AHL Announces New Division Alignment

News9.com

OKLAHOMA CITY—The American Hockey League Board of Governors approved conference and divisional alignment for the 2011-12 hockey season on Tuesday.

The Oklahoma City barons will be one of five teams in the Western Division of the Western Conference which includes 15 teams.

All 30 National Hockey League teams will have their own primary affiliate for the 2011-12 season.

The board of governors also approved the format for the 2010 Calder Cup Playoffs. Eight teams in each conference will qualify for the postseason, with the three division winners earning the top three seeds. The next five best team then fall in order of regular season points seeded fourth through eighth. The conference quarterfinals will be a best-of-five series and the subsequent series will be a best-of-seven series. Teams will be re-ordered after the first round so that the highest-remaining seed plays the lowest-remaining seed.

The OKC Barons open their 38-game home schedule at the Cox Convention Center on October 15.

The conference divisions are as follows:

Western Conference
West Division:
Oklahoma City Barons
Abbotsford Heat
Houston Aeros
San Antonio Rampage
Texas Stars

North Division:
Grand Rapids Griffins
Hamilton Bulldogs
Lake Erie Monsters
Rochester American
Toronto Marlies

Midwest Division:
Charlotte Checkers
Chicago Wolves
Milwaukee Admirals
Peoria Rivermen
Rockford IceHogs

Eastern Conference
Atlantic Division:
Manchester Monarchs
Portland Pirates
Providence bruins
St. Johns
Worchester Sharks

Northeast Division:
Adirondack Phantoms
Albany Devils
Bridgeport Sound Tigers
Connecticut Whale
Springfield Falcons

East Division:
Binghamton Senators
Hershey bears
Norforlk Admirals
Syracuse Crunch
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins