So, let’s look at the teams that can accomplish the rare feat of winning both in the same year.
The last time an NHL team and its American Hockey League affiliate won the Stanley Cup and Calder Cup titles in the same year was 1995, with the New Jersey Devils and Albany River Rats winning it all. The irony of the Devils winning both is that the reputation around the AHL is that nobody ran minor league teams into the ground and neglected them quite like Lou Lamoriello.
But nonetheless, it’s a rare accomplishment and speaks to organizational success. The Florida Panthers nearly pulled it off last season with the Stanley Cup title, and the Charlotte Checkers lost in the Final to the Abbotsford Canucks. Otherwise, it’s hard to win both, considering rebuilding teams have great farm systems but bad NHL teams, and vice versa.
This season, 12 teams qualified for both. So, who can capture the rare feat of both an AHL and NHL championship? Let’s rank them.
12. Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins (& Pittsburgh Penguins)
If this were written before the playoffs started, they would be higher. The problem is that the Pittsburgh Penguins are in a 3-0 series deficit to the Philadelphia Flyers. The Wilkes-Barre team however, is built for a Calder Cup run with a prospect-filled roster and elite goaltending from Sergei Murashov. So, the future is still bright for the black and yellow.
11. Ontario Reign (& Los Angeles Kings)
The Ontario Reign are in a similar boat as the Penguins. They have a team built to go deep into the playoffs. The problem they have is that the Los Angeles Kings snuck into the playoffs and are already in a 2-0 series hole against the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Colorado Avalanche. So, good luck coming back from that.
10. Rochester Americans (& Buffalo Sabres)
The Rochester Americans were the final team to clinch a playoff spot, securing it with an overtime loss on the final day of the regular season. It reflects a team that’s limping into the playoffs. The Buffalo Sabres, meanwhile, have a Cup-caliber team with the help of some of the call-ups from Rochester, a trade off the NHL team, and the fans eager for playoffs, will take.
9. San Diego Gulls (& Anaheim Ducks)
Like the Amerks, the Gulls were one of the final teams to make the playoffs and aren’t a good team. The Anaheim Ducks have a fun team heading into the playoffs that could surprise everyone. So, it’s possible both teams make noise but don’t count on it.
8. Bakersfield Condors (& Edmonton Oilers)
The Edmonton Oilers are hoping the third time is a charm, and after coming up short in 2024 and 2025, this is the year. They have the talent but also the same issues that can hold them back (depth, goaltending, and fatigue). If they do, there’s a slight chance the Bakersfield Condors join them as a high-scoring top-heavy team that can also score in bunches (and like the Oilers, they struggle to defend).
7. Chicago Wolves (& Carolina Hurricanes)
The Chicago Wolves were one of the best teams in the Central Division down the stretch, and it allowed them to finish with the second-best record in the division behind only the Grand Rapids Griffins. They have a surplus of prospects with star winger Bradly Nadeau leading the way, and it would shock nobody if they went on a run. The same applies to the Carolina Hurricanes, who have been in the Contention conversation for years, and this time around, don’t have the Florida Panthers or Igor Shesterkin to stop them.
6. Henderson Silver Knights (Vegas Golden Knights)
Two of the hottest teams in hockey. The Henderson Silver Knights won 20 of their final 27 regular-season games with a roster led by elite veteran scoring and prospects starting to hit their strides. The Vegas Golden Knights also went on a heater when John Tortorella was hired with only a handful of games left in the season. So, don’t be surprised if both teams stay hot and win it all (and wouldn’t the hockey world be happy about that).
5. Texas Stars (& Dallas Stars)
The Stars took both teams to the Western Conference Final last season and have all the pieces in place to do the same and then some this time around. The AHL team turned things around when they bought into rookie head coach Tobey Pederson’s system, and the defense came into form. The NHL team has been a juggernaut all season and hopes this is the year they break through.
4. Syracuse Crunch (& Tampa Bay Lightning)
Another well-built organization from the top down. The Tampa Bay Lightning were a top team in the Eastern Conference all season, and this time around, they have the depth to win in the playoffs, something they’ve lacked since the 2020 and 2021 runs. The Syracuse Crunch are a pleasant surprise but they play a tough grind-it-out style and win games with suffocating defense and elite goaltending, which is what is needed in the playoffs.
3. Providence Bruins (& Boston Bruins)
The Providence Bruins ended the season with the best record in the AHL, with a season where everything went right. The Calder Cup is theirs to lose. They have one of the best coaches, Ryan Mougenel, the best goaltender in Michael DiPietro, and a handful of prospects who have taken significant steps forward (with the help of veterans who have mentored those prospects). The Boston team is in a fight as a wild card team playing a top-seeded Buffalo Sabres, yet they have the goaltending and depth needed to win in the playoffs as well.
2. Colorado Eagles (& Colorado Avalanche)
The Avalanche won the Presidents’ Trophy, and it’s their Cup to lose. This time around, they have all the pieces in place to win it all, from star power to depth to stability in the net. The Eagles had the second-best record in the Pacific Division and have some of the best veteran talent in the league. The Eagles just have to go through the gauntlet that is the Pacific Division, which wears teams down after a few rounds because of the travel.
1. Laval Rocket (& Montreal Canadiens)
The Laval Rocket won the North Division for the second year in a row, and it raises the question of whether Pascal Vincent can return to an NHL bench at some point. The Montreal Canadiens are in the Atlantic Division gauntlet but this time around, they have a team with all the pieces to win in the playoffs. Both the Rocket and Canadiens are prepared to win in the playoffs, have minimal weaknesses, and are in the best position to win both titles.