With 20 games – and 51 days – still remaining in the regular season, the Grand Rapids Griffins became the first team to clinch a berth in the 2026 Calder Cup Playoffs on Friday night.
The Griffins locked up a playoff spot by virtue of Rockford’s 4-1 loss to Hershey.
It will be the third consecutive trip to the postseason for the Griffins, who continue to chase the 1992-93 Binghamton Rangers (57-13-10, .775) for the best record in AHL history. Grand Rapids now sits at 40-8-3-1 (.808) with more than a quarter of their schedule left to play; they have opened up a 21-point lead atop the Central Division as they vie for their first division title since 2014-15.
Grand Rapids is one of five teams who will qualify for the Calder Cup Playoffs out of the Central Division; the top three clubs will get byes into the division semifinals, while the fourth- and fifth-place finishers will meet in a best-of-three first-round series.
The AHL’s 2025-26 regular season ends April 19; for more information and daily updates on the Calder Cup Playoff races, check out the official AHL Playoff Primer.
