The American Hockey League is getting ready for another season, and the preseason schedule is set to provide plenty of opportunities for teams to evaluate their rosters before the games begin to count.
From Friday, September 25 through Tuesday, September 29, AHL clubs will be taking the ice across North America, with several teams playing multiple games over the weekend.
Friday, September 25
The preseason gets underway Friday with five games on the schedule.
The Manitoba Moose will face the Iowa Wild at 2:00 p.m. CDT in Saint Paul, Minnesota.
Later in the evening, the Providence Bruins will visit the Springfield Thunderbirds at 7:05 p.m. EDT, while the Lehigh Valley Phantoms travel to face the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, also at 7:05 p.m. EDT.
Out west, the San Jose Barracuda will take on the Bakersfield Condors at 6:30 p.m. PDT, while the San Diego Gulls visit the Ontario Reign at 7:00 p.m. PDT.
Friday should give fans their first look at how several organizations are shaping their rosters heading into the regular season.
Saturday, September 26
Saturday brings one of the busiest days of the preseason, with nine games scheduled.
The Cleveland Monsters and Grand Rapids Griffins will meet in Toledo, Ohio, at 1:00 p.m. EDT.
The Manitoba Moose and Iowa Wild will meet again at 2:00 p.m. CDT in Saint Paul.
Other Saturday matchups include the Rockford IceHogs visiting the Milwaukee Admirals, the Colorado Eagles taking on the Texas Stars, and the Hershey Bears traveling to face the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.
The Springfield Thunderbirds will visit Providence, while the Toronto Marlies face the Rochester Americans at 7:30 p.m. EDT in Buffalo, New York.
The day also features a rematch between the Bakersfield Condors and San Jose Barracuda, while the Henderson Silver Knights travel to Tucson to take on the Roadrunners.
With so many games packed into one day, Saturday could be an important opportunity for prospects and players fighting for roster spots to make an impression.
Sunday, September 27
Sunday continues the preseason action with seven games.
The Grand Rapids Griffins will face the Cleveland Monsters at 3:00 p.m. EDT, while the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins visit the Hershey Bears.
The Toronto Marlies will make their way to Hamilton for a matchup against the Hamilton Hammers at 4:00 p.m. EDT.
Out west, the Henderson Silver Knights will face the Colorado Eagles in Tucson, while the Ontario Reign travel to take on the Coachella Valley Firebirds.
The Calgary Wranglers will visit the Abbotsford Canucks, and the Texas Stars will face the Tucson Roadrunners.
Monday, September 28
The schedule becomes lighter Monday, with two games on tap.
The Milwaukee Admirals will travel to Rockford for an 11:00 a.m. CDT matchup against the IceHogs.
Meanwhile, the Calgary Wranglers will once again face the Abbotsford Canucks, this time in Abbotsford at 1:00 p.m. PDT.
For teams playing on consecutive days, Monday could be a valuable test of depth as coaches continue evaluating their players.
Tuesday, September 29
The preseason schedule wraps up Tuesday with one game.
The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins will visit the Lehigh Valley Phantoms at 7:05 p.m. EDT.
That game will give both organizations one final opportunity to evaluate their rosters before turning their attention toward the regular season.
A Crucial Week for Prospects and Roster Battles
While preseason results ultimately don’t count toward the regular-season standings, these games can be extremely important for players trying to earn a spot on an AHL roster.
Young prospects will be looking to show they can compete at the professional level, veterans will be fighting for roster positions, and coaches will be evaluating line combinations, defensive pairings and goaltending situations.
For fans, it is also the first real opportunity to see what their teams could look like when the regular season arrives.
Five days, dozens of games and countless roster decisions — the AHL preseason is officially ready to begin.
