2025–26 AHL season
Sports season
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The 2025–26 AHL season was the 90th season of the American Hockey League. The regular season began on October 10, 2025, and ended on April 19, 2026. The 2026 Calder Cup playoffs followed the conclusion of the regular season and ended on June 19, 2026, with the Toronto Marlies winning their second Calder Cup and first since 2018.
| 2025–26 AHL season | |
|---|---|
| League | American Hockey League |
| Sport | Ice hockey |
| Duration | October 10, 2025 – April 19, 2026 |
| Regular season | |
| Macgregor Kilpatrick Trophy | Providence Bruins |
| Season MVP | Michael DiPietro (Providence Bruins) |
| Top scorer | Jakob Pelletier (Syracuse Crunch) |
| Playoffs | |
| Playoffs MVP | Artur Akhtyamov (Toronto) |
| Calder Cup | |
| Champions | Toronto Marlies |
| Runners-up | Chicago Wolves |
League changes
Coaching changes
| Off–season | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Team | 2024–25 coach | 2025–26 coach | Notes |
| Rockford IceHogs | Anders Sorensen Mark Eaton (interim) | Jared Nightingale | On May 30, 2025, Nightingale was hired as head coach of the IceHogs, having previously served assistant coach from 2021 through 2024.[1] |
| Calgary Wranglers | Trent Cull Joe Cirella (interim) | Brett Sutter | On December 27, 2024, Cull was called up to serve as assistant coach for the Calgary Flames on an interim basis.[2] He was named full-time assistant coach on May 30, 2025.[3] Following Cull's official promotion, on June 20, Sutter was named head coach of the Wranglers.[4] |
| Iowa Wild | Brett McLean | Greg Cronin | Following the 2024–25 NHL season, McLean was named to the coaching staff of Vancouver's Adam Foote. Cronin was named as head coach of the Wild on June 23, 2025.[5] |
| Bridgeport Islanders | Rick Kowalsky | Rocky Thompson | Kowalsky was relieved as head coach of the Islanders on May 29, 2025.[6] Former Philadelphia Flyers assistant coach Rocky Thompson was hired as his replacement on June 23.[7] |
| Colorado Eagles | Aaron Schneekloth | Mark Letestu | On June 17, 2025, Schneekloth was hired as an assistant coach for the Seattle Kraken.[8] Letestu, who had previously served as assistant coach for the Cleveland Monsters, was hired by the Eagles on July 5.[9] |
| Texas Stars | Neil Graham | Toby Petersen | Following the 2024–25 season NHL season, Graham was promoted to assistant coach with the Dallas Stars. Former Texas and Dallas Star Toby Petersen was named head coach on July 7.[10] |
| Ontario Reign | Marco Sturm | Andrew Lord | Sturm was hired as head coach of the Boston Bruins on June 5, 2025.[11] Following this, on July 11, Ontario hired Andrew Lord as his replacement.[12] |
| Lehigh Valley Phantoms | Ian Laperriere | John Snowden | Former Phantoms assistant coach John Snowden was named head coach on July 8, 2025, following Laperriere's transition to an advisory role within the Philadelphia Flyers' hockey operations department.[13] |
| Hershey Bears | Todd Nelson | Derek King | Nelson was named as an assistant coach of the Pittsburgh Penguins on June 20, 2025.[14] Derek King was named his replacement as head coach for Hershey on August 4.[15] |
| In–season | |||
| Team | Outgoing coach | Incoming coach | Notes |
| Chicago Wolves | Cam Abbott | Spiros Anastas (interim) | Abbott was fired as head coach of the Wolves on December 12, 2025, with Anastas being named interim head coach.[16] |
| Belleville Senators | David Bell | Andrew Campbell (interim) | Bell was fired as head coach of the Senators on December 17, 2025, with Campbell being named interim head coach.[17] |
| Springfield Thunderbirds | Steve Konowalchuk | Steve Ott | Konowalchuk was fired as head coach of the Thunderbirds on January 19, 2026, with Ott being named head coach for the remainder of the season.[18] |
Standings
z– Macgregor Kilpatrick Trophy (regular season champion)
y– indicates team has clinched division and a playoff spot
x– indicates team has clinched a playoff spot
e– indicates team has been eliminated from playoff contention
Standings as of games through April 19, 2026[19]
Eastern Conference
| Atlantic Division | GP | W | L | OTL | SOL | Pts | Pts% | GF | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| z– Providence Bruins (BOS) | 72 | 54 | 16 | 2 | 0 | 110 | .764 | 239 | 162 |
| x–Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (PIT) | 72 | 46 | 17 | 7 | 2 | 101 | .701 | 243 | 186 |
| x–Charlotte Checkers (FLA) | 72 | 44 | 23 | 5 | 0 | 93 | .646 | 238 | 187 |
| x–Bridgeport Islanders (NYI) | 72 | 34 | 30 | 3 | 5 | 76 | .528 | 219 | 222 |
| x–Hershey Bears (WSH) | 72 | 32 | 31 | 6 | 3 | 73 | .507 | 210 | 230 |
| x–Springfield Thunderbirds (STL) | 72 | 32 | 32 | 6 | 2 | 72 | .500 | 207 | 240 |
| e–Lehigh Valley Phantoms (PHI) | 72 | 31 | 35 | 3 | 3 | 68 | .472 | 210 | 247 |
| e–Hartford Wolf Pack (NYR) | 72 | 26 | 38 | 5 | 3 | 60 | .417 | 190 | 253 |
| North Division | GP | W | L | OTL | SOL | Pts | Pts% | GF | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| y–Laval Rocket (MTL) | 72 | 41 | 23 | 3 | 5 | 90 | .625 | 233 | 200 |
| x–Syracuse Crunch (TBL) | 72 | 41 | 24 | 3 | 4 | 89 | .618 | 237 | 189 |
| x–Cleveland Monsters (CBJ) | 72 | 37 | 26 | 6 | 3 | 83 | .576 | 217 | 227 |
| x–Toronto Marlies (TOR) | 72 | 36 | 26 | 5 | 5 | 82 | .569 | 229 | 228 |
| x–Rochester Americans (BUF) | 72 | 31 | 31 | 6 | 4 | 72 | .500 | 214 | 235 |
| e–Utica Comets (NJD) | 72 | 30 | 31 | 6 | 5 | 71 | .493 | 199 | 220 |
| e–Belleville Senators (OTT) | 72 | 28 | 35 | 8 | 1 | 65 | .451 | 223 | 262 |
Western Conference
| Central Division | GP | W | L | OTL | SOL | Pts | Pts% | GF | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| y–Grand Rapids Griffins (DET) | 72 | 51 | 16 | 4 | 1 | 107 | .743 | 255 | 159 |
| x–Chicago Wolves (CAR) | 72 | 36 | 21 | 8 | 7 | 87 | .604 | 225 | 218 |
| x–Texas Stars (DAL) | 72 | 37 | 29 | 4 | 2 | 80 | .556 | 222 | 228 |
| x–Manitoba Moose (WPG) | 72 | 35 | 29 | 5 | 3 | 78 | .536 | 185 | 216 |
| x–Milwaukee Admirals (NSH) | 72 | 32 | 33 | 4 | 3 | 71 | .493 | 206 | 221 |
| e–Iowa Wild (MIN) | 72 | 27 | 36 | 6 | 3 | 63 | .438 | 179 | 226 |
| e–Rockford IceHogs (CHI) | 72 | 28 | 39 | 3 | 2 | 61 | .424 | 196 | 245 |
| Pacific Division | GP | W | L | OTL | SOL | Pts | Pts% | GF | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| y–Ontario Reign (LAK) | 72 | 47 | 20 | 3 | 2 | 99 | .688 | 237 | 187 |
| x–Colorado Eagles (COL) | 72 | 41 | 20 | 6 | 5 | 93 | .646 | 237 | 198 |
| x–Henderson Silver Knights (VGK) | 72 | 39 | 21 | 7 | 5 | 90 | .625 | 263 | 225 |
| x–Coachella Valley Firebirds (SEA) | 72 | 41 | 25 | 6 | 0 | 88 | .611 | 235 | 218 |
| x–Bakersfield Condors (EDM) | 72 | 37 | 23 | 11 | 1 | 86 | .597 | 244 | 236 |
| x–San Jose Barracuda (SJS) | 72 | 40 | 28 | 2 | 2 | 84 | .583 | 243 | 230 |
| x–San Diego Gulls (ANA) | 72 | 33 | 27 | 8 | 4 | 78[20] | .542 | 224 | 228 |
| e–Tucson Roadrunners (UTA) | 72 | 34 | 28 | 10 | 0 | 78[20] | .542 | 230 | 239 |
| e–Abbotsford Canucks (VAN) | 72 | 28 | 37 | 4 | 3 | 63 | .438 | 173 | 234 |
| e–Calgary Wranglers (CGY) | 72 | 23 | 34 | 10 | 5 | 61 | .424 | 203 | 269 |
Statistical leaders
Scoring leaders
These are the top ten skaters based on points. If there is a tie in points, goals take precedence over assists; if there is a tie in goals, players with fewer games played take precedence over those with more. Updated following games played on April 19, 2026.[21]
GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; +/– = P Plus–minus; PIM = Penalty minutes
| Player | Team | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jakob Pelletier | Syracuse Crunch | 63 | 28 | 49 | 77 | 19 |
| Alex Barré-Boulet | Colorado Eagles | 70 | 26 | 44 | 70 | 30 |
| Arthur Kaliyev | Belleville Senators | 70 | 40 | 28 | 68 | 30 |
| Cameron Hughes | Texas Stars | 65 | 17 | 51 | 68 | 48 |
| Seth Griffith | Bakersfield Condors | 71 | 18 | 49 | 67 | 50 |
| Ilya Protas | Hershey Bears | 69 | 29 | 37 | 66 | 40 |
| Felix Unger Sörum | Chicago Wolves | 72 | 17 | 49 | 66 | 20 |
| Tanner Laczynski | Henderson Silver Knights | 62 | 22 | 42 | 64 | 35 |
| Quinn Hutson | Bakersfield Condors | 67 | 30 | 33 | 63 | 84 |
| Konsta Helenius | Rochester Americans | 63 | 21 | 42 | 63 | 22 |
Leading goaltenders
This is a combined table of the top five goaltenders based on goals against average and the top five goaltenders based on save percentage with at least 1,440 minutes played. The table is initially sorted by goals against average, with the criterion for inclusion in bold. Updated following games played on April 19, 2026.[22]
GP = Games played; TOI = Time on ice (in minutes); SA = Shots against; GA = Goals against; SO = Shutouts; GAA = Goals against average; SV% = Save percentage; W = Wins; L = Losses; OT = Overtime/shootout loss
| Player | Team | GP | TOI | SA | GA | SO | GAA | SV% | W | L | OT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michael DiPietro | Providence Bruins | 45 | 2,644:29 | 1,202 | 84 | 3 | 1.91 | .930 | 34 | 8 | 1 |
| Carl Lindbom | Henderson Silver Knights | 35 | 2,055:57 | 994 | 74 | 3 | 2.16 | .926 | 24 | 5 | 5 |
| Sergei Murashov | Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins | 38 | 2,153:50 | 980 | 79 | 4 | 2.20 | .919 | 24 | 9 | 4 |
| Jacob Fowler | Laval Rocket | 27 | 1,617:44 | 717 | 60 | 3 | 2.23 | .916 | 19 | 7 | 1 |
| Sebastian Cossa | Grand Rapids Griffins | 39 | 2,292:25 | 1,053 | 89 | 5 | 2.33 | .915 | 26 | 8 | 4 |
| Cayden Primeau | Chicago Wolves | 39 | 2,366:53 | 1,127 | 95 | 4 | 2.41 | .916 | 21 | 11 | 7 |
Calder Cup playoffs
Playoff format
The AHL will continue to use the same playoff format used since 2022. The playoff field will include the top six finishers in the eight-team Atlantic Division, the top five finishers each in the seven-team North and Central Divisions, and the top seven teams in the 10-team Pacific Division. First Round match-ups will be best-of-three series; the two highest seeds in the Atlantic, the three highest seeds in each of the North and Central, and the first-place team in the Pacific will receive byes into the best-of-five Division Semifinals, with the First Round winners re-seeded in each division. The Division Finals will also be best-of-five series, followed by best-of-seven Conference Finals and a best-of-seven Calder Cup Finals series.[23]
Bracket
Source:[24]
| First Round April 21–26 | Division Semifinals April 24 – May 9 | Division Finals May 12–24 | Conference Finals May 27 – June 8 | Calder Cup Finals June 12–19 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| A1 | Providence | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| A3 | Charlotte | 1 | A6 | Springfield | 3 | |||||||||||||||||||
| A6 | Springfield | 2 | Atlantic Division | A6 | Springfield | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||
| A2 | Wilkes-Barre/Scranton | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| A2 | Wilkes-Barre/Scranton | 3 | Eastern Conference | |||||||||||||||||||||
| A4 | Bridgeport | 0 | A5 | Hershey | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||
| A5 | Hershey | 2 | A2 | Wilkes-Barre/Scranton | 2 | |||||||||||||||||||
| N4 | Toronto | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| N1 | Laval | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| N4 | Toronto | 2 | N4 | Toronto | 3 | |||||||||||||||||||
| N5 | Rochester | 1 | North Division | N4 | Toronto | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||
| N3 | Cleveland | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| N2 | Syracuse | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| N3 | Cleveland | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| N4 | Toronto | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| C2 | Chicago | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| C1 | Grand Rapids | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| C4 | Manitoba | 2 | C4 | Manitoba | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||
| C5 | Milwaukee | 1 | Central Division | C1 | Grand Rapids | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||
| C2 | Chicago | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| C2 | Chicago | 3 | Western Conference | |||||||||||||||||||||
| C3 | Texas | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| C2 | Chicago | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| P2 | Colorado | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| P1 | Ontario | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| P2 | Colorado | 2 | P4 | Coachella Valley | 3 | |||||||||||||||||||
| P7 | San Diego | 0 | Pacific Division | P4 | Coachella Valley | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||
| P3 | Henderson | 2 | P2 | Colorado | 3 | |||||||||||||||||||
| P6 | San Jose | 0 | P2 | Colorado | 3 | |||||||||||||||||||
| P4 | Coachella Valley | 2 | P3 | Henderson | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||
| P5 | Bakersfield | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
AHL awards
| Award | Winner | Ref |
|---|---|---|
| Calder Cup (Playoff champions) | Toronto Marlies | |
| Les Cunningham Award (Regular season MVP) | Michael DiPietro, Providence Bruins | |
| John B. Sollenberger Trophy (Regular season points leader) | Jakob Pelletier, Syracuse Crunch | |
| Willie Marshall Award (Regular season goalscoring leader) | Arthur Kaliyev, Belleville Senators | |
| Dudley "Red" Garrett Memorial Award (Rookie of the year) | Ilya Protas, Hershey Bears | |
| Eddie Shore Award (Defenceman of the year) | Zac Jones, Rochester Americans | |
| Aldege "Baz" Bastien Memorial Award (Goaltender of the year) | Michael DiPietro, Providence Bruins | |
| Harry "Hap" Holmes Memorial Award (Team with fewest goals against) | Sebastian Cossa & Michal Postava, Grand Rapids Griffins | |
| Louis A. R. Pieri Memorial Award (Coach of the year) | Ryan Mougenel, Providence Bruins | |
| Fred T. Hunt Memorial Award (Sportsmanship, determination, and dedication to hockey) | Patrick Brown, Providence Bruins | |
| Yanick Dupré Memorial Award (Community service) | Tyrel Bauer, Manitoba Moose | |
| Jack A. Butterfield Trophy (Playoff MVP) | Artur Akhtyamov, Toronto Marlies | |
| Richard F. Canning Trophy (Eastern Conference playoff champions) | Toronto Marlies | |
| Robert W. Clarke Trophy (Western Conference playoff champions) | Chicago Wolves | |
| Macgregor Kilpatrick Trophy (Regular season champions) | Providence Bruins | |
| Frank Mathers Trophy (Atlantic Division regular season champions) | Providence Bruins | |
| F. G. "Teddy" Oke Trophy (North Division regular season champions) | Laval Rocket | |
| Sam Pollock Trophy (Central Division regular season champions) | Grand Rapids Griffins | |
| John D. Chick Trophy (Pacific Division regular season champions) | Colorado Eagles | |
| James C. Hendy Memorial Award (Executive of the year) | ||
| Thomas Ebright Memorial Award (Career contributions to the AHL) | ||
| Bruce Landon Award (Outstanding hockey operations executive) | ||
| James H. Ellery Memorial Award (Outstanding media coverage) | ||
| Ken McKenzie Award (Marketing and public relations) | ||
| Michael Condon Memorial Award (On-ice official) | ||
| President's Awards (Excellence in all areas of the ice) |
All-Star teams
First All-Star Team[25]
- Michael DiPietro (G) – Providence Bruins
- Jack Ahcan (D) – Colorado Eagles
- Zac Jones (D) – Rochester Americans
- Alex Barré-Boulet (F) – Colorado Eagles
- Arthur Kaliyev (F) – Belleville Senators
- Jakob Pelletier (F) – Syracuse Crunch
Second All-Star Team[25]
- Carl Lindbom (G) – Henderson Silver Knights
- Lukas Cormier (D) – Henderson Silver Knights
- Ryan Ufko (D) – Milwaukee Admirals
- Cameron Hughes (F) – Texas Stars
- Tanner Laczynski (F) – Henderson Silver Knights
- John Leonard (F) – Charlotte Checkers
All-Rookie Team[26]
- Sergei Murashov (G) – Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
- Tyson Jugnauth (D) – Coachella Valley Firebirds
- Dmitriy Simashev (D) – Tucson Roadrunners
- Isaac Howard (F) – Bakersfield Condors
- Quinn Hutson (F) – Bakersfield Condors
- Ilya Protas (F) – Hershey Bears
Top Prospects Team