The American Hockey League is set for its 91st season in 2026-27. The puck drops Friday night with a robust opening weekend slate that will feature many professional debuts, a new team and one last championship celebration for the Toronto Marlies on Saturday.
- Sign up for FloHockey today to never miss a moment of the AHL
- Five must-watch games on AHL Opening Night on FloHockey
- Recent AHL Grads to watch in the NHL this season
This is the third year that FloHockey is the home to the AHL’s streaming and this season in particular has excited me more than any before it. Why? Let me share a few reasons.
Larger Roster Of Top Prospects In 2026-27
The AHL is always the top finishing school for the NHL and it means that it always has top prospects throughout the league, but the star power feels much more robust this season. There are a couple of reasons for that.
First of all, NHL teams are getting more cap flexibility this season, which means there is less of a necessity to add players on lower-dollar entry-level contracts. That means there is less pressure to rush players to the league before they are ready. The AHL has long been an important step for these players and considering 87% of NHL players do not skip that step, it’s a good indication of its efficacy
Secondly, AHL teams have more ways to add younger players including a new agreement between the NHL and CHL that allows 19-year-old first-round picks to be placed into the AHL as opposed to being sent back to junior. Several players are in the league this season as a result of that new rule.
🚨 THE WAIT IS OVER. AHL HOCKEY IS BACK. 🚨
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A new season starts tonight and these top prospects are ready to get to work 👀 Who are you most excited to watch?!#AHL | @TheAHL Opening Night October 2 | Live on FloHockey 📺 pic.twitter.com/InMkLPtgwv
Lastly, the NHL has simply gotten better at drafting and developing players and there is a bigger emphasis on process-driven growth. The idea of going on gut feel and throwing a player into the deep end to see if they can swim has never been less attractive to teams. It still may happen, but gradual development, over marinating prospects and giving them the appropriate level of ice time and role at the right level of competition goes a long way to preparing them for the best league in the world.
I spent the last week detailing the top prospects to watch across the league, and as final rosters were announced, I realized I could have probably doubled each list in size with the level of prospect in the league this season.
Read AHL Top Prospect Previews
Central | Atlantic | Pacific | North
Canada Rising
Over each of the last two seasons, Canadian teams have ended the season hoisting the Calder Cup. It was Abbotsford in 2025 and the Toronto Marlies last year.
The Marlies will raise their Calder Cup banner Saturday night and in doing so will welcome for the first time the Hamilton Hammers. The addition of Hamilton after more than a decade without AHL hockey is another positive for the Canadian growth of the league.
The newly-renovated TD Coliseum is set to host both the AHL’s Hammers and the PWHL’s new Hamilton club, bringing professional hockey back to Southern Ontario in a major way. The opportunity that exists in that market with a refurbished facility will certainly bear watching.
This year will also mark the curtain falling on the Saddledome in Calgary. Home to both the Flames and the Wranglers, Calgary's AHL team opens its season on Saddledome ice for the final time Friday night. Few buildings had more character and fans should be coming in
With Hamilton in the league now, the number of Canadian markets in the AHL has risen to seven.
New Crop Of Coaches
While the AHL has always been about developing players, it has also been the crucible most NHL coaches must pass through before taking over benches at the big time. There are a ton of new coaches in the league this year and a few that are returning.
There are plenty of familiar names including former NHL players in first-time head coaching roles in the league like Steve Sullivan (Toronto Marlies), Dave Manson (San Diego Gulls), Stu Bickel (Iowa Wild), Joel Ward (Henderson Silver Knights) and Jay McKee (Hamilton Hammers).
There are also some rising stars in the industry including Finland native Jussi Ahokas, who joined the Colorado Eagles as head coach after leading the Kitchener Rangers to the Memorial Cup lat season. Also new to the league is Ryan Papaioannou, who was hired to lead the Abbotsford Canucks after a stint with the ECHL’s Wheeling Nailers following an illustrious career leading the Brooks Bandits in the AJHL and BCHL.
There were a lot of openings created by coaches moving onto NHL jobs including Manny Malhotra getting the nod to lead the Vancouver Canucks and Ryan Craig being tabbed to take over the Vegas Golden Knights.
Just look at the benches around the league and you are sure to see a handful of future NHL bench bosses, if not more, at the helm of these clubs.
More Ways To Watch Than Ever Before
The other great thing about AHL hockey this year is that there are more ways to watch the league than ever before. It all starts of course with AHLTV on FloHockey. The best way to experience every single game live and on demand is with a FloHockey subscription, which you can grab here.
But FloHockey will also be presenting a number of AHL games throughout the season on FloHockey 24/7, a channel that you can find on numerous streaming platforms including Amazon Prime Video in the United States and Roku Channel in Canada, or Fubo in both and available globally on YouTube and FloHockey.tv.
FloHockey has also partnered exclusively with YouTube to present multiple games on Wednesday nights throughout the season on FloHockey’s YouTube channel. Select games will also include enhanced broadcast elements featuring FloHockey personalities and YouTube influencers as the season progresses.
The first game you can watch as part of this partnership is Saturday's banner raising for the Toronto Marlies.
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Enjoy the season, hockey fans!
NHL Prospect Coverage On FloHockey
The best, and most complete, coverage of the NHL, minor-league hockey and NHL Draft is found on FloHockey. Don't miss the latest new prospect guides, rankings and more from Chris Peters and the FloHockey staff.
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