The 2012-2013 NHL regular season begins today!  …Oh wait.  Never mind.  But fear not, because while the NHL and NHLPA get their acts together, the puck is still dropping all over the country.

Ladies and gentlemen I draw your attention to: the American Hockey League (AHL).  The American Hockey League is comprised of thirty professional teams, each affiliated with a NHL franchise.  While the league is heavily based in the east, every NHL team utilizes their partnership as a primary development tool for their young drafted players.  Several players from every NHL franchise were assigned to affiliate AHL teams just before the player lockout went into affect on September 16.  While seasoned players are left to their own devices to keep their skills up without coach contact or facility usage, players like Jimmy Hayes, Nick Leddy, Dylan Olsen, Andrew Shaw, and Ben Smith of the Chicago Blackhawks, can continue to play through the lockout with the Rockford IceHogs.

Just a snapshot of the AHL teams.

Find your team in the AHL team directory for a full list of teams and affiliates.

Chicago fans can find more information about teams and tickets close to home below.

The Chicago Wolves are the AHL affiliate team of the Vancouver Canucks.  So if you can get past the idea that you are cheering on the future Sedins and Luongos of the hockey world, you might have a heck of a time out in Rosemont.

They actually have a great “Fan 4 Packs” deal that includes tickets, sodas and hotdogs.  Starts out at $75 for the nosebleeds, $99 for the lower level, and so on up to $150 on the glass.

Single game tickets can also be bought through ticketmaster, the most expensive of which are under $40.

The Rockford IceHogs are the AHL affiliate team of the Chicago Blackhawks.  A lot of familiar faces out there on the ice as the Blackhawks sent 26 players to the IceHogs roster just before the player lockout went into affect.

IceHogs tickets can also be bought through ticketmaster for under $30 or $20 depending on your seats.  They also have a “Me + 3” ticket package deal for your and your friends that lowers individual ticket price by about $5.

Happy hockey season!  Whichever league you are following!