# 1990–91 AHL season

The 1990–91 AHL season was the 55th season of the American Hockey League. Fifteen teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The Rochester Americans finished first overall in the regular season. The Springfield Indians won their seventh and final Calder Cup championship.

## Team changes

* The Binghamton Whalers became the Binghamton Rangers.
* The Sherbrooke Canadiens moved to Fredericton, New Brunswick, becoming the Fredericton Canadiens.
* The Capital District Islanders joined the AHL as an expansion team, based in Troy, New York, playing in the South 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
| North Division | GP | W | L | T | Pts | GF | GA |
| y–Springfield Indians (HFD) | 80 | 43 | 27 | 10 | 96 | 348 | 281 |
| x–Cape Breton Oilers (EDM) | 80 | 41 | 31 | 8 | 90 | 306 | 301 |
| x–Moncton Hawks (WIN) | 80 | 36 | 32 | 12 | 84 | 270 | 267 |
| x–Fredericton Canadiens (MTL) | 80 | 36 | 35 | 9 | 81 | 295 | 292 |
| x–Maine Mariners (BOS) | 80 | 34 | 34 | 12 | 80 | 269 | 284 |
| e–Halifax Citadels (QUE) | 80 | 33 | 35 | 12 | 78 | 338 | 340 |
| e–New Haven Nighthawks (LAK) | 80 | 24 | 45 | 11 | 59 | 246 | 324 |
| South Division | GP | W | L | T | Pts | GF | GA |
| y–Rochester Americans (BUF) | 80 | 45 | 26 | 9 | 99 | 326 | 253 |
| x–Binghamton Rangers (NYR) | 80 | 44 | 30 | 6 | 94 | 318 | 274 |
| x–Baltimore Skipjacks (WSH) | 80 | 39 | 34 | 7 | 85 | 325 | 289 |
| x–Hershey Bears (PHI) | 80 | 33 | 35 | 12 | 78 | 313 | 324 |
| x–Adirondack Red Wings (DET) | 80 | 33 | 37 | 10 | 76 | 320 | 346 |
| e–Utica Devils (NJD) | 80 | 36 | 42 | 2 | 74 | 325 | 346 |
| e–Capital District Islanders (NYI) | 80 | 28 | 43 | 9 | 65 | 284 | 323 |
| e–Newmarket Saints (TOR) | 80 | 26 | 45 | 9 | 61 | 278 | 317 |

## Scoring leaders

Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalty minutes
| Player | Team | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
| Kevin Todd | Utica Devils | 75 | 37 | 81 | 118 | 75 |
| Patrick Lebeau | Fredericton Canadiens | 69 | 50 | 51 | 101 | 32 |
| Shaun Van Allen | Cape Breton Oilers | 76 | 25 | 75 | 100 | 182 |
| Bill McDougall | Adirondack Red Wings | 71 | 47 | 52 | 99 | 192 |
| Jesse Belanger | Fredericton Canadiens | 75 | 40 | 58 | 98 | 30 |
| Neil Brady | Utica Devils | 77 | 33 | 63 | 96 | 91 |
| Michel Picard | Springfield Indians | 77 | 56 | 40 | 96 | 61 |
| James Black | Springfield Indians | 79 | 35 | 61 | 96 | 34 |
| Miroslav Ihnacak | Halifax Citadels | 77 | 38 | 57 | 95 | 42 |
| Dan Currie | Cape Breton Oilers | 71 | 47 | 45 | 92 | 51 |
* complete list

## Calder Cup playoffs

| Preliminary Round | Preliminary Round | Preliminary Round | Division Semifinals | Division Semifinals | Division Semifinals | Division Finals | Division Finals | Division Finals | Calder Cup Final | Calder Cup Final | Calder Cup Final |
| | | | 1 | Springfield | 4 | | | | | | |
| 4 | Fredericton | 11 | 4 | Fredericton | 3 | | | | | | |
| 5 | Maine | 7 | North Division | North Division | North Division | 1 | Springfield | 4 | | | |
| | | | North Division | North Division | North Division | 3 | Moncton | 1 | | | |
| | | | 2 | Cape Breton | 0 | | | | | | |
| | | | 3 | Moncton | 4 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | N1 | Springfield | 4 |
| | | | | | | | | | S1 | Rochester | 2 |
| | | | 2 | Binghamton | 4 | | | | | | |
| 4 | Hershey | 13 | 3 | Baltimore | 2 | | | | | | |
| 5 | Adirondack | 4 | South Division | South Division | South Division | 2 | Binghamton | 0 | | | |
| | | | South Division | South Division | South Division | 1 | Rochester | 4 | | | |
| | | | 1 | Rochester | 4 | | | | | | |
| | | | 4 | Hershey | 1 | | | | | | |
    Note: Preliminary Round was played as a two-game, total-goals series

## Trophy and award winners
### Team awards

| Calder Cup Playoff champions: | Springfield Indians |
| Richard F. Canning Trophy North division playoff champions: | Springfield Indians |
| Robert W. Clarke Trophy South division playoff champions: | Rochester Americans |
| F. G. "Teddy" Oke Trophy Regular Season champions, North Division: | Springfield Indians |
| John D. Chick Trophy Regular Season champions, South Division: | Rochester Americans |

### Individual awards

| Les Cunningham Award Most valuable player: | Kevin Todd - Utica Devils |
| John B. Sollenberger Trophy Top point scorer: | Kevin Todd - Utica Devils |
| Dudley "Red" Garrett Memorial Award Rookie of the year: | Patrick Lebeau - Fredericton Canadiens |
| Eddie Shore Award Defenceman of the year: | Norm Maciver - Cape Breton Oilers |
| Aldege "Baz" Bastien Memorial Award Best Goaltender: | Mark Laforest - Binghamton Rangers |
| Harry "Hap" Holmes Memorial Award Lowest goals against average: | David Littman & Darcy Wakaluk - Rochester Americans |
| Louis A.R. Pieri Memorial Award Coach of the year: | Don Lever - Rochester Americans |
| Fred T. Hunt Memorial Award Sportsmanship / Perseverance: | Glenn Merkosky - Adirondack Red Wings |
| Jack A. Butterfield Trophy MVP of the playoffs: | Kay Whitmore - Springfield Indians |

### Other awards

| James C. Hendy Memorial Award Most outstanding executive: | Frank Mathers |
| James H. Ellery Memorial Awards Outstanding media coverage: | Bob Dittmeier, Adirondack / Capital District, (newspaper) Bob Matthews, Rochester, (radio) Jimmy Young & Tom Caron, Maine, (television) |
| Ken McKenzie Award Outstanding marketing executive: | Jan MacDonald, New Haven Nighthawks |