A1-Hershey Bears vs. A5-Lehigh Valley Phantoms
Game 1 – Wednesday, 7:00 ET, 
Game 1 – Wed., Apr. 30 – Lehigh Valley at Hershey, 7:00
Game 2 – Fri., May 2 – Lehigh Valley at Hershey, 7:00
Game 3 – Sun., May 4 – Hershey at Lehigh Valley, 5:05
*Game 4 – Fri., May 9 – Hershey at Lehigh Valley, 7:05
*Game 5 – Sun., May 11 – Lehigh Valley at Hershey, 5:00
*if necessary… All times Eastern
A2-Charlotte Checkers vs. A3-Providence Bruins
Game 1 – Friday, 7:05 ET,
Game 1 – Fri., May 2 – Charlotte at Providence, 7:05
Game 2 – Sun., May 4 – Charlotte at Providence, 7:05
Game 3 – Wed., May 7 – Providence at Charlotte, 7:00
*Game 4 – Fri., May 9 – Providence at Charlotte, 7:00
*Game 5 – Sun., May 11 – Providence at Charlotte, 3:00
*if necessary… All times Eastern
N1-Laval Rocket vs. N5-Cleveland Monsters
Game 1 – Wednesday, 7:00 ET,
Game 1 – Wed., Apr. 30 – Laval at Cleveland, 7:00
Game 2 – Fri., May 2 – Laval at Cleveland, 7:00
Game 3 – Sun., May 4 – Cleveland at Laval, 3:00
*Game 4 – Tue., May 6 – Cleveland at Laval, 7:00
*Game 5 – Fri., May 9 – Cleveland at Laval, 7:00
*if necessary… All times Eastern
N2-Rochester Americans vs. N3-Syracuse Crunch
Game 3 – Thursday, 7:00 ET,
(Rochester leads series, 2-0)
Game 1 – Fri., Apr. 25 – ROCHESTER 3, Syracuse 2 | Recap
Game 2 – Sun., Apr. 27 – ROCHESTER 4, Syracuse 0 | Recap
Game 3 – Thu., May 1 – Rochester at Syracuse, 7:00
Game 4 – Sat., May 3 – Rochester at Syracuse, 7:00
Game 5 – Fri., May 9 – Syracuse at Rochester, 7:05
*if necessary… All times Eastern
C1-Milwaukee Admirals vs. C5-Rockford IceHogs
Game 1 – Thursday, 8:00 ET,
Game 1 – Thu., May 1 – Rockford at Milwaukee, 8:00
Game 2 – Sat., May 3 – Rockford at Milwaukee, 7:00
Game 3 – Wed., May 7 – Milwaukee at Rockford, 8:00
*Game 4 – Fri., May 9 – Milwaukee at Rockford, 8:00
*Game 5 – Sun., May 11 – Rockford at Milwaukee, 5:00
*if necessary… All times Eastern
C2-Texas Stars vs. C3-Grand Rapids Griffins
Game 1 – Tonight, 7:00 ET,
Game 1 – Tue., Apr. 29 – Texas at Grand Rapids, 7:00
Game 2 – Mon., May 5 – Texas at Grand Rapids, 7:00
Game 3 – Fri., May 9 – Grand Rapids at Texas, 8:00
*Game 4 – Sat., May 10 – Grand Rapids at Texas, 8:00
*Game 5 – Mon., May 12 – Grand Rapids at Texas, 8:00
*if necessary… All times Eastern
P1-Colorado Eagles vs. P6-San Jose Barracuda
Game 1 – Friday, 10:00 ET,
Game 1 – Fri., May 2 – Colorado at San Jose, 10:00
Game 2 – Sun., May 4 – Colorado at San Jose, 9:00
Game 3 – Tue., May 6 – San Jose at Colorado, 9:05
*Game 4 – Wed., May 7 – San Jose at Colorado, 9:05
*Game 5 – Sun., May 11 – San Jose at Colorado, 5:05
*if necessary… All times Eastern
P2-Abbotsford Canucks vs. P4-Coachella Valley Firebirds
Game 1 – Thursday, 10:00 ET,
Game 1 – Thu., May 1 – Abbotsford at Coachella Valley, 10:00
Game 2 – Sat., May 3 – Abbotsford at Coachella Valley, 9:00
Game 3 – Wed., May 7 – Coachella Valley at Abbotsford, 10:00
*Game 4 – Fri., May 9 – Coachella Valley at Abbotsford, 10:00
*Game 5 – Sun., May 11 – Coachella Valley at Abbotsford, 10:00
*if necessary… All times Eastern
For someone who had only played four Calder Cup Playoff games before 2023, Cameron Hughes brings a ton of postseason experience into his first run with the Texas Stars.
The seventh-year pro went to the Calder Cup Finals in each of the past two years with the Coachella Valley Firebirds, playing a total of 44 playoff games. He finished fourth in the league in playoff scoring in 2023 with 23 points (four goals, 19 assists), and last year he duplicated that finish producing 16 assists in 18 games.
As steady as any player in the AHL, Hughes has produced 56 points (in 61 games), 57 points (in 69 games) and 57 points (in 69 games) in the last three regular seasons.
Hughes and the Stars begin their Central Division semifinal series tonight in Grand Rapids. Get through that series, and it would mean facing either the Milwaukee Admirals or Rockford IceHogs in the following round.
“Through every year, you learn stuff,” Hughes told reporters last week. “Playoffs, everything is magnified, so you definitely learn more.”
With Hughes, Kole Lind, captain Curtis McKenzie, Kyle Capobianco and Magnus Hellberg, Texas possesses significant experience. When the Stars went through a late-season five-game losing streak, they managed to right themselves and put together a strong finish to their regular season with wins in three of their final four outings. Having not played since April 19, they have been able to use this time to refresh themselves and prepare.
“I think everybody cares about each other,” Hughes said. “We hold each other pretty accountable. Guys get on each other, they pick each other up, but I think that’s what you need on a team that wants to go far, and hopefully we can keep it going.”
― with files from Patrick Williams
In yesterday’s Stanley Cup Playoff action, Mikko Rantanen, who was the co-winner of the AHL’s rookie of the year award in 2015-16, notched a goal and two assists to spark Dallas to a 6-2 win over Colorado... Carter Verhaeghe capped a late three-goal rally with his first goal of the postseason to clinch Florida’s 4-2 win over Tampa Bay.
