May 11, 2017
Springfield, Mass. – American Hockey League President and CEO David Andrews announced that the league’s Board of Governors, convening for its Spring Meeting earlier this week in Chicago, Ill., has approved the following division alignment for the 2017-18 AHL season:
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Atlantic Division
Lehigh Valley Phantoms (Philadelphia Flyers)
Bridgeport Sound Tigers (New York Islanders)
Charlotte Checkers (Carolina Hurricanes)
Hartford Wolf Pack (New York Rangers)
Hershey Bears (Washington Capitals)
Providence Bruins (Boston Bruins)
Springfield Thunderbirds (Florida Panthers)
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (Pittsburgh Penguins)
North Division
Belleville Senators (Ottawa Senators)
Binghamton Devils (New Jersey Devils)
Laval Rocket (Montreal Canadiens)
Rochester Americans (Buffalo Sabres)
Syracuse Crunch (Tampa Bay Lightning)
Toronto Marlies (Toronto Maple Leafs)
Utica Comets (Vancouver Canucks)
WESTERN CONFERENCE
Central Division
Chicago Wolves (St. Louis Blues)
Cleveland Monsters (Columbus Blue Jackets)
Grand Rapids Griffins (Detroit Red Wings)
Iowa Wild (Minnesota Wild)
Manitoba Moose (Winnipeg Jets)
Milwaukee Admirals (Nashville Predators)
Rockford IceHogs (Chicago Blackhawks)
Pacific Division
Bakersfield Condors (Edmonton Oilers)
Ontario Reign (Los Angeles Kings)
San Antonio Rampage (Colorado Avalanche)
San Diego Gulls (Anaheim Ducks)
San Jose Barracuda (San Jose Sharks)
Stockton Heat (Calgary Flames)
Texas Stars (Dallas Stars)
Tuscon Roadrunners (Arizona Coyotes)
The Phantoms remain in the Eastern Conference’s Atlantic Division as they welcome the Charlotte Checkers, AHL affiliate of the Carolina Hurricanes, to the division along with Bridgeport, Hartford, Hershey, Providence, Springfield, and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. The Phantoms faced the Checkers for the first time in franchise history in a pair of preseason tilts at PPL Center last October 7 and 8.
The format for the 2018 Calder Cup Playoffs will be finalized by the Board of Governors at its Annual Meeting in Hilton Head Island, S.C., July 2-6, and the complete playing schedule for the 2017-18 regular season, which begins Oct. 6, will be announced this summer.
In operation since 1936, the AHL continues to serve as the top development league for all 30 National Hockey League teams. More than 88 percent of today’s NHL players are American Hockey League graduates, and for the 16th year in a row, more than 6 million fans attended AHL games across North America in 2016-17.
