AHL Announces Division Realignment and Playoff Format for 2003-20 04 Season
Published on July 9, 2003 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins News Release
WILKES-BARRE, PA. - The American Hockey League today unveiled a new conference and division alignment and announced the Calder Cup Playoff format for the 2003-2004 season. The announcement came from the AHL Board of Governors' annual meeting on Hilton Head Island, S.C. After four seasons in the Western Conference, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins will move over to the Eastern Conference next season, where they will be joined by former South Division rivals, the Hershey Bears, Norfolk Admirals and Philadelphia Phantoms in the newly created East Division. The division will also consist of the Binghamton Senators, Bridgeport Sound Tigers and former Empire Division rival, the Albany River Rats.
The AHL's four-division, two-conference setup for the 2003-04 season is as follows:
Eastern Conference
Atlantic Division
Hartford Wolf Pack (NYR)
Lowell Lock Monsters (CAR/CGY)
Manchester Monarchs (LA)
Portland Pirates (WSH)
Providence Bruins (BOS)
Springfield Falcons (PHX)
Worcester IceCats (STL)
East Division
Albany River Rats (NJ)
Binghamton Senators (OTT)
Bridgeport Sound Tigers (NYI)
Hershey Bears (COL/TB)
Norfolk Admirals (CHI)
Philadelphia Phantoms (PHI)
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (PIT)
Western Conference
North Division
Cleveland Barons (SJ)
Hamilton Bulldogs (MTL)
Manitoba Moose (VAN)
Rochester Americans (BUF)
St. John's Maple Leafs (TOR)
Syracuse Crunch (CBJ)
Toronto Roadrunners (EDM)
West Division
Chicago Wolves (ATL)
Cincinnati Mighty Ducks (ANA)
Grand Rapids Griffins (DET)
Houston Aeros (MIN)
Milwaukee Admirals (NSH)
San Antonio Rampage (FLA)
Utah Grizzlies (DAL)
The AHL also announced that at the conclusion of the 2003-04 regular season, the top five teams in each of the four divisions will qualify for the Calder Cup 2004 Playoffs, allowing once again for at least two-thirds of National Hockey League teams' prospects to gain valuable postseason experience.
In each division, the fourth-place team will face the fifth-place team in a best-of-three qualifying round. Each subsequent round will be a best-of-seven. In the division semifinals, the first-place team will face the qualifying winner and the second-place team will face the third-place team from each division. The division finals will match the semifinal winners within each division, with those winners advancing to their respective conference final. Conference final winners will advance to the Calder Cup 2004 Finals.
The Penguins will begin their fifth season in the American Hockey League in October. For information about season tickets, contact the ticket office at 208-PENS.
American Hockey League Stories from July 9, 2003
- Rampage Announce AHL Division Lineup and Playoff Format - San Antonio Rampage
- Ducks Announce AHL Changes - Cincinnati RailRaiders
- AHL Announces Division Realignment and Playoff Format for 2003-20 04 Season - Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
- Realignment Places Amerks in North Division - Rochester Americans
- Bears on the Move as AHL Announces Realignment for 2003-04 - Hershey Bears
- Bulldogs to Play in AHL's North Division - Hamilton Bulldogs
- AHL Announces Realignment, Playoff Format - Bridgeport Islanders
- Griffins Return to West Division - Grand Rapids Griffins
- AHL Announces Division Alignment, Playoff Format For 2003-04 Season - Syracuse Crunch
- AHL Announces Changes - Worcester IceCats
- AHL unveils new alignments & playoff format for 2003-04 - Adirondack Phantoms
- Barons To North Division - Cleveland Barons
- AHL Unveils Division, Playoff Formats - AHL
- Maple Leafs launch 'Be A Ticket Contest' - Toronto Marlies
- Sticks and Bones Holds Sidewalk Sale - Hamilton Bulldogs
- Bears to Hold Auditions for National Anthem Singers - Hershey Bears
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