Flames AHL affiliate team based in California to relocate to Calgary

The Stockton Heat, an affiliate team of the Calgary Flames, is heading north starting next season.

The Heat have been based in Stockton, Calif., since 2015, as part of the American Hockey League (AHL), a developmental league for the National Hockey League (NHL).

The Flames affiliate was previously called the Adirondack Flames. In California, the team played its games at the Stockton Arena, which can host close to 10,000 hockey fans.

Like the Flames, the Heat is currently in the midst of a playoff run of its own, having reached the third round of the AHL playoffs. The team will face the Colorado Eagles in game one of that series tonight.

BRINGING THE HEAT