SPRINGFIELD, Mass. … The American Hockey League today released the complete schedule of regular-season games for the 2012-13 season, the league’s 77th year of operation. The season, comprising 1,140 games, begins on Fri., Oct. 12 and concludes on Sun., Apr. 21; each of the league’s 30 clubs will play 76 games, 38 at home and 38 on the road.

Some highlights of the 2012-13 schedule:

• The 2012-13 regular season opens with seven games on Oct. 12, including the Norfolk Admirals opening defense of their Calder Cup championship at home against the Worcester Sharks. The Toronto Marlies, defending Western Conference champions, begin their season hosting Rochester on Oct. 13.

• There are two NHL affiliation changes heading into the new season, with Norfolk now the top affiliate of the Anaheim Ducks and the Syracuse Crunch taking over as the top development team for the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Crunch, many members of whom won the Calder Cup with Norfolk last season, make two trips to Scope Arena in 2012-13, visiting Norfolk on Jan. 4-5 and again on Mar. 29-30.

• Two outdoor games are on the 2012-13 AHL schedule: On Dec. 30, the Grand Rapids Griffins will take on the Toronto Marlies at Comerica Park in Detroit, part of the Hockeytown Winter Festival leading up to the 2013 NHL Winter Classic. And on Jan. 20, the Hershey Bears, as part of the celebration of the franchise’s 75th AHL season, will host the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins at Hersheypark Stadium.

• In addition to the outdoor game in Detroit, six NHL arenas – Montreal’s Bell Centre, St. Paul’s Xcel Energy Center, Washington’s Verizon Center, Toronto’s Air Canada Centre, Raleigh’s PNC Arena and Philadelphia’s Wells Fargo Center – are all scheduled to host AHL action this season.

• The 2013 Dunkin’ Donuts AHL All-Star Classic will take place Jan. 27-28 in Providence, R.I.

• There are three nights on which all 30 AHL teams are in action: Sat., Mar. 23, Fri., Apr. 19 and Sat., Apr. 20.

The 2013 Calder Cup Playoffs will once again see eight teams from each conference qualify for the postseason: the three division winners plus the next five teams with the best records.

The American Hockey League was officially born in 1936 when the Canadian-American Hockey League and the International Hockey League merged to form the International-American Hockey League (the “International” would be dropped from the league’s name in 1940). The AHL continues to serve as the top development league for the players, coaches, managers, executives and broadcasters of all 30 National Hockey League teams. More than 88 percent of today’s NHL players are American Hockey League graduates, and for the 11th year in a row, more than 6 million fans attended AHL games across North America in 2011-12. Through the years, the AHL has been home to more than 100 future members of the Hockey Hall of Fame.

The entire 2012-13 AHL regular season schedule is available for viewing here.