The 1980 Calder Cup playoffs of the American Hockey League began on April 8, 1980. The playoff format was expanded from six to eight teams. The eight teams that qualified played best-of-seven series for Division Semifinals and Division Finals. The division champions played a best-of-seven series for the Calder Cup. The Calder Cup Final ended on May 17, 1980, with the Hershey Bears defeating the New Brunswick Hawks four games to two to win the Calder Cup for the sixth time in team history.
Contents
Playoff seeds
After the 1979–80 AHL regular season, the top four teams from each division qualified for the playoffs. The New Haven Nighthawks finished the regular season with the best overall record.
Northern Division
- New Brunswick Hawks - 96 points
- Nova Scotia Voyageurs - 93 points
- Maine Mariners - 93 points
- Adirondack Red Wings - 75 points
Southern Division
- New Haven Nighthawks - 101 points
- Hershey Bears - 76 points
- Syracuse Firebirds - 69 points
- Rochester Americans - 66 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.