The 2000 Calder Cup Playoffs of the American Hockey League began on April 11, 2000. 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 4, 2000 with the Hartford Wolf Pack defeating the Rochester Americans four games to two to win the first Calder Cup in team history.
Hartford's Derek Armstrong won the Jack A. Butterfield Trophy as AHL playoff MVP. Rochester's Mika Noronen set an AHL playoff record by posting 6 shutouts during the playoffs while teammate Domenic Pittis tied an the AHL record for assists in a single playoff with 26. In winning their first five home games of the 2000 Calder Cup Playoffs, the Providence Bruins set an AHL playoff record by winning 16 consecutive playoff home games, a streak that included 10 consecutive home wins from the 1999 Calder Cup Playoffs and a win from the 1997 Calder Cup Playoffs.
After the 1999-2000 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 Eastern Conference, it was possible for the fifth-placed team in the New England Division to crossover to the Atlantic Division. This could only happen if the fifth-placed team in the New England Division earned more points than the fourth-placed team in the Atlantic Division. In this case, the fifth-placed team from the New England Division would play in place of the fourth-placed team from the Atlantic Division in that part of the playoff bracket. The Hartford Wolf Pack were the Eastern Conference regular season champions as well as the Macgregor Kilpatrick Trophy winners with the best overall regular season record. The Rochester Americans were the Western 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.
Eastern Conference[]
Atlantic Division[]
(A1) Quebec Citadelles vs. (N5) Providence Bruins[]
April 12
Quebec Citadelles
1 - 4
Providence Bruins
Colisee Pepsi
April 13
Quebec Citadelles
3 - 4
2OT
Providence Bruins
Colisee Pepsi
April 16
Providence Bruins
6 - 5
Quebec Citadelles
Dunkin' Donuts Center
Providence won series 3 – 0
(A2) Saint John Flames vs. (A3) Lowell Lock Monsters[]
April 12
Saint John Flames
2 - 5
Lowell Lock Monsters
Harbour Station
April 13
Saint John Flames
2 - 3
Lowell Lock Monsters
Harbour Station
April 15
Lowell Lock Monsters
2 - 1
Saint John Flames
Tsongas Arena
Lowell won series 3 - 0
New England Division[]
(N1) Hartford Wolf Pack vs. (N4) Springfield Falcons[]
April 13
Hartford Wolf Pack
3 - 2
Springfield Falcons
XL Center
April 15
Hartford Wolf Pack
5 - 6
OT
Springfield Falcons
XL Center
April 16
Springfield Falcons
3 - 0
Hartford Wolf Pack
MassMutual Center
April 18
Springfield Falcons
2 - 5
Hartford Wolf Pack
MassMutual Center
April 20
Hartford Wolf Pack
7 - 2
Springfield Falcons
XL Center
Hartford won series 3 – 2
(N2) Portland Pirates vs. (N3) Worcester IceCats[]
April 12
Portland Pirates
0 - 4
Worcester IceCats
Cumberland County Civic Center
April 14
Portland Pirates
2 - 4
Worcester IceCats
Cumberland County Civic Center
April 15
Worcester IceCats
4 - 5
2OT
Portland Pirates
DCU Center
April 18
Worcester IceCats
5 - 2
Portland Pirates
DCU Center
Worcester won series 3 - 1
Western Conference[]
Empire Division[]
(E1) Rochester Americans vs. (E4) Albany River Rats[]
April 12
Rochester Americans
4 - 0
Albany River Rats
Blue Cross Arena
April 14
Rochester Americans
4 - 0
Albany River Rats
Blue Cross Arena
April 16
Albany River Rats
5 - 1
Rochester Americans
Times Union Center
April 17
Albany River Rats
2 - 0
Rochester Americans
Times Union Center
April 19
Rochester Americans
2 - 0
Albany River Rats
Blue Cross Arena
Rochester won series 3 - 2
(E2) Syracuse Crunch vs. (E3) Hamilton Bulldogs[]
April 12
Syracuse Crunch
2 - 3
Hamilton Bulldogs
War Memorial at Oncenter
April 14
Syracuse Crunch
4 - 5
OT
Hamilton Bulldogs
War Memorial at Oncenter
April 15
Hamilton Bulldogs
0 - 2
Syracuse Crunch
Copps Coliseum
April 16
Hamilton Bulldogs
3 - 1
Syracuse Crunch
Copps Coliseum
Hamilton won series 3 - 1
Mid-Atlantic Division[]
(M1) Kentucky Thoroughblades vs. (M4) Louisville Panthers[]
April 12
Kentucky Thoroughblades
2 - 4
Louisville Panthers
Rupp Arena
April 14
Louisville Panthers
2 - 5
Kentucky Thoroughblades
Freedom Hall
April 15
Kentucky Thoroughblades
5 - 2
Louisville Panthers
Rupp Arena
April 18
Louisville Panthers
0 - 4
Kentucky Thoroughblades
Freedom Hall
Kentucky won series 3 - 1
(M2) Hershey Bears vs. (M3) Philadelphia Phantoms[]
April 11
Philadelphia Phantoms
2 - 3
Hershey Bears
Wachovia Center
April 14
Hershey Bears
2 - 0
Philadelphia Phantoms
Hersheypark Arena
April 17
Hershey Bears
3 - 5
Philadelphia Phantoms
Hersheypark Arena
April 19
Hershey Bears
3 - 6
Philadelphia Phantoms
Hersheypark Arena
April 21
Philadelphia Phantoms
0 - 4
Hershey Bears
Wachovia Center
Hershey won series 3 - 2
Division Finals[]
Eastern Conference[]
Atlantic Division[]
(A3) Lowell Lock Monsters vs. (N5) Providence Bruins[]
April 21
Providence Bruins
3 - 1
Lowell Lock Monsters
Dunkin' Donuts Center
April 22
Lowell Lock Monsters
4 - 5
OT
Providence Bruins
Tsongas Arena
April 26
Lowell Lock Monsters
1 - 3
Providence Bruins
Tsongas Arena
May 2
Providence Bruins
6 - 3
Lowell Lock Monsters
Dunkin' Donuts Center
Providence won series 4 - 0
New England Division[]
(N1) Hartford Wolf Pack vs. (N3) Worcester IceCats[]
April 22
Hartford Wolf Pack
6 - 3
Worcester Ice Cats
XL Center
April 25
Hartford Wolf Pack
1 - 4
Worcester Ice Cats
XL Center
April 26
Worcester Ice Cats
1 - 2
Hartford Wolf Pack
DCU Center
April 29
Worcester Ice Cats
2 - 3
Hartford Wolf Pack
DCU Center
April 30
Hartford Wolf Pack
2 - 0
Worcester Ice Cats
XL Center
Hartford won series 4 - 1
Western Conference[]
Empire Division[]
(E1) Rochester Americans vs. (E3) Hamilton Bulldogs[]
April 22
Rochester Americans
4 - 0
Hamilton Bulldogs
Blue Cross Arena
April 26
Hamilton Bulldogs
3 - 1
Rochester Americans
Copps Coliseum
April 28
Rochester Americans
4 - 3
Hamilton Bulldogs
Blue Cross Arena
April 30
Hamilton Bulldogs
0 - 3
Rochester Americans
Copps Coliseum
May 3
Rochester Americans
5 - 6
Hamilton Bulldogs
Blue Cross Arena
May 5
Hamilton Bulldogs
0 - 3
Rochester Americans
Copps Coliseum
Rochester won series 4 - 2
Mid-Atlantic Division[]
(M1) Kentucky Thoroughblades vs. (M2) Hershey Bears[]
April 22
Kentucky Thoroughblades
2 - 3
OT
Hershey Bears
Rupp Arena
April 24
Kentucky Thoroughblades
4 - 1
Hershey Bears
Rupp Arena
April 26
Hershey Bears
5 - 3
Kentucky Thoroughblades
Hersheypark Arena
April 28
Hershey Bears
3 - 2
Kentucky Thoroughblades
Hersheypark Arena
April 30
Hershey Bears
4 - 3
Kentucky Thoroughblades
Hersheypark Arena
Hershey won series 4 - 1
Conference finals[]
Eastern Conference[]
(N1) Hartford Wolf Pack vs. (N5) Providence Bruins[]
May 6
Hartford Wolf Pack
2 - 1
Providence Bruins
XL Center
May 9
Hartford Wolf Pack
1 - 4
Providence Bruins
XL Center
May 12
Providence Bruins
5 - 4
Hartford Wolf Pack
Dunkin' Donuts Center
May 14
Providence Bruins
3 - 2
2OT
Hartford Wolf Pack
Dunkin' Donuts Center
May 17
Hartford Wolf Pack
3 - 2
Providence Bruins
XL Center
May 19
Providence Bruins
3 - 5
Hartford Wolf Pack
Dunkin' Donuts Center
May 21
Hartford Wolf Pack
3 - 2
OT
Providence Bruins
XL Center
Hartford won series 4 - 3
Western Conference[]
(E1) Rochester Americans vs. (M2) Hershey Bears[]
May 7
Rochester Americans
2 - 1
Hershey Bears
Blue Cross Arena
May 9
Rochester Americans
8 - 4
Hershey Bears
Blue Cross Arena
May 11
Hershey Bears
2 - 3
Rochester Americans
Hersheypark Arena
May 13
Hershey Bears
1 - 6
Rochester Americans
Hersheypark Arena
Rochester won series 4 - 0
Calder Cup Final[]
(N1) Hartford Wolf Pack vs. (E1) Rochester Americans[]