| | Who is the best player in the minor leagues?
Not the best prospect, but the best player. He probably has had one or more chances in the NHL, but has not been able to stick. And he's probably in his late 20s, and making decent money even on a minor-league deal.
And he is probably in the International Hockey League, which still has the best minor-league veterans, just as the American Hockey League has the best prospects.
|  | | Dionne played 190 regular-season games with the Canadiens. |
For instance, one scout was asked who the best player in the AHL was. His response: "I couldn't tell you. When I scout a game, I don't even see the older guys. All I see are the kids."
Scouts who see the two high-level minor leagues keep mentioning the same names, though, as the best. In the IHL: Gilbert Dionne of Cincinnati, Lonny Bohonos and Brett Hauer in Manitoba, Steve Maltais in Chicago and Brian Wiseman in Houston, with Manitoba's Mike Prokopec as sort of an unsung choice. Len Barrie, who started the year in Long Beach but is now with the Kings, was perhaps the IHL's best in the season's first few weeks.
Even though it's a prospect league, the AHL has several excellent veterans, such as Mark Greig in Philadelphia, Derek Armstrong in Hartford, Peter Ferraro in Providence, Pierre Sevigny in Quebec and quiet defenseman Dean Melanson, also in Philly.
Of that group, Bohonos may be the most talented, but his defensive commitment is inconsistent, and he is streaky. Dionne is very, very steady, and probably a better player from opening day through the playoffs. Scouts love Prokopec's combination of toughness and talent, but he is not a game-breaker. The same can be said of Armstrong, who never takes a shift off, and who gets a lot of ice time.
The unofficial result, then? It's close, the nod goes to Dionne of the Cincinnati Cyclones.
Notes from the AHL
Eastman Kodak has agreed to become the title sponsor for this season's All-Star Classic. It paid nearly $100,000 for the naming rights to the two-day event, which will be held at Rochester's Pepsi Arena on Jan. 16-17. Kodak is, of course, based in Rochester.
Louisville finished its monster road trip with a record of 9-6-0, including two straight losses at the end. The Panthers outscored the opposition, 61-51.
The Worcester Ice Cats had a name-game hat trick in a 6-3 victory over Providence. They got goals from Jame Pollock, Jamie Thompson and Jamey Hicks, all of those first names pronounced the same.
By mid-month, the Syracuse Crunch had lost its entire first line to callups by the parent Vancouver Canucks. Brad Leeb was the last to go. He had been preceded by Matt Cooke and rookie of the year candidate Harold Druken.
How are the three newest AHL cities doing at the gate? Wilkes-Barre was fourth in the league in attendance at 7,160 a game despite being in last place in the Empire Division. Louisville was seventh, averageing 5,779. The big disappointment is in Quebec, where the Citadelles are 17th of 19 teams at 3,752. The Colisee holds 15,399. Attendance there is only slightly better than it was last year in Fredericton, where it was 3,445 for the season, including some games played at the Molson Centre in Montreal.
Dennis Bonvie of Wilkes-Barre, known best as an enforcer, has been the team's leading scorer in the early going. Bonvie's first 17 points were all assists. He didn't score a goal until popping one home in overtime to beat Louisville, 6-5.
Notes from the IHL
The Michigan K-Wings got Derek Plante on loan from Dallas after he cleared waivers. Plante had played in 418 NHL games before dressing for the Wings and skating in his first minor-league game in seven years as a pro.
The Grand Rapids Griffins lost Michel Picard, one of the best snipers in the minors, when the Edmonton Oilers acquired his NHL rights from St. Louis. Picard's 90 goals are the Griffins' all-time best, and the team retains his minor-league rights.
The Orlando Solar Bears have won seven of nine shootouts so far. The seven shootout wins are one more than the number of goalies they've employed. The Solar Bears are 7-5-1 with Rick Tabaracci in net, 9-4-1 with the five others.
Around the minors
The UHL's Broome County Icemen had a 10-game winning streak snapped by Mohawk Valley, 6-1, on home ice on Dec. 10. B.C. bounced back the next night to win at Mohawk Valley, 2-1, in a shootout.
Jason Whidden of the ECHL's Arkansas team somehow got credit for a second-period goal at the 20:00 mark of a game in Baton Rouge on Dec. 11. That made the score 2-2, but Baton Rouge went on to win, 6-2.
Flint had a 4-0 lead over Fort Wayne in a UHL game, but the Komets came back to win, 5-4, in a shootout. Peter Sachl had two goals for Fort Wayne and Bruce Ramsay, not known as a scorer, got the shootout winner.
Bill Ballou covers professional hockey and baseball for the Worcester Telegram & Gazette. | |
ALSO SEE
The Minors: Ex-Olympian LeBlanc's career
The Minors: Campbell home to save career
The Minors: Tselios learned from Chelios
The Minors: Isles' Luongo worthy of pick
 |
