SPRINGFIELD, Mass. … The American Hockey League has named the Portland Pirates’ record-setting 27th road victory of the season as the CCM/AHL Milestone of the Month award for April.
On Apr. 15, Portland capped the most successful regular season in club history with a 6-4 win over Springfield at the MassMutual Center, giving the Pirates more road wins in one season than any team in the 70-year history of the American Hockey League. Portland’s 27-9-3-1 road record was good for 58 points, also an all-time AHL high.
Led by rookie head coach Kevin Dineen, who captured the Louis A.R. Pieri Award as the AHL’s outstanding coach, Portland won the Atlantic Division championship in 2005-06 and finished with the second-best record in the entire league (53-19-5-3) in its first season as the top affiliate of the NHL’s Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. The Pirates open their best-of-seven Calder Cup division semifinal series against Providence on Thursday night.
The Pirates organization will receive an etched crystal trophy in recognition of earning the CCM/AHL Milestone of the Month.
