AHL Board of Governors Approves Plan For Schedule Unification

For the first time since expanding with more West Coast teams, the American Hockey League will have a uniform number of games being played across the league starting in 2022-23.

On Monday afternoon, the AHL Board of Governors announced that the league had come to an agreement for all teams to play 72 regular season games starting in 2022-23. Previously, the Pacific Division teams had played 68 games, while the rest of the league played 76 games mainly due to travel issues. The changes for all teams to play 72 games will begin in the 2022-23 season, but a number of teams will play 72 games in 2021-22, while others will remain with 76-game schedules and the Pacific Division will have 68 games.

From the AHL press release:

The following division alignment has been approved for the 2021-22 AHL season:

Western Conference

Central Division
Chicago Wolves 
Grand Rapids Griffins 
Iowa Wild 
Manitoba Moose 
Milwaukee Admirals 
Rockford IceHogs 
Texas Stars 
Pacific Division
Abbotsford 
Bakersfield Condors 
Colorado Eagles 
Henderson Silver Knights 
Ontario Reign 
San Diego Gulls 
San Jose Barracuda 
Stockton Heat 
Tucson Roadrunners 
Eastern Conference
Atlantic Division
Bridgeport Islanders 
Charlotte Checkers 
Hartford Wolf Pack 
Hershey Bears 
Lehigh Valley Phantoms 
Providence Bruins 
Springfield Thunderbirds 
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins 
North Division
Belleville Senators 
Cleveland Monsters 
Laval Rocket 
Rochester Americans 
Syracuse Crunch 
Toronto Marlies 
Utica Comets 
The Rockford IceHogs will be one of the 12 teams in 2021-22 that will be playing a new 72-game schedule. Teams not in the Pacific Division had the option of playing 76 or 72 games.
The 2021-22 AHL schedule and playoff format will be released later this summer, according to the league press release.

written by

Mario Tirabassi is a writer for Bleacher Nation. You can follow him on Twitter @Mario_Tirabassi.

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