Who are the Belleville Senators and what is the AHL?

By Daniel Taylor

BELLEVILLE – Elite hockey is back in Belleville and the home opener at Yardmen Arena is fast approaching.

From left: Mark Fluhrer, Belleville’s Director, Recreation Culture & Community Services: Mayor Taso Christopher; Belleville Senators Owner Eugene Melnyk and Randy Lee, Director of Hockey Operations & Player Development, Ottawa Senators show off the Belleville Senators new jerseys. File photo by James Gaughan

The Belleville Senators will be the first pro franchise of any kind to call Belleville home and with their first home game scheduled for Nov. 1 at Yardmen Arena, there’s a lot to be excited about. But some in the community may not be familiar with the American Hockey League. So what sets the AHL apart from the Ontario Hockey League, which the Belleville Bulls played in from 1981 to 2016?

Here’s a primer to help better understand:

Who are the Belleville Senators?

The Belleville Senators are a professional team in the AHL. They begin play for the 2017–18 season as the top minor league affiliate of the NHL team, the Ottawa Senators. They were formerly the Binghamton Senators.

When will the 2017-18 season begin?

Our Belleville Senators will begin their season on the road in Laval, QC on Oct. 6 and play nine games on the road before their first home game at Yardmen Arena  Nov. 1. Renovations are ongoing.

What is the AHL?

The AHL is a 30-team professional league with teams based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary farm league for the NHL. The AHL is considered by most to be the second-best hockey league in the world.

In simple terms, think about the AHL as a feeder league, where NHL teams keep their back-up resources to develop. Much of the league is also filled with veteran players who are just shy of NHL calibre but can still compete at a pro level. AHL players are paid adults, age 20 and older and are considered professionals.

What is the AHL’s connection with the NHL?

The NHL has been partnered with the AHL since 1936 and is now comprised of 31 teams with the recent addition of a team in Las Vegas, Nevada. Each NHL team has an AHL affiliate team. While some AHL teams are privately owned, most are owned by their affiliated NHL team.

How does the OHL differ from the AHL?

Belleville’s former hockey franchise, the Belleville Bulls, was a major junior hockey team in the OHL from 1981 to 2016. The OHL is also considered a development league like the AHL, but is played at a slower pace with athletes aged 16 to 22 who still are maturing.

The AHL is a grown man’s game. Matt Tidcombe, the digital media manager for the Belleville Senators, says fans can expect to see a different level of hockey at the Yardmen Arena compared to what fans experienced with the OHL Bulls.

“This is men now, you don’t have 16 and 17-year-old kids playing against each other. Now you’ll have guys here and around the league that have played 300 plus games in the NHL and now are playing in your backyard (AHL),” said Tidcombe.

“They are more refined players, they are stronger and more physically capable. The shots are harder, the hits are bigger, the saves are better, the goals are even better! So, I think overall  it comes together as the complete package of awesome hockey.”

“At the end of the day there is a reason this is the second-best league in the world and now to have it in Belleville is pretty awesome”.

Todd Crocker, the long-time radio broadcaster for the AHL Toronto Marlies and Leafs TV, has been covering the AHL for 18 years. He doesn’t think all hockey fans see the AHL for what it really is.

“I think one of the biggest misconceptions, especially for people who follow junior hockey, is that they (fans) see the AHL almost like a penalty,” said Crocker. “(It’s) almost like you’re not good enough to make the National Hockey League and that’s not quite accurate. I prefer to say if junior (OHL) is like an undergraduate degree, then the AHL is like a master’s degree.”