AHL Rochester Americans

Realignment Places Amerks in North Division

Published on July 9, 2003 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Rochester Americans News Release


(Rochester, NY)... The American Hockey League announced today the new conference and division alignment for the 2003-04 season. The league also unveiled the new Calder Cup Playoff format at the AHL Board of Governors' annual meeting on Hilton Head Island, S.C. The AHL has returned to a four-division, two-conference setup, with seven teams in each division. The Rochester Americans will remain in the Western Conference, but join the newly formed North Division, along with the Syracuse Crunch, Cleveland Barons, Hamilton Bulldogs, Manitoba Moose, St. John's Maple Leafs and Toronto Roadrunners. This year, Rochester enters its 48th season in the AHL and 25th as the AHL affiliate of the Buffalo Sabres.

The league also announced changes to the Calder Cup Playoff structure. At the conclusion of the 2003-04 regular season, the top five teams in each of the four divisions will qualify for the postseason. 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 series. 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.

Here is the new conference and divisional alignment for the 2003-04 season:

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)

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American Hockey League Stories from July 9, 2003


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