2021–22 AHL season
League	American Hockey League
Sport	Ice hockey
Duration	October 15, 2021 – April 30, 2022
Regular season
Macgregor Kilpatrick Trophy	Chicago Wolves
Season MVP	T. J. Tynan (Ontario Reign)
Top scorer	Andrew Poturalski (Chicago Wolves)
Playoffs
Playoffs MVP	Josh Leivo (Chicago)
Calder Cup
Champions	Chicago Wolves
Runners-up	Springfield Thunderbirds
AHL seasons
← 2020–21 2022–23 →

The 2021–22 AHL season was the 86th season of the American Hockey League. The regular season began on October 15, 2021, and ended on April 30, 2022.^[1] The regular season was followed by the Calder Cup playoffs, which had not been held since 2019 due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The playoffs began on May 2, 2022, and ended on June 25, 2022, with the Chicago Wolves winning their third Calder Cup.

League changes

Due to the then-ongoing COVID-19 pandemic during the previous season, the league had a temporary alignment consisting of five divisions. The league's Canada-based teams only played intradivisional games and could not cross the international border due to pandemic travel restrictions. The league expected to return to a normal schedule and with an updated alignment following team relocations, teams returning, and the lightening of pandemic restrictions.^[1] The new alignment was announced on June 7, 2021, returning to the previous four divisions used in 2019–20 with the exception of the Abbotsford Canucks and the Henderson Silver Knights joining the Pacific Division, increasing it to nine teams, while the Binghamton Devils and the former San Antonio Rampage were removed from the North and Central Divisions, respectively, decreasing each to seven teams.^[2]

As part of the alignment, the league would continue to have an imbalanced schedule with each team either playing 76, 72, or 68 games during the regular season.^[2] The Macgregor Kilpatrick Trophy for the regular season champion was still awarded based on points percentage. The league planned for this to be the last season with the imbalanced scheduling with the expectation that all teams will play a 72-game schedule in 2022–23.^[2]

On October 11, 2021, the league announced it had added female officials, seven referees and three linespeople, to its officiating crew for the first time.^[3][4]

On January 1, 2022, the league announced it had extended the regular season by six days, from ending on April 24 to ending April 30, citing COVID-related game postponements.^[5]

Team and NHL affiliation changes

The league returned to 31 active teams with the Charlotte Checkers, Milwaukee Admirals, and Springfield Thunderbirds returning from a pandemic-related hiatus.^[1]

• The Binghamton Devils' franchise was relocated to Utica, New York, as the Utica Comets.^[6] The Comets adopted a color scheme of red, black, and white, to match the colors of the Devils.
• The Bridgeport Sound Tigers were rebranded as the Bridgeport Islanders by their parent club, the New York Islanders.^[7]
• The franchise that was operating as the Utica Comets, and owned by the Vancouver Canucks, was relocated to Abbotsford, British Columbia, as the Abbotsford Canucks.^[6]

Affiliation changes

Due to the three teams returning from their pandemic hiatus, the temporary secondary NHL affiliations from the previous season ended. However, the addition of a 32nd NHL team in Seattle added one dual affiliation.

AHL team	New affiliate[a]	Previous affiliate
Abbotsford Canucks[b]		St. Louis Blues[c]
Charlotte Checkers[8]	Florida Panthers[d] Seattle Kraken[e]	Team was on hiatus
Chicago Wolves		Nashville Predators[c]
Milwaukee Admirals	Nashville Predators[d]	Team was on hiatus
Springfield Thunderbirds	St. Louis Blues[d]	Team was on hiatus
Syracuse Crunch		Florida Panthers[c]

Coaching changes

Off–season
Team	2020–21 coach	2021–22 coach	Notes
Abbotsford Canucks	—	Trent Cull	Cull had coached the Canucks' previous affiliate, the Utica Comets, since 2017 and led the team to a 122–93–17–9 record. He was brought over by the Canucks when the team was relocated.[9]
Hershey Bears	Spencer Carbery	Scott Allen	On July 17, 2021, Carbery was hired as an assistant coach by the Toronto Maple Leafs. Carbery compiled an 87–50–9–8 record in three seasons as Bears head coach. Carbery also won the Louis A. R. Pieri Memorial Award in the 2020–21 AHL season as the league's best head coach, and led the Bears to a Macgregor Kilpatrick Trophy, with the best team record during the season. Allen was promoted to head coach from his previous role as assistant on August 5, 2021.[10]
Laval Rocket	Joël Bouchard	Jean-François Houle	Bouchard left the Rocket at the end of his contract, compiling an 83–67–24 record over three seasons,[11] to become the head coach of the San Diego Gulls.[12] The Rocket then hired Houle after he served six seasons working for the Edmonton Oilers as an assistant coach with the Bakersfield Condors.[13]
Lehigh Valley Phantoms	Scott Gordon	Ian Laperrière	The Philadelphia Flyers announced that Gordon and the Flyers' organization had mutually agreed to end their contract following the 2020–21 season. Gordon had led the Phantoms as head coach for six seasons and a 186–121–40 record (and one tie due to a suspended game in 2021) as well as a stint as interim head coach of the Flyers with a 25–22–4 record in 2018–19.[14] On June 5, 2021, Flyers' assistant coach Ian Laperriere was named the head coach of the Phantoms.[15]
Manitoba Moose	Pascal Vincent	Mark Morrison	Vincent stepped down from his position with the Moose to join the Columbus Blue Jackets coaching staff on June 24, 2021.[16] Vincent compiled a 155–139–31 record in 325 games as head coach with Manitoba. Morrison was hired on July 19 after serving as an assistant coach with the Anaheim Ducks since 2017. He had also previously worked for the Winnipeg Jets as an assistant coach for their AHL affiliates, the St. John's IceCaps and the Moose, from 2011 to 2017.[17]
Providence Bruins	Jay Leach	Ryan Mougenel	Leach was hired as an assistant coach with the Seattle Kraken on July 5, 2021.[18] Leach compiled a 136–77–26 record in 239 games as head coach of Providence. Ryan Mougenel was promoted from his assistant coaching position on August 13, 2021.[19]
San Diego Gulls	Kevin Dineen	Joël Bouchard	Dineen's contract was not renewed after two seasons, leading the Gulls to a 56–36–7–2 record, and was replaced by Bouchard.[20]
Stockton Heat	Cail MacLean	Mitch Love	The Calgary Flames promoted MacLean to assistant coach with the Flames after serving as the Heat's head coach for three seasons and a 72–65–16 record.[21] Love was named the next head coach on July 12, 2021, after most recently coaching the Saskatoon Blades.[22]
Tucson Roadrunners	Steve Potvin	Jay Varady	Prior to the postponed start of the previous season, Roadrunners' head coach Jay Varady was brought up to the Arizona Coyotes' staff as an assistant coach[23] and Roadrunners' assistant coach Steve Potvin was promoted as the head coach.[24] Varady returned to his position with the Roadrunners for the 2021–22 season.[25]
Utica Comets	Trent Cull	Kevin Dineen	Cull was retained by the Vancouver Canucks and brought over to their Abbotsford affiliate. Dineen was hired on August 5, 2021.[26]
In-season
Team	Outgoing coach	Incoming coach	Notes
Bakersfield Condors	Jay Woodcroft	Colin Chaulk (interim)	On February 10, 2022, Woodcroft was promoted to Edmonton following the firing of Oilers' head coach Dave Tippett. Condors' assistant coach Chaulk was named the interim head coach the following day.[27]
Rockford IceHogs	Derek King	Anders Sorensen (interim)	On November 6, 2021, King was promoted to Chicago following the firing of Blackhawks head coach Jeremy Colliton.[28]
Ontario Reign	John Wroblewski	Chris Hajt (interim) Craig Johnson (interim)	After taking time away from the Reign on a personal leave of absence, it was mutually determined on March 11, 2022 between the Reign and Wroblewski that Wroblewski would not return as head coach of the Reign.[29]

Final standings

 y–  indicates team clinched division and a playoff spot
 x–  indicates team clinched a playoff spot
 e–  indicates team was eliminated from playoff contention

Final standings as of April 30, 2022^[30]

Eastern Conference

Atlantic Division	GP	W	L	OTL	SOL	Pts	Pts%	GF	GA
y–Charlotte Checkers (FLA/SEA)	72	42	24	5	1	90	.625	234	197
x–Springfield Thunderbirds (STL)	76	43	24	6	3	95	.625	233	221
x–Providence Bruins (BOS)	72	36	25	5	6	83	.576	199	192
x–Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (PIT)	76	35	33	4	4	78	.513	209	225
x–Hershey Bears (WSH)	76	34	32	6	4	78	.513	202	209
x–Bridgeport Islanders (NYI)	72	31	30	7	4	73	.507	213	226
e–Hartford Wolf Pack (NYR)	72	32	32	6	2	72	.500	205	225
e–Lehigh Valley Phantoms (PHI)	76	29	32	10	5	73	.480	195	239

North Division	GP	W	L	OTL	SOL	Pts	Pts%	GF	GA
y–Utica Comets (NJD)	72	43	20	8	1	95	.660	246	206
x–Syracuse Crunch (TBL)	76	41	26	7	2	91	.599	242	229
x–Laval Rocket (MTL)	72	39	26	5	2	85	.590	246	231
x–Belleville Senators (OTT)	72	40	28	4	0	84	.583	219	218
x–Rochester Americans (BUF)	76	37	29	7	3	84	.553	254	270
e–Toronto Marlies (TOR)	72	37	30	4	1	79	.549	243	244
e–Cleveland Monsters (CBJ)	76	28	35	8	5	69	.454	207	262

Western Conference

Central Division	GP	W	L	OTL	SOL	Pts	Pts%	GF	GA
y–Chicago Wolves (CAR)	76	50	16	5	5	110	.724	261	194
x–Manitoba Moose (WPG)	72	41	24	5	2	89	.618	228	204
x–Milwaukee Admirals (NSH)	76	39	28	5	4	87	.572	229	228
x–Rockford IceHogs (CHI)	72	37	30	4	1	79	.549	223	221
x–Texas Stars (DAL)	72	32	28	6	6	76	.528	219	230
e–Iowa Wild (MIN)	72	32	31	4	5	73	.507	202	209
e–Grand Rapids Griffins (DET)	76	33	35	6	2	74	.487	209	240

Pacific Division	GP	W	L	OTL	SOL	Pts	Pts%	GF	GA
y–Stockton Heat (CGY)	68	45	16	5	2	97	.713	242	185
x–Ontario Reign (LAK)	68	41	18	5	4	91	.669	259	219
x–Colorado Eagles (COL)	68	39	22	4	3	85	.625	244	207
x–Bakersfield Condors (EDM)	68	37	21	5	5	84	.618	225	192
x–Abbotsford Canucks (VAN)	68	39	23	5	1	84	.618	230	200
x–Henderson Silver Knights (VGK)	68	35	28	4	1	75	.551	209	203
x–San Diego Gulls (ANA)	68	28	33	4	3	63	.463	197	223
e–Tucson Roadrunners (ARI)	68	23	39	5	1	52	.382	182	268
e–San Jose Barracuda (SJS)	68	20	42	4	2	46	.338	202	291

Statistical leaders

Zdroj:https://en.wikipedia.org?pojem=2021-22_AHL_season
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