The 1997 Calder Cup Playoffs of the American Hockey League began on April 18, 1997. The sixteen teams that qualified, eight from each conference, played best-of-5 series for division semifinals and best-of-7 series for division finals and conference finals. The conference champions played a best-of-7 series for the Calder Cup. The Calder Cup Final ended on June 13, 1997, with the Hershey Bears defeating the Hamilton Bulldogs four games to one to win the eighth Calder Cup in team history. Hershey's Mike McHugh won the Jack A. Butterfield Trophy as AHL playoff MVP.
Hershey set an AHL playoff record by scoring 35 powerplay goals during the 1997 Calder Cup playoffs. Furthermore, Game 2 of the Mid-Atlantic Division final between Hershey and Philadelphia set an AHL playoff record for the most penalty minutes in one game by both teams with 350 (Hershey, 179; Philadelphia, 171). In addition, Hershey's Jean-Francois Labbe set an AHL playoff record for goaltenders by playing in 23 games in one playoff.
After the 1996-97 AHL regular season, 16 teams qualified for the playoffs. The top four teams from each division qualified for the playoffs. However, due to the uneven number of teams in the each conference, it was possible for the fifth-placed team in the five team divisions to crossover to the playoffs for the four team divisions. This could only happen if the fifth-placed team in a five team division earned more points than the fourth-placed team in the four team division in the same conference. In this case, the fifth-placed team from the five team division would play in place of the fourth-placed team from the four team division in that part of the playoff bracket. The Philadelphia Phantoms were the Southern Conference regular season champions and also had the best overall regular season record. The Rochester Americans were the Northern Conference regular season champions.
In each round the team that earned more points during the regular season receives home ice advantage, meaning they receive the "extra" game on home-ice if the series reaches the maximum number of games. There is no set series format due to arena scheduling conflicts and travel considerations.
Division Semifinals[]
Note 1: All times are in Eastern Time (UTC-4).
Note 2: Game times in italics signify games to be played only if necessary.
Note 3: Home team is listed first.
Northern Conference[]
Canadian Division[]
(C1) St. John's Maple Leafs vs. (E5) Binghamton Rangers[]
April 18
St. John's Maple Leafs
5 - 2
Binghamton Rangers
Memorial Stadium (St. John's)
April 20
St. John's Maple Leafs
2 - 3
Binghamton Rangers
Memorial Stadium (St. John's)
April 23
Binghamton Rangers
2 - 3
St. John's Maple Leafs
Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena
April 25
Binghamton Rangers
2 - 4
St. John's Maple Leafs
Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena
St. John's won series 3 – 1
(C2) Saint John Flames vs. (C3) Hamilton Bulldogs[]
April 18
Saint John Flames
4 - 5
Hamilton Bulldogs
Harbour Station
April 20
Saint John Flames
3 - 2
Hamilton Bulldogs
Harbour Station
April 23
Hamilton Bulldogs
2 - 1
Saint John Flames
Copps Coliseum
April 25
Hamilton Bulldogs
4 - 5
OT
Saint John Flames
Copps Coliseum
April 28
Saint John Flames
1 - 3
Hamilton Bulldogs
Harbour Station
Hamilton won series 3 - 2
Empire State Division[]
(E1) Rochester Americans vs. (E4) Syracuse Crunch[]
April 18
Rochester Americans
7 - 4
Syracuse Crunch
Blue Cross Arena
April 19
Rochester Americans
6 - 2
Syracuse Crunch
Blue Cross Arena
April 23
Syracuse Crunch
2 - 3
Rochester Americans
War Memorial at Oncenter
Rochester won series 3 – 0
(E2) Adirondack Red Wings vs. (E3) Albany River Rats[]
April 19
Albany River Rats
2 - 0
Adirondack Red Wings
Times Union Center
April 20
Albany River Rats
2 - 3
Adirondack Red Wings
Times Union Center
April 22
Adirondack Red Wings
7 - 3
Albany River Rats
Glens Falls Civic Center
April 24
Adirondack Red Wings
4 - 1
Albany River Rats
Glens Falls Civic Center
Albany won series 3 - 1
Southern Conference[]
New England Division[]
(N1) Worcester IceCats vs. (N4) Providence Bruins[]
April 18
Worcester IceCats
5 - 4
Providence Bruins
DCU Center
April 19
Providence Bruins
4 - 5
Worcester IceCats
Dunkin' Donuts Center
April 23
Worcester IceCats
2 - 4
Providence Bruins
DCU Center
April 24
Providence Bruins
5 - 4
2OT
Worcester IceCats
Dunkin' Donuts Center
April 26
Worcester IceCats
2 - 3
Providence Bruins
DCU Center
Providence won series 3 - 2
(N2) Springfield Falcons vs. (N3) Portland Pirates[]
April 18
Springfield Falcons
3 - 4
Portland Pirates
MassMutual Center
April 19
Portland Pirates
5 - 2
Springfield Falcons
Cumberland County Civic Center
April 23
Springfield Falcons
3 - 2
OT
Portland Pirates
MassMutual Center
April 26
Portland Pirates
3 - 4
Springfield Falcons
Cumberland County Civic Center
May 27
Springfield Falcons
1 - 0
OT
Portland Pirates
MassMutual Center
Springfield won series 3 - 2
Mid-Atlantic Division[]
(M1) Philadelphia Phantoms vs. (M4) Baltimore Bandits[]
April 19
Philadelphia Phantoms
4 - 2
Baltimore Bandits
Wachovia Center
April 20
Philadelphia Phantoms
7 - 1
Baltimore Bandits
Wachovia Center
April 23
Baltimore Bandits
2 - 4
Philadelphia Phantoms
1st Mariner Arena
Philadelphia won series 3 - 0
(M2) Hershey Bears vs. (M3) Kentucky Thoroughblades[]
April 18
Hershey Bears
4 - 3
2OT
Kentucky Thoroughblades
Hersheypark Arena
April 21
Hershey Bears
3 - 0
Kentucky Thoroughblades
Hersheypark Arena
April 23
Kentucky Thoroughblades
4 - 2
Hershey Bears
Rupp Arena
April 25
Kentucky Thoroughblades
2 - 5
Hershey Bears
Rupp Arena
Hershey won series 3 - 1
Division Finals[]
Northern Conference[]
Canadian Division[]
(C1) St. John's Maple Leafs vs. (C3) Hamilton Bulldogs[]
May 1
Hamilton Bulldogs
3 - 2
St. John's Maple Leafs
Copps Coliseum
May 3
Hamilton Bulldogs
2 - 4
St. John's Maple Leafs
Copps Coliseum
May 5
St. John's Maple Leafs
3 - 1
Hamilton Bulldogs
Memorial Stadium (St. John's)
May 7
St. John's Maple Leafs
3 - 4
Hamilton Bulldogs
Memorial Stadium (St. John's)
May 9
St. John's Maple Leafs
5 - 2
Hamilton Bulldogs
Memorial Stadium (St. John's)
May 11
Hamilton Bulldogs
4 - 3
OT
St. John's Maple Leafs
Copps Coliseum
May 13
St. John's Maple Leafs
0 - 3
Hamilton Bulldogs
Memorial Stadium (St. John's)
Hamilton won series 4 - 3
Empire State Division[]
(E1) Rochester Americans vs. (E3) Albany River Rats[]
April 30
Rochester Americans
2 -3
OT
Albany River Rats
Blue Cross Arena
May 2
Rochester Americans
3 - 5
Albany River Rats
Blue Cross Arena
May 4
Albany River Rats
2 - 5
Rochester Americans
Times Union Center
May 7
Albany River Rats
3 - 2
OT
Rochester Americans
Times Union Center
May 9
Rochester Americans
4 - 2
Albany River Rats
Blue Cross Arena
May 11
Albany River Rats
2 - 6
Rochester Americans
Times Union Center
May 14
Rochester Americans
2 - 6
Albany River Rats
Blue Cross Arena
Albany won series 4 - 3
Southern Conference[]
New England Division[]
(N2) Springfield Falcons vs. (N4) Providence Bruins[]
May 2
Springfield Falcons
4 - 1
Providence Bruins
MassMutual Center
May 3
Springfield Falcons
2 - 0
Providence Bruins
MassMutual Center
May 6
Providence Bruins
3 - 4
OT
Springfield Falcons
Dunkin' Donuts Center
May 9
Providence Bruins
2 - 1
Springfield Falcons
Dunkin' Donuts Center
May 10
Springfield Falcons
3 - 1
Providence Bruins
MassMutual Center
Springfield won series 4 - 1
Mid-Atlantic Division[]
(M1) Philadelphia Phantoms vs. (M2) Hershey Bears[]
May 1
Philadelphia Phantoms
3 - 5
Hershey Bears
Wachovia Spectrum
May 3
Philadelphia Phantoms
7 - 4
Hershey Bears
Wachovia Spectrum
May 4
Hershey Bears
4 - 2
Philadelphia Phantoms
Hersheypark Arena
May 7
Hershey Bears
2 - 3
OT
Philadelphia Phantoms
Hersheypark Arena
May 10
Philadelphia Phantoms
3 - 0
Hershey Bears
Wachovia Spectrum
May 11
Hershey Bears
3 - 2
3OT
Philadelphia Phantoms
Hersheypark Arena
May 14
Philadelphia Phantoms
2 - 3
Hershey Bears
Wachovia Spectrum
Hershey won series 4 - 3
Conference finals[]
Northern Conference[]
(E3) Albany River Rats vs. (C3) Hamilton Bulldogs[]