American Hockey League

===Absorption of the IHL===
{{Location map+|USA|width=335|float=right
 |alt=American Hockey League 2022–23
 |caption=Locations of teams in the AHL as of the 2023–24 season. Dot colors correspond to the divisional alignment.
 |places=
  {{Location map~|USA|lat= 49.0306 |long= -122.287 |mark = Red pog.svg |marksize=8 |link=Abbotsford Canucks}}
  {{Location map~|USA|lat= 35.3721 |long= -119.013 |mark = Red pog.svg |marksize=8 |link=Bakersfield Condors}}
  {{Location map~|USA|lat= 41.1732 |long= -73.1870 |mark = Blue pog.svg |marksize=8 |link=Bridgeport Islanders}}
  {{Location map~|USA|lat= 44.1886 |long= -77.3827 |mark = Green pog.svg |marksize=8 |link=Belleville Senators}}
  {{Location map~|USA|lat= 51.0376 |long= -114.052 |mark = Red pog.svg |marksize=8 |link=Calgary Wranglers}}
  {{Location map~|USA|lat= 35.2269 |long= -80.8433 |mark = Blue pog.svg |marksize=8 |link=Charlotte Checkers}}
  {{Location map~|USA|lat= 42.0052 |long= -87.8877 |mark = Yellow pog.svg |marksize=8 |link=Chicago Wolves}}
  {{Location map~|USA|lat= 41.4963 |long= -81.6880 |mark = Green pog.svg |marksize=8 |link=Cleveland Monsters}}
  {{Location map~|USA|lat= 33.8169 |long= -116.387 |mark = Red pog.svg |marksize=8 |link=Coachella Valley Firebirds}}
  {{Location map~|USA|lat= 40.4438 |long= -104.989 |mark = Red pog.svg |marksize=8 |link=Colorado Eagles}}
  {{Location map~|USA|lat= 42.9622 |long= -85.6719 |mark = Yellow pog.svg |marksize=8 |link=Grand Rapids Griffins}}
  {{Location map~|USA|lat= 41.7625 |long= -72.6741 |mark = Blue pog.svg |marksize=8 |link=Hartford Wolf Pack}}
  {{Location map~|USA|lat= 36.0292 |long= -115.025 |mark = Red pog.svg |marksize=8 |link=Henderson Silver Knights}}
  {{Location map~|USA|lat= 40.2863 |long= -76.6691 |mark = Blue pog.svg |marksize=8 |link=Hershey Bears}}
  {{Location map~|USA|lat= 41.5926 |long= -93.6211 |mark = Yellow pog.svg |marksize=8 |link=Iowa Wild}} 
  {{Location map~|USA|lat= 45.5558 |long= -73.7218 |mark = Green pog.svg |marksize=8 |link=Laval Rocket}}
  {{Location map~|USA|lat= 40.6025 |long= -75.4727 |mark = Blue pog.svg |marksize=8 |link=Lehigh Valley Phantoms}}
  {{Location map~|USA|lat= 49.8928 |long= -97.1436 |mark = Yellow pog.svg |marksize=8 |link=Manitoba Moose}} 
  {{Location map~|USA|lat= 43.0422 |long= -87.9169 |mark = Yellow pog.svg |marksize=8 |link=Milwaukee Admirals}}
  {{Location map~|USA|lat= 34.0729 |long= -117.566 |mark = Red pog.svg |marksize=8 |link=Ontario Reign}}
  {{Location map~|USA|lat= 41.8236 |long= -71.4183 |mark = Blue pog.svg |marksize=8 |link=Providence Bruins}}
  {{Location map~|USA|lat= 43.1536 |long= -77.6107 |mark = Green pog.svg |marksize=8 |link=Rochester Americans}}
  {{Location map~|USA|lat= 42.2702 |long= -89.0960 |mark = Yellow pog.svg |marksize=8 |link=Rockford IceHogs}}
  {{Location map~|USA|lat= 32.7552 |long= -117.212 |mark = Red pog.svg |marksize=8 |link=San Diego Gulls}}
  {{Location map~|USA|lat= 37.3327 |long= -121.901 |mark = Red pog.svg |marksize=8 |link=San Jose Barracuda}}
  {{Location map~|USA|lat= 42.1022 |long= -72.5869 |mark = Blue pog.svg |marksize=8 |link=Springfield Thunderbirds}}
  {{Location map~|USA|lat= 43.0447 |long= -76.1483 |mark = Green pog.svg |marksize=8 |link=Syracuse Crunch}}
  {{Location map~|USA|lat= 30.5414 |long= -97.8202 |mark = Yellow pog.svg |marksize=8 |link=Texas Stars}}
  {{Location map~|USA|lat= 43.6356 |long= -79.4150 |mark = Green pog.svg |marksize=8 |link=Toronto Marlies}}
  {{Location map~|USA|lat= 32.2183 |long= -110.974 |mark = Red pog.svg |marksize=8 |link=Tucson Roadrunners}}
  {{Location map~|USA|lat= 43.1049 |long= -75.2335 |mark = Green pog.svg |marksize=8 |link=Utica Comets}}
  {{Location map~|USA|lat= 41.2404 |long= -75.8485 |mark = Blue pog.svg |marksize=8 |link=Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins}}
}}
In 2001–02, the AHL's membership jumped dramatically to 27 teams, mostly by the absorption of six teams—[[Milwaukee Admirals|Milwaukee]], [[Chicago Wolves|Chicago]], [[Houston Aeros (1994–2013)|Houston]], [[Utah Grizzlies (1995–2005)|Utah]], [[Manitoba Moose|Manitoba]], and [[Grand Rapids Griffins|Grand Rapids]]—from the [[International Hockey League (1945–2001)|International Hockey League]]. The IHL had established itself as the second top-level minor league circuit in North America, but folded in 2001 due to financial problems. One oddity caused by the AHL's 2001 expansion was that the league had two teams with the same nickname: the Milwaukee Admirals and the [[Norfolk Admirals (AHL)|Norfolk Admirals]]. The latter team transferred to the league from the mid-level [[ECHL]] in 2000. This situation lasted until the end of the 2014–15 season when the Norfolk team moved to San Diego and was replaced by another ECHL team with the same name.

The Utah Grizzlies suspended operations after the 2004–05 season (the franchise was sold in 2006 and returned to the ice in Cleveland in [[2007–08 AHL season|2007]] as the Lake Erie Monsters, now known as the [[Cleveland Monsters]]). The Chicago Wolves ([[2002 Calder Cup playoffs|2002]], [[2008 Calder Cup playoffs|2008]]), Houston Aeros ([[2003 Calder Cup playoffs|2003]]), Milwaukee Admirals ([[2004 Calder Cup playoffs|2004]]), and Grand Rapids Griffins ([[2013 Calder Cup playoffs|2013]], [[2017 Calder Cup playoffs|2017]]) have all won Calder Cup titles since joining the AHL from the IHL. Chicago and Milwaukee have also made multiple trips to the Calder Cup Finals, and Houston made their second Finals appearance in 2011.

The Manitoba Moose moved to [[St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador]] in 2011 and were renamed the [[St. John's IceCaps]] after the NHL's [[Atlanta Thrashers]] moved to Winnipeg as the second incarnation of the [[Winnipeg Jets]]. In 2013, Houston moved to Des Moines, Iowa to become the [[Iowa Wild]]. This left Chicago, Grand Rapids and Milwaukee as the only ex-IHL teams still in their original cities until the 2015 relocations when the IceCaps moved back to Winnipeg as the Manitoba Moose.