Pacific Division playoffs to begin May 18

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. … American Hockey League President and Chief Executive Officer Scott Howson today announced the format and schedule for the Pacific Division playoff tournament.

All seven teams will participate in the tournament to determine the 2020-21 division championship. The fourth- through seventh-place clubs in the regular-season standings will play a single-elimination play-in, held at FivePoint Arena in Irvine, Calif., to determine who will join the top three teams in the best-of-three semifinals.

The semifinal winners will advance to a best-of-three finals, with that winner being awarded the John D. Chick Trophy as champions of the Pacific Division; the Chick Trophy has been presented to an AHL division champion annually since 1961-62.

2021 PACIFIC DIVISION PLAYOFFS

Play-In Series (May 18-19)
Game 1 – Tue., May 18 – #4 vs. #7, 1:00 PT (at Irvine, Calif.)
Game 2 – Tue., May 18 – #5 vs. #6, 7:30 PT (at Irvine, Calif.)
Game 3 – Wed., May 19 – Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner, 7:00 PT (at Irvine, Calif.)

Semifinal “A” (best-of-3; to conclude by May 24)
Game 1 – #1 vs. Play-In winner (at higher seed)
Game 2 – #1 vs. Play-In winner (at higher seed)
*Game 3 – #1 vs. Play-In winner (at higher seed)

Semifinal “B” (best-of-3; to conclude by May 24)
Game 1 – #2 vs. #3 (at higher seed)
Game 2 – #2 vs. #3 (at higher seed)
*Game 3 – #2 vs. #3 (at higher seed)

Pacific Division Finals (best-of-3; to conclude by May 29)
Game 1 – Semifinal winners (at higher seed)
Game 2 – Semifinal winners (at higher seed)
*Game 3 – Semifinal winners (at higher seed)

*if necessary

All Pacific Division playoff games will be available for viewing on AHLTV.

In operation since 1936, the AHL serves as the top development league for all 31 National Hockey League teams. Nearly 90 percent of today’s NHL players are American Hockey League graduates, and more than 100 honored members of the Hockey Hall of Fame spent time in the AHL in their careers.