According to Tony Androckitis of Inside AHL Hockey, the American Hockey League’s Board of Governors has approved a 23-team playoff format for the 2025 Calder Cup playoffs. The league has run the format for the past two seasons and will be revisited after the current AHL Collective Bargaining Agreement expires on August 31st, 2025.
The last time the AHL has run a 16-team playoff format in the Calder Cup playoffs came back in the 2018-19 season. After the Calder Cup playoffs were canceled in 2020 and 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the playoffs returned in 2022 to an adjusted format. The only teams in the league who did not qualify for the playoffs were the bottom two teams in each division.
The expanded playoff format did not do much for increased competition during the 2022 Calder Cup playoffs as the Calder Cup Finals was comprised of the Springfield Thunderbirds and the Chicago Wolves who earned a bye into the Division semifinals after the regular season. Since then, only the Rochester Americans and Hartford Wolf Pack have made it as far as the Division Finals for teams that would not have made it into the playoffs in a 16-team format.
It will be interesting to see the arguments for and against continuing the 23-team playoff format in the next collective bargaining agreement for the AHL. Some organizations that otherwise wouldn’t have made it into the playoffs are now guaranteed two games of postseason revenue while the players also earn a spot to play for the league’s highest trophy. However, since there has been no evidence to suggest that the new format leads to increased parity or competition in the Calder Cup playoffs, it would not be a surprise to see the league return to the traditional 16-team format.
Cool way to make your regular season worthless.
Don’t get any ideas, Gary. The brackets are lame enough.
Maybe you are new to hockey but the minor league system is in place to get seasoning for younger players, rehab options for injured players, and to provide revenue via gate receipts fo the franchises. More games adds to all of this. Simple concept. It’s hockey. Lighten up a bit.
The extent to which you missed (avoided) the point in order to engage in your patented pedantry is actually kind of impressive here.
I got the point. You don’t understand the business of hockey.
8 others got the point so far.
But you needed another excuse to be pedantic because it fills some void in you. It’s a predictable and tired formula at this point, Dog.
With the way the minors work it is kind of worthless anyway as parent teams load up affiliates once they themselves are eliminated from the NHL playoffs races. Often, teams that go deep into the playoffs don’t resemble the teams they iced most of the season.
Will this extend the AHL season in July? It was not cool to have Hershey win the Calder on same night Florida won Stanley. And those AHL playoff teams are expected to be ready to go fight for NHL slot in few weeks.
Yeah, would have been better had it been Coachella Valley!!
Where’s the thumbs down button…
Don’t forget Tennessee winning the college baseball World Series that night as well…
Well Hershey has more true fans than Florida anyway. These NHL teams are filled with fairweathered fans that join the crowds when they’re rolling, but once the teams aren’t stacked anymore the stands are 1/2 empty. Florida upped attendance this past year or two but from 2013-2022 averaged under 14000.
why bother. to play a regular season. Dumb idea
You don’t understand the idea of a regular season? Well done.
just seem’s to me 3/4th of the teams get in. Playoffs should be a reward. Not finish below 500 and get in anyway. everyone gets a trophy junk even if you stink
Minor league teams are in place to develop players, help players on rehab assignments, and provide depth for the NHL teams. More games help this process.
It makes sense because NHL teams want to keep their players active and playing in case they need them in the playoffs rather than wasting away as black aces
go back to roller hockey where they have no center or blue lines either.
Why Bother having a Regular season with standings then?
What Garbage..
More hockey makes you angry?
These kinds of junk ideas from the AHL or NHL happen because the fleet of ice cream trucks broke down and had multiple flat tires trying to avoid those spike strips.
I doubt there are many other AHL season ticket holders on this site, but chalk me up as one thinking this to be moronic. My team missed the playoffs last year, but the AHL being a developmental league, I think it’s a valuable lesson to players that there aren’t any participation prizes. You either play hard and play well and make the playoffs, or you don’t come up to scratch and you fall short.
By the time playoffs roll around the players are extremely banged up. Of course they’ll put everything on the line to continue playing, but if they truly don’t have a chance at winning the ultimate title then they’re probably best served having a break and recuperating for the following season. Also, attendance drops for many teams once the playoffs start, people are ready to move on.
Playoffs? More revenue from ticket sales and advertising for teams!! All teams get in the playoffs is next.
Next thing you know they’ll have a series and trophy for whoever gets 31st place.