All three home teams won their decisive Game 5’s yesterday, setting up a division finals round featuring four first-place teams against four second-place teams.
In the Atlantic Division, Hershey is facing Charlotte for the fourth time in the Calder Cup Playoffs. The Bears won their meeting in the division semifinals in 2023, but the Checkers prevailed in the division finals on their way to winning the Calder Cup in 2019, and Charlotte upset the two-time defending champion Bears in the first round in 2011.
Laval and Rochester are meeting in the North Division finals for the second time in four years. The Rocket swept the Amerks, three games to none, in their 2022 series.
Milwaukee and Texas are colliding for the third consecutive postseason and the fifth time overall. The Admirals eliminated the Stars in 2023 and again in 2024, both series going the full five games.
In the Pacific Division, Colorado and Abbotsford go head-to-head for the second year in a row. In the best-of-three first round in 2024, the Canucks eliminated the Eagles on a Game 3 overtime goal by Chase Wouters.
