Page "American Hockey League" Paragraph 12

In 2001 – 02, the AHL's membership jumped dramatically to 27 teams, mostly by the absorption of teams in six cities – Milwaukee, Chicago, Houston, Salt Lake City ( as Utah ), Winnipeg ( as Manitoba ), and Grand Rapids – from the International Hockey League when that longtime rival circuit folded after fifty-six seasons of operation ( 1945 – 2001 ).

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 as the Lake Erie Monsters ).

The Chicago Wolves ( 2002, 2008 ), Houston Aeros ( 2003 ), and Milwaukee Admirals ( 2004 ) 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.

One oddity caused by the AHL's 2001 expansion is that the league now has two teams with the same nickname: the Milwaukee Admirals and the Norfolk Admirals.

The latter team transferred to the league from the mid-level ECHL in 2000.