2001 Calder Cup playoffs


The 2001 Calder Cup playoffs of the American Hockey League began on April 10, 2001. The sixteen teams that qualified, eight from each conference, played best-of-five series for division semifinals and best-of-seven series for division finals and conference finals. The conference champions played a best-of-seven series for the Calder Cup. The Calder Cup Final ended on May 28, 2001, with the Saint John Flames defeating the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins four games to two to win the first, and only, Calder Cup in team history.
Saint John's Steve Begin won the Jack A. Butterfield Trophy as AHL playoff MVP. Wilkes-Barre Scranton defenseman Chris Kelleher set an AHL playoff record for points scored by a defenseman in one playoff with 25. This record was broken in 2008 by Wilkes-Barre/Scranton defenseman Alex Goligoski.

Playoff seeds

After the 2000–01 AHL regular season, 16 teams qualified for the playoffs. The top four teams from each division qualified for the playoffs. However, due to the uneven number of teams in each division, it was possible for teams to crossover to another division for the playoffs. The fifth-placed team in the New England Division could qualify for the fourth playoff spot in the Canadian Division if they earned more points than the fourth-placed team in the Canadian Division. The fifth-placed team in the Mid-Atlantic Division could qualify for the fourth playoff spot in the South Division if they earned more points than the fourth-placed team in the South Division. The Worcester IceCats were the Eastern Conference regular season champions as well as the Macgregor Kilpatrick Trophy winners with the best overall regular season record. The Rochester Americans were the Western Conference regular season champions.

Eastern Conference

Canadian Division

  1. Saint John Flames – 100 points
  2. Quebec Citadelles – 89 points
  3. St. John's Maple Leafs – 80 points

    New England Division

  4. Worcester IceCats – Eastern Conference regular season champions; Macgregor Kilpatrick Trophy winners, 108 points
  5. Hartford Wolf Pack – 94 points
  6. Providence Bruins – 84 points
  7. Lowell Lock Monsters – 80 points
  8. Portland Pirates – 74 points ''''

    Western Conference

Mid-Atlantic Division

  1. Rochester Americans – Western Conference regular season champions, 104 points
  2. Syracuse Crunch – 83 points
  3. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins – 83 points
  4. Philadelphia Phantoms – 82 points
  5. Hershey Bears – 75 points ''''

    Southern Division

  6. Kentucky Thoroughblades – 97 points
  7. Cincinnati Mighty Ducks – 95 points
  8. Norfolk Admirals – 90 points

    Bracket

In each round the team that earned more points during the regular season receives home ice advantage, meaning they receive the "extra" game on home-ice if the series reaches the maximum number of games. There is no set series format due to arena scheduling conflicts and travel considerations.

Division Semifinals

Eastern Conference

Canadian Division

(C1) Saint John Flames vs. (N5) Portland Pirates
(C2) Quebec Citadelles vs. (C3) St. John's Maple Leafs

New England Division

(N1) Worcester IceCats vs. (N4) Lowell Lock Monsters
(N2) Hartford Wolf Pack vs. (N3) Providence Bruins

Western Conference

Mid-Atlantic Division

(M1) Rochester Americans vs. (M4) Philadelphia Phantoms
(M2) Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins vs. (M3) Syracuse Crunch

Southern Division

(S1) Kentucky Thoroughblades vs. (M5) Hershey Bears
(S2) Cincinnati Mighty Ducks vs. (S3) Norfolk Admirals
1 – at Cincinnati Gardens
2 – at Norfolk, Virginia

Division Finals

Eastern Conference

Canadian Division

(C1) Saint John Flames vs. (C2) Quebec Citadelles

New England Division

(N1) Worcester IceCats vs. (N3) Providence Bruins

Western Conference

Mid-Atlantic Division

(M2) Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins vs. (M4) Philadelphia Phantoms

Southern Division

(S3) Norfolk Admirals vs. (M5) Hershey Bears

Conference finals

Eastern Conference

(C1) Saint John Flames vs. (N3) Providence Bruins

Western Conference

(M2) Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins vs. (M5) Hershey Bears

Calder Cup Final

(C1) Saint John Flames vs. (M2) Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins