The team was based in Stockton, California, and was affiliated with the National Hockey League (NHL) Calgary Flames.

The team had played the entire 2020–21 season in Calgary due to the COVID-19 pandemic restricting cross-border travel.

The team held a name-the-team contest[1] and announced the five finalists as the Blaze, Fire, Heat, Inferno and Scorch on February 24, 2015.

The Heat's initial five-year lease with the city to use Stockton Arena expired, but a one-season extension was signed in February 2020.

[4] The start of the 2020–21 AHL season was then postponed and eventually led to the creation of temporary Canadian Division due to border crossing restrictions amidst the ongoing pandemic.