1961–62 AHL season facts for kids
The 1961–62 AHL season was the 26th season for the American Hockey League (AHL). This was a special year because the league started two new awards. They brought back the East and West Divisions, which helped organize the teams. The Springfield Indians were super strong, finishing first in the regular season. They also won the Calder Cup for the third time in a row!
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New Teams Join the Fun
In this season, a new team joined the league. The Pittsburgh Hornets came back as an expansion team. An expansion team is a brand new team that joins a sports league. They became part of the West Division.
How the Teams Stood (Final Standings)
Here's how all the teams finished the regular season. The teams played 70 games each.
- GP means Games Played
- W means Wins (how many games they won)
- L means Losses (how many games they lost)
- T means Ties (games that ended with no winner)
- Pts means Points (teams get points for wins and ties)
- GF means Goals For (how many goals they scored)
- GA means Goals Against (how many goals were scored against them)
| East Division | GP | W | L | T | Pts | GF | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Springfield Indians | 70 | 45 | 22 | 3 | 93 | 292 | 194 |
| Hershey Bears | 70 | 37 | 28 | 5 | 79 | 236 | 213 |
| Providence Reds | 70 | 36 | 32 | 2 | 74 | 261 | 267 |
| Quebec Aces | 70 | 30 | 36 | 4 | 64 | 208 | 207 |
| West Division | GP | W | L | T | Pts | GF | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cleveland Barons | 70 | 39 | 28 | 3 | 81 | 255 | 203 |
| Buffalo Bisons | 70 | 36 | 31 | 3 | 75 | 247 | 219 |
| Rochester Americans | 70 | 33 | 31 | 6 | 72 | 234 | 240 |
| Pittsburgh Hornets | 70 | 10 | 58 | 2 | 22 | 177 | 367 |
Top Scorers (Scoring Leaders)
These players scored the most points during the season. Points are given for goals and assists.
- GP means Games Played
- G means Goals (when a player scores)
- A means Assists (when a player helps another player score)
- Pts means Points (Goals + Assists)
- PIM means Penalty Minutes (time spent in the penalty box)
| Player | Team | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bill Sweeney | Springfield Indians | 70 | 40 | 61 | 101 | 14 |
| Willie Marshall | Hershey Bears | 70 | 30 | 65 | 95 | 24 |
| Barry Cullen | Buffalo Bisons | 69 | 41 | 53 | 94 | 61 |
| Brian Kilrea | Springfield Indians | 70 | 20 | 73 | 93 | 28 |
| Fred Glover | Cleveland Barons | 70 | 40 | 45 | 85 | 148 |
| Ron Attwell | Cleveland Barons | 70 | 28 | 55 | 83 | 43 |
| Stan Baluik | Providence Reds | 69 | 25 | 56 | 81 | 55 |
| Brian Cullen | Buffalo Bisons | 67 | 22 | 59 | 81 | 18 |
| Jim Mikol | Cleveland Barons | 70 | 32 | 48 | 80 | 89 |
| Jim Anderson | Springfield Indians | 70 | 38 | 41 | 79 | 24 |
The Calder Cup Playoffs
After the regular season, the best teams played in the playoffs. This is a special tournament to decide the champion. The winner gets the Calder Cup.
- First Round
- The Springfield Indians beat the Cleveland Barons 4 games to 2.
- The Hershey Bears beat the Providence Reds 2 games to 1.
- The Buffalo Bisons beat the Rochester Americans 2 games to 0.
- Second Round
- The Springfield Indians were so good, they got a "bye." This means they automatically moved to the next round without playing.
- The Buffalo Bisons beat the Hershey Bears 3 games to 1.
- Finals
- The Springfield Indians played against the Buffalo Bisons.
- The Indians won 4 games to 1, and they took home the Calder Cup! It was their third win in a row.
Trophies and Awards
Many teams and players received special awards for their great performance this season.
- Team Awards
These awards go to the best teams.
| Calder Cup Playoff champions: |
Springfield Indians |
| F. G. "Teddy" Oke Trophy Best team in the East Division during the regular season: |
Springfield Indians |
| John D. Chick Trophy Best team in the West Division during the regular season: |
Cleveland Barons |
- Individual Awards
These awards go to individual players for their skills.
| Les Cunningham Award Most valuable player (MVP): |
Fred Glover - Cleveland Barons |
| John B. Sollenberger Trophy Player with the most points: |
Bill Sweeney - Springfield Indians |
| Dudley "Red" Garrett Memorial Award Best new player (rookie) of the year: |
Les Binkley - Cleveland Barons |
| Eddie Shore Award Best defensive player: |
Kent Douglas - Springfield Indians |
| Harry "Hap" Holmes Memorial Award Goaltender with the fewest goals scored against them: |
Marcel Paille - Springfield Indians |
- Other Awards
This award is for someone who helps the league or a team off the ice.
| James C. Hendy Memorial Award Most outstanding executive (someone who manages a team or the league): |
James G. Balmer |
