Could someone please explain to me, in as much detail as possible, the 'minor league' system used by the NHL, with descriptions of the leagues used like the AHL?
There is no formal structure to minor league hockey. There are several different minor leagues and many of them have affiliations with the NHL. What is generally concidered the level right below the NHL is the American Hockey League (AHL). The AHL has a league rule that each team must have an affiliation with at least one NHL team. Some AHL teams have dual affiliations with NHL teams. In turn the AHL has a working agreement with the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL) to act as its own minor league system. There are other leagues through the US and Canada that have affiliations with NHL teams and a few without. What is refered to as Juniors is a level of Hockey where players in their latter years of Highschool and early years of College eligablilty face semi professional talent. These teams arent formally associated with NHL teams but there are rules in place about the NHL and players in the Junior leagues.
Answers & Comments
Verified answer
There is no formal structure to minor league hockey. There are several different minor leagues and many of them have affiliations with the NHL. What is generally concidered the level right below the NHL is the American Hockey League (AHL). The AHL has a league rule that each team must have an affiliation with at least one NHL team. Some AHL teams have dual affiliations with NHL teams. In turn the AHL has a working agreement with the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL) to act as its own minor league system. There are other leagues through the US and Canada that have affiliations with NHL teams and a few without. What is refered to as Juniors is a level of Hockey where players in their latter years of Highschool and early years of College eligablilty face semi professional talent. These teams arent formally associated with NHL teams but there are rules in place about the NHL and players in the Junior leagues.
whats to say..its just the minor league of hockey same rules..everyhthing