Some players in the American Hockey League are just a phone call away from being in the NHL.  That's not true for all AHL'ers, but without a doubt, a good season or even a string of strong performances in North America's second-best hockey league will draw some positive attention from NHL scouts and general managers.  

As of Thursday, there are 13 former Waterloo Black Hawks on AHL rosters.  Eight have them have appeared in at least one career NHL game.  Four have been called up for action with their parent clubs in 2023/24.  Matej Blumel hasn't had that opportunity this winter, but he was named an AHL All-Star last week.  Blumel will represent the Central Division in the three-on-three round robin event hosted by the San Jose Barracuda on February 5th.
 
Here is an update on Blumel and all of Waterloo's current AHL alumni…

Matej Blumel – Texas Stars
(Waterloo: 2017/18 – 2018/19)

The 23-year-old is well on his way to surpassing his first season as a North American professional.  Last winter, Blumel had 19 goals and 25 assists in 58 games for Texas.  He is already up to 28 points (14 goals, 14 assists) in just 33 appearances.  Blumel's biggest night was a one-goal, three-assist effort during a 6-2 win against the Manitoba Moose on December 29th.

Shane Bowers – Utica Comets
(Waterloo: 2015/16 – 2016/17)

After a weeklong stint with the New Jersey Devils, Bowers returned to Utica yesterday.  He has gained a reputation for contributing in penalty-killing situations, and that includes a pair of shorthanded AHL goals.  Prior to this season, Bowers had not recorded a shorthanded goal during his professional career.  Overall, he has six goals and one assist in 29 Utica games.

Jackson Cates – Rockford IceHogs
(Waterloo: 2016/17 – 2017/18)

Before the season, the New York Islanders took a long look at Cates during their training camp.  He joined New York's AHL affiliate in Bridgeport, but was seeking a new home again in early December.  Cates made a splash during his first weekend in Rockford, producing a three-point game against the Iowa Wild December 16th.  In a dozen IceHogs contests, he has four goals and two assists.

Mark Friedman – Abbotsford Canucks
(Waterloo: 2012/13 – 2013/14)

Friedman was sent to Abbotsford on a conditioning loan earlier this week.  He had not played for the Vancouver Canucks since late November.  His return to action has been prosperous; on Tuesday, Friedman notched a pair of assists during a 4-3 loss to the Ontario Reign.  He set up another goal yesterday during a rematch which Abbotsford won, 2-1.

Blake Hilman – Hartford Wolf Pack
(Waterloo: 2014/15)

This is Hilman's second season in Hartford.  When he plays in three more Wolf Pack games, it will give him more appearances for Hartford than with any of his previous four AHL clubs.  Hilman scored a goal on December 9th during a 5-1 loss to Laval.  It was his first AHL goal since March of 2019 when he was a Rockford IceHogs.

Vinnie Hinostroza – Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
(Waterloo: 2010/11 – 2012/13)

Splitting time almost evenly between the NHL and AHL, Hinostroza has appeared in the NHL Penguins' lineup 14 times and for the WBS Penguins on a dozen occasions.  At the AHL level, Hinostroza has at least one point in eight of his 12 games, divided up between three goals and six assists.  An assist on Monday against the Springfield Thunderbirds was the his 100th point in the league.

Alex Limoges – Hershey Bears
(Waterloo: 2016/17)

Limoges' AHL performance has been exceptional since he became a professional in 2020.  This is his first winter with the Hershey Bears, and the 26-year-old is halfway to scoring 20 goals in three consecutive seasons with three different teams.  He did it in 2021/22 with the San Diego Gulls and last year with the Manitoba Moose.  Besides his 10 goals in Hershey, Limoges has 18 assists in 35 games.

Cale Morris – Coachella Valley Firebirds
(Waterloo: 2014/15 – 2015/16)

The Firebirds have been on the short side of several close games when Morris has been in net.  His debut for the team on December 17th included 43 saves, but Coachella Valley lost 1-0 against the Colorado Eagles.  Morris' lone win came on January 2nd when he stopped 30 of 31 shots against the Calgary Wranglers.  The 27-year-old has a .918 save percentage in 6 games.

Cal Petersen – Lehigh Valley Phantoms
(Waterloo: 2011/12 – 2013/14)

The last two times Petersen has been in the crease, Lehigh Valley has gone to overtime.  On January 7th, he stopped 26 shots, but the Phantoms came up short in a 3-2 OTL at Hershey (Alex Limoges scored the game-winner).  Petersen bounced back to beat the Bears 4-3 in a shootout last Saturday.  He turned away four shootout attempts after making 31 saves during regulation and overtime.

Ryder Rolston – Rockford IceHogs
(Waterloo: 2019/20)

Rolston scored in his professional debut back on October 13th against the San Jose Barracuda.  It was the first of seven goals he has scored for the IceHogs.  Rolston had a two-goal night when Rockford topped the Manitoba Moose 6-2 on November 22nd.  He has played in 30 of 33 games, adding four assists for 11 total points.

Max Sasson – Abbotsford Canucks
(Waterloo: 2020/21)

Sasson spent seven games in Abbotsford last spring after wrapping up his collegiate season at Western Michigan.  That stint provided insights for his rookie season, which has been largely successful so far.  Sasson is second on the team with 11 goals and tied for sixth with 20 points.  He is +12 and has scored three game-winning goals.  

Nick Swaney – Iowa Wild
(Waterloo: 2013/14 – 2016/17)

An injury has limited Swaney to just seven games for Iowa.  Six of those were in October.  He has one goal and one assist.  The one goal did make a difference: back on October 25th, Swaney scored the game-winner during the Wild's 1-0 home victory versus the Chicago Wolves.  It was the fifth decisive goal during his 123 career AHL games.

Bobby Trivigno – Hartford Wolf Pack
(Waterloo: 2017/18)

Trivigno is likely to play in his 100th AHL game before the end of January.  He is currently at 95, including 27 this winter.  Trivigno has two goals and seven assists during the 2023/24 campaign.    During his first fulltime season as a pro last year, the 24-year-old produced seven goals and 19 assists.  Trivigno turns 25 on Friday.

Where Are They Now features are presented by Karen's Print Rite, 2515 Falls Avenue in Waterloo.