2023–24 AHL season

The 2023–24 AHL season was the 88th season of the American Hockey League. The regular season began on October 13, 2023, and ended on April 21, 2024. The 2024 Calder Cup playoffs followed the conclusion of the regular season, and ended on June 24, with the Hershey Bears winning their 13th Calder Cup in franchise history.
==League changes==
For the first time since the 1994–95 season, the league featured an unaffiliated team, with the Chicago Wolves ending their affiliation with the Carolina Hurricanes. It only lasted one season; the two clubs announced on May 2, 2024, a new three-year agreement where the Wolves would rejoin the Hurricanes' system.
===Team and NHL affiliation changes===
AHL team 	New affiliate	Previous affiliate
Chicago Wolves	Independent 	Carolina Hurricanes
===Coaching changes===
Off–season 	Off–season 	Off–season 	Off–season
Team 	 	 	Notes
Belleville Senators 	Troy MannDavid Bell (interim)	David Bell 	On February 2, 2023, following the Senators game vs the Rochester Americans, Mann was relieved from duties as head coach. Assistant coach David Bell was named as interim head coach the same night. Ottawa removed the interim tag from Bell for the 2023–24 season on May 2, 2023.
Bridgeport Islanders 	Brent Thompson 	Rick Kowalsky 	On July 11, 2023, Thompson was named as an assistant coach with the Anaheim Ducks. Bridgeport assistant coach Rick Kowalsky was named as head coach on July 13, 2023.
Calgary Wranglers 	Mitch Love 	Trent Cull 	The Washington Capitals hired Love as an assistant coach on June 22, 2023. Cull was hired by the Wranglers on July 17, 2023.
Chicago Wolves 	Brock Sheahan 	Bob Nardella 	On June 13, 2023, with the Wolves operation without an NHL affiliate, they hired Nardella as head coach.
Colorado Eagles 	Greg Cronin 	Aaron Schneekloth 	On June 5, 2023, Cronin was hired as the head coach of the Anaheim Ducks. Schneekloth was named as head coach of the Eagles on July 6, 2023.
Grand Rapids Griffins 	Ben Simon 	Dan Watson 	Shortly following the conclusion of the season, the Griffins parted ways with Simon. Watson was named as head coach of the Griffins on June 14, 2023.
Henderson Silver Knights	Manny Viveiros 	Ryan Craig 	On April 19, 2023, the Golden Knights and Viveiros mutually agreed to part ways. Golden Knights assistant coach Ryan Craig was named as head coach of the Silver Knights on June 26, 2023.
Iowa Wild 	Tim Army 	Brett McLean 	On April 22, 2023, the Wild fired most of their coaching staff, including Army. McLean was named as Iowa Wild head coach after spending three seasons as an assistant coach with Minnesota.
San Diego Gulls 	Roy Sommer 	Matt McIlvane 	On April 15, 2023, Sommer had announced he intended to retire following the season. On April 25, the Gulls hired McIlvane as head coach.
Syracuse Crunch 	Benoit Groulx 	Joel Bouchard 	On June 26, 2023, Bouchard was named as head coach of the Crunch. Groulx was offered a different position in the Lightning organization.
Toronto Marlies 	Greg Moore 	John Gruden 	On May 19, 2023, shortly after the Marlies were swept by Rochester in the division finals, the Marlies announced they would not renew the contract of Moore. Gruden was named as head coach of the Marlies on July 4, 2023.
In-season 	In-season 	In-season 	In-season
Team 	Outgoing coach 	Incoming coach 	Notes
Hartford Wolf Pack 	Kris Knoblauch 	Steve Smith (interim) 	After the Edmonton Oilers fired head coach Jay Woodcroft on November 12, 2023, Knoblauch was named as head coach of the Oilers. On the same day, the Wolf Pack named Smith as interim head coach.
Springfield Thunderbirds	Drew Bannister 	Daniel Tkaczuk (interim)	After the St. Louis Blues fired head coach Craig Berube on December 12, 2023, Bannister was named as head coach of the Blues and Tkaczuk was elevated to interim head coach of the Thunderbirds.
== 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
Standings as of April 21, 2024
=== Eastern Conference ===
Atlantic Division 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
y–Hershey Bears (WSH) 	72	53	14	0	5	111	.771	229	151
x–Providence Bruins (BOS) 	72	42	21	6	3	93 	.646	239	208
x–Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (PIT)	72	39	24	8	1	87 	.604	211	194
x–Charlotte Checkers (FLA) 	72	39	26	7	0	85 	.590	217	203
x–Hartford Wolf Pack (NYR) 	72	34	28	7	3	78 	.542	204	219
x–Lehigh Valley Phantoms (PHI) 	72	32	31	6	3	73 	.507	191	217
e–Springfield Thunderbirds (STL) 	72	30	37	3	2	65 	.451	226	244
e–Bridgeport Islanders (NYI) 	72	25	38	7	2	59 	.410	162	222
North Division 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
y–Cleveland Monsters (CBJ) 	72	40	24	5 	3	88	.611	233	238
x–Rochester Americans (BUF)	72	39	23	7 	3	88	.611	234	239
x–Syracuse Crunch (TBL) 	72	39	24	4 	5	87	.604	220	203
x–Belleville Senators (OTT)	72	38	28	3 	3	82	.569	209	211
x–Toronto Marlies (TOR) 	72	34	26	10	2	80	.556	249	220
e–Utica Comets (NJD) 	72	32	29	5 	6	75	.521	221	226
e–Laval Rocket (MTL) 	72	33	31	6 	2	74	.514	235	242
=== Western Conference ===
Central Division 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
y–Milwaukee Admirals (NSH) 	72	47	22	2	1	97	.674	238	193
x–Grand Rapids Griffins (DET)	72	37	23	8	4	86	.597	208	202
x–Rockford IceHogs (CHI) 	72	39	26	5	2	85	.590	215	208
x–Texas Stars (DAL) 	72	33	33	4	2	72	.500	234	240
x–Manitoba Moose (WPG) 	72	34	35	2	1	71	.493	225	243
e–Iowa Wild (MIN) 	72	27	37	4	4	62	.431	184	245
e–Chicago Wolves (Ind.) 	72	23	35	7	7	60	.417	192	253
Pacific Division 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
y–Coachella Valley Firebirds (SEA)	72	46	15	6 	5	103	.715	252	182
x–Tucson Roadrunners (ARI) 	72	43	23	4 	2	92 	.639	222	214
x–Ontario Reign (LAK) 	72	42	23	3 	4	91 	.632	231	198
x–Colorado Eagles (COL) 	72	40	25	5 	2	87 	.604	215	195
x–Abbotsford Canucks (VAN) 	72	40	25	5 	2	87 	.604	234	210
x–Bakersfield Condors (EDM) 	72	39	27	4 	2	84 	.583	223	202
x–Calgary Wranglers (CGY) 	72	35	28	6 	3	79 	.549	203	212
e–Henderson Silver Knights (VGK) 	72	28	36	3 	5	64 	.444	190	243
e–San Diego Gulls (ANA) 	72	26	35	10	1	63 	.438	216	245
e–San Jose Barracuda (SJS) 	72	24	34	10	4	62 	.431	220	260
== Statistical leaders ==
=== Leading skaters ===
The following players are sorted by points, then goals. As of April 21, 2024.
GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; +/– = P Plus–minus; PIM = Penalty minutes
Player 	Team 	GP	G 	A 	Pts	PIM
Mavrik Bourque 	Texas Stars 	71	26	51	77 	32
Rocco Grimaldi 	Chicago Wolves 	72	36	37	73 	38
Adam Gaudette 	Springfield Thunderbirds 	67	44	27	71 	51
T. J. Tynan 	Ontario Reign 	71	9 	57	66 	68
Georgii Merkulov	Providence Bruins 	67	30	35	65 	20
Kole Lind 	Coachella Valley Firebirds	69	17	48	65 	65
Andrew Agozzino 	San Diego Gulls 	72	26	38	64 	44
Brett Seney 	Rockford IceHogs 	68	23	40	63 	60
Seth Griffith 	Bakersfield Condors 	68	15	48	63 	32
Samuel Fagemo 	Ontario Reign 	50	43	19	62 	26
=== Leading goaltenders ===
The following goaltenders with a minimum 1,440 minutes played lead the league in goals against average. As of April 21, 2024.
GP = Games played; TOI = Time on ice (in minutes); SA = Shots against; GA = Goals against; SO = Shutouts; GAA = Goals against average; SV% = Save percentage; W = Wins; L = Losses; OT = Overtime/shootout loss
Player 	Team 	GP	TOI 	SA 	GA 	SO	GAA 	SV% 	W 	L 	OT
Hunter Shepard 	Hershey Bears 	34	2,075:41	860 	61 	5 	1.76	.929	27	4 	3
Clay Stevenson 	Hershey Bears 	36	2,159:20	951 	74 	7 	2.06	.922	24	10	2
Joel Blomqvist 	Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins	45	2,636:20	1,197	95 	1 	2.16	.921	25	12	6
Chris Driedger 	Coachella Valley Firebirds 	39	2,282:35	1,038	86 	4 	2.26	.917	24	7 	7
Yaroslav Askarov	Milwaukee Admirals 	44	2,556:55	1,148	102	6 	2.39	.911	30	13	1
==Calder Cup playoffs==
===Playoff format===
The AHL will continue to use the same playoff format used in the previous playoffs. The playoff field will include the top six finishers in the eight-team Atlantic Division, the top five finishers each in the seven-team North and Central Divisions, and the top seven teams in the 10-team Pacific Division. First Round match-ups will be best-of-three series; the two highest seeds in the Atlantic, the three highest seeds in each of the North and Central, and the first-place team in the Pacific will receive byes into the best-of-five Division Semifinals, with the First Round winners re-seeded in each division. The Division Finals will also be best-of-five series, followed by best-of-seven Conference Finals and a best-of-seven Calder Cup Finals series.
===Bracket===
==AHL awards==
Award 	Winner
Calder Cup 	
Les Cunningham Award 	Mavrik Bourque, Texas Stars
John B. Sollenberger Trophy 	Mavrik Bourque, Texas Stars
Willie Marshall Award 	Adam Gaudette, Springfield Thunderbirds
Dudley "Red" Garrett Memorial Award 	Logan Stankoven, Texas Stars
Eddie Shore Award 	Kyle Capobianco, Manitoba Moose
Aldege "Baz" Bastien Memorial Award 	Hunter Shepard, Hershey Bears
Harry "Hap" Holmes Memorial Award 	Clay Stevenson & Hunter Shepard, Hershey Bears
Louis A. R. Pieri Memorial Award 	Todd Nelson, Hershey Bears
Fred T. Hunt Memorial Award 	Spencer Knight, Charlotte Checkers
Yanick Dupre Memorial Award 	Daniel Walcott, Syracuse Crunch
Jack A. Butterfield Trophy 	
Richard F. Canning Trophy 	Hershey Bears
Robert W. Clarke Trophy 	Coachella Valley Firebirds
Macgregor Kilpatrick Trophy 	Hershey Bears
Frank Mathers Trophy(Eastern Conference regular season champions) 	Hershey Bears
Norman R. "Bud" Poile Trophy(Western Conference regular season champions)	Coachella Valley Firebirds
Emile Francis Trophy (Atlantic Division regular season champions) 	Hershey Bears
F. G. "Teddy" Oke Trophy(North Division regular season champions) 	Cleveland Monsters
Sam Pollock Trophy(Central Division regular season champions) 	Milwaukee Admirals
John D. Chick Trophy(Pacific Division regular season champions) 	Coachella Valley Firebirds
James C. Hendy Memorial Award 	
Thomas Ebright Memorial Award 	
James H. Ellery Memorial Awards 	
Ken McKenzie Award 	
Michael Condon Memorial Award 	
President's Awards 	
===All-Star Teams===
First All-Star Team
*Hunter Shepard (G) – Hershey Bears
*Kyle Capobianco (D) – Manitoba Moose
*Brad Hunt (D) – Colorado Eagles
*Mavrik Bourque (F) – Texas Stars
*Adam Gaudette (F) – Springfield Thunderbirds
*Logan Stankoven (F) – Texas Stars
Second All-Star Team
*Joel Blomqvist (G) – Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
*Jake Christiansen (D) – Cleveland Monsters
*Brandt Clarke (D) – Ontario Reign
*Samuel Fagemo (F) – Ontario Reign
*Trey Fix-Wolansky (F) – Cleveland Monsters
*Rocco Grimaldi (F) – Chicago Wolves
All-Rookie Team
*Joel Blomqvist (G) – Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
*Brandt Clarke (D) – Ontario Reign
*Logan Mailloux (D) – Laval Rocket
*Josh Doan (F) – Tucson Roadrunners
*Brad Lambert (F) – Manitoba Moose
*Logan Stankoven (F) – Texas Stars
== References ==
 
Category:American Hockey League seasons
Category:2023–24 in American ice hockey by league
Category:2023–24 in Canadian ice hockey by league