The following information was provided by Kristen of
The Recycled Huskies Team.

The Alaskan husky isn't really a pure breed. They are more of a type of dog. A dog is not considered an Alaskan unless he was bred by a musher specifically for mushing and is used as a sled dog, therefore it is nearly impossible to find an Alaskan at the pound outside of Alaska or places where there is a lot of mushing.

Alaskan huskies are NOT Sibe/Mal mixes. They pretty much are specially bred mixes. If there is a certian dog that could improve sled dogs, he is bred in regardless of breed. Depending on what you do, the Alaskan husky varies. I keep village dogs. This strain of Alaskan is generally larger and more muscular with thicker coats. They are slower also- my dogs can average around 6-10 mph depending on the terrain, how much we've trained, etc. Racing dogs are generally smaller, lighter, and faster. Sprint dogs have been recorded at going 30 mph while distance dogs are generally kept in the 10-12 mph range for going long distances.

Some Links of Interest

Cabela's Iditarod Coverage
More Info On the Alaskan Husky

Some of my village dogs. In front- Sherwen. On the tie-out from closest to the front of the picture to the back: Fred, Ginger, Neptune, Norman, Mitch.