2009-10 AHL season

The 2009–10 AHL season will be the 74th season of the American Hockey League. There are twenty-nine teams slated to play with the addition of one new team, the relocation of two others, and the involuntary suspension of another. Each team will play 80 games from October 2 to April 11.
==League business==
===European pre-season openers===
On June 11, 2009, both the Hamilton Bulldogs and the Toronto Marlies were invited to participate in a four-team preseason tournament in Edinburgh, Scotland, to celebrate Scotland’s contribution to the game of ice hockey.
The Edinburgh Capitals, Scotland’s only Elite Ice Hockey team, hosted the tournament from September 24-27. The Bulldogs and Marlies played the Capitals and the Belfast Giants in order to win the Gardiner Cup. Hamilton defeated Toronto in the final.
===Playoff format===
The top four teams from each division will play for the Calder Cup. The exception is that if the fifth-place team in the Atlantic Division finishes better than the fourth-place team in the East Division, they will assume the fourth playoff spot in the East Division.
==Team and NHL affiliation changes==
===Team changes===
On April 28, 2009, it was announced that two teams would be relocated for the 2009–10 season and one expansion team would join: 
*Quad City Flames would move to Abbotsford, BC due to poor ticket sales. They became the Abbotsford Heat. 
*Philadelphia Phantoms would relocate to Glens Falls, NY due to the Wachovia Spectrum being demolished fall of 2009. They became the Adirondack Phantoms.
*Texas Stars joined the league with a limited membership and will be operated by the Dallas Stars. The limited membership is conditioned on the completed purchase of an existing AHL franchise within one year.
*Iowa Chops were involuntarily suspended on July 7, 2009, by the AHL Board of Governors for the 2009-10 season for being "unable to remedy certain violations of the provisions of the league’s Constitution and By-Laws" .
===Affiliation changes===
AHL team 	new affiliate	old affiliate
Texas Stars	DAL 	None
==Standings==
* indicates team has clinched division and a playoff spot.
* indicates team has clinched a playoff spot.
* indicates team has been eliminated from playoff contention.
====Eastern Conference====
Atlantic Division 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
y–Worcester Sharks (SJ) 	80	49	25	3 	3	104	275	239
x–Portland Pirates (BUF) 	80	45	24	7 	4	101	244	214
x–Manchester Monarchs (LA) 	80	43	28	3 	6	95 	213	200
x–Lowell Devils (NJ) 	80	39	31	4 	6	88 	239	232
x–Bridgeport Sound Tigers (NYI)	80	38	32	4 	6	86 	201	220
e–Hartford Wolf Pack (NYR) 	80	36	33	6 	5	83 	231	251
e–Providence Bruins (BOS) 	80	36	38	5 	1	78 	207	226
e–Springfield Falcons (EDM) 	80	25	39	12	4	66 	207	296
East Division 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
y–Hershey Bears (WSH) 	80	60	17	0	3	123	342	198
x–Albany River Rats (CAR) 	80	43	29	3	5	94 	244	231
x–Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (PIT)	80	41	34	2	3	87 	239	229
e–Norfolk Admirals (TB) 	80	39	35	3	3	84 	208	214
e–Binghamton Senators (OTT) 	80	36	35	6	3	81 	251	260
e–Syracuse Crunch (CBJ) 	80	34	39	4	3	75 	227	272
e–Adirondack Phantoms (PHI) 	80	32	41	3	4	71 	199	251
====Western Conference====
North Division 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
y–Hamilton Bulldogs (MTL) 	80	52	17	3	8	115	271	183
x–Rochester Americans (FLA) 	80	44	33	2	1	91 	253	247
x–Abbotsford Heat (CGY) 	80	39	29	5	7	90 	217	231
x–Manitoba Moose (VAN) 	80	40	33	5	2	87 	204	232
e–Toronto Marlies (TOR) 	80	33	35	6	6	78 	193	261
e–Lake Erie Monsters (COL) 	80	34	37	1	8	77 	234	257
e–Grand Rapids Griffins (DET)	80	34	39	3	4	75 	244	265
West Division 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
y–Chicago Wolves (ATL) 	80	49	24	1	6	105	264	214
x–Texas Stars (DAL) 	80	46	27	3	4	99 	238	198
x–Rockford IceHogs (CHI) 	80	44	30	3	3	94 	226	226
x–Milwaukee Admirals (NSH) 	80	41	30	2	7	91 	237	220
e–Peoria Rivermen (STL) 	80	38	33	2	7	85 	233	248
e–San Antonio Rampage (PHX)	80	36	32	5	7	84 	235	244
e–Houston Aeros (MIN) 	80	34	34	7	5	80 	206	224
== Statistical leaders ==
==== Leading skaters ====
These are the top ten skaters based on points.
GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; +/– = Plus/minus; PIM = Penalty minutes; † = No longer with listed team
Player 	Team 	GP	G 	A 	Pts	+/–	PIM
Keith Aucoin 	Hershey Bears 	70	35	67	102	+29	43
Alexandre Giroux 	Hershey Bears 	67	46	53	99 	+33	34
Corey Locke 	Hartford Wolf Pack 	74	29	51	80 	-5 	44
Jerome Samson 	Albany River Rats 	74	37	41	78 	+8 	66
David Desharnais 	Hamilton Bulldogs 	59	27	51	78 	+30	34
Brock Trotter 	Hamilton Bulldogs 	74	36	41	77 	+33	56
Charles Linglet - †	Springfield Falcons	75	19	55	74 	0 	36
Jason Krog 	Chicago Wolves 	76	14	60	74 	+19	32
Mark Mancari 	Portland Pirates 	72	27	44	71 	+16	55
Andrew Gordon 	Hershey Bears 	77	36	34	70 	+24	57
Current through April 8, 2010
==== Leading goaltenders ====
These are the top five goaltenders based on both goals against average and save percentage with at least one game played (Note: List is sorted by goals against average).
GP = Games played; W = Wins; L = Losses; SA = Shots against; GA = Goals against; GAA = Goals against average; SV% = Save percentage; SO = Shutouts; TOI = Time on ice (in minutes)
Player 	Team 	GP	W 	L 	SA 	GA 	GAA 	SV% 	SO	TOI
Cedrick Desjardins	Hamilton Bulldogs 	46	28	13	1045	82 	1.96	.922	6 	2515
Jonathan Bernier 	Manchester Monarchs	57	30	26	1807	114	2.03	.937	9 	3366
Curtis Sanford 	Hamilton Bulldogs 	41	23	14	935 	79 	2.13	.916	4 	2230
Peter Mannino 	Chicago Wolves 	36	25	5 	934 	70 	2.18	.925	2 	1926
Braden Holtby 	Hershey Bears 	36	23	10	976 	82 	2.36	.916	2 	2086
Current through April 8, 2010
==Calder Cup Playoffs==
===Bracket===
==AHL awards==
Calder Cup : Hershey Bears 	
Les Cunningham Award : Keith Aucoin, Hershey 	
John B. Sollenberger Trophy : Keith Aucoin, Hershey 	
Willie Marshall Award : Alexandre Giroux, Hershey 	
Dudley "Red" Garrett Memorial Award : Tyler Ennis, Portland 	
Eddie Shore Award : Danny Groulx, Worcester 	
Aldege "Baz" Bastien Memorial Award : Jonathan Bernier, Manchester 	
Harry "Hap" Holmes Memorial Award : Cedrick Desjardins & Curtis Sanford, Hamilton	
Louis A. R. Pieri Memorial Award : Guy Boucher, Hamilton 	
Fred T. Hunt Memorial Award : Casey Borer, Albany 	
Yanick Dupre Memorial Award : Josh Tordjman, San Antonio 	
Jack A. Butterfield Trophy : Chris Bourque, Hershey 	
Richard F. Canning Trophy : Hershey Bears 	
Robert W. Clarke Trophy : Texas Stars 	
Macgregor Kilpatrick Trophy: Hershey Bears 	
Frank Mathers Trophy: Hershey Bears 	
Norman R. "Bud" Poile Trophy: Hamilton Bulldogs 	
Emile Francis Trophy : Worcester Sharks 	
F. G. "Teddy" Oke Trophy: Hershey Bears 	
Sam Pollock Trophy: Hamilton Bulldogs 	
John D. Chick Trophy: Chicago Wolves 	
James C. Hendy Memorial Award: Howard Dolgon, Syracuse 	
Thomas Ebright Memorial Award: Tom Mitchell, Binghamton 	
James H. Ellery Memorial Awards: Pete Dougherty, Albany 	
Ken McKenzie Award: Jim Sarosy, Syracuse 	
Michael Condon Memorial Award: David Butova 	
==Team Photos==
09-10HerBea.jpg|Hershey Bears
09-10TorMar.jpg|Toronto Marlies
==See also==
*List of AHL seasons
==References==
*AHL official site
2009–10
Category:2009 in hockey
Category:2010 in hockey