Every NHL team has their AHL affiliate. Some of these AHL affiliates are located in the same city as, or close to, the NHL team. Examples of that would be the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Marlies, the San Jose Sharks and the Barracuda, the Calgary Flames and the Wranlgers, and a few more.
However, there are other situations where the affiliates are more than 1,000 miles apart from each other. States and provinces separate some teams, while others are on opposite sides of the border.
Here are the three longest distances between NHL and AHL affiliates.
1. Edmonton Oilers And Bakersfield Condors - 1,284 Miles
The distance between the Edmonton Oilers and Bakersfield Condors is the biggest between an NHL and AHL affiliate in the entire league. Between the two cities is about 1,284 flying miles. That’s around four-and-a-half times the Grand Canyon.
Edmonton is the capital city of Alberta, located in the mid-west of Canada. Bakersfield is in California, on the west coast of the U.S. This city is further south than San Jose and San Francisco, making travel by plane over three hours long.
2. Tampa Bay Lightning And Syracuse Crunch - 1,098 Miles
The Syracuse Crunch has been around since 1994-95 and has been the AHL affiliate of the Tampa Bay Lightning since the 2011-12 season. Since then, they’ve been the home to coach Jon Cooper, Nikita Kucherov, Andrei Vasilevskiy, and several other individuals who have made great impacts in the NHL.
Between Tampa, Fla., and Syracuse, N.Y. is 1,098 miles, the second-longest distance among the two affiliates. The travel time between the two cities is nearly three hours. A shorter flight than Edmonton to Bakersfield, but still not an easy trip for a call-up.
3. Seattle Kraken And Coachella Valley Firebirds - 1,011 Miles
The latest NHL expansion team and one of the newest NHL franchises, the Seattle Kraken and the Coachella Valley Firebirds, make up the third-longest distance between league affiliates.
The Kraken are based in Seattle, Wash., while the Firebirds are located in Palm Desert, Calif. The distance between the two clubs and cities is about 1,011 miles and is around the same flight time from Tampa to Syracuse, just under three hours.
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