American hockey league - 14 things to know about it

The AHL was founded in 1936 and is currently North America's top professional hockey league outside the National Hockey League (NHL).

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The league consists of 31 teams, with most teams located in the United States and a few in Canada.

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The AHL serves as the primary development league for the NHL, with many young players starting their careers in the AHL before being called up to the NHL.

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The AHL has a salary cap set at $90,000 per player for the 2021-2022 season.

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The league has two conferences (Eastern and Western) and four divisions (Atlantic, North, Central, and Pacific).

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The regular season typically runs from October to April, comprising 76 games.

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The top four teams from each division qualify for the Calder Cup Playoffs, a single-elimination tournament to determine the AHL champion.

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The league's most successful franchise is the Hershey Bears, which won 11 Calder Cup championships.

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Many current NHL stars, including Patrick Kane, Carey Price, and Claude Giroux, began their careers in the AHL.

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The AHL also serves as a training ground for referees and linesmen who go on to work in the NHL.

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The league has experimented with various rule changes over the years, including wider rinks and shootouts to decide tied games.

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In 2018, the league expanded to include a team in Colorado Springs, Colorado, called the Colorado Eagles.

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The AHL has a strong fan base, with an average attendance of over 6,000 fans per game in the 2019-2020 season.

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The AHL has a long history of promoting diversity and inclusion, with initiatives such as the "Hockey Is For Everyone" campaign, which aims to make the sport more accessible to underrepresented communities.

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