# 1999–2000 IHL season

The 1999–2000 IHL season was the 55th season of the International Hockey League, a North American minor professional league. 13 teams participated in the regular season, and the Chicago Wolves won the Turner Cup.

## Offseason

The Indianapolis Ice departed the IHL and joined the CHL for the CHL’s 1999-00 season.
The Las Vegas Thunder we’re forced to fold after the UNLV refused to renew their lease to continue playing at Thomas & Mack Center forcing the Thunder to fold after failing to negotiate with Orleans Arena and MGM Grand Garden Arena

## Regular season
### Eastern Conference

| | GP | W | L | SOL | GF | GA | Pts |
| Grand Rapids Griffins (OTT) | 82 | 51 | 22 | 9 | 254 | 200 | 111 |
| Orlando Solar Bears (ATL) | 82 | 47 | 23 | 12 | 250 | 202 | 106 |
| Cincinnati Cyclones (CAR) | 82 | 44 | 30 | 8 | 244 | 246 | 96 |
| Cleveland Lumberjacks (CHI) | 82 | 40 | 30 | 12 | 225 | 238 | 92 |
| Milwaukee Admirals (NSH) | 82 | 37 | 36 | 9 | 222 | 246 | 83 |
| Michigan K-Wings (DAL) | 82 | 33 | 37 | 12 | 178 | 223 | 78 |
| Detroit Vipers (TBL) | 82 | 22 | 52 | 8 | 163 | 277 | 52 |

### Western Conference

| | GP | W | L | SOL | GF | GA | Pts |
| Chicago Wolves (NYI) | 82 | 53 | 21 | 8 | 270 | 228 | 114 |
| Utah Grizzlies | 82 | 45 | 25 | 12 | 265 | 220 | 102 |
| Houston Aeros | 82 | 44 | 29 | 9 | 219 | 197 | 97 |
| Long Beach Ice Dogs (LAK) | 82 | 44 | 31 | 7 | 234 | 216 | 95 |
| Manitoba Moose | 82 | 37 | 31 | 14 | 227 | 237 | 88 |
| Kansas City Blades | 82 | 36 | 37 | 9 | 249 | 270 | 81 |

## Turner Cup-Playoffs

| Turner Cup-Pre-Playoffs | Turner Cup-Pre-Playoffs | Turner Cup-Pre-Playoffs | Turner Cup-Quarterfinals | Turner Cup-Quarterfinals | Turner Cup-Quarterfinals | Turner Cup-Semifinals | Turner Cup-Semifinals | Turner Cup-Semifinals | Turner Cup-Final | Turner Cup-Final | Turner Cup-Final |
| | | | E1 | Grand Rapids | 4 | | | | | | |
| E4 | Cleveland | 2 | E4 | Cleveland | 2 | | | | | | |
| E5 | Milwaukee | 1 | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | E1 | Grand Rapids | 4 | | | |
| | | | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | E3 | Cincinnati | 1 | | | |
| | | | E2 | Orlando | 2 | | | | | | |
| | | | E3 | Cincinnati | 4 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | E1 | Grand Rapids | 2 |
| | | | | | | | | | W1 | Chicago | 4 |
| | | | W1 | Chicago | 4 | | | | | | |
| W4 | Long Beach | 2 | W4 | Long Beach | 0 | | | | | | |
| W5 | Manitoba | 0 | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | W3 | Houston | 2 | | | |
| | | | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | W1 | Chicago | 4 | | | |
| | | | W2 | Utah | 1 | | | | | | |
| | | | W3 | Houston | 4 | | | | | | |

### Pre-Playoffs
#### (E4) Cleveland Lumberjacks vs. (E5) Milwaukee Admirals

* Cleveland wins series 2–1

#### (W4) Long Beach Ice Dogs vs. (W5) Manitoba Moose

* Long Beach wins series 2–0

### Quarterfinals
#### (E1) Grand Rapids Griffins vs. (E4) Cleveland Lumberjacks

* Grand Rapids wins series 4–2

#### (E2) Orlando Solar Bears vs. (E3) Cincinnati Cyclones

* Cincinnati wins series 4–2

#### (W1) Chicago Wolves vs. (W4) Long Beach Ice Dogs

* Chicago wins series 4–0

#### (W2) Utah Grizzlies vs. (W3) Houston Aeros

* Houston wins series 4–1

### Semifinals
#### (E1) Grand Rapids Griffins vs. (E3) Cincinnati Cyclones

* Grand Rapids wins series 4–1

#### (W1) Chicago Wolves vs. (W3) Houston Aeros

* Chicago wins series 4–2

### Turner Cup Final
#### (E1) Grand Rapids Griffins vs. (W1) Chicago Wolves

* Chicago wins series 4–2

## Player statistics
### Scoring leaders

Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalty minutes
| Player | Team | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
| Steve Maltais | Chicago Wolves | 82 | 44 | 46 | 90 | 78 |
| Steve Larouche | Chicago Wolves | 82 | 31 | 57 | 88 | 52 |
| David Ling | Kansas City Blades | 82 | 35 | 48 | 83 | 210 |
| Gilbert Dionne | Cincinnati Cyclones | 81 | 34 | 49 | 83 | 88 |
| Jarrod Skalde | Utah Grizzlies | 77 | 25 | 54 | 79 | 98 |
| Mark Beaufait | Orlando Solar Bears | 78 | 28 | 50 | 78 | 87 |
| Dave Chyzowski | Kansas City Blades | 81 | 37 | 33 | 70 | 138 |
| Brett Harkins | Cleveland Lumberjacks | 76 | 20 | 50 | 70 | 79 |
| Michel Picard | Grand Rapids Griffins | 65 | 33 | 35 | 68 | 50 |
| Todd Simon | Cincinnati Cyclones | 71 | 19 | 48 | 67 | 58 |

### Leading goaltenders

Note: GP = Games played; Min = Minutes played; GA = Goals against; GAA = Goals against average; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; SO = Shutouts
| Player | Team | GP | MIN | GA | GAA | W | L | T | SO |
| Nikolai Khabibulin | Long Beach Ice Dogs | 33 | 1,936 | 59 | 1.83 | 21 | 11 | 1 | 5 |
| Frederic Chabot | Houston Aeros | 62 | 3,695 | 131 | 2.13 | 36 | 19 | 7 | 4 |
| Jani Hurme | Grand Rapids Griffins | 52 | 2,948 | 107 | 2.18 | 29 | 15 | 4 | 4 |
| Rich Parent | Utah Grizzlies/Detroit Vipers | 37 | 2,110 | 81 | 2.30 | 20 | 12 | 4 | 2 |
| Andrei Trefilov | Chicago Wolves | 37 | 2,060 | 81 | 2.36 | 21 | 9 | 3 | 3 |

## Awards

AHL Awards :
| Turner Cup | Chicago Wolves |
| Fred A. Huber Trophy (Best regular-season record) | Chicago Wolves |
| Commissioner's Trophy (Best coach) | Guy Charron, Grand Rapids Griffins |
| Leo P. Lamoureux Memorial Trophy (Player with most points) | Steve Maltais, Chicago Wolves |
| James Gatschene Memorial Trophy (Most valuable player, regular season) | Frederic Chabot, Houston Aeros and Nikolai Khabibulin, Long Beach Ice Dogs |
| Norman R. "Bud" Poile Trophy (Most valuable player, playoffs) | Andrei Trefilov, Chicago Wolves |
| Gary F. Longman Memorial Trophy (Best first-year player) | Nils Ekman, Long Beach Ice Dogs |
| Ken McKenzie Trophy (Best American-born first-year player) | Andrew Berenzweig, Milwaukee Admirals |
| Larry D. Gordon Trophy (Best defenceman) | Brett Hauer, Manitoba Moose |
| James Norris Memorial Trophy (Goaltender(s) of team with fewest goals against) | Frederic Chabot, Houston Aeros |
| John Cullen Award (Perseverance, Sportsmanship, and Dedication) | Steve Larouche, Chicago Wolves |
| Ironman Award (Played all team's games while showing offensive and defensive skills) | Steve Maltais, Chicago Wolves |
| IHL Man of the Year (Leadership and community activities) | Pat MacLeod, Cincinnati Cyclones |

### All-Star teams

| First team | Position | Position | Second team |
| Frederic Chabot, Houston Aeros | G | G | Jani Hurme, Grand Rapids Griffins |
| Mike Crowley, Long Beach Ice Dogs | D | D | Dallas Eakins, Chicago Wolves |
| Brett Hauer, Manitoba Moose | D | D | Bob Nardella, Chicago Wolves |
| Jarrod Skalde, Utah Grizzlies | C | C | Steve Larouche, Chicago Wolves |
| David Ling, Kansas City Blades | RW | LW | Niklas Andersson, Chicago Wolves |
| Steve Maltais, Chicago Wolves | LW | LW | Gilbert Dionne, Cincinnati Cyclones |