AHL Announces Realignment

By Bob Phillips

The AHL has tweaked its alignment for the 2018-19 season, but
Connecticut's two teams in the league, the Bridgeport Sound Tigers

and Hartford Wolf Pack, remain Atlantic Division rivals. (Photo by
Bill Harper)

CHICAGO—This week, the American Hockey League announced its 2018-19 division alignment at its annual spring meeting. The Atlantic Division will remain intact, meaning Connecticut’s two AHL teams, the Hartford Wolf Pack and the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, will remain divisional foes, as will the nearby Springfield Thunderbirds and Providence Bruins. And, like last year, Toronto will be the only city supporting both AHL and NHL teams with the Marlies, the AHL affiliate of the Maple Leafs.

Changes from last year include:

• Colorado joining the AHL as its 31st active team and playing in the Pacific Division
• San Antonio and Texas moving from the Pacific Division to the Central Division
• Cleveland moving from the Central Division to the North Division

The complete 2018-19 AHL Divisional Alignment is as follows:

Eastern Conference

Atlantic Division

• Bridgeport Sound Tigers (New York Islanders)
• Charlotte Checkers (Carolina Hurricanes)
• Hartford Wolf Pack (New York Rangers)
• Hershey Bears (Washington Capitals)
• Lehigh Valley Phantoms (Philadelphia Flyers)
• Providence Bruins (Boston Bruins)
• Springfield Thunderbirds (Florida Panthers)
• Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (Pittsburgh Penguins)

North Division

• Belleville Senators (Ottawa Senators)
• Binghamton Devils (New Jersey Devils)
• Cleveland Monsters (Columbus Blue Jackets)
• Laval Rocket (Montreal Canadiens)
• Rochester Americans (Buffalo Sabres)
• Syracuse Crunch (Tampa Bay Lightning)
• Toronto Marlies (Toronto Maple Leafs)
• Utica Comets (Vancouver Canucks)

Western Conference

Central Division

• Chicago Wolves (Vegas Golden Knights)
• Grand Rapids Griffins (Detroit Red Wings)
• Iowa Wild (Minnesota Wild)
• Manitoba Moose (Winnipeg Jets)
• Milwaukee Admirals (Nashville Predators)
• Rockford IceHogs (Chicago Blackhawks)
• San Antonio Rampage (St. Louis Blues)
• Texas Stars (Dallas Stars)

Pacific Division

• Bakersfield Condors (Edmonton Oilers)
• Colorado Eagles (Colorado Avalanche)
• Ontario Reign (Los Angeles Kings)
• San Diego Gulls (Anaheim Ducks)
• San Jose Barracuda (San Jose Sharks)
• Stockton Heat (Calgary Flames)
• Tucson Roadrunners (Arizona Coyotes)

The playing schedule for the 2018-19 regular season, which begins Oct. 5, will be announced this summer.

—With Staff Reports