Lowell Devils | |
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City | Lowell, Massachusetts |
League | American Hockey League |
Operated | 1998–2010 |
Home arena | Tsongas Center |
Colors | Red, black, white |
Owner(s) | New Jersey Devils |
Affiliates | New York Islanders (1998–2001) Los Angeles Kings (2000–2001) Carolina Hurricanes (2001–2006) Calgary Flames (2003–2005) Colorado Avalanche (2005–2006) New Jersey Devils (2006–2010) |
Franchise history | |
1998–2006 | Lowell Lock Monsters |
2006–2010 | Lowell Devils |
2010–2017 | Albany Devils |
2017–2021 | Binghamton Devils |
2021–present | Utica Comets |
Championships | |
Division titles | 2: (1998–99, 2001–02) |
The Lowell Devils were a minor league ice hockey team in the American Hockey League playing in Lowell, Massachusetts, at the Tsongas Center. As their name implied, they were the top minor league affiliate of the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League. The team was founded in 1998 as the Lowell Lock Monsters and was purchased by the Devils in 2006.
After the 2009–10 season, the Devils agreed to move the Lowell franchise to Albany, New York, where their previous AHL affiliate, the Albany River Rats, had played. The new team then became the Albany Devils.
Founded as the Lowell Lock Monsters in 1998, the team served as the top AHL affiliate of the New York Islanders for three seasons, the last of which was shared with the Los Angeles Kings. In 2001, the team became the AHL affiliate of the Carolina Hurricanes, serving in that capacity for five seasons, portions of which the affiliation was shared with the Calgary Flames and Colorado Avalanche.
The team was purchased by the New Jersey Devils in 2006 and took the Devils' name for the start of the 2006–07 season. In effect, the Devils' move was an affiliate swap as the Hurricanes contracted with the Devils' former affiliate in Albany. In Lowell, the Devils averaged 2,293 fans per game during the 2008–09 season while receiving the AHL Excellence Award for the Eastern Conference for group sales. [1]
In February 2010, the University of Massachusetts Lowell took ownership of the Tsongas Center from the City of Lowell. [2] Negotiations began between the University and the Devils for a lease extension, with the current lease set to expire at the end of the 2009–10 season. They could not come to an agreement and the Devils explored other options. They eventually struck an agreement with Albany, who was to lose the River Rats after the Hurricanes elected to move their top minor league affiliate to Charlotte, North Carolina, as the Charlotte Checkers. Following the season, the Lowell Devils ceased to exist. [3]
Season | Games | Won | Lost | Tied | OTL | SOL | Points | Goals for | Goals against | Standing |
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1998–99 | 80 | 33 | 32 | 13 | 2 | — | 81 | 219 | 237 | 1st, Atlantic |
1999–00 | 80 | 33 | 36 | 7 | 4 | — | 77 | 228 | 240 | 3rd, Atlantic |
2000–01 | 80 | 35 | 35 | 5 | 5 | — | 80 | 225 | 244 | 4th, New England |
2001–02 | 80 | 41 | 25 | 11 | 3 | — | 96 | 229 | 209 | 1st, North |
2002–03 | 80 | 19 | 51 | 7 | 3 | — | 48 | 175 | 275 | 5th, North |
2003–04 | 80 | 32 | 36 | 6 | 6 | — | 76 | 208 | 242 | 6th, Atlantic |
2004–05 | 80 | 47 | 27 | 5 | 1 | — | 100 | 242 | 190 | 3rd, Atlantic |
2005–06 | 80 | 29 | 37 | — | 6 | 8 | 72 | 222 | 257 | 5th, Atlantic |
2006–07 | 80 | 38 | 30 | — | 6 | 6 | 88 | 212 | 220 | 5th, Atlantic |
2007–08 | 80 | 25 | 43 | — | 7 | 5 | 62 | 183 | 270 | 7th, Atlantic |
2008–09 | 80 | 35 | 36 | — | 2 | 7 | 79 | 213 | 243 | 6th, Atlantic |
2009–10 | 80 | 39 | 31 | — | 4 | 6 | 88 | 239 | 232 | 4th, Atlantic |
Season | 1st round | 2nd round | 3rd round | Finals |
---|---|---|---|---|
1999 | L, 0–3, Saint John | — | — | — |
2000 | W, 3–0, Saint John | L, 0–4, Providence | — | — |
2001 | L, 1–3, Worcester | — | — | — |
2002 | L, 2–3, St. John's | — | — | — |
2003 | Did not qualify | |||
2004 | Did not qualify | |||
2005 | W, 4–2, Hartford | L, 1–4, Providence | — | — |
2006 | Did not qualify | |||
2007 | Did not qualify | |||
2008 | Did not qualify | |||
2009 | Did not qualify | |||
2010 | L, 1–4, Worcester | — | — | — |
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Affiliates
The American Hockey League (AHL) is a professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental league for the National Hockey League (NHL). For the 2023–24 season, 31 of the 32 NHL teams have official affiliations with an AHL team, with only the Carolina Hurricanes having no such affiliation. When NHL teams do not have an AHL affiliate, players are assigned to AHL teams affiliated with other NHL franchises. Twenty-six AHL teams are located across the United States whereas the remaining six are situated in Canada. The league offices are located in Springfield, Massachusetts, and its current president is Scott Howson.
John Gillies Mark Grahame is an American former professional ice hockey goaltender who played in the National Hockey League with the Boston Bruins, Tampa Bay Lightning and Carolina Hurricanes. He won the Stanley Cup with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2004.
The Albany River Rats were a minor league professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They played in Albany, New York at the Times Union Center.
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The Sutter family, originally from Viking, Alberta, Canada, are one of the most famous families in the National Hockey League (NHL). Six brothers: Brent, Brian, Darryl, Duane, Rich and Ron, reached the NHL in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Four brothers, Brian, Duane, Darryl and Brent, have gone on to become coaches and general managers as well, with Brian, Darryl, and Brent each having a stint as head coach of the Calgary Flames. All brothers played for either the Chicago Blackhawks or the St. Louis Blues at one point or another. A seventh brother named Gary is said by his brothers to have been the best hockey player of all seven boys. Rather than making his living as a hockey player, Gary stayed home to work on the family farm, as Rich remarked on an episode of the Canadian sports show Off the Record.
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