# 1978–79 AHL season

The 1978–79 AHL season was the 43rd season of the American Hockey League. The league inaugurated the Ken McKenzie Award, for the most outstanding marketing executive, showing its commitment to marketing and public relations.
Nine teams were scheduled to play 80 games each. The Maine Mariners repeated as first overall in the regular season, and won their second consecutive Calder Cup championship.

## Team changes

* The Hampton Gulls do not resume operations.
* The New Brunswick Hawks join the AHL as an expansion team, based in Moncton, New Brunswick, playing in the North Division.
* The Binghamton Dusters switch divisions from North to South.

## Final standings

Note: GP = Games played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; Pts = Points;
| North | GP | W | L | T | Pts | GF | GA |
| Maine Mariners (PHI) | 80 | 45 | 22 | 13 | 103 | 350 | 252 |
| New Brunswick Hawks (CHI/TOR) | 80 | 41 | 29 | 10 | 92 | 315 | 288 |
| Nova Scotia Voyageurs (MTL) | 80 | 39 | 37 | 4 | 82 | 313 | 302 |
| Springfield Indians (LAK) | 80 | 33 | 38 | 9 | 75 | 289 | 290 |
| South | GP | W | L | T | Pts | GF | GA |
| New Haven Nighthawks (NYR) | 80 | 46 | 25 | 9 | 101 | 346 | 271 |
| Hershey Bears (BUF/WSH) | 79 | 35 | 36 | 8 | 78 | 311 | 324 |
| Binghamton Dusters (PIT) | 79 | 32 | 42 | 5 | 69 | 300 | 320 |
| Rochester Americans (BOS) | 80 | 26 | 42 | 12 | 64 | 289 | 349 |
| Philadelphia Firebirds (CLR) | 80 | 23 | 49 | 8 | 54 | 230 | 347 |

## Scoring leaders

Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalty minutes
| Player | Team | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
| Bernie Johnston | Maine Mariners | 70 | 29 | 66 | 95 | 40 |
| Wayne Schaab | Maine Mariners | 80 | 41 | 50 | 91 | 43 |
| Kirk Bowman | New Brunswick Hawks | 80 | 26 | 56 | 82 | 44 |
| Bobby Sheehan | New Haven Nighthawks | 70 | 33 | 48 | 81 | 26 |
| Rick Meagher | Nova Scotia Voyageurs | 79 | 35 | 46 | 81 | 57 |
| Dave Lumley | Nova Scotia Voyageurs | 61 | 22 | 58 | 80 | 160 |
| Claude Noel | Hershey Bears | 76 | 30 | 50 | 80 | 27 |
| Dale Lewis | New Haven Nighthawks | 76 | 29 | 51 | 80 | 20 |
| Rocky Saganiuk | New Brunswick Hawks | 61 | 47 | 29 | 76 | 91 |
| Andre Peloffy | Springfield Indians | 77 | 28 | 48 | 76 | 138 |
* complete list

## Calder Cup playoffs

| Division Semifinals | Division Semifinals | Division Semifinals | Division Finals | Division Finals | Division Finals | Calder Cup Final | Calder Cup Final | Calder Cup Final |
| | | | 1 | Maine | 4 | | | |
| North Division | North Division | North Division | 1 | Maine | 4 | | | |
| North Division | North Division | North Division | 3 | Nova Scotia | 2 | | | |
| 2 | New Brunswick | 2 | 3 | Nova Scotia | 2 | | | |
| 3 | Nova Scotia | 3 | | | | | | |
| 3 | Nova Scotia | 3 | | | | N1 | Maine | 4 |
| | | | | | | S1 | New Haven | 0 |
| | | | 1 | New Haven | 4 | | | |
| South Division | South Division | South Division | 1 | New Haven | 4 | | | |
| South Division | South Division | South Division | 3 | Binghamton | 2 | | | |
| 2 | Hershey | 1 | 3 | Binghamton | 2 | | | |
| 3 | Binghamton | 3 | | | | | | |

## Trophy and award winners
### Team awards

| Calder Cup Playoff champions: | Maine Mariners |
| F. G. "Teddy" Oke Trophy Regular Season champions, North Division: | Maine Mariners |
| John D. Chick Trophy Regular Season champions, South Division: | New Haven Nighthawks |

### Individual awards

| Les Cunningham Award Most valuable player: | Rocky Saganiuk - New Brunswick Hawks |
| John B. Sollenberger Trophy Top point scorer: | Bernie Johnston - Maine Mariners |
| Dudley "Red" Garrett Memorial Award Rookie of the year: | Mike Meeker - Binghamton Dusters |
| Eddie Shore Award Defenceman of the year: | Terry Murray - Maine Mariners |
| Harry "Hap" Holmes Memorial Award Lowest goals against average: | Pete Peeters & Robbie Moore - Maine Mariners |
| Louis A.R. Pieri Memorial Award Coach of the year: | Parker MacDonald - New Haven Nighthawks |
| Fred T. Hunt Memorial Award Sportsmanship / Perseverance: | Bernie Johnston - Maine Mariners |

### Other awards

| James C. Hendy Memorial Award Most outstanding executive: | Harry Sinden |
| James H. Ellery Memorial Awards Outstanding media coverage: | Eddie St. Pierre, Moncton, (newspaper) Arnie Patterson, Nova Scotia, (radio) Jack O'Neil, Springfield, (television) |
| Ken McKenzie Award Outstanding marketing executive: | Roy Mlakar, New Haven Nighthawks |