League Hockey

How does minor league hockey affailations work? I know the NHL has a deal with the AHL, but can't AHL teams sign and release players independentally as well? And are ECHL teams affailaited with the NHL, AHL, both, or independent? And what about lower level teams and leagues?

Each NHL hockey team has an affiliate team in the AHL. The NHL may also have affiliate teams in other minor professional leagues such as the ECHL, IHL, and CHL.

The AHL is the most highly-ranked minor league. The ECHL, IHL, and CHL are on the next tier below and act as feeders to the AHL, with the ECHL being the greatest of the three "equals" due to its more official ties to the NHL. The IHL would be considered second to the ECHL and slightly above the CHL due to higher allowance of veteran players and a higher salary cap. The SPHL in turn is a feeder to the ECHL, IHL and CHL. This tier is followed by several lower-grade and semi-pro leagues.

AHL - American Hockey League
CHL - Central Hockey League
IHL - International Hockey League
ECHL - East Coast Hockey League
SPHL - Southern Professional Hockey League

Lower levels of hockey would include the Semi-Pro teams (LCH, PDHL) and Junior Teams. The Junior Teams are seperated into 6 categories, Major Junior, Juinor A, Junior B, Junior C, Junior D, and Junior Development. The most widely known Junior Hockey Leagues include the OHL, QMJHL, and WHL, which are all goverened by the CHL (Canadian Hockey League). Another level of hockey is college hockey, or NCAA hockey.

2008-02-02 16:16:40 by KevinWCP

" "david clarkson" "claude giroux" "jaromir jagr" "james van riemsdyk" "danny briere&quot ...

My boyfriend plays junior league hockey and he just got traded from a team in Montana to a team Minnesota, what is a good amount to get traded for? or like the average?

depends on their skill level and why they're being traded. why dont you ask him who he was traded for.

2009-11-09 14:45:35 by Jay isfor Jenn

Price: $17.95

I've been a hockey fan since 1996, but I don't want to travel all the way to D.C to see the Caps play. So, what would it take to get a minor-league hockey franchise in Baltimore?

Start a petition to bring the Skipjacks back

2010-03-10 12:54:06 by tdkr 1986

Players get called up from the minor leagues and sent back down just like in baseball. However, some of the minor leagues in hockey are actually considered semi-professional leagues. Were leagues such as the AHL and ECHL established independently of the NHL and they have some sort of transfer agreement for players? How exactly does it work?

The ECHL, CHL, and AHL are all full professional leagues.

The AHL and NHL were at one time both partners, and adversaries. I played in the AHL because I was the property of the Chicago Black Hawks, but many others played because they were professionals. Teams like the Hershey Bears, Rochester Americans, and the Cleveland Barons, all had NHL size payrolls and went after players as free agents.

In the mid to late 60s, with NHL expansion (especially into CHL and AHL markets), the WHL imploded (another professional league pre-1970) and the AHL and CHL stepped in line as full NHL affiliates due to the loss of the bigger markets (Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Buffalo).

Currently, there are 30 NHL teams, and 30 AHL teams. Every AHL team has an agreement with an NHL team to supply at least 86% of their roster (each AHL team is free to sign up to 4 non-NHL affiliated players). The IHL and ECHL have similar, less-binding player agreements.

The NHL has it's own collective bargaining agreement (CBA) which covers all players who have an NHL contract, regardless of which league they are playing in. The AHL has it's own CBA which governs all players in the AHL, that aren't under NHL contracts, and has an AHL/NHL section that governs those players under 2 way contracts (or in the case of Marc Denis, NHL players who suck too much to be in the NHL).

There are currently several cases (Toronto, Chicago, Philadelphia, Detroit) where the owner of the NHL team has an ownership stake in the AHL team.

Usually, the owners of the AHL team will sign a financial agreement with the NHL team that permits and encourages the AHL team to develop players for the NHL teams.


I guess the answer to your question is that the NHL has NEVER created it's own full-fledged development league. Prior to the 1967 expansion, the NHL competed with several other professional leagues (although the NHL was still regarded as the top dog) and through the last 40 years, these other leagues have consolidated to be the NHL's minor league system

2008-09-24 09:04:49 by Joez2103

What to know, if I want to play house league hockey?

Most leagues are just like playing school hockey except most of them will not allow checking, which is for the better because I know when people would try or smash me I just wanted to slap em in the grill.
Most league require a payment for play and most of the time (actually any league I ever played in) the goalies play for free.
Ages usually range from 18+ I have actually played along sides of guys in their early 40's and they still go hard.
And you usually only play a few nights per week.
It's all fun, especially when you get such a diverse range of ages. I havent played since I was about 31, but when I did it was cool to have some older and younger guys to play beside.

2008-04-26 14:49:15 by Ottawa Senators Fan #1