1996 Calder Cup playoffs

The 1996 Calder Cup playoffs of the American Hockey League began on April 19, 1996.[1] The sixteen teams that qualified, eight from each conference, played best-of-five series for division semifinals and best-of-seven series for division finals and conference finals. The conference champions played a best-of-seven series for the Calder Cup. The Calder Cup Final ended on June 13, 1996, with the Rochester Americans defeating the Portland Pirates four games to three to win the sixth Calder Cup in team history.[2] Rochester's Dixon Ward won the Jack A. Butterfield Trophy as AHL playoff MVP.[3]

1996 Calder Cup playoffs
Tournament details
DatesApril 19–June 13, 1996
Teams16
Final positions
ChampionsRochester Americans
Runner-upPortland Pirates
← 1995
1997 →

The Saint John Flames set an AHL playoff record by winning six games in overtime. This record was equaled by the Milwaukee Admirals in 2004.[4]

Playoff seeds

After the 1995-96 AHL regular season, 16 teams qualified for the playoffs. The top four teams from each division qualified for the playoffs. However, due to the uneven number of teams in the each conference, it was possible for the fifth-placed team in the five team divisions to crossover to the playoffs for the four team divisions. This could only happen if the fifth-placed team in a five team division earned more points than the fourth-placed team in the four team division in the same conference. In this case, the fifth-placed team from the five team division would play in place of the fourth-placed team from the four team division in that part of the playoff bracket. The Albany River Rats were the Southern Conference regular season champions and also had the best overall record for the regular season. The Springfield Falcons were the Northern Conference regular season champions.[5]

Atlantic Division
  1. Prince Edward Island Senators - 85 points
  2. Saint John Flames - 85 points
  3. St. John's Maple Leafs - 80 points
  4. Fredericton Canadiens - 79 points

Northern Division
  1. Springfield Falcons - Northern Conference regular season champions, 100 points
  2. Worcester IceCats - 88 points
  3. Portland Pirates - 78 points
  4. Providence Bruins - 74 points

Central Division
  1. Albany River Rats - Southern Conference regular season champions; Best regular season record, 115 points
  2. Adirondack Red Wings - 86 points
  3. Rochester Americans - 83 points
  4. Cornwall Aces - 80 points
  5. Syracuse Crunch - 74 points (Played in the South Division bracket by virtue of earning more points than the fourth-placed team in that division)

Southern Division
  1. Binghamton Rangers - 88 points
  2. Hershey Bears - 86 points
  3. Baltimore Bandits - 77 points

Bracket
Division Semifinals Division Finals Conference Finals Calder Cup Final
            
A1 P.E.I. 2
A4 Fredericton 3
A4 Fredericton 1
Atlantic Division
A2 Saint John 4
A2 Saint John 3
A3 St. John's 1
A2 Saint John 3
Northern Conference
N3 Portland 4
N1 Springfield 3
N4 Providence 1
N1 Springfield 2
Northern Division
N3 Portland 4
N2 Worcester 1
N3 Portland 3
N3 Portland 3
C3 Rochester 4
C1 Albany 1
C4 Cornwall 3
C4 Cornwall 0
Central Division
C3 Rochester 4
C2 Adirondack 0
C3 Rochester 3
C3 Rochester 4
Southern Conference
C5 Syracuse 1
S1 Binghamton 1
C5 Syracuse 3
C5 Syracuse 4
Southern Division
S3 Baltimore 3
S2 Hershey 2
S3 Baltimore 3

In each round the team that earned more points during the regular season receives home ice advantage, meaning they receive the "extra" game on home-ice if the series reaches the maximum number of games. There is no set series format due to arena scheduling conflicts and travel considerations.[6]

Division Semifinals
Note 1: All times are in Eastern Time (UTC-4).
Note 2: Game times in italics signify games to be played only if necessary.
Note 3: Home team is listed first.
Note 4: The number of overtime periods played (where applicable) is not specified
(A1) Prince Edward Island Senators vs. (A4) Fredericton Canadiens
April 19 Prince Edward Island Senators 4 - 7 Fredericton Canadiens
April 20 Prince Edward Island Senators 7 - 3 Fredericton Canadiens
April 26 Fredericton Canadiens 6 - 5 OT Prince Edward Island Senators
April 27 Fredericton Canadiens 5 - 6 OT Prince Edward Island Senators
April 29 Prince Edward Island Senators 3 - 5 Fredericton Canadiens
Fredericton won series 3 – 2
(A2) Saint John Flames vs. (A3) St. John's Maple Leafs
April 21 Saint John Flames 2 - 3 St. John's Maple Leafs
April 23 Saint John Flames 2 - 1 OT St. John's Maple Leafs
April 26 St. John's Maple Leafs 2 - 3 Saint John Flames
April 27 St. John's Maple Leafs 3 - 4 OT Saint John Flames
Saint John won series 3 - 1
(N1) Springfield Falcons vs. (N4) Providence Bruins
April 19 Springfield Falcons 3 - 6 Providence Bruins
April 20 Springfield Falcons 3 - 2 Providence Bruins
April 26 Providence Bruins 4 - 5 OT Springfield Falcons
April 27 Providence Bruins 3 - 4 OT Springfield Falcons
Springfield won series 3 – 1
(N2) Worcester IceCats vs. (N3) Portland Pirates
April 19 Worcester IceCats 0 - 5 Portland Pirates
April 20 Worcester IceCats 2 - 1 Portland Pirates
April 26 Portland Pirates 6 - 5 OT Worcester IceCats
April 27 Portland Pirates 3 - 2 Worcester IceCats
Portland won series 3 - 1
(C1) Albany River Rats vs. (C4) Cornwall Aces
April 21 Albany River Rats 5 - 0 Cornwall Aces
April 22 Albany River Rats 2 - 3 Cornwall Aces
April 24 Cornwall Aces 3 - 0 Albany River Rats
April 26 Cornwall Aces 2 - 1 OT Albany River Rats
Cornwall won series 3 - 1
(C2) Adirondack Red Wings vs. (C3) Rochester Americans
April 19 Adirondack Red Wings 1 - 4 Rochester Americans
April 20 Adirondack Red Wings 1 - 3 Rochester Americans
April 26 Rochester Americans 6 - 0 Adirondack Red Wings
Rochester won series 3 - 0
(S1) Binghamton Rangers vs. (C5) Syracuse Crunch
April 19 Binghamton Rangers 8 - 5 Syracuse Crunch
April 20 Binghamton Rangers 0 - 6 Syracuse Crunch
April 26 Syracuse Crunch 4 - 3 OT Binghamton Rangers
April 27 Syracuse Crunch 6 - 3 Binghamton Rangers
Syracuse won series 3 - 1
(S2) Hershey Bears vs. (S3) Baltimore Bandits
April 19 Hershey Bears 2 - 5 Baltimore Bandits
April 20 Baltimore Bandits 3 - 2 OT Hershey Bears
April 24 Hershey Bears 7 - 5 Baltimore Bandits
April 26 Baltimore Bandits 2 - 4 Hershey Bears
April 28 Hershey Bears 3 - 4 OT Baltimore Bandits
Baltimore won series 3 - 2

Division Finals
(A2) Saint John Flames vs. (A4) Fredericton Canadiens
May 3 Saint John Flames 5 - 0 Fredericton Canadiens
May 5 Saint John Flames 1 - 5 Fredericton Canadiens
May 8 Fredericton Canadiens 4 - 5 OT Saint John Flames
May 10 Fredericton Canadiens 3 - 4 OT Saint John Flames
May 12 Saint John Flames 4 - 3 Fredericton Canadiens
Saint John won series 4 - 1
(N1) Springfield Falcons vs. (N3) Portland Pirates
May 2 Springfield Falcons 3 - 4 Portland Pirates
May 3 Springfield Falcons 5 - 1 Portland Pirates
May 5 Portland Pirates 7 - 2 Springfield Falcons
May 8 Portland Pirates 6 - 0 Springfield Falcons
May 10 Springfield Falcons 4 - 3 Portland Pirates
May 11 Portland Pirates 6 - 4 Springfield Falcons
Portland won series 4 - 2
(C3) Rochester Americans vs. (C4) Cornwall Aces
May 1 Rochester Americans 3 - 2 Cornwall Aces
May 3 Rochester Americans 6 - 3 Cornwall Aces
May 5 Cornwall Aces 1 - 3 Rochester Americans
May 7 Cornwall Aces 2 - 3 OT Rochester Americans
Rochester won series 4 - 0
(S3) Baltimore Bandits vs. (C5) Syracuse Crunch
May 1 Baltimore Bandits 4 - 3 OT Syracuse Crunch
May 3 Baltimore Bandits 0 - 3 Syracuse Crunch
May 6 Syracuse Crunch 7 - 5 Baltimore Bandits
May 8 Syracuse Crunch 4 - 1 Baltimore Bandits
May 10 Baltimore Bandits 5 - 4 Syracuse Crunch
May 12 Syracuse Crunch 1 - 7 Baltimore Bandits
May 14 Baltimore Bandits 4 - 5 Syracuse Crunch
Syracuse won series 4 - 3

Conference finals

(A2) Saint John Flames vs. (N3) Portland Pirates
May 16 Saint John Flames 3 - 2 OT Portland Pirates
May 18 Saint John Flames 1 - 7 Portland Pirates
May 21 Portland Pirates 4 - 1 Saint John Flames
May 24 Portland Pirates 1 - 4 Saint John Flames
May 25 Portland Pirates 2 - 3 OT Saint John Flames
May 27 Saint John Flames 2 - 5 Portland Pirates
May 29 Saint John Flames 0 - 5 Portland Pirates
Portland won series 4 - 3

(C3) Rochester Americans vs. (C5) Syracuse Crunch
May 17 Rochester Americans 5 - 2 Syracuse Crunch
May 19 Rochester Americans 6 - 4 Syracuse Crunch
May 22 Syracuse Crunch 4 - 2 Rochester Americans
May 24 Syracuse Crunch 1 - 4 Rochester Americans
May 25 Rochester Americans 6 - 5 OT Syracuse Crunch
Rochester won series 4 - 1

Calder Cup Final

(C3) Rochester Americans vs. (N3) Portland Pirates
June 1 Rochester Americans 5 - 3 Portland Pirates
June 2 Rochester Americans 5 - 1 Portland Pirates
June 5 Portland Pirates 3 - 2 Rochester Americans
June 8 Portland Pirates 5 - 4 Rochester Americans
June 9 Portland Pirates 4 - 5 OT Rochester Americans
June 11 Rochester Americans 1 - 5 Portland Pirates
June 13 Rochester Americans 2 - 1 Portland Pirates
Rochester won series 4 - 3

See also

References
  1. 1996 AHL playoff results The Internet Hockey Database. Retrieved on May 3, 2008.
  2. Rochester Americans media guide 2004-05 Archived 2008-08-28 at the Wayback Machine amerks.com. Retrieved on May 3, 2008.
  3. Jack A. Butterfield Trophy Archived 2008-09-17 at the Wayback Machine ahlhalloffame.com. Retrieved on May 6, 2008.
  4. Calder Cup record book: Teams caldercup.com. Retrieved on May 6, 2008.
  5. 1995-96 AHL Standings The Internet Hockey Database. Retrieved on May 3, 2008.
  6. Frequently asked questions Archived 2008-05-09 at the Wayback Machine theahl.com. Retrieved on May 12, 2008.
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