After a long winter – and an especially long March – the Hershey Bears made time for some quick hibernation this week before embarking on the final stretch of the regular season.

Max and Jackson Dorrington never faced off in college, but now they find themselves on opposite sides of a long-time AHL rivalry as they begin their pro careers – and continue a legacy begun by their trailblazing cousin Art in 1950.

The Ontario Reign needed someone to step up, and Pheonix Copley has obliged. He is making up for lost time in the process, too.

Tweaks to late-season rosters around the American Hockey League continue as NCAA talent begins to sign on and jump into the thick of the stretch drive to the Calder Cup Playoffs.

The Nashville Predators and Milwaukee Admirals know that they have a good thing going. That’s why the two sides celebrated their long-standing relationship with a new four-year affiliation extension this week.

The Colorado Eagles are hosting their annual Pot of Gold fundraiser, which has raised more than $700,000 to help families trying to manage the financial hardship that can come when a child is dealing with a medical condition. This year’s recipient is 9-year-old Josh Mellon and his family, from Tinmath, Colo.

Think of the race to the Calder Cup Playoffs like a weather forecast. The further out you are, the more difficult accuracy becomes for forecasters. More variables, less certainty. But with one month to go now in the AHL regular season, the forecast is beginning to come into much better focus.

The 2004-05 AHL season featured an influx of outstanding young talent, and nowhere was that more apparent than in Manchester for the All-Star Classic. Twenty years later, the memories still come back quickly to the event’s participants.

The AHL’s trade/loan deadline passed on Friday afternoon. Now it’s time to evaluate.

After moving here, there and everywhere for that next opportunity, hockey has brought Jujhar Khaira back to British Columbia, and the newest member of the Abbotsford Canucks is excited to be home.