Majik1987
I know kung fu...
Every so often, the topic comes up about whether an AHL team requires an NHL affiliate in order to play in the league. In order to settle the debate, we contacted the AHL to obtain a definitive response. The response below matches a previous response that was obtained from the league in a similar exercise a number of years ago. The email was sent May 11, 2009; the response was received May 13, 2009.
My email to the league
League Response
As a result of the above, it appears that any application for membership must have an NHL affiliate as part of its acceptance. However, once in the league, a team could operate without an affiliation.
My email to the league
Hello,
Introductory paragraph
I was hoping that we could get a response from the league that I could share with our community regarding this question...
Does an AHL team have to have an NHL parent club in order to be eligible to play in the AHL in a given year? Particularly, if a team had an affiliation the prior year, but loses it, could they play the next year without an NHL affiliation (i.e. could the Iowa Chops play next year if they don't find affiliate over the summer despite efforts to do so)?
I understand that situations and circumstances may call for different solutions, but any guidance you could provide our community on this matter would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for your time.
Kind regards,
XXXXXXX
Contact details
League Response
XXXXXXX,
I can’t really speak to hypothetical situations. As part of the initial AHL membership application a potential owner must have an NHL affiliation in place, but the league’s governing documents do not necessarily prevent an existing franchise from continuing to operate should it lose its affiliation.
Realistically, though, with the costs that would be incurred by an AHL owner paying a full roster’s worth of salaries (plus coaches, trainers, other expenses, etc.), and with the shallow player pool from which to sign players while still being guided by the AHL’s development rule, it’s probably not a very attractive option.
Thanks for taking the time to write in.
Sincerely,
===========================
Jason Chaimovitch
Vice President of Communications,
American Hockey League
As a result of the above, it appears that any application for membership must have an NHL affiliate as part of its acceptance. However, once in the league, a team could operate without an affiliation.