2016 Calder Cup playoffs


The 2016 Calder Cup playoffs of the American Hockey League started on April 20, 2016, with a changed playoff format. The sixteen teams that qualifies, eight from each conference, will play best-of-five series in the division semifinals, with the playoffs to continue with best-of-seven series for the division finals, conference finals, and Calder Cup finals. The Lake Erie Monsters defeated the Hershey Bears in a four-game sweep to win the Calder Cup for the first time in franchise history, and the tenth time the Calder Cup has been won by a team representing Cleveland, Ohio.

Playoff seeds

After the 2015–16 AHL regular season, 16 teams qualified for the playoffs. The top four teams in each division ranked by points percentage qualify for the 2016 Calder Cup Playoffs, with one exception in each conference: if the fifth-place team in the Atlantic or Central Division finishes with a better points percentage than the fourth-place team in the North or Pacific Division, it would cross over and compete in the other division's bracket.
At the end of the regular season, the following teams qualified :

Eastern Conference

Atlantic Division

  1. Hershey Bears – 98 points
  2. Providence Bruins – 95 points
  3. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins – 92 points
  4. Portland Pirates – 90 points
  5. Bridgeport Sound Tigers – 87 points

    North Division

  6. Toronto Marlies – 114 points
  7. Albany Devils – 102 points
  8. Utica Comets – 88 points

    Western Conference

Central Division

  1. Milwaukee Admirals – 101 points
  2. Lake Erie Monsters – 97 points
  3. Rockford IceHogs – 94 points
  4. Grand Rapids Griffins – 90 points

    Pacific Division

  5. Ontario Reign – 93 points
  6. San Diego Gulls – 84 points
  7. Texas Stars – 91 points
  8. San Jose Barracuda – 73 points

    Bracket

Division semifinals

Eastern Conference

(A1) Hershey Bears vs. (A4) Portland Pirates

(A2) Providence Bruins vs. (A3) Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins

(N1) Toronto Marlies vs. (A5) Bridgeport Sound Tigers

(N2) Albany Devils vs. (N3) Utica Comets

Western Conference

(C1) Milwaukee Admirals vs. (C4) Grand Rapids Griffins

(C2) Lake Erie Monsters vs. (C3) Rockford IceHogs

(P1) Ontario Reign vs. (P4) San Jose Barracuda

(P2) San Diego Gulls vs. (P3) Texas Stars

Division finals

Eastern Conference

(A1) Hershey Bears vs. (A3) Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins

(N1) Toronto Marlies vs. (N2) Albany Devils

Western Conference

(C2) Lake Erie Monsters vs. (C4) Grand Rapids Griffins

(P1) Ontario Reign vs. (P2) San Diego Gulls

Conference finals

Eastern Conference

(N1) Toronto Marlies vs. (A1) Hershey Bears

Western Conference

(P1) Ontario Reign vs. (C2) Lake Erie Monsters

Calder Cup Finals

Hershey Bears vs. Lake Erie Monsters

Playoff statistical leaders

Leading skaters

These are the top ten skaters based on points. If there is a tie in points, goals take precedence over assists.
GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; +/– = Plus-minus; PIM = Penalty minutes
PlayerTeamGPGAPtsPIM
Toronto Marlies157111812
Hershey Bears21611172
Lake Erie Monsters17106162
Lake Erie Monsters17971618
Hershey Bears2186142
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins1059140
Lake Erie Monsters1759142
Lake Erie Monsters17310138
Lake Erie Monsters15751224
Lake Erie Monsters1775124

Leading goaltenders

This is a combined table of the top five goaltenders based on goals against average and the top five goaltenders based on save percentage with at least 180 minutes played. The table is initially sorted by goals against average, with the criterion for inclusion in bold.
GP = Games played; W = Wins; L = Losses; SA = Shots against; GA = Goals against; GAA = Goals against average; SV% = Save percentage; SO = Shutouts; TOI = Time on ice
PlayerTeamGPWLSAGAGAASV%SOTOI
Lake Erie Monsters1090255131.34.9492583:58
Hershey Bears20119567442.13.92221242:20
Portland Pirates523146122.13.9180338:20
Ontario Reign1376301292.18.9040799:38
San Diego Gulls42110672.26.9340185:28
San Diego Gulls624187142.27.9251369:33
San Jose Barracuda413146102.59.9320231:17