The 10 Best Jerseys in the History of the American Hockey League
The American Hockey League is the NHL's top minor league, hockey's equivalent to Triple-A baseball.
Many superstars have emerged from the AHL. In fact, over 90 percent of the players who play in the league's All-Star Game have played in the NHL.
AHL jerseys range from outlandish to eyesores.However, many of them are creative designs and color schemes that are fitting for a minor league, but not professional enough for The Show.
All of the sweaters presented are of current AHL teams.
The following are the 10 best AHL jerseys.
10. Chicago Wolves
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Since 1994, the Chicago Wolves have served the people of Rosemont, Illinois.
Originally a member of the International Hockey League (IHL), the team has won two Calder Cups, one in 2002 and another in 2008.
Last year, they served as the top minor league affiliate of the Atlanta Thrashers.
They are the only AHL team with a full television package.
Pictured is Brett Sterling, an L.A. born player who played seven games for the Pittsburgh Penguins last year.
9. Hershey Bears
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Based in Hershey, PA, it is only fitting that this team is named the Bears.
They are currently affiliated with the Washington Capitals, and they are the longest-tenured team in the AHL, having joined the league in 1938.
Hershey is the current back-to-back Calder Cup champions.
8. Springfield Falcons
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Formed in 1994, the Springfield Falcons currently serve the Columbus Blue Jackets as their top affiliate.
Springfield signed a one-year deal with Columbus this year.
They a long-standing rivalry with the Connecticut Whale (formerly the Hartford Wolf Pack, a much better name...) and the Providence Bruins.
The Falcons currently occupy a market once home to the Springfield Indians, who played from 1926 to 1994.
At the time of the picture, 2005, they were affiliated with the Tampa Bay Lightning.
They were previously affiliated with the Winnipeg Jets/Phoenix Coyotes and Edmonton Oilers.
7. Milwaukee Admirals
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Pictured is Shea Weber in 2005 with the Milwaukee Admirals, the Nashville Predators' top affiliate since their founding in 1998.
The Admirals are one of two teams in the AHL with the same moniker. Another Admirals team plays in Norfolk, Virginia.
This happened when the Milwaukee team joined the AHL in the IHL merger in 2001 and Norfolk was moved up from the ECHL.
Milwaukee has since changed their uniforms, but I prefer the earth-toned Shea Weber-era sweaters.
The Admirals play in the Bradley Center, which is also home to the NBA's Milwaukee Bucks.
6. Norfolk Admirals
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This is the other Admirals team, based in Norfolk, Virginia. They are Tampa Bay's top minor league affiliate.
The team is located near the Charlotte Checkers, Hershey Bears and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, but have a big rivalry with the Worcester (Mass.) Sharks because of the frequent bouts between each team's enforcers.
Pictured is James Wisniewski in 2005, a defensemen who played 75 games for the Islanders and Canadiens this season.
At that time, the Admirals serviced the Blackhawks organization.
5. Peoria Rivermen
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The Peoria (Ill.) Rivermen have had many names in their history.
They began as the Springfield Indians in 1926.
From 1951 to 1954, they were the Syracuse Warriors.
They returned to Springfield from 1954-67 as the Indians again. They would change names to the Kings from 1967-74, but became the Indians again in 1974 and remained the Indians until 1994.
From 1994-2005, they were the Worcester IceCats in a market currently occupied by the Sharks' top minor league affiliate.
Since then, they have been the Rivermen.
They have great unis, designed after the Blues, which are their top minor league affiliate.
Now the Blues, Scottrade Center and the Rivermen are all for sale.
Odds are they will change names once again...
4. Albany River Rats
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Currently the Charlotte Checkers, the Albany River Rats occupy the market currently used by the Albany Devils.
The River Rats served the New Jersey Devils from 1993-2006, then the Colorado Avalanche from 2006-07 and currently the Carolina Hurricanes as the Checkers.
One April 24, 2008, the River Rats lost 2-3 to the Philadelphia Phantoms in the longest game played in AHL history.
The Phantoms' Ryan Potulny scored 2:58 into the fifth overtime.
Barry Tallackson, pictured, was on that team. He led the team to back-to-back national championships in 2002 and 2003.
He played 20 games for the Devils over the course of four seasons.
3. Philadelpia Phantoms
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Currently the Adirondack Phantoms, based in Glens Falls, New York, the Philadelphia Phantoms were a minor league team from 1996-2009.
Despite serving the same market as the Flyers, the Phantoms generated interest in the city.
They won the Calder Cup twice, once in 1998 and another time in 2005, during the NHL Lockout.
There are plans to move the team to Allentown, Pennsylvania in 2013.
2. Syracuse Crunch
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Originally the Hamilton Canucks, the Syracuse Crunch currently serve the Anaheim Ducks as their top affiliate.
The Crunch made history in February of 2010 by playing the first AHL game against the Binghamton Senators in the Mirabito Outdoor Classic at the New York State Fairgrounds in Syracuse.
Syracuse won the game 2-1 in front of a record attendance of 21,508.
1. Rochester Americans
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The intra-state rivals of the Crunch, the Rochester Americans are another AHL team that services Upstate New York.
Known colloquially as the Amerks, Rochester is one of the AHL's oldest franchises.
Founded in 1956, the team has won six Calder Cups and served the nearby Buffalo Sabres for 29 years until 2008, when the Sabres chose the Portland (Maine) Pirates as their top affiliate.
