Patrick WilliamsTheAHL.com Features Writer
Even in good times, AHL teams face one challenge after another.
Take the Manitoba Moose, who have bounced back from a 1-4-1-0 start to firmly place themselves in contention for the Central Division. Their winning streak extended to six games with a 3-2 victory over Chicago on Saturday afternoon.
‘As we move forward, we’re figuring things out,’ Moose goaltender Thomas Millidge said earlier this week.
But now the Moose have more to figure out, and Friday’s news has the hockey world buzzing. winnipeg jets star goaltender Connor HellebackThe three-time Vezina Award winner and reigning NHL MVP will miss four to six weeks following arthroscopic knee surgery. The Jets recalled Millich from Friday, who was in the starting lineup that night in Winnipeg’s 4-3 loss to Carolina. Eric Comrie.
Milic was an early developmental success story for the Jets, and now the third-year pro could be making his NHL debut soon.
Milic was undrafted twice in the NHL draft before having a standout season with Seattle in the Western Hockey League and being drafted by Winnipeg in the fifth round in 2023. He compiled a 27-3-1 record in the Western Hockey League with a 2.08 goals-against average, 0.932 save percentage and won the league’s top goaltender award. He was also the WHL playoff MVP and led Canada to a gold medal at the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship.
But the label may be difficult to shake off, at least initially, as Milic is a medium-sized goaltender at 6-feet, 175 pounds.
The AHL often proved to be a dramatic step up in competition for young goaltenders, so Millic ended up splitting his first two pro seasons between the Moose and Norfolk Admirals (their ECHL affiliate). While he struggled against a non-playoff team in the Moose in 2024-25, he did prove he’s more than capable of handling the ECHL. He played 18 games for Norfolk, compiling an 11-5-2 record, a 1.82 GAA and a .935 save percentage.
Now has the opportunity to handle a regular AHL workload with the Moose, working with other youngsters Domenico DiVincentisMilic, 22, has conceded two goals or fewer in five of his past six games. It has a record of 5-2-2, a GAA of 2.14, and a save percentage of .921.
Milic’s departure opens up more opportunities for DiVincentis, who appeared in 28 games with the Moose as a rookie in 2024-25 and posted a .906 save percentage. it allows return to the AHL Isaac Poulteris a Winnipeg native who signed with his hometown team after three seasons with the Utica Comets. Poulter started the season with Norfolk.
After a rough start, Manitoba is just five points behind Central Division first-place (and league-leading) Grand Rapids. Belleville will continue their six-game homestand when they visit the Canadian Life Center on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Now comes the next set of obstacles.
About two decades in the American Hockey League, TheAHL.com feature writer Patrick Williams also currently covers the league for NHL.com and FloSports and is a regular contributor to SiriusXM NHL Network Radio. In 2016, he received the AHL’s James H. Ellery Memorial Award for outstanding coverage of the league.
