2003–04 AHL season

2003–04 AHL season
LeagueAmerican Hockey League
SportIce hockey
Regular season
Macgregor Kilpatrick TrophyMilwaukee Admirals
Season MVPJason LaBarbera
Top scorerPavel Rosa
Playoffs
Playoffs MVPWade Flaherty
Calder Cup
ChampionsMilwaukee Admirals
  Runners-upWilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
AHL seasons

The 2003–04 AHL season was the 68th season of the American Hockey League. The league introduced the Willie Marshall Award in honor of the career points leader in the AHL, and awards it to the annual top goal scorer.

The AHL switched from a six division alignment to four divisions within two conferences. The Eastern conference consisted of the Atlantic and East divisions, and the Western conference consisted of the North and West divisions. Twenty-eight teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The Milwaukee Admirals finished first overall in the regular season, and won the Calder Cup, defeating the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in the finals.

Team changes

Final standings

  •  y–  indicates team clinched division and a playoff spot
  •  x–  indicates team clinched a playoff spot
  •  e–  indicates team was eliminated from playoff contention

Eastern Conference

Atlantic Division GP W L T OTL Pts GF GA
y–Hartford Wolf Pack (NYR) 80 44 22 12 2 102 198 153
x–Manchester Monarchs (LAK) 80 40 28 7 5 92 223 181
x–Worcester Ice Cats (STL) 80 37 27 13 3 90 207 186
x–Providence Bruins (BOS) 80 36 29 11 4 87 170 170
x–Portland Pirates (WSH) 80 32 27 13 8 85 156 160
e–Lowell Lock Monsters (CGY/CAR) 80 32 36 6 6 76 208 242
e–Springfield Falcons (PHX) 80 26 43 9 2 63 179 234
East Division GP W L T OTL Pts GF GA
y–Philadelphia Phantoms (PHI) 80 46 25 7 2 101 216 168
x–Bridgeport Sound Tigers (NYI) 80 41 23 12 4 98 178 140
x–Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (PIT) 80 34 28 10 8 86 197 197
x–Binghamton Senators (OTT) 80 34 34 9 3 80 210 216
x–Norfolk Admirals (CHI) 80 35 36 4 5 79 172 187
e–Hershey Bears (COL/TBL) 80 33 34 8 5 79 203 218
e–Albany River Rats (NJD) 80 21 39 11 9 62 182 257

Western Conference

North Division GP W L T OTL Pts GF GA
y–Hamilton Bulldogs (MTL) 80 41 25 10 4 96 235 191
x–Syracuse Crunch (CBJ) 80 38 25 10 7 93 239 235
x–Rochester Americans (BUF) 80 37 28 10 5 89 207 188
x–Cleveland Barons (SJS) 80 37 28 8 7 89 235 220
x–Toronto Roadrunners (EDM) 80 35 34 8 3 81 219 224
e–Manitoba Moose (VAN) 80 32 35 11 2 77 214 232
e–St. John's Maple Leafs (TOR) 80 32 36 8 4 76 225 265
West Division GP W L T OTL Pts GF GA
y–Milwaukee Admirals (NSH) 80 46 24 7 3 102 269 191
x–Grand Rapids Griffins (DET) 80 44 28 8 0 96 195 166
x–Chicago Wolves (ATL) 80 42 26 9 3 96 246 208
x–Houston Aeros (MIN) 80 28 34 14 4 74 197 220
x–Cincinnati Mighty Ducks (ANA) 80 29 37 13 1 72 188 211
e–San Antonio Rampage (FLA) 80 30 42 8 0 68 191 231
e–Utah Grizzlies (DAL) 80 27 42 6 5 65 162 230

Scoring leaders

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

Player Team GP G A Pts PIM
Pavel Rosa Manchester Monarchs 77 39 49 88 32
Domenic Pittis Rochester Americans 75 20 57 77 137
Miroslav Zalesak Cleveland Barons 72 35 40 75 80
Eric Perrin Hershey Bears 71 21 54 75 49
Kirby Law Philadelphia Phantoms 74 32 41 73 139
Brad Boyes Cleveland Barons/Providence Bruins 78 31 41 72 51
Steve Kelly Manchester Monarchs 59 21 49 70 117
Craig Darby Albany River Rats 77 21 48 69 44
Jeff Hamilton Bridgeport Sound Tigers 67 43 25 68 26
Donald MacLean Syracuse Crunch 77 27 41 68 45

Calder Cup Playoffs

Qualification
   
A4 Providence Bruins 0
A5 Portland Pirates 2
Qualification
   
E4 Binghamton Senators 0
E5 Norfolk Admirals 2
Qualification
   
W4 Houston Aeros 0
W5 Cincinnati Mighty Ducks 2
Qualification
   
N4 Cleveland Barons 2
N5 Toronto Roadrunners 1
Division Semi-finals Division Finals Conference Finals Calder Cup Finals
            
A1 Hartford 4
A5 Portland 1
A1 Hartford 4
A3 Worcester 0
A3 Worcester 4
A2 Manchester 2
A1 Hartford 3
Eastern
E3 Wilkes-Barre/Scranton 4
E1 Philadelphia 4
E5 Norfolk 2
E1 Philadelphia 2
E3 Wilkes-Barre/Scranton 4
E3 Wilkes-Barre/Scranton 4
E2 Bridgeport Sound 3
E3 Wilkes-Barre/Scranton 0
W1 Milwaukee 4
N1 Hamilton 4
N4 Cleveland 2
N1 Hamilton 0
N3 Rochester 4
N3 Rochester 4
N2 Syracuse Crunch 3
N3 Rochester 1
Western
W1 Milwaukee 4
W1 Milwaukee 4
W5 Cincinnati 3
W1 Milwaukee 4
W3 Chicago 2
W3 Chicago 4
W2 Grand Rapids 0

All Star Classic

The 17th AHL All-Star Classic was played on February 9, 2004, at the Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Team Canada defeated team PlanetUSA 9-5. In the skills competition held the night before, team PlanetUSA defeated team Canada 18-9.[1]

Trophy and award winners

Team awards

Calder Cup
Playoff champions:
Milwaukee Admirals
Richard F. Canning Trophy
Eastern Conference playoff champions:
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
Robert W. Clarke Trophy
Western Conference playoff champions:
Milwaukee Admirals
Macgregor Kilpatrick Trophy
Regular season champions, League:
Milwaukee Admirals
Frank Mathers Trophy
Regular Season champions, Eastern Conference:
Hartford Wolf Pack
Norman R. "Bud" Poile Trophy
Regular Season champions, Western Conference:
Milwaukee Admirals
Emile Francis Trophy
Regular Season champions, Atlantic Division:
Hartford Wolf Pack
F. G. "Teddy" Oke Trophy
Regular Season champions, East Division:
Philadelphia Phantoms
Sam Pollock Trophy
Regular Season champions, North Division:
Hamilton Bulldogs
John D. Chick Trophy
Regular Season champions, West Division:
Milwaukee Admirals

Individual awards

Les Cunningham Award
Most valuable player:
Jason LaBarbera - Hartford Wolf Pack
John B. Sollenberger Trophy
Top point scorer:
Pavel Rosa - Manchester Monarchs
Willie Marshall Award
Top goal scorer:
Jeff Hamilton - Bridgeport Sound Tigers
Dudley "Red" Garrett Memorial Award
Rookie of the year:
Wade Dubielewicz - Bridgeport Sound Tigers
Eddie Shore Award
Defenceman of the year:
Curtis Murphy - Milwaukee Admirals
Aldege "Baz" Bastien Memorial Award
Best Goaltender:
Jason LaBarbera - Hartford Wolf Pack
Harry "Hap" Holmes Memorial Award
Lowest Goals Against Average:
Wade Dubielewicz & Dieter Kochan - Bridgeport Sound Tigers
Louis A. R. Pieri Memorial Award
Coach of the year:
Claude Noel - Milwaukee Admirals
Fred T. Hunt Memorial Award
Sportsmanship / Perseverance:
Ken Gernander - Hartford Wolf Pack
Yanick Dupre Memorial Award
Community Service Award:
Kurtis Foster - Chicago Wolves
Jack A. Butterfield Trophy
MVP of the playoffs:
Wade Flaherty - Milwaukee Admirals

Other awards

James C. Hendy Memorial Award
Most outstanding executive:
Jeff Eisenberg, Manchester Monarchs
Thomas Ebright Memorial Award
Career contributions:
Roy Boe & Jack Kelley
James H. Ellery Memorial Awards
Outstanding media coverage:
Mike Fornabaio, Bridgeport, (newspaper)
John Walton, Hershey, (radio)
Comcast Cable, Chicago, (television)
Ken McKenzie Award
Outstanding marketing executive:
Chris Schwartz, St. John's Maple Leafs
Michael Condon Memorial Award
Outstanding service, on-ice official:
Dan Murphy

See also

References

  1. ^ "2004 Pepsi AHL All-Star Classic". theahl.com. Archived from the original on March 2, 2013. Retrieved February 9, 2013.
Preceded by AHL seasons Succeeded by