NHL Minor League Hockey Team Affiliates Breakdown
NHL Minor League Hockey Team Affiliates Breakdown
A list of all 32 NHL team's minor league affiliates in the AHL and ECHL.
So what happens after an NHL team drafts a player?
Well, it’s very likely that draft pick is sent to the minor leagues for more player development.
The American Hockey League and the ECHL serve as important prospect development levels for young hockey players looking to debut in the NHL. Every NHL team has an affiliate team in the AHL. While ECHL teams aren’t required to have an affiliate NHL team, only four NHL teams are currently without an ECHL affiliate.
That makes sense, though, since there are 32 NHL teams and only 29 ECHL teams with two new expansion teams opening play in 2024-25 including the Tahoe Knight Monsters and Bloomington Bison.
The AHL is typically viewed as the highest-level of minor league hockey with many teams having the same ownership as their NHL affiliate and some NHL players are signed to two-way contracts, meaning they can be sent down to and called up from the AHL.
So which teams are associated with one another? Here’s a breakdown.
Anaheim Ducks Minor League Affiliate
- AHL: San Diego Gulls
- ECHL: Tulsa Oilers
Boston Bruins Minor League Affiliate
- AHL: Providence Bruins
- ECHL: Maine Mariners
Buffalo Sabres Minor League Affiliate
- AHL: Rochester Americans
- ECHL: Jacksonville IceMen
Calgary Flames Minor League Affiliate
- AHL: Calgary Wranglers
- ECHL: Rapid City Rush
Carolina Hurricanes Minor League Affiliate
- AHL: Chicago Wolves
Chicago Blackhawks Minor League Affiliate
- AHL: Rockford IceHogs
- ECHL: Indy Fuel
Colorado Avalanche Minor League Affiliate
- AHL: Colorado Eagles
- ECHL: Utah Grizzlies
Columbus Blue Jackets Minor League Affiliate
- AHL: Cleveland Monsters
Dallas Stars Minor League Affiliate
- AHL: Texas Stars
- ECHL: Idaho Steelheads
Detroit Red Wings Minor League Affiliate
- AHL: Grand Rapids Griffins
- ECHL: Toledo Walleye
Edmonton Oilers Minor League Affiliate
- AHL: Bakersfield Condors
- ECHL: Fort Wayne Komets
Florida Panthers Minor League Affiliate
- AHL: Charlotte Checkers
- ECHL: Savannah Ghost Pirates
Los Angeles Kings Minor League Affiliate
- AHL: Ontario Reign
- ECHL: Greenville Swamp Rabbits
Minnesota Wild Minor League Affiliate
- AHL: Iowa Wild
- ECHL: Iowa Heartlanders
Montreal Canadians Minor League Affiliate
- AHL: Laval Rocket
- ECHL: Trois-Rivières Lions
Nashville Predators Minor League Affiliate
- AHL: Milwaukee Admirals
- ECHL: Atlanta Gladiators
New Jersey Devils Minor League Affiliate
- AHL: Utica Comets
- ECHL: Adirondack Thunder
New York Islanders Minor League Affiliate
- AHL: Bridgeport Islanders
- ECHL: Worcester Railers
New York Rangers Minor League Affiliate
- AHL: Hartford Wolf Pack
- ECHL: Bloomington Bison
Ottawa Senators Minor League Affiliate
- AHL: Belleville Senators
- ECHL: Allen Americans
Philadelphia Flyers Minor League Affiliate
- AHL: Lehigh Valley Phantoms
- ECHL: Reading Royals
Pittsburgh Penguins Minor League Affiliate
- AHL: Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
- ECHL: Wheeling Nailers
San Jose Sharks Minor League Affiliate
- AHL: San Jose Barracuda
- ECHL: Wichita Thunder
Seattle Kraken Minor League Affiliate
St. Louis Blues Minor League Affiliate
- AHL: Springfield Thunderbirds
- ECHL: Florida Everblades
Tampa Bay Lightning Minor League Affiliate
- AHL: Syracuse Crunch
- ECHL: Orlando Solar Bears
Toronto Maple Leafs Minor League Affiliate
- AHL: Toronto Marlies
- ECHL: Cincinnati Cyclones
Utah Hockey Club Minor League Affiliate
- AHL: Tuscon Roadrunners
Vancouver Canucks Minor League Affiliate
- AHL: Abbotsford Canucks
- ECHL: Kalamazoo Wings
Las Vegas Golden Knights Minor League Affiliate
Washington Capitals Minor League Affiliate
- AHL: Hershey Bears
- ECHL: South Carolina Stingrays
Winnipeg Jets Minor League Affiliate
- AHL: Manitoba Moose
- ECHL: Norfolk Admirals