International American Hockey League
Current season, competition or edition: 2018 Calder Cup playoffs
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American Hockey League logo
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| Sport | Ice hockey |
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| Founded | 1936 (IHL/C-AHL Interlocking schedules); 1938 (IHL/C-AHL formally merged) |
| President | David Andrews |
| No. of teams | 30 |
| Countries | United States (26 teams) Canada (4 teams) |
| Most recent champion(s) |
Grand Rapids Griffins (2nd title) |
| Most titles | Hershey Bears (11) |
| TV partner(s) | Canada (English): Sportsnet/Sportsnet One Canada (French): TVA Sports Europe: Premier Sports United States (English): NHL Network United States (Spanish): ESPN Deportes |
| Official website | www.theahl.com |
The American Hockey League (AHL) is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental league for the National Hockey League (NHL). 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 four are in Canada. The league offices are located in Springfield, Massachusetts, and its current president is David Andrews.
In general, a player must be at least 20 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 reigning champions are the Grand Rapids Griffins.
The AHL traces its origins directly to two predecessor professional leagues: the Canadian-American Hockey League (the "Can-Am" League), founded in 1926, and the first International Hockey League, established in 1929. Although the Can-Am League never operated with more than six teams, the departure of the Boston Bruin Cubs after the 1935–36 season reduced it down to just four member clubs – Springfield Indians, Philadelphia Ramblers, Providence Reds, and New Haven Eagles – for the first time in its history. At the same time, the then-rival IHL lost half of its eight members after the 1935–36 season, also leaving it with just four member teams: Buffalo Bisons, Syracuse Stars, Pittsburgh Hornets and Cleveland Falcons.
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