In a major overhaul, the American Hockey League announced on Thursday that it will relocate five franchises to various cities throughout California, forming an entirely new division that will be in place in time for the 2015-16 season.
The move eliminates the geographical challenges faced by western NHL franchises like the Sharks and Kings, who have been shipping players across the country to their East Coast feeder affiliates for years.
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“The immense growth of the game of hockey in the state of California shows that hockey fans here love the game and they support it,” Sharks chief operating officer John Tortora said in a statement.
In total, five AHL teams are moving closer to their parent clubs and will comprise a new Pacific Division.
• Sharks affiliate in Worcester, Mass., will move to San Jose, playing in the same arena as its parent club.
• Flames affiliate in Glens Falls, N.Y., will move to Stockton.
• Ducks affiliate in Norfolk, Va., will move to San Diego.
• Oilers affiliate in Oklahoma City will move to Bakersfield.
• Kings affiliate in Manchester, N.H., will move to Ontario.
The Ducks will purchase the AHL team in Norfolk before the relocation, while the other four NHL franchises already owned their minor league affiliates.
The AHL will undergo a league-wide division restructure as part of the shift.