The 1998 Calder Cup playoffs of the American Hockey League began on April 14, 1998.[1] The sixteen teams that qualified, eight from each conference, played best-of-five series for division semifinals and best-of-seven series for division finals and conference finals. The conference champions played a best-of-seven series for the Calder Cup. The Calder Cup Final ended on June 10, 1998, with the Philadelphia Phantoms defeating the Saint John Flames four games to two to win the first Calder Cup in team history.[2] Philadelphia's Mike Maneluk won the Jack A. Butterfield Trophy as the AHL playoff MVP.[3]
| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Dates | April 14 – June 10, 1998 |
| Teams | 16 |
| Final positions | |
| Champions | Philadelphia Phantoms |
| Runner-up | Saint John Flames |
The Philadelphia Phantoms set an AHL playoff record by winning 9 road games in one playoff year.[4]
Playoff seeds
editAfter the 1997–98 AHL regular season, 16 teams qualified for the playoffs. The top four teams from each division qualified for the playoffs. However, due to the uneven number of teams in the each conference, it was possible for the fifth-placed team in the five team divisions to crossover to the playoffs for the four team divisions. This could only happen if the fifth-placed team in a five team division earned more points than the fourth-placed team in the four team division in the same conference. In this case, the fifth-placed team from the five team division would play in place of the fourth-placed team from the four team division in that part of the playoff bracket. The Philadelphia Phantoms were the Western Conference regular season champions as well as the Macgregor Kilpatrick Trophy winners with the best overall regular season record. The Springfield Falcons were the Eastern Conference regular season champions.[5]
Eastern Conference
editAtlantic Division
edit- Saint John Flames – 99 points
- Fredericton Canadiens – 81 points
- Portland Pirates – 80 points
- St. John's Maple Leafs – 73 points
New England Division
edit- Springfield Falcons – Eastern Conference regular season champions, 99 points
- Hartford Wolf Pack – 99 points
- Beast of New Haven – 85 points
- Worcester IceCats – 83 points
Western Conference
editEmpire Division
edit- Albany River Rats – 103 points
- Hamilton Bulldogs – 94 points
- Syracuse Crunch – 83 points
- Adirondack Red Wings – 74 points
- Rochester Americans – 72 points (Played in the Mid-Atlantic Division bracket by virtue of earning more points than the fourth-placed team in that division)
Mid-Atlantic Division
edit- Philadelphia Phantoms – Western Conference regular season champions; Macgregor Kilpatrick Trophy winners, 106 points
- Hershey Bears – 85 points
- Kentucky Thoroughblades – 70 points
Bracket
edit| Division Semifinals | Division Finals | Conference Finals | Calder Cup Final | ||||||||||||||||
| A1 | Saint John | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| A4 | St. John's | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| A1 | Saint John | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| Atlantic Division | |||||||||||||||||||
| A3 | Portland | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
| A2 | Fredericton | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| A3 | Portland | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| A1 | Saint John | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| Eastern Conference | |||||||||||||||||||
| N2 | Hartford | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| N1 | Springfield | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| N4 | Worcester | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| N4 | Worcester | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| New England Division | |||||||||||||||||||
| N2 | Hartford | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| N2 | Hartford | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| N3 | New Haven | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
| A1 | Saint John | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
| M1 | Philadelphia | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| E1 | Albany | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| E4 | Adirondack | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
| E1 | Albany | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| Empire Division | |||||||||||||||||||
| E3 | Hamilton | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
| E2 | Hamilton | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| E3 | Syracuse | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
| E1 | Albany | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
| Western Conference | |||||||||||||||||||
| M1 | Philadelphia | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| M1 | Philadelphia | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| E5 | Rochester | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| M1 | Philadelphia | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| Mid-Atlantic Division | |||||||||||||||||||
| M2 | Hershey | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
| M2 | Hershey | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| M3 | Kentucky | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
In each round the team that earned more points during the regular season receives home ice advantage, meaning they receive the "extra" game on home-ice if the series reaches the maximum number of games. There is no set series format due to arena scheduling conflicts and travel considerations.[6]
Division Semifinals
edit- Note 1: All times are in Eastern Time (UTC−4).
- Note 2: Game times in italics signify games to be played only if necessary.
- Note 3: Home team is listed first.
Eastern Conference
editAtlantic Division
edit(A1) Saint John Flames vs. (A4) St. John's Maple Leafs
edit| April 16 | Saint John Flames | 4 – 3 | St. John's Maple Leafs | Harbour Station | ||||
| April 18 | Saint John Flames | 2 – 1 | OT | St. John's Maple Leafs | Harbour Station | |||
| April 21 | St. John's Maple Leafs | 3 – 1 | Saint John Flames | Memorial Stadium | ||||
| April 23 | St. John's Maple Leafs | 1 – 3 | Saint John Flames | Memorial Stadium | ||||
| Saint John won series 3 – 1 | |
(A2) Fredericton Canadiens vs. (A3) Portland Pirates
edit| April 17 | Fredericton Canadiens | 3 – 4 | Portland Pirates | Aitken Centre | ||||
| April 19 | Fredericton Canadiens | 2 – 4 | Portland Pirates | Aitken Centre | ||||
| April 23 | Portland Pirates | 3 – 6 | Fredericton Canadiens | Cumberland County Civic Center | ||||
| April 24 | Portland Pirates | 3 – 1 | Fredericton Canadiens | Cumberland County Civic Center | ||||
| Portland won series 3 – 1 | |
New England Division
edit(N1) Springfield Falcons vs. (N4) Worcester IceCats
edit| April 14 | Springfield Falcons | 3 – 5 | Worcester Icecats | Springfield Civic Center | ||||
| April 19 | Worcester Icecats | 3 – 2 | OT | Springfield Falcons | Worcester's Centrum Centre | |||
| April 21 | Springfield Falcons | 5 – 2 | Worcester Icecats | Springfield Civic Center | ||||
| April 24 | Worcester Icecats | 5 – 2 | Springfield Falcons | Worcester's Centrum Centre | ||||
| Worcester won series 3 – 1 | |
(N2) Hartford Wolf Pack vs. (N3) Beast of New Haven
edit| April 17 | Hartford Wolf Pack | 7 – 4 | Beast of New Haven | Hartford Civic Center | ||||
| April 18 | Hartford Wolf Pack | 6 – 4 | Beast of New Haven | Hartford Civic Center | ||||
| April 22 | Beast of New Haven | 2 – 3 | Hartford Wolf Pack | New Haven Coliseum | ||||
| Hartford won series 3 – 0 | |
Western Conference
editEmpire Division
edit(E1) Albany River Rats vs. (E4) Adirondack Red Wings
edit| April 17 | Albany River Rats | 6 – 3 | Adirondack Red Wings | Pepsi Arena | ||||
| April 18 | Albany River Rats | 2 – 0 | Adirondack Red Wings | Pepsi Arena | ||||
| April 21 | Adirondack Red Wings | 2 – 3 | OT | Albany River Rats | Glens Falls Civic Center | |||
| Albany won series 3 – 0 | |
(E2) Hamilton Bulldogs vs. (E3) Syracuse Crunch
edit| April 17 | Hamilton Bulldogs | 2 – 5 | Syracuse Crunch | Copps Coliseum | ||||
| April 19 | Hamilton Bulldogs | 2 – 1 | Syracuse Crunch | Copps Coliseum | ||||
| April 22 | Syracuse Crunch | 3 – 0 | Hamilton Bulldogs | Onondaga War Memorial | ||||
| April 23 | Syracuse Crunch | 3 – 4 | Hamilton Bulldogs | Onondaga War Memorial | ||||
| May 25 | Hamilton Bulldogs | 2 – 1 | Syracuse Crunch | Copps Coliseum | ||||
| Hamilton won series 3 – 2 | |
Mid-Atlantic Division
edit(M1) Philadelphia Phantoms vs. (E5) Rochester Americans
edit| April 14 | Philadelphia Phantoms | 5 – 2 | Rochester Americans | CoreStates Center[1] | ||||
| April 16 | Philadelphia Phantoms | 2 – 5 | Rochester Americans | CoreStates Center[1] | ||||
| April 18 | Rochester Americans | 2 – 5 | Philadelphia Phantoms | Rochester Community War Memorial | ||||
| April 19 | Rochester Americans | 3 – 6 | Philadelphia Phantoms | Rochester Community War Memorial | ||||
| Philadelphia won series 3 – 1 | |
(M2) Hershey Bears vs. (M3) Kentucky Thoroughblades
edit| April 15 | Hershey Bears | 2 – 1 | Kentucky Thoroughblades | Hersheypark Arena | ||||
| April 17 | Hershey Bears | 2 – 1 | Kentucky Thoroughblades | Hersheypark Arena | ||||
| April 22 | Kentucky Thoroughblades | 3 – 10 | Hershey Bears | Rupp Arena | ||||
| Hershey won series 3 – 0 | |
Division Finals
editEastern Conference
editAtlantic Division
edit(A1) Saint John Flames vs. (A3) Portland Pirates
edit| April 28 | Saint John Flames | 7 – 1 | Portland Pirates | Harbour Station | ||||
| April 30 | Saint John Flames | 5 – 4 | OT | Portland Pirates | Harbour Station | |||
| May 3 | Portland Pirates | 3 – 1 | Saint John Flames | Cumberland County Civic Center | ||||
| May 5 | Portland Pirates | 4 – 5 | Saint John Flames | Cumberland County Civic Center | ||||
| May 7 | Saint John Flames | 1 – 3 | Portland Pirates | Harbour Station | ||||
| May 9 | Portland Pirates | 1 – 2 | Saint John Flames | Cumberland County Civic Center | ||||
| Saint John won series 4 – 2 | |
New England Division
edit(N2) Hartford Wolf Pack vs. (N4) Worcester IceCats
edit| April 29 | Hartford Wolf Pack | 5 – 2 | Worcester Ice Cats | Hartford Civic Center | ||||
| May 1 | Hartford Wolf Pack | 5 – 1 | Worcester Ice Cats | Hartford Civic Center | ||||
| May 2 | Worcester Ice Cats | 6 – 3 | Hartford Wolf Pack | Worcester's Centrum Centre | ||||
| May 5 | Worcester Ice Cats | 7 – 1 | Hartford Wolf Pack | Worcester's Centrum Centre | ||||
| May 10 | Hartford Wolf Pack | 1 – 4 | Worcester Ice Cats | Hartford Civic Center | ||||
| May 12 | Worcester Ice Cats | 1 – 4 | Hartford Wolf Pack | Worcester's Centrum Centre | ||||
| May 13 | Hartford Wolf Pack | 8 – 2 | Worcester Ice Cats | Hartford Civic Center | ||||
| Hartford won series 4 – 3 | |
Western Conference
editEmpire Division
edit(E1) Albany River Rats vs. (E2) Hamilton Bulldogs
edit| May 1 | Albany River Rats | 6 – 5 | OT | Hamilton Bulldogs | Pepsi Arena | |||
| May 3 | Albany River Rats | 3 – 1 | Hamilton Bulldogs | Pepsi Arena | ||||
| May 6 | Hamilton Bulldogs | 5 – 6 | OT | Albany River Rats | Copps Coliseum | |||
| May 8 | Hamilton Bulldogs | 2 – 6 | Albany River Rats | Copps Coliseum | ||||
| Albany won series 4 – 0 | |
Mid-Atlantic Division
edit(M1) Philadelphia Phantoms vs. (M2) Hershey Bears
edit| April 26 | Philadelphia Phantoms | 3 – 2 | Hershey Bears | CoreStates Center[1] | ||||
| April 29 | Philadelphia Phantoms | 5 – 3 | Hershey Bears | CoreStates Center[1] | ||||
| May 2 | Hershey Bears | 2 – 4 | Philadelphia Phantoms | Hersheypark Arena | ||||
| May 3 | Hershey Bears | 0 – 3 | Philadelphia Phantoms | Hersheypark Arena | ||||
| Philadelphia won series 4 – 0 | |
Conference finals
editEastern Conference
edit(N2) Hartford Wolf Pack vs. (A1) Saint John Flames
edit| May 16 | Saint John Flames | 5 – 4 | Hartford Wolf Pack | Harbour Station | ||||
| May 18 | Saint John Flames | 1 – 6 | Hartford Wolf Pack | Harbour Station | ||||
| May 20 | Hartford Wolf Pack | 2 – 5 | Saint John Flames | Hartford Civic Center | ||||
| May 22 | Hartford Wolf Pack | 3 – 4 | Saint John Flames | Hartford Civic Center | ||||
| May 24 | Hartford Wolf Pack | 3 – 7 | Saint John Flames | Hartford Civic Center | ||||
| Saint John won series 4 – 1 | |
Western Conference
edit(M1) Philadelphia Phantoms vs. (E1) Albany River Rats
edit| May 15 | Philadelphia Phantoms | 4 – 2 | Albany River Rats | CoreStates Spectrum | ||||
| May 17 | Philadelphia Phantoms | 1 – 2 | Albany River Rats | CoreStates Spectrum | ||||
| May 20 | Albany River Rats | 0 – 2 | Philadelphia Phantoms | Pepsi Arena | ||||
| May 22 | Albany River Rats | 3 – 7 | Philadelphia Phantoms | Pepsi Arena | ||||
| May 23 | Philadelphia Phantoms | 3 – 4 | Albany River Rats | CoreStates Spectrum | ||||
| May 25 | Albany River Rats | 0 – 3 | Philadelphia Phantoms | Pepsi Arena | ||||
| Philadelphia won series 4 – 2 | |
Calder Cup Final
edit(M1) Philadelphia Phantoms vs. (A1) Saint John Flames
edit| May 30 | Philadelphia Phantoms | 3 – 2 | 2OT | Saint John Flames | CoreStates Spectrum | |||
| May 31 | Philadelphia Phantoms | 2 – 3 | OT | Saint John Flames | CoreStates Spectrum | |||
| June 3 | Saint John Flames | 3 – 4 | OT | Philadelphia Phantoms | Harbour Station | |||
| June 5 | Saint John Flames | 4 – 6 | Philadelphia Phantoms | Harbour Station | ||||
| June 7 | Saint John Flames | 6 – 1 | Philadelphia Phantoms | Harbour Station | ||||
| June 10 | Philadelphia Phantoms | 6 – 1 | Saint John Flames | CoreStates Spectrum | ||||
| Philadelphia won series 4 – 2 | |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c 1998 Calder Cup Playoffs caldercup.com. Retrieved on May 2, 2008.
- ^ "Philadelphia Phantoms history timeline". phantomshockey.com. Archived from the original on June 27, 2009. Retrieved May 2, 2008.
- ^ Jack A. Butterfield Trophy Archived 2008-09-17 at the Wayback Machine ahlhalloffame.com Retrieved on May 6, 2008.
- ^ Calder Cup record book: Teams caldercup.com. Retrieved on May 6, 2008.
- ^ 1997-98 AHL Standings The Internet Hockey Database. Retrieved on May 2, 2008.
- ^ Frequently asked questions Archived 2008-05-09 at the Wayback Machine theahl.com. Retrieved on May 12, 2008.