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). For the 2023–24 season, 31 of the 32 NHL teams have official affiliations with an AHL team, with only the Carolina Hurricanes having no such affiliation. When NHL teams do not have an AHL affiliate, players are assigned to AHL teams affiliated with other NHL franchises. Twenty-six AHL teams are located across the United States whereas the remaining six are situated in Canada. The league offices are located in Springfield, Massachusetts, and its current president is Scott Howson.
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.
Robert W. Davison is a Canadian professional ice hockey coach and former player. A defenceman, Davison played for the San Jose Sharks, New York Islanders, Vancouver Canucks, and New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League (NHL). He is a former assistant coach of the Toronto Marlies, the American Hockey League affiliate of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The Toledo Storm were a minor league professional ice hockey team in the ECHL from 1991 to 2007. The Storm played their home games at the venerable Toledo Sports Arena along the eastern banks of the Maumee River in Toledo, Ohio. The team colors were red and white, similar to the Detroit Red Wings, their NHL affiliate for fourteen of their sixteen seasons. The Storm would win six division titles, two Henry Brabham Cups and two Jack Riley Cups as champion of the East Coast Hockey League. The franchise suspended operations following the 2006–07 season after they were sold to Toledo Arena Sports, Inc. The Storm returned to the ECHL for the 2009–10 season as the Toledo Walleye.
Jonathan Cheechoo is a Canadian former professional ice hockey right winger who played in the National Hockey League (NHL).
The Cleveland Barons were a professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League (NHL) from 1976 to 1978. They were a relocation of the California Golden Seals franchise that had played in Oakland since 1967. After just two seasons, the team merged with the Minnesota North Stars. As a result, the NHL operated with 17 teams during the 1978–79 season.
Garrett "Rocky" Burnett was a Canadian professional ice hockey player who played with the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim of the National Hockey League in the 2003–04 season.
The Worcester Sharks were a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League (AHL) that played from 2006 to 2015. Affiliated with the National Hockey League's San Jose Sharks and located in Worcester, Massachusetts, the Sharks played their home games at the DCU Center.
The Kansas City Blades were a professional ice hockey team in the International Hockey League (IHL) from 1990 until 2001, when the league folded. The Blades were based in Kansas City, Missouri, at Kemper Arena.
Tomáš Plíhal is a Czech professional ice hockey player currently playing for HC Vlci Jablonec nad Nisou of the Czech 2. liga. Plíhal played several seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the San Jose Sharks, who drafted him in the fifth round, 140th overall, in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft.
The Dubuque Fighting Saints were a Tier I junior ice hockey team that played in the United States Hockey League (USHL) from 1980 to 2001. The team moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma to become the Tulsa Crude in 2001 citing low attendance and rising costs. A new team would use the same name when Dubuque was granted an expansion franchise in the USHL in 2010.
Richard John Brennan is an American retired professional ice hockey defenceman. He played briefly in the NHL with a number of teams including the Colorado Avalanche, San Jose Sharks, New York Rangers, Los Angeles Kings, Nashville Predators, and Boston Bruins.
Jarrett Rufus Deuling is a Canadian retired professional ice hockey player. He played in 15 games for the New York Islanders during the 1995–96 and 1996–97 seasons. The rest of his career, which lasted from 1994 to 2001, was mainly spent in the minor American Hockey League.
Roy A. Sommer is an American ice hockey coach and a former professional ice hockey player, who currently serves as the head coach for the Wenatchee Wild of the Western Hockey League. Sommer played three games for the Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey League during the 1980–81 season, before spending the rest of his playing career, which lasted from 1977 to 1987, in the minor leagues. He was the head coach of the American Hockey League's San Jose Barracuda from 1998 to 2019 and 2020 to 2022. The Barracuda, the AHL affiliate of the San Jose Sharks, have also been known as the Kentucky Thoroughblades, Cleveland Barons, Worcester Sharks throughout his tenure. He was the longest tenured head coach with the same organization in the AHL and has the most AHL wins as head coach.
Jaroslav Kudrna is a Czech former professional ice hockey player.
Robert Mulick is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman.
Peter Allen is a Canadian former ice hockey defenceman. He played 8 games in the National Hockey League with the Pittsburgh Penguins during the 1995–96 season. The rest of his career, which lasted from 1993 to 2004, was mainly spent in the minor leagues and then in Europe.
Vasili Viktorovich Tikhonov was a Russian ice hockey coach.
The San Jose Barracuda are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League (AHL) that began play in the 2015–16 season. The team plays at Tech CU Arena beginning with the 2022–23 season.
Kentucky has a negligible history with ice hockey in the United States. Several attempts have been made over the years to establish ice hockey in the state, however, all have failed within a few years.
