Goaltender Curtis McElhinney and coach Brad Larsen are just two of several Falcons who could be in line for awards. The various winners will be announced within the next two weeks.
Falcons goaltender Curtis McElhinney, center, is a candidate for the Les Cunningham Award, which goes to the AHL's regular-season most valuable player.
By GARRY BROWN
SPRINGFIELD – As the Springfield Falcons head into the final two weeks of their regular season, some of them could be in line for awards.
Goaltender Curtis McElhinney is a candidate for the Les Cunningham Award, which goes to the regular-season most valuable player.
Springfield’s first-year coach, Brad Larsen, should get due consideration for the Lou Pieri Award, which goes to the AHL’s coach of the year.
Ryan Craig, the Springfield club’s captain, is among the candidates for the Fred Hunt Award, which goes to the AHL player who best exemplifies sportsmanship, determination and dedication to hockey. Craig, a 10-year pro in his second tour with the Falcons, has played every game this season for Springfield.
Defenseman Nick Holden should come under consideration as a candidate for the Eddie Shore Award, which goes to the league’s top defenseman. Holden has been a rock on the Springfield back line, and over the last month has boosted his goals and points output. In Saturday’s 7-1 win at Worcester, he had four assists.
With 63 points, Springfield winger Jonathan Audy-Marchessault has a shot at the scoring title. He now trails former Falcons player Jeff Taffe of Hershey by a point. Another ex-Falcon, Chad Kolarik of Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, also has 63 points. Audy-Marchessault also is a prime candidate for the league’s All-Star team.
Players, coaches and members of the news media take part in AHL awards voting, which came to a close Monday. Jason Chaimovitch, the AHL’s vice president of communications, said the various award winners will be announced before the end of the regular season.
McElhinney’s competition in the MVP balloting will include three other goaltenders – Niklas Svedberg of Providence, Jeff Zatkoff of Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and Dave Reggio of Rochester.
Svedberg, also a candidate for rookie of the year honors, went 20-1-1 from Jan. 4 to March 29, propelling the P-Bruins into the race for best record in the Eastern Conference.
McElhinney’s candidacy stems from his solid play across the entire season. With him as the bulwark in goal, the Falcons grabbed the Northeast Division lead on Oct. 26 and never let it go. They clinched the division title Sunday.
“Curtis has been a rock for us all year. He has nine shutouts, and he makes his teammates better and they play with confidence. He certainly is an MVP candidate, and if he gets the award, it would be well deserved,” Larsen said.
“Sure, it would be nice to win, and I’d be honored, but we have more pressing matters before us right now,” McElhinney said.
Those pressing matters include trying to finish first in the Eastern Conference, which would guarantee home-ice advantage in the playoffs. The Falcons are now in a three-way race with Providence and Syracuse for that top spot. The Falcons have two more games with Providence, Saturday at home and Friday, April 19, at Providence.
“From a personal standpoint, I’ve enjoyed this season tremendously,” McElhinney said. “I’ve had the opportunity to play a lot of games for a good team, and it’s been almost surreal, considering what I went through last year (a season-ending injury in January).”
ICE CHIPS: Falcons players will meet fans and sign autographs at Sarat Ford Lincoln, 245 Springfield St. in Agawam, on Tuesday from 6-7 p.m ... The Teddy Oke Trophy, which the Falcons won as Northeast Division champions, is named for one of the founders of the AHL, which started in the fall of 1936 ... With 28 victories, McElhinney has a shot at Scott Langkow’s franchise record of 30 ... The Falcons figure to beat the franchise record for least goals-against, 215. With six games left, they have allowed 169 ... Recent acquisitions helped the Falcons over the weekend. Forwards Sean Collins and Spencer Machacek each had five points, and defenseman Blake Parlett had a goal and an assist ... The Falcons announced that forward Michael Chaput has been recalled on an emergency basis by their NHL affiliate, the Columbus Blue Jackets. Chaput leads Springfield first-year skaters this season with 28 points in 67 games.
Garry Brown can be reached at geeman1918@yahoo.com