Meet the Heat – Calder Cup Contenders

If you’ve had any exposure to the AHL (or specifically, the Pacific Division), odds are you are aware of the Stockton Heat. They sure are hard to miss. In the last week, they clinched the first Calder Cup Playoffs berth of the 2021-22 season and are a team to watch to win it outright. How about we get you acquainted with them, shall we?

League Recognition

With Jakob Pelletier being named Player of the Week for the week of March 14-20, the Heat are up to three players this season earning league recognition for their play in short spurts of games (the other two were Dustin Wolf and Connor Mackey — a forward, goaltender, and a defenseman. This team isn’t a one-trick pony. They’ve got the depth and the right skaters in the right positions doing the right things.

Pelletier received this recognition for his impressively productive week. Through four games, he scored five goals and assisted on two for a total seven points. Wolf earned his Goaltender of the Month recognition for his seven wins, .951 save percentage and 1.40 goals-against average in the month of December. Mackey earned Player of the Week for three goals and two assists in two games during the week of November 29-December 5, 2021.

Looking at their stat lines now, things have not dropped off by any means. Pelletier leads the team in goals with 26; he carries a total of 54 points in 53 games. Wolf is also not only the best goaltender on this team but one of the best goalies in the league. He sits at the top of the win category with 29 wins on the season. Wolf also sits third in save percentage with a .925 and fourth in GAA with 2.30. Finally, Mackey is sitting at a total of 34 points with five goals and 29 assists in a total 51 games.

Key Pieces

We’ve already talked about some of Stockton’s key pieces, with all three of the players listed above being a part of that. There are quite a few other impact players that might not have a Player of the Week honor this season, but a lot to be proud of up until this point. Those include alternate captain Matthew Phillips, Adam Ruzicka, Glenn Gawdin, Juuso Valimaki, Justin Kirkland, and Luke Philp (among many others).

Many of these guys are highly ranked Flames prospects with Ruzicka, Valimaki, and Gawdin getting ice time up with the NHL club this year. Here’s how their point lines look.

• Matthew Phillips – 25 goals, 32 assists in 51 games played 
• Adam Ruzicka – 10 goals, 8 assists in 15 games played
• Glenn Gawdin – 12 goals, 32 assists in 51 games played
• Juuso Valimaki – 2 goals, 13 assists in 27 games played
• Justin Kirkland – 16 goals, 18 assists in 52 games played
• Luke Philp – 19 goals, 18 assists in 52 games played 

Holes in Their Game?

No team is perfect, but the Heat are pretty close to the best they can be in this league. Their forward depth is insane and even when their top line isn’t firing on all cylinders, any other line can step up and get the production done for the night. One of the biggest strengths the Heat brings to their game is their ability to score well, score fast, and answer back. 

They also have a offensive defensemen that can also contribute to scoring on a regular basis. Their defense isn’t lights out by any means, and the little things like turnovers, falling behind the rush, or giving certain opponents quite a bit of room in the zone does happen. However, the pressure isn’t as high on their pairings when scoring kicks off quick and certain games escalate to upwards of 10 goals.

Goaltending, on the other hand, can have its challenges.

With an outstanding starting goaltender, the comparisons are almost unfair when it comes to the backup. Adam Werner has had good outings, okay outings, and not so good outings. The team seems to have to work a little harder when he is in net, as he is a little bit more of a liability than Wolf is between the pipes. 

Werner has a 9-5-2-0 record on the season and has had some really good overtime and shootout performances that prove he has the skill to play well in this league. The problem is the inconsistency. He’s had his shot at some tougher opponents and has needed relief from Wolf on occasion. In a playoff series, the Heat would need to be in a comfortable place to trust Werner, as it can be a little nerve-racking throwing him in an important game.

Best in the Pacific 

At the start of the season, the Heat were having a bit of a battle with the Ontario Reign to secure the top spot in the Pacific Division. Since around Christmas time, the Heat have pretty well claimed the top spot in the division and have sat at first or second in the league very consistently. 

It is in their best interest to hold strong, despite the fact they are mathematically in playoffs. If they finish the season the top seed, they will get a bye for the first round of playoffs and will play the lowest-seeded winner in the Pacific Division out of round one. They’ve made it this far, why make it any harder on yourself than it needs to be?

Either way, this is a special team. And, with the Flames in the conversation as Stanley Cup contenders, it could be a very exciting postseason for this organization.