The American Hockey League (AHL) is a professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental league for the National Hockey League (NHL). As of the 2024–25 AHL season, all 32 NHL teams held affiliations with an AHL team. Historically, when an NHL team does not have an AHL affiliate, its players are assigned to AHL teams affiliated with other NHL franchises.
John William Bower nicknamed "The China Wall", was a Canadian ice hockey goaltender and inductee to the Hockey Hall of Fame, who won four Stanley Cups during his career with the Toronto Maple Leafs. In 2017 he was named one of the "100 Greatest NHL Players" in history. His song "Honky Goose" reached #29 on the CHUM Charts in December 1965.
The Rochester Americans are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League; the team is an owned and operated affiliate of the Buffalo Sabres. The team plays its home games in Rochester, New York, at the Blue Cross Arena at the War Memorial. The Americans are the fourth oldest franchise in the AHL, and have the second longest continuous tenure among AHL teams in their current locations after the Hershey Bears.
The Hershey Bears are a professional ice hockey team based in Hershey, Pennsylvania, a town located 14 miles east of the state capital of Harrisburg. The current Bears club has played in the American Hockey League since the 1938–39 season, making it the longest continuously operating member club of the league still playing in its original city.
The Springfield Indians were two separate minor professional ice hockey franchise, originally based in West Springfield, Massachusetts and later Springfield, Massachusetts. The original Indians were founding members of the American Hockey League. Combined, they were in existence for a total of 60 seasons from 1926 to 1994, with three interruptions. The Indians had two brief hiatuses from 1933 to 1935, and from 1942 to 1946. The team was known as the Syracuse Warriors from 1951 to 1954; in addition, the team was named the Springfield Kings from 1967 to 1975. The Indians won seven Calder Cup championships; six as the Indians, three consecutive from 1960 to 1962, one in 1974, and two consecutive in 1990 and 1991; and one as the Kings, in 1971.
John Arlington Butterfield was a Canadian professional ice hockey administrator and the president of the American Hockey League, serving the longest tenure of any AHL executive. After his retirement as president, he served as the AHL's chairman of the board until his death and continued to oversee the creation of the annual regular-season schedules for the league. He was born in Regina, Saskatchewan.
The Cleveland Barons were a minor league professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They played in Cleveland, Ohio, at the Cleveland Arena. At the time they folded, they were the most successful team in AHL history, the original incarnation of the Barons played in the AHL from 1937 to 1973. In that time, they won ten division titles and nine Calder Cups, which, although the team had been defunct for over three decades, remained a record until 2009, when the Hershey Bears won their 10th Calder Cup. In 1973, they relocated to Jacksonville, Florida, where they were known as the Jacksonville Barons; they lasted only through the 1973–1974 season before folding.
The Baltimore Clippers were a minor league professional ice hockey team from in Baltimore, Maryland, playing in the Baltimore Civic Center. The Clippers were members of the American Hockey League from 1962 to 1976, and then played one season in the Southern Hockey League. The team was managed by Terry Reardon for its first fourteen seasons, and won three division titles, but were unable to capture a Calder Cup title. Baltimore began as a farm team for the New York Rangers, and helped develop Hall of Fame players including, Eddie Giacomin, Doug Harvey, Jacques Plante and Jean Ratelle. The Clippers also featured eight alumni, who are now members of the AHL Hall of Fame. The team name "Clippers", was used by two previous professional hockey teams in Baltimore, and paid homage to local history in the Baltimore Clipper, and the Port of Baltimore.
Frank Sydney Mathers was a Canadian professional ice hockey player during the 1940s and 1950s. He competed with the National Hockey League's Toronto Maple Leafs and the American Hockey League's Pittsburgh Hornets and Hershey Bears. He is best known for his 35-year association with the Bears as a player, coach, GM, and President and was elected as a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame in the builder's category in 1992.
The 2005–06 AHL season was the 70th season of the American Hockey League. Twenty-seven teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The Hershey Bears won the Calder Cup, defeating the Milwaukee Admirals in the finals.
The Louis A. R. Pieri Memorial Award is an American Hockey League (AHL) trophy awarded annually to the most outstanding coach during the season, as voted upon by members of the AHL media.
The 1995–96 AHL season was the 60th season of the American Hockey League. The AHL expanded by two teams and realigned into two conferences, and four divisions. The Northern Conference includes the North and Atlantic Divisions. The Southern Conference include the South Division and the newly created Central Division.
Joseph William "Jody" Gage is a Canadian former professional ice hockey right winger. He was drafted in the third round, 45th overall, by the Detroit Red Wings in the 1979 NHL Entry Draft.
Richard Frank Gamble was a Canadian professional ice hockey player. He played in the National Hockey League for the Montreal Canadiens, Chicago Black Hawks, and Toronto Maple Leafs between 1950 and 1967. His career, which lasted from 1949 to 1970, was mainly spent in the American Hockey League.
Duncan Robert Fisher was a Canadian professional ice hockey player who played 275 games in the National Hockey League from 1947 to 1953 and again in 1958 to 1959. He played for the New York Rangers, Boston Bruins, and Detroit Red Wings.
René Georges Drolet is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre who played in two National Hockey League (NHL) games, one with the Philadelphia Flyers in 1972 and the other with the Detroit Red Wings in 1974. The rest of his career, which lasted from 1963 to 1978, was mainly spent in the American Hockey League.
The 2006 Calder Cup playoffs of the American Hockey League began on April 18, 2006. The sixteen teams that qualified, eight from each conference, played best-of-seven series for division semifinals, finals and conference finals. The conference champions played a best-of-seven series for the Calder Cup. The Calder Cup Final ended on June 15, 2006 with the Hershey Bears defeating the Milwaukee Admirals four games to two to win the ninth Calder Cup in team history.
The 1990 Calder Cup playoffs of the American Hockey League began on April 4, 1990. The eight teams that qualified, four from each division, 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 18, 1990, with the Springfield Indians defeating the Rochester Americans four games to two to win the Calder Cup for the sixth time in team history. Despite an injury preventing him from playing in the final game, Springfield goaltender Jeff Hackett won the Jack A. Butterfield Trophy as the MVP of the playoffs.
Frederick Austin Glover was a Canadian professional ice hockey player and coach. He played 92 games in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Black Hawks between 1949 and 1952, though most of his career, which lasted from 1947 to 1968, was with the Cleveland Barons of the American Hockey League (AHL). After his playing career he coached the Barons for several years, and coached in the NHL with the Oakland Seals/California Golden Seals and Los Angeles Kings between 1968 and 1974, also serving as general manager of the Golden Seals on two occasions during that time. He was the brother of Howie Glover, who also played in the NHL.
The Springfield Thunderbirds are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League that began play for the 2016–17 season. They are the affiliate of the National Hockey League's St. Louis Blues. Based in Springfield, Massachusetts, the Thunderbirds play their home games at the MassMutual Center.
