. (2) Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins – The two consistently best teams in each conference meet. The Pens are deep. The Griffins are deep. I am confident enough about the Penguins to get them here, not so much now that they are here. The Griffins were a legit buzzsaw, losing just 16 times and going 40-11-4-1 in their division. They finished 20 points clear of second place Chicago, but they haven’t run into a team like the Penguins who are battle tested against the likes of Hershey, Charlotte, Providence and the rest of the stiff competition they take on and outclass on a nightly basis, provided they keep their noses clean. This ain’t going to be easy. I could see it being a knock down, drag out, every game goes two overtimes classic of all classics. If that holds, I think that the Penguins get the better of the Griffins. Neither team had a player in top 20 in scoring. It was John Leonard’s 54 in 47 games to Aidan McDonough’s 44 in 62, then a bunch of guys that carried the freight consistently. The X factor in the series may be in goal, where I could see Joel Blomqvist coming in and saving the series here. Write it any way that you want. Penguins in six for their first League Championship in 27 years.

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That’s how I see it. That’s how I hope it. I’m rarely right with these. This is me, on paper, writing my favorite team into a championship for the second straight year. I made the mistake and looked past a better Lehigh Valley Phantoms team for the second straight year last postseason but that’s not the case this season. They still play these games on ice. Expect these to be wrong, very wrong, but it’s fun to hope. Hope you bought your ticket, now take the ride.

Anyway, I’d like to be the first to congratulate the Colorado Eagles on the Calder Cup!

The AHL

Atlantic Division First Round Set

Comments Off on Atlantic Division First Round Set Posted by on April 19, 2026

After Hershey beat Rochester 5-4 in overtime Sunday, the First Round in the Atlantic Division is set.

(3) Charlotte Checkers vs. (6) Springfield Thunderbirds

(4) Bridgeport Islanders vs. (5) Hershey Bears

Schedules to be determined, likely later this evening.

Remember that Wilkes-Barre / Scranton plays the highest of the two seeds that advance.

Enjoy the week off. I will be back this week with the full Calder Cup Playoffs Preview.

The AHL

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