Bakersfield Condors to play 68-game season in 2021-22

Fresh off of their Pacific Division win, the AHL announced that the Bakersfield Condors will play a 68-game season in 2021-22 as they attempt to build off of what was certainly a strong campaign for the Oilers feeder club.

The American Hockey League will have some changes coming to its calendar soon as the league’s Board of Governors approved a schedule unification plan that will see all teams play a 72-game regular season schedule beginning in 2022-23, which I learned today was not the way things normally go. As it turns out, different divisions can end up playing a different number of games played, and that’s what had AHL President and CEO, Scott Howson, so excited about today’s announcement.

The AHL’s plan will also see some changes kick off right away for the 2021-22 season. Teams in the Atlantic, North and Central Divisions will have the option of playing either 76 or 72 games, while teams like the Condors that compete in the Pacific Division will play 68 games. The announcement stated that there will also be an increase in the number of teams that qualify for the Calder Cup Playoffs, but didn’t offer any details beyond saying that there will be news to come later in the off-season.

In 2021, Tyler Benson (36 GP: 10G, 26A) and Cooper Marody (39GP: 21G, 15A) led the Condors in scoring with 36 points each.