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Albany Devils
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The Albany Devils were a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League (AHL). The top affiliate of the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League (NHL), they played their home games at the Times Union Center in Albany, New York.
Key Information
The franchise started in 1998 as the expansion Lowell Lock Monsters and played their home games in Lowell, Massachusetts. In 2006, the Devils purchased the Lock Monsters and rebranded the franchise as the Lowell Devils for the 2006–07 AHL season. Citing low attendance, the franchise was moved to Albany in 2010 and began play as the Albany Devils. This would mark the second time the New Jersey Devils have been affiliated with an AHL team in Albany; from 1993 to 2006, the Devils used the Albany River Rats as their top minor league team.
Ahead of the 2017–18 AHL season, the Devils moved to Binghamton, New York, and became the Binghamton Devils.
History
[edit]On February 10, 2010, Albany River Rats owner Walter L. Robb sold his team to MAK Hockey LLC, led by Charlotte beer distributor Michael Kahn, owner of the Charlotte Checkers of the ECHL. It was then announced that the River Rats would play the 2010–11 season as the Charlotte Checkers, and the ECHL franchise was relinquished to the league. Meanwhile, Robb, as well as members of the River Rats and Times Union Center's front office, had already begun looking for an American Hockey League team to replace the River Rats.[1][2]
On April 26, 2010, the New Jersey Devils sent Albany County a letter of intent to move their AHL affiliate to Albany, with a five-year commitment, if the county government would make specific changes to its arena.[3][4] New Jersey Devils General Manager Lou Lamoriello, in a letter to the members of the Lowell Devils Booster Club, stated that changes presented in the lease with Lowell made it "financially impossible" to stay.[5]
On May 10, 2010, the county legislature voted 35–2 to spend $1.6 million to replace the scoreboard, add ribbon board advertising, and improve exterior lighting.[6]
On June 10, 2010, the New Jersey Devils announced that they were moving the Lowell Devils to the Times Union Center in Albany beginning with the 2010–11 AHL season to play as the Albany Devils.[7] All but four of their 40 home games would be played in Albany, with the others played in Atlantic City, New Jersey, at Boardwalk Hall. Soon after that, the New Jersey Devils announced they had promoted John MacLean to fill their head coaching vacancy. MacLean had been the head coach of the Lowell Devils during the 2009–10 season.[8] In August, Rick Kowalsky was named head coach of the Albany team, with former New Jersey Devils defenseman Tommy Albelin being named the assistant coach.[9]
On January 13, 2016, the Devils won their 11th consecutive home win to set a new franchise record.[10] On April 1, 2016, the Devils broke the franchise's previous wins record, set in 2013-14, with their 41st win: an overtime victory over the Binghamton Senators.[11][12]
On April 4, 2016, the Times Union Center and its managing group SMG announced they had reached an agreement with the New Jersey Devils to extend the lease of its AHL affiliate through the 2018–19 season.[13] However, on January 25, 2017, it was reported that the Albany Devils would move to replace the departing Binghamton Senators in Binghamton, New York, in the 2017–18 season. The Binghamton Devils were announced on January 31. At the time of the announcement, the Albany Devils were drawing the lowest average attendance in the league.[14][15]
Season-by-season results
[edit]| Calder Cup Champions | Conference Champions | Division Champions | League Leader |
Records as of the end of the 2016–17 AHL season.[11]
| Regular season | Playoffs | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Games | Won | Lost | OTL | SOL | Points | PCT | Goals for |
Goals against |
Standing | Year | 1st round |
2nd round |
3rd round |
Finals |
| 2010–11 | 80 | 32 | 42 | 1 | 5 | 70 | .438 | 217 | 283 | 8th, East | 2011 | Did not qualify | |||
| 2011–12 | 76 | 31 | 34 | 6 | 5 | 73 | .480 | 190 | 226 | 5th, Northeast | 2012 | Did not qualify | |||
| 2012–13 | 76 | 31 | 32 | 1 | 12 | 75 | .493 | 193 | 225 | 4th, Northeast | 2013 | Did not qualify | |||
| 2013–14 | 76 | 40 | 23 | 5 | 8 | 93 | .612 | 220 | 193 | 2nd, Northeast | 2014 | L, 1–3, STJ | — | — | — |
| 2014–15 | 76 | 37 | 28 | 5 | 6 | 85 | .559 | 199 | 201 | 4th, Northeast | 2015 | Did not qualify | |||
| 2015–16 | 76 | 46 | 20 | 8 | 2 | 102 | .671 | 212 | 167 | 2nd, North | 2016 | W, 3–1, UTI | L, 3–4, TOR | — | — |
| 2016–17 | 76 | 39 | 32 | 2 | 3 | 83 | .546 | 204 | 206 | 3rd, North | 2017 | L, 1–3, TOR | — | — | — |
| Totals | 536 | 256 | 211 | 28 | 41 | 581 | .542 | 1435 | 1501 | 3 Playoff Appearances | |||||
Players
[edit]Team captains
[edit]- Stephen Gionta, 2010–2012
- Jay Leach, 2012–2013
- Rod Pelley, 2013–2017
References
[edit]- ^ Fitz Gerald, Chris (February 10, 2010). "River Rats on the way out of town". The Saratogian. Archived from the original on April 18, 2016. Retrieved April 7, 2016.
- ^ Sichko, Adam (February 10, 2010). "River Rats sold, relocating to N.C." American City Business Journals. Retrieved May 6, 2010.
- ^ D'Errico, Richard A. (April 30, 2010). "The Albany Devils? Times Union Center receives letter of intent". American City Business Journals. Archived from the original on May 23, 2010. Retrieved April 30, 2010.
- ^ "AHL hockey back in Albany". Times Union. June 10, 2010. Retrieved June 10, 2010.
- ^ Chere, Rich (June 1, 2010). "Lou Lamoriello told Lowell booster club it was 'financially impossible' to stay". NJ.com. Archived from the original on June 4, 2010. Retrieved June 1, 2010.
- ^ Demare, Carol (May 11, 2010). "Finances, scoreboard top county's agenda". Times Union. Retrieved May 11, 2010.
- ^ "Devils shift AHL operations to Albany". New Jersey Devils. June 10, 2010. Archived from the original on June 14, 2010. Retrieved June 10, 2010.
- ^ Marin, Eric (June 17, 2010). "Devils name MacLean as new head coach". New Jersey Devils. Retrieved June 17, 2010.
- ^ Marin, Eric (August 10, 2010). "Albany Devils announce coaching staff". Albany Devils. Archived from the original on August 19, 2010. Retrieved August 10, 2010.
- ^ "Wedgewood Posts Shutout; Devils Extend Home Streak | Albany Devils". Albany Devils. January 13, 2016. Archived from the original on February 17, 2016. Retrieved February 11, 2016.
- ^ a b "Albany Devils hockey team statistics and history". HockeyDB. Retrieved April 7, 2016.
- ^ "Overtime Victory Gives Albany Devils Another Franchise Record". OurSports Central. April 1, 2016. Retrieved September 20, 2021.
- ^ "New Jersey Devils Extend Lease With Times Union Center". Albany Devils. April 4, 2016. Archived from the original on April 7, 2016. Retrieved April 7, 2016.
- ^ "Albany Devils relocate to Binghamton, NY". New Jersey Devils. January 31, 2017. Retrieved January 31, 2017.
- ^ Dougherty, Pete (January 26, 2017). "Sources: Albany Devils leaving for Binghamton". Times Union. Retrieved February 10, 2021.
Albany Devils
View on GrokipediaBackground
Franchise origins
The franchise originated as an expansion team in the American Hockey League, founded in 1998 and named the Lowell Lock Monsters, with home games at the Tsongas Arena in Lowell, Massachusetts.[8][9] In March 2006, the New Jersey Devils organization agreed to purchase a controlling interest in the team from its previous ownership group, completing the deal by late April of that year and rebranding it as the Lowell Devils effective for the 2006–07 season to establish it as their primary minor-league affiliate.[10][11] The Lowell Devils encountered significant operational challenges during their four seasons in the city, including a sharp decline in attendance that fell more than 36 percent from 2002 to 2007, averaging just 2,293 fans per game by the 2008–09 season.[12] These issues were compounded by ongoing lease disputes and scheduling conflicts with the Tsongas Center's management, particularly with the University of Massachusetts Lowell, which controlled the venue and was unwilling or unable to provide further financial subsidies to keep the team viable.[13][14] Over its 12 seasons in Lowell from 1998 to 2010, the franchise compiled an overall record of 406 wins, 419 losses, 49 ties, 49 overtime losses, and 37 shootout losses in 960 regular-season games.[8][15]Affiliation and ownership
The Albany Devils served as the primary American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate of the National Hockey League's (NHL) New Jersey Devils from the 2010–11 season through the 2016–17 season, continuing a partnership that dated back to 2006 when the New Jersey Devils acquired the Lowell Lock Monsters franchise and relocated it to Albany in 2010.[16] This affiliation allowed for seamless player development, with the Albany team functioning as the top minor-league club for assigning prospects, injured players, and veterans from the NHL roster. The Albany Devils were fully owned and operated by the New Jersey Devils' parent organization, which controlled all hockey-related decisions, including coaching staff, player assignments, and scouting integration. Initially under owner Jeff Vanderbeek through Puck Holdings LLC until 2013, control transitioned to Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment (HBSE), led by co-owners Josh Harris and David Blitzer, who acquired a majority stake in the New Jersey Devils that year and maintained oversight of the AHL affiliate.[17] HBSE's involvement emphasized a unified organizational structure, with shared resources for talent evaluation across levels. In addition to the AHL operations, the New Jersey Devils maintained a brief ECHL affiliation with the Trenton Titans (renamed Trenton Devils in 2007) during the Albany Devils' inaugural 2010–11 season, using the club for further player conditioning and development before suspending ECHL operations after that year.[18] The affiliation structure included standard AHL player development contracts that outlined revenue sharing, such as ticket sales splits and centralized marketing, while scouting operations were jointly managed to identify and groom talent for the New Jersey Devils' system.Identity
Name, colors, and logos
The Albany Devils adopted their name in 2010 upon the relocation of the New Jersey Devils' AHL affiliate from Lowell, Massachusetts, to Albany, New York, directly incorporating the parent club's "Devils" moniker while signifying the team's new home in the state capital.[2] This branding choice honored the local Albany community, marking a return for New Jersey's top minor-league team to the region after previously affiliating with the Albany River Rats from 1993 to 2006.[19] The team's colors—red, black, and white—mirrored those of the NHL's New Jersey Devils to maintain visual consistency across the organization.[20] These hues were prominently featured in all branding elements from the team's inception through its final season in 2016–17. The primary logo, introduced for the 2010–11 season, depicted a stylized devil's head shaped to form the letter "A," evoking the team's Albany identity while echoing the fierce aesthetic of the parent club's emblem.[21] Alternate logos included script wordmarks reading "Albany Devils" in bold red lettering outlined in black and white, as well as commemorative designs such as a 2014 miscellaneous patch and throwback elements honoring local hockey history.[22] Uniform variations consisted of red home jerseys with the primary "A" devil logo on the chest, white away jerseys featuring the same crest, and black alternate jerseys introduced later in the franchise's run, all accented in the team's core colors.[23] These designs remained largely consistent from 2010 to 2017, aligning with the AHL's evolving equipment standards during that period.[24]Home arena and facilities
The Albany Devils played their home games at the Times Union Center in Albany, New York, from the 2010–11 AHL season through the 2016–17 season.[25][26] The multi-purpose arena, which opened in 1990 as Knickerbocker Arena and was renamed Times Union Center in 2006 under a naming rights agreement with the local newspaper (now known as MVP Arena), featured a hockey capacity of approximately 15,000.[27][3] The team signed an initial lease with the county-owned venue in June 2010 ahead of its inaugural season in Albany, followed by a new multi-year contract in May 2015 and a three-year extension in April 2016 that would have kept them there through the 2018–19 season.[28][29][25] In addition to game-day operations at the Times Union Center, the Devils accessed practice facilities at the nearby Albany County Hockey Facility in Colonie, New York, a dedicated ice rink built in 1990 as a USA Hockey training center with multiple sheets, locker rooms, and support amenities.[30][31] The team operated with a standard professional setup for player development, including on-site training staff and medical personnel such as a head athletic trainer responsible for injury prevention, rehabilitation, and game-day care.[32] Home game attendance averaged 2,500 to 3,500 fans per contest across the franchise's seven seasons in Albany, with figures like 3,114 in 2010–11 and 2,888 in 2016–17 placing the team consistently at or near the bottom of the AHL and adding to operational challenges.[33][34][35]History
Establishment in Albany
On June 10, 2010, the American Hockey League announced that the New Jersey Devils' affiliate, previously known as the Lowell Devils, would relocate to Albany, New York, for the 2010-11 season, following the expiration of their lease at the Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell and the failure to negotiate a renewal. The move returned AHL hockey to Albany after a four-year absence since the Albany River Rats' departure to Charlotte in 2006, capitalizing on the city's established hockey tradition and a new 10-year lease agreement with the Times Union Center. The franchise was rebranded as the Albany Devils, with all but four home games scheduled at the approximately 14,500-seat arena.[2][36][37] Preparations for the inaugural season included key staffing appointments and community engagement efforts to revive local interest. On August 10, 2010, the New Jersey Devils named Rick Kowalsky as head coach, promoting him from the ECHL's Trenton Titans, with Tommy Albelin serving as assistant coach; this marked Kowalsky's first AHL head coaching role. Community outreach began with a press conference on August 26, 2010, at the Times Union Center, where team executives outlined ticket packages and fan initiatives, including group sales promotions and partnerships with local businesses to foster excitement. The season opener on October 9, 2010, drew a crowd of over 5,000 to the Times Union Center, where the Albany Devils faced the Adirondack Phantoms in a heated Northway rivalry matchup, ultimately falling 5-3 despite a competitive effort.[38][39][40] The team encountered early challenges in building a dedicated fan base and integrating into Albany's sports landscape, which had been shaped by the popular River Rats' 17-year run as the Devils' affiliate from 1993 to 2006. Attendance averaged around 3,000 per game in the first season, hampered by the recent void left by the River Rats and competition from college hockey at the University at Albany, though efforts like affordable ticket pricing and tie-ins to the parent club's history helped gradually reconnect with longtime supporters. The 2010-11 season concluded with a 32-42-1-5 record, earning 70 points and finishing ninth in the East Division, missing the playoffs in a rebuilding year focused on establishing organizational stability.[41][42]On-ice performance and key seasons
The Albany Devils developed a prominent rivalry with the Adirondack Phantoms during the early 2010s, fueled by geographic proximity in upstate New York and contrasting NHL affiliations—Albany with the New Jersey Devils and Adirondack with the Philadelphia Flyers.[39] This matchup intensified from 2010 to 2014, with key games often drawing larger crowds due to the regional competition, such as Albany's 5-2 victory over Adirondack on January 26, 2013, before a record playoff-era attendance of over 5,700 at Times Union Center.[43] The Devils held a strong edge in the series, winning six of eight encounters that season, including high-scoring affairs like a 4-1 home triumph in February 2014 that solidified their divisional standing.[44][45] The 2013-14 season marked Albany's first playoff appearance since relocating to the city, as the team compiled a 40-23-13 record and advanced to the Calder Cup quarterfinals before falling 3-1 to the St. John's IceCaps.[46] Building on that momentum, the 2015-16 campaign represented the franchise's pinnacle, with a 46-20-10 record that earned 102 points and second place in the North Division.[47] Highlights included an 11-game home winning streak from late November 2015 to mid-January 2016, setting a club record and culminating in a 3-0 shutout of the Springfield Thunderbirds on January 13. The team advanced past St. John's in the first round (3-0) but was eliminated 4-1 by the Toronto Marlies in the conference semifinals.[48] Despite on-ice successes, the Devils struggled to build a robust fan base, averaging under 3,500 spectators per home game across their tenure, with figures dipping to 2,888 in 2016-17—the lowest in the AHL.[49] Efforts to boost attendance included targeted promotions, such as discounted ticket bundles and themed nights, which occasionally drew crowds exceeding 7,000 for marquee matchups, though regular-season turnout remained persistently low compared to league averages.[34][50] Notable off-ice achievements included head coach Rick Kowalsky receiving the Louis A.R. Pieri Memorial Award as the AHL's outstanding coach in 2016, recognizing his leadership of the team's record-setting season amid significant roster turnover.[51] The organization also contributed to community impact through charity initiatives, such as partnering with local groups for fundraisers that raised $4,000 for the Leary Firefighters Foundation and other causes in 2015, and hosting events like the 2017 Clucks and Pucks wing competition to support leukemia research.[52][53]Relocation to Binghamton
The relocation of the Albany Devils was driven by persistent financial challenges, including declining attendance and ongoing losses for their NHL parent club, the New Jersey Devils. In the 2016-17 season, the team averaged approximately 2,888 fans per home game at the Times Union Center, ranking last among all AHL franchises and contributing to multi-seven-figure annual losses for the organization.[35][54] These issues, compounded by the lack of a suitable local ownership group to assume operations, prompted the New Jersey Devils to explore relocation options following the departure of the Binghamton Senators to Belleville, Ontario.[55] On January 31, 2017, the American Hockey League's Board of Governors unanimously approved the franchise's move from Albany, New York, to Binghamton, New York, effective for the 2017-18 season, allowing the team to conclude its final campaign in Albany.[56] The 2016-17 season ended in April 2017 after a first-round Calder Cup playoff loss to the Toronto Marlies in five games, with the Albany Devils hosting Games 1 and 2 at the Times Union Center. Transition logistics included a $2 million relocation fee paid by the Binghamton ownership group to the New Jersey Devils to offset financial risks, along with oversight of operations by Binghamton Senators management under a five-year agreement extending through the 2021-22 season at Floyd L. Maines Veterans Memorial Arena.[35][55] The team was rebranded as the Binghamton Devils for its inaugural season in the new market.[57] The departure left a notable legacy in Albany, where fans demonstrated strong support during the final home games, including a playoff shutout victory in Game 1 that drew increased crowds amid the impending move. Local reactions were marked by disappointment and mourning, with dedicated supporters expressing heartbreak over the loss of professional hockey in the Capital Region after seven seasons.[58] Economically, the relocation impacted the Times Union Center and surrounding area, eliminating an estimated $11 million in annual downtown economic activity previously generated by the team.[59]Season records
Regular season summaries
The Albany Devils competed in the American Hockey League (AHL) from the 2010–11 season through the 2016–17 season, prior to their relocation. Their regular season performance is summarized in the following table, which includes games played (GP), wins (W), losses (L), overtime losses (OTL), shootout losses (SOL), points (Pts), goals for (GF), goals against (GA), and divisional standing.[1][20]| Season | GP | W | L | OTL | SOL | Pts | GF | GA | Divisional Standing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010–11 | 80 | 32 | 42 | 1 | 5 | 70 | 217 | 283 | 8th, East |
| 2011–12 | 76 | 31 | 34 | 6 | 5 | 73 | 190 | 226 | 5th, Northeast |
| 2012–13 | 76 | 31 | 32 | 1 | 12 | 75 | 193 | 225 | 4th, Northeast |
| 2013–14 | 76 | 40 | 23 | 5 | 8 | 93 | 220 | 193 | 2nd, Northeast |
| 2014–15 | 76 | 37 | 28 | 5 | 6 | 85 | 199 | 201 | 4th, Northeast |
| 2015–16 | 76 | 46 | 20 | 8 | 2 | 102 | 212 | 167 | 2nd, North |
| 2016–17 | 76 | 39 | 32 | 2 | 3 | 83 | 204 | 206 | 3rd, North |
