The fourth time in as many AHL seasons, the Checkers will have a new divisional home.
The league released its updated alignment for the coming season on Thursday, with Charlotte landing in the new West Division along with Abbotsford, Oklahoma City, San Antonio and Texas. Despite the new name, the division will feature four of the five teams that made up the South Division during the most recent campaign, with Abbotsford replacing Houston.
The NHL affiliates of the five clubs in the new West Division have not changed from last season. Abbotsford is still aligned with Calgary, San Antonio with Florida, Texas with Dallas and the Checkers’ playoff rival from last season, Oklahoma City, with Edmonton. Three of the five teams – Charlotte, Oklahoma City and Texas – qualified for the playoffs last season.
The realignment was made necessary by two franchise relocations in the Western Conference, including Houston moving to Des Moines, Iowa, where it will compete in the Midwest Division next season. Subsequently, Peoria, which had competed in the Midwest, has moved to Utica, NY, and will replace Abbotsford in the North.
There is no set number on how often teams must play other teams in their own division. The AHL will announce a full schedule later this summer, though some teams, including the Checkers, have already released a handful of guaranteed home dates.
The Checkers played their inaugural season in 2010-11 as a member of the Eastern Conference’s East Division, before playing the following two campaigns in the Western Conference as members of the Midwest and South Divisions, respectively.
The AHL also announced Thursday that the Calder Cup Playoff format from last season, which includes a best-of-five format in the first round and best-of-seven formats in all later rounds.
