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1997–98 AHL season

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1997–98 AHL season
LeagueAmerican Hockey League
SportIce hockey
Regular season
Macgregor Kilpatrick TrophyPhiladelphia Phantoms
Season MVPSteve Guolla
Top scorerPeter White
Playoffs
Playoffs MVPMike Maneluk
Calder Cup
ChampionsPhiladelphia Phantoms
  Runners-upSaint John Flames
AHL seasons

The 1997–98 AHL season was the 62nd season of the American Hockey League. The AHL shifts teams in their divisions, and the Canadian division reverts to being named Atlantic division. The Northern conference is renamed the Eastern conference, and the Southern conference renamed the Western conference.

The league introduces three new trophies. The Macgregor Kilpatrick Trophy first awarded for the team which finishes in first place in the league during the regular season. The Yanick Dupre Memorial Award is given to the player who best exemplifies the spirit of community service. The Thomas Ebright Memorial Award honors an individual with outstanding career contributions to the AHL.

Eighteen teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The Philadelphia Phantoms repeated finishing first overall in the regular season, and won their first Calder Cup championship.

Team changes

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Map of teams

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Atlantic Division New England Division
Empire State Division Mid-Atlantic Division

Final standings

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Note: GP = Games played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; OTL = Overtime losses; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; Pts = Points;

Eastern Conference

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Atlantic GP W L T OTL Pts GF GA
Saint John Flames (CGY) 80 43 24 13 0 99 231 201
Fredericton Canadiens (LAK/MTL) 80 33 32 10 5 81 245 244
Portland Pirates (WSH) 80 33 33 12 2 80 241 247
St. John's Maple Leafs (TOR) 80 25 32 18 5 73 233 254
New England GP W L T OTL Pts GF GA
Springfield Falcons (PHX) 80 45 26 7 2 99 278 248
Hartford Wolf Pack (NYR) 80 43 24 12 1 99 272 227
Beast of New Haven (CAR/FLA) 80 38 33 7 2 85 256 239
Worcester IceCats (OTT/STL) 80 34 31 9 6 83 267 268
Providence Bruins (BOS) 80 19 49 7 5 50 211 301

Western Conference

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Empire State GP W L T OTL Pts GF GA
Albany River Rats (NJD) 80 43 20 11 6 103 290 223
Hamilton Bulldogs (EDM) 80 36 22 17 5 94 264 242
Syracuse Crunch (PIT/VAN) 80 35 32 11 2 83 272 285
Adirondack Red Wings (DET/TBL) 80 31 37 9 3 74 245 275
Rochester Americans (BUF) 80 30 38 12 0 72 238 260
Mid-Atlantic GP W L T OTL Pts GF GA
Philadelphia Phantoms (PHI) 80 47 21 10 2 106 314 249
Hershey Bears (COL) 80 36 31 7 6 85 238 235
Kentucky Thoroughblades (NYI/SJS) 80 29 39 9 3 70 241 278
Cincinnati Mighty Ducks (ANA) 80 23 37 13 7 66 243 303

Scoring leaders

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Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalty minutes

Player Team GP G A Pts PIM
Peter White Philadelphia Phantoms 80 27 78 105 28
Bob Wren Cincinnati Mighty Ducks 77 42 58 100 151
Steve Guolla Kentucky Thoroughblades 69 37 63 100 45
Stacy Roest Adirondack Red Wings 80 34 58 92 30
Danny Briere Springfield Falcons 68 36 56 92 42
Craig Darby Philadelphia Phantoms 77 42 45 87 34
Craig Reichert Cincinnati Mighty Ducks 78 28 59 87 28
Brendan Morrison Albany River Rats 72 35 49 84 44
Alexei Yegorov Kentucky Thoroughblades 79 32 52 84 56

Calder Cup playoffs

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Division Semifinals Division Finals Conference Finals Calder Cup Final
            
A1 Saint John 3
A4 St. John's 1
A1 Saint John 4
Atlantic Division
A3 Portland 2
A2 Fredericton 1
A3 Portland 3
A1 Saint John 4
Eastern Conference
N2 Hartford 1
N1 Springfield 1
N4 Worcester 3
N4 Worcester 3
New England Division
N2 Hartford 4
N2 Hartford 3
N3 New Haven 0
A1 Saint John 2
M1 Philadelphia 4
E1 Albany 3
E4 Adirondack 0
E1 Albany 4
Empire State Division
E2 Hamilton 0
E2 Hamilton 3
E3 Syracuse 2
E1 Albany 2
Western Conference
M1 Philadelphia 4
M1 Philadelphia 3
E5 Rochester 1
M1 Philadelphia 4
Mid-Atlantic Division
M2 Hershey 0
M2 Hershey 3
M3 Kentucky 0

All Star Classic

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The 11th AHL All-Star Game was played on February 11, 1998, at the Onondaga War Memorial in Syracuse, New York. Team Canada defeated Team PlanetUSA 11-10. In the skills competition held the day before the All-Star Game, Team PlanetUSA won 13-8 over Team Canada. [1]

Trophy and award winners

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Team awards

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Calder Cup
Playoff champions:
Philadelphia Phantoms
Richard F. Canning Trophy
Eastern Conference playoff champions:
Saint John Flames
Robert W. Clarke Trophy
Western Conference playoff champions:
Philadelphia Phantoms
Macgregor Kilpatrick Trophy
Regular season champions, League:
Philadelphia Phantoms
Frank Mathers Trophy
Regular Season champions, Mid-Atlantic Division:
Philadelphia Phantoms
F. G. "Teddy" Oke Trophy
Regular Season champions, New England Division:
Springfield Falcons
Sam Pollock Trophy
Regular Season champions, Atlantic Division:
Saint John Flames
John D. Chick Trophy
Regular Season champions, Empire State Division:
Albany River Rats

Individual awards

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Les Cunningham Award
Most valuable player:
Steve GuollaKentucky Thoroughblades
John B. Sollenberger Trophy
Top point scorer:
Peter WhitePhiladelphia Phantoms
Dudley "Red" Garrett Memorial Award
Rookie of the year:
Danny BriereSpringfield Falcons
Eddie Shore Award
Defenceman of the year:
Jamie HewardPhiladelphia Phantoms
Aldege "Baz" Bastien Memorial Award
Best Goaltender:
Scott LangkowSpringfield Falcons
Harry "Hap" Holmes Memorial Award
Lowest goals against average:
Jean-Sebastien Giguere & Tyler MossSaint John Flames
Louis A. R. Pieri Memorial Award
Coach of the year:
Bill StewartSaint John Flames
Fred T. Hunt Memorial Award
Sportsmanship / Perseverance:
Craig CharronRochester Americans
Yanick Dupre Memorial Award
Community Service Award:
John JakopinBeast of New Haven
Jack A. Butterfield Trophy
MVP of the playoffs:
Mike ManelukPhiladelphia Phantoms

Other awards

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James C. Hendy Memorial Award
Most outstanding executive:
Frank Miceli, Philadelphia Phantoms
Thomas Ebright Memorial Award
Career contributions:
Jack Butterfield
James H. Ellery Memorial Awards
Outstanding media coverage:
Brendan McCarthy, St. John's & Bill Ballou, Worcester, (newspaper)
Lance McAllister, Cincinnati, (radio)
Rich Coppola, Hartford / New Haven, (television)
Ken McKenzie Award
Outstanding marketing executive:
Chris Palin, Rochester Americans

See also

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References

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Preceded by AHL seasons Succeeded by