American Hockey League

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 five are in Canada. The league offices are located in Springfield, Massachusetts, and its current president is Scott Howson.

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, the first President (1917–1943) of the NHL. The most recent champions are the Charlotte Checkers in 2019 as the Calder Cup playoffs were not held in 2020 or 2021.

The AHL is the second most important league in North America and is a subsidiary of the NHL. All clubs participating in the NHL must have a team to play in the AHL.

The league consists of 32 clubs located in the US and Canada.

History

The league appeared in 1926 and was called the Canadian-American League, and in 1936 it merged with the International Hockey League. In 1941, there were no Canadian teams left in the league and it became known as the AHL. Now there are Canadian teams in the league, but they did not rename the league.

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 five are in Canada. The league offices are located in Springfield, Massachusetts, and its current president is Scott Howson.

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, the first President (1917–1943) of the NHL. The most recent champions are the Charlotte Checkers in 2019 as the Calder Cup playoffs were not held in 2020 or 2021.

The AHL is the second most important league in North America and is a subsidiary of the NHL. All clubs participating in the NHL must have a team to play in the AHL.

The league consists of 32 clubs located in the US and Canada.

History

The league appeared in 1926 and was called the Canadian-American League, and in 1936 it merged with the International Hockey League. In 1941, there were no Canadian teams left in the league and it became known as the AHL. Now there are Canadian teams in the league, but they did not rename the league.