On Monday, the AHL Board of Governors approved the relocation of the Stockton Heat, the AHL affiliate of the Calgary Flames, to Calgary, Alberta, beginning in the 2022-23 season.
This move will end Stockton’s eight years at the Stockton Arena, which relocated in 2015 when they were known as the Adirondack Thunder. The Canadian teams in the NHL now have six of seven teams close by, with the exception of the Edmonton Oilers, whose team is located in Bakersfield, California, known as the Bakersfield Condors.
The Heat finished last in attendance with an average of 1,713 fans per game. Their biggest crowd was when they averaged 4,647 fans in their first year, putting them 22nd in the league. Currently, the Heat are in the Pacific Division Finals leading the Colorado Eagles 1-0 in the series. It’s the second time the team has made the playoffs.
Their first playoff appearance was in 2017 when they lost to the San Jose Barracuda three games to two in the first round of the AHL playoffs. Forward Matthew Phillips scored the most goals in Heat history (67), while forward Glenn Gawdin had the most assists (102).
