Coast To Coast is FloHockey’s monthly, cohesive news on North American hockey and live-streaming partnerships.

With the first calendar month of hockey in the books teams and players are beginning to show they’re colors and the storylines are stacking up on this side of the Atlantic.

In fact, FloHockey recently announced its acquisition of HockeyTech, which now adds the streaming capability of the BCHL, MJHL, CCHL, and more to FloHockey. Stay tuned for more updates and even more watching options right here on FloHockey.

Atlantic Hockey Awards

RIT took home a pair of October awards as Carter Wilkie was named Atlantic Hockey Rookie of the Month and Dan Willett was named as the Defensive Player of the Month.

Wilkie recorded four goals and six points in eight games to help the Tigers earn a 4-2-2 record. Wilkie is tied for the team scoring lead and has been a staple down the middle for the Tigers early success, including scoring the overtime winner to upset No. 13 Notre Dame.

As the Atlantic Hockey Player of the Month, Mercyhurst sophomore Carson Briere posted seven goals and nine points in six games and is the centerpiece for a trio of Lakers sophomores helping lift the team up the standings.

Goaltender of the Month Gavin Abric has been an outstanding surprise for Army West Point with a .952 SV%, 1.67 GAA despite a record of 2-3-1. His five starts have been the only starts of his NCAA career after not getting into any game action last season. Should his teammates find chemistry offensively, the Knights could become a serious threat. 

Congratulations to @ArmyWP_Hockey's Gavin Abric for being recognized by the Hockey Commissioners Association as their Goaltender of the Month!

📰 : https://t.co/9NTKocPeZw

#AtlanticHockey | #GoArmy pic.twitter.com/qP7vvctIwe

— Atlantic Hockey (@Atlantic_Hockey) November 3, 2021

CCHA Accolades

Lake Superior State nearly cleaned the slate for monthly awards in October, with players claiming the Forward of the Month, Defenseman of the Month, and Rookie of the Month.

Forward of the Month and team captain, Louis Boudon, recorded an impressive 16 points (6 G, 10 A) in 10 games. Defenseman of the Month Jacob Bengtsson scored a goal and ten points in a breakout start to his season as the primary puck mover on the backend. Add in Josh Nixon, the CCHA Rookie of the Month, and his eight points and the offense has been the culprit for the 6-3-1 start for the Lakers.

Stop me if you’ve read this before, but Minnesota State netminder Dryden McKay was named the Goaltender of the Month. McKay’s 27th career shutout broke the NCAA men’s shutout record previously held by Michigan State’s Ryan Miller. McKay went 6-2 with a 1.64 GAA, .914 SV%, and three shutouts.

Catch every AHA and CCHA conference matchup live, right here on FloHockey all season long.

AHL Apprentices

Rookies Jack Quinn and Alexander Holtz have made immediate impressions in their first early on in their first AHL campaigns. The eighth overall pick from 2020, Quinn scored nine points in 15 AHL games last season but left a lot to be desired on the defensive side where his junior career tendencies were exposed.

But that’s often a part of youth development and as Quinn takes the next step, he sits fourth in AHL scoring with five goals and ten points through six games. The Buffalo Sabres prospect will be a key piece in the rebuild in Buffalo. 

Jack Quinn tallied 10 points (5 goals, 5 assists) in 6 games to start the season.

And he's been so much fun to watch 🤩 pic.twitter.com/bqpAEhkFsU

— Rochester Americans (@AmerksHockey) November 1, 2021

A six-hour drive southeast, the New Jersey Devils are another team building back up its roster and have a prospect matching Quinn’s output. Selected one spot ahead of Quinn in 2020, Alexander Holtz has recorded five goals in four games and after a pair of promising seasons in the SHL.

The season remains young and a mix of fatigue, opponent adaptation, and other promising rookies will make for must-watch AHL hockey. 

NHL News

October is in the books and there are plenty of fun topics in the NHL, but before those, as both a hockey fan and human being, there must be mention of Kyle Beach. Beach identified himself as a John Doe in the Jenner and Block Report into the 2010 allegations against the Chicago Blackhawks, specifically video coach Brad Aldrich.

Beach shows tremendous courage and is reminding the NHL and sports at every level about humanity and responsibility. Beach’s recent interview can be found here, it is long and tough, but an important reminder of integrity.

Speaking of the Blackhawks—who ended October with a 0-7-2 record—significant offseason changes in trading Duncan Keith, acquiring Seth Jones and Marc-Andre Fleury, and more, have not done the team much favors in the standings.

Meanwhile, a not-so-rivalrous Chicago rival, the Detroit Red Wings, have the top two rookie scorers in forward Lucas Raymond and defenseman Moritz Seider.

Raymond was selected fourth overall in 2020 and earned a spot out of training camp, where he has since made a nightly impact and accumulated four goals and nine points in nine games. Seider, the surprise sixth overall pick in 2019, has eight assists in nine games and displays bold confidence as a rookie defenseman that adds to the glimpse of Detroit’s promising future. 

Mailbag: Red Wings rookies Seider, Raymond early Calder Trophy contenders https://t.co/OTetLJEU54

— NHL.com (@NHLdotcom) November 3, 2021

As the remaining two undefeated teams, the Florida Panthers (8-0-1) and Carolina Hurricanes (8-0-0) have their fellow conference team Detroit has a ways to go to contend in the East. Don’t forget about the back-to-back Stanley Cup Champion Tampa Bay Lightning. The East is as dangerous as they come.

Have a question or a comment for Jacob Messing? You can find him on Twitter @Jacob_Messing.