# 1995–96 AHL season

The 1995–96 AHL season was the 60th season of the American Hockey League. The AHL expanded by two teams and realigned into two conferences, and four divisions. The Northern Conference includes the North and Atlantic Divisions. The Southern Conference include the South Division and the newly created Central Division.
The league introduces two new trophies for division champions of the regular season. The Frank Mathers Trophy is first awarded for the south division, and the Sam Pollock Trophy is first awarded for the atlantic Division. The John D. Chick Trophy becomes awarded to the central division.
The AHL revives awarding points for overtime losses, last awarded in the 1987–88 AHL season. Eighteen teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The Albany River Rats finished first overall in the regular season. The Rochester Americans won their sixth Calder Cup championship.

## Team changes

* The Baltimore Bandits join the AHL as an expansion team, based in Baltimore, Maryland, playing in the South Division.
* The Carolina Monarchs join the AHL as an expansion team, based in Greensboro, North Carolina, playing in the South Division.
* The Cornwall Aces, Rochester Americans, and Syracuse Crunch switch from the South Division to the new Central Division.
* The Adirondack Red Wings and Albany River Rats switch from the North Division to the new Central 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

### Northern Conference

| Atlantic Division | GP | W | L | T | OTL | Pts | GF | GA |
| y–Prince Edward Island Senators (OTT) | 80 | 38 | 33 | 6 | 3 | 85 | 303 | 313 |
| x–Saint John Flames (CGY) | 80 | 35 | 30 | 11 | 4 | 85 | 272 | 264 |
| x–St. John's Maple Leafs (TOR) | 80 | 31 | 31 | 14 | 4 | 80 | 248 | 274 |
| x–Fredericton Canadiens (MTL) | 80 | 34 | 35 | 11 | 0 | 79 | 307 | 308 |
| e–Cape Breton Oilers (EDM) | 80 | 33 | 40 | 3 | 4 | 73 | 290 | 323 |
| North Division | GP | W | L | T | OTL | Pts | GF | GA |
| y–Springfield Falcons (HFD/WIN) | 80 | 42 | 22 | 11 | 5 | 100 | 272 | 215 |
| x–Worcester IceCats (STL) | 80 | 36 | 28 | 12 | 4 | 88 | 242 | 244 |
| x–Portland Pirates (WSH) | 80 | 32 | 34 | 10 | 4 | 78 | 282 | 283 |
| x–Providence Bruins (BOS) | 80 | 30 | 36 | 10 | 4 | 74 | 249 | 280 |

### Southern Conference

| Central Division | GP | W | L | T | OTL | Pts | GF | GA |
| y–Albany River Rats (NJD) | 80 | 54 | 19 | 7 | 0 | 115 | 322 | 218 |
| x–Adirondack Red Wings (DET) | 80 | 38 | 32 | 8 | 2 | 86 | 271 | 247 |
| x–Rochester Americans (BUF) | 80 | 37 | 34 | 5 | 4 | 83 | 294 | 297 |
| x–Cornwall Aces (COL) | 80 | 34 | 34 | 7 | 5 | 80 | 249 | 251 |
| x–Syracuse Crunch (VAN) | 80 | 31 | 37 | 5 | 7 | 74 | 257 | 307 |
| South Division | GP | W | L | T | OTL | Pts | GF | GA |
| y–Binghamton Rangers (NYR) | 80 | 39 | 31 | 7 | 3 | 88 | 333 | 331 |
| x–Hershey Bears (PHI) | 80 | 36 | 30 | 11 | 3 | 86 | 301 | 287 |
| x–Baltimore Bandits (ANA) | 80 | 33 | 36 | 9 | 2 | 77 | 279 | 299 |
| e–Carolina Monarchs (FLA) | 80 | 28 | 38 | 11 | 3 | 70 | 313 | 343 |

## Scoring leaders

Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalty minutes
| Player | Team | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
| Brad Smyth | Carolina Monarchs | 68 | 68 | 58 | 126 | 80 |
| Jim Montgomery | Hershey Bears | 78 | 34 | 71 | 105 | 95 |
| Mike Casselman | Carolina Monarchs | 70 | 34 | 68 | 102 | 46 |
| Gilbert Dionne | Carolina Monarchs | 55 | 43 | 58 | 101 | 29 |
| Peter Ferraro | Binghamton Rangers | 68 | 48 | 53 | 101 | 157 |
| Chris Ferraro | Binghamton Rangers | 77 | 32 | 67 | 99 | 208 |
| Craig Charron | Rochester Americans | 72 | 43 | 52 | 95 | 79 |
| Jean-Yves Roy | Prince Edward Island Senators | 67 | 40 | 55 | 95 | 64 |
| Dixon Ward | Rochester Americans | 71 | 38 | 56 | 94 | 74 |
| Brett Harkins | Carolina Monarchs | 55 | 23 | 71 | 94 | 44 |
| Andrew Brunette | Portland Pirates | 69 | 28 | 66 | 94 | 125 |
* 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 | P.E.I. | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| A4 | Fredericton | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| A4 | Fredericton | 3 | | | A4 | Fredericton | 1 | | | | | | | |
| Atlantic Division | Atlantic Division | Atlantic Division | | | A4 | Fredericton | 1 | | | | | | | |
| Atlantic Division | Atlantic Division | Atlantic Division | | | A2 | Saint John | 4 | | | | | | | |
| A2 | Saint John | 3 | | | A2 | Saint John | 4 | | | | | | | |
| A3 | St. John's | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| A3 | St. John's | 1 | | | | | | A2 | Saint John | 3 | | | | |
| Northern Conference | Northern Conference | Northern Conference | Northern Conference | Northern Conference | Northern Conference | Northern Conference | Northern Conference | A2 | Saint John | 3 | | | | |
| Northern Conference | Northern Conference | Northern Conference | Northern Conference | Northern Conference | Northern Conference | Northern Conference | Northern Conference | N3 | Portland | 4 | | | | |
| N1 | Springfield | 3 | | | | | | | | | N3 | Portland | 4 | | | | |
| N4 | Providence | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| N4 | Providence | 1 | | | N1 | Springfield | 2 | | | | | | | |
| North Division | North Division | North Division | | | N1 | Springfield | 2 | | | | | | | |
| North Division | North Division | North Division | | | N3 | Portland | 4 | | | | | | | |
| N2 | Worcester | 1 | | | N3 | Portland | 4 | | | | | | | |
| N3 | Portland | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| N3 | Portland | 3 | | | | | | | | | | N3 | Portland | 3 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | C3 | Rochester | 4 |
| C1 | Albany | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | | C3 | Rochester | 4 |
| C4 | Cornwall | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| C4 | Cornwall | 3 | | | C4 | Cornwall | 0 | | | | | | | |
| Central Division | Central Division | Central Division | | | C4 | Cornwall | 0 | | | | | | | |
| Central Division | Central Division | Central Division | | | C3 | Rochester | 4 | | | | | | | |
| C2 | Adirondack | 0 | | | C3 | Rochester | 4 | | | | | | | |
| C3 | Rochester | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| C3 | Rochester | 3 | | | | | | C3 | Rochester | 4 | | | | |
| Southern Conference | Southern Conference | Southern Conference | Southern Conference | Southern Conference | Southern Conference | Southern Conference | Southern Conference | C3 | Rochester | 4 | | | | |
| Southern Conference | Southern Conference | Southern Conference | Southern Conference | Southern Conference | Southern Conference | Southern Conference | Southern Conference | C5 | Syracuse | 1 | | | | |
| S1 | Binghamton | 1 | | | | | | | | | C5 | Syracuse | 1 | | | | |
| C5 | Syracuse | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| C5 | Syracuse | 3 | | | C5 | Syracuse | 4 | | | | | | | |
| South Division | South Division | South Division | | | C5 | Syracuse | 4 | | | | | | | |
| South Division | South Division | South Division | | | S3 | Baltimore | 3 | | | | | | | |
| S2 | Hershey | 2 | | | S3 | Baltimore | 3 | | | | | | | |
| S3 | Baltimore | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | |

## All Star Classic

The 9th AHL All-Star Game was played on January 16, 1996, at the Hersheypark Arena in Hershey, Pennsylvania. Team USA defeated Team Canada 6-5. In the inaugural AHL skills competition held the day before the All-Star Game, Team USA won 14-12 over Team Canada.

## Trophy and award winners
### Team Awards

| Calder Cup Playoff champions: | Rochester Americans |
| Richard F. Canning Trophy Northern Conference playoff champions: | Portland Pirates |
| Robert W. Clarke Trophy Southern Conference playoff champions: | Rochester Americans |
| Frank Mathers Trophy Regular Season champions, South Division: | Binghamton Rangers |
| F. G. "Teddy" Oke Trophy Regular Season champions, North Division: | Springfield Falcons |
| Sam Pollock Trophy Regular Season champions, Atlantic Division: | Prince Edward Island Senators |
| John D. Chick Trophy Regular Season champions, Central Division: | Albany River Rats |

### Individual awards

| Les Cunningham Award Most valuable player: | Brad Smyth - Carolina Monarchs |
| John B. Sollenberger Trophy Top point scorer: | Brad Smyth - Carolina Monarchs |
| Dudley "Red" Garrett Memorial Award Rookie of the year: | Darcy Tucker - Fredericton Canadiens |
| Eddie Shore Award Defenceman of the year: | Barry Richter - Binghamton Rangers |
| Aldege "Baz" Bastien Memorial Award Best Goaltender: | Manny Legace - Springfield Falcons |
| Harry "Hap" Holmes Memorial Award Lowest goals against average: | Manny Legace & Scott Langkow - Springfield Falcons |
| Louis A.R. Pieri Memorial Award Coach of the year: | Robbie Ftorek - Albany River Rats |
| Fred T. Hunt Memorial Award Sportsmanship / Perseverance: | Ken Gernander - Binghamton Rangers |
| Jack A. Butterfield Trophy MVP of the playoffs: | Dixon Ward - Rochester Americans |

### Other awards

| James C. Hendy Memorial Award Most outstanding executive: | Steve Donner, Rochester Americans |
| James H. Ellery Memorial Awards Outstanding media coverage: | Kevin Oklobzija, Rochester, (newspaper) Seth Everett, Syracuse, (radio) Tom Caron, New England Sports Network, (television) |
| Ken McKenzie Award Outstanding marketing executive: | Tim Kuhl, Syracuse Crunch |