Heat fall prey to young Canucks
The Abbotsford Entertainment and Sports Center (AESC) was buzzing with media and fans of the Canucks hoping to catch a glimpse of the talent of the future. For the Abbotsford Heat, on the other hand, it was the perfect chance to showcase to those who would normally never attend a Heat game just how entertaining the Heat games can be. The Heat have averaged 3314 in attendance this year, while the Wolves brought in well over 5000 on both nights. Unfortunately for the Heat organization, the plan to show an extra 2000 people just what the Heat are all about was undermined by two lackluster games.
Canuck prospects light up Abbotsford
AHL hockey, at times, seems startlingly close to NHL calibre, and that was the case in a two-games-in-two-nights doubleheader between the Abbotsford Heat and the Chicago Wolves.
Heat Report: Record-setting team on pace for most successful season
Last year the Heat finished dead last in the league, recording a dismal record of 38-32-4-6, recording only 186 goals for. This year has been a very different story – 35 games in, the Heat have a record of 22-10-3-0 and are on pace to record 216 goals for. The result is that the Heat are sitting just three points out of first place in the league, poised to make their first ever appearance in the playoffs.
Heat Report: Fresh blood and more victories
Following a three-game losing streak, the Abbotsford Heat found their stride last weekend against the Chicago Wolves and the Rockford IceHogs, managing to come away with three victories on three consecutive nights.
Heat Report: Winning continues despite troubling legal questions off the ice
While the Heat have been solid on the ice away from home, trouble looms back in Abbotsford – not on the ice, but off. Just days prior to the municipal election, Vince Dimanno, then candidate for city councilor, released a legal opinion which claimed that the contract between the Abbotsford Heat and the City of Abbotsford is illegal.
Heat Report: Brodie and Byron to Flames
The Heat will return to Abbotsford on November 25. Unfortunately for the Heat, however, they will be returning home short of a few players they departed with. The Calgary Flames, with whom the Heat are affiliated, called up defenceman TJ Brodie, arguably one of the best on the team, and forward Paul Byron, who the Flames hope that he will add some spark to their lineup.
Heat Report: Secondary scoring shortfall
The Abbotsford Heat came out of a weekend series against the Oklahoma City Barons with a single point out of a possible four.
Heat Report: Goals and goalie fights
Kolanos, acquired in over the summer on a professional try-out, played his first game as a member of the Heat and made his presence known, notching a hat-trick and one assist in the 5-1 victory over the Grand Rapids Griffins.
Heat Report: Abbotsford splits two game series against Milwaukee Admirals
The Abbotsford Heat split a two-game weekend series against the Milwaukee Admirals, improving their record to 4-2-0.
Heat Report: New-look team opens season with 3-1 record
The Heat have found their scoring touch, scoring four goals in front of their opening night crowd last weekend.
Heat return for home opener undefeated
The Abbotsford Heat opened up the season on the road last weekend, facing the Lake Erie Monsters on both Friday and Saturday night. Special teams proved to be the difference maker, as all three of the Heat’s goals over the weekend came on the power play.
Heat Report: Ice Ice, Baby
The Abbotsford Entertainment and Sports Centre (AESC) got a whole lot greener this summer. Through an initiative including numerous contractors, the Abbotsford Heat and the AESC, the Heat will be playing on an ice surface made entirely of rainwater. The new rainwater collection and purification system was designed, built and installed over the summer, and will save up to 830,000 litres of water each season. The system will save taxpayers approximately $3,000 per year, and will pay for itself in just over eight years.
Heat Report: Players begin to return from Calgary training camp
Most members of the Heat roster, if not all, wish they could be playing hockey on a bigger stage, yet they’ve been assigned to Abbotsford. While this news is discouraging for young players, head coach Troy Ward of the Abbotsford Heat has encouraged his players to keep their chin up.
An exclusive interview with Ryan Walter: President and CEO of the Abbotsford Heat
“We have great young players, and I think the thing that we’re trying to always say to Abbotsford and footprint is that this is not Calgary’s team, this is the Heat’s team. This is your team.”
Heat Report: Prospects Camp
Its exam time for the Abbotsford Heat. Thirty players are taking part in the week-long event: three goalies, nine defencemen and 18 forwards. Players began off the ice with fitness testing at the Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary on Friday. Following an on-ice session in Calgary on Saturday morning, the festivities moved to the Okanogan for the Young Stars Tournament, which runs September 11th – 14th. The tournament will see the prospects face off against the rookies of the Vancouver Canucks and the Edmonton Oilers.
Heat Report: August
This off-season, the Heat have taken on Ryan Walter as the new club president and re-signed two key players in forward Quintin Laing and defender Joe Piskula.
The Heat Report: Fight to the finish
Last weekend the Abbotsford Heat won two major games against Grand Rapids in an effort to keep their playoff hopes alive. The two victories allowed them to leap-frog over Toronto, seating Abbotsford four points back of the final playoff spot, with a game in hand. With just a handful of games remaining, it is yet to be determined whether the Heat will see some spring hockey. While a playoff berth is a long shot, the Heat are still in the fight.
Heat Report: Eye on the prize
Spring is in the air, and that means two things: warmer weather and the push for the playoffs. The Abbotsford Heat is right in the thick of it. With just a handful of games remaining and an extremely tight Westerm Division, there is sure to be a fight to the end.
The Heat Report
It seems to be a similar trend every week to talk about the tight playoff race in the North Division, but that’s been the story all year. The Abbotsford Heat, the Hamilton Bulldogs, the Manitoba Moose, the Toronto Marlies, and the Lake Erie Monsters have been battling for playoff positioning for the majority of the season, and it looks like it’s going to go down to the final games of the season before we are going to see which of these teams get into the playoffs.
The Heat Report
After the Abbotsford Heat dropped two games in a row to the Oklahoma City Barons last weekend, the Providence Bruins were in town for a two game set. The Bruins are one of the older clubs in the AHL and recently participated in the AHL’s version of the Winter Classic against the Connecticut Wale in sub-zero temperatures in Connecticut at Rentschler Field. The Bruins also have Zach Hamill, a local boy that used to play in the WHL for the Everett Silvertips. He got his first game in the NHL last year and has played three games in the show for Boston this year, accumulating two NHL points. He has also played some of his best hockey with the Providence Bruins these last two years and could make a permanent jump into the NHL as early as next season. Boston Bruins General manager Peter Chiarelli was in the press box for this contest to check on his prospects while the Boston Bruins were staying in Vancouver for four days awaiting their Saturday night contest with the Canucks.
The Heat Report: Kotalik crucial in tight playoff race
As the race for a playoff spot in the North division gets tighter and tighter, the Heat got a really big boost offensively two weeks ago when ten year NHL veteran Ales Kotalik was sent down to Abbotsford after clearing waivers. Kotalik has played for the Buffalo Sabers, New York Rangers, and the Calgary Flames, and now he has returned to the league that his career started in to try to bounce back. Most of the reason he is even in the AHL is because of his large contract, which was hitting Calgary’s salary cap.
The Heat Report
With the need for young blood in Calgary to keep their glimmer of a playoff chance alive, Lance Bouma has been called up to the show from the Abbotsford Heat. Lance Bouma is from the Alberta area and is a favourite of Brent Sutter. He is a great two way player and has had a very modest season with the Heat, putting up 11 goals, 19 assists, and 49 penalty minutes in 49 games so far this season. The former Vancouver Giant will take the spot of the freshly retired Craig Conroy.
The Heat Report
Despite almost three packed houses during this home stretch, one that didn’t include the Manitoba Moose (the third game being the Sunday afternoon game broadcasted on CBC), the Abbotsford Heat ended their 10 game home stand with barely a .500 record, taking only 10 of a possible 20 points. After the last home game against the Peoria Rivermen, coach Jim Playfair had this to say about his team’s play during their home stand: “Obviously I think we should have garnered more points, but I think when I break it down, I do it a little differently than you guys and I do it in segments, and right now, in the fifth segment of our season and we are 3-0-1.” Coach Playfair went on to stress about the importance of the upcoming 10 game road trip and the upcoming series with divisional rivals, the Manitoba Moose. “I think the biggest thing right now is focusing on Manitoba this Friday.” The Manitoba Moose were in town just a few weeks ago with half the barn packed with Vancouver Canucks fans cheering on their prospects, a series in which the Moose swept the Abbotsford Heat.
Heat Report
After coming away with one of a possible four points in a disappointing series with their rivals, the Manitoba Moose, the Heat went right back at it three nights later for a series with the Adirondack Phantoms. The Heat bounced back after their two losses to the Moose with a 3-2 shootout win over the Philadelphia Flyers farm club. Michael Leighton was in net for the Phantoms for this game; as you may recall Leighton was in net for the Philadelphia Flyers while they were in the Stanley Cup finals against the Chicago Blackhawks last year. Leighton signed a decent sized contract with the Flyers but was sent down to the minors to play with the Phantoms. The game of musical goalies continues in Philadelphia, and yet the Flyers seem to continue to stay on top of their conference and keep winning games despite who is in net for them.
