Bulldogs to play more teams than ever before in 2005-06

Published on June 28, 2005 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Hamilton Bulldogs News Release


The Hamilton Bulldogs are very excited to announce they will be playing a total of 18 different opponents in the upcoming 2005-06 regular season, which is more teams than the hockey club has faced ever before in a single season. The AHL schedule grid, division and playoff formats were a few of several announcements made by American Hockey League President and CEO David Andrews at the AHL Board of Governors' annual meeting at Amelia Island, Florida.

The Bulldogs will have the most diverse eighty-game schedule the team has experienced in ten seasons in Hamilton. This schedule format will give fans the opportunity to watch the Bulldogs face many new opponents, as well as witness the traditional rivalries that have been developed from previous seasons.

The Bulldogs will play each of the four new AHL teams this season, which include the Toronto Marlies, Iowa Stars, Omaha Ak-Sar-Ben Knights, and Peoria Rivermen. Additionally, the Bulldogs will face five teams they did not play last season including the Hershey Bears, Houston Aeros, Manchester Monarchs, San Antonio Rampage, and Portland Pirates.

The Bulldogs will play out of the AHL's newly formatted North Division of the Western Conference and face divisional opponents a total of 54 times. Hamilton will take on their new Q.E.W. rivals, the Toronto Marlies, a total of 12 times (6 home / 6 road). The Bulldogs' other North Division opponents include: Rochester Americans (5 home / 5 road), Manitoba Moose (4 home / 4 road), Cleveland Barons (4 home / 4 road), Syracuse Crunch (4 home / 4 road), and Grand Rapids Griffins (4 home / 4 road).

Hamilton will play each of the seven teams in the AHL's West Division of the Western Conference. Those opponents will include the Chicago Wolves (1 home / 1 road), Houston Aeros (1 home / 1 road), Iowa Stars (1 home / 1 road), Milwaukee Admirals (1 home / 1 road), Omaha Ak-Sar-Ben Knights (2 home / 2 road), Peoria Rivermen (1 home / 1 road), and San Antonio Rampage (1 home / 1 road).

The Bulldogs will round out the schedule by playing five Eastern Conference teams, once at home and once on the road, respectively. Those teams include the defending Calder Cup Champion Philadelphia Phantoms, Manchester Monarchs, Portland Pirates, Binghamton Senators and Hershey Bears.

The AHL also announced the playoff format for the 2006 Calder Cup Playoffs. At the conclusion of the 2005-06 regular season, the 2006 Calder Cup Playoffs will feature the top four teams in each of the four divisions, with one possible exception: if the fifth-place team in the Atlantic Division finishes with more points than the fourth-place team in the East Division, it would cross over and compete in the East Division playoffs. The postseason format will again feature a divisional playoff, leading to conference finals and ultimately the Calder Cup Finals. All rounds will comprise best-of-seven series.

The Board of Governors also approved the schedule format for the 2005-06 regular season. The AHL's 70th season, which will begin on Wed., Oct. 12, will comprise a total of 1,080 games, with each of the league's 27 member teams playing an unbalanced 80-game schedule, including 40 home dates and 40 road dates and featuring both traditional and regional rivalries. The entire 2005-06 schedule is expected to be announced in late July.

In continuous operation since 1936, the AHL serves as the top development league for all 30 National Hockey League teams. During the 2004-05 season, an all-time record of 7.1 million fans attended AHL games across North America.

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American Hockey League Stories from June 28, 2005


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