AHL notebook: Olympic representation, Grand Rapids domination lead storylines

As the American Hockey League approaches the midpoint of its 90th anniversary season, NHL.com has a bi-weekly notebook breaking down the happenings around the league. This edition examines a record-breaking start for Grand Rapids (Detroit Red Wings), several AHL players being chosen to compete at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026, Edmonton Oilers forward prospect Isaac Howard, and more.

Olympic fever

The AHL will be represented at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026.

Charlotte (Florida Panthers), Hershey (Washington Capitals), Grand Rapids (Detroit Red Wings), Iowa (Minnesota Wild), and Providence (Boston Bruins) will each send one player to Italy in February.

Czechia will feature Iowa defenseman David Spacek, a 22-year-old who had two goals and a team-high 14 assists in 32 games entering Wednesday. He had two assists in eight games at the 2025 IIHF World Championship and won a gold medal at the 2024 Worlds and silver at the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship. Spacek was selected by the Wild in the fifth round (No. 153) of the 2022 NHL Draft.

Latvia will lead the way with four Olympians, each a forward. Eduards Tralmaks, 28, of Grand Rapids has extensive international experience, including a team-leading seven points (three goals, four assists) in seven games at the 2025 Worlds. He played three games to help Latvia qualify for the Olympics and had 18 points (14 goals, four assists) in 31 AHL games through Wednesday.

Sandis Vilmanis (Charlotte), whose 19 points (eight goals, 11 assists) in 31 games ties him for the team lead, was taken by Florida in the fifth round (No. 157) of the 2022 NHL Draft and was a Calder Cup finalist last season. Providence rookie Dans Locmelis has 21 points (12 goals, nine assists) in 30 games; Boston selected him in the fourth round (No. 119) of the 2022 draft. Eriks Mateiko (Hershey), taken by the Capitals in the third round (No. 90) of the 2024 NHL Draft, has a goal and four assists in 25 games as a rookie.

Grand Rapids atop the AHL

The Griffins are pursuing what could be a record-breaking season.

Through 31 games, Grand Rapids was off to the best start in AHL history at 28-1-1-1. A 15-game winning streak with a 3-2 overtime loss to Milwaukee on Dec. 31, but the Griffins are on an 18-game point streak (17-0-1-0) and have points in 15 straight on the road, one from tying an AHL record. Grand Rapids had a 22-point lead for first in the Central Division. The AHL record for highest point percentage in a season is .775 set by Binghamton (New York Rangers) in 1992-93. Grand Rapids is at .935.

Goalie Sebastian Cossa continues his excellent season as well. The 23-year-old won his second consecutive AHL Goaltender of the Month award. He was 16-1-1 through Wednesday, leading the league in goals-against average (1.67) and save percentage (.938).

Detroit chose Cossa in the first round (No. 15) of the 2021 NHL Draft.

Isaac Howard returns to Edmonton

A brief assignment to the AHL went well for Edmonton Oilers rookie forward Isaac Howard, who returned to the NHL with his recall Jan. 2. Howard was named AHL Player of the Month for December with 16 points (eight goals, eight assists) in 11 games and had the first hat trick of his professional career in a 3-2 win against Coachella Valley (Seattle Kraken) on Dec. 20. In all, he had 23 points (10 goals, 13 assists) in 16 games since being assigned to the AHL on Nov. 14 after playing 17 games for the Oilers (two goals, one assist).

Edmonton acquired the 21-year old in a trade with the Tampa Bay Lightning on July 8, 2025. Tampa Bay's first-round pick (No. 31) in the 2022 draft had 52 points (26 goals, 26 assists) in 37 games at Michigan State last season to win the Hobey Baker Award.

Quinn Hutson also dominates for Bakersfield

Howard is not the only Oilers rookie prospect playing well in the AHL.

Bakersfield forward Quinn Hutson was named the AHL Rookie of the Month for December. He had 13 points (nine goals, four assists) in eight games. Hutson made his NHL debut against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Dec. 16 and scored his first NHL goal Dec. 18 against the Boston Bruins. He went back to Bakersfield, was recalled Jan. 2 and returned Jan. 5, and scored two goals against Abbotsford (Vancouver Canucks) on Jan. 6.

Hutson had 35 points (21 goals, 14 assists) in 27 games through Wednesday led the AHL in rookie scoring and was tied for third in league scoring. The Oilers signed the undrafted Boston University forward to a two-year, entry-level contract April 14, 2025.