Albany River Rats
| Company type | Professional minor league ice hockey team |
|---|---|
| Industry | Ice hockey |
| Founded | 1993 |
| Defunct | 2010 |
| Fate | Relocated and became Charlotte Checkers |
| Successor | Albany Devils (2010–2017) |
| Headquarters | Albany , United States |
Area served | Albany, New York |
| Products | Ice hockey team |
| Owner | MAK Hockey, LLC (from early 2010) |
The Albany River Rats were a professional minor league ice hockey team competing in the American Hockey League, located in Albany, New York. Their home games took place at the MVP Arena (previously known as Times Union Center).
Prior to the franchise establishment
Before the early 1990s, Albany did not possess a suitable indoor ice rink nor a professional minor league hockey team. Efforts to launch teams in nearby cities such as Schenectady and Troy were unsuccessful.
The debut of the Knickerbocker Arena in downtown Albany in 1990 significantly altered the local hockey landscape. During this period, announcements were made regarding the Global Hockey League, an ambitious cross-continental league aiming to rival the NHL with franchises across North America and Europe. Among its initial teams was the Albany Admirals, owned by entrepreneur Joseph O'Hara, who secured a lease at Knickerbocker Arena and garnered commitments for over 3,000 season tickets. However, disagreements between O'Hara and the league’s founders led to his withdrawal by May 1990. Although the league postponed its inaugural season by a year, it ultimately never launched.
Shift from Islanders affiliation to River Rats
On March 22, 2006, following the conclusion of the 2005–06 AHL season, the Devils terminated their partnership with the River Rats and acquired the Lowell Lock Monsters as their new development affiliate. Despite this change, the River Rats continued to operate in Albany. In April 2006, the Carolina Hurricanes entered into a one-year affiliation agreement with Albany, including options for extension, effectively exchanging AHL partners since Lowell had previously served as Carolina’s primary affiliate. Subsequently, the Colorado Avalanche joined Carolina in a shared one-year affiliation. On February 22, 2007, Albany extended its relationship with Carolina through the end of the 2008–09 season.
On April 24, 2008, Albany was defeated 3–2 by the Philadelphia Phantoms in what became the longest game in AHL history at that time. Ryan Potulny scored just under three minutes into the fifth overtime period. The River Rats faced an onslaught of 101 shots against goaltender Michael Leighton, who impressively stopped 98 attempts.
Bus accident in 2009
On February 19, 2009, while returning from a game in Lowell, the team’s bus crashed on Interstate 90 near Becket, Massachusetts, resulting in serious injuries to five individuals. Players Nicolas Blanchard, Joe Jensen, Jonathan Paiement, Casey Borer, along with radio color analyst John Hennessy were hospitalized at Berkshire Medical Center.
Relocation to Charlotte
In early 2010, it was officially announced that MAK Hockey, LLC based in Charlotte, North Carolina had purchased the Albany River Rats franchise. The team completed their participation in the 2009–10 AHL season while still in Albany before moving. Capital District Sports, Inc. confirmed that this transaction would not interfere with the remainder of that season or its culmination in the 2010 Calder Cup Playoffs.
Post-River Rats hockey presence in Albany
Although plans to move the Portland franchise to Albany did not materialize, the city swiftly regained an AHL team. On June 6, 2010, the Lowell Devils relocated to Albany and reestablished an affiliation with the New Jersey Devils organization. This new squad adopted the name Albany Devils to distinguish itself from its predecessor’s identity. The partnership endured until the conclusion of the 2016–17 season before relocating to Binghamton, New York as a replacement for the Ottawa Senators’ former AHL franchise.
Affiliates
- New Jersey Devils (1993–2006)
- Colorado Avalanche (2006–2007)
- Carolina Hurricanes (2006–2010)
- This territory was formerly represented by: Albany Choppers of the IHL during the 1990–91 season
- The team was succeeded by: Albany Devils of the AHL, who relocated from Lowell and operated from 2010 to 2017
- The franchise later became known as: Charlotte Checkers
Regular season
| Season | Games | Wins | Losses | Ties | OTL | SOL | Points | Goals For |
Goals Against |
Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993–94 | 80 | 38 | 34 | 8 | — | — | 84 | 312 | 315 | 3rd, North Division |
| 1994–95 | 80 | 46 | 17 | 17 | — | — | 109 | 293 | 219 | 1st, North Division |
| 1995–96 | 80 | 54 | 19 | 7 | — | — | 115 | 322 | 218 | 1st, Central Division |
| 1996–97 | 80 | 38 | 28 | 9 | 5 | — | 90 | 269 | 231 | 3rd, Empire State Division |
| 1997–98 | 80 | 43 | 20 | 11 | 6 | — | 103 | 290 | 223 | 1st, Empire State Division |
| 1998–99 | 80 | 46 | 26 | 6 | 2 | — | 100 | 275 | 230 | 2nd, Empire State Division |
| 1999–00 | 80 | 30 | 40 | 7 | 3 | — | 70 | 225 | 250 | 4th, Empire State Division |
| 2000–01 | 80 | 30 | 40 | 6 | 4 | — | 70 | 216 | 262 | 6th, Mid-Atlantic Division |
| 2001–02 | 80 | 14 | 42 | 12 | 12 | — | 52 | 172 | (271) | 4th, East Division |
| 2002–03 | (80) | 25 | (37) | 11 | (7) | (—) | 68 | (197) | 235 | (5th), East Division |
| 2003–04 | (80) | 21 | (39) | 11 | (9) | (—) | 62 | (182) | 257 | (7th), East Division |
| 2004–05 | (80) | 29 | (38) | (—) | (6) | (7) | 71 | (198) | (248) | (7th), East Division |
| 2005–06 | (80) | 25 | (48) | (—) | (4) | (3) | 57 | (206) | (278) | (7th), Atlantic Division |
| 2006–07 | (80) | 37 | (36) | (—) | (4) | (3) | 81 | (246) | (258) | (4th), East Division |
| 2007–08 | (80) | 43 | (30) | (—) | (3) | (4) | 93 | (213) | (198) | (3rd), East Division |
| 2008–09 | (80) | 33 | (40) | (—) | (3) | (4) | 73 | (219) | (258) | (7th), East Division |
| 2009–10 | (80) | 43 | (29) | (—) | (3) | (5) | 94 | (244) | (231) | (2nd), East Division |
Playoffs
| Season | First Round | Second Round | Conference Finals | Championship Finals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993–94 | Lost 1-4 vs POR | — | — | — |
| 1994–95 | Won 4-0 vs ADK | Won 4-2 vs PRO | — | Won 4-0 vs FRE |
| 1995–96 | Lost 1-3 vs COR | — | — | — |
| 1996–97 | Won 3-1 vs ADK | Won 4-3 vs ROC | Lost 1-4 vs HAM | — |
| 1997–98 | Won 3-0 vs ADK | Won 4-0 vs HAM | Lost 2-4 vs PHI | — |
| 1998–99 | Lost 2-3 vs HAM | — | — | — |
| 1999–00 | Lost 2-3 vs ROC | — | — | — |
| 2000–01 | Did not qualify for playoffs | |||
| 2001–02 | Did not qualify for playoffs | |||
| 2002–03 | Did not qualify for playoffs | |||
| 2003–04 | Did not qualify for playoffs | |||
| 2004–05 | Did not qualify for playoffs | |||
| 2005–06 | Did not qualify for playoffs | |||
| 2006–07 | Lost 1-4 vs HER | — | — | — |
| 2007–08 | Lost 3-4 vs PHI | — | — | — |
| 2008–09 | Did not qualify for playoffs | |||
| 2009–10 | Won 4-0 vs WBS | Lost 0-4 vs HER | — | — |
Single season
- Most Goals: 46 by Jeff Williams (1998–99)
- Most Assists: 63 by Keith Aucoin (2006–07)
- Highest Points: 99 by Keith Aucoin (2006–07)
- Penalty Minutes Leader: 348 by Matt Ruchty (1994–95)
- Best Goals Against Average (GAA): 2.10 by Michael Leighton (2007–08)
- Top Save Percentage (SV%): .931 by Michael Leighton (2007–08)
Career
- Top career achievements:
- Most goals scored: 155 Steve Brûlé
- Highest number of assists: 214 Steve Brûlé
- Total career points: 369 Steve Brûlé
- Most penalty minutes accumulated: 1197 Rob Skrlac
- Career goaltender victories: 77 Peter Sidorkiewicz
- Number of shutouts recorded: 8 Peter Sidorkiewicz
- Games played in career: 423 Jiri Bicek
Previous affiliates
- WGNA/1460, Albany, New York
- WPTR/1540, Albany, New York
- WROW/590, Albany, New York
- WABY/1160, Mechanicville, New York
- WTMM-FM/104.5, Mechanicville, New York
- WTMM/1300, Rensselaer, New York
- WVKZ/1240, Schenectady, New York
- WOFX/980, Troy, New York
External links
- Articles with short description
- Albany River Rats
- Carolina Hurricanes minor league affiliates
- Colorado Avalanche minor league affiliates
- New Jersey Devils minor league affiliates
- Sports in Albany, New York
- Defunct ice hockey teams in New York (state)
- Ice hockey clubs established in 1993
- Ice hockey clubs disestablished in 2010
- 1993 establishments in New York (state)
- 2010 disestablishments in New York (state)