The American Hockey League announced the official re-structuring of the league today, with the new Charlotte Checkers and Albany Devils joining the East Division, and the Oklahoma City Barons joining the West Division. As the Albany Devils are the old Lowell Devils, that leaves the P-Bruins' Atlantic Division with seven teams, two of whom have new affiliates.
The teams in the Atlantic Division and their affiliates are as follows:
Providence Bruins (Boston Bruins)
Bridgeport Sound Tigers (New York Islanders),
Hartford Wolf Pack (New York Rangers),
Manchester Monarchs (Los Angeles Kings),
Portland Pirates (Buffalo Sabres),
Springfield Falcons (Columbus Blue Jackets)
Worcester Sharks (San Jose Sharks)
So basically: 100% less Stephen Gionta and Mike McKenna, and 100% more Columbus Blue Jackets prospects. Also no more random Jordan Eberle sightings, and definitely no Magnus Pajaarvi-Svensson, as they'll be playing in Oklahoma City. This leaves every NHL team with an AHL affiliate, so it also means no more Ducks prospects playing against the P-Bruins. No more spontaneous callups of J. P. Levasseur to surprise prospect junkies. The Ducks are now affiliates of the Syracuse Crunch, whom the P-Bruins should see at least a few times this season.
It does mean new CBJ prospects will be in town for the first time. Bruins prospects like Joe Colborne, Steve Kampfer, Maxime Sauve, and so on could be facing the likes of Nikita Filatov, as well as old friend Jonathan Sigalet, in the home opener against the Springfield Falcons next year. Additionally, if P-Bruins/borderline Lowell Devils fans miss cheering on the younger brother of a sometime Devil in Stephen Gionta, no fear - Tim Sestito's younger brother Tom will be playing for Springfield next year.
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