Can the nature of the game in the AHL really be changed with suspensions for fighting?
The AHL Board of Governors met recently and changed some rules, added a team, and sorted out this year's playoff format.
Teams and Playoff Format
The new team, the Tucson Roadrunners (meep meep), will play in the Pacific division. The five California teams in that division plus the Tucson team will play fewer games, leaving us all to rely on the points percentage to tell who is winning for another year.
The playoff format is being simplified to make the top four in each division qualify, so no more "cross-over" teams, but there is the chance that poorer teams will make the playoffs over better teams in stacked divisions.