The American Hockey League (AHL) have approved of it’s divisional alignment for the 2018-19 season. The Central Division as we know of it from this past season is changing. The Cleveland Monsters will officially move out and join the North Division in the AHL’s Eastern Conference. Yet, their departure is minimized with the additions of both the Texas Stars and San Antonio Rampage who switch over from the Pacific Division.

It is unclear as of yet if the arrival of the Colorado Eagles to that Pacific Division will finally mean a league-wide 76-game regular season schedule or if that division will continue to play a 68-game regular season schedule. Though, based on alignment, one can hope that is he case and that the age of “points percentage” can end. All teams that worked a lesser schedule are now grouped together.

Press Release via AHL:

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. … American Hockey League President and CEO David Andrews announced that the league’s Board of Governors, which convened for its Spring Meeting today in Chicago, Ill., has approved the following division alignment for the 2018-19 AHL season:

Western Conference

Central Division
Chicago Wolves (Vegas Golden Knights)
Grand Rapids Griffins (Detroit Red Wings)
Iowa Wild (Minnesota Wild)
Manitoba Moose (Winnipeg Jets)
Milwaukee Admirals (Nashville Predators)
Rockford IceHogs (Chicago Blackhawks)
San Antonio Rampage (St. Louis Blues)
Texas Stars (Dallas Stars)

Pacific Division
Bakersfield Condors (Edmonton Oilers)
Colorado Eagles (Colorado Avalanche)
Ontario Reign (Los Angeles Kings)
San Diego Gulls (Anaheim Ducks)
San Jose Barracuda (San Jose Sharks)
Stockton Heat (Calgary Flames)
Tucson Roadrunners (Arizona Coyotes)

Eastern Conference

Atlantic Division
Bridgeport Sound Tigers (New York Islanders)
Charlotte Checkers (Carolina Hurricanes)
Hartford Wolf Pack (New York Rangers)
Hershey Bears (Washington Capitals)
Lehigh Valley Phantoms (Philadelphia Flyers)
Providence Bruins (Boston Bruins)
Springfield Thunderbirds (Florida Panthers)
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (Pittsburgh Penguins)

North Division
Belleville Senators (Ottawa Senators)
Binghamton Devils (New Jersey Devils)
Cleveland Monsters (Columbus Blue Jackets)
Laval Rocket (Montreal Canadiens)
Rochester Americans (Buffalo Sabres)
Syracuse Crunch (Tampa Bay Lightning)
Toronto Marlies (Toronto Maple Leafs)
Utica Comets (Vancouver Canucks)

Changes from the 2017-18 season include:

• Colorado joining the AHL as its 31st active team and playing in the Pacific Division
• San Antonio and Texas moving from the Pacific Division to the Central Division
• Cleveland moving from the Central Division to the North Division
• The playing schedule for the 2018-19 regular season, which begins Oct. 5, will be announced this summer.

In operation since 1936, the AHL continues to serve as the top development league for all 31 National Hockey League teams. More than 87 percent of today’s NHL players are American Hockey League graduates, and for the 17th year in a row, more than 6 million fans have attended AHL games across North America in 2017-18.

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