| 6/28 - Springfield The American Hockey
League announced the new divisional alignments
for a smaller AHL, and its removed yet another
rival from Binghamton's divisional play.
The Senators
will be the only New York State representive in a
less important East Division. Not only did the
AHL not reunite Binghamton with a historic rival
in Rochester and geographic rival in Syracuse,
but they removed fellow New Yorkers in Albany.
The Senators
were the top drawing foe at Pepsi Arena for
Albany River Rats, and now the Rats will see the
Sens 4 times less a season. The loss of the River
Rats to the Atlantic Division, also leaves the
East with only six teams and in the race for the
playoffs, now a second-class division.
Calder
Cup Playoffs...
The top 4 teams
in each division will earn the right to compete
for the Calder Cup, with one glowing exception.
Should the 5th place team in the Atlantic
Division end with more points than the 4th place
team in the East Division, that Atlantic Division
team would qualify for the playoffs and crossover
and fill the final East Division playoff spot.
Schedule
Update...
After two years
off, the Hartford Wolf-Pack, Lowell Lock Monsters
and Portland Pirates will return, with the
addition of the Toronto Marlies and the loss of
the Manitoba Moose rounding out the changes in
opponents on the Senators' 2005-06 schedule.
Expect a full AHL schedule out by late July.
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