The 2005–06 AHL season was the 70th season of the American Hockey League. Twenty-seven teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The Hershey Bears won the Calder Cup, defeating the Milwaukee Admirals in the finals.

To celebrate the AHL's 70th anniversary, the league announced on January 6, 2006, the first inductees into the AHL's new Hall of Fame . The first inductees were; Johnny Bower, Jack Butterfield, Jody Gage, Fred Glover, Willie Marshall, Frank Mathers and Eddie Shore.

Team changes The Cincinnati Mighty Ducks suspend operations, becoming dormant. The Edmonton Road Runners suspend operations, becoming dormant. The Utah Grizzlies suspend operations, becoming dormant. The dormant Saint John Flames resumed operations as the Omaha Ak-Sar-Ben Knights, playing in the West division. The dormant Louisville Panthers resumed operations as the Iowa Stars, playing in the West division. The St. John's Maple Leafs moved to Toronto, Ontario, becoming the Toronto Marlies. The Worcester IceCats moved to Peoria, Illinois, becoming the Peoria Rivermen, playing in the West division. The Albany River Rats shift from the East division to the Atlantic division. The Grand Rapids Griffins shift from the West division to the North division.

Final standings

indicates team clinched division and a playoff spot indicates team clinched a playoff spot indicates team was eliminated from playoff contention

Eastern Conference Atlantic Division y–Portland Pirates (ANA) 80 53 19 5 3 114 306 241 x–Hartford Wolf Pack (NYR) 80 48 24 2 6 104 292 241 x–Manchester Monarchs (LAK) 80 43 30 3 4 93 236 230 x–Providence Bruins (BOS) 80 43 31 1 5 92 254 217 e–Lowell Lock Monsters (CAR/COL) 80 29 37 6 8 72 222 257 e–Springfield Falcons (TBL) 80 28 43 3 6 65 220 312 e–Albany River Rats (NJD) 80 25 48 4 3 57 206 278 East Division y–Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (PIT) 80 51 18 5 6 113 249 178 x–Hershey Bears (WSH) 80 44 21 5 10 103 262 234 x–Norfolk Admirals (CHI) 80 43 29 4 4 94 259 246 x–Bridgeport Sound Tigers (NYI) 80 38 33 6 3 85 246 253 e–Binghamton Senators (OTT) 80 35 37 4 4 78 258 295 e–Philadelphia Phantoms (PHI) 80 34 37 2 7 77 197 232

Western Conference North Division y–Grand Rapids Griffins (DET) 80 55 20 1 4 115 323 247 x–Syracuse Crunch (CBJ) 80 47 25 5 3 102 272 251 x–Manitoba Moose (VAN) 80 44 24 7 5 100 243 217 x–Toronto Marlies (TOR) 80 41 29 6 4 92 270 263 e–Rochester Americans (BUF/FLA) 80 37 39 2 2 78 261 270 e–Hamilton Bulldogs (EDM/MTL) 80 35 41 0 4 74 225 251 e–Cleveland Barons (SJS) 80 27 48 2 3 59 210 302 West Division y–Milwaukee Admirals (NSH) 80 49 21 6 4 108 268 234 x–Houston Aeros (MIN) 80 50 24 3 3 106 285 242 x–Peoria Rivermen (STL) 80 46 26 3 5 100 253 226 x–Iowa Stars (DAL) 80 41 31 1 7 90 238 228 e–Chicago Wolves (ATL) 80 36 32 4 8 84 278 275 e–Omaha Ak-Sar-Ben Knights (CGY) 80 35 31 3 11 84 206 221 e–San Antonio Rampage (PHX) 80 23 50 3 4 53 153 251

Scoring leaders

Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalty minutes Player Team GP G A Pts PIM Kirby Law Houston Aeros 80436711095 Erik Westrum Houston Aeros 71346498138 Jiri Hudler Grand Rapids Griffins 7636609656 Patrick O'Sullivan Houston Aeros 7847469364 Darren Haydar Milwaukee Admirals 8035579250 Denis Hamel Binghamton Senators 7756359165 Donald MacLeanGrand Rapids Griffins7656328863 Brad Smyth Hartford Wolf Pack 8034528669 Ryan Shannon Portland Pirates 7127598644 Keith Aucoin Lowell Lock Monsters 7229568568

Leading goaltenders

Note: GP = Games played; Mins = Minutes played; W = Wins; L = Losses: OTL = Overtime losses; SL = Shootout losses; GA = Goals Allowed; SO = Shutouts; GAA = Goals against average Player Team GP Mins W L SL GA SO GAA Sv% Dany Sabourin Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins 4929433014411142.260.922 Wade Flaherty Manitoba Moose 4928222617411362.400.919 Brent Krahn Omaha Ak-Sar-Ben Knights 5732412620913532.500.912 Mike Smith Iowa Stars 5030002519612532.500.917 Martin Houle Philadelphia Phantoms 402153181819122.540.914

Calder Cup playoffs

All Star Classic The 19th AHL All-Star Classic was played on February 1, 2006, at the MTS Centre in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Team Canada defeated team PlanetUSA 9–4. In the skills competition held the night before, team Canada defeated team PlanetUSA 21–12 in front of two sellout crowds of 15,115, the largest for an AHL event.

Trophy and award winners

Team awards Calder CupPlayoff champions: Hershey Bears Richard F. Canning TrophyEastern Conference playoff champions: Hershey Bears Robert W. Clarke TrophyWestern Conference playoff champions: Milwaukee Admirals Macgregor Kilpatrick TrophyRegular season champions, League: Grand Rapids Griffins Frank Mathers TrophyRegular Season champions, Eastern Conference: Portland Pirates Norman R. "Bud" Poile TrophyRegular Season champions, Western Conference: Grand Rapids Griffins Emile Francis TrophyRegular Season champions, Atlantic Division: Portland Pirates F. G. "Teddy" Oke TrophyRegular Season champions, East Division: Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins Sam Pollock TrophyRegular Season champions, North Division: Grand Rapids Griffins John D. Chick TrophyRegular Season champions, West Division: Milwaukee Admirals

Individual awards Les Cunningham AwardMost valuable player: Donald MacLean - Grand Rapids Griffins John B. Sollenberger TrophyTop point scorer: Kirby Law - Houston Aeros Willie Marshall AwardTop goal scorer: Donald MacLean - Grand Rapids Griffins & Denis Hamel - Binghamton Senators Dudley "Red" Garrett Memorial AwardRookie of the year: Patrick O'Sullivan - Houston Aeros Eddie Shore AwardDefenceman of the year: Andy Delmore - Syracuse Crunch Aldege "Baz" Bastien Memorial AwardBest Goaltender: Dany Sabourin - Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins Harry "Hap" Holmes Memorial AwardLowest goals against average: Dany Sabourin - Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins Louis A. R. Pieri Memorial AwardCoach of the year: Kevin Dineen - Portland Pirates Fred T. Hunt Memorial AwardSportsmanship / Perseverance: Mark Cullen - Norfolk Admirals Yanick Dupre Memorial AwardCommunity Service Award: Mitch Fritz - Springfield Falcons Jack A. Butterfield TrophyMVP of the playoffs: Frederic Cassivi - Hershey Bears

Other awards James C. Hendy Memorial AwardMost outstanding executive: Doug Yingst, Hershey Bears Thomas Ebright Memorial AwardCareer contributions: Al Coates James H. Ellery Memorial Awards Outstanding media coverage: Phil Janack, Albany (newspaper)Kelly Moore, Manitoba (radio)Gregg Mace, Hershey (television) Ken McKenzie AwardOutstanding marketing executive: Mike Wojociechowski, Milwaukee Admirals Michael Condon Memorial AwardOutstanding service, on-ice official: Luke Galvin

See also List of AHL seasons

References AHL official site AHL Hall of Fame HockeyDB