The American Hockey League (AHL) is a

professional A professional is a member of a profession or any person who works in a specified professional activity. The term also describes the standards of education and training that prepare members of the profession with the particular knowledge and ski ...

ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice h ...

league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental league for the National Hockey League (NHL). Since the 2010–11 season, every team in the league has an affiliation agreement with one NHL team. When NHL teams do not have an AHL affiliate, players are assigned to AHL teams affiliated with other NHL teams. Twenty-six AHL teams are located in the United States and the remaining six are in Canada. The league offices are located in Springfield, Massachusetts, and its current president is

Scott Howson Donald Scott Howson (born April 9, 1960) is a Canadian ice hockey executive and former player. He was formerly the general manager of the Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League (NHL). He played 18 games in the NHL with the New York I ...

. In general, a player must be at least 18 years of age to play in the AHL or not currently be beholden to a junior ice hockey team. The league limits the number of experienced professional players on a team's active roster during any given game; only five skaters can have accumulated four full seasons of play or more at the professional level (goaltenders are exempt from this rule and can stay in the AHL indefinitely without being subject to this cap). The AHL allows for practice squad contracts. The annual playoff champion is awarded the Calder Cup, named for

Frank Calder Frank Sellick Calder (November 17, 1877 – February 4, 1943) was a British-born Canadian ice hockey executive, journalist, and athlete. Calder was the first president of the National Hockey League (NHL), from 1917 until his death in 1943. He ...

, the first President (1917–1943) of the NHL. The defending champions are the Chicago Wolves in 2022, who are the first team to win the Calder Cup since the Charlotte Checkers in

2019 File:2019 collage v1.png, From top left, clockwise: Hong Kong protests turn to widespread riots and civil disobedience; House of Representatives votes to adopt articles of impeachment against Donald Trump; CRISPR gene editing first used to experim ...

History

Predecessor leagues

The AHL traces its origins directly to two predecessor professional leagues: the

Canadian-American Hockey League Canadian Americans is a term that can be applied to American citizens whose ancestry is wholly or partly Canadian, or citizens of either country that hold dual citizenship. The term ''Canadian'' can mean a nationality or an ethnicity. Canadian ...

(the "Can-Am" League), founded in 1926, and the first International Hockey League, established in 1929. Although the Can-Am League never operated with more than six teams, the departure of the Boston Bruin Cubs after the 1935–36 season reduced it down to just four member clubs – the Springfield Indians, Philadelphia Ramblers, Providence Reds, and

New Haven Eagles The New Haven Eagles were a professional ice hockey team that played in New Haven, Connecticut. The Eagles were one of five inaugural franchises in the Canadian American Hockey League, and a founding member of the American Hockey League. History ...

– for the first time in its history. At the same time, the then-rival IHL lost half of its eight members after the 1935–36 season, also leaving it with just four member teams: the

Buffalo Bisons The Buffalo Bisons (known colloquially as the Herd) are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. Located in Buffalo, New York, the team plays their home games at Sahlen ...

, Syracuse Stars, Pittsburgh Hornets, and

Cleveland Falcons The Cleveland Falcons were a professional ice hockey team in Cleveland, Ohio, that played home games in the Elysium Arena. The team was founded in 1929, as the Cleveland Indians as a member of the International Hockey League, where they played fo ...

1936–1938

With both leagues down to the bare minimum number of teams to be viable, the governors of both leagues recognized the need for action to assure their member clubs' long-term survival. Their solution was to play an interlocking schedule. While the Can-Am was based in the Northeast and the IHL in the Great Lakes, their footprints were close enough for this to be a viable option. The two leagues' eight surviving clubs began joint play in November 1936 as a new two-division "circuit of mutual convenience" known as the International-American Hockey League. The four Can-Am teams became the I-AHL East Division, with the IHL quartet playing as the West Division. The IHL also contributed its former championship trophy, the F. G. "Teddy" Oke Trophy, which would go to the regular-season winners of the merged league's West Division until 1952. The Oke Trophy is now awarded to the regular-season winners of the AHL's Northeast Division. A little more than a month into that first season, the balance and symmetry of the new combined circuit suffered a setback when its membership unexpectedly fell to seven teams. The West's Buffalo Bisons were forced to cease operations on December 6, 1936, after playing just 11 games, because of what proved to be insurmountable financial problems and lack of access to a suitable arena; the Bisons' original arena, Peace Bridge Arena, had collapsed the previous season (a new

team would return to the league in 1940 after a new arena was constructed for them). The makeshift new I-AHL played out the rest of its first season (as well as all of the next) with just seven teams. At the end of the 1936–37 season, a modified three-round playoff format was devised and a new championship trophy, the Calder Cup, was established. The Syracuse Stars defeated the Philadelphia Ramblers in the final, three-games-to-one, to win the first-ever Calder Cup championship. The Calder Cup continues on today as the AHL's playoff championship trophy.

Formal consolidation of the I-AHL

After two seasons of interlocking play, the governors of the two leagues' seven active teams met in New York City on June 28, 1938, and agreed that it was time to formally consolidate.

Maurice Podoloff Maurice Podoloff ( yi, מוריס פודולוף; August 18, 1890 – November 24, 1985) was an American lawyer and a basketball and ice hockey administrator. He served as the president of the Basketball Association of America (BAA) between 1946 ...

of New Haven, the former head of the Can-Am League, was elected the I-AHL's first president. The former IHL president, John Chick of

Windsor, Ontario Windsor is a city in southwestern Ontario, Canada, on the south bank of the Detroit River directly across from Detroit, Michigan, United States. Geographically located within but administratively independent of Essex County, it is the southe ...

, became vice-president in charge of officials. The new I-AHL also added an eighth franchise at the 1938 meeting to fill the void in its membership left by the loss of Buffalo two years earlier with the admission of the then two-time defending Eastern Amateur Hockey League (EAHL) champion Hershey Bears. The Bears remain the only one of these eight original I-AHL/AHL franchises to have been represented in the league without interruption since the 1938–39 season. The newly merged circuit also increased its regular-season schedule for each team by six games from 48 to 54.

Contraction, resurrection, and expansion

After the 1939–40 season the I-AHL renamed itself the American Hockey League. It generally enjoyed both consistent success on the ice and relative financial stability over its first three decades of operation. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, however, the cost of doing business in professional ice hockey began to rise sharply with NHL expansion and relocation (the NHL placed teams in Pittsburgh and Buffalo, forcing two long-time AHL clubs, the Pittsburgh Hornets and Buffalo Bisons, to fold) and especially the 1972 formation of the World Hockey Association (WHA), which forced the relocation and subsequent folding of the Cleveland Barons, Baltimore Clippers, and Quebec Aces. The number of major-league teams competing for players rose from six to thirty in just seven years. Player salaries at all levels shot up dramatically with the increased demand and competition for their services. This did not seem to affect the AHL at first, as it expanded to 12 teams by 1970. However, to help compensate for the rise in player salaries, many NHL clubs cut back on the number of players they kept under contract for development, and players under AHL contracts could now also demand much higher paychecks to remain with their clubs. As a result, half of the AHL's teams folded from 1974 to 1977. The league bottomed out in the summer of 1977, with news that the Rhode Island (formerly Providence) Reds – the last remaining uninterrupted franchise from the 1936–37 season, and the oldest continuously operating minor league franchise in North America – had decided to cease operations after 51 years in Rhode Island. The AHL appeared in serious danger of folding altogether if this downward trend was not reversed. However, two events in the fall of 1977 helped reverse the trend. The first of these was the decision of the NHL's Philadelphia Flyers to return to the league as a team owner, and the second was the unexpected collapse of the North American Hockey League just weeks before the start of the 1977–78 season. AHL 50 Jahre

The Flyers' new AHL franchise became the immediately successful Maine Mariners, which brought the new AHL city of

Portland, Maine Portland is the largest city in the U.S. state of Maine and the seat of Cumberland County. Portland's population was 68,408 in April 2020. The Greater Portland metropolitan area is home to over half a million people, the 104th-largest metropo ...

both the regular-season and Calder Cup playoff titles in each of that club's first two seasons of operation. The folding of the NAHL, meanwhile, suddenly left two of its stronger teams, the

Philadelphia Firebirds The Philadelphia Firebirds were a minor league professional ice hockey team that played in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from 1974 to 1979, and later the franchise moved to Syracuse, New York, and played one final season as the Syracuse Firebirds. ...

and Binghamton, New York-based

Broome Dusters The Broome Dusters were an ice hockey team in the North American Hockey League. They played in Binghamton, New York, United States at the Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena. The team logo was designed by Johnny Hart, artist of the comic stri ...

, without a league to play in. The owners of the Dusters solved their problem by buying the Reds franchise and moving it to Binghamton as the Binghamton Dusters, while the Firebirds crossed over to the AHL from the NAHL. The Dusters and Firebirds, together with the

Hampton Gulls The Hampton Gulls were a minor league professional ice hockey team based in Hampton, Virginia, from 1974 to 1978 at the Hampton Coliseum. The Gulls played three seasons in the Southern Hockey League, beginning in 1974. When that league folded in ...

(who had joined the league from the Southern Hockey League), boosted the AHL to nine member clubs as the 1977–78 season opened. Hampton folded on February 10, 1978, but was replaced the next year by the

New Brunswick Hawks The New Brunswick Hawks were a professional ice hockey team based in Moncton, New Brunswick. Home games were played at the Moncton Coliseum. They were a member of the American Hockey League (AHL) between 1978 and 1982. The Hawks operated as a mino ...

. With franchise stability improving after the demise of the WHA in 1979, the league continued to grow steadily over the years, reaching 20 clubs by the 2000–01 season.

Absorption of the IHL

In 2001–02, the AHL's membership jumped dramatically to 27 teams, mostly by the absorption of six teams—

Milwaukee Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee ...

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

, Houston, Utah, Manitoba, and Grand Rapids—from the International Hockey League. The IHL had established itself as the second top-level minor league circuit in North America, but folded in 2001 due to financial problems. One oddity caused by the AHL's 2001 expansion was that the league had two teams with the same nickname: the Milwaukee Admirals and the Norfolk Admirals. The latter team transferred to the league from the mid-level ECHL in 2000. This situation lasted until the end of the 2014–15 season when the Norfolk team moved to San Diego and was replaced by another ECHL team with the same name. The Utah Grizzlies suspended operations after the 2004–05 season (the franchise was sold in 2006 and returned to the ice in Cleveland in 2007 as the Lake Erie Monsters, now known as the

Cleveland Monsters The Cleveland Monsters are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League (AHL). The team began play in 2007 as the Lake Erie Monsters and since 2015 has served as the top affiliate of the Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hock ...

). The Chicago Wolves ( 2002, 2008), Houston Aeros ( 2003), Milwaukee Admirals ( 2004), and Grand Rapids Griffins ( 2013,

2017 File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a s ...

) have all won Calder Cup titles since joining the AHL from the IHL. Chicago and Milwaukee have also made multiple trips to the Calder Cup Finals, and Houston made their second Finals appearance in 2011. The Manitoba Moose moved to St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador in 2011 and were renamed the St. John's IceCaps after the NHL's Atlanta Thrashers moved to Winnipeg as the second incarnation of the Winnipeg Jets. In 2013, Houston moved to Des Moines, Iowa to become the Iowa Wild. This left Chicago, Grand Rapids and Milwaukee as the only ex-IHL teams still in their original cities until the 2015 relocations when the IceCaps moved back to Winnipeg as the Manitoba Moose.

Relocations and western shift

Beginning with the 2015–16 season, twelve franchises have since relocated due to NHL parent clubs' influence on their development teams and players. Of the twelve relocated franchises, nine were relocated because they were directly owned by NHL teams and the NHL parent club wished to make call-ups from the AHL more practical by having closer affiliates. In January 2015, the AHL announced the relocation of five existing AHL franchises— Adirondack,

Manchester Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...

, Norfolk, Oklahoma City, and Worcester—to California as the basis for a new "Pacific Division" becoming Stockton,

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central C ...

San Diego San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the eighth most populous city in the United State ...

, Bakersfield, and San Jose respectively. The relocated teams were all affiliated and owned or purchased by teams in the NHL's Pacific Division. The franchise movements continued with two more relocations involving Canadian teams with the St. John's IceCaps going back to

Winnipeg Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the province of Manitoba in Canada. It is centred on the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, near the longitudinal centre of North America. , Winnipeg had a city population of 749, ...

as the Manitoba Moose and the

Hamilton Bulldogs The Hamilton Bulldogs are a major junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League that began to play in the 2015–16 season. Based in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, the Bulldogs play their home games at FirstOntario Centre. They were purcha ...

becoming another iteration of the IceCaps to fulfill the arena contract in St. John's. In the following seasons, more NHL organizations influenced league membership. In 2016, the Springfield Falcons franchise was purchased by the Arizona Coyotes and relocated to become the Tucson Roadrunners and join the one-year-old Pacific Division. The Falcons were subsequently replaced by the Springfield Thunderbirds, the relocated Portland Pirates franchise under a new ownership group. The

Montreal Canadiens The Montreal CanadiensEven in English, the French spelling is always used instead of ''Canadians''. The French spelling of ''Montréal'' is also sometimes used in the English media. (french: link=no, Les Canadiens de Montréal), officially ...

-owned IceCaps relocated to the Montreal suburb of

Laval, Quebec Laval (; ) is a city in Quebec, Canada. It is in the southwest of the province, north of Montreal. It is the largest suburb of Montreal, the third-largest city in the province after Montreal and Quebec City, and the thirteenth largest city in C ...

, and became the Laval Rocket in 2017. The Binghamton Senators were also purchased by the Ottawa Senators and were relocated to

Belleville, Ontario Belleville is a city in Ontario, Canada situated on the eastern end of Lake Ontario, located at the mouth of the Moira River and on the Bay of Quinte. Belleville is between Ottawa and Toronto, along the Quebec City-Windsor Corridor. Its populat ...

, to become the Belleville Senators while the New Jersey Devils' owned Albany Devils were relocated to become the

Binghamton Devils The Binghamton Devils were a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League (AHL) that played from 2017 to 2021 as the top minor league affiliate of the National Hockey League (NHL)'s New Jersey Devils. Based in Binghamton, New Y ...

. For the 2018–19 season, a 31st team joined the league with the

Colorado Eagles The Colorado Eagles are a professional minor league ice hockey team based in Loveland, Colorado. The Eagles play in the Pacific Division of the American Hockey League. The Eagles were founded as an expansion franchise in 2003 in the Central Hoc ...

as the NHL's Colorado Avalanche affiliate. With the NHL planning to expand to 32 teams in 2021 with the Seattle Kraken, the Seattle ownership group was approved for a 2021 AHL expansion team, later announced to be the

Coachella Valley Firebirds The Coachella Valley Firebirds are a professional ice hockey expansion team based in Thousand Palms, California, that began play in the 2022–23 American Hockey League (AHL) season. The team is an owned-and-operated affiliate of the Seattle Kra ...

based in Palm Springs, California, following the construction of a new arena. The original plans for the new arena was eventually cancelled and the team postponed their launch by year while new arena plans were developed. In February 2020, the San Antonio Rampage franchise was bought and relocated by the NHL's Vegas Golden Knights for the 2020–21 season as the

Henderson Silver Knights The Henderson Silver Knights are a professional ice hockey team based in Henderson, Nevada, that began play in the 2020–21 American Hockey League (AHL) season. The team plays its home games at the Dollar Loan Center in Henderson, Nevada. The tea ...

and was moved to the Pacific Division. For the 2021–22 season, the Vancouver Canucks relocated their franchise from Utica to Abbotsford while the Utica Comets agreed to relocate and operate the franchise that was operating as the

. On May 23, 2022, it was announced that the Stockton Heat would be relocating to Calgary,

Alberta Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Ter ...

, starting the 2022-23 season.

Teams

Teams as of the 2022–23 season

;Notes

Timeline

DateFormat = mm/dd/yyyy ImageSize = width:1000 height:auto barincrement:20 Period = from:01/01/1936 till:07/01/2025 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal PlotArea = right:40 left:0 bottom:50 top:5 Colors = id:barcolor value:rgb(1,0.6,0.5) id:line value:black id:bg value:white id:Former value:rgb(0.742,0.727,0.852) # Use this color to denote a team that is a former league member id:Current value:rgb(0.4,0.80,0.67) # Use this color to denote a team that is a current league member PlotData= width:15 textcolor:black shift:(5,-5) anchor:from fontsize:s bar:1 color:former from:08/01/1936 till:12/06/1936 text:

(1936) bar:2 color:former from:08/01/1936 till:05/01/1973 text: Cleveland Falcons/Barons (1936–73) bar:2 color:former from:08/01/1973 till:05/01/1974 shift:-80 text:

Jacksonville Jacksonville is a city located on the Atlantic coast of northeast Florida, the most populous city proper in the state and is the List of United States cities by area, largest city by area in the contiguous United States as of 2020. It is the co ...

(73–74) bar:2 color:former from:08/01/1974 till:05/01/1975 text: Syracuse Eagles (1974–75) bar:3 color:former from:08/01/1936 till:05/01/1943 text: New Haven Eagles/Ramblers (1936–43, 1945–51) bar:3 color:former from:08/01/1945 till:05/01/1951 bar:4 color:former from:08/01/1936 till:05/01/1942 text: Philadelphia Ramblers/Rockets (1936–42) bar:5 color:former from:08/01/1936 till:05/01/1956 text: Pittsburgh Hornets (1936–56, 1961–67) bar:5 color:former from:08/01/1961 till:05/01/1967 bar:6 color:former from:08/01/1936 till:05/01/1977 text: Providence/Rhode Island Reds (1936–77) bar:6 color:former from:08/01/1977 till:05/01/1997 shift:-10 text: Binghamton Dusters/Whalers/Rangers (1977–97) bar:6 color:current from:08/01/1997 till:end text: Hartford Wolf Pack/Connecticut Whale (1997–) bar:7 color:former from:08/01/1936 till:05/01/1942 text: Springfield Indians (36–42, 46–51) bar:7 color:former from:08/01/1946 till:05/01/1951 bar:7 color:former from:08/01/1951 till:05/01/1954 text: Syracuse(51–54) bar:7 color:former from:08/01/1954 till:05/01/1994 shift:55 text: Springfield Indians/Kings (1954–94) bar:7 color:former from:08/01/1994 till:05/01/2005 text:

Worcester IceCats The Worcester IceCats were a US ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They played in Worcester, Massachusetts, at the Worcester Centrum. In 2005 the team was renamed the Peoria Rivermen and moved to Peoria, Illinois. History The IceCats ...

(94-05) bar:7 color:former from:08/01/2005 till:05/01/2013 text: Peoria(05-13) bar:7 color:former from:08/01/2013 till:05/01/2021 text: Utica (13–21) bar:7 color:current from:08/01/2021 till:end text:

Abbotsford Canucks The Abbotsford Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Abbotsford, British Columbia, and members of the American Hockey League (AHL). The team began play in the 2021–22 season with home games at Abbotsford Centre as the AHL affilia ...

(2021–) bar:8 color:former from:08/01/1936 till:05/01/1940 text: Syracuse (36–40) bar:8 color:former from:08/01/1940 till:05/01/1970 shift:45 text:

(1940–70) bar:9 color:current from:08/01/1938 till:end text: Hershey Bears (1938–) bar:10 color:former from:08/01/1939 till:05/01/1952 text:

Indianapolis Capitals The Indianapolis Capitals were an American Hockey League professional ice hockey team based in Indianapolis, Indiana, from 1939 to 1952. The Capitals were a farm team for the Detroit Red Wings. Indianapolis won the Calder Cup in 1942 and 1950. T ...

(1939–52) bar:11 color:former from:08/01/1941 till:05/01/1943 shift:-30 text: Wash. Lions (41–43, 47–49) bar:11 color:former from:08/01/1947 till:05/01/1949 bar:11 color:former from:08/01/1949 till:05/01/1952 shift:15 text: Cincinnati Mohawks (1949–52) bar:12 color:former from:08/01/1944 till:05/01/1953 text: St. Louis Flyers (1944–53) bar:13 color:former from:08/01/1946 till:05/01/1949 text:

Philadelphia Rockets The Philadelphia Rockets were a minor professional ice hockey team based in the Philadelphia Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Rockets played for three seasons in American Hockey League from 1946 to 1949. Previously another Rockets team exi ...

(1946–49) bar:14 color:current from:08/01/1956 till:end text: Rochester Americans (1956–) bar:15 color:former from:08/01/1959 till:05/01/1971 text: Quebec Aces (1959–71) bar:15 color:former from:08/01/1971 till:05/01/1976 text:

Richmond Robins The Richmond Robins were a professional ice hockey team based in Richmond, Virginia. They were a member of the American Hockey League for five seasons from 1971–72 to 1975–76. Their cross-state rivals in the AHL were the Virginia Wings. The ...

(1971–76) bar:16 color:former from:08/01/1962 till:05/01/1976 text: Baltimore Clippers (1962–76) bar:17 color:former from:08/01/1969 till:05/01/1971 shift:-55 text:

Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple ...

(69–71) bar:17 color:former from:08/01/1971 till:05/01/1984 shift:0 text:

Nova Scotia Nova Scotia ( ; ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. Nova Scotia is Latin for "New Scotland". Most of the population are native Eng ...

(71–84) bar:17 color:former from:08/01/1984 till:05/01/1990 shift:-45 text: Sherbrooke(84–90) bar:17 color:former from:08/01/1990 till:05/01/1999 shift:-15 text: Fredericton(90–99) bar:17 color:former from:08/01/1999 till:05/01/2002 shift:-20 text:

Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...

(99-02) bar:17 color:former from:08/01/2002 till:05/01/2015 shift:20 text: Hamilton (2002–15) bar:17 color:former from:08/01/2015 till:05/01/2017 shift:-25 text: St. John's bar:17 color:current from:08/01/2017 till:end text: Laval Rocket (2017–) bar:18 color:former from:08/01/1971 till:05/01/1974 text: Boston Braves (1971–74) bar:18 color:former from:08/01/1987 till:05/01/1994 text:

Moncton Hawks The Moncton Hawks were a professional ice hockey team based in Moncton, New Brunswick. They played in the American Hockey League between 1987 and 1994, operating as a minor league affiliate of the Winnipeg Jets. Home games were played at the ...

(1987–94) bar:19 color:former from:08/01/1971 till:05/01/1974 text: Cincinnati Swords (1971–74) bar:20 color:former from:08/01/1971 till:05/01/1975 shift:-55 text: Tidewater/Virginia Wings(71–75) bar:20 color:former from:08/01/1979 till:05/01/1999 shift: 10 text:

Adirondack Red Wings The Adirondack Red Wings were a minor professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They played in Glens Falls, New York, United States at the Glens Falls Civic Center. The team was affiliated with the Detroit Red Wings of the Nation ...

(1979–99) bar:20 color:former from:08/01/2002 till:05/01/2020 text: San Antonio Rampage (2002–2020) bar:20 color:current from:08/01/2020 till:end shift:-20 text:

(2020–) bar:21 color:former from:08/01/1972 till:05/01/1993 text: New Haven Nighthawks/Senators (1972–93) bar:21 color:former from:08/01/1993 till:05/01/1996 text:

PEI Senators The Prince Edward Island Senators were a professional ice hockey team that played in the American Hockey League (AHL) from 1993–94 AHL season, 1993 to 1995–96 AHL season, 1996. Originally located in New Haven, Connecticut, for 21 seasons, inc ...

(93–96) bar:21 color:former from:08/01/2002 till:05/01/2017 shift:10 text: Binghamton (2002–17) bar:21 color:current from:08/01/2017 till:end shift:-20 text: Belleville Senators (2017–) bar:23 color:former from:08/01/1977 till:02/10/1978 text:

(1977–78) bar:24 color:former from:08/01/1977 till:05/01/1987 shift:-45 text: Maine Mariners (1977–87) bar:24 color:former from:08/01/1987 till:05/01/1993 shift:-25 text:

Utica Devils The Utica Devils were a professional ice hockey team of the American Hockey League (AHL). The team was based in Utica, New York, and played its home games at the Utica Memorial Auditorium. History The Utica Devils were AHL affiliate of the Nationa ...

(87–93) bar:24 color:former from:08/01/1993 till:05/01/2003 text: Saint John (1993–03) bar:24 color:former from:08/01/2005 till:05/01/2007 shift:-5 text: OMA bar:24 color:former from:08/01/2007 till:05/01/2009 shift:0 text: QC bar:24 color:former from:08/01/2009 till:05/01/2014 shift:0 text:

ABB ABB Ltd. is a Swedish- Swiss multinational corporation headquartered in Zürich, Switzerland. The company was formed in 1988 when Sweden's Allmänna Svenska Elektriska Aktiebolaget (ASEA) and Switzerland's Brown, Boveri & Cie merged to crea ...

bar:24 color:former from:08/01/2014 till:05/01/2015 shift:-10 text: ADK bar:24 color:former from:08/01/2015 till:05/01/2022 shift:5 text: Stockton Heat bar:24 color:current from:08/01/2022 till:end shift:5 text: Calgary Wranglers(2022–) bar:25 color:former from:08/01/1977 till:05/01/1979 shift:-70 text:

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...

(77–79) bar:25 color:former from:08/01/1979 till:05/01/1980 text: Syracuse Firebirds (1979–80) bar:26 color:former from:08/01/1978 till:05/01/1982 shift:-141 text:

(78–82) bar:26 color:former from:08/01/1982 till:05/01/1986 shift:-40 text: St. Catharines (82–86) bar:26 color:former from:08/01/1986 till:05/01/1991 shift:25 text: Newmarket (86–91) bar:26 color:former from:08/01/1991 till:05/01/2005 shift:65 text: St. John's (1991–2005) bar:26 color:current from:08/01/2005 till:end shift:20 text:

Toronto Marlies The Toronto Marlies are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto. They compete in the American Hockey League (AHL) as a member of the North Division of the Eastern Conference. The Marlies is owned by Maple Leafs Sports & Entertainment, a c ...

(2005–) bar:27 color:former from:08/01/1981 till:05/01/1982 shift:-80 text:

Erie Blades The Erie Blades name was used by two professional ice hockey teams in Erie, Pennsylvania. Both teams played their home games in the Erie County Field House. After the second Blades team folded, the void was filled by the Erie Golden Blades, a te ...

(81–82) bar:27 color:former from:08/01/1982 till:05/01/1993 shift:5 text: Baltimore Skipjacks (82–93) bar:27 color:former from:08/01/1993 till:05/01/2016 shift:20 text: Portland Pirates (1993–2016) bar:27 color:current from:08/01/2016 till:07/01/2020 shift:-35 text: Springfield Thunderbirds (2016–) bar:27 color:current from:07/01/2021 till:end bar:28 color:former from:08/01/1981 till:05/01/1988 shift:-85 text: Fredericton Express (81–88) bar:28 color:former from:08/01/1988 till:05/01/1993 shift:-25 text: Halifax (88–93) bar:28 color:former from:08/01/1993 till:05/01/1996 shift:-5 text:

Cornwall Cornwall (; kw, Kernow ) is a historic county and ceremonial county in South West England. It is recognised as one of the Celtic nations, and is the homeland of the Cornish people. Cornwall is bordered to the north and west by the Atlantic ...

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Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League, and are the AHL affiliates of the National Hockey League's Pittsburgh Penguins. They play at the Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza in Wilkes-Barr ...

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Cape Breton Cape Breton Island (french: link=no, île du Cap-Breton, formerly '; gd, Ceap Breatainn or '; mic, Unamaꞌki) is an island on the Atlantic coast of North America and part of the province of Nova Scotia, Canada. The island accounts for 18. ...

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HAM Ham is pork from a leg cut that has been preserved by wet or dry curing, with or without smoking."Bacon: Bacon and Ham Curing" in ''Chambers's Encyclopædia''. London: George Newnes, 1961, Vol. 2, p. 39. As a processed meat, the term "ham ...

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EDM EDM or E-DM may refer to: Music * Electronic dance music * Early Day Miners, American band Science and technology * Electric dipole moment * Electrical discharge machining * Electronic distance measurement *Entry, Descent, and landing demonstrat ...

bar:31 color:former from:08/01/2010 till:05/01/2015 shift:-25 text: OKC (2010–15) bar:31 color:current from:08/01/2015 till:end shift:-1 text: Bakersfield Condors(2015–) bar:32 color:former from:08/01/1987 till:05/01/1992 shift:-50 text: Maine Mariners (1987–92) bar:32 color:current from:08/01/1992 till:end shift:20 text: Providence Bruins (1992–) bar:33 color:former from:08/01/1990 till:05/01/1993 shift:-65 text: C.D. Islanders(90–93) bar:33 color:former from:08/01/1993 till:05/01/2010 text: Albany River Rats(93–10) bar:33 color:current from:08/01/2010 till:07/01/2020 text: Charlotte Checkers (2010–) bar:33 color:current from:07/01/2021 till:end bar:34 color:former from:08/01/1992 till:05/01/1994 shift:-65 text: Hamilton Canucks(92–94) bar:34 color:current from:08/01/1994 till:end shift:35 text: Syracuse Crunch (1994–) bar:35 color:former from:08/01/1994 till:05/01/2016 text: Springfield Falcons (1994–2016) bar:35 color:current from:08/01/2016 till:end shift:-20 text: Tucson Roadrunners (2016–) bar:36 color:former from:08/01/1995 till:05/01/1997 shift:-60 text:

Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

(95–97) bar:36 color:former from:08/01/1997 till:05/01/2005 text: Cincinnati (97-05) bar:36 color:current from:08/01/2007 till:end text: Rockford IceHogs (2007–) bar:37 color:former from:08/01/1995 till:05/01/1997 shift:-60 text: Carolina(1995–97) bar:37 color:former from:08/01/1997 till:05/01/1999 text: Beast of New Haven (1997–99) bar:38 color:former from:08/01/1996 till:05/01/2009 text:

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Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia ...

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Cleveland Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...

(01–06) bar:39 color:former from:08/01/2006 till:05/01/2015 shift:0 text: Worcester(2006–15) bar:39 color:current from:08/01/2015 till:end shift:-2 text: San Jose Barracuda(2015–) bar:40 color:former from:08/01/1998 till:05/01/2010 text: Lowell (1998–2010) bar:40 color:former from:08/01/2010 till:05/01/2017 shift:-30 text: Albany (2010–17) bar:40 color:former from:08/01/2017 till:05/01/2021 shift:-20 text: Bing. (17–21) bar:40 color:current from:08/01/2021 till:end shift:0 text: Utica Comets (2021) bar:41 color:former from:08/01/1999 till:05/01/2001 shift:-60 text:

Louisville Panthers The Louisville Panthers were an ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They played in Louisville, Kentucky. Their home venue was Freedom Hall at the Kentucky Exposition Center. The mascot was a light brown "panther" named Paws. They were a ...

(99-01) bar:41 color:former from:08/01/2005 till:05/01/2009 shift:-5 text: Iowa(05-09) bar:41 color:current from:08/01/2009 till:end shift:10 text: Texas Stars (2009–) bar:42 color:former from:08/01/2000 till:05/01/2015 text: Norfolk Admirals (2000–15) bar:42 color:current from:08/01/2015 till:end text:

San Diego Gulls The San Diego Gulls are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League (AHL) that began play in the 2015–16 season. Based in San Diego, California, and affiliated with the National Hockey League's Anaheim Ducks, the Gulls play th ...

(2015–) bar:43 color:current from:08/01/2001 till:end text: Bridgeport Sound Tigers/Islanders (2001–) bar:44 color:current from:08/01/2001 till:end text: Chicago Wolves (2001–) bar:45 color:current from:08/01/2001 till:end text: Grand Rapids Griffins (2001–) bar:46 color:former from:08/01/2001 till:05/01/2013 text: Houston Aeros (2001–13) bar:46 color:current from:08/01/2013 till:end text: Iowa Wild (2013–) bar:47 color:former from:08/01/2001 till:05/01/2015 text: Manchester Monarchs (2001–15) bar:47 color:current from:08/01/2015 till:end text:

Ontario Reign The Ontario Reign are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League (AHL) that began play in the 2015–16 season. Based in Ontario, California, and affiliated with the National Hockey League's Los Angeles Kings, the team plays ...

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Milwaukee Admirals The Milwaukee Admirals are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League (AHL). They play in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States, at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee Panther Arena. They are affiliated with the NHL's Nashvil ...

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AHL teams of the past and present

Bold teams means they are still active *

(1) (1936; folded) *

(1936–37; renamed the Cleveland Barons) *

(1936–43; folded during World War II resurrected 1945) * Philadelphia Ramblers (1936–41, renamed Philadelphia Rockets) * Pittsburgh Hornets (1936–56; went on hiatus to wait for new arena, returned 1961) * Providence Reds (1936–76; renamed Rhode Island Reds) * Springfield Indians (1936–42; suspended during World War II; returned 1946) * Syracuse Stars (1936–40; became Buffalo Bisons) * Cleveland Barons (1937–1973; became Jacksonville Barons) * Hershey Bears (1938–present) *

(1939–52; folded) *

(2) (1940–70; folded) *

(1941–42; folded) * Washington Lions (1941–43; folded) * St. Louis Flyers (1944–53; folded) *

(1945–46, renamed New Haven Ramblers) * Springfield Indians (1946–51; became Syracuse Warriors) *

(1946–49; folded) * New Haven Ramblers (1946–50, renamed New Haven Eagles) * Washington Lions (1947–49; became Cincinnati Mohawks) * Cincinnati Mohawks (1949–52; transferred to IHL) *

(1950–51, folded) * Syracuse Warriors (1951–54; became Springfield Indians) * Springfield Indians (1954–67; renamed Springfield Kings) * Rochester Americans (1956–present) * Quebec Aces (1959–71; became Richmond Robins) * Pittsburgh Hornets (1961–67; folded) * Baltimore Clippers (1962–76; folded) *

Springfield Kings The Springfield Indians were a minor professional ice hockey franchise, originally based in West Springfield, Massachusetts and later Springfield, Massachusetts. The Indians were founding members of the American Hockey League. They were in existen ...

(1967–74; renamed Springfield Indians) *

Montreal Voyageurs Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple-pe ...

(1969–71; became Nova Scotia Voyageurs) *

Nova Scotia Voyageurs The Nova Scotia Voyageurs were a professional ice hockey team, based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. They played in the American Hockey League, from 1971 to 1984. Originally chartered as the Houston Apollos of the Central Hockey League, the org ...

(1971–84; became Sherbrooke Canadiens) * Boston Braves (1971–74; suspended, became Moncton Hawks) * Cincinnati Swords (1971–74; folded) *

(1971–76; folded) * Tidewater Wings (1971–72; played in Norfolk; renamed Virginia Wings) *

Virginia Wings The Virginia Wings were a professional ice hockey team based in Norfolk, Virginia of the greater Hampton Roads area. They were an affiliated farm team of the Detroit Red Wings, and a member of the American Hockey League for three seasons from 197 ...

(1972–75; played in Norfolk; became Adirondack Red Wings) * Jacksonville Barons (1973–74; folded, franchise purchased and became Syracuse Eagles) * New Haven Nighthawks (1972–92; became New Haven Senators) * Springfield Indians (1974–94; became Worcester IceCats) * Syracuse Eagles (1974–75; folded) * Rhode Island Reds (1976–77; became Binghamton Dusters) *

(1977–78; folded midseason) * Binghamton Dusters (1977–80; renamed Binghamton Whalers) * Maine Mariners (1977–92; original franchise became Utica Devils; expansion franchise became Providence Bruins) *

(1977–79; became Syracuse Firebirds) *

(1978–82; became St. Catharines Saints) *

(1979–99; became San Antonio Rampage) * Syracuse Firebirds (1979–80; folded) * Binghamton Whalers (1980–90; renamed Binghamton Rangers) *

(1981–82; merged into Baltimore Skipjacks) * Fredericton Express (1981–88; became Halifax Citadels) * Baltimore Skipjacks (1982–93; became Portland Pirates) * Moncton Alpines (1982–84; renamed Moncton Golden Flames) * Sherbrooke Jets (1982–84; folded) * St. Catharines Saints (1982–86; became Newmarket Saints) *

Nova Scotia Oilers The Nova Scotia Oilers were a minor professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League based in Halifax, Nova Scotia from 1984 to 1988. The Oilers played their home games at the Halifax Metro Centre, and were the AHL affiliate of the Edmo ...

(1984–88; became Cape Breton Oilers) *

Sherbrooke Canadiens The Sherbrooke Canadiens were a professional ice hockey team in Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada. They played their home games at the Palais des Sports. They were a member of the American Hockey League from 1984 to 1990, and were a farm team of the M ...

(1984–90; became Fredericton Canadiens) *

Moncton Golden Flames The Moncton Golden Flames were a professional ice hockey team based in Moncton, New Brunswick, playing home games at the Moncton Coliseum. The team operated in the American Hockey League between 1984 and 1987. The new franchise was purchased by a ...

(1984–87; folded) *

Newmarket Saints The Newmarket Saints were a minor league hockey team in Newmarket, Ontario. It played in the American Hockey League from 1986 to 1991 as the farm team of the Toronto Maple Leafs at the Ray Twinney Complex. After the 1985–86 season, the Tor ...

(1986–91; became St. John's Maple Leafs) *

(1987–94; folded) *

(1987–93; became Saint John Flames) * Cape Breton Oilers (1988–96; became Hamilton Bulldogs) *

Halifax Citadels The Halifax Citadels were a professional ice hockey team based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. They played in the American Hockey League between 1988 and 1993. They were created by the relocation of the Fredericton Express and filled a void left by the ...

(1988–93; became Cornwall Aces) * Binghamton Rangers (1990–97; became Hartford Wolf Pack) * Capital District Islanders (1990–93; became Albany River Rats) *

Fredericton Canadiens The Fredericton Canadiens, or the 'Baby Habs' were a professional ice hockey team in Fredericton, New Brunswick. The Canadiens played their home games at the Aitken Centre. They were a member of the American Hockey League from 1990 to 1999, and we ...

(1990–99; became Quebec Citadelles) * St. John's Maple Leafs (1991–2005; became Toronto Marlies) * Providence Bruins (1992–present) * Hamilton Canucks (1992–94; became Syracuse Crunch) * New Haven Senators (1992–93; became Prince Edward Island Senators) * Albany River Rats (1993–2010; became Charlotte Checkers) * Portland Pirates (1993–2016, became Springfield Thunderbirds) *

Prince Edward Island Senators The Prince Edward Island Senators were a professional ice hockey team that played in the American Hockey League (AHL) from 1993 to 1996. Originally located in New Haven, Connecticut, for 21 seasons, including one as the affiliate of the National ...

(1993–96; became Binghamton Senators) * Saint John Flames (1993–2003; became Omaha Ak-Sar-Ben Knights) *

Cornwall Aces The Cornwall Aces were the American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate of the National Hockey League's Quebec Nordiques from 1993 to 1995 and the relocated Colorado Avalanche in 1995–96. They were based in the eastern Ontario city of Cornwall and pla ...

(1993–96; dormant until 1999 and became Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins) * Springfield Falcons (1994–2016; became Tucson Roadrunners) * Syracuse Crunch (1994–present) *

(1994–2005; became Peoria Rivermen) * Baltimore Bandits (1995–97; became Cincinnati Mighty Ducks) *

Carolina Monarchs The Carolina Monarchs were a short-lived ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They played in Greensboro, North Carolina, at the Greensboro Coliseum. In the spring of 1997, the Hartford Whalers of the NHL announced that they would pl ...

(1995–97; became Beast of New Haven) * Philadelphia Phantoms (1996–2009; became Adirondack Phantoms) *

(1996–2015; became second version of the St. John's IceCaps) *

Kentucky Thoroughblades The Kentucky Thoroughblades were a minor professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League, who existed from 1996 to 2001. The Thoroughblades were based in Lexington, Kentucky, playing home games at Rupp Arena. The Thoroughblades were an ...

(1996–2001; became Cleveland Barons) *

Cincinnati Mighty Ducks The Cincinnati Mighty Ducks were a professional ice hockey team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They were members of the American Hockey League, and played their home games at the Cincinnati Gardens. Throughout their existence they were the primar ...

(1997–2005; became Rockford IceHogs) * Beast of New Haven (1997–99; folded) * Hartford Wolf Pack (1997–2010, 2013–present; became Connecticut Whale from 2010–13) *

Lowell Lock Monsters The Lowell Devils were a minor ice hockey team in the American Hockey League playing in Lowell, Massachusetts, at the Tsongas Center. As their name implied, they were the top minor league affiliate of the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey L ...

(1998–2006; became Lowell Devils) *

(1999–present) *

(1999–2001; became Iowa Stars) * Quebec Citadelles (1999–2002; merged with Hamilton Bulldogs) * Norfolk Admirals (2000–15; became the San Diego Gulls) *

Bridgeport Sound Tigers The Bridgeport Islanders (previously known as the Bridgeport Sound Tigers) are a professional ice hockey team playing in the American Hockey League (AHL). They are the AHL affiliate of the National Hockey League's New York Islanders, who own the f ...

(2001–2021; became Bridgeport Islanders) * Chicago Wolves (2001–present) * Grand Rapids Griffins (2001–present) * Houston Aeros (2001–13; became Iowa Wild) * Manchester Monarchs (2001–15; became the Ontario Reign) *

(2001–present) * Cleveland Barons (2001–06; became Worcester Sharks) * Manitoba Moose (2001–11, 2015–present; were the St. John's IceCaps from 2011–2015) * Utah Grizzlies (2001–05; became Lake Erie Monsters) * Binghamton Senators (2002–17; became the Belleville Senators in 2017) * San Antonio Rampage (2002–20; became Henderson Silver Knights) *

Toronto Roadrunners The Toronto Roadrunners were an ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They played in Toronto, Ontario, Canada at the Ricoh Coliseum. In their only season the Roadrunners featured players such as Jani Rita, Brad Winchester, Jamie Wright a ...

(2003–04; split from Hamilton Bulldogs, became Edmonton Road Runners) *

Edmonton Road Runners The Edmonton Road Runners were an ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They played in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada at Rexall Place. History After the 2003–04 season the Edmonton Oilers announced that the Toronto Roadrunners would play th ...

(2004–05; dormant 2005–2010, became the Oklahoma City Barons) *

Iowa Stars The Iowa Stars, later known as the Iowa Chops, were a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. The club was based in Des Moines, Iowa at the Wells Fargo Arena. History The Stars were founded by Howard Baldwin, of Hockey Holdi ...

(2005–08; became Iowa Chops) *

Omaha Ak-Sar-Ben Knights The Omaha Ak-Sar-Ben Knights were a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They played in Omaha, Nebraska, United States at the Omaha Civic Auditorium from 2005–07. Following the 2006–07 season, the Calgary Flames annou ...

(2005–07; became Quad City Flames) * Peoria Rivermen (2005–13; became Utica Comets) *

(2005–present) * Lowell Devils (2006–10; became Albany Devils) * Worcester Sharks (2006–15; became the San Jose Barracuda) * Lake Erie Monsters (2007–16; became Cleveland Monsters) * Quad City Flames (2007–09; became Abbotsford Heat) * Rockford IceHogs (2007–present) * Iowa Chops (2008–09; became Texas Stars) * Adirondack Phantoms (2009–14; became Lehigh Valley Phantoms) * Texas Stars (2009–present) * Abbotsford Heat (2009–14; became Adirondack Flames) * Albany Devils (2010–17; became the Binghamton Devils in 2017) * Charlotte Checkers (2010–present) *

Oklahoma City Barons The Oklahoma City Barons were a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League (AHL). The team's first season was 2010–11. They played their home games at the Cox Convention Center, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. History On February 9 ...

(2010–15; became the Bakersfield Condors) * Connecticut Whale (2010–13; reverted to Hartford Wolf Pack) * St. John's IceCaps (2011–17; original franchise became the Manitoba Moose in 2015, second franchise became the Laval Rocket in 2017) * Iowa Wild (2013–present) * Utica Comets (2013–present; original franchise relocated to Abbotsford in 2021) * Adirondack Flames (2014–15; became the Stockton Heat) * Lehigh Valley Phantoms (2014–present) * Bakersfield Condors (2015–present) *

(2015–present) *

(2015–present) * San Jose Barracuda (2015–present) * Stockton Heat (2015–22; became the Calgary Wranglers) *

(2016–present) * Springfield Thunderbirds (2016–present) * Tucson Roadrunners (2016–present) * Belleville Senators (2017–present) *

(2017–21; became second version of the Utica Comets) * Laval Rocket (2017–present) *

(2018–present) *

(2020–present) *

(2021–present) * Bridgeport Islanders (2021–present) * Calgary Wranglers (2022–present) *

(2022–present)

All-Star Game

The American Hockey League first held an All-Star Game in the 1941–42 season. The event was not played again until the 1954–55 season, and was then held annually until the 1959–60 season. In the 1994–95 season, the AHL revived the events again, and has been played every season until the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...

cancelled the events in 2021 and 2022. The skills competition was first introduced for the 1995–96 season. From 1996 to 2010, the game took place between a team of players born outside of Canada and a team of players born within Canada. The All-Star Game was replaced by an all-star challenge between the league's divisions from the 2015–16 season onward. The challenge consists of six round-robin games between the league's divisions; the top two divisions in the challenge's round-robin phase advance to a six-minute championship game. The winning division of the championship game is declared the winner of the all-star challenge.

Outdoor games

2012 AHL Winter Classic CBP Philadelphia

Since the 2009–10 season, at least one team in the AHL has hosted an outdoor ice hockey game each year. The Syracuse Crunch was the first organization to put on an outdoor game in the AHL on February 20, 2010, building a rink at the New York State Fairgrounds in Syracuse, New York, and packing a record 21,508 fans in for the Mirabito Outdoor Classic against the Binghamton Senators. The contest, which was also televised to an international audience on NHL Network, was won by the Crunch, 2–1. The Connecticut Whale hosted the Whale Bowl—the AHL's second outdoor game—on February 19, 2011, as part of a 10-day Whalers Hockey Fest at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, Conn. Attendance for Connecticut's game against the Providence Bruins was announced at 21,673, the largest in AHL history to that point. Providence won, 5–4, in a shootout. On January 6, 2012, the largest crowd in AHL history saw the Adirondack Phantoms defeat the Hershey Bears, 4–3, in overtime before 45,653 fans at

Citizens Bank Park Citizens Bank Park is a baseball stadium located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the city's South Philadelphia Sports Complex. It is the home playing field of the Philadelphia Phillies, the city's Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise. The ...

in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as the final event of the week-long activities associated with the

2012 NHL Winter Classic The 2012 NHL Winter Classic (known via corporate sponsorship as the Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic) was an outdoor regular season National Hockey League (NHL) game, part of the Winter Classic series, played on January 2, 2012, at Citizens Bank P ...

, which also included a game between the Philadelphia Flyers and the New York Rangers on Jan 2 and an alumni game between retired players (including eight honored members of the Hockey Hall of Fame) of those two clubs on December 31, 2011. The contest was the third outdoor game in AHL history and it more than doubled the league's previous single-game attendance mark. On January 21, 2012, the Steeltown Showdown between Ontario rivals the

and

was held at

Ivor Wynne Stadium Ivor Wynne Stadium (formerly Civic Stadium) was a Canadian football stadium located at the corner of Balsam and Beechwood avenues, two blocks west of Gage Avenue North in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The stadium was the home of the Hamilton Tiger ...

in Hamilton, Ont., with the Marlies winning 7–2 in front of 20,565 fans, the largest crowd ever for an AHL game in Canada. The AHL game was preceded the previous night by a game between

Toronto Maple Leafs The Toronto Maple Leafs (officially the Toronto Maple Leaf Hockey Club and often referred to as the Leafs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Div ...

and

alumni. Two outdoor games were announced for the 2012–13 AHL season, but a meeting between the Grand Rapids Griffins and Toronto Marlies at

Comerica Park Comerica Park is a baseball stadium located in Downtown Detroit. It has been the home of Major League Baseball's Detroit Tigers since 2000, when the team left Tiger Stadium. History Construction Founded in 1894, the Tigers had played at the c ...

in Detroit as part of the festivities surrounding the NHL Winter Classic was not held because of the cancellation of the NHL Winter Classic. On January 20, 2013, the Hershey Bears and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins met outdoors at

Hersheypark Stadium Hersheypark Stadium is a stadium located in Hershey, Pennsylvania, on the grounds of Hersheypark. It opened on May 18, 1939. It is used as a sporting facility, concert venue and location for various other large functions (including a birthday gal ...

in Hershey, Pa. The Penguins earned a 2–1 overtime victory in front of 17,311 fans. The Rochester Americans hosted an outdoor game in 2013–14, the Frozen Frontier, which was held at

Frontier Field Innovative Field (originally known as Frontier Field) is a baseball stadium located at One Morrie Silver Way in downtown Rochester, New York. It has been the home of the Rochester Red Wings of the International League since 1997. The park opened ...

in Rochester on December 13, 2013. The Americans took a 5–4 decision in a shootout against the Lake Erie Monsters before a standing-room crowd of 11,015 fans. A year after their originally scheduled date, the Griffins and Marlies played at Comerica Park on December 30, 2013, and Toronto prevailed in a shootout, 4–3, becoming the first AHL team ever with two outdoor wins. Attendance in Detroit was 20,337. As part of the recent addition of the Pacific Division, the AHL played its first outdoor hockey game in California during the 2015–16 season called the Golden State Hockey Rush. On December 18, 2015, the Stockton Heat hosted the Bakersfield Condors at

Raley Field Sutter Health Park is the home ballpark of the Sacramento River Cats Minor League Baseball team, which is a member of the Pacific Coast League. Known as Raley Field from 2000 to 2019, the facility was built on the site of old warehouses and rail ...

West Sacramento, California West Sacramento (also known as West Sac) is a city in Yolo County, California, United States. The city is separated from Sacramento by the Sacramento River, which also separates Sacramento and Yolo counties. It is a fast-growing community; the ...

. Stockton defeated Bakersfield 3–2 in front of 9,357 fans. For the second consecutive season, the AHL played an outdoor game in California. The Bakersfield Condors were named as hosts for their second outdoor game against the

to be held on January 7, 2017, at Bakersfield College's Memorial Stadium and was called the Condorstown Outdoor Classic. Despite sometimes heavy rain during the first period, the game went on as scheduled and the Condors defeated the Reign 3–2 in overtime. Although technically not an outdoor game, the Syracuse Crunch defeated the Utica Comets 2–1 on November 22, 2014 at the Carrier Dome, normally a college football stadium.

AHL Hall of Fame

The formation of an American Hockey League Hall of Fame was announced by the league on December 15, 2005, created to recognize, honor and celebrate individuals for their outstanding achievements and contributions specifically in the AHL.

Trophies and awards

The following is a list of awards of the American Hockey League. The season the award was first handed out is listed in parentheses.

Individual awards

* Les Cunningham Award – Most valuable player ''( 1947–48)'' * John B. Sollenberger Trophy – Top point scorer ''( 1947–48)'' * Willie Marshall Award – Top goal scorer ''( 2003–04)'' * Dudley "Red" Garrett Memorial Award – Rookie of the year ''( 1947–48)'' *

Eddie Shore Award The Eddie Shore Award is presented annually to the AHL's best defenceman. The award winner is chosen by AHL media and players. The award is named after Hockey Hall of Fame inductee Eddie Shore. Winners NHL-level Eddie Shore Award One of the Bos ...

– Defenceman of the year ''( 1958–59)'' * Aldege "Baz" Bastien Memorial Award – Best Goaltender ''( 1983–84)'' * Harry "Hap" Holmes Memorial Award – Lowest Goals against average ''( 1947–48)'' * Louis A.R. Pieri Memorial Award – Coach of the year ''( 1967–68)'' * Fred T. Hunt Memorial Award – Sportsmanship / Perseverance ''( 1977–78)'' * Yanick Dupre Memorial Award – Community Service Award ''( 1997–98)'' * Jack A. Butterfield Trophy – MVP of the playoffs ''( 1983–84)''

Team awards

* Calder Cup – Playoffs champions ''( 1936–37)'' * Richard F. Canning Trophy – Eastern Conference playoff champions ''( 1989–90)'' * Robert W. Clarke Trophy – Western Conference playoff champions ''( 1989–90)'' * Macgregor Kilpatrick Trophy – Regular season champions, League ''( 1997–98)'' * Frank Mathers Trophy – Regular Season champions, Eastern Conference ''( 1995–96)'' * Norman R. "Bud" Poile Trophy – Regular Season champions, Western Conference ''( 2001–02)'' * Emile Francis Trophy – Regular Season champions, Atlantic Division ''( 2001–02)'' * F. G. "Teddy" Oke Trophy – Regular Season champions, North Division ''( 1936–37)''^† * Sam Pollock Trophy – Regular Season champions, Central Division ''( 1995–96)'' * John D. Chick Trophy – Regular Season champions, Pacific Division ''( 1961–62)'' ^† Trophy predates American Hockey League, established 1926–27 in the Canadian Professional Hockey League.

Other awards

* James C. Hendy Memorial Award – Executive of the Year ''( 1961–62)'' * Thomas Ebright Memorial Award – Outstanding career contributions ''( 1997–98)'' * James H. Ellery Memorial Awards – Outstanding media coverage ''( 1964–65)'' * Ken McKenzie Award – Marketing Executive of the Year ''( 1978–79)'' *

Michael Condon Memorial Award The Michael Condon Memorial Award is presented annually for outstanding service by an on-ice official in the American Hockey League The American Hockey League (AHL) is a professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that ...

– Outstanding service, On-ice official ''( 2001–02)'' * President's Awards – two annual awards given out by the AHL. The first award is presented to an AHL organization and recognizes "excellence in all areas off the ice." The second is given to a player as recognition of outstanding accomplishments in that year ''( 2008–09)'' Sources:
AHL Hall of Fame

hockeydb.com

References

External links

Official AHL website

– at Internet Hockey Database {{Authority control Minor league hockey Articles which contain graphical timelines 1936 establishments in North America Sports leagues established in 1936 Professional ice hockey leagues in the United States Professional ice hockey leagues in Canada Multi-national professional sports leagues Second tier ice hockey leagues Multi-national ice hockey leagues in North America