Eight teams remain in the Calder Cup Playoffs, which decide the championship of the American Hockey League.
Hershey (Washington Capitals), one of those eight, has won back-to-back Calder Cup crowns and is bidding to become the first to win three straight Calder Cup titles since Springfield in 1960-62.
However, that attempt will face a difficult road, with the other seven playoff teams finishing either first or second in their respective divisions.
Hershey will face Charlotte (Florida Panthers) in the best-of-5 Atlantic Division Finals. In the other Eastern Conference matchup, Laval (Montreal Canadiens) and Rochester (Buffalo Sabres) meet in the North Division Finals. The Central Division Finals will feature Milwaukee (Nashville Predators) and Texas (Dallas Stars), with Abbotsford (Vancouver Canucks) and Colorado (Colorado Avalanche) meeting in the Pacific Division Finals.
Here is a look at some of a deep pool of outstanding NHL prospects who will continue to compete for the Calder Cup.
Michael Benning, Charlotte
After three standout seasons at the University of Denver, the defenseman in his second pro season with Charlotte.
The 23-year-old, selected by the Panthers in the fourth round (No. 95) of the 2020 NHL Draft, is the son of longtime NHL defenseman Brian Benning, as well as the younger brother of defenseman Matt Benning, who is in the Toronto Maple Leafs organization.
Benning had 32 points (nine goals, 23 assists) in 54 regular-season games and and has three points (one goal, two assists) in five playoff games. Charlotte eliminated Providence (Boston Bruins) in five games in the best-of-5 Atlantic Division Semifinals; Game 1 against Hershey is Friday.
Devon Levi, Rochester
Laval has veteran Cayden Primeau and rookie Jacob Fowler as its goalies, but Rochester has a strong foil.
The 23-year-old had back-to-back shutouts as Rochester swept Syracuse (Tampa Bay Lightning) in the best-of-5 North Division Semifinals. The 23-year-old’s shutout streak ended at 166:35 during a series-opening 5-4 loss to Laval in Game 1 of the North Division Finals on Wednesday. He had seven shutouts during the regular season to go along with a 25-13-4 record, 2.20 goals-against average and .919 save percentage in 42 games.
Through four playoff games, he’s 3-1 with a 1.76 GAA and .944 save percentage. Chosen by Florida in the seventh round (No. 212) of the 2020 draft, Buffalo acquired him along with a first-round pick in the 2022 NHL Draft for forward Sam Reinhart on July 24, 2021.
Ivan Miroshnichenko, Hershey
The Russia-born forward is attempting to win his second Calder Cup championship by age 21. Selected by the Capitals with the No. 20 pick in the 2022 draft, he played a feisty, engaged game as Hershey eliminated Lehigh Valley (Philadelphia Flyers) in the best-of-5 Atlantic Division Semifinals and has three points (two goals, one assist) in five games.
He led Hershey with 23 goals during the regular season and was third with 42 points (19 assists) in 53 games. He also had four points (one goal, three assists) in 18 games with the Capitals. Game 1 against Charlotte is Friday.
Oliver Kapanen, Laval
The 21-year-old is getting a spring audition with Laval after splitting time with the Canadiens and Timra IK of the Swedish Hockey League.
That audition got off to a rousing start Wednesday, when Kapanen scored the winning goal in a 5-4 victory at Rochester in Game 1 of the North Division Finals. Kapanen also added an assist in the game to give him two points in three AHL playoff games.
The forward, taken by Montreal in the second round (No. 64) of the 2021 NHL Draft and started this season with the Canadiens before being loaned to Timra on Nov. 5. He had 35 points (15 goals, 20 assists) in 36 SHL games and three points (two goals, one assist) in six SHL playoff games. He returned to the Canadiens on April 1 and finished his NHL regular season with two assists in 18 games.
Kapanen had one assist in three games in the Eastern Conference First Round against the Capitals. The Canadiens assigned him to Laval on May 3 and he played two games as Laval eliminated Cleveland (Columbus Blue Jackets) in the best-of-5 North Division Semifinals.
Fedor Svechkov, Milwaukee
Milwaukee is still playing in large part because of Svechkov, a 22-year-old forward who returned to the team from Nashville in time for the Calder Cup Playoffs.
Selected by the Predators with the No. 19 pick in the 2021 draft, he had 17 points (eight goals, nine assists) in 52 games with Nashville, along with 12 points (five goals, seven assists) in 13 games with Milwaukee.
Milwaukee won three elimination games against Rockford in the best-of-5 Central Division Semifinals, and Svechkov had five points (three goals, two assists). Two of those goals, including the overtime winner, came in Game 5 to eliminate Rockford. Milwaukee visits Texas in Game 1 on Thursday.
