The History of the AHL and the Calder Cup dates back to 1936 when the Canadian-American Hockey League and the International Hockey League merge to form the International American Hockey League. The league begins play with two divisions of four teams each. The Can-Am teams (Springfield, Philadelphia, Providence and New Haven) make up the West division and the IHL teams (Buffalo, Syracuse, Pittsburgh and Cleveland) make up the East division.
Disaster strikes eleven games into the season when the Buffalo Bison's arena burns to the ground and the Bisons are forced to drop out. The Calder Cup (named after the NHL's first president, Frank Calder who also helped in the formation the AHL) becomes the trophagel
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vietnam lừa đảoy awarded to the League Champions, after a playoff between the two division champions. The fledgling leagues first Calder Cup Champion in 1937 is the Syracuse Stars. The Calder Cup is today the second oldest trophy to be competed for in professional hockey. In 1940 the word "International" is dropped and the league is now officially called the American Hockey League.
The first thirty years were a time of relative prosperity and growth for the AHL. The League operated solely in the U.S.A. until the addition of the Quebec Aces in 1959 and the Montreal Voyageurs in 1969. Although franchises were lost or moved, by 1969 there was a total of twelve teams operating in the American Hockey League.
The late 1960s' and through the 70s' were a tough time for the AHL. The NHL started to expand in 1967 and the WHA was formed in 1972 creating heavy competition for players. Salaries soared and put a big financial strain on the AHL franchises. In the three year period from 1974 to 1977 six of the leagues twelve teams folded. The league itself was in danger of collapse until unexpectedly the rival North American Hockey League folded just before the start of the 1977-78 season. Also, about the same time the Philadelphia Flyers entered the AHL as owners of the new Maine Mariners franchise and fortunes for the American Hockey League started to turn.
The WHA ceased to exist in 1979 when four of its remaining six teams joined the NHL and the last two folded. With this decrease in competition the AHL continued to expand steadily until they had twenty teams by the year 2000. In 2001 the International Hockey League folded after fifty six seasons and the AHL absorbed six of the teams. Today the AHL serves as the primary development league for the NHL and operates with a total of thirty teams, four in Canada and twenty six in the U.S., and each of them either owned by or affiliated with an NHL team.
Many young players begin their professional careers in the American Hockey League before moving on to NHL stardom and induction into the NHL Hall of Fame. A total of twenty seven players including Johnny Bower, Terry Sawchuk, Emile Francis, Gerry Cheevers, Al Arbour, Andy Bathgate, Larry Robinson, Doug Harvey and Patrick Roy have won the Calder Cup and gone on to NHL Hall of Fame careers. Over 100 players and coaches such as Ace Bailey, Brian Engblom, Butch Goring, Adam Graves, Peter Mahovlich, Kirk Maltby, Fred Shero, Brian Skrudland and Dennis Seidenberg have won both the Calder Cup and the Stanley Cup.
There have been a total of 122 different cities or team names in the AHL at one time or another. Twenty seven different cities have had a team win the Calder Cup. Of the eight original franchises only two still exist, albeit under different names - The Providence/Rhode Island Reds are now the Connecticut Whale and the Springfield Indians are currently the Peoria Rivermen. The Hershey Bears were the first expansion franchise in 1938 and are the only franchise to have operated continuously since that time in the same city with the same name. The Hershey Bears have won a total of eleven championships, the most in the History of the AHL and Calder Cup.
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Showing posts with label History. Show all posts
Showing posts with label History. Show all posts
Tuesday, 23 October 2012
Tuesday, 16 October 2012
Hockey Sticks, History and Evolution
Hockey sticks have evolved substantially from the early days of the game. These first sticks were hand carved in one piece by the Nova Scotia Mi'kmaq people from the Hornbeam or "Ironwood" tree. Later, as the Hornbeam stocks were depleted, the Mi'kmaq turned to yellow birch or ash to produce their hockey sticks as these hardwoods have similar characteristics to the Hornbeam.
By the 1920's sticks were crafted almost exclusively from ash. Although durable they were very heavy and cumbersome. The first major innovation in the manufacture of hockey sticks didn't come about until the 40's when the laminated stick was created. Fiberglass was added to the lamination process inagel vietnam lua dao
Unicity vietnam lừa đảo the 1960's thus greatly improving the flexibility and durability of the sticks. Manufacturers began to experiment with metal alloys in the 1980's and produced aluminum sticks constructed in one piece. These proved to be unpopular with players because they lacked the necessary "feel". This problem was resolved by adding a wooden blade to the aluminum shaft. Today, wooden and aluminum sticks are being replaced by much lighter but far more expensive composites such as fiberglass and graphite or carbon fiber. Titanium and Kevlar are also being used. These composite sticks can cost more than $200.00 while the wooden varieties are in the $40.00 range.
Hockey players in the 1950's and 60's discovered that the more curved the stick blade, the more erratic the shot. They would "soak" the blade of the stick to make them more flexible and then impart a bend as severe as 3". These extreme curves did, however limit the player's ability to handle the puck and made accurate passing more difficult. Today's sticks are legally limited to a curve of no more than 3/4 of an inch. The location of the curve also makes a difference - a heel curve is generally preferred by the defencemen because it provides for a harder slap shot whereas forwards will usually favor a toe curve as it allows for more accurate wrist shots and better stick handling.
The length of the hockey stick will be determined by the size of the players themselves. Actual size restrictions for both regular sticks and goalie sticks are found in the hockey rulebook. The angle of the blade to the shaft called the "lie" is also determined by the size and stance of the player. The greater the "lie" the straighter the stick will stand. Another variable is the angle of the face of the blade itself. The greater the angle, the higher the trajectory of the shot. Flex is another determining factor in the choice of a stick. Defencemen might choose a stiffer stick while forwards will prefer a more flexible stick. Sticks are also manufactured as either left or right handed.
Players also like to apply tape to their sticks both to improve the longevity and the playability. First a "knob" is created at the top of the stick to improve the grip while skating, passing and shooting. This also makes it easier to pick the stick off the ice if it has been dropped or knocked away. The blade of the stick is also taped allowing for more "cushioning" when passing and greater friction when shooting.
For young hockey players the biggest mistake they can make is choosing a stick that is either too short or too long. To determine the proper length the player must stand upright in their skates. With the toe of the blade on the ice and the shaft of the stick coming straight up the body, the top of the stick should come to shoulder height or the centre of the top of the chest. A stick too long will impair both skating and stick handling and one too short will result in weaker shots.
The technology used in the manufacture of hockey sticks has come a long way since the days of the hand carved Mi'kmaq sticks. When selecting a stick it is important to take into consideration all the different components that determine the best fit for you. Your hockey stick goes a long way in determining how well you play the game.
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By the 1920's sticks were crafted almost exclusively from ash. Although durable they were very heavy and cumbersome. The first major innovation in the manufacture of hockey sticks didn't come about until the 40's when the laminated stick was created. Fiberglass was added to the lamination process inagel vietnam lua dao
Unicity vietnam lừa đảo the 1960's thus greatly improving the flexibility and durability of the sticks. Manufacturers began to experiment with metal alloys in the 1980's and produced aluminum sticks constructed in one piece. These proved to be unpopular with players because they lacked the necessary "feel". This problem was resolved by adding a wooden blade to the aluminum shaft. Today, wooden and aluminum sticks are being replaced by much lighter but far more expensive composites such as fiberglass and graphite or carbon fiber. Titanium and Kevlar are also being used. These composite sticks can cost more than $200.00 while the wooden varieties are in the $40.00 range.
Hockey players in the 1950's and 60's discovered that the more curved the stick blade, the more erratic the shot. They would "soak" the blade of the stick to make them more flexible and then impart a bend as severe as 3". These extreme curves did, however limit the player's ability to handle the puck and made accurate passing more difficult. Today's sticks are legally limited to a curve of no more than 3/4 of an inch. The location of the curve also makes a difference - a heel curve is generally preferred by the defencemen because it provides for a harder slap shot whereas forwards will usually favor a toe curve as it allows for more accurate wrist shots and better stick handling.
The length of the hockey stick will be determined by the size of the players themselves. Actual size restrictions for both regular sticks and goalie sticks are found in the hockey rulebook. The angle of the blade to the shaft called the "lie" is also determined by the size and stance of the player. The greater the "lie" the straighter the stick will stand. Another variable is the angle of the face of the blade itself. The greater the angle, the higher the trajectory of the shot. Flex is another determining factor in the choice of a stick. Defencemen might choose a stiffer stick while forwards will prefer a more flexible stick. Sticks are also manufactured as either left or right handed.
Players also like to apply tape to their sticks both to improve the longevity and the playability. First a "knob" is created at the top of the stick to improve the grip while skating, passing and shooting. This also makes it easier to pick the stick off the ice if it has been dropped or knocked away. The blade of the stick is also taped allowing for more "cushioning" when passing and greater friction when shooting.
For young hockey players the biggest mistake they can make is choosing a stick that is either too short or too long. To determine the proper length the player must stand upright in their skates. With the toe of the blade on the ice and the shaft of the stick coming straight up the body, the top of the stick should come to shoulder height or the centre of the top of the chest. A stick too long will impair both skating and stick handling and one too short will result in weaker shots.
The technology used in the manufacture of hockey sticks has come a long way since the days of the hand carved Mi'kmaq sticks. When selecting a stick it is important to take into consideration all the different components that determine the best fit for you. Your hockey stick goes a long way in determining how well you play the game.
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