# 2005–06 AHL season

The 2005–06 AHL season was the 70th season of the American Hockey League. Twenty-seven teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The Hershey Bears won the Calder Cup, defeating the Milwaukee Admirals in the finals.
To celebrate the AHL's 70th anniversary, the league announced on January 6, 2006, the first inductees into the AHL's new Hall of Fame . The first inductees were; Johnny Bower, Jack Butterfield, Jody Gage, Fred Glover, Willie Marshall, Frank Mathers and Eddie Shore.

## Team changes

* The Cincinnati Mighty Ducks suspend operations, becoming dormant.
* The Edmonton Road Runners suspend operations, becoming dormant.
* The Utah Grizzlies suspend operations, becoming dormant.
* The dormant Saint John Flames resumed operations as the Omaha Ak-Sar-Ben Knights, playing in the West division.
* The dormant Louisville Panthers resumed operations as the Iowa Stars, playing in the West division.
* The St. John's Maple Leafs moved to Toronto, Ontario, becoming the Toronto Marlies.
* The Worcester IceCats moved to Peoria, Illinois, becoming the Peoria Rivermen, playing in the West division.
* The Albany River Rats shift from the East division to the Atlantic division.
* The Grand Rapids Griffins shift from the West division to the North 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 | OTL | SOL | Pts | GF | GA |
| y–Portland Pirates (ANA) | 80 | 53 | 19 | 5 | 3 | 114 | 306 | 241 |
| x–Hartford Wolf Pack (NYR) | 80 | 48 | 24 | 2 | 6 | 104 | 292 | 241 |
| x–Manchester Monarchs (LAK) | 80 | 43 | 30 | 3 | 4 | 93 | 236 | 230 |
| x–Providence Bruins (BOS) | 80 | 43 | 31 | 1 | 5 | 92 | 254 | 217 |
| e–Lowell Lock Monsters (CAR/COL) | 80 | 29 | 37 | 6 | 8 | 72 | 222 | 257 |
| e–Springfield Falcons (TBL) | 80 | 28 | 43 | 3 | 6 | 65 | 220 | 312 |
| e–Albany River Rats (NJD) | 80 | 25 | 48 | 4 | 3 | 57 | 206 | 278 |
| East Division | GP | W | L | OTL | SOL | Pts | GF | GA |
| y–Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (PIT) | 80 | 51 | 18 | 5 | 6 | 113 | 249 | 178 |
| x–Hershey Bears (WSH) | 80 | 44 | 21 | 5 | 10 | 103 | 262 | 234 |
| x–Norfolk Admirals (CHI) | 80 | 43 | 29 | 4 | 4 | 94 | 259 | 246 |
| x–Bridgeport Sound Tigers (NYI) | 80 | 38 | 33 | 6 | 3 | 85 | 246 | 253 |
| e–Binghamton Senators (OTT) | 80 | 35 | 37 | 4 | 4 | 78 | 258 | 295 |
| e–Philadelphia Phantoms (PHI) | 80 | 34 | 37 | 2 | 7 | 77 | 197 | 232 |

### Western Conference

| North Division | GP | W | L | OTL | SOL | Pts | GF | GA |
| y–Grand Rapids Griffins (DET) | 80 | 55 | 20 | 1 | 4 | 115 | 323 | 247 |
| x–Syracuse Crunch (CBJ) | 80 | 47 | 25 | 5 | 3 | 102 | 272 | 251 |
| x–Manitoba Moose (VAN) | 80 | 44 | 24 | 7 | 5 | 100 | 243 | 217 |
| x–Toronto Marlies (TOR) | 80 | 41 | 29 | 6 | 4 | 92 | 270 | 263 |
| e–Rochester Americans (BUF/FLA) | 80 | 37 | 39 | 2 | 2 | 78 | 261 | 270 |
| e–Hamilton Bulldogs (EDM/MTL) | 80 | 35 | 41 | 0 | 4 | 74 | 225 | 251 |
| e–Cleveland Barons (SJS) | 80 | 27 | 48 | 2 | 3 | 59 | 210 | 302 |
| West Division | GP | W | L | OTL | SOL | Pts | GF | GA |
| y–Milwaukee Admirals (NSH) | 80 | 49 | 21 | 6 | 4 | 108 | 268 | 234 |
| x–Houston Aeros (MIN) | 80 | 50 | 24 | 3 | 3 | 106 | 285 | 242 |
| x–Peoria Rivermen (STL) | 80 | 46 | 26 | 3 | 5 | 100 | 253 | 226 |
| x–Iowa Stars (DAL) | 80 | 41 | 31 | 1 | 7 | 90 | 238 | 228 |
| e–Chicago Wolves (ATL) | 80 | 36 | 32 | 4 | 8 | 84 | 278 | 275 |
| e–Omaha Ak-Sar-Ben Knights (CGY) | 80 | 35 | 31 | 3 | 11 | 84 | 206 | 221 |
| e–San Antonio Rampage (PHX) | 80 | 23 | 50 | 3 | 4 | 53 | 153 | 251 |

## Scoring leaders

Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalty minutes
| Player | Team | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
| Kirby Law | Houston Aeros | 80 | 43 | 67 | 110 | 95 |
| Erik Westrum | Houston Aeros | 71 | 34 | 64 | 98 | 138 |
| Jiri Hudler | Grand Rapids Griffins | 76 | 36 | 60 | 96 | 56 |
| Patrick O'Sullivan | Houston Aeros | 78 | 47 | 46 | 93 | 64 |
| Darren Haydar | Milwaukee Admirals | 80 | 35 | 57 | 92 | 50 |
| Denis Hamel | Binghamton Senators | 77 | 56 | 35 | 91 | 65 |
| Donald MacLean | Grand Rapids Griffins | 76 | 56 | 32 | 88 | 63 |
| Brad Smyth | Hartford Wolf Pack | 80 | 34 | 52 | 86 | 69 |
| Ryan Shannon | Portland Pirates | 71 | 27 | 59 | 86 | 44 |
| Keith Aucoin | Lowell Lock Monsters | 72 | 29 | 56 | 85 | 68 |

## Leading goaltenders

Note: GP = Games played; Mins = Minutes played; W = Wins; L = Losses: OTL = Overtime losses; SL = Shootout losses; GA = Goals Allowed; SO = Shutouts; GAA = Goals against average
| Player | Team | GP | Mins | W | L | SL | GA | SO | GAA | Sv% |
| Dany Sabourin | Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins | 49 | 2943 | 30 | 14 | 4 | 111 | 4 | 2.26 | 0.922 |
| Wade Flaherty | Manitoba Moose | 49 | 2822 | 26 | 17 | 4 | 113 | 6 | 2.40 | 0.919 |
| Brent Krahn | Omaha Ak-Sar-Ben Knights | 57 | 3241 | 26 | 20 | 9 | 135 | 3 | 2.50 | 0.912 |
| Mike Smith | Iowa Stars | 50 | 3000 | 25 | 19 | 6 | 125 | 3 | 2.50 | 0.917 |
| Martin Houle | Philadelphia Phantoms | 40 | 2153 | 18 | 18 | 1 | 91 | 2 | 2.54 | 0.914 |

## Calder Cup playoffs

| Division Semi-finals | Division Semi-finals | Division Semi-finals | | | Division Finals | Division Finals | Division Finals | Conference Finals | Conference Finals | Conference Finals | | Calder Cup Finals | Calder Cup Finals | Calder Cup Finals |
| A1 | Portland | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| A4 | Providence | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| A4 | Providence | 2 | | | A1 | Portland | 4 | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | A2 | Hartford | 2 | | | | | | | |
| A2 | Hartford | 4 | | | A2 | Hartford | 2 | | | | | | | |
| A3 | Manchester | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| A3 | Manchester | 3 | | | | | | A | Portland | 3 | | | | |
| Eastern | Eastern | Eastern | Eastern | Eastern | Eastern | Eastern | Eastern | A | Portland | 3 | | | | |
| Eastern | Eastern | Eastern | Eastern | Eastern | Eastern | Eastern | Eastern | E | Hershey | 4 | | | | |
| E1 | WBS | 4 | | | | | | | | | E | Hershey | 4 | | | | |
| E4 | Bridgeport | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| E4 | Bridgeport | 3 | | | E1 | WBS | 0 | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | E2 | Hershey | 4 | | | | | | | |
| E2 | Hershey | 4 | | | E2 | Hershey | 4 | | | | | | | |
| E3 | Norfolk | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| E3 | Norfolk | 0 | | | | | | | | | | E | Hershey | 4 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | W | Milwaukee | 2 |
| N1 | Grand Rapids | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | | | W | Milwaukee | 2 |
| N4 | Toronto | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| N4 | Toronto | 1 | | | N1 | Grand Rapids | 4 | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | N3 | Manitoba | 3 | | | | | | | |
| N2 | Syracuse | 2 | | | N3 | Manitoba | 3 | | | | | | | |
| N3 | Manitoba | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| N3 | Manitoba | 4 | | | | | | N | Grand Rapids | 0 | | | | |
| Western | Western | Western | Western | Western | Western | Western | Western | N | Grand Rapids | 0 | | | | |
| Western | Western | Western | Western | Western | Western | Western | Western | W | Milwaukee | 4 | | | | |
| W1 | Milwaukee | 4 | | | | | | | | | W | Milwaukee | 4 | | | | |
| W4 | Iowa | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| W4 | Iowa | 3 | | | W1 | Milwaukee | 4 | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | W2 | Houston | 0 | | | | | | | |
| W2 | Houston | 4 | | | W2 | Houston | 0 | | | | | | | |
| W3 | Peoria | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | |

## All Star Classic

The 19th AHL All-Star Classic was played on February 1, 2006, at the MTS Centre in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Team Canada defeated team PlanetUSA 9–4. In the skills competition held the night before, team Canada defeated team PlanetUSA 21–12 in front of two sellout crowds of 15,115, the largest for an AHL event.

## Trophy and award winners
### Team awards

| Calder Cup Playoff champions: | Hershey Bears |
| Richard F. Canning Trophy Eastern Conference playoff champions: | Hershey Bears |
| Robert W. Clarke Trophy Western Conference playoff champions: | Milwaukee Admirals |
| Macgregor Kilpatrick Trophy Regular season champions, League: | Grand Rapids Griffins |
| Frank Mathers Trophy Regular Season champions, Eastern Conference: | Portland Pirates |
| Norman R. "Bud" Poile Trophy Regular Season champions, Western Conference: | Grand Rapids Griffins |
| Emile Francis Trophy Regular Season champions, Atlantic Division: | Portland Pirates |
| F. G. "Teddy" Oke Trophy Regular Season champions, East Division: | Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins |
| Sam Pollock Trophy Regular Season champions, North Division: | Grand Rapids Griffins |
| John D. Chick Trophy Regular Season champions, West Division: | Milwaukee Admirals |

### Individual awards

| Les Cunningham Award Most valuable player: | Donald MacLean - Grand Rapids Griffins |
| John B. Sollenberger Trophy Top point scorer: | Kirby Law - Houston Aeros |
| Willie Marshall Award Top goal scorer: | Donald MacLean - Grand Rapids Griffins & Denis Hamel - Binghamton Senators |
| Dudley "Red" Garrett Memorial Award Rookie of the year: | Patrick O'Sullivan - Houston Aeros |
| Eddie Shore Award Defenceman of the year: | Andy Delmore - Syracuse Crunch |
| Aldege "Baz" Bastien Memorial Award Best Goaltender: | Dany Sabourin - Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins |
| Harry "Hap" Holmes Memorial Award Lowest goals against average: | Dany Sabourin - Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins |
| Louis A. R. Pieri Memorial Award Coach of the year: | Kevin Dineen - Portland Pirates |
| Fred T. Hunt Memorial Award Sportsmanship / Perseverance: | Mark Cullen - Norfolk Admirals |
| Yanick Dupre Memorial Award Community Service Award: | Mitch Fritz - Springfield Falcons |
| Jack A. Butterfield Trophy MVP of the playoffs: | Frederic Cassivi - Hershey Bears |

### Other awards

| James C. Hendy Memorial Award Most outstanding executive: | Doug Yingst, Hershey Bears |
| Thomas Ebright Memorial Award Career contributions: | Al Coates |
| James H. Ellery Memorial Awards Outstanding media coverage: | Phil Janack, Albany (newspaper) Kelly Moore, Manitoba (radio) Gregg Mace, Hershey (television) |
| Ken McKenzie Award Outstanding marketing executive: | Mike Wojociechowski, Milwaukee Admirals |
| Michael Condon Memorial Award Outstanding service, on-ice official: | Luke Galvin |