Somebody just brought a stat to my attention that no (recent) MVP of the American Hockey League playoffs has ever been significant (in the NHL) other than Carey Price. Well, that’s a fine and dandy stat, but if you go back the past 15 years or whatever they were picking at, look at those who’ve played in the Calder playoffs, for one round, been on a winning team or maybe even lost in the second round. A significant amount of players come from this league.

I don’t understand how anyone can say the Calder Cup means nothing, that our playoffs mean nothing. It means you’re winning. Thirty NHL teams have prospects in this league and now there are two left (Toronto and Tampa Bay). How does that not bode well for the future of any organization?”

The shining example at present is the Binghamton Senators, down 3-1 in last year’s opening round, coming back to win and going all the way to the Calder. With several ‘Bingo’ players in its lineup, Ottawa skipped the rebuilding phase in 2011-12 and nearly upset the Rangers in the first series.

Most people thought they’d finish dead last, but something went on there. Maybe it was because (veteran) Jason Spezza had a better year, I don’t know, but there was (an AHL) contribution.

We’re teaching our players how to win and they’re doing it. There can never be a negative feel for that. We’re doing something right and we hope it pays off for the big club down the road.

You face so many different types adversity in the playoffs and a lot goes unseen by people. What these guys have gone through already will make them better fathers, better husbands, better human beings and better people in their community. This kind of thing rubs off. If you can win and get as far as we have, you’ll carry that with you the rest of your life.