What is the AHL?
The American Hockey League is the top development league of the National Hockey League. It is an independent league in its own right — American Hockey League, Inc., led since mid-2020 by president and CEO Scott Howson — but every one of its 32 clubs is owned by or affiliated with one of the 32 NHL clubs on a one-to-one basis, from the Toronto Marlies and the Maple Leafs to the Hershey Bears and the Capitals and the new Hamilton Hammers and the Islanders.[1] [2]
How does it work?
The 2026–27 season, the 91st, runs from 2 October 2026 to 11 April 2027 with 72 games for each of the 32 clubs, 1,152 in all, in four divisions — Atlantic, North, Central and Pacific. The Calder Cup Playoffs follow, ending in a best-of-seven Calder Cup Finals. Players reach the AHL mainly by assignment from their NHL parent under NHL two-way and entry-level contracts, or on AHL standard contracts; the ECHL sits a tier below, its clubs affiliated with NHL–AHL pairs.[2] [6]
Since when does it exist?
The league was formed in Cleveland on 4 October 1936 as the International-American Hockey League, a merger of the International Hockey League and the Canadian-American Hockey League, and dropped “International” to become the American Hockey League by 1940–41. The Calder Cup, named for the NHL’s first president Frank Calder, has been awarded since 1938. The pandemic cancelled the 2019–20 playoffs and there were none in 2020–21; Hershey won back-to-back Cups in 2023 and 2024 and Toronto took its second on 19 June 2026.[1] [3] [4] [8]
| Season | Pool / Format | Host cities |
|---|---|---|
| 2025–26 | Toronto Marlies | Calder Cup Finals: 4–1 vs Chicago Wolves — 19 June 2026 |
| 2024–25 | Abbotsford Canucks | Calder Cup Finals: 4–2 vs Charlotte Checkers |
| 2023–24 | Hershey Bears | Calder Cup Finals: 4–2 vs Coachella Valley Firebirds |
| 2022–23 | Hershey Bears | Calder Cup Finals: 4–3 vs Coachella Valley Firebirds |
| 2021–22 | Chicago Wolves | Calder Cup Finals: 4–1 vs Springfield Thunderbirds |
| 2020–21 | Not awarded | No playoffs during the pandemic |
| 2019–20 | Not awarded | Playoffs cancelled during the pandemic |
| 2018–19 | Charlotte Checkers | Calder Cup Finals: 4–1 vs Chicago Wolves |
| 2017–18 | Toronto Marlies | Calder Cup Finals: 4–3 vs Texas Stars |
| 2016–17 | Grand Rapids Griffins | Calder Cup Finals: 4–2 vs Syracuse Crunch |
Calder Cup champions of the last ten seasons; no champion was crowned in 2019–20 or 2020–21.
Why does it matter?
The AHL’s own count on 7 October 2025 was 596 graduates on the NHL’s 32 opening-day rosters, more than 82 percent of the NHL’s initial player pool, and more than 130 players and coaches have won both the Calder Cup and the Stanley Cup. For a petition it is the model of an affiliated minor league — one club per NHL franchise — and it is named alongside the NHL in Canada’s own work-permit guidance for professional athletes.[2] [4] [5] [7]
References
- AHL — History. Accessed September 2026.
- AHL — NHL affiliations. Accessed September 2026.
- AHL — Calder Cup championship teams. Accessed September 2026.
- AHL — The story of the Calder Cup. Accessed September 2026.
- AHL release (via OurSports Central) — 596 American Hockey League graduates on NHL opening-night rosters. Accessed September 2026.
- Pro Hockey News — AHL unveils 2026–27 schedule. Accessed September 2026.
- IRCC — Reciprocal employment: general guidelines, R205(b), exemption code C20. Accessed September 2026.
- Wikipedia — 2026 Calder Cup playoffs (background). Accessed September 2026.