American Hockey League

American Hockey League

Current season or competition: 2012-13 AHL season
Sport	Ice hockey
Founded	1936
Commissioner	David Andrews
No. of teams	30
Country(ies)	Canada United States
Most recent champion(s)	Norfolk Admirals
Official website	AHL.com

The American Hockey League or AHL, is a professional ice hockey league based in the United States and is considered the farm league of the National Hockey League. The major championship in the AHL that the two winning teams of their conferences play for is the Calder Cup. The oldest current team in the AHL is the Hershey Bears which began play in 1938.

Teams

Current

Timeline

All-time teams

• Buffalo Bisons (1936; folded)
• Cleveland Falcons (1936–1937; renamed the Cleveland Barons)
• New Haven Eagles (1936–1943; folded during WWII resurrected 1945)
• Philadelphia Ramblers (1936–1941, renamed Philadelphia Rockets)
• Pittsburgh Hornets (1936–1956; went on hiatus to wait for new arena, returned 1961)
• Providence Reds (1936–1976; renamed Rhode Island Reds)
• Springfield Indians (1936–1942; suspended during WWII; returned 1946)
• Syracuse Stars (1936–1940; became Buffalo Bisons)
• Cleveland Barons (1937–1973; became Jacksonville Barons)
• Hershey Bears (1938–present)
• Indianapolis Capitals (1939–1952; folded)
• Buffalo Bisons (1940–1970; folded)
• Philadelphia Rockets (1941–1942) folded
• Washington Lions (1941–1943; folded)
• St. Louis Flyers (1944–1953; folded)
• New Haven Eagles (1945–1946, renamed New Haven Ramblers)
• Springfield Indians (1946–1951; became Syracuse Warriors)
• Philadelphia Rockets (1946–1949; folded)
• New Haven Ramblers (1946–1950, renamed New Haven Eagles)
• Washington Lions (1947–1949; became Cincinnati Mohawks)
• Cincinnati Mohawks (1949–1952; transferred to IHL)
• New Haven Eagles (1950–1951, folded)
• Syracuse Warriors (1951–1954; became Springfield Indians)
• Springfield Indians (1954–1967; renamed Springfield Kings)
• Rochester Americans (1956–present)
• Quebec Aces (1959–1971; became Richmond Robins)
• Pittsburgh Hornets (1961–1967; folded)
• Baltimore Clippers (1962–1976; folded)
• Springfield Kings (1967–1974; renamed Springfield Indians)
• Montreal Voyageurs (1969–1971; became Nova Scotia Voyageurs)
• Nova Scotia Voyageurs (1971–1984; became Sherbrooke Canadiens)
• Boston Braves (1971–1974; suspended, became Moncton Hawks)
• Cincinnati Swords (1971–1974; folded)
• Richmond Robins (1971–1976; folded)
• Tidewater Wings (1971–1972; played in Norfolk; renamed Virginia Wings)
• Virginia Wings (1972–1975; played in Norfolk; became Adirondack Red Wings)
• Jacksonville Barons (1973–1974; folded)
• New Haven Nighthawks (1972–1992; became New Haven Senators)
• Springfield Indians (1974–1994; became Worcester Ice Cats)
• Syracuse Eagles (1974–1975; folded)
• Rhode Island Reds (1976–1977) became Binghamton Dusters)
• Hampton Gulls (1977–1978; folded)
• Binghamton Dusters (1977–1980; renamed Binghamton Whalers)
• Maine Mariners (1977–1992; became Providence Bruins)
• Philadelphia Firebirds (1977–1979; became Syracuse Firebirds)
• New Brunswick Hawks (1978–1982; became Moncton Alpines)
• Adirondack Red Wings (1979–1999; folded)
• Syracuse Firebirds (1979–1980; folded)
• Binghamton Whalers (1980–1990; renamed Binghamton Rangers)
• Erie Blades (1981–1982; merged into Baltimore Skipjacks)
• Fredericton Express (1981–1988; became Halifax Citadels)
• Baltimore Skipjacks (1982–1993; became Portland Pirates)
• Moncton Alpines (1982–1984; renamed Moncton Golden Flames)
• Sherbrooke Jets (1982–1984; folded)
• St. Catharines Saints (1982–1986; became Newmarket Saints)
• Nova Scotia Oilers (1984–1988; became Cape Breton Oilers)
• Sherbrooke Canadiens (1984–1990; became Fredericton Canadiens)
• Moncton Golden Flames (1984–1987; folded)
• Newmarket Saints (1986–1991; became St. John's Maple Leafs)
• Moncton Hawks (1987–1994; folded)
• Utica Devils (1987–1993; became Saint John Flames)
• Cape Breton Oilers (1988–1996; became Hamilton Bulldogs)
• Halifax Citadels (1988–1993; became Cornwall Aces)
• Binghamton Rangers (1990–1997; became Hartford Wolf Pack)
• Capital District Islanders (1990–1993; became Albany River Rats)
• Fredericton Canadiens (1990–1999; became Quebec Citadelles)
• St. John's Maple Leafs (1991–2005; became Toronto Marlies)
• Providence Bruins (1992–present)
• Hamilton Canucks (1992–1994; became Syracuse Crunch)
• New Haven Senators (1992–1993; became Prince Edward Island Senators)
• Albany River Rats (1993–2010; became Charlotte Checkers)
• Portland Pirates (1993–present)
• Prince Edward Island Senators (1993–1996; became Binghamton Senators)
• Saint John Flames (1993–2003; became Omaha Ak-Sar-Ben Knights)
• Cornwall Aces (1993–1996; became Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins)
• Springfield Falcons (1994–present)
• Syracuse Crunch (1994–present)
• Worcester IceCats (1994–2005; became Peoria Rivermen)
• Baltimore Bandits (1995–1997; became Cincinnati Mighty Ducks)
• Carolina Monarchs (1995–1997; became Beast of New Haven)
• Philadelphia Phantoms (1996–2009; became Adirondack Phantoms)
• Hamilton Bulldogs (1996–present; merged with Quebec Citadelles 2002–03, demerged creating Toronto Roadrunners 2003–04)
• Kentucky Thoroughblades (1996–2001; became Cleveland Barons)
• Cincinnati Mighty Ducks (1997–2005; became Rockford IceHogs)
• Beast of New Haven (1997–1999; folded)
• Hartford Wolf Pack (1997–2010; became Connecticut Whale)
• Lowell Lock Monsters (1998–2006; became Lowell Devils)
• Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (1999–present)
• Louisville Panthers (1999–2001; became Iowa Stars)
• Quebec Citadelles (1999–2002; merged with Hamilton Bulldogs)
• Norfolk Admirals (2000–present)
• Bridgeport Sound Tigers (2001–present)
• Chicago Wolves (2001–present)
• Grand Rapids Griffins (2001–present)
• Houston Aeros (2001–present)
• Manchester Monarchs (2001–present)
• Milwaukee Admirals (2001–present)
• Cleveland Barons (2001–2006; became Worcester Sharks)
• Manitoba Moose (2001–2011; became St. John's IceCaps)
• Utah Grizzlies (2001–2005; became Lake Erie Monsters)
• Binghamton Senators (2002–present)
• San Antonio Rampage (2002–present)
• Toronto Roadrunners (2003–2004; became Edmonton Road Runners)
• Edmonton Road Runners (2004–2005; dormant 2005-2010, became Oklahoma City Barons)
• Iowa Stars (2005–2008; became Iowa Chops)
• Omaha Ak-Sar-Ben Knights (2005–2007; became Quad City Flames)
• Peoria Rivermen (2005–present)
• Toronto Marlies (2005–present)
• Lowell Devils (2006–2010; became Albany Devils)
• Worcester Sharks (2006–present)
• Lake Erie Monsters (2007–present)
• Quad City Flames (2007–2009; became Abbotsford Heat)
• Rockford IceHogs (2007–present)
• Iowa Chops (2008–2009; suspended, then became Texas Stars)
• Adirondack Phantoms (2009–present)
• Texas Stars (2009–present, assumed suspended Iowa Chops franchise in 2010)
• Abbotsford Heat (2009–present)
• Albany Devils (2010–present)
• Charlotte Checkers (2010–present)
• Oklahoma City Barons (2010–present)
• Connecticut Whale (2010–present)
• St. John's IceCaps (2011–present)

Other websites

• Official AHL website