Eleven OHL alumni competing in 2024 Calder Cup FinalA total of 31 CHL alumni are competing in the 2024 Calder Cup Final that got underway on Friday, with the Coachella Valley Firebirds (Seattle Kraken) skating to a 4-3 win over the defending champion Hershey Bears (Washington Capitals) in Game 1.
The series is a rematch of last year’s final where the Bears won Game 7 3-2 in overtime to claim a 12th AHL championship.
In the Eastern Conference Final, Hershey defeated Cleveland 3-2 in Game 7 thanks to Garret Roe’s winner. On the other side, Coachella Valley needed five games to eliminate Milwaukee.
Former Chicoutimi and Acadie-Bathurst star Hendrix Lapierre is tied first in AHL postseason scoring with 15 points while the Firebirds’ Chris Driedger – who suited up with Tri-City and Calgary during his WHL career – leads the league with a .927 save percentage.
In total, 15 players previously played in the WHL, 11 in the OHL and six in the QMJHL. Coachella Valley’s Ian McKinnon suited up in both the OHL and QMJHL during his CHL career.
The Bears’ 53 wins led all AHL clubs in the regular season while the Firebirds’ 46 victories were the second most in the Western Conference.
Hershey Bears CHL alumni (15):
Garin Bjorklund (Medicine Hat – WHL)Andrew Cristall (Kelowna – WHL)Pierrick Dube (Quebec/Chicoutimi/Shawinigan – QMJHL)Ryan Hofer (Everett/Kamloops – WHL)Jimmy Huntington (Acadie-Bathurst/Victoriaville/Rimouski – QMJHL)Vincent Iorio (Brandon – WHL)Lucas Johansen (Kelowna – WHL)Hendrix Lapierre (Chicoutimi/Acadie-Bathurst – QMJHL)Dylan McIlrath (Moose Jaw – WHL)Dmitry Osipov (Vancouver/Brandon – WHL)Matthew Phillips (Victoria – WHL)Henry Rybinski (Medicine Hat/Seattle – WHL)Matthew Strome (Hamilton – OHL)Riley Sutter (Everett – WHL)Alexander Suzdalev (Regina/Saskatoon – WHL)
Coachella Valley CHL alumni (16):
Connor Carrick (Plymouth – OHL)Chris Driedger (Tri-City/Calgary – WHL)Ryker Evans (Regina – WHL)Cale Fleury (Kootenay/Regina – WHL)David Goyette (Sudbury – OHL)Luke Henman (Blainville-Boisbriand – QMJHL)Kole Lind (Kelowna – WHL)Ian McKinnon (Peterborough/London/Mississauga · OHL / Charlottetown – QMJHL)Jacob Melanson (Quebec/Acadie-Bathurst/Sherbrooke – QMJHL)Logan Morrison (Hamilton/Ottawa – OHL)Ty Nelson (North Bay/OHL)Ville Ottavainen (Kitchener – OHL)Tucker Robertson (Peterborough – OHL)Marian Studenic (Hamilton – OHL)Ryan Winterton (Hamilton/London – OHL)Shane Wright (Kingston/Windsor – OHL)
