During the American Hockey League's spring meetings this week, the various members of the Board of Governors agreed upon a new alignment for the league for next season. It was a necessary evil, with six teams (20% of the league) beginning operations in new homes, to better align with the locations of the teams' NHL parent clubs. Many teams managed to survive the shuffle without many differences, but the Toronto Marlies weren't one of them.
A New Conference
For the first time in their eleven year history, the Marlies will play in the Eastern Conference. This seems weird to fans who are used to the Leafs playing in the East, but the league has been historically filled by teams in New York, New England, and Pennsylvania.