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The All-American Hockey League was founded in 2009. It is the lowest rung of professional hockey in North America. The players are paid about $50 a game, plus some pizza, if ownership has the money to pay them. Their unstable, underfunded teams are a great source of jokes among hockey fans in the know. Last year, the AAHL had a team in nearby Madison, and the product on the ice was halfway decent. Off the ice, it's another story. www.aahlhockey.com
The AAHL is not to be confused with the American Hockey League (AHL) of which my beloved Milwaukee Admirals are a member. All teams in the AHL are the direct development teams to NHL teams, and the players are a phone call away from the NHL. The AHL is certainly the second-best league in North America, and arguably the second-best league in the world. The AHL has been in existence since the 1930s.
Here is the timeline of the off-ice nonsense in the AAHL.
October 2009 - The AAHL opens play with six teams: Madison (Wisconsin) Ice Muskies, Detroit Hitmen, Battle Creek (Michigan) Revolution, Chicago Blaze, Evansville (Indiana) Icemen, and Chi-Town Shooters (Dyer, Indiana).
November 2009 - The Chicago Blaze, in first place, suddenly fold. The Detroit Hitmen, a horrible team, also fold, and the league moves the Hitmen to Muskegon, Michigan and are re-named the West Michigan Blizzard.
December 2010 - Clay Lewis of Chi Town is banned for the remainder of the season and playoffs after jacking at least two Evansville players during a brawl and then attacking a linesman. The Evansville police were prepared to arrest Lewis, but the linesman declined to press charges.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQynDfRSaYU
January 2010 - The Madison Ice Muskies, in second place, fold. The AAHL finishes the rest of the season and playoffs with four teams. Evansville wins the championship.
SUMMER 2010 - Evansville decides to leave the AAHL a year earlier than planned, and move up to the International Hockey League, which then merged into the Central Hockey League. Evansville will open a 10,000 seat arena to start the 2011-12 season. The owner decided to play in the IHL/CHL in their rec rink and take the financial hit rather than go back to the unstable AAHL.
The Chi-Town Shooters fold. The West Michigan Blizzard moves to the Shooters' rink in Dyer, Indiana after an attempt to build their own rink in Muskegon falls through. The team is re-named the Indiana Blizzard.
The AAHL announces expansion teams in Lapeer, Michigan (Lapeer Loggers), Cincinnatti (Queen City Storm), and the return of the Madison Ice Muskies. The Troy (Ohio) Bruins, who are an established junior program looking for a league, also join the AAHL.
October 2010 - Madison postpones its first two home games on opening weekend. No official reason was given. The following Monday, the league announced the Ice Muskies would fold, but were eventually moved to Wooster, Ohio and renamed the Wooster Korn Kings.
November 2010 - The Wooster Korn Kings fold after playing only five games (2-3-0).
December 2010 - Two Indiana Blizzard weekend home games are postponed. No official reason is given, but a snowstorm is the logical reason. Rumors then surface that the ownership has run out of money.
A game the following weekend is postponed. and the league finally acknowledges the team ownership is having problems. The league is currently trying to resolve the problem during the Christmas break.
The Lapeer Loggers players refused to take the ice during a game last weekend because they were not paid for several weeks. A standing-room -only crowd of 1,200 packed Lapeer's rec rink for the game because the Stanley Cup was on display. The ownership paid the players, and the players went ahead and played.
The AAHL is not to be confused with the American Hockey League (AHL) of which my beloved Milwaukee Admirals are a member. All teams in the AHL are the direct development teams to NHL teams, and the players are a phone call away from the NHL. The AHL is certainly the second-best league in North America, and arguably the second-best league in the world. The AHL has been in existence since the 1930s.
Here is the timeline of the off-ice nonsense in the AAHL.
October 2009 - The AAHL opens play with six teams: Madison (Wisconsin) Ice Muskies, Detroit Hitmen, Battle Creek (Michigan) Revolution, Chicago Blaze, Evansville (Indiana) Icemen, and Chi-Town Shooters (Dyer, Indiana).
November 2009 - The Chicago Blaze, in first place, suddenly fold. The Detroit Hitmen, a horrible team, also fold, and the league moves the Hitmen to Muskegon, Michigan and are re-named the West Michigan Blizzard.
December 2010 - Clay Lewis of Chi Town is banned for the remainder of the season and playoffs after jacking at least two Evansville players during a brawl and then attacking a linesman. The Evansville police were prepared to arrest Lewis, but the linesman declined to press charges.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQynDfRSaYU
January 2010 - The Madison Ice Muskies, in second place, fold. The AAHL finishes the rest of the season and playoffs with four teams. Evansville wins the championship.
SUMMER 2010 - Evansville decides to leave the AAHL a year earlier than planned, and move up to the International Hockey League, which then merged into the Central Hockey League. Evansville will open a 10,000 seat arena to start the 2011-12 season. The owner decided to play in the IHL/CHL in their rec rink and take the financial hit rather than go back to the unstable AAHL.
The Chi-Town Shooters fold. The West Michigan Blizzard moves to the Shooters' rink in Dyer, Indiana after an attempt to build their own rink in Muskegon falls through. The team is re-named the Indiana Blizzard.
The AAHL announces expansion teams in Lapeer, Michigan (Lapeer Loggers), Cincinnatti (Queen City Storm), and the return of the Madison Ice Muskies. The Troy (Ohio) Bruins, who are an established junior program looking for a league, also join the AAHL.
October 2010 - Madison postpones its first two home games on opening weekend. No official reason was given. The following Monday, the league announced the Ice Muskies would fold, but were eventually moved to Wooster, Ohio and renamed the Wooster Korn Kings.
November 2010 - The Wooster Korn Kings fold after playing only five games (2-3-0).
December 2010 - Two Indiana Blizzard weekend home games are postponed. No official reason is given, but a snowstorm is the logical reason. Rumors then surface that the ownership has run out of money.
A game the following weekend is postponed. and the league finally acknowledges the team ownership is having problems. The league is currently trying to resolve the problem during the Christmas break.
The Lapeer Loggers players refused to take the ice during a game last weekend because they were not paid for several weeks. A standing-room -only crowd of 1,200 packed Lapeer's rec rink for the game because the Stanley Cup was on display. The ownership paid the players, and the players went ahead and played.
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