Forward Gage Quinney has earned a lot of individual accolades this season. He leads the Silver Knights in both goals and points. He won AHL Player of the Week for the period ending on March 26. He tallied his 200th career AHL point and then surpassed that milestone in the same game. But when asked about his success this season, Quinney’s default response, as ever, is to defer to his teammates’ contribution to that success. 

“It’s pretty cool to be named Player of the Week. You do enjoy it, even when you get older,” he acknowledged. 

“But a lot of it is because our line is clicking right now. We’re all skilled players. I think it’s just our compete, we want the puck every time. There’s no set F1 on the forecheck, stuff like that. We all chase after it, we all want to get it, we all want to have it and then make plays when we do get it.”  

And plays they make. That line, with Sakari Manninen and Sheldon Rempal, has been rolling.

Quinney’s assist on Manninen’s goal against the Coachella Valley Firebirds on March 24 was his 200th AHL point, a milestone he has since surpassed to total 207 in his career. Throughout Quinney’s four-game point streak, Rempal or Manninen have factored on nine of Quinney’s eleven total points.  

“Yeah, it’s really cool to break that 200-point plateau. I consider myself a skill guy, so I guess that’s pretty neat to see where I’m at,” said Quinney. 

Likewise, Quinney has been a driving factor in both Rempal and Manninen’s recent scoring surge. Rempal has tallied eight points over that four-game span (3G, 5A), while Manninen has notched seven (6G, 1A). 

“Sheldon and Sakari – they’re really skilled, super tenacious with the puck. And we always say if the shot’s there, just take it. You don’t want to pass up a scoring chance and not get a shot on net. I think that’s been the main thing about why our line has been clicking.” 

In order to achieve this season’s successes, Quinney has had to battle back from last season’s struggles with illness and injury. He credits the team’s medical, coaching, and conditioning staffs with helping him bounce back to where he needed – and wanted – to be. 

“I guess I’m just pretty lucky. Todd Richardson [Head Athletic Trainer] and Jeff Conkle [Head Strength & Conditioning Coach] helped me when I was really sick, helped me get back to where I needed to be physically. And the coaches here put me back in the positions I used to be in before all the sickness happened, and stuff like that,” he said.

“It’s good to be back and playing hockey again – I always knew I could be a big points guy. I’m just thankful for all those guys.”