2005–06 AHL season
The 2005–06 AHL season was the 70th season of the American Hockey League. Twenty-seven teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The Hershey Bears won the Calder Cup, defeating the Milwaukee Admirals in the finals.
To celebrate the AHL's 70th anniversary, the league announced on January 6, 2006, the first inductees into the AHL's new Hall of Fame . The first inductees were; Johnny Bower, Jack Butterfield, Jody Gage, Fred Glover, Willie Marshall, Frank Mathers and Eddie Shore.
Team changes
- The Cincinnati Mighty Ducks suspend operations, becoming dormant.
- The Edmonton Road Runners suspend operations, becoming dormant.
- The Utah Grizzlies suspend operations, becoming dormant.
- The dormant Saint John Flames resumed operations as the Omaha Ak-Sar-Ben Knights, playing in the West division.
- The dormant Louisville Panthers resumed operations as the Iowa Stars, playing in the West division.
- The St. John's Maple Leafs moved to Toronto, Ontario, becoming the Toronto Marlies.
- The Worcester IceCats moved to Peoria, Illinois, becoming the Peoria Rivermen, playing in the West division.
- The Albany River Rats shift from the East division to the Atlantic division.
- The Grand Rapids Griffins shift from the West division to the North division.
Final standings
Eastern Conference
| East Division | GP | W | L | OTL | SL | PTS | GF | GA |
| Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins | 80 | 51 | 18 | 5 | 6 | 113 | 249 | 178 |
| Hershey Bears | 80 | 44 | 21 | 5 | 10 | 103 | 262 | 234 |
| Norfolk Admirals | 80 | 43 | 29 | 4 | 4 | 94 | 259 | 246 |
| Bridgeport Sound Tigers | 80 | 38 | 33 | 6 | 3 | 85 | 246 | 253 |
| Binghamton Senators | 80 | 35 | 37 | 4 | 4 | 78 | 258 | 295 |
| Philadelphia Phantoms | 80 | 34 | 37 | 2 | 7 | 77 | 197 | 232 |
Western Conference
| West Division | GP | W | L | OTL | SL | PTS | GF | GA |
| Milwaukee Admirals | 80 | 49 | 21 | 6 | 4 | 108 | 268 | 234 |
| Houston Aeros | 80 | 50 | 24 | 3 | 3 | 106 | 285 | 242 |
| Peoria Rivermen | 80 | 46 | 26 | 3 | 5 | 100 | 253 | 226 |
| Iowa Stars | 80 | 41 | 31 | 1 | 7 | 90 | 238 | 228 |
| Chicago Wolves | 80 | 36 | 32 | 4 | 8 | 84 | 278 | 275 |
| Omaha Ak-Sar-Ben Knights | 80 | 35 | 31 | 3 | 11 | 84 | 206 | 221 |
| San Antonio Rampage | 80 | 23 | 50 | 3 | 4 | 53 | 153 | 251 |
Scoring leaders
Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalty Minutes| Player | Team | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
| Kirby Law | Houston Aeros | 80 | 43 | 67 | 110 | 95 |
| Erik Westrum | Houston Aeros | 71 | 34 | 64 | 98 | 138 |
| Jiri Hudler | Grand Rapids Griffins | 76 | 36 | 60 | 96 | 56 |
| Patrick O'Sullivan | Houston Aeros | 78 | 47 | 46 | 93 | 64 |
| Darren Haydar | Milwaukee Admirals | 80 | 35 | 57 | 92 | 50 |
| Denis Hamel | Binghamton Senators | 77 | 56 | 35 | 91 | 65 |
| Donald MacLean | Grand Rapids Griffins | 76 | 56 | 32 | 88 | 63 |
| Brad Smyth | Hartford Wolf Pack | 80 | 34 | 52 | 86 | 69 |
| Ryan Shannon | Portland Pirates | 71 | 27 | 59 | 86 | 44 |
| Keith Aucoin | Lowell Lock Monsters | 72 | 29 | 56 | 85 | 68 |
Leading goaltenders
Note: GP = Games Played; Mins = Minutes Played; W = Wins; L = Losses: OTL = Overtime Losses; SL = Shootout Losses; GA = Goals Allowed; SO = Shutouts; GAA = Goals Against Average| Player | Team | GP | Mins | W | L | SL | GA | SO | GAA | Sv% |
| Dany Sabourin | Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins | 49 | 2943 | 30 | 14 | 4 | 111 | 4 | 2.26 | 0.922 |
| Wade Flaherty | Manitoba Moose | 49 | 2822 | 26 | 17 | 4 | 113 | 6 | 2.40 | 0.919 |
| Brent Krahn | Omaha Ak-Sar-Ben Knights | 57 | 3241 | 26 | 20 | 9 | 135 | 3 | 2.50 | 0.912 |
| Mike Smith | Iowa Stars | 50 | 3000 | 25 | 19 | 6 | 125 | 3 | 2.50 | 0.917 |
| Martin Houle | Philadelphia Phantoms | 40 | 2153 | 18 | 18 | 1 | 91 | 2 | 2.54 | 0.914 |