Four teams remain in the American Hockey League’s Calder Cup Playoffs.
Charlotte (Florida Panthers) denied Hershey (Washington Capitals) a chance to become the first team to win three consecutive Calder Cup championships since 1962. Charlotte swept Hershey in the best-of-5 Atlantic Division Finals and is facing Laval (Montreal Canadiens) in the best-of-7 Eastern Conference Finals. Abbotsford (Vancouver Canucks) and Texas (Dallas Stars) will play in the best-of-7 Western Conference Finals.
Here is a look at these remaining four teams, their respective playoff paths, and their prospects.
Abbotsford
Abbotsford eliminated Tucson (Utah Mammoth) in a best-of-3 series in the first round and then Coachella Valley (Seattle Kraken) in four games in the best-of-5 Pacific Division Semifinals. In the best-of-5 Pacific Division Finals against Colorado (Colorado Avalanche), Abbotsford won in five games.
Goalie Arturs Silovs, a key figure for Vancouver in the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs, has had an excellent postseason with Abbotsford. The 24-year-old has four shutouts in 12 playoff games to go with an 8-4 record, a 1.73 goals-against average, and a .936 save percentage. He had a 34-save shutout in a 5-0 win in Game 5 against Colorado on May 26. Silovs, a sixth-round pick (No. 156) in the 2019 NHL Draft by Vancouver, was 2-6-1 with a 3.65 GAA and .861 save percentage in 10 games with the Canucks this season.
Charlotte
Before sweeping Hershey, Charlotte defeated Providence (Boston Bruins) in the best-of-5 Atlantic Division Semifinals. In the deciding Game 5 on May 11, Charlotte allowed just eight shots in a 5-2 win. The trip to the Eastern Conference Finals marks the furthest that a Florida affiliate has advanced in the Calder Cup playoffs.
Helping to lead the way have been two defensemen. Mike Benning, 23, has five points (three goals, two assists) in eight playoff games in his second pro season. Florida selected him in the fourth round (No. 95) of the 2020 NHL Draft.
Tobias Bjornfot, 24, was selected in the first round (No. 22) of the 2019 draft by the Los Angeles Kings. The Vegas Golden Knights claimed him on waivers on Jan. 4, 2024, before Florida claimed him on waivers on March 8, 2024. He had 18 points (three goals, 15 assists) in 50 regular-season games for Charlotte. In eight playoff games, he has five points (two goals, three assists). He had no points in 14 games with the Panthers this season.
Laval
Laval, the AHL’s regular-season champion with a 48-19-3-2 record and 101 points, first eliminated Cleveland (Columbus Blue Jackets) in four games in the best-of-5 North Division Finals. Next came Rochester (Buffalo Sabres), who were defeated in five games.
Two first-round picks on the Laval roster are defensemen. Logan Mailloux, chosen in the first round (No. 31) of the 2021 NHL Draft by the Canadiens, is in his second pro season. A member of the AHL All-Rookie Team last season and selected for the AHL All-Star Classic in February, he had 33 points (12 goals, 21 assists) in 63 games for Laval in the regular season. The 22-year-old played seven games for the Canadiens and had four points (two goals, two assists) this season. In nine playoff games, he has six points (two goals, four assists).
David Reinbacher, a 20-year-old taken in the first round (No. 5) of the 2023 NHL Draft, missed most of the regular season after sustaining a knee injury in a preseason game with the Canadiens on Sept. 28, 2024. He recovered and played 10 regular-season games with Laval and had five points (two goals, three assists). He has four points (one goal, three assists) in nine playoff games).
Texas
Texas swept Grand Rapids (Detroit Red Wings) in the best-of-5 Central Division Semifinals before needing five games to defeat Milwaukee (Nashville Predators) in the best-of-5 Central Division Finals. Milwaukee had eliminated Texas from the Calder Cup Playoffs in each of the previous two seasons.
Rookie forward Justin Hryckowian is the leading scorer of the Calder Cup Playoffs with 15 points (seven goals, eight assists) in eight games. Undrafted out of Northeastern University, the 24-year-old signed a two-year, entry-level contract as a free agent with Dallas on March 19, 2024. He had 60 points (22 goals, 38 assists) in 67 games, first among AHL rookies, and was named the AHL rookie of the year. He was also chosen for the AHL All-Rookie Team as well as for the AHL All-Star Classic.
He had one assists in five games with Dallas in the regular season.
