The 2025 Calder Cup Playoffs have arrived.

Here is everything that you need to know as what could be a two-month journey begins to unfold tonight when the Coachella Valley Firebirds host the Calgary Wranglers.

FloHockey will carry every game of the Calder Cup Playoffs.

The Calder Cup Playoff Field

Abbotsford Canucks

Calgary Wranglers

Charlotte Checkers

Chicago Wolves

Cleveland Monsters

Coachella Valley Firebirds

Colorado Eagles

Grand Rapids Griffins

Hershey Bears

Laval Rocket

Lehigh Valley Phantoms

Milwaukee Admirals

Ontario Reign

Providence Bruins

Rochester Americans

Rockford IceHogs

San Jose Barracuda

Springfield Thunderbirds

Syracuse Crunch

Texas Stars

Toronto Marlies

Tucson Roadrunners

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins

The Calder Cup Playoff Bracket

Here is this year’s playoff bracket and a series-by-series schedule.

Why Did The AHL Expand Its Playoff Field?

Playoff experience. It’s what NHL front offices seek for their young prospects, which is why the AHL adopted its new 23-team format for the 2022 Calder Cup Playoffs. More teams, more players, more postseason experience.

What Is An Easy Way To Understand The Playoff Format?

A full detailed breakdown of the Calder Cup Playoff format is found here.

Want a simple way to understand the format? This week’s best-of-three first round will whittle down the playoff field from 23 teams to 16 games. From there the bracket becomes a very standard 16-team format that somewhat resembles the one used by the NHL.

The two divisional rounds are best-of-five before the conference finals. From there the conference finals and the Calder Cup Finals are both best-of-seven series.

The Essentials

Hershey’s Hendrix Lapierre won the Jack A. Butterfield Trophy as the most valuable player of the 2024 Calder Cup Playoffs. He had 7-15-22 in 20 postseason appearances.

What was the last team to win the Calder Cup before the Hershey Bears did the past two seasons? Chicago took the 2022 title in five games.

Hershey has won the Calder Cup five times (2006, 2009, 2010, 2023, and 2024) since beginning an affiliation with the Washington Capitals in 2005.

Hershey head coach Todd Nelson has five Calder Cup rings. He won the Calder Cup as a player (1994), assistant coach (2008), and a head coach (2017, 2023, and 2024).

What Is A Potential Pitfall For Top Teams?

Charlotte, Colorado, Grand Rapids, Hershey, Laval, Milwaukee, and Texas all have extended breaks before beginning postseason play. Head coaches typically will use this time as a mini-training camp. That means lots of skating, fine-tuning systems play, and scrimmages. They also often will mix in a golf outing and other team-building events for their players to break up the time.

What Are Some Other Traps?

The best-of-three first round can end a team’s hopes quickly. Last season Tucson got considerable help from the Arizona Coyotes going into the postseason as the Pacific Division’s second seed. Two losses to Calgary later, the Roadrunners found themselves packing up to go home. Two years ago, Coachella Valley reached overtime in Game 7 of the Calder Cup Finals. That postseason run had nearly died in the first round when Tucson pushed the Firebirds to a deciding Game 3.

Ending series quickly as a top seed can be another challenge. Last season Hershey only played six games in a 41-day span before going into the Eastern Conference Finals. 

Top Storylines

Can Hershey become the first team to win three consecutive Calder Cup championships since 1962?

Each of the past two postseasons have ended in heartbreaking losses in the Calder Cup Finals for Coachella Valley? Can they change their fortunes this time?

Laval won the AHL’s regular-season title. But this is the Calder Cup Playoffs. Can they take their collective game higher?

The North Division could be a gauntlet. Along with Laval, Rochester has Devon Levi. And now Cleveland has Jet Greaves and Denton Mateychuk back.

Is another battle between Milwaukee and Texas for the Central Division ahead?

Is this the year that an exceptionally talented Colorado roster makes a deep run into the postseason?

Which goaltender goes on a two-month run? Levi? Hunter Shepard? Jet Greaves? Cayden Primeau? Matt Murray? Pheonix Copley? Does someone else emerge this spring?

How do some of the NHL’s top prospects handle the pressure and physical demands of the Calder Cup Playoffs?

Best First-Round Match-up

It’s always a treat when Calgary Wranglers and Coachella Valley tangle. They’ve met in each of the past two years. Calgary had a difficult second half, but head coach Trent Cull is back from his stint with the Calgary Flames. 

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins – Lehigh Valley Phantoms

These two long-time Pennsylvania rivals met last season, with the Phantoms knocking out the Penguins. A replenished Wilkes-Barre/Scranton roster gets another crack this year.

Providence Bruins – Springfield Thunderbirds

Two New England strongholds meet again. Springfield endured a difficult final month-plus of the regular season. With the Boston Bruins’ struggles, Providence’s roster underwent considerable late-season flux. The P-Bruins have reloaded.

Cleveland Monsters – Toronto Marlies

With Greaves and Mateychuk back, the Monsters have their standout goaltender and an elite number-one defenseman leading the way. Toronto went through a difficult second half at points.

Chicago Wolves – Rockford IceHogs

Brimming with prospects, the Wolves are back in the postseason once again. With the Chicago Blackhawks’ rebuilding effort continuing, the organization could use a good postseason run for its prospects with Rockford.

Abbotsford Canucks – Tucson Roadrunners

Abbotsford tore through the competition down the stretch with a 13-game winning streak. Tucson needed until the final night of the regular season to finally squeeze into the postseason. Both teams’ NHL parents are finished, so no recalls to worry about here. 

Ontario Reign – San Jose Barracuda

Andrew Poturalski has not played since March 28 and is week-to-week, according to Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now. If he can somehow play, you know that he will. Ontario will be a handful, regardless.

How To Watch The AHL On FloHockey 

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NHL Prospect Coverage On FloHockey

The best, and most complete, coverage of the NHL minor league hockey and NHL Draft is found on FloHockey. Don't miss the latest new prospect guides, rankings and more from Chris Peters and the FloHockey staff.

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