The American Hockey League (AHL) is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental league for the National Hockey League (NHL). Since the 201011 season, every team in the league has an affiliation agreement with one NHL team. When NHL teams do not have an AHL affiliate, players are assigned to AHL teams affiliated with other NHL teams. Twenty-six AHL teams are located in the United States and the remaining four are in Canada. The league offices are located in Springfield, Massachusetts, and its current president is David Andrews.

The annual playoff champion is awarded the Calder Cup, named for Frank Calder, the first President (19171943) of the NHL. The reigning champions are the Grand Rapids Griffins.

The AHL traces its origins directly to two predecessor professional leagues: the Canadian-American Hockey League (the "Can-Am" League), founded in 1926, and the first International Hockey League, established in 1929. Although the Can-Am League never operated with more than six teams, the departure of the Boston Bruin Cubs after the 193536 season reduced it down to just four member clubs Springfield Indians, Philadelphia Ramblers, Providence Reds, and New Haven Eagles for the first time in its history. At the same time, the then-rival IHL lost half of its eight members after the 193536 season, also leaving it with just four member teams: Buffalo Bisons, Syracuse Stars, Pittsburgh Hornets and Cleveland Falcons. What are the answers to this following set of questions: 1. how big is the AHL
2. how many are in the united states
3. what is awarded at the anual playoff
4. whaen was canadianAmerican hockey league founded
5. how many teams did it operate with
6. what were the 4 member clubs
7. who is current president
8. who are the reigning champions
9. how many players were lost after the 1935- 36 season
10. are they based in us
11. what was established in 1929
12. what does AHL stand for
13. Is this Ice Hockey
14. who was calder cup named after
15. are there 31 teams
16. was can-am established in 1929
17. what does NHL stand for
18. what years were frank calder alive
19. does cananda serve as a primary league
20. are there 30 teams
Answer: 1. 30 teams
2. Twenty-six
3. Calder Cup
4. 1926
5. never more than six teams,
6. Springfield Indians, Philadelphia Ramblers, Providence Reds, and New Haven Eagles
7. David Andrews
8. Grand Rapids Griffins
9. 4 members
10. no
11. International Hockey League,
12. The American Hockey League
13. Yes
14. Frank Calder,
15. No
16. No
17. National Hockey League
18. 19171943
19. Yes
20. Yes

(CNN)The passing of Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah Bin Abdul-Aziz may not have come as a surprise -- his health had deteriorated in recent years -- but until the very end, the monarch was determined to leave an indelible imprint on the throne by articulating and implementing a clear vision for the country.

Abdullah also seemed to possess the political acumen necessary to adjust to the changing needs and increased political awareness of the Saudi populace, as well as to the shifting political realities in the Middle East and elsewhere.

Abdullah didn't officially ascend until 2005, but he had been the de facto king since 1995, when his predecessor and half-brother Fahd's health started failing. It was Abdullah who had to steady the ship during the tumultuous aftermath of the September 11 attacks on the United States and subsequent terrorist attacks inside the kingdom in 2003 and 2004.

The specter of terrorism not only forced some to question the foundation of Saudi Arabia's "special" relationship with the US, but also posed a serious threat to the stability of the regime by challenging its Islamic bona fides on which its entire claim to legitimacy rests.

Although it was the late Interior Minister Naif Bin Abdulaziz and his successor who devised the kingdom's multi-pronged counter-terrorism strategy -- part security operation, part public awareness campaign -- that largely contained the threat from al Qaeda, Abdullah's resoluteness and assurances to Saudis and the international community should not be underestimated.

Many might remember Abdullah for his foreign policy initiatives, including his plan for comprehensive peace between Israel and its Arab neighbors -- adopted first by the Arab League in 2002 and then again 2007 -- or his efforts to foster interfaith understanding by sponsoring international forums aimed at bringing together followers of various religions to stress their shared values, as his meeting with Pope Benedict in 2009 illustrated. What are the answers to this following set of questions: 1. what did Abdullan possess?
2. what did he need this for?
3. was his death a surprise?
4. why not?
5. when did he come to power?
6. when did it become offical?
7. who came up with the counter terrorism plan?
8. what were the parts of this plan?
9. what was Abdullahs goal until the end?
10. how did he want to do this?
11. who was ruler before him?
12. what might many remember Abdullah for?
13. what plan did this include?
14. what else?
15. who did he meet with in 2009?
16. what did this show?
17. how did he do this?
Answer:
1. political acumen
2. to adjust to the changing needs and increased political awareness of the Saudi populac
3. no
4. his health had deteriorated in recent years
5. 1995
6. 2005
7. Interior Minister Naif Bin Abdulaziz
8. part security operation, part public awareness campaign
9. to leave an indelible imprint on the throne
10. by articulating and implementing a clear vision for the country
11. Fahd
12. foreign policy intiatives
13. peace between Israel and its Arab neighbors
14. his efforts to foster interfaith understanding
15. Pope Benedict
16. his efforts to foster interfaith understanding
17. by sponsoring international forums