The AHL is a league that heavily depends on gate revenue to cover expenses so we knew the 2021 season would be difficult to navigate. Now there’s word several teams will be opting out of next season.
Three AHL teams will not take the ice next season: the Charlotte Checkers, Milwaukee Admirals, and Springfield Thunderbirds. They are the AHL affiliates of the Florida Panthers, Nashville Predators, and St. Louis Blues respectively.
Patrick Williams was the first to report the news.
Charlotte (FLO), Milwaukee (NAS), and Springfield (STL) are out for this season.
Divisional realignments have also been determined.#AHL pic.twitter.com/LIxE4MhjnS
— PATRICK WILLIAMS (@pwilliamsNHL) January 4, 2021
The teams made their opt-outs official during AHL Board of Governors meeting on Monday at 3 PM.
Williams also reports that the AHL’s four Canadian teams — the Manitoba Moose, Toronto Marlies, Belleville Senators, and Laval Rocket — still need approval from the Canadian government to be allowed to play.
The four Canadian clubs are still pending government go-ahead.
— PATRICK WILLIAMS (@pwilliamsNHL) January 4, 2021
It’s unclear how the Panthers, Predators, and Blues will handle their surplus minor-league talent after training camp concludes, but one solution would be to loan players who don’t make their NHL team’s taxi squad to a different AHL team, the ECHL, or another European leagues.
The AHL is currently targeting February 5 to begin their season.
–A playoff format is still to be determined.
–Of the 31 teams, 19 are NHL-owned, and 12 are independently owned.
–Expect some clubs to use training facilities; at least one club is expected to use its NHL parent team's training facility.
–Some dual affiliations are likely.— PATRICK WILLIAMS (@pwilliamsNHL) January 4, 2021
In a release shortly after 5 PM, the AHL also announced re-alignment. There will be five divisions and the Hershey Bears will play in the North Division along with the Binghamton Devils, Lehigh Valley Phantoms, Rochester Americans, Syracuse Crunch, Utica Comets, and the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.
More from the AHL:
28 TEAMS TO PARTICIPATE IN 2020-21 AMERICAN HOCKEY LEAGUE SEASON
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. … American Hockey League President and Chief Executive Officer Scott Howson announced today that the 2020-21 season will include 28 teams when it gets underway on February 5.
The AHL will operate in five divisions this season. Further details, including schedule formats and playoffs, are still to be determined.
Atlantic Division
Bridgeport Sound Tigers
Hartford Wolf Pack
Providence BruinsCanadian Division
Belleville Senators
Laval Rocket
Manitoba Moose
Toronto Marlies
(all pending provincial government approval)North Division
Binghamton Devils
Hershey Bears
Lehigh Valley Phantoms
Rochester Americans
Syracuse Crunch
Utica Comets
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton PenguinsCentral Division
Chicago Wolves
Cleveland Monsters
Grand Rapids Griffins
Iowa Wild
Rockford IceHogs
Texas StarsPacific Division
Bakersfield Condors
Colorado Eagles
Henderson Silver Knights
Ontario Reign
San Diego Gulls
San Jose Barracuda
Stockton Heat
Tucson RoadrunnersFour teams have been granted provisional relocations for the 2020-21 season: the Binghamton Devils will play in Newark, N.J.; the Ontario Reign will play in El Segundo, Calif.; the Providence Bruins will play in Marlborough, Mass.; and the San Diego Gulls will play in Irvine, Calif.
The Charlotte Checkers, Milwaukee Admirals and Springfield Thunderbirds have elected to opt out of play for the 2020-21 season. All three teams will return to play in 2021-22.
In operation since 1936, the AHL serves as the top development league for all 31 National Hockey League teams. Nearly 90 percent of today’s NHL players are American Hockey League graduates, and more than 100 honored members of the Hockey Hall of Fame spent time in the AHL in their careers.
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