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AHL Playoff Time is Here

April 7, 2003 - American Hockey League (AHL) News Release

SPRINGFIELD, MA ... Another exciting, down-to-the-wire regular season concluded on Sunday night, setting the stage for the Calder Cup 2003 Playoffs to begin this week.

The Rochester Americans claimed the 10th and final playoff berth in the Western Conference with a 4-2 victory over league-leading Hamilton on Sunday evening. The Amerks, who will be participating in their 14th consecutive postseason, got an extra lift from Chris Taylor and Milan Bartovic. Both played in the parent Sabres' 2-2 tie with New Jersey at the HSBC Arena in Buffalo on Sunday afternoon, then headed 75 miles down the New York Thruway to get to hit the ice again in Rochester. Bartovic assisted on Riley Nelson's game-winning goal for the Amerks.

More high drama followed in the AHL regular season's final game, a tilt between San Antonio and Chicago at Allstate Arena. Needing four points to earn his first AHL scoring title, Wolves captain Steve Maltais netted three power play goals, then chipped in an assist with 5.8 seconds remaining to give him the John B. Sollenberger Trophy with 86 points, one better than Houston's Jean-Guy Trudel. The 6-4 loss to the Rampage ended Chicago's 13-game home unbeaten streak.

Fourteen of the 20 participants in the 2003 postseason are vying for their first Calder Cup championship, while Chicago is trying to become the first team since the 1990-91 Springfield Indians to successfully defend their title. Binghamton and San Antonio are looking to join six other clubs in league history who won the Calder Cup in their first season in the AHL.

The AHL's championship trophy is named after Hockey Hall of Famer Frank Calder, who served as the first president of the National Hockey League from 1917-43. During the 1920s, Calder was instrumental in guiding professional hockey into the mainstream of the United States' major cities, including New York, Boston, Chicago and Detroit, while also helping in the formation of the American Hockey League in 1936.

A total of 105 former Calder Cup champions representing 17 of the last 18 championship squads skated in the NHL during the 2002-03 regular season, including Pasi Nurminen (2002), Rico Fata (2001), Derek Armstrong (2000), John Grahame (1999), Brian Boucher (1998), Marc Denis (1997), Steve Shields (1996), Steve Sullivan (1995), Jason Allison (1994), Kirk Maltby (1993), Keith Primeau (1992), Geoff Sanderson (1991), Tom Fitzgerald (1990), Adam Graves (1989), Uwe Krupp (1987), Adam Oates (1986) and Patrick Roy (1985).

2002-03 BY THE NUMBERS ... For just the second time in AHL history (1998-99 was the other), four teams â Hamilton, Grand Rapids, Providence and Houston â reached the 100-point mark... Hamilton is the first Canadian team to finish first overall since St. John's in 1993-94... Grand Rapids won a league-record 26 road games... Steve Maltais's 86 points is the lowest total by an AHL scoring champion since Gerry Ehman led the league with 85 points in 1963-64... Twenty-seven players skated in at least 80 games this season, including Houston's Curtis Murphy and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton's Brendan Buckley, both of whom played 80 a year ago as well... Chicago finished with a league-record 11 overtime wins... Hartford was winless in 20 overtime games (0-8-12) on the year... Manitoba did not lose a game in regulation when leading after one period (18-0-3-1)... Goaltenders stopped 20 of 32 penalty shot attempts this season... There were 76 hat tricks on the season (13 more than last year) but no four-goal games... The league's 135 shutouts were one shy of last year's record total.

FOLLOW THE LEADERS ... Some of the statistical leaders for the 2002-03 AHL season:
Â
PointsÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 86Â Â Â Â Â Steve Maltais, CHI
GoalsÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 42Â Â Â Â Â Eric Healey, MCH
AssistsÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 56Â Â Â Â Â Steve Maltais, CHI
Games PlayedÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 82Â Â Â Â Â Cory Larose, HOU/HFD
Penalty MinutesÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 346Â Â Â Â Â Garrett Burnett, HFD
Power Play GoalsÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â 17Â Â Â Â Â Lee Goren, PRO
Shorthanded GoalsÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â 7Â Â Â Â Â Ben Simon, CHI
Game-Winning GoalsÂ Â Â Â Â 11Â Â Â Â Â Matt Herr, PRO
Overtime GoalsÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 3Â Â Â Â Â Pavel Rosa, MCH
Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Jeff Taffe, SPR
Plus/MinusÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â +34Â Â Â Â Â M-A. Bergeron, HAM
GAAÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 1.94Â Â Â Â Â Craig Andersson, NOR
Save PercentageÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â .929Â Â Â Â Â Maxime Ouellet, POR
WinsÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 33Â Â Â Â Â Marc Lamothe, GRA
ShutoutsÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 7Â Â Â Â Â Maxime Ouellet, POR
Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Ray Emery, BNG
SavesÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 1495Â Â Â Â Â Mikael Tellqvist, SJS
Points (rookie) Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 75Â Â Â Â Â Darren Haydar, MIL
Goals (rookie)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 34Â Â Â Â Â Antoine Vermette, BNG
Assists (rookie)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 46Â Â Â Â Â Darren Haydar, MIL
Points (defenseman)Â Â Â Â 57Â Â Â Â Â Greg Hawgood, UTA
Goals (defenseman)Â Â Â Â Â 23Â Â Â Â Â Curtis Murphy, HOU
Assists (defenseman)Â Â Â 42Â Â Â Â Â Greg Hawgood, UTA
Power Play %Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 19.67Â Â Â Â Â Chicago
Penalty Killing %Â Â Â 87.30Â Â Â Â Â Bridgeport
Power Play GoalsÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â 98Â Â Â Â Â Chicago
Shorthanded GoalsÂ Â Â Â Â Â 19Â Â Â Â Â Chicago
Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â San Antonio
Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Syracuse
Goals ForÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 279Â Â Â Â Â Hamilton
Goals AgainstÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 177Â Â Â Â Â Grand Rapids
Shots ForÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 2872Â Â Â Â Â Saint John
Shots AgainstÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 2152Â Â Â Â Â Houston
AttendanceÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 359,464Â Â Â Â Â Manchester (8,986 avg.)

ETC. ... Hamilton captain Benoit Gratton returned to the lineup after a three-month absence and recorded five points in three weekend games... Bob Wren became the 65th player in AHL history to reach 500 career points with the first of his three assists in Binghamton's 8-5 win at Providence on Sunday (teammate Brad Smyth was the 64th back on Jan. 31)... In Sunday's game, the Senators scored four power play goals in a span of 2:43 during the same five-minute penalty... Fredrik Sjostrom, the 11th overall pick in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft, scored his first pro goal in Springfield's 2-1 win over Worcester on Sunday... Scottie Upshall, picked sixth overall in the 2002 draft, scored for Milwaukee on Sunday... In a pair of 1-1 ties on Saturday night, Norfolk's Craig Andersson (41) and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton's J-S. Aubin (39) combined for 80 saves, while Worcester's Curtis Sanford (42) and Portland's Rastislav Stana (35) combined for 77... Fresh out of the University of North Dakota, Kevin Spiewak beat J-F. Damphousse on a penalty shot for his first pro goal in Portland's 3-2 loss to Saint John on Sunday... Two-time AHL Man of the Year Mike Minard returned to Hamilton on Saturday and made 24 saves in Manitoba's 5-3 loss to the Bulldogs... On Saturday, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton recorded its 100th consecutive regular-season sellout at the First Union Arena at Casey Plaza... Kamil Piros scored his first three NHL goals for Atlanta in a 6-2 win over Tampa Bay on Sunday... Chicago forward Jeff Farkas's playing career is likely over following successful surgery to repair a cracked vertebra in his neck.

Check out the American Hockey League Statistics

American Hockey League Stories from April 7, 2003

Bryzgalov, Popovic, Hedstrom and Reirden Join Anaheim - Cincinnati RailRaiders
Wolves Face Hershey in Quarterfinal Matchup - Chicago Wolves
Rangers Name Don Maloney General Manager of the Hartford Wolf Pack - Connecticut Whale
Eight Players Added To Monarchs Roster In Anticipation Of The Playoffs - Manchester Monarchs
Phantoms Weekly - Adirondack Phantoms
Bulldogs Finish Season on Top of AHL - Hamilton Bulldogs
Admirals Make History with First AHL Playoff Appearance - Milwaukee Admirals
Ritchie Rejoins Rampage - San Antonio Rampage
Sound Tigers Head Into Playoffs On Four Game Win Streak - Bridgeport Islanders
IceCats Raise Thousands for Habitat for Humanity - Worcester IceCats
Hossa, Komisarek and Ward to Join Bulldogs for Playoffs - Hamilton Bulldogs
Sound Tigers Announce Several Transactions - Bridgeport Islanders
Goaltender Jean-Sebastien Aubin Named AHL Player of the Week - Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
Aeros Set First Round Playoff Dates - Houston Aeros
Moose Finish Regular Season as Ninth Seed - Manitoba Moose
Pirates Open Playoffs against Manitoba - Portland Pirates
AHL Playoff Time is Here - AHL
Wolf Pack Announce Qualifying Round Playoff Schedule - Connecticut Whale
Maple Leafs Announce Year End Award Winners - Toronto Marlies
Pens' Aubin named Sher-Wood AHL Player of the Week - AHL
Norfolk Captures Second South Division Title - Norfolk Admirals
Sixth Annual West Michigan Sports Awards Wet for May 13 - Grand Rapids Griffins
Postseason Play Begins Sunday as Bears Head to Chicago - Hershey Bears

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