The 1974 Calder Cup playoffs of the American Hockey League began on April 3, 1974. The eight teams that qualified played best-of-seven series for Division Semifinals and Finals. The division champions played a best-of-seven series for the Calder Cup. The Calder Cup Final ended on May 8, 1974, with the Hershey Bears defeating the Providence Reds four games to one to win the Calder Cup for the fifth time in team history.
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Richmond and Baltimore tied the AHL playoff record for highest scoring shutout in game 2 of their Southern division semifinal, which Richmond won 10-0.
Playoff seeds
After the 1973–74 AHL regular season, the top three teams from each division qualified for the playoffs. The Rochester Americans finished the regular season with the best overall record.
Northern Division
- Rochester Americans - 97 points
- Providence Reds - 88 points
- Nova Scotia Voyageurs - 86 points
- New Haven Nighthawks - 80 points
Southern Division
- Baltimore Clippers - 94 points
- Hershey Bears - 92 points
- Cincinnati Swords - 91 points
- Richmond Robins - 58 points
Bracket
In each round, the team that earned more points during the regular season receives home ice advantage, meaning they receive the "extra" game on home-ice if the series reaches the maximum number of games. There is no set series format due to arena scheduling conflicts and travel considerations.