The AHL, a driving force for the NHL

MONTREAL -- Michael Pezzetta's ceremonial rookie lap versus the Red Wings on November 2, 2021, marked the beginning of the next chapter in his professional career.

SHOP: Rocket tricolor tuque
But it was far from the first time Pezzetta took the ice alone.
Seeing him fly around with his glorious mane in tow was a familiar sight.
Those who covered the Laval Rocket will note that Pezzetta was always the first player on the ice, usually showing up 10 or 15 minutes prior to the start of practice.
He worked incredibly hard, listening closely to instructions, and following through by applying those lessons when the whistle sounded and the drills began.
But that wasn't enough to secure an increase in ice time.
In fact, his role and ice time diminished throughout his first three years in Laval.
Pezzetta acknowledged it was a difficult trajectory.
At times, he felt like his efforts were simply not enough, as evidenced by long streaks of sitting in the press box as a healthy scratch.
Such is life as a late draft pick.
Not every player will make it to the NHL, but once in a while, the stars align.
It takes hard work, a relentless work ethic, and a little bit of luck, otherwise known as an opportunity.
"I made it here the hard way," said Pezzetta in the second episode of Next Man Up, following his call-up. "I never had a day where I could just show up and take the day off. Every single day, I had to show up and work. I had to earn my spot or else I wasn't going to have a spot. There were a lot of people that doubted me and didn't think I could do it. So, I'm just happy that I was able to stay sharp, keep my mindset in the right place, and be able to make it here."

And although the time he spent in the AHL paid off in spades, Pezzetta knows the hard work isn't over just because he plays for the Montreal Canadiens.
It's never over.
"It's the same thing," said Pezzetta. "Work hard every single day to stay here, right? It never changes. So, it should be fun."
It's a familiar refrain from recently called up players, but it holds true. Pezzetta is but one of the many examples of what it takes to make the jump to the NHL from the AHL.
Fortunately, the AHL is the perfect place to learn, the perfect place to make mistakes, and the perfect place to evolve as a player.
"The biggest advantage [in the AHL] is more ice time," said Jean-Francois Houle in Next Man Up. "There's also a big difference in practice time compared to the NHL, not to mention the time allotted before and after practice."
The Laval Rocket head coach is referencing the incredible workload involved in being an NHL coach. Given the travel schedule, media requirements and other various responsibilities, there's very little time to sit down with players and come up with a development plan.
That's where the American Hockey League comes into play.
Houle has his fair share of duties to tend to. After all, being an AHL coach is akin to working on a never-ending puzzle that constantly shapeshifts and is missing several pieces. But there is a little more time to come up with personalized game plans for every individual on the roster.
There's a lot more ice time to go around.
And there's a lot less pressure.
Take Ryan Poehling as the perfect example of the value of spending time in that league.
Over the years, he not only improved his individual skills, but also learned to play within the confines of his role on the team. His maturity improved, par for the course for any young adult, and eventually had the confidence to use the lessons learned in the AHL to solidify his position on the Canadiens roster this season.

Simply put, he gained a lot of confidence throughout his tenure in the AHL.
"I think I feel better mentally," said Poehling during a press conference. "It's just knowing that I have to have confidence in myself. I think that's the biggest thing. Knowing that, hey, if you screw up, stuff can happen, you just gotta work hard and in the worst-case scenario, you get back to Laval where you love. So, that's kind of helped me."
The leadership from AHL veterans like Rocket captain Xavier Ouellet and Alex Belzile has been one of the biggest positive influences on younger guys.
Their role is to reassure players like Pezzetta and Poehling when the going gets rough, while maintaining a level of play that places them among the best players in the League.
In reality, it's a double-edged sword. The more they help younger players, the lower their odds of being the next man up become, but neither have ever expressed any envy. It's simply not conducive to being a professional athlete.
Corey Schueneman, who was called up by the Habs for the first time on December 3, 2021, explains it best.
"I think we're always happy for whoever it is, you know," he said. "But at the same time, it's motivation because... it's them, and it's not you. So, obviously, you're always trying to be that person, you're always trying to be that one that's called up. Obviously, it's not always going to be you. We're happy for them, but at the same time, we're right back to it. We're trying to get better so that the next time it can be us."
It takes teamwork, selflessness, a good work ethic, and the ability to take advantage of every opportunity you get to succeed in the AHL, and for the lucky few, eventually, the NHL.
Next Man Up is available on YouTube and HabsTV.