Stars Switching Divisions in 2018-19 Season

(credit: Andy Nietupski/Texas Stars)

The AHL Board of Governors has made it official -- the Texas Stars move to the Central division next year along with the San Antonio Rampage. Since the 2015-16 season, the Stars have had to play a full 76 game schedule in the Pacific division, competing with West Coast teams that play a 68 game schedule. Not having to play the full 76 game slate means longer periods of rest between games and wins being more valuable in the standings.

With teams in the Central all playing 76 games, the Stars will not have to deal with the scheduling disparity anymore. To make room for the two Texas teams in the Central division, the Cleveland Monsters are headed to the Eastern conference. The official press release from the team website is below.

American Hockey League President and CEO David Andrews announced that the league’s Board of Governors, which convened for its Spring Meeting today in Chicago, Ill., has approved the following division alignment for the 2018-19 AHL season (National Hockey League affiliations in parentheses):

Eastern Conference
Atlantic Division:
Bridgeport Sound Tigers (New York Islanders)
Charlotte Checkers (Carolina Hurricanes)
Hartford Wolf Pack (New York Rangers)
Hershey Bears (Washington Capitals)
Lehigh Valley Phantoms (Philadelphia Flyers)
Providence Bruins (Boston Bruins)
Springfield Thunderbirds (Florida Panthers)
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (Pittsburgh Penguins) 

North Division:
Belleville Senators (Ottawa Senators)
Binghamton Devils (New Jersey Devils)
Cleveland Monsters (Columbus Blue Jackets)
Laval Rocket (Montreal Canadiens)
Rochester Americans (Buffalo Sabres)
Syracuse Crunch (Tampa Bay Lightning)
Toronto Marlies (Toronto Maple Leafs)
Utica Comets (Vancouver Canucks) 

Western Conference
Central Division:
Chicago Wolves (Vegas Golden Knights)
Grand Rapids Griffins (Detroit Red Wings)
Iowa Wild (Minnesota Wild)
Manitoba Moose (Winnipeg Jets)
Milwaukee Admirals (Nashville Predators)
Rockford IceHogs (Chicago Blackhawks)
San Antonio Rampage (St. Louis Blues)
Texas Stars (Dallas Stars) 

Pacific Division:
Bakersfield Condors (Edmonton Oilers)
Colorado Eagles (Colorado Avalanche)
Ontario Reign (Los Angeles Kings)
San Diego Gulls (Anaheim Ducks)
San Jose Barracuda (San Jose Sharks)
Stockton Heat (Calgary Flames)
Tucson Roadrunners (Arizona Coyotes)