Illegal Curve Hockey

AHL confirms no traditional playoffs this season

Photo Credit: Alex James (Illegal Curve)

The Manitoba Moose are set to wrap up a monumental 17-game homestand in Winnipeg this evening when they conclude the home portion of their 2021 regular season schedule against the Stockton Heat.

It will also be the last home game of the season for the Moose as the American Hockey League publicly acknowledged today what has seemed like a foregone conclusion for some time that there will not be a “traditional Calder Cup Playoffs in 2021”.

The AHL indicated they gave each of the five divisions the options to “independently determine its own postseason format”. Only one (Pacific) of the five divisions will be hosting a tournament which means no playoffs for the Moose. This is not a huge surprise given that when the season ends NHL teams would want certain players up with the big club for their playoff runs as well as factoring in the additional cost to facilitate AHL playoffs.

Of course given the 6-0-0-1 run the Moose are currently on, it is a shame that this team won’t get a chance to see what they could do in a playoff series. Plus, the added benefit it would have provided the many young prospects on the Moose would have been nice.

Photo Credit: Alex James (Illegal Curve)

According to the AHL, the only prize at the conclusion of the regular season for the Canadian team who finishes as Division Champions (ranked by points percentage) will be the the Frank S. Mathers Trophy.

Despite the aforementioned run of late for the Moose it is the Laval Rocket who have been the class of the Canadian division all year long as they currently sit 15 points up on Manitoba with seven games to go (eight for the Moose).

There are still some local connections if you want to follow the Pacific Division playoff tournament:

Henderson Silver Knights: Cody Glass (Winnipeg) & Jermaine Loewen (Arborg)
San Diego Gulls: Chase De Leo (Jets draft pick).
Bakersfield Condors: Seth Griffith (played for Moose)
Ontario Reign: Daniel Brickley (Loaned to Moose last year).

After tonight’s game the Moose head on the road for seven games to conclude the 2021 regular season.

David Minuk

Working hard on a daily basis to provide the latest Winnipeg Jets and Manitoba Moose news for our readers and listeners. I also appear on the Illegal Curve Hockey Show every Saturday on our YouTube channel as well as the Illegal Curve Post-Game Show after every single Jets game. And I occasionally jump in the play-by-play booth at Canada Life to provide colour analysis during Manitoba Moose games.