Last year was unique for everyone, living through a pandemic.
The circumstances created as a result of COVID-19 also made for some pretty unique seasons in all sports leagues, due to the protocols and schedule adjustments put in place.
The AHL had one of the most unusual seasons in professional sports. Like other leagues, there was an abbreviated schedule, only running from early February to mid-May. And like the NHL, teams only played teams within their divisions. But, unlike most other leagues, the AHL announced at the start of last season that there would be no postseason, no Calder Cup awarded. The different divisions had the option to have their own mini-playoffs to decide the division champion, an option that was only taken by the Pacific Division.
It was a foreign concept to the players and staff, the idea of entering a season knowing that there would be no championship to compete for during the year. It was a year entirely focused on development.
With AHL teams opening training camp this week, teams are preparing for a competitive season once again. And for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, the Penguins are looking to return to the postseason for the first time since 2017-18.
"It's nice to have that carrot there at the end," coach J.D. Forrest told me Monday. "You're battling for something, you want a playoff spot."
Wilkes-Barre has only missed the playoffs three times in franchise history — the inaugural 1999-2000 season, the 2001-02 season, and in 2018-19. The AHL canceled the past two postseasons.
Over the offseason, the AHL announced a change in postseason format for 2021-22 that includes an expanded playoff field, giving Wilkes-Barre greater odds. In each division, all but two teams will qualify, creating a field of 23. For the Penguins, this means they must finish in the top six of the eight-team Atlantic Division, which also includes the Springfield Thunderbirds (Blues), Hartford Wolf Pack (Rangers), Hershey Bears (Capitals), Lehigh Valley Phantoms (Flyers), Charlotte Checkers (Panthers/Kraken), Bridgeport Islanders and Providence Bruins.
While players took strides in their development last season even amidst the weird season, Forrest thinks that the ability to compete for a championship again will just add to those strides.
"Winning is part of our development process," he said. "And we want our guys to realize the importance of that and to be in playoffs, play some meaningful games, some clutch situations, a little bit of a different type of pressure. That's important to a player's growth."
The hope is that the experienced gained from making a playoff run at the AHL level will also help the prospects do the same in Pittsburgh one day.
"Individually, these guys can experience it and improve so that when they eventually make the jump to Pittsburgh, they understand what it's like to play under these pressure situations," Forrest said. "Making the playoffs is a big part of that."
MORE FROM THE INTERVIEWS
• On Sunday, the Penguins announced that Forrest and assistant coach Kevin Porter were both signed to two-year contract extensions. They were both entering the last year of their contract, so the extension locks them in through 2023-24.
Forrest, 40, is entering his second year as Wilkes-Barre's head coach. Prior to being named head coach in Wilkes-Barre, Forrest served as an assistant coach for the team for four seasons.
"It's a good feeling, knowing that they have my back here and they liked what they saw from from our staff last year enough to to show some faith there and give us an extension," Forrest told me Monday. "It's always nice to have that and then have some more time to work with the players here. The guys have been here for a little bit, and then some of the new guys, so we're both we're both really excited. I've been in the Pittsburgh organization for some time now and I feel like I'm pretty spoiled being a part of it. To have another couple years added on definitely feel lucky."
Porter, 35, began his coaching career last season after retiring as a player following the 2019-20 season. He told me Monday that it was "a little bit surprising" to receive the extension after just one year behind the bench.
"It's nice to have that trust in myself and J.D., that confidence," he said. "I think it makes it a little bit easier to coach and do your job when you know that's not in your mind at all. So I'm really happy about and excited to have a couple more years."
For Porter, he spoke about feeling better entering this season. Given the circumstances of last year, the Wilkes-Barre coaching staff wasn't part of the training camp in Pittsburgh, or any in-person meetings with Mike Sullivan and the rest of Pittsburgh's staff before the season. Both Forrest and Porter were in Pittsburgh and coaching during training camp and participating in preseason meetings. For Porter, who played in Pittsburgh under Sullivan in the two Cup seasons, it was just an interesting experience being back in Pittsburgh in the new role.
"It was different," he said. "You see a different side of (Sullivan). He's different when he's just around the coaches compared to when he's just around the players, so it was cool to see that side of him. He's a smart coach, very intelligent, and just to learn his little details, some of the systems and stuff like that even with Todd Reirden and Mike Vellucci, it was really cool to be around those guys and learn, go through their daily activities and learn from them. So that was awesome."
• Wilkes-Barre is shaping up to have an especially competitive roster this year. There's a good amount of returning forwards, some interested AHL-contracted AHL additions at the position, and newcomers like Sam Poulin, Nathan Legare, Filip Hallander, and Valtteri Puustinen all expected to spend time in Wilkes-Barre this season. There are three capable goalies -- Louis Domingue, Filip Lindberg, and Alex D'Orio -- all expected to compete for playing time. The position battles are going to be interesting at defense especially, I think. Wilkes-Barre currently has five left-handed defensemen (not counting P.O Joseph) and four right-handed defensemen all on NHL or AHL contracts attending camp, in addition to a number of players on ECHL or tryout deals. There's a good mix of returning players like Cam Lee and Josh Maniscalco, veterans like Matt Bartkowski and Taylor Fedun, and young AHL-contracted additions with potential like Chris Merisier-Ortiz and Mitch Reinke.
"I think it's going to be a competitive position," Forrest said of the defense. "But it does mean for tough decisions for us, it makes for daily competition for our players. And all those are good problems to have. ... "It may very well be that we have some guys that spent some time here last year see ice time and Wheeling, and maybe not. We'll just see how it plays out and kind of let the competition speak for itself."
• Bartkowski is participating in camp after being released from his PTO with Pittsburgh and signing an AHL contract on Saturday.
"It's valuable to have that kind of veteran guy in the locker room that can help interpret sometimes with what the coaches are saying to some of the younger guys to help them deal with some things," Forrest said of Bartkowski. "If they're not comfortable coming to one of the coaching staff members, at least they have a peer that they know has been around and can trust and can help them help guide them through different situations."
• I thought Reinke, a 25-year-old right-handed defensemen who spent the last three years in the Blues' system, was a standout in the preseason game in Buffalo on Friday. He's made a good early impression on the coaching staff.
"He's pretty slick player," Forrest said. "He's got some ability as a defenseman and his power play reads have been really strong. So we're looking for some of that from him and to continue to improve. He still hasn't been in the league that long. We think he's got some upside, and we're looking forward to working with him. He seems like he competes really hard. He does a lot of things the right way. But we think he's got more in his game and we're hoping we can bring that out."
• Wilkes-Barre probably could have used an enforcer in some of the battles with Hershey and Lehigh Valley last season, and they addressed that need this summer. They brought back 30-year-old, 6-foot-5, 230-pound forward Jamie Devane on an AHL contract. Devane spent last year in the AHL with San Diego after playing for Wilkes-Barre in the 2019-20 season. Forrest was an assistant coach when Devane was last in Wilkes-Barre, and he's happy to have him back.
"He's a great guy, he was fantastic for us last time he was with us," Forrest said. "You know, he's another guy that is a strong voice in the locker room, and really helps the coaching staff. And then he gives our guys some confidence out there. He's always looking after his teammates."
• Wilkes-Barre made it through last year without a single in-season positive COVID case, just one instance in last year's training camp with a player who had come up from Wheeling. They're taking precautions in hopes to prevent any cases this season too. Every player on the roster is vaccinated, players and staff continue to be tested.
"We'll take direction from Pittsburgh and what they want, and how we test guys and then also if there's any adjustments on the American League side," Forrest said. "But from our standpoint, we're trying to be as safe as possible."
• Wilkes-Barre's penalty kill was one of the highlights of last season, finishing with an 82.1 percent success rate. Porter coached the penalty kill, and I asked him Monday why he thinks the penalty kill was clicking as well as it was.
"I think everyone was just on the same page," he said. "I think it was high-energy and we just worked hard. That was our kind of the keys for us, to work hard, high-energy, a lot of pressure on the puck, and doing the little things. Those guys did a great job last year, we're going to try and carry that over into this year."
• A couple of key forwards from that PK -- Jordy Bellerive and Jonathan Gruden -- are back in the fold for Wilkes-Barre this season. I asked Porter, who also coaches the forwards, for his thoughts on each player's season last year and what steps they need to take this season in order to get an opportunity in the NHL.
On Bellerive: "He's one of those guys you want to have on your team. He's the best out there. He plays hard. He finishes every check. He's got some good offensive skill. We need to work on his faceoffs a little bit, we were last year, I think he definitely improved on that. And then just some D-zone coverage stuff. The guys in the NHL are highly skilled and make plays, and you need to be able to adapt to what's going on in the D-zone. So I really like his game. He's a great kid. And he just works real hard, has some skill and grit. He has that whole package."
On Gruden: "He was good for us last year, he's a very intelligent player, knows where to be. He needs to get a step quicker, I think. But he's smart. He usually makes the right play. He doesn't try to do too much. He's not too fancy. But I think if he's gonna play in the NHL, that's what he needs to do is keep it simple. Play hard, finish checks, get his feet moving. So I'm excited for him this year. I think it's a big year for him."
• Of the young forwards who will be new to Wilkes-Barre, Valtteri Puustinen is the most notable of the group already in Wilkes-Barre for camp. Porter expects him to play a big role on the team this year.
"He's got a lot of skill, and he's got a great shot," Porter said. "I think he's going to be a big part of our team and a big part of our power play. He's also intelligent, he makes great plays, gifted offensively. It'll be exciting to watch him as well."
• I have a full story on Lee here. But in terms of the real important news with Lee, he said that he's going to continue to grow his long hair out during the season.
"Yeah," he laughed. "I'm probably gonna grow it out and see what happens."
