2002–03 AHL season

The 2002–03 AHL season was the 67th season of the American Hockey League. Twenty-eight teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The Hamilton Bulldogs finished first overall in the regular season. The Houston Aeros won their first Calder Cup championship.
==Team changes==
* The Quebec Citadelles move to Hamilton, Ontario, merging with the Hamilton Bulldogs, operating with as a joint affiliate for the Edmonton Oilers and Montreal Canadiens.
* The dormant Prince Edward Island Senators resume operations as the Binghamton Senators, based in Binghamton, New York, playing in the east division.
* The San Antonio Rampage join the AHL as an expansion team, based in San Antonio, Texas, playing in the west division.
==Final standings==
Note: GP = Games played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; OTL = Overtime losses; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; Pts = Points;
===Eastern Conference===
Canadian 	GP	W 	L 	T	OTL	Pts	GF 	GA
Hamilton Bulldogs(EDM/MTL) 	80	49	19	8	4 	110	279	191
Manitoba Moose(VAN) 	80	37	33	8	2 	84 	229	228
St. John's Maple Leafs(TOR)	80	32	40	6	2 	72 	236	285
Saint John Flames(CGY) 	80	32	41	6	1 	71 	203	223
North 	GP	W 	L 	T 	OTL	Pts	GF 	GA
Providence Bruins(BOS) 	80	44	20	11	5 	104	268	227
Manchester Monarchs(LA) 	80	40	23	11	6 	97 	254	209
Worcester IceCats(STL) 	80	35	27	15	3 	88 	235	220
Portland Pirates(WSH) 	80	33	28	13	6 	85 	221	195
Lowell Lock Monsters(CAR)	80	19	51	7 	3 	48 	175	275
East 	GP	W 	L 	T 	OTL	Pts	GF 	GA
Binghamton Senators(OTT) 	80	43	26	9 	2 	97 	239	207
Bridgeport Sound Tigers(NYI)	80	40	26	11	3 	94 	219	198
Hartford Wolf Pack(NYR) 	80	33	27	12	8 	86 	255	236
Springfield Falcons(PHX/TB) 	80	34	38	7 	1 	76 	202	243
Albany River Rats(NJ) 	80	25	37	11	7 	68 	197	235
===Western Conference===
Central 	GP	W 	L 	T 	OTL	Pts	GF 	GA
Grand Rapids Griffins(DET) 	80	48	22	8 	2 	106	240	177
Rochester Americans(BUF) 	80	31	30	14	5 	81 	219	221
Cincinnati Mighty Ducks(ANA)	80	26	35	13	6 	71 	202	242
Syracuse Crunch(CBJ) 	80	27	41	8 	4 	66 	201	256
Cleveland Barons(SJ) 	80	22	48	5 	5 	54 	203	286
West 	GP	W 	L 	T 	OTL	Pts	GF 	GA
Houston Aeros(MIN) 	80	47	23	7 	3 	104	266	222
Chicago Wolves(ATL) 	80	43	25	8 	4 	98 	276	237
San Antonio Rampage(FLA)	80	36	29	11	4 	87 	235	226
Milwaukee Admirals(NSH) 	80	32	27	14	7 	85 	247	251
Utah Grizzlies(DAL) 	80	37	34	4 	5 	83 	227	243
South 	GP	W 	L 	T 	OTL	Pts	GF 	GA
Norfolk Admirals(CHI) 	80	37	26	12	5 	91 	201	187
Hershey Bears(COL) 	80	36	27	14	3 	89 	217	209
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins(PIT)	80	36	32	7 	5 	84 	245	248
Philadelphia Phantoms(PHI) 	80	33	33	6 	8 	80 	198	212
==Scoring leaders==
Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalty minutes
Player 	Team 	GP	G 	A 	Pts	PIM
Steve Maltais 	Chicago Wolves 	79	30	56	86 	86
Jean-Guy Trudel	Houston Aeros 	79	31	54	85 	85
Michel Picard 	Grand Rapids Griffins	61	41	44	85 	99
Mark Mowers 	Grand Rapids Griffins	78	34	47	81 	47
Simon Gamache 	Chicago Wolves 	76	35	42	77 	37
Darren Haydar 	Milwaukee Admirals 	75	29	46	75 	36
Cory Larose 	Houston / Hartford 	82	27	48	75 	77
Craig Darby 	Albany River Rats 	76	23	51	74 	42
Mark Greig 	Philadelphia Phantoms	73	30	44	74 	127
Keith Aucoin 	Providence Bruins 	78	25	49	74 	71
* complete list
==Calder Cup playoffs==
	
==All Star Classic==
The 16th AHL All-Star Game was played on February 3, 2003 at the Cumberland County Civic Center in Portland, Maine. Team Canada defeated Team PlanetUSA 10-7. In the skills competition held the day before the All-Star Game, Team Canada won 15-13 over Team PlanetUSA. 
==Trophy and award winners==
===Team awards===
Calder CupPlayoff champions: 	Houston Aeros
Richard F. Canning TrophyEastern Conference playoff champions: 	Hamilton Bulldogs
Robert W. Clarke TrophyWestern Conference playoff champions: 	Houston Aeros
Macgregor Kilpatrick TrophyRegular season champions, league: 	Hamilton Bulldogs
Frank Mathers TrophyRegular season champions, South Division: 	Norfolk Admirals
Norman R. "Bud" Poile TrophyRegular season champions, West Division:	Houston Aeros
Emile Francis TrophyRegular season champions, North Division: 	Providence Bruins
F. G. "Teddy" Oke TrophyRegular season champions, East Division: 	Binghamton Senators
Sam Pollock TrophyRegular season champions, Canadian Division: 	Hamilton Bulldogs
John D. Chick TrophyRegular season champions, Central Division: 	Grand Rapids Griffins
===Individual awards===
Les Cunningham AwardMost valuable player: 	Jason Ward - Hamilton Bulldogs
John B. Sollenberger TrophyTop point scorer: 	Steve Maltais - Chicago Wolves
Dudley "Red" Garrett Memorial AwardRookie of the year: 	Darren Haydar - Milwaukee Admirals
Eddie Shore AwardDefenceman of the year: 	Curtis Murphy - Houston Aeros
Aldege "Baz" Bastien Memorial AwardBest goaltender: 	Marc Lamothe - Grand Rapids Griffins
Harry "Hap" Holmes Memorial AwardLowest goals against average:	Marc Lamothe, Joey MacDonald - Grand Rapids Griffins
Louis A.R. Pieri Memorial AwardCoach of the year: 	Claude Julien & Geoff Ward - Hamilton Bulldogs
Fred T. Hunt Memorial AwardSportsmanship / Perseverance: 	Chris Ferraro - Portland Pirates & Eric Healey - Manchester Monarchs
Yanick Dupre Memorial AwardCommunity Service Award: 	Jimmy Roy - Manitoba Moose
Jack A. Butterfield TrophyMVP of the playoffs: 	Johan Holmqvist - Houston Aeros
===Other awards===
James C. Hendy Memorial AwardMost outstanding executive: 	Jeff Barrett, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
Thomas Ebright Memorial AwardCareer contributions: 	Bill Watters
James H. Ellery Memorial Awards Outstanding media coverage: 	Joe Conklin, Grand Rapids, (newspaper)Dave Ahlers, Portland, (radio)Rogers Sportsnet, (television)
Ken McKenzie AwardOutstanding marketing executive: 	Don Helbig, Cincinnati Mighty Ducks
Michael Condon Memorial AwardOutstanding service, on-ice official:	Marty Demers
==Team Photos==
02-03RocAme.jpg|Rochester Americans
02-03HouAer.jpg|Houston Aeros
==See also==
*List of AHL seasons
==References==
*AHL official site
*AHL Hall of Fame
*HockeyDB
Category:American Hockey League seasons
Category:2003 in hockey