Ed. note: Magics Johnson, of Chairman Howe’s Glorious Army, debuts with this column about his passion for the AHL.  He’ll be writing for us on occasion. Keep in mind, his views do not necessarily reflect those of The Phoenix Pub (we’re sure Rochester is a lovely place). Enjoy!

When I tell people that I run a website, I am invariably asked, “Yeah? What’s your site about?” When I tell them that it is about the ups and downs of a minor league hockey team, they usually smile and feign just enough interest to seem polite then never ask anything more. You know what, though? Fuck ‘em; it’s their loss.

See, here’s the thing – very quietly, the American Hockey League has positioned itself into being the second best hockey league on the planet. With an alumni roster that includes the likes of Martin Brodeur, Jay Bouwmeester, Jason Spezza and virtually all of this year’s NHL All Star squads, the AHL has become the top developmental league in the world. Throw in a healthy number of grizzled NHL veteran types like Mike Keane (still going strong on the other side of 40), Darren McCarty and Claude Lemieux, and the result is a hockey league that has something for every taste. You like offense? Alexandre Giroux put in 61 goals for Hershey last year. You like young prospects? Brandon Sutter and Zach Bogosian spent time in the American League last season. You want to see the rough stuff? You go look up Jon Mirasty on YouTube and try to NOT be entertained. (more…)

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