# 1998–99 AHL season

The 1998–99 AHL season was the 63rd season of the American Hockey League. Nineteen teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The Providence Bruins finished first overall in the regular season, and won their first Calder Cup championship.

## Team changes

* The Lowell Lock Monsters join the AHL as an expansion team, based in Lowell, Massachusetts, playing in the Atlantic Division.

## Final standings

* y– indicates team clinched division and a playoff spot
* x– indicates team clinched a playoff spot
* e– indicates team was eliminated from playoff contention

### Eastern Conference

| Atlantic Division | GP | W | L | T | OTL | Pts | GF | GA |
| y–Lowell Lock Monsters (NYI) | 80 | 33 | 32 | 13 | 2 | 81 | 219 | 237 |
| x–St. John's Maple Leafs (TOR) | 80 | 34 | 35 | 7 | 4 | 79 | 246 | 270 |
| x–Fredericton Canadiens (MTL) | 80 | 33 | 36 | 6 | 5 | 77 | 246 | 246 |
| x–Saint John Flames (CGY) | 80 | 31 | 40 | 8 | 1 | 71 | 238 | 296 |
| e–Portland Pirates (CHI/WSH) | 80 | 23 | 48 | 7 | 2 | 55 | 214 | 273 |
| New England Division | GP | W | L | T | OTL | Pts | GF | GA |
| y–Providence Bruins (BOS) | 80 | 56 | 16 | 4 | 4 | 120 | 321 | 223 |
| x–Hartford Wolf Pack (NYR) | 80 | 38 | 31 | 5 | 6 | 87 | 256 | 256 |
| x–Springfield Falcons (LAK/PHX) | 80 | 35 | 35 | 9 | 1 | 80 | 245 | 232 |
| x–Worcester IceCats (STL) | 80 | 34 | 36 | 8 | 2 | 78 | 237 | 260 |
| e–Beast of New Haven (CAR/FLA) | 80 | 33 | 35 | 7 | 5 | 78 | 240 | 250 |

### Western Conference

| Empire State Division | GP | W | L | T | OTL | Pts | GF | GA |
| y–Rochester Americans (BUF) | 80 | 52 | 21 | 6 | 1 | 111 | 287 | 176 |
| x–Albany River Rats (NJD) | 80 | 46 | 26 | 6 | 2 | 100 | 275 | 230 |
| x–Hamilton Bulldogs (EDM) | 80 | 40 | 29 | 7 | 4 | 91 | 229 | 206 |
| x–Adirondack Red Wings (DET) | 80 | 21 | 48 | 8 | 3 | 53 | 184 | 280 |
| e–Syracuse Crunch (PIT/VAN) | 80 | 18 | 50 | 9 | 3 | 48 | 220 | 327 |
| Mid-Atlantic Division | GP | W | L | T | OTL | Pts | GF | GA |
| y–Philadelphia Phantoms (PHI) | 80 | 47 | 22 | 9 | 2 | 105 | 272 | 221 |
| x–Kentucky Thoroughblades (FLA/SJS) | 80 | 44 | 26 | 7 | 3 | 98 | 272 | 214 |
| x–Hershey Bears (COL) | 80 | 37 | 32 | 10 | 1 | 85 | 242 | 224 |
| x–Cincinnati Mighty Ducks (ANA) | 80 | 35 | 39 | 4 | 2 | 76 | 227 | 249 |

## Scoring leaders

Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalty minutes
| Player | Team | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
| Domenic Pittis | Rochester Americans | 76 | 38 | 66 | 104 | 108 |
| Randy Robitaille | Providence Bruins | 74 | 28 | 74 | 102 | 34 |
| John Madden | Albany River Rats | 75 | 38 | 60 | 98 | 44 |
| Peter White | Philadelphia Phantoms | 77 | 31 | 59 | 90 | 20 |
| Jim Montgomery | Philadelphia Phantoms | 78 | 29 | 58 | 87 | 89 |
| Steve Brûlé | Albany River Rats | 78 | 32 | 52 | 84 | 35 |
| Richard Park | Philadelphia Phantoms | 75 | 41 | 42 | 83 | 33 |
| Lonny Bohonos | St. John's Maple Leafs | 70 | 34 | 48 | 82 | 40 |
| Craig Fisher | Rochester Americans | 70 | 29 | 52 | 81 | 28 |
| Shane Willis | Beast of New Haven | 73 | 31 | 50 | 81 | 49 |
* complete list

## Calder Cup playoffs

| Division Semifinals | Division Semifinals | Division Semifinals | | | Division Finals | Division Finals | Division Finals | Conference Finals | Conference Finals | Conference Finals | | Calder Cup Final | Calder Cup Final | Calder Cup Final |
| A1 | Lowell | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| A4 | Saint John | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| A4 | Saint John | 3 | | | A4 | Saint John | 0 | | | | | | | |
| Atlantic Division | Atlantic Division | Atlantic Division | | | A4 | Saint John | 0 | | | | | | | |
| Atlantic Division | Atlantic Division | Atlantic Division | | | A3 | Fredericton | 4 | | | | | | | |
| A2 | St. John's | 2 | | | A3 | Fredericton | 4 | | | | | | | |
| A3 | Fredericton | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| A3 | Fredericton | 3 | | | | | | A3 | Fredericton | 2 | | | | |
| Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | A3 | Fredericton | 2 | | | | |
| Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | N1 | Providence | 4 | | | | |
| N1 | Providence | 3 | | | | | | | | | N1 | Providence | 4 | | | | |
| N4 | Worcester | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| N4 | Worcester | 1 | | | N1 | Providence | 4 | | | | | | | |
| New England Division | New England Division | New England Division | | | N1 | Providence | 4 | | | | | | | |
| New England Division | New England Division | New England Division | | | N2 | Hartford | 0 | | | | | | | |
| N2 | Hartford | 3 | | | N2 | Hartford | 0 | | | | | | | |
| N3 | Springfield | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| N3 | Springfield | 0 | | | | | | | | | | N1 | Providence | 4 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | E1 | Rochester | 1 |
| E1 | Rochester | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | | E1 | Rochester | 1 |
| E4 | Adirondack | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| E4 | Adirondack | 0 | | | E1 | Rochester | 4 | | | | | | | |
| Empire State Division | Empire State Division | Empire State Division | | | E1 | Rochester | 4 | | | | | | | |
| Empire State Division | Empire State Division | Empire State Division | | | E3 | Hamilton | 2 | | | | | | | |
| E2 | Albany | 2 | | | E3 | Hamilton | 2 | | | | | | | |
| E3 | Hamilton | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| E3 | Hamilton | 3 | | | | | | E1 | Rochester | 4 | | | | |
| Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | E1 | Rochester | 4 | | | | |
| Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | M1 | Philadelphia | 2 | | | | |
| M1 | Philadelphia | 3 | | | | | | | | | M1 | Philadelphia | 2 | | | | |
| M4 | Cincinnati | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| M4 | Cincinnati | 0 | | | M1 | Philadelphia | 4 | | | | | | | |
| Mid-Atlantic Division | Mid-Atlantic Division | Mid-Atlantic Division | | | M1 | Philadelphia | 4 | | | | | | | |
| Mid-Atlantic Division | Mid-Atlantic Division | Mid-Atlantic Division | | | M2 | Kentucky | 3 | | | | | | | |
| M2 | Kentucky | 3 | | | M2 | Kentucky | 3 | | | | | | | |
| M3 | Hershey | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | |

## All Star Classic

The 12th AHL All-Star Game was played on January 25, 1999, at the First Union Center in Philadelphia. Team PlanetUSA defeated Team Canada 5-4 in a shootout. In the skills competition held the day before the All-Star Game, Team Canada won 15-12 over Team PlanetUSA.

## Trophy and award winners
### Team awards

| Calder Cup Playoff champions: | Providence Bruins |
| Richard F. Canning Trophy Eastern Conference playoff champions: | Providence Bruins |
| Robert W. Clarke Trophy Western Conference playoff champions: | Rochester Americans |
| Macgregor Kilpatrick Trophy Regular season champions, League: | Providence Bruins |
| Frank Mathers Trophy Regular Season champions, Mid-Atlantic Division: | Philadelphia Phantoms |
| F. G. "Teddy" Oke Trophy Regular Season champions, New England Division: | Providence Bruins |
| Sam Pollock Trophy Regular Season champions, Atlantic Division: | Lowell Lock Monsters |
| John D. Chick Trophy Regular Season champions, Empire State Division: | Rochester Americans |

### Individual awards

| Les Cunningham Award Most valuable player: | Randy Robitaille – Providence Bruins |
| John B. Sollenberger Trophy Top point scorer: | Domenic Pittis – Rochester Americans |
| Dudley "Red" Garrett Memorial Award Rookie of the year: | Shane Willis – Beast of New Haven |
| Eddie Shore Award Defenceman of the year: | Ken Sutton – Albany River Rats |
| Aldege "Baz" Bastien Memorial Award Best Goaltender: | Martin Biron – Rochester Americans |
| Harry "Hap" Holmes Memorial Award Lowest goals against average: | Martin Biron & Tom Draper – Rochester Americans |
| Louis A.R. Pieri Memorial Award Coach of the year: | Peter Laviolette – Providence Bruins |
| Fred T. Hunt Memorial Award Sportsmanship / Perseverance: | Mitch Lamoureux – Hershey Bears |
| Yanick Dupre Memorial Award Community Service Award: | Brent Thompson – Hartford Wolf Pack |
| Jack A. Butterfield Trophy MVP of the playoffs: | Peter Ferraro – Providence Bruins |

### Other awards

| James C. Hendy Memorial Award Most outstanding executive: | Jody Gage, Rochester Americans |
| Thomas Ebright Memorial Award Career contributions: | Gordon Anziano |
| James H. Ellery Memorial Awards Outstanding media coverage: | Phil Janack, Albany, (newspaper) Tim Woodburn, Kentucky, (radio) Cable Atlantic, St. John's, (television) |
| Ken McKenzie Award Outstanding marketing executive: | Cary Kaplan, Hamilton Bulldogs |