Gearing Up For “Lockout-Proof” Hockey

Frank Calder was the first president of the National Hockey in 1917. He helped grow the sport through the early years and into expansion. The NHL has named its Rookie of the Year after him in his memory, the Calder Memorial Trophy.

Beginning this October, the 28 teams that comprise the American Hockey League will chase after another piece of hardware named after this pioneer of hockey. It's called the Calder Cup, and is awarded to the champions of the AHL.

Hockey fans, it's beginning to look a lot like nuclear winter for the sport. So, for those that will be in need of their fix for the puck (especially when football ends), I present as a public service to you a thumbnail's view of the AHL. There are four divisions. What follow is a breakdown of each division, with the seven teams that comprise each division, and the abbreviation of the NHL team (or teams) they are affiliated with.

The Atlantic Division includes the Hartford Wolfpack (NYR), Lowell Lock Monsters (CGY/CAR), Manchester Monarchs (LA), Portland Pirates (WAS), Providence Bruins (BOS), Springfield Falcons (TB), and Worcester Icecats (STL). The East Division is made up of the Albany River Rats (NJ), Binghamton Senators (OTT), Bridgeport Sound Tigers (NYI), Hershey Bears (COL), Norfolk Admirals (CHI), Philadelphia Phantoms (PHI), and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (PIT).

The North Division teams are the Cleveland Barons (SJ), Hamilton Bulldogs (MTL), Manitoba Moose (VAN), Rochester Americans (BUF), St. John's Maple Leafs (TOR), Syracuse Crunch (CMB), and Toronto Roadrunners (EDM). Finally, the West Division includes the Chicago Wolves (ATL), Cincinnati Mighty Ducks (ANA), Grand Rapids Griffins (DET), Houston Aeros (DAL/MIN), Milwaukee Admirals (NSH), San Antonio Rampage (FLA), and Utah Grizzles (PHX).

Now that you know the teams, some tidbits about the AHL to get you prepared for the upcoming season. The league recently adopted a rule change for this season, in which there will be a shootout to determine a winner in each contest if the scored is tied at the end of a five-minute overtime period. This will only be utilized for the regular season. The postseason will be reduced in the number of teams involved from 20 to 16. Each team plays an 80-game schedule, mostly against teams from within their own division.

Now for a few fun facts:

* Two of the last four coaches to win the Stanley Cup have also won a Calder Cup. Bob Hartley lead Hershey to the AHL title in 1997, and then coached Colorado to an NHL title in 2001, while John Tortorella, coach of this year's Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning, guided Rochester to the 1996 Calder Cup.

* Only three times has an NHL franchise won the Stanley Cup and had its affiliate team win the Calder Cup in the same season. The Nova Scotia Voyageurs won the 1976 and 1977 title in the AHL, while its parent club, the Montreal Canadiens, was winning the Stanley Cup. The only other time this double-dip has happened was in 1995, when the New Jersey Devils and their minor league partner, the Albany River Rats, won simultaneous championships.

* Since 1970, only five goaltenders have been part of both a Calder Cup championship team, and later a Stanley Cup championship team. They are: Billy Smith, a four-time Stanley Cup winner for the New York Islanders, with the 1971 Springfield Kings; Patrick Roy, a four-time Stanley Cup winner for Montreal and Colorado, with the 1985 Sherbrooke Canadiens; Wendell Young, a member of Pittsburgh's consecutive titles in the 1990s, with the 1988 Hershey Bears; Corey Schwab, who backed up Martin Brodeur for New Jersey in last year's title run, with Albany in 1995; and John Grahame, who will have his name etched on the Stanley Cup as a result of this year's win by the Lightning, with the 1999 Providence Bruins.

* Don Cherry was a member of the 1960 Calder Cup champion Springfield Indians.

* The Milwaukee Admirals are the defending league champions, having defeated the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.

* Manchester will host the 2005 AHL All-Star Game.