Report: Maple Leafs’ Farm Club Marlies to Go Through Odd 23-Team Playoffs in the AHL for One More Season
The American Hockey League (AHL) has used a 23-team playoff format since the 2021-22 season.
In a move that continues to stir debate among hockey fans, the AHL's Board of Governors has approved the expanded 23-team playoff format for another year in the 2025 Calder Cup Playoffs, as reported by Inside AHL Hockey’s Tony Androckitis Thursday. This decision means the Toronto Maple Leafs' farm club, the Toronto Marlies, will once again navigate the unusual postseason structure which has been in place since the 2021-22 season.
The change was initially implemented following two years without a Calder Cup champion due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The previous 16-team playoff format, which was last used in the 2019 playoffs, was expanded to include 23 teams to provide more opportunities for clubs to compete for the prestigious Calder Cup.
Some appreciate the increased chances for teams to make the playoffs and the possibility of an upset making a long run. On the flip side, others feel that the expanded format dilutes the competition and makes the regular season less meaningful, giving the vibe of everybody getting a participation trophy.
The format will be revisited next summer when the league's current collective bargaining agreement (CBA) expires, leaving the door open for potential changes to the playoff structure in future seasons. As it stands, 23 of 32 teams in the AHL make the postseason.
The current layout allows nearly 150 additional players to play postseason games in pursuit of a championship. Here is how the setup works under the 23-team system, with five rounds being played:
First-Round: best-of-3 (winners reseeded after First Round)
Division Semi-Finals: best-of-5
Division Finals: best-of-5
Conference Finals: best-of-7
Calder Cup Finals: best-of-7
As stated on the AHL’s website, “The playoff field will include the top six finishers in the eight-team Atlantic Division, the top five finishers each in the seven-team North and Central Divisions, and the top seven teams in the 10-team Pacific Division."
"First Round match-ups will be best-of-three series; the two highest seeds in the Atlantic, the three highest seeds in each of the North and Central, and the first-place team in the Pacific will receive byes into the best-of-five Division Semifinals, with the First Round winners re-seeded in each division.”
For the Marlies, since the format has been implemented, this has been their track record:
2021-22: Did not qualify for the postseason
2022-23: Lost in the first round to the Utica Comets (AHL affiliate of the New Jersey Devils)
2023-24: Lost in the first round to Belleville Senators (AHL affiliate of the Ottawa Senators)
As the 2024-25 AHL season gets underway, all eyes will be on how teams, especially those like the Marlies, continue to adapt to this playoff layout. The extended playoffs could offer more from a fan perspective, but it remains to be seen whether this scheme will become a permanent fixture in the league.
The debate continues, but for now, the 23-team playoff format is here to stay, at least for one more season.
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