Chirps from Center Ice

If this were a NASCAR race, the crossed flags would be up at the start / finish line, signifying the halfway point of the race.

For a lot of teams, the half way point of the 2015-16 season came and went this past weekend. Some are in the drivers seat in the division; the passenger seat; the back seat and running to chase the car down.

I totally don’t even know if you can use multiple semicolons in one sentence like I did right there. If you are an English major and can help me out, the comments are open.

Anyway, getting back on track, the Toronto Marlies remain the number one team this week for the second week in a row, trailed by the best team we think in the Central Division right now. And in case you were wondering, it not the Grand Rapids Griffins or the division leading Rockford IceHogs.

Hit the jump to find out who and to see where your favorite team ended up this week.

Read more of this post

With Week 14, you normally know what you have if you are a fan of an American Hockey League team.

You either have a contender, a maybe, a maybe maybe or a see you next year.

We would like to think that the Week 14 version of the Chirps from Center Ice AHL Power Rankings, helps the casual fan see exactly how each team is painted while the calendar hits mid-January with All-Stars looming.

There is a new number one this week, as the Grand Rapids Griffins fall out of the top spot for the first time in what seems like forever. But you’ll need to click through the jump to find out who if you didn’t link in direct.

Read more of this post

As the calendar flips to 2016 and people put the holidays in the rear view mirror as a new week begins, there is still a Griffin in the drivers seat. Winning 17 of 19 games will do that for you.

As always, there are teams on the up and teams on the down this week.

If you didn’t click through direct, hit the jump to see where your you favorite team ended up in Week 13.

Read more of this post

Welcome to bizarro world here in Week 12 of the Chirps from Center Ice AHL Power Rankings.

Down is up, up is down. The Binghamton Senators and the Iowa Wild are on winning streaks and the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins didn’t score a goal all weekend and the Grand Rapids Griffins win streak was snapped.

I buried an Easter Egg in one teams capsule as to whom the Politburo here thinks is the favorite to lead the Pacific Division. Read carefully.

Oh, I owe the city of Utica and their fans an apology for dropping their team two spots this week to tenth. The Charlotte Checkers didn’t play a game this week. I wasn’t going to penalize them for that so I kept them seventh and just really forgot about them with the benefit and bump Bridgeport gets with Wilkes-Barre and Hershey losing and by dropping the Pacific Division Reign down to ninth. I’ll try and be better next week, Comets fans.

Anyway, if you didn’t link in direct, you should know what to do. If not and this is your first time, welcome and please hit the jump to continue.

Read more of this post

Nothing changed at the top this week and nothing changed at the bottom in the Week 11 version of the Chirps from Center Ice AHL Power Rankings.

The Grand Rapids Griffins have won 14 in a row and are the number one team again this week followed by the Toronto Marlies and the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins.

At the bottom, it’s still the Iowa Wild, who get coal in their stocking from Santa Claus.

If you didn’t link in direct, hit the jump and have a Merry Christmas!

Read more of this post

It’s the Griffins world now and we are all just living in it.

It’s the middle of December and the Grand Rapids Griffins have won 11 straight games in a row, beating Central Division leading Rockford IceHogs Saturday night and needing comeback fashion after falling in an 0-3 hole Sunday in Des Moines against the Iowa Wild only to win in overtime. Grand Rapids was the odds on favorite to win it all this year, took the month of October off and are now as hot as ever and are still your number one team as the Week 10 Chirps from Center Ice AHL Power Rankings roll in.

There are a few teams still jostling for relevancy, teams that are on the way up from obscurity and teams on the way out of the spotlight to the darkness to maybe never be heard from again.

Find out more by clicking the jump if you didn’t link in direct.

Read more of this post

You wanted them, I gave them to you.

I put a poll up at the end of the Week 8 Chirps from Center Ice AHL Power Rankings on whether you all wanted me to include team records in the capsules. I had been approached a few times by people clamoring for the records to be added. Well, overwhelmingly, you all thought it was a good idea so team records have been added to Week 9 and will be a regular staple.

For this week, call them the Comeback Kids.

The Grand Rapids Griffins were the laughingstock of the AHL a few weeks ago. Eight wins later, they are at the top of this weeks Power Rankings.

There are battles heating up in all four divisions. The Pacific has the Reign leading it with the Rampage and Stars closing in. In the Central, it’s a seesaw battle of the IceHogs, Admirals and Monsters with the Griffins closing fast. In the North, the Marlies lead the division but the Devils are the hottest they have ever been, on a franchise best six game win streak and in the Atlantic, the Penguins have gone cold and the Sound Tigers and Bears are jockeying for who will be the one to dethrone the Penguins.

To see where they all stack up, click through the jump if you didn’t link in direct…

Read more of this post