# 1999–2000 AHL season

The 1999–2000 AHL season was the 64th season of the American Hockey League. Nineteen teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The Hartford Wolf Pack finished first overall in the regular season, and won their first Calder Cup championship.

## Team changes

* The Adirondack Red Wings ceased operations.
* The Beast of New Haven ceased operations.
* The Fredericton Canadiens moved to Quebec City, Quebec, becoming the Quebec Citadelles, playing in the Atlantic division.
* The Louisville Panthers joined the AHL as an expansion team, based in Louisville, Kentucky, playing in the Mid-Atlantic division.
* The dormant Cornwall Aces resumed operations as the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, based in the greater Wilkes-Barre/Scranton area in Pennsylvania, playing in the Empire State division.
* The Portland Pirates switched divisions from Atlantic to New England

## 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–Quebec Citadelles (MTL) | 80 | 37 | 34 | 5 | 4 | 83 | 227 | 238 |
| x–Saint John Flames (CGY) | 80 | 32 | 32 | 11 | 5 | 80 | 267 | 283 |
| x–Lowell Lock Monsters (LAK/NYI) | 80 | 33 | 36 | 7 | 4 | 77 | 228 | 240 |
| e–St. John's Maple Leafs (TOR) | 80 | 23 | 45 | 8 | 4 | 58 | 202 | 277 |
| New England Division | GP | W | L | T | OTL | Pts | GF | GA |
| y–Hartford Wolf Pack (NYR) | 80 | 49 | 22 | 7 | 2 | 107 | 249 | 198 |
| x–Portland Pirates (WSH) | 80 | 46 | 23 | 10 | 1 | 103 | 256 | 202 |
| x–Worcester IceCats (STL) | 80 | 34 | 31 | 11 | 4 | 83 | 249 | 250 |
| x–Springfield Falcons (PHX) | 80 | 33 | 35 | 11 | 1 | 78 | 272 | 252 |
| x–Providence Bruins (BOS) | 80 | 33 | 38 | 6 | 3 | 75 | 231 | 269 |

### Western Conference

| Empire State Division | GP | W | L | T | OTL | Pts | GF | GA |
| y–Rochester Americans (BUF) | 80 | 46 | 22 | 9 | 3 | 104 | 247 | 201 |
| x–Syracuse Crunch (VAN) | 80 | 35 | 35 | 9 | 1 | 80 | 290 | 294 |
| x–Hamilton Bulldogs (EDM) | 80 | 27 | 34 | 13 | 6 | 73 | 225 | 262 |
| x–Albany River Rats (NJD) | 80 | 30 | 40 | 7 | 3 | 70 | 225 | 250 |
| e–Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (PIT) | 80 | 23 | 43 | 9 | 5 | 60 | 236 | 306 |
| Mid-Atlantic Division | GP | W | L | T | OTL | Pts | GF | GA |
| y–Kentucky Thoroughblades (SJS) | 80 | 42 | 25 | 9 | 4 | 97 | 250 | 211 |
| x–Hershey Bears (COL) | 80 | 43 | 29 | 5 | 3 | 94 | 297 | 267 |
| x–Philadelphia Phantoms (PHI) | 80 | 44 | 31 | 3 | 2 | 93 | 281 | 239 |
| x–Louisville Panthers (FLA) | 80 | 42 | 30 | 7 | 1 | 92 | 278 | 254 |
| e–Cincinnati Mighty Ducks (ANA/DET) | 80 | 30 | 37 | 9 | 4 | 73 | 227 | 244 |

## Scoring leaders

Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalty minutes
| Player | Team | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
| Christian Matte | Hershey Bears | 73 | 43 | 61 | 104 | 85 |
| Mike Maneluk | Philadelphia Phantoms | 73 | 47 | 40 | 87 | 158 |
| Derek Armstrong | Hartford Wolf Pack | 77 | 28 | 54 | 82 | 101 |
| Mark Greig | Philadelphia Phantoms | 68 | 34 | 48 | 82 | 116 |
| Serge Aubin | Hershey Bears | 58 | 42 | 38 | 80 | 56 |
| Mike Craig | Kentucky Thoroughblades | 76 | 39 | 39 | 78 | 116 |
| Brad Smyth | Hartford Wolf Pack | 80 | 39 | 37 | 76 | 62 |
| Steve Brûlé | Albany River Rats | 75 | 30 | 46 | 76 | 18 |
| Eric Boguniecki | Louisville Panthers | 57 | 33 | 42 | 75 | 148 |
| Daniel Cleary | Hamilton Bulldogs | 58 | 22 | 52 | 74 | 108 |
* 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 | Quebec | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| N5 | Providence | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| N5 | Providence | 3 | | | N5 | Providence | 4 | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | A3 | Lowell | 0 | | | | | | | |
| A2 | Saint John | 0 | | | A3 | Lowell | 0 | | | | | | | |
| A3 | Lowell | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| A3 | Lowell | 3 | | | | | | N5 | Providence | 3 | | | | |
| Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | N5 | Providence | 3 | | | | |
| Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | N1 | Hartford | 4 | | | | |
| N1 | Hartford | 3 | | | | | | | | | N1 | Hartford | 4 | | | | |
| N4 | Springfield | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| N4 | Springfield | 2 | | | N1 | Hartford | 4 | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | N3 | Worcester | 1 | | | | | | | |
| N2 | Portland | 1 | | | N3 | Worcester | 1 | | | | | | | |
| N3 | Worcester | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| N3 | Worcester | 3 | | | | | | | | | | N1 | Hartford | 4 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | E1 | Rochester | 2 |
| E1 | Rochester | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | | E1 | Rochester | 2 |
| E4 | Albany | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| E4 | Albany | 2 | | | E1 | Rochester | 4 | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | E3 | Hamilton | 2 | | | | | | | |
| E2 | Syracuse | 1 | | | 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 | M2 | Hershey | 0 | | | | |
| M1 | Kentucky | 3 | | | | | | | | | M2 | Hershey | 0 | | | | |
| M4 | Louisville | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| M4 | Louisville | 1 | | | M1 | Kentucky | 1 | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | M2 | Hershey | 4 | | | | | | | |
| M2 | Hershey | 3 | | | M2 | Hershey | 4 | | | | | | | |
| M3 | Philadelphia | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | |

## All Star Classic

The 13th AHL All-Star Game was played on January 17, 2000, at the Blue Cross Arena in Rochester, New York. Team Canada defeated Team PlanetUSA 8-3. In the skills competition held the day before the All-Star Game, Team PlanetUSA won 17-12 over Team Canada.

## Trophy and award winners
### Team awards

| Calder Cup Playoff champions: | Hartford Wolf Pack |
| Richard F. Canning Trophy Eastern Conference playoff champions: | Hartford Wolf Pack |
| Robert W. Clarke Trophy Western Conference playoff champions: | Rochester Americans |
| Macgregor Kilpatrick Trophy Regular season champions, League: | Hartford Wolf Pack |
| Frank Mathers Trophy Regular season champions, Mid-Atlantic Division: | Kentucky Thoroughblades |
| F. G. "Teddy" Oke Trophy Regular season champions, New England Division: | Hartford Wolf Pack |
| Sam Pollock Trophy Regular season champions, Atlantic Division: | Quebec Citadelles |
| John D. Chick Trophy Regular season champions, Empire State Division: | Rochester Americans |

### Individual awards

| Les Cunningham Award Most valuable player: | Martin Brochu - Portland Pirates |
| John B. Sollenberger Trophy Top point scorer: | Christian Matte - Hershey Bears |
| Dudley "Red" Garrett Memorial Award Rookie of the year: | Mika Noronen - Rochester Americans |
| Eddie Shore Award Defenceman of the year: | Brad Tiley - Springfield Falcons |
| Aldege "Baz" Bastien Memorial Award Best goaltender: | Martin Brochu - Portland Pirates |
| Harry "Hap" Holmes Memorial Award Lowest goals against average: | Milan Hnilicka & Jean-Francois Labbe - Hartford Wolf Pack |
| Louis A. R. Pieri Memorial Award Coach of the year: | Glen Hanlon - Portland Pirates |
| Fred T. Hunt Memorial Award Sportsmanship / Perseverance: | Randy Cunneyworth - Rochester Americans |
| Yanick Dupre Memorial Award Community Service Award: | Mike Minard - Hamilton Bulldogs |
| Jack A. Butterfield Trophy MVP of the playoffs: | Derek Armstrong - Hartford Wolf Pack |

### Other awards

| James C. Hendy Memorial Award Most outstanding executive: | Doug Yingst, Hershey Bears |
| Thomas Ebright Memorial Award Career contributions: | Bryan Lewis |
| James H. Ellery Memorial Awards Outstanding media coverage: | Dave Sottile, Hershey, (newspaper) Greg Waddell, Cincinnati, (radio) WBRE-TV, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, (television) |
| Ken McKenzie Award Outstanding marketing executive: | Brian Magness & Rich Hixon, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins |