This post highlighting the AHL schedules was scheduled earlier in the rotation, originally constructed before I presented the CHL 3-in-3 sets for all member clubs.
The NHL feeder league that schedules three games in three nights is the American Hockey League, housing the minor league affiliates for NHL clubs.
This post breaks down the number of 3-in-3 sets for each AHL team. There are a lot of key differences from the CHL, but I’ve kept the criteria similar and just present the data as is, with some commentary.
I had broken this down for 2012-13 which also has a historical look at from the previous season (2011-12).
2013-14 SEASON SETS
Teams average eight sets in ’13-14. Perennial leaders in the category, Providence Bruins (14) slipped to number two, while over two standard deviations from the average. The minor league affiliate for the Boston Bruins is actually tied for second with Hershey Bears (Washington) and Manchester Monarchs (Los Angeles).
This season, the Worcester Sharks, minor league affiliate of the San Jose Sharks is the AHL leader with 15 sets.
Providence and Manchester start off the 2014 calendar year with a 3-in-3 set every weekend in January.
Hershey has a killer stretch of 24 straight games of 3-in-3’s.
The breakdown by month has consequences as well.
For instance, a younger Toronto Marlies club in comparison to the previous seasons will play six sets of 3-in-3, with the first set after the turn of the calendar.
Toronto’s first set appears in game number 40, playing the entire first half of the season without a 3-in-3 set. The two straight sets begin in January 24 in Hamilton against the Bulldogs before completing the first set with two home dates. The second set has them traveling to Oklahoma City, then down to San Antonio and Texas.
The down side of half a season advantage are a bunched amount of four sets after March 7, including three straight sets over a 9-game period starting March 28 through to mid April, right on the eve of the playoffs.
In essence, the Marlies play 12 of their final 21 games as 3-in-3 sets – one set entirely on the road all with possible playoff consequences.
Portland (affiliate to the Phoenix Coyotes) dress for three sets in April, an AHL high. Check out Manchester as the opponent in Game 2 in two sets and the final game of the season.
GAMES 1 2 & 3
Of course, advantages also exist with similarities to the CHL scheduling. That is, scheduling has the residual benefit of playing an opponent in Game 3, a distinct advantage.
The Hershey Bears face an opponent playing in game 3 of a 3-in-3 set 18 times to lead the league. In a 76-game schedule, that amounts to about 24% of their schedule. Manchester (17) and Providence (16) trail the leader.
At the opposite end, the Rochester Americans (Buffalo Sabres) is the only team that will not face an opponent at all playing Game 3 of a 3-in-3 set.
Oklahoma City Barons (Edmonton) play three games and Abbotsford (Calgary) Charlotte (Carolina), Grand Rapids (Detroit), Hamilton (Montreal) and St John’s (Winnipeg) all have four (4) such games.
The full breakdown, including the monthly supplemental is located in the table below. The headings Road and Home signify if the sets are all at home or on the road. the VS GmX is the amount of games played with the opponent playing games 1 thru 3.
| TEAM | 3in3 | OCT | NOV | DEC | JAN | FEB | MAR | APR | ROAD | HOME | VS Gm1 | VS Gm2 | VS Gm3 |
| Abbotsford | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 4 |
| Adirondack | 9 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 13 | 14 | 8 |
| Albany | 11 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 9 | 10 | 13 |
| Binghamton | 8 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 5 | 6 |
| Bridgeport | 13 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 12 | 14 |
| Charlotte | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
| Chicago | 6 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 10 |
| Grand Rapids | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 6 | 4 |
| Hamilton | 9 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 4 |
| Hartford | 9 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 14 | 11 | 8 |
| Hershey | 14 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 9 | 11 | 18 |
| Iowa | 6 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| Lake Erie | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 5 |
| Manchester | 14 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 13 | 12 | 17 |
| Milwaukee | 9 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 4 | 10 |
| Norfolk | 10 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 6 | 5 | 8 |
| Oklahoma City | 5 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 5 | 3 |
| Portland | 12 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 11 | 12 | 11 |
| Providence | 14 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 13 | 10 | 16 |
| Rochester | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 9 | 0 |
| Rockford | 6 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 12 | 5 |
| San Antonio | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 5 | 7 |
| Springfield | 9 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 13 | 12 | 9 |
| St. John's | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 6 | 4 |
| Syracuse | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 13 | 5 |
| Texas | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 7 | 6 |
| Toronto | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 7 | 11 |
| Utica | 6 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 4 | 6 |
| W-B/Scranton | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 12 | 10 |
| Worcester | 15 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 15 | 15 | 10 |
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