The Hershey Bears defended the honor of the original AHL last night, defeating IHL interlopers the Milwaukee Admirals in Milwaukee, 5-1, to win the 2006 Calder Cup championship in six games.
The win was Hershey's ninth AHL championship, tying them with the Cleveland Barons for the most championships in League history-- although the Barons' record remains somewhat in dispute, since it conflicts with the ironclad rule that no team from Cleveland will ever win anything.
The Admirals were attempting to become the 4th former International Hockey League team to win the Calder Cup in the 5 years since the American Hockey League absorbed the bankrupt and miserable IHL after the 2000-2001 season. Ex-IHL teams won the AHL title in each of the first three seasons after the IHL folded: Chicago in 2002, Houston in 2003, and Milwaukee in 2004.
Fittingly, the Hershey Bears are the oldest franchise in the AHL, with a history that dates back to the 1901 season, when Chris Chelios played goalie for one game with the Bears or slept with a hot dog vendor or something like that. In any case, it was a long time ago.
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