The Abbotsford Heat schedule will contain plenty of Canadian content for the 2009-10 season.

The American Hockey League announced its divisional and conference alignments on Tuesday, and the first-year Abbotsford franchise finds itself in the North Division of the Western Conference.

The realigned North Division features all four Canadian AHL teams. Along with the Heat, the seven-team loop also includes the Manitoba Moose (farm team of the Vancouver Canucks), the Hamilton Bulldogs (Montreal Canadiens) and the Toronto Marlies (Toronto Maple Leafs).

“From a marketing perspective, there is an element of excitement,” Heat president Tom Mauthe acknowledged. “It always seems to be a little bit sweeter when you have the Canadian teams aligned divisionally. It’s only a good thing.”

The other teams in the North Division are the Grand Rapids Griffins (Detroit Red Wings), Lake Erie Monsters (Colorado Avalanche) and Rochester Americans (Florida Panthers).

The 2009-10 AHL regular season will begin on Oct. 2, and the complete schedule will be announced later this summer.

The balance of the AHL divisional alignment is as follows.

n Atlantic Division

Bridgeport Sound Tigers (NYI)

Hartford Wolf Pack (NYR)

Lowell Devils (NJ)

Manchester Monarchs (LA)

Portland Pirates (BUF)

Providence Bruins (BOS)

Springfield Falcons (EDM)

Worcester Sharks (SJ)

n East Division

Adirondack Phantoms (PHI)

Albany River Rats (CAR)

Binghamton Senators (OTT)

Hershey Bears (WSH)

Norfolk Admirals (TB)

Syracuse Crunch (CBJ)

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (PIT)

n West Division

Chicago Wolves (ATL)

Houston Aeros (MIN)

Milwaukee Admirals (NSH)

Peoria Rivermen (STL)

Rockford IceHogs (CHI)

San Antonio Rampage (PHX)

Texas Stars (DAL)