Flames, Red Wings Affiliates Lead AHL At Halfway Point

The Calgary Flames and Detroit Red Wings' affiliates are leading the AHL at the league's halfway point.

Jacob Punturi | Jan 2, 2025

Firebirds compete against the Wranglers during the second period at Acrisure Arena in Palm Desert, Calif., on Sunday, December 15, 2024. / Taya Gray/The Desert Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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The Calgary Flames and Detroit Red Wings are enjoying varying degrees of success at the NHL level, but both of their affiliates are excelling in the American Hockey League. The Flames' affiliate, the Calgary Wranglers, and the Red Wings', the Grand Rapid Griffins, are the top two teams in the AHL as their season reaches its halfway point. Let's dive into what's making these teams so successful midway through the campaign.

Calgary Wranglers

The Wranglers lead the entire AHL standings through their first 32 games. With a 22-9-1 record, they have a comfortable lead in their division and have a firm hold of a playoff spot as 2025 begins.

Leading their offensive attack is 22-year-old forward Rory Kerins. The Flames selected Kerins in the sixth-round of the 2020 NHL Draft, and after a few years of development he's taken a sizeable leap forward this season. Through his first 32 games, he has 21 goals and 13 assists for 34 points, surpassing his entire production from 2023-2024. His output is second in the AHL scoring race.

The team is also getting a boost from two key youngsters. 2021 second-round pick William Stromgren has taken a clear next step in his progression, with eight goals and 15 assists for 23 points in 31 games.

Meanwhile 2023 first-round selection Sam Honzek is settling in perfectly fine in his first full professional season. He has five goals and 13 points in 22 games, which may not stand out, but as a 20 year-old winger he's playing extremely well.

Grand Rapid Griffins

The Griffins are another top team yet again in the AHL. The leader of the Central Division, they have a 19-9-3 record. It's a well balanced group, filled with veteran AHL'ers as well as some of the top young players in the Red Wings organization.

The bedrock of the Griffins this season is goaltender Sebastian Cossa. The 2021 first-round pick has been plying his trade in Grand Rapids waiting for a full-time chance with Detroit. Coming off a 40-start season last year, he's stepped up his game again in his second full professional season. He has a record of 10-5-3 with a 2.31 goals against average and a save percentage of .919%.

The top of their scoring leaders is riddled with veteran professional players like Austin Watson, Joe Snively, and Dominik Shine. It's significantly helped players like Nate Danielson find their way in the AHL.

Danielson is a player the Red Wings have extremely high hopes for, and he's working through his first professional season in Grand Rapids. Through 31 games, he has three goals, but also has 16 assists for 19 points. The 20-year-old center is leading the team's rookies in scoring, and he's improving every week as the season progresses.

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Published Jan 2, 2025

JACOB PUNTURI