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 2023–24 AHL season, 31 of the 32 AHL teams had an official affiliation with an NHL team; immediately following season's end, the Chicago Wolves and Carolina Hurricanes finalized an affiliation agreement, resulting in all AHL teams having an NHL affiliation for the upcoming 2024–25 season. Historically, when an NHL team does not have an AHL affiliate, its players are assigned to AHL teams affiliated with other NHL franchises.
The Cleveland Barons were a professional American ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They played in Cleveland, Ohio, at Gund Arena between 2001 and 2006.
The Calder Cup is the trophy awarded annually to the playoff champions of the American Hockey League. It was first presented in 1937 to the Syracuse Stars.
The International Hockey League (IHL) was a minor professional ice hockey league in the United States and Canada that operated from 1945 to 2001. The IHL served as the National Hockey League's alternate farm system to the American Hockey League (AHL). After 56 years of operation, financial instability led to the league's demise. Six of the surviving seven teams merged into the AHL in 2001.
The Canadian Professional Hockey League, also known as Can-Pro, was a minor professional hockey league founded in 1926. After three seasons, it became the International Hockey League (IHL) in 1929. The Can-Pro name was then given to a new league of IHL farm teams which operated in the 1929–30 season.
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 Canadian–American Hockey League, popularly known as the Can-Am League, was a professional ice hockey league that operated from 1926 to 1936. It was a direct predecessor of the American Hockey League.
The Pittsburgh Hornets were a minor-league professional men's ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
James Allan Kilby Macdonald was a Canadian professional ice hockey left winger who played four seasons in the National Hockey League for the New York Rangers.
Carl Potter Voss was an American ice hockey forward in the National Hockey League. He played for several teams between 1926 and 1938. He would later become a referee, and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1974 as a builder.
The Syracuse Stars were a minor professional ice hockey team from Syracuse, New York, for ten seasons from 1930–31 to 1939–40. The Stars name had previously been used by sports teams, including several Syracuse Stars baseball teams from the 19th century. The team played at the New York State Fair Coliseum on the New York State Fairgrounds. The Stars were affiliated with the Toronto Maple Leafs and the New York Americans.
The Buffalo Bisons were a professional ice hockey team representing Buffalo, New York, although they played home games in nearby Fort Erie, Ontario, Canada, at the 5,000-seat Peace Bridge Arena.
The 1936–37 AHL season was the first season of the International-American Hockey League, known in the present day as the American Hockey League. The IAHL was formed when the International Hockey League and the Canadian-American Hockey League agreed to play an interlocking schedule after being cut down to only four teams each.
The 1938–39 AHL season was the third season of the International-American Hockey League, known in the present day as the American Hockey League. It was also the first season that the I-AHL played as a fully unified league. For the previous two seasons, the International Hockey League and Canadian-American Hockey League had played as a "circuit of mutual convenience" with an interlocking schedule. However, on June 29, 1938, the IHL and C-AHL formally merged into a single circuit under the I-AHL name.
The F.G. "Teddy" Oke Trophy is awarded to the regular season champion of the American Hockey League's North Division. It is the oldest trophy awarded by the AHL, but it passed through two leagues previously. It is one of the oldest trophies in professional hockey. It is named after Teddy Oke, one of the founders of the Canadian Professional Hockey League (CPHL) in 1926, who presented it to the inaugural CPHL champion – the London Panthers.
The Pittsburgh Shamrocks were a professional ice hockey team, based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania that played in the International Hockey League in 1935–36. The team played all of its home games at Duquesne Garden. During their lone season in existence, the Shamrocks finished in fourth place in the West Division behind the Detroit Olympics, Cleveland Falcons, and Windsor Bulldogs. The Shamrocks scored 137 goals and allowed 170. The team folded after one season. It is estimated that the team lost $36,000 during 1935–36 season.
Eric Robinson "Cowboy" Pettinger was a British-born Canadian professional ice hockey player. Pettinger played 98 games in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Ottawa Senators, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Boston Bruins between 1928 and 1931. The rest of his career, which lasted from 1923 to 1937, was spent in various minor leagues. Pettinger is the brother of fellow NHL player Gord Pettinger.
Roy George "Gus" Giesebrecht was a professional ice hockey centre who played 135 games in the National Hockey League with the Detroit Red Wings. During his career he accumulated 27 goals and 51 assists for a total 78 points. Giesebrecht was widely regarded by fellow players and NHL coaches as one of the most promising rookies in the league at the time. He scored a hat trick in the first period of the first game he saw on-ice action with the Red Wings, and scored the game-winning goal against the Chicago Black Hawks that advanced the Red Wings to the 1941 Stanley Cup Finals.
