The Beast prepares to terrorize New Haven

Gargoyles perched high upon Yale's ivy towers and hidden throughout the city are smiling this fall as the American Hockey League (AHL) arrives in town to make a home for the new Beasts of New Haven Hockey Club.

This squad of the AHL, a newly formed expansion team in the New England division, will lace up its skates and take to the ice for the first time in October. The team's mascot is ready and waiting for unveiling on Oct. 4, when the Beasts will start off their season on the road, as they face the squad from the Adirondacks in their first game.

The AHL serves as the primary developmental league for the National Hockey League (NHL). About two thirds of all NHL members skate at the AHL level at some point in their hockey careers, honing their skills in the minor league in hopes of one day packing their gym bags and making the big move to the majors.

Hockey players from the Canadian Junior hockey league, U.S. college teams, and European teams are currently vying for a very limited number of positions at NHL players' camp. Those players who are not rewarded with a spot on the major league teams will filter down to the AHL level.

Most AHL teams are affiliated with one or two NHL teams. For the Beasts, this affiliation has been formed with the Florida Panthers and the Carolina Hurricanes, formerly the Hartford Whalers. The Beasts' roster will be partly filled by players who are not fortunate enough to make the final cut for the two NHL squads.

The coaches and managers of New Haven's team await the conclusion of NHL tryouts, currently underway, and look towards their own lengthy and competitive selection process for their team's line-up. Training camp in New Haven will commence on Sept. 21, although the Beasts will not begin training for the season as a full team until after NHL rosters have been settled and players have filtered down to the AHL.

"Now is a really exciting time, things are going very well," David Gregory, team president and general manager, said. The Beasts' coach, Kevin McCarthy, is currently at the NHL training camp, getting an advanced preview of the talent that will soon be skating through New Haven into his rink for tryouts.

Establishing the team roster is only half of what Gregory has on his mind as he prepares for the debut of the New Haven squad. As general manager, he also has to take responsibility for the bureaucratic concerns that come along with the formation of a new team. "I need to take time to prepare the more business-oriented side of the team before the players arrive," he said.

This season, the Beasts will face an eighty game schedule, which includes matches against teams from Worcester, Hartford, Springfield, and Kentucky. Spectators accustomed to watching college hockey can expect greater speed, harder hits, and a higher level of overall skill at an AHL game.

According to the Beasts' publicist, Jeff Dorfman, first-line Yale players would probably play on the same level as an average AHL player.

Forty of the Beasts' eighty games will be played at their home rink in downtown New Haven, at the Veteran Memorial Coliseum. The coliseum, originally built in 1972, is currently in the midst of a massive five-million-dollar renovation project, which will leave it equipped with a full video screen.

By Oct. 24, when the Beasts play their first home game against Worcester, the stadium will be ready to cater to eager fans. After the home opener, fans can look forward to cheering on New Haven at the remainder of their home games this year against AHL teams visiting from all over the United States.

The New Haven Hockey club's gargoyle mascot was carefully chosen both for its abundance in the city's architecture and its mythical reputation as protector of the city. With the broad range of ticket packages being offered, the team managers hope to bring city residents and students together in the arena, under the watchful eyes of the guardian Beast.

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