The American Hockey League (AHL) is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League (NHL). Since the 2010-11 season, every team in the league had an affiliation agreement with an NHL team; in the past, one or two NHL teams would not have an AHL affiliate and so assigned players to AHL teams affiliated with other NHL teams. Twenty-six AHL teams are located in the United States and the remaining four are in Canada. The league offices are located in Springfield, Massachusetts, and its current president is David Andrews.

The annual playoff champion is awarded the Calder Cup, named for Frank Calder, the first President (1917–1943) of the NHL. The current champions are the Binghamton Senators.

The AHL traces its origins directly to two predecessor professional leagues: the Canadian-American Hockey League (the "Can-Am" League), founded in 1926, and the first International Hockey League, established in 1929. Although the Can-Am League never operated with more than six teams, after the 1935–36 season it reduced down to just four member clubs – Springfield, Philadelphia, Providence, and New Haven – for the first time in its history. At the same time, the then-rival International Hockey League lost half of its eight members after the 1935–36 season, also leaving it with just four member teams: Buffalo, Syracuse, Pittsburgh, and Cleveland.

Robin Lehner (born July 24, 1991) is a Swedish professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the Binghamton Senators of the American Hockey League (AHL). He was a second-round draft pick of the National Hockey League (NHL) Ottawa Senators in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft. He was the recipient of the Jack A. Butterfield Trophy as MVP of the 2011 Calder Cup Playoffs with the champion Binghamton Senators.

Lehner started playing hockey relatively late at ten years old. He had previously played soccer. He started playing hockey with Mölndal IF, and in only seven years he became one of the top Swedish goalies in his age group. Lehner played for Frölunda until the 2008–09 season. After being drafted by the Ottawa Senators in the second round, 46th overall in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, he moved to Canada to play with the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL).

On March 29, 2010, Lehner signed a three-year entry level contract with the Ottawa Senators. Ottawa sports media have suggested that the "highly touted prospect" will provide some stability and longevity to the Senators goaltending, something the organization has rarely had since its inception.

Riku Helenius (born March 3, 1988 in Pälkäne, Finland) is a Finnish professional ice hockey goaltender who currently plays for JYP of the SM-liiga.

Helenius was selected 15th overall in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft by the Tampa Bay Lightning, partly on the strength of his silver-medal-winning performance for the Finnish national men's hockey team in the 2006 under-18 World Junior Championships. He played for Ilves during the 2006–2007 season but due to a shoulder injury only played four games.

The Seattle Thunderbirds selected Helenius with the 46th overall selection in the 2007 Canadian Hockey League Import Draft. Helenius joined the Thunderbirds roster at the start of the 2007–2008 season. In December 2007, Helenius was selected as goalie for the Finish World Junior Team in the 2008 IIHF World Junior Championships.

On October 17, 2008, Helenius was assigned to the Augusta Lynx of the ECHL. He played first NHL game on January 30, 2009 against the Philadelphia Flyers.

Played for Finland in:

Shawn Thornton (born July 23, 1977) is a Canadian professional hockey forward for the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League. He is known to be an enforcer.

Thornton grew up playing minor hockey for his hometown Oshawa Minor Generals of the OMHA's Eastern AAA League. He was drafted in the 9th round (145th overall) by the Peterborough Petes in the 1995 OHL Priority Selection, one year after being originally passed over in the draft as a Midget-aged player.

He was drafted by the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1997, 190th overall. He won the Stanley Cup in 2007 with the Anaheim Ducks and again in 2011 with the Boston Bruins.

On July 1, 2007, he became an unrestricted free agent and signed a three-year, 1.5 million dollar deal with the Boston Bruins.

With the Bruins, Thornton finally became an NHL regular, and he has become famous for taking on famous enforcers like Georges Laraque, Donald Brashear and Riley Cote. He also has his own video blog on the Bruins website.

Thornton was involved in the first fight in the history of the Winter Classic with Philadelphia Flyers agitator Daniel Carcillo on January 1, 2010 at Boston's Fenway Park.