AHL won't award Calder Cup for second straight year

As COVID-19 vaccine rollouts provide positive news for sports fans throughout the United States, the coronavirus pandemic continues to strip portions of hockey seasons away. 

The American Hockey League, the NHL's primary developmental league, confirmed on Thursday that it will not crown a Calder Cup champion for the second consecutive year due to difficulties caused by the health crisis. Last spring was the first time the Calder Cup wasn't awarded since the AHL was formed in 1936-37. 

The AHL explained that its five divisions were allowed to independently decide on postseason formats, but only the Pacific Division elected to determine a champion via a playoff tournament. 

"While we are disappointed that we will not be able to award the Calder Cup this spring, we are grateful to have been able to provide a safe and competitive environment for more than 1,000 players to play AHL hockey and continue their development," AHL president and CEO Scott Howson said in a prepared statement. "We’re especially thankful for the work done by our athletic trainers, COVID-19 officers and other front-line workers to ensure the health and safety of all of our players and staff throughout the league."

The 2021-22 AHL regular season is tentatively set to start Oct. 15 and run through April 24, 2022. 

Earlier this month, the Memorial Cup and the Ontario Hockey League season were canceled because of the pandemic.