# 2023 Calder Cup playoffs

The 2023 Calder Cup playoffs was the postseason tournament of the American Hockey League (AHL) to determine the winner of the Calder Cup, which is awarded to the AHL playoff champions.
The 2023 playoffs began on April 18, 2023, with the 23-team playoff format that was introduced in 2022. All teams except the bottom two teams of the Atlantic, North, and Central divisions, as well as the bottom three teams of the Pacific division qualified for the playoffs. Each division has a best-of-three series in the first round to determine the top 16 teams for the division semifinals, with various teams receiving byes based on regular season performance.
The 16 teams that remain—four from each division—will play a best-of-five series in the division semifinals, with the playoffs continuing with another best-of-five series for the division finals and a best-of-seven series for the conference finals and Calder Cup finals.
The Hershey Bears defeated the Coachella Valley Firebirds in overtime of game seven, granting Hershey their 12th Calder Cup in team history and first since 2010. This was only the second time a game seven went to overtime in the finals, and the first since 1953.

## Playoff seeds

After the 2022–23 AHL regular season, 23 teams qualified for the playoffs. The top 5 teams in the North and Central divisions, the top 6 teams in the Atlantic division, and the top 7 teams in the Pacific division based on points total qualified for the 2023 Calder Cup playoffs. The Calgary Wranglers won the regular season title in their season finale.

### Eastern Conference
#### Atlantic Division

* Providence Bruins – 98 points (.681)
* Hershey Bears – 97 points (.674)
* Charlotte Checkers – 86 points (.597)
* Springfield Thunderbirds – 84 points (.583)
* Hartford Wolf Pack – 81 points (.563)
* Lehigh Valley Phantoms – 80 points (.556)

#### North Division

* Toronto Marlies – 90 points (.625)
* Syracuse Crunch – 81 points (.563), 27 RWs
* Rochester Americans – 81 points (.563), 25 RWs
* Utica Comets – 80 points (.556)
* Laval Rocket – 76 points (.528)

### Western Conference
#### Central Division

* Texas Stars – 92 points (.639)
* Milwaukee Admirals – 89 points (.618)
* Manitoba Moose – 84 points (.583)
* Iowa Wild – 79 points (.549), 24 RWs
* Rockford IceHogs – 79 points (.549), 20 RWs

#### Pacific Division

* Calgary Wranglers – 106 points (.736)
* Coachella Valley Firebirds – 103 points (.715)
* Colorado Eagles – 90 points (.625)
* Abbotsford Canucks – 87 points (.604)
* Bakersfield Condors – 78 points (.542)
* Ontario Reign – 74 points (.514)
* Tucson Roadrunners – 69 points (.479), 25 RWs

## Bracket

| First round April 18–23 | First round April 18–23 | First round April 18–23 | Division semifinals April 21 – May 6 | Division semifinals April 21 – May 6 | Division semifinals April 21 – May 6 | Division finals May 11–21 | Division finals May 11–21 | Division finals May 11–21 | Conference finals May 23 – June 5 | Conference finals May 23 – June 5 | Conference finals May 23 – June 5 | Calder Cup finals June 8–21 | Calder Cup finals June 8–21 | Calder Cup finals June 8–21 |
| | | | A1 | Providence | 1 | | | | | | | | | |
| A4 | Springfield | 0 | A5 | Hartford | 3 | | | | | | | | | |
| A5 | Hartford | 2 | Atlantic Division | Atlantic Division | Atlantic Division | A5 | Hartford | 0 | | | | | | |
| | | | Atlantic Division | Atlantic Division | Atlantic Division | A2 | Hershey | 3 | | | | | | |
| | | | A2 | Hershey | 3 | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | | | | | | |
| A3 | Charlotte | 2 | A3 | Charlotte | 1 | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | | | | | | |
| A6 | Lehigh Valley | 1 | | | | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | A2 | Hershey | 4 | | | |
| | | | | | | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | N3 | Rochester | 2 | | | |
| | | | N1 | Toronto | 3 | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | | | | | | |
| N4 | Utica | 2 | N4 | Utica | 1 | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | | | | | | |
| N5 | Laval | 0 | North Division | North Division | North Division | N1 | Toronto | 0 | | | | | | |
| | | | North Division | North Division | North Division | N3 | Rochester | 3 | | | | | | |
| | | | N2 | Syracuse | 2 | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | N3 | Rochester | 3 | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | A2 | Hershey | 4 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | P2 | Coachella Valley | 3 |
| | | | C1 | Texas | 3 | | | | | | | | | |
| C4 | Iowa | 0 | C5 | Rockford | 0 | | | | | | | | | |
| C5 | Rockford | 2 | Central Division | Central Division | Central Division | C1 | Texas | 2 | | | | | | |
| | | | Central Division | Central Division | Central Division | C2 | Milwaukee | 3 | | | | | | |
| | | | C2 | Milwaukee | 3 | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | | | | | | |
| | | | C3 | Manitoba | 2 | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | C2 | Milwaukee | 2 | | | |
| | | | | | | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | P2 | Coachella Valley | 4 | | | |
| | | | P1 | Calgary | 3 | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | | | | | | |
| P4 | Abbotsford | 2 | P4 | Abbotsford | 1 | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | | | | | | |
| P5 | Bakersfield | 0 | Pacific Division | Pacific Division | Pacific Division | P1 | Calgary | 2 | | | | | | |
| P2 | Coachella Valley | 2 | Pacific Division | Pacific Division | Pacific Division | P2 | Coachella Valley | 3 | | | | | | |
| P7 | Tucson | 1 | P2 | Coachella Valley | 3 | | | | | | | | | |
| P3 | Colorado | 2 | P3 | Colorado | 2 | | | | | | | | | |
| P6 | Ontario | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | |

## First round
### Eastern Conference
#### (A3) Charlotte Checkers vs. (A6) Lehigh Valley Phantoms

* Charlotte won series 2–1

#### (A4) Springfield Thunderbirds vs. (A5) Hartford Wolf Pack

* Hartford won series 2–0

#### (N4) Utica Comets vs. (N5) Laval Rocket

* Utica won series 2–0

### Western Conference
#### (C4) Iowa Wild vs. (C5) Rockford IceHogs

* Rockford won series 2–0

#### (P2) Coachella Valley Firebirds vs. (P7) Tucson Roadrunners

* Coachella Valley won series 2–1

#### (P3) Colorado Eagles vs. (P6) Ontario Reign

* Colorado won series 2–0

#### (P4) Abbotsford Canucks vs. (P5) Bakersfield Condors

* Abbotsford won series 2–0

## Division semifinals
### Eastern Conference
#### (A1) Providence Bruins vs. (A5) Hartford Wolf Pack

* Hartford won series 3–1

#### (A2) Hershey Bears vs. (A3) Charlotte Checkers

* Hershey won series 3–1

#### (N1) Toronto Marlies vs. (N4) Utica Comets

* Toronto won series 3–1

#### (N2) Syracuse Crunch vs. (N3) Rochester Americans

* Rochester won series 3–2

### Western Conference
#### (C1) Texas Stars vs. (C5) Rockford IceHogs

* Texas won series 3–0

#### (C2) Milwaukee Admirals vs. (C3) Manitoba Moose

* Milwaukee won series 3–2

#### (P1) Calgary Wranglers vs. (P4) Abbotsford Canucks

* Calgary won series 3–1

#### (P2) Coachella Valley Firebirds vs. (P3) Colorado Eagles

* Coachella Valley won series 3–2

## Division finals
### Eastern Conference
#### (A2) Hershey Bears vs. (A5) Hartford Wolf Pack

* Hershey won series 3–0

#### (N1) Toronto Marlies vs. (N3) Rochester Americans

* Rochester won series 3–0

### Western Conference
#### (C1) Texas Stars vs. (C2) Milwaukee Admirals

* Milwaukee won series 3–2

#### (P1) Calgary Wranglers vs. (P2) Coachella Valley Firebirds

* Coachella Valley won series 3–2

## Conference finals
### Eastern Conference
#### (A2) Hershey Bears vs. (N3) Rochester Americans

* Hershey won series 4–2

### Western Conference
#### (P2) Coachella Valley Firebirds vs. (C2) Milwaukee Admirals

* Coachella Valley won series 4–2

## Calder Cup finals
### (P2) Coachella Valley Firebirds vs. (A2) Hershey Bears

* Hershey won series 4–3

## Playoff statistical leaders
### Leading skaters

These are the top ten skaters based on points. If there is a tie in points, goals take precedence over assists.
| Player | Team | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
| Kole Lind | Coachella Valley Firebirds | 26 | 9 | 22 | 31 | 16 |
| Max McCormick | Coachella Valley Firebirds | 26 | 14 | 13 | 27 | 16 |
| Ryker Evans | Coachella Valley Firebirds | 26 | 5 | 21 | 26 | 26 |
| Cameron Hughes | Coachella Valley Firebirds | 26 | 4 | 19 | 23 | 14 |
| Alexander True | Coachella Valley Firebirds | 26 | 7 | 12 | 19 | 6 |
| Luke Evangelista | Milwaukee Admirals | 16 | 4 | 11 | 15 | 4 |
| Joe Snively | Hershey Bears | 20 | 2 | 13 | 15 | 6 |
| Logan Day | Hershey Bears | 19 | 3 | 11 | 14 | 4 |
| Michael Mersch | Rochester Americans | 14 | 6 | 7 | 13 | 4 |
| Mason Morelli | Hershey Bears | 20 | 5 | 8 | 13 | 28 |
| Aliaksei Protas | Hershey Bears | 20 | 5 | 8 | 13 | 2 |

### Leading goaltenders

This is a combined table of the top five goaltenders based on goals against average and the top five goaltenders based on save percentage with at least 60 minutes played. The table is initially sorted by goals against average, with the criterion for inclusion in bold.
| Player | Team | GP | W | L | SA | GA | GAA | SV% | SO | TOI |
| Jean-François Bérubé | Charlotte Checkers | 5 | 1 | 1 | 80 | 5 | 1.54 | .938 | 1 | 195:12 |
| Dylan Garand | Hartford Wolf Pack | 8 | 5 | 3 | 216 | 14 | 1.76 | .935 | 2 | 477:14 |
| Spencer Martin | Abbotsford Canucks | 4 | 2 | 2 | 112 | 8 | 1.92 | .929 | 1 | 250:15 |
| Joey Daccord | Coachella Valley Firebirds | 26 | 15 | 11 | 823 | 61 | 2.22 | .926 | 3 | 1,647:42 |
| Oskari Salminen | Manitoba Moose | 4 | 2 | 2 | 117 | 9 | 2.25 | .923 | 0 | 239:55 |
| Brandon Bussi | Providence Bruins | 4 | 1 | 3 | 122 | 9 | 2.28 | .926 | 0 | 237:18 |