ECHL

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.

Jul 9, 2024 by FloHockey Staff
Talking Hockey Sense 68

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 

Boston Bruins Minor League Affiliate 

Buffalo Sabres Minor League Affiliate 

Calgary Flames Minor League Affiliate 

Carolina Hurricanes Minor League Affiliate 

Chicago Blackhawks Minor League Affiliate 

Colorado Avalanche Minor League Affiliate 

Columbus Blue Jackets Minor League Affiliate 

Dallas Stars Minor League Affiliate  

Detroit Red Wings Minor League Affiliate 

Edmonton Oilers Minor League Affiliate 

Florida Panthers Minor League Affiliate 

Los Angeles Kings Minor League Affiliate 

Minnesota Wild Minor League Affiliate 

Montreal Canadians Minor League Affiliate 

Nashville Predators Minor League Affiliate 

New Jersey Devils Minor League Affiliate 

New York Islanders Minor League Affiliate 

New York Rangers Minor League Affiliate 

Ottawa Senators Minor League Affiliate 

Philadelphia Flyers Minor League Affiliate 

Pittsburgh Penguins Minor League Affiliate 

San Jose Sharks Minor League Affiliate

Seattle Kraken Minor League Affiliate 

St. Louis Blues Minor League Affiliate 

Tampa Bay Lightning Minor League Affiliate  

Toronto Maple Leafs Minor League Affiliate 

Utah Hockey Club Minor League Affiliate

Vancouver Canucks Minor League Affiliate 

Las Vegas Golden Knights Minor League Affiliate 

Washington Capitals Minor League Affiliate 

Winnipeg Jets Minor League Affiliate