The Tampa Bay Lightning and Syracuse Crunch have announced a five-year extension on their AHL affiliation agreement. The extension also includes a two-year option at the end of the deal.
The Lightning and Crunch have been affiliated since the 2012-13 season when the Lightning left the Norfolk Admirals. At the time, the stated reason for the move was that the Crunch are more centrally located to the Lightning’s in-season opponents. This means that when the team is on the road, there is a much better chance of being able to quickly get a call-up from the AHL to the game in time to participate.