TheAmerican Hockey League (AHL) is a professional ice hockey league composed of 32 teams, founded in 1936. Each team may select acaptain, who has the "privilege of discussing with the referee any questions relating to interpretation of rules which may arise during the progress of a game."[1] Each team is also permitted to selectalternate captains, who serve when the captain is not on the ice.[1] Captains are required to wear the letter "C" on their uniform for identification while alternate captains wear the letter "A"; both letters are 3 inches (7.6 cm) in height.
Rule 6.2 of the 2024–25 Official AHL Rulebook indicates that "[only] when the captain is not in uniform, the coach shall have the right to designate three alternate captains. This must be done prior to the start of the game."[1] Many AHL teams with a named captain select more than two alternate captains and rotate the "A"s among these players throughout the season.
Goaltenders are not permitted to serve as captains during games.[1] This rule follows that which was instituted in theNational Hockey League (NHL) in 1948 after teams complained that it tookMontreal Canadiens goaltenderBill Durnan too long to skate to talk with the officials and back to his crease.[2] As a result, no goalie has ever served as captain of an AHL team.
Thirty of the thirty-two AHL teams currently have a captain, with theBridgeport Islanders and theSan Jose Barracuda being the two exceptions. Of the thirty captains, five of them have been with their team for their entire career. The longest-tenured captain in the league isCurtis McKenzie of theTexas Stars, who has served in that role since October 15, 2021.
All thirty-two AHL teams have named at least the regulation two alternate captains. Of the eighty-four alternate captains, twenty of them have been with their team for their entire career. Teams that have named more than the regulation two alternate captains (or three in the case of teams without a captain) are required to rotate the two (or three) "A"s between those players by methods of their choosing. The current longest-tenured alternate captains in the league areJames Hamblin of theBakersfield Condors andKeaton Middleton of theColorado Eagles, who have served in those roles since the 2022–2023 season.
