The 2025-2026 AHL season is rapidly approaching, with opening day slated for Friday, Oct 10, the excitement is ramping up in the FloSports office.
With uncertainty around NHL rosters ahead of training camp, most of these are subject to change, but here are some things to look out for in the offseason. If your favorite prospect doesn’t make their NHL team this season, don’t worry, the AHL is the best place to watch the next generation of NHL Stars before they hit the big leagues.
We asked FloHockey content creator and AHL expert Lizz Child to give her opinion on why people should watch the AHL in 2025. Here’s what she had to say.
2025 Abbotsford Canucks vs Henderson Silver Knights
Lizz’s AHL Teams To Watch In 2025-26
Of the 32 teams in the AHL, here are the ones that Lizz says to watch for and why.
Bridgeport Islanders
The Islanders are going into their 25th season as a franchise, and they’re bringing back a vintage look. After missing the playoffs in the last three seasons, the Islanders made some coaching changes, hiring assistant coaches David Cunniff and Chad Kolarik to back up new head coach Rocky Thomspon.
Not only will the Islanders have some new faces on the bench, but they have also signed several players to one-year, two-way deals with the New York Islanders. Matthew Highmore, Ethan Bear and Cole McWard have all been signed, joining the AHL roster players of Chris Terry, Max Dorrington, Cam Berg, Ross Mitton Hunter Drew and Luke Rowe.
All players are on one year deals.
The Islanders will be a mostly new-look team, and can these changes be enough to get them back to the Calder Cup playoffs?
Abbotsford Canucks
Fresh off winning their first Calder Cup trophy, the Abbotsford Canucks will have a tall task if they want to repeat. In the offseason, the Canucks organization traded Calder Cup Finals MVP goaltender Arturs Silovs to the Pittsburgh Penguins organization.
Without Silovs, how good will the Canucks be, and can they make another run to the Calder Cup Finals?
Hershey Bears
After winning the Calder Cup in back-to-back seasons, 2023 and 2024, the Bears lost in the second round of the playoffs to the Charlotte Checkers. In the offseason, the Bears hired Derek King as their new head coach after Todd Nelson left to take an assistant coaching role with the Pittsburgh Penguins.
With the storied history of the Bears’ organization, the expectations of King are clear, get the team back to the Calder Cup finals and win.
The Bears have signed Andrew Cristall from the WHL, and the once second round pick who has led the WHL in scoring for the past three seasons, hoping to boost their offense.
With these new factors, the Bears are a team to watch this season.
Grand Rapids Griffins
After a majorly successful NHL draft by the Detroit Red Wings, the Griffins will have several top prospects available to play for them this season. The Griffins lost in the first round of the Calder Cup Playoffs to the Texas Stars, but with their likely stacked roster, could this year be their year?
Texas Stars
The Texas Stars are a team that has fallen just short of playing for the Calder Cup, losing to Abbotsford in six games in 2025. Now, they have a new head coach in Toby Peterson, who was part of the Stars’ only Calder Cup winning team in 2014.
With Peterson at the helm and several stars set to return, can the Stars return to the Calder Cup finals and win?
Ontario Reign
The Ontario Reign have a first year head coach in Andrew Lord, and despite it being his first year coaching in the AHL, he has extensive experience at other levels. He was named the ECHL Coach of the Year and in the ECHL led the Greenville Swamp Rabbits to a 155-94-39 overall record.
With Lord’s winning experience, the Reign are looking to make it past the prelims after losing in 2025.
The Outdoor Game Is Back
The AHL Outdoor Classic is back after missing the 2024-2025 season. It will feature the Iowa Wild and the Milwaukee Admirals as part of Hockey Day Minnesota, live from the United Heroes League Complex in Hastings.
The 20th year of the event, this year’s game is expected to have 80,000 fans and will be a super popular event for everyone involved, and is one of Lizz’s favorite events of the year.
Teddy Bear Tosses
Everyone’s favorite game of the year, especially Lizz’s, every team has their own teddy bear toss. Who doesn’t love seeing teddy bears tossed onto the ice for a good cause, with all of the bears donated to charities for children after the game.
The Hershey Bears regularly set new records with their teddy bear tosses every year and in 2025, they set a world record for most teddy bears ever donated from a teddy bear toss with 10,514. While Flo has not yet been able to attend one of Hershey’s teddy bear tosses, it’s on Lizz’s bucket list of hockey games.
CBA Age Rule Change
If the CBA Rule Change for players under 19, allowing them to play in the AHL, it could be a game changer for development. It would allow top prospect and predicted No. 1 overall NHL Draft pick Sam Dickinson to play in the AHL, gaining experience against NHL players.
Players Who Could Make NHL Rosters This Season
Some of the top prospects that Lizz has covered over the years in the AHL could make the full NHL rosters this year. Here’s who.
Jonathan Lekkerimaki – Vancouver Canucks
Lekkerimaki was picked 15th overall by the Vancouver Canucks in 2022, but has not yet played a full season for Vancouver.
Michael DiPietro – Boston Bruins
DiPietro was drafted 64th overall by the Vancouver Canucks but has not played a full season with them and only appeared in three games. Now part of the Boston Bruins organization, he could play his first full NHL season this year.
Players To Watch
Jacob Fowler – Laval Rocket
A goaltender for the Laval Rocket, Fowler played for Boston College before signing a three year deal with the Montreal Canadiens before being assigned to Laval. This year, he could be the starting goaltender for the Rocket in his first full professional season.
Artyom Levshunov – Rockford Icehogs
The second overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft, Levshunov is looking to make it to the NHL this season. He played in 18 games for the Chicago Blackhawks and is looking to make himself a full time roster player for them this season.
AHL Opening Weekend Schedule On FloHockey
Here’s every AHL game that will happen in week one, with all times listed in Eastern Time. All games can be streamed on FloHockey and the FloSports App. Subscribe here to not miss any of the action.
Friday, October 10
- 7:00 pm — Cleveland vs Utica
- 7:05 pm — Toronto vs Rochester
- 8:00 pm — Laval vs Manitoba
- 8:00 pm — Grand Rapids vs Texas
- 9:05 pm — Calgary vs Colorado
- 10:00 pm — Tucson vs Ontario
- 10:00 pm — Abbotsford vs Henderson
- 10:00 pm — San Diego vs Coachella Valley
Saturday, October 11
- 3:00 pm — Cleveland vs Utica
- 4:00 pm — Rochester vs Toronto
- 6:00 pm — Bakersfield vs San Jose
- 6:05 pm — Hartford vs Wilkes-Barre/Scranton
- 6:05 pm — Charlotte vs Springfield
- 7:00 pm — Providence vs Bridgeport
- 7:00 pm — Syracuse vs Hershey
- 7:00 pm — Chicago vs Iowa
- 7:05 pm — Belleville vs Lehigh Valley
- 8:00 pm — Milwaukee vs Rockford
- 8:00 pm — Grand Rapids vs Texas
- 9:00 pm — Abbotsford vs Henderson
- 9:05 pm — Calgary vs Colorado
Sunday, October 12
- 3:00 pm — Belleville vs Bridgeport
- 3:00 pm — Laval vs Manitoba
- 3:05 pm — Charlotte vs Providence
- 3:05 pm — Wilkes-Barre/Scranton vs Lehigh Valley
- 5:00 pm — Syracuse vs Hershey
- 6:00 pm — Rockford vs Iowa
- 6:00 pm — Tucson vs Ontario
Top AHL Prospects
While we’re still waiting for NHL camps to finish to see the final rosters, here are some of the top AHL prospects going into the 2025-26 season.
- Artyom Levshunov, Rockford
- Isaac Howard, Bakersfield
- Matt Savoie, Bakersfield
- Jacob Fowler, Laval
- Dalibor Dvorsky, Springfield
- Andrew Cristall, Hershey
- Ivan Miroshinchenko, Hershey
- Ilya Protas, Hershey
- Axel Sandin Pellikka, Grand Rapids
- Nate Danielson, Grand Rapids
- Sebastian Cossa, Grand Rapids
- Emil Hemming, Texas
- Tanner Molendyk, Milwaukee
- Danila Yurov, Iowa
- Liam Ohgren, Iowa
What were the 2024-25 AHL Standings?
View the full 2024-25 AHL regular season standings below. Click here to view the latest standings.
Atlantic Division
- y – Hershey Bears – 96
- x – Charlotte Checkers – 94
- x – Providence Bruins – 90
- x – Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins – 88
- x – Lehigh Valley Phantoms – 80
- x – Springfield Thunderbirds – 74
- Hartford Wolf Pack – 69
- Bridgeport Islanders – 37
North Division
- y – Laval Rocket – 101
- x – Rochester Americans – 92
- x – Syracuse Crunch – 86
- x – Toronto Marlies – 86
- x – Cleveland Monsters – 81
- Belleville Senators – 79
- Utica Comets – 70
Central Division
- y – Milwaukee Admirals – 91
- x – Texas Stars – 89
- x – Grand Rapids Griffins – 80
- x – Chicago Wolves – 78
- x – Rockford IceHogs – 70
- Iowa Wild – 62
- Manitoba Moose – 56
Pacific Division
- y – Colorado Eagles – 94
- x – Abbotsford Canucks – 92
- x – Ontario Reign – 90
- x – Coachella Valley Firebirds – 84
- x – Calgary Wranglers – 81
- x – San Jose Barracuda – 81
- x – Tucson Roadrunners – 74
- Bakersfield Condors – 74
- San Diego Gulls – 66
- Henderson Silver Knights – 63
x = Clinched Playoff Position
y = Clinched Division
Who Won The 2025 Calder Cup Playoffs?
The Abbotsford Canucks won the finals of the 2025 Calder Cup playoffs against the Charlotte Checkers in six games. It’s the franchise’s first Calder Cup.
How To Watch AHL Hockey Live This Season
Fans can watch every AHL game live and on-demand on FloHockey from the preseason through to the last game of the Calder Cup finals.
When Do The Calder Cup Playoffs Start?
The last game of the 2025-26 AHL regular season is scheduled for Sunday, April 19. The Calder Cup playoffs typically begin a few days after the conclusion of the regular season.
NHL Prospect Coverage On FloHockey
The best, and most complete, coverage of the NHL minor league hockey and NHL Draft is found on FloHockey. Don’t miss the latest new prospect guides, rankings and more from Chris Peters and the FloHockey staff.
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