Opening night NHL roster includes 596 AHL graduates | theahl.com

Springfield, MA. …As the National Hockey League heads into the 2025-26 season, the American Hockey League is proud 596 graduates Of the NHL’s 32 active opening day rosters, representing more than 82% of the NHL’s initial player pool, it begins its campaign.

As the new season begins, many notable AHL players from last year have made the jump to the NHL, including the 2025 AHL All-Stars Yaroslav Askarov (San Jose), Sam Colangelo (Anaheim), Devin Cooley (Calgary), Jeremy Davies (Las Vegas), Joakim Kemell (Nashville), Olle Lycksell (Ottawa), Logan Mailloux (St. Louis), Simon Nemec (New Jersey), Jani Nyman (Seattle) and Matt Savoie (Edmonton).

Six members of the 2025 Calder Cup champion Abbotsford Canucks will start in the NHL, including Arshdeep Bains,,,, Linus Karlsson,,,, Jonathan Lekkerimaki and aatu raty with parents Vancouver Canucks; Sammy Blais With Toronto Maple Leafs; and Jack Butterfield Trophy winner Arturs Silovs With the Pittsburgh Penguins.

21 of the NHL’s 32 head coaches are AHL bench bosses. Marco Sturm Taking over the Boston Bruins’ bench after three seasons of dominance in the AHL’s Ontario, Jeff Blashill Becoming the sixth active NHL head coach to win the Calder Cup, he started at the helm of the Chicago Blackhawks.

Among NHL stars developing skills in American Hockey League, dominant Vezina Trophy and Hart Trophy winners Connor Hellebuyck Winnipeg Jets; Art Rose Trophy Winners Nikita Kucherov Tampa Bay Lightning; three-time Stanley Cup champions Carter Verhaeghe Florida Panthers; and 2024-25 top-10 scorer Leon Draisaitl,,,, David Pastrnak and Kyle Connor. last season, There are 891 AHL alumni in total Played in the National Hockey League – 87.0% of all NHL players – included 330 Last year, he skated in two leagues.

Since 1936, the AHL has been the top developmental league for players, coaches, managers, executives, broadcasters and National Hockey League officials with its 32 teams. AHL’s 90th season begins on Friday, October 10th with every game live AHLTV on FloHockey.