# 1988–89 AHL season

The 1988–89 AHL season was the 53rd season of the American Hockey League. Fourteen teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The league abandoned awarding points for an overtime loss. The Sherbrooke Canadiens finished first overall in the regular season. The Adirondack Red Wings won their third Calder Cup championship.

## Team changes

* The Nova Scotia Oilers move to Sydney, Nova Scotia, becoming the Cape Breton Oilers.
* The Fredericton Express move to Halifax, Nova Scotia, becoming the Halifax Citadels.

## 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–Sherbrooke Canadiens (MTL) | 80 | 47 | 24 | 9 | 103 | 348 | 261 |
| x–Halifax Citadels (QUE) | 80 | 42 | 30 | 8 | 92 | 345 | 300 |
| x–Moncton Hawks (WIN) | 80 | 37 | 34 | 9 | 83 | 320 | 313 |
| x–New Haven Nighthawks (LAK) | 80 | 35 | 35 | 10 | 80 | 325 | 309 |
| e–Maine Mariners (BOS) | 80 | 32 | 40 | 8 | 72 | 262 | 317 |
| e–Springfield Indians (NYI) | 80 | 32 | 44 | 4 | 68 | 287 | 341 |
| e–Cape Breton Oilers (EDM) | 80 | 27 | 47 | 6 | 60 | 308 | 388 |
| South Division | GP | W | L | T | Pts | GF | GA |
| y–Adirondack Red Wings (DET) | 80 | 47 | 27 | 6 | 100 | 369 | 294 |
| x–Hershey Bears (PHI) | 80 | 40 | 30 | 10 | 90 | 361 | 309 |
| x–Utica Devils (NJD) | 80 | 37 | 34 | 9 | 83 | 309 | 295 |
| x–Newmarket Saints (TOR) | 80 | 38 | 36 | 6 | 82 | 339 | 334 |
| e–Rochester Americans (BUF) | 80 | 38 | 37 | 5 | 81 | 305 | 302 |
| e–Baltimore Skipjacks (WSH) | 80 | 30 | 46 | 4 | 64 | 317 | 347 |
| e–Binghamton Whalers (HFD) | 80 | 28 | 46 | 6 | 62 | 307 | 392 |

## Scoring leaders

Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalty minutes
| Player | Team | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
| Stéphan Lebeau | Sherbrooke Canadiens | 78 | 70 | 64 | 134 | 47 |
| Murray Eaves | Adirondack Red Wings | 80 | 46 | 72 | 118 | 84 |
| Benoît Brunet | Sherbrooke Canadiens | 73 | 41 | 76 | 117 | 95 |
| Mike Richard | Baltimore Skipjacks | 80 | 44 | 63 | 107 | 51 |
| Don Biggs | Hershey Bears | 76 | 36 | 67 | 103 | 158 |
| Terry Yake | Binghamton Whalers | 75 | 39 | 56 | 95 | 57 |
| Ken Priestlay | Rochester Americans | 64 | 56 | 37 | 93 | 60 |
| Hubie McDonough | New Haven Nighthawks | 74 | 37 | 55 | 92 | 41 |
| Ron Wilson | Moncton Hawks | 80 | 31 | 61 | 92 | 110 |
| Brian Dobbin | Hershey Bears | 59 | 43 | 48 | 91 | 61 |
* 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 | Sherbrooke | 2 | | | | | | |
| 4 | New Haven | 4 | | | | | | |
| 4 | New Haven | 4 | 4 | New Haven | 4 | | | |
| North Division | North Division | North Division | 4 | New Haven | 4 | | | |
| North Division | North Division | North Division | 3 | Moncton | 2 | | | |
| 2 | Halifax | 0 | 3 | Moncton | 2 | | | |
| 3 | Moncton | 4 | | | | | | |
| 3 | Moncton | 4 | | | | N4 | New Haven | 1 |
| | | | | | | S1 | Adirondack | 4 |
| 1 | Adirondack | 4 | | | | | | | S1 | Adirondack | 4 |
| 4 | Newmarket | 1 | | | | | | |
| 4 | Newmarket | 1 | 1 | Adirondack | 4 | | | |
| South Division | South Division | South Division | 1 | Adirondack | 4 | | | |
| South Division | South Division | South Division | 2 | Hershey | 3 | | | |
| 2 | Hershey | 4 | 2 | Hershey | 3 | | | |
| 3 | Utica | 1 | | | | | | |

## Trophy and award winners
### Team awards

| Calder Cup Playoff champions: | Adirondack Red Wings |
| F. G. "Teddy" Oke Trophy Regular Season champions, North Division: | Sherbrooke Canadiens |
| John D. Chick Trophy Regular Season champions, South Division: | Adirondack Red Wings |

### Individual awards

| Les Cunningham Award Most valuable player: | Stéphan Lebeau – Sherbrooke Canadiens |
| John B. Sollenberger Trophy Top point scorer: | Stéphan Lebeau – Sherbrooke Canadiens |
| Dudley "Red" Garrett Memorial Award Rookie of the year: | Stéphan Lebeau – Sherbrooke Canadiens |
| Eddie Shore Award Defenceman of the year: | Dave Fenyves – Hershey Bears |
| Aldege "Baz" Bastien Memorial Award Best Goaltender: | Randy Exelby – Sherbrooke Canadiens |
| Harry "Hap" Holmes Memorial Award Lowest goals against average: | Randy Exelby & François Gravel – Sherbrooke Canadiens |
| Louis A. R. Pieri Memorial Award Coach of the year: | Tom McVie – Utica Devils |
| Fred T. Hunt Memorial Award Sportsmanship / Perseverance: | Murray Eaves – Adirondack Red Wings |
| Jack A. Butterfield Trophy MVP of the playoffs: | Sam St. Laurent – Adirondack Red Wings |

### Other awards

| James C. Hendy Memorial Award Most outstanding executive: | Bruce Landon |
| James H. Ellery Memorial Awards Outstanding media coverage: | Paul Abramowitz, Maine, (newspaper) Pat Connolly, Cape Breton, (radio) Brian Lambert, Springfield, (television) |
| Ken McKenzie Award Outstanding marketing executive: | John Forslund, Springfield Indians |