AHL 1997/98

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The 1997/98 season was the 62nd regular season of the American Hockey League (AHL). During the regular season, the 18 teams in the league played 80 games each. The eight best teams from the Eastern Conference and the Western Conference then played in a play-off round for the Calder Cup .

Team changes

The following changes were made before the start of the season:

Regular season

Closing tables

Abbreviations: GP = games, W = wins, L = defeats, T = draws, OTL = defeat after overtime , GF = goals scored, GA = goals conceded, Pts = points
Explanations: The placement within the conference is shown in brackets;     = Playoff qualification,     = division winner,     = conference winner

Eastern Conference

Atlantic Division GP W. L. T OTL GF GA Pts
Saint John Flames 80 43 24 13 0 231 201 99
Fredericton Canadiens 80 33 32 10 5 245 244 81
Portland Pirates 80 33 33 12 2 241 247 80
St. John's Maple Leafs 80 25th 32 18th 5 233 254 73
New England Division GP W. L. T OTL GF GA Pts
Springfield Falcons 80 45 26th 7th 2 278 248 99
Hartford Wolf Pack 80 43 24 12 1 272 227 99
Beast of New Haven 80 38 33 7th 2 256 239 85
Worcester IceCats 80 34 31 9 6th 267 268 83
Providence Bruins 80 19th 49 7th 5 211 301 50

Western Conference

Empire State Division GP W. L. T OTL GF GA Pts
Albany River Rats 80 43 20th 11 6th 290 223 103
Hamilton Bulldogs 80 36 22nd 17th 5 264 242 94
Syracuse crunch 80 35 32 11 2 272 285 83
Adirondack Red Wings 80 31 37 9 3 245 275 74
Rochester Americans 80 30th 38 12 0 238 260 72
Mid-Atlantic Division GP W. L. T OTL GF GA Pts
Philadelphia Phantoms 80 47 21st 10 2 314 249 106
Hershey Bears 80 36 31 7th 6th 238 235 85
Kentucky Thoroughblades 80 29 39 9 3 241 278 70
Cincinnati Mighty Ducks 80 23 37 13 7th 243 303 66

Best scorer

Abbreviations: GP = games, G = goals, A = assists , Pts = points, +/- = plus / minus , PIM = penalty minutes; Bold: Season best

player team GP G A. Pts PIM
Peter White Philadelphia Phantoms 80 27 78 105 28
Bob Wren Cincinnati Mighty Ducks 77 42 58 100 151
Steve Guolla Kentucky Thoroughblades 69 37 63 100 45
Stacy Roest Adirondack Red Wings 80 34 58 92 30th
Danny Brière Springfield Falcons 68 36 56 92 42
Craig Darby Philadelphia Phantoms 77 42 45 87 34
Craig Reichert Cincinnati Mighty Ducks 78 28 59 87 28
Brendan Morrison Albany River Rats 72 35 49 84 44
Alexei Yegorov Kentucky Thoroughblades 79 32 52 84 56

Calder Cup playoffs

mode

The eight best teams each qualified for the playoffs in the Eastern Conference and Western Conference . While the best four teams in each division qualified in the Eastern Conference, the fifth of the Empire State Division, the Rochester Americans , could qualify in the Western Conference because they had more points than the fourth of the Mid-Atlantic Division, the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks .

In the first three playoff rounds, the winners of the Eastern and Western divisions were played, which then met in the final of the Calder Cup. While the first playoff round was played in best-of-five mode, all other play-offs and the final were played in best-of-seven mode.

Playoff tree

  Semifinals division   Division Finals   Conference Finals   Calder Cup Finals
                                     
A1 Saint John Flames 3                  
A4 St. John's Maple Leafs 1  
A1 Saint John Flames 4th
  A3 Portland Pirates 2  
A2 Fredericton Canadiens 1
 
A3 Portland Pirates 3  
A1 Saint John Flames 4th
Eastern Conference
  N2 Hartford Wolf Pack 1  
N1 Springfield Falcons 1      
 
N4 Worcester IceCats 3  
N4 Worcester IceCats 3
  N2 Hartford Wolf Pack 4th  
N2 Hartford Wolf Pack 3
 
N3 Beast of New Haven 0  
A1 Saint John Flames 2
  M1 Philadelphia Phantoms 4th
E1 Albany River Rats 3            
 
E4 Adirondack Red Wings 0  
E1 Albany River Rats 4th
  E3 Hamilton Bulldogs 0  
E2 Hamilton Bulldogs 3
 
E3 Syracuse crunch 2  
E1 Albany River Rats 2
Western Conference
  M1 Philadelphia Phantoms 4th  
M1 Philadelphia Phantoms 3      
 
E5 Rochester Americans 1  
M1 Philadelphia Phantoms 4th
  M2 Hershey Bears 0  
M2 Hershey Bears 3
 
M3 Kentucky Thoroughblades 0  

Calder Cup winner

Calder Cup winner


Philadelphia Phantoms

Goalkeepers: Brian Boucher , Neil Little

Defenders: Andy Delmore , Jamie Heward , Jeff Lank , Dave MacIsaac , Jeff Staples , John Stevens , Travis Van Tighem

Attackers: Frank Bialowas , Martin Cerven , Bruce Coles , Craig Darby , Paul Healey , Mike Maneluk , Shawn McCosh , Jim Montgomery , Sean O'Brien , Andre Payette , Brian Wesenberg , Peter White

Head Coach: Bill Barber   General Manager: Bobby Clarke

Awarded trophies

Team trophies

Award team
Calder Cup
winners of the AHL playoffs 		Philadelphia Phantoms
Richard F. Canning Trophy
winner of the Eastern Conference Finals 		Saint John Flames
Robert W. Clarke Trophy
winner of the Western Conference Finals 		Philadelphia Phantoms
Macgregor Kilpatrick Trophy
Best Regular Season Team 		Philadelphia Phantoms
Frank S. Mathers Trophy
Best Team in the Mid-Atlantic Division 		Philadelphia Phantoms
FG "Teddy" Oke Trophy
Best team in the New England Division 		Springfield Falcons
Sam Pollock Trophy
Best Team in the Atlantic Division 		Saint John Flames
John D. Chick Trophy
Best Team in the Empire State Division 		Albany River Rats

Individual trophies

Award player team
Les Cunningham Award
MVP of the regular season 		Steve Guolla Kentucky Thoroughblades
John B. Sollenberger Trophy
Best Scorer 		Peter White Philadelphia Phantoms
Dudley "Red" Garrett Memorial Award
Best Rookie 		Daniel Brière Springfield Falcons
Eddie Shore Award
Best Defender 		Jamie Heward Philadelphia Phantoms
Aldege "Baz" Bastien Memorial Award
Best Goalkeeper 		Scott Langkow Springfield Falcons
Harry "Hap" Holmes Memorial Award
Goalkeeper with the fewest goals conceded 		Jean-Sébastien Giguère Saint John Flames
Tyler Moss
Louis AR Pieri Memorial Award
Best Trainer 		Bill Stewart Saint John Flames
Fred T. Hunt Memorial Award
For the player who excels through fairness, commitment and dedication 		Craig Charron Rochester Americans
Yanick Dupré Memorial Award
For the player who distinguishes himself through special commitment in society 		John Jakopin Beast of New Haven
Jack A. Butterfield Trophy
MVP of the Calder Cup Playoffs 		Mike Maneluk Philadelphia Phantoms

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