The 2016–17 AHL season was the 81st season of the American Hockey League. The regular season began on October 14, 2016, and ended on April 15, 2017. The 2017 Calder Cup playoffs began on April 20, 2017.

2016–17 AHL season
LeagueAmerican Hockey League
SportIce hockey
DurationOctober 14, 2016 - April 15, 2017
Regular season
Macgregor Kilpatrick TrophyWilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
Season MVPKenny Agostino
Top scorerKenny Agostino
Playoffs
Playoffs MVPTyler Bertuzzi
Calder Cup
ChampionsGrand Rapids Griffins
  Runners-upSyracuse Crunch
AHL seasons

Regular season

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The AHL had a slight alignment shift with the addition of the Tucson Roadrunners to the one-year-old Pacific Division, bringing the division member total up to eight. It also created an unbalanced conference alignment with the Western Conference having 16 members and the Eastern Conference containing 14 members.[1] Similar to the season scheduling in the previous season, the five California based teams, plus the new Tucson team, continue to play a 68-game season while the rest of the AHL teams play a 76-game season.

The AHL also changed the usage of home and away jerseys for the season. Before the Christmas break, home teams wear light jerseys and after the Christmas break, home teams wear dark jerseys. For the past several seasons, the visiting team wore light jerseys and the home team wore dark jerseys. Prior to the change in 2003, it was the opposite for many years.

Rule changes

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The Board of Governors implemented some changes to further curb fighting in hockey. To prevent staged fights, any players involved in a fight prior to or immediately after a faceoff would be given a game misconduct which results in the player being ejected from the game. If a player accumulates ten fighting major penalties, the player would be suspended for one game following the tenth penalty and then suspended for one game after each subsequent fighting major penalty. If a player accumulates 14 fighting majors, the number of games suspended increases to two for each subsequent fighting major. Accumulated fighting majors do not include instances where the opposing player was assessed an instigator penalty.[1]

Team changes

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Relocations

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Renamed

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Playoff format

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The 2017 playoff format retained a similar divisional format to the 2016 Calder Cup playoffs. The revised playoff format was finalized at the Annual Board of Governors meeting that took place July 2016. During the regular season, teams receive two points for a win and one point for an overtime or shootout loss. The top four teams in each division ranked by points percentage (points earned divided by points available) qualify for the 2017 Calder Cup Playoffs. The 2017 playoffs removed the divisional fifth-place qualifier exception used by the NHL and the AHL in 2015–16.

The 2017 Calder Cup Playoffs features a divisional playoff format, leading to conference finals and ultimately the Calder Cup Finals. The division semifinals are best-of-five series; all subsequent rounds are best-of-seven.[1]

Final standings

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Final standings[6]
 y–  indicates team clinched division and a playoff spot
 x–  indicates team clinched a playoff spot
 e–  indicates team was eliminated from playoff contention

Eastern Conference

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Atlantic Division GP W L OTL SOL Pts Pts% GF GA
y–Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (PIT) 76 51 20 3 2 107 .704 247 170
x–Lehigh Valley Phantoms (PHI) 76 48 23 5 0 101 .664 260 219
x–Hershey Bears (WSH) 76 43 22 8 3 97 .638 252 211
x–Providence Bruins (BOS) 76 43 23 6 4 96 .632 229 188
e–Bridgeport Sound Tigers (NYI) 76 44 28 3 1 92 .605 220 212
e–Springfield Thunderbirds (FLA) 76 32 33 9 2 75 .493 197 206
e–Hartford Wolf Pack (NYR) 76 24 46 4 2 54 .355 194 280
North Division GP W L OTL SOL Pts Pts% GF GA
y–Syracuse Crunch (TBL) 76 38 24 7 7 90 .592 232 227
x–Toronto Marlies (TOR) 76 42 29 4 1 89 .586 245 207
x–Albany Devils (NJD) 76 39 32 2 3 83 .546 204 206
x–St. John's IceCaps (MTL) 76 36 30 8 2 82 .539 216 220
e–Utica Comets (VAN) 76 35 32 7 2 79 .520 195 220
e–Rochester Americans (BUF) 76 32 41 0 3 67 .441 205 240
e–Binghamton Senators (OTT) 76 28 44 2 2 60 .395 190 266

Western Conference

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Central Division GP W L OTL SOL Pts Pts% GF GA
y–Chicago Wolves (STL) 76 44 19 8 5 101 .664 251 200
x–Grand Rapids Griffins (DET) 76 47 23 1 5 100 .658 251 190
x–Milwaukee Admirals (NSH) 76 43 26 4 3 95 .612 225 215
x–Charlotte Checkers (CAR) 76 39 29 7 1 86 .566 212 208
e–Cleveland Monsters (CBJ) 76 39 29 4 4 86 .566 195 198
e–Iowa Wild (MIN) 76 36 31 7 2 81 .533 182 196
e–Manitoba Moose (WPG) 76 29 37 5 5 68 .447 197 242
e–Rockford IceHogs (CHI) 76 25 39 9 3 62 .408 175 246
Pacific Division GP W L OTL SOL Pts Pts% GF GA
y–San Jose Barracuda (SJS) 68 43 16 4 5 95 .699 232 176
x–San Diego Gulls (ANA) 68 43 20 3 2 91 .669 221 178
x–Ontario Reign (LAK) 68 36 21 10 1 83 .610 199 190
x–Stockton Heat (CGY) 68 34 25 7 2 77 .566 212 192
e–Bakersfield Condors (EDM) 68 33 29 5 1 72 .529 200 188
e–Tucson Roadrunners (ARI) 68 29 31 8 0 66 .485 187 237
e–Texas Stars (DAL) 76 34 37 1 4 73 .480 224 265
e–San Antonio Rampage (COL) 76 27 42 5 2 61 .401 184 240

Statistical leaders

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Leading skaters

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The following players are sorted by points, then goals. Updated as of April 14, 2017.[7]

GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; +/– = P Plus–minus; PIM = Penalty minutes

Player Team GP G A Pts PIM
Kenny Agostino Chicago Wolves 65 24 59 83 48
Chris Terry St. John's IceCaps 58 30 38 68 36
Chris Mueller Tucson Roadrunners 68 19 48 67 48
Wade Megan Chicago Wolves 73 33 33 66 57
Taylor Beck Bakersfield/Hartford 56 19 47 66 24
Cole Schneider Rochester Americans 71 24 39 63 45
Travis Boyd Hershey Bears 76 16 47 63 16
T. J. Brennan Lehigh Valley Phantoms 76 21 39 60 101
Chris Bourque Hershey Bears 76 18 42 60 46
Cory Conacher Syracuse Crunch 56 17 43 60 113

Leading goaltenders

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The following goaltenders with a minimum 1500 minutes played lead the league in goals against average. Updated as of April 15, 2017.[8]

GP = Games played; TOI = Time on ice (in minutes); SA = Shots against; GA = Goals against; SO = Shutouts; GAA = Goals against average; SV% = Save percentage; W = Wins; L = Losses; OT = Overtime/shootout loss

Player Team GP TOI SA GA SO GAA SV% W L OT
Casey DeSmith Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins 29 1730:35 787 58 1 2.01 .926 21 5 3
Zane McIntyre Providence Bruins 31 1777:13 859 60 2 2.03 .930 21 6 2
Troy Grosenick San Jose Barracuda 49 2728:48 1255 93 10 2.04 .926 30 10 5
Tristan Jarry Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins 45 2706:49 1300 97 3 2.15 .925 28 15 2
Jaroslav Halak Bridgeport Sound Tigers 27 1535:59 733 55 2 2.15 .925 17 7 3

Calder Cup playoffs

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Division semifinals Division finals Conference finals Calder Cup final
            
A1 W-B/Scranton 2
A4 Providence 3
A4 Providence 4
Atlantic Division
A3 Hershey 3
A2 Lehigh Valley 2
A3 Hershey 3
A4 Providence 1
Eastern Conference
N1 Syracuse 4
N1 Syracuse 3
N4 St. John's 1
N1 Syracuse 4
North Division
N2 Toronto 3
N2 Toronto 3
N3 Albany 1
N1 Syracuse 2
C2 Grand Rapids 4
C1 Chicago 3
C4 Charlotte 2
C1 Chicago 1
Central Division
C2 Grand Rapids 4
C2 Grand Rapids 3
C3 Milwaukee 0
C2 Grand Rapids 4
Western Conference
P1 San Jose 1
P1 San Jose 3
P4 Stockton 2
P1 San Jose 4
Pacific Division
P2 San Diego 1
P2 San Diego 3
P3 Ontario 2

AHL awards

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Calder Cup : Grand Rapids Griffins
Les Cunningham Award : Kenny Agostino, Chicago
John B. Sollenberger Trophy : Kenny Agostino, Chicago
Willie Marshall Award : Wade Megan, Chicago
Dudley "Red" Garrett Memorial Award : Danny O'Regan, San Jose
Eddie Shore Award : Matt Taormina, Syracuse
Aldege "Baz" Bastien Memorial Award : Troy Grosenick, San Jose
Harry "Hap" Holmes Memorial Award : Tristan Jarry & Casey DeSmith, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton
Louis A. R. Pieri Memorial Award : Roy Sommer, San Jose
Fred T. Hunt Memorial Award : Craig Cunningham, Tucson
Yanick Dupre Memorial Award : A. J. Greer, San Antonio
Jack A. Butterfield Trophy : Tyler Bertuzzi, Grand Rapids
Richard F. Canning Trophy : Syracuse Crunch
Robert W. Clarke Trophy : Grand Rapids Griffins
Macgregor Kilpatrick Trophy: Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
Frank Mathers Trophy (Eastern Conference regular season champions): Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
Norman R. "Bud" Poile Trophy (Western Conference regular season champions): San Jose Barracuda
Emile Francis Trophy (Atlantic Division regular season champions): Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
F. G. "Teddy" Oke Trophy (North Division regular season champions): Syracuse Crunch
Sam Pollock Trophy (Central Division regular season champions): Chicago Wolves
John D. Chick Trophy (Pacific Division regular season champions): San Jose Barracuda
James C. Hendy Memorial Award: Jim Brooks and Rob Brooks, Lehigh Valley
Thomas Ebright Memorial Award: Craig Heisinger, Manitoba
James H. Ellery Memorial Awards: Service Electric 2 Sports, Lehigh Valley
Ken McKenzie Award: Marc Lira, Toronto
Michael Condon Memorial Award: Kevin Hastings
President's Awards: Organization – San Diego

All-Star Teams

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First All-Star Team[9]

Second All-Star Team[9]

All-Rookie Team[10]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c "Board of Governors concludes Annual Meeting". AHL. July 7, 2016. Archived from the original on August 12, 2016. Retrieved July 7, 2016.
  2. ^ "Tucson City Council Approves Arena Lease Agreement Between Coyotes and Tucson Convention Center". National Hockey League. May 18, 2016.
  3. ^ "American Hockey League Announces Franchise Transaction". OurSports Central. May 23, 2016.
  4. ^ "Panthers announce AHL affiliation with Springfield Hockey, LLC". foxsports.com. May 23, 2016.
  5. ^ "Lake Erie Monsters change name, get new uniforms". KLTV. August 9, 2016. Archived from the original on August 16, 2016. Retrieved August 9, 2016.
  6. ^ "Team Stats". AHL. Retrieved June 14, 2017.
  7. ^ "Player Stats TheAHL.com". AHL.
  8. ^ "Goalie Stats TheAHL.com". AHL.
  9. ^ a b "2016–17 American Hockey League First and Second All-Star Teams Named". OurSports Central. April 6, 2017.
  10. ^ "2016-17 AHL All-Rookie Team Named". American Hockey League. April 5, 2017.
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Preceded by AHL seasons Succeeded by