The 2006 Calder Cup Playoffs of the American Hockey League began on April 18, 2006. The sixteen teams that qualified, eight from each conference, played best-of-7 series for division semifinals, finals and conference finals. The conference champions played a best-of-7 series for the Calder Cup. The Calder Cup Final ended on June 15, 2006 with the Hershey Bears defeating the Milwaukee Admirals four games to two to win the ninth Calder Cup in team history.
Milwaukee's Darren Haydar set an AHL post-season record by scoring 6 game winning goals in a single playoff. Hershey's Frederic Cassivi tied an AHL record by recording 16 wins in one playoff. He also won the Jack A. Butterfield Trophy as AHL Playoff MVP.
After the 2005–06 AHL regular season, 16 teams qualified for the playoffs. The top four teams from each division qualified for the playoffs. However, it was possible for the fifth-placed team in the Atlantic Division to take the spot of the fourth-placed team in the East Division if they earned more points, since the East Division had one fewer team. This did not occur as the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, the fourth-placed team in the East Division finished with 85 points while the Lowell Lock Monsters, the fifth-placed team in the Atlantic Division, finished with 72 points. The Grand Rapids Griffins were the Western Conference regular season champions as well as the Macgregor Kilpatrick Trophy winners with the best overall regular season record. The Portland Pirates were the Eastern Conference regular season champions.
Eastern Conference[]
Atlantic Division[]
Portland Pirates - Eastern Conference regular season champions, 114 points
In each round the higher seed receives home ice advantage, meaning they can play a maximum of four home games if the series reaches seven games. There is no set series format for each series 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) Portland Pirates vs. (A4) Providence Bruins[]
April 20
Portland Pirates
6 - 0
Providence Bruins
Cumberland County Civic Center
April 22
Portland Pirates
3 - 2
Providence Bruins
Cumberland County Civic Center
April 23
Providence Bruins
4 - 5
Portland Pirates
Dunkin' Donuts Center
April 25
Providence Bruins
5 - 4
OT
Portland Pirates
Dunkin' Donuts Center
April 27
Portland Pirates
4 - 5
OT
Providence Bruins
Cumberland County Civic Center
April 28
Providence Bruins
2 - 5
Portland Pirates
Dunkin' Donuts Center
Portland won series 4 – 2
(A2) Hartford Wolf Pack vs. (A3) Manchester Monarchs[]
April 18
Hartford Wolf Pack
0 - 1
Manchester Monarchs
XL Center
April 19
Hartford Wolf Pack
3 - 2
OT
Manchester Monarchs
XL Center
April 21
Manchester Monarchs
6 - 5
2OT
Hartford Wolf Pack
Verizon Wireless Arena
April 23
Manchester Monarchs
0 - 7
Hartford Wolf Pack
Verizon Wireless Arena
April 25
Hartford Wolf Pack
6 - 8
Manchester Monarchs
XL Center
April 27
Manchester Monarchs
1 - 3
Hartford Wolf Pack
Verizon Wireless Arena
April 29
Hartford Wolf Pack
2 - 1
Manchester Monarchs
XL Center
Hartford won series 4 – 3
East Division[]
(E1) Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins vs. (E4) Bridgeport Sound Tigers[]
April 20
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
1 - 2
Bridgeport Sound Tigers
Wachovia Arena at Casey Plaza
April 22
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
2 - 3
Bridgeport Sound Tigers
Wachovia Arena at Casey Plaza
April 23
Bridgeport Sound Tigers
2 - 3
OT
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
Arena at Harbor Yard
April 25
Bridgeport Sound Tigers
0 - 1
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
Arena at Harbor Yard
April 26
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
2 - 3
OT
Bridgeport Sound Tigers
Wachovia Arena at Casey Plaza
April 27
Bridgeport Sound Tigers
2 - 3
OT
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
Arena at Harbor Yard
April 29
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
5 - 4
Bridgeport Sound Tigers
Wachovia Arena at Casey Plaza
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton won series 4 – 3
(E2) Hershey Bears vs. (E3) Norfolk Admirals[]
April 19
Hershey Bears
3 - 2
Norfolk Admirals
GIANT Center
April 21
Norfolk Admirals
2 - 5
Hershey Bears
Norfolk Scope
April 22
Norfolk Admirals
4 - 5
OT
Hershey Bears
Norfolk Scope
April 25
Hershey Bears
5 - 1
Norfolk Admirals
GIANT Center
Hershey won series 4 - 0
Western Conference[]
North Division[]
(N1) Grand Rapids Griffins vs. (N4) Toronto Marlies[]
April 21
Grand Rapids Griffins
6 - 5
3OT
Toronto Marlies
Van Andel Arena
April 22
Grand Rapids Griffins
3 - 6
Toronto Marlies
Van Andel Arena
April 24
Toronto Marlies
4 - 11
Grand Rapids Griffins
April 27
Toronto Marlies
2 - 32
Grand Rapids Griffins
April 28
Toronto Marlies
1 - 21
2OT
Grand Rapids Griffins
Grand Rapids won series 4 - 1
1 - Game played at Ricoh Coliseum 2 - Game played at Air Canada Centre
(N2) Syracuse Crunch vs. (N3) Manitoba Moose[]
April 21
Syracuse Crunch
1 - 0
Manitoba Moose
War Memorial at Oncenter
April 22
Syracuse Crunch
2 - 1
OT
Manitoba Moose
War Memorial at Oncenter
April 24
Manitoba Moose
2 - 1
Syracuse Crunch
MTS Centre
April 26
Manitoba Moose
6 - 2
Syracuse Crunch
MTS Centre
April 28
Manitoba Moose
3 - 2
OT
Syracuse Crunch
MTS Centre
April 30
Syracuse Crunch
2 - 3
OT
Manitoba Moose
War Memorial at Oncenter
Manitoba won series 4 - 2
West Division[]
(W1) Milwaukee Admirals vs. (W4) Iowa Stars[]
April 21
Milwaukee Admirals
3 - 1
Iowa Stars
Bradley Center
April 22
Milwaukee Admirals
3 - 5
Iowa Stars
Bradley Center
April 24
Iowa Stars
2 - 3
Milwaukee Admirals
Wells Fargo Arena (Des Moines)
April 25
Iowa Stars
2 - 3
Milwaukee Admirals
Wells Fargo Arena (Des Moines)
April 27
Iowa Stars
5 - 1
Milwaukee Admirals
Wells Fargo Arena (Des Moines)
April 28
Milwaukee Admirals
2 - 4
Iowa Stars
Bradley Center
April 30
Milwaukee Admirals
4 - 1
Iowa Stars
Bradley Center
Milwaukee won series 4 - 3
(W2) Houston Aeros vs. (W3) Peoria Rivermen[]
April 21
Houston Aeros
5 - 4
OT
Peoria Rivermen
Toyota Center (Houston)
April 22
Houston Aeros
3 - 2
OT
Peoria Rivermen
Toyota Center (Houston)
April 24
Peoria Rivermen
1 - 6
Houston Aeros
Carver Arena
April 26
Peoria Rivermen
3 - 5
Houston Aeros
Carver Arena
Houston won series 4 - 0
Division Finals[]
Eastern Conference[]
Atlantic Division[]
(A1) Portland Pirates vs. (A2) Hartford Wolf Pack[]
May 2
Hartford Wolf Pack
2 - 6
Portland Pirates
XL Center
May 4
Hartford Wolf Pack
3 - 2
OT
Portland Pirates
XL Center
May 6
Portland Pirates
4 - 3
OT
Hartford Wolf Pack
Cumberland County Civic Center
May 7
Portland Pirates
4 - 2
Hartford Wolf Pack
Cumberland County Civic Center
May 11
Portland Pirates
1 - 4
Hartford Wolf Pack
Cumberland County Civic Center
May 14
Portland Pirates
4 - 5
OT
Hartford Wolf Pack
Cumberland County Civic Center
Portland won series 4 - 2
East Division[]
(E1) Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins vs. (E2) Hershey Bears[]
May 4
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
4 - 5
Hershey Bears
Wachovia Arena at Casey Plaza
May 6
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
0 - 5
Hershey Bears
Wachovia Arena at Casey Plaza
May 7
Hershey Bears
4 - 1
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
GIANT Center
May 9
Hershey Bears
1 - 0
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
GIANT Center
Hershey won series 4 - 0
Western Conference[]
North Division[]
(N1) Grand Rapids Griffins vs. (N3) Manitoba Moose[]
May 5
Grand Rapids Griffins
1 - 3
Manitoba Moose
Van Andel Arena
May 6
Grand Rapids Griffins
3 - 2
Manitoba Moose
Van Andel Arena
May 9
Manitoba Moose
4 - 5
OT
Grand Rapids Griffins
MTS Centre
May 11
Manitoba Moose
5 - 1
Grand Rapids Griffins
MTS Centre
May 13
Manitoba Moose
2 - 3
Grand Rapids Griffins
MTS Centre
May 15
Grand Rapids Griffins
1 - 3
Manitoba Moose
Van Andel Arena
May 16
Grand Rapids Griffins
5 - 4
Manitoba Moose
Van Andel Arena
Grand Rapids won series 4 - 3
West Division[]
(W1) Milwaukee Admirals vs. (W2) Houston Aeros[]
May 4
Milwaukee Admirals
5 - 4
Houston Aeros
Bradley Center
May 6
Milwaukee Admirals
7 - 0
Houston Aeros
Bradley Center
May 7
Houston Aeros
4 - 7
Milwaukee Admirals
Toyota Center (Houston)
May 9
Houston Aeros
2 - 4
Milwaukee Admirals
Toyota Center (Houston)
Milwaukee won series 4 - 0
Conference finals[]
Eastern Conference[]
(A1) Portland Pirates vs. (E2) Hershey Bears[]
May 17
Portland Pirates
0 - 5
Hershey Bears
Cumberland County Civic Center
May 18
Portland Pirates
1 - 2
OT
Hershey Bears
Cumberland County Civic Center
May 20
Hershey Bears
5 - 6
2OT
Portland Pirates
GIANT Center
May 21
Hershey Bears
4 - 0
Portland Pirates
GIANT Center
May 23
Portland Pirates
3 - 2
Hershey Bears
Cumberland County Civic Center
May 24
Hershey Bears
3 - 5
Portland Pirates
GIANT Center
May 30
Portland Pirates
4 - 5
OT
Hershey Bears
Cumberland County Civic Center
Hershey won series 4 - 3
Western Conference[]
(N1) Grand Rapids Griffins vs. (W1) Milwaukee Admirals[]