Utica Comets

Utica Comets

File:Utica Comets logo.svg Logo since 2021, reflecting New Jersey Devils affiliation
Company type	Professional ice hockey team
Industry	Sports (ice hockey)
Founded	2013
Headquarters	Utica, New York , United States
Area served	North Division, Eastern Conference, American Hockey League (AHL)
Key people	Josh Harris and David Blitzer (owners via Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment)
Products	Ice hockey team services and games
Parent	Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment
Website	www.uticacomets.com

The Utica Comets represent a professional ice hockey squad located in Utica, New York, competing within the North Division of the Eastern Conference in the American Hockey League (AHL). They act as the chief affiliate for the National Hockey League's (NHL) New Jersey Devils and play their home fixtures at the Adirondack Bank Center. This franchise was formed when the Vancouver Canucks transferred their AHL team to Utica ahead of the 2013–14 campaign.

This marks Utica's second tenure hosting an AHL franchise; earlier, from 1987 to 1993, the city was home to the Utica Devils, affiliated with the New Jersey Devils. Before the 2021–22 AHL season, the Canucks relocated their franchise to Abbotsford, British Columbia, while the Devils shifted their former Binghamton Devils team to Utica, retaining the Comets moniker. Ownership is held by Josh Harris and David Blitzer through their company, Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment (HBSE).

Formation of the Comets

On March 29, 2013, Canucks Sports & Entertainment (CS&E), proprietors of the NHL's Vancouver Canucks, revealed their acquisition of the Peoria Rivermen franchise, with official AHL endorsement following on April 18. The franchise's lineage traces back to 1932 as the Quebec Beavers, undergoing multiple relocations and rebrandings over time, including identities such as the Springfield Indians, Syracuse Warriors, Springfield Kings, Worcester IceCats, and Rivermen.

CS&E's initial objective was to move the team closer to Vancouver, with an early focus on Abbotsford, British Columbia, which housed the Calgary Flames' AHL affiliate, the Abbotsford Heat. However, by April 22, negotiations fell through, resulting in the Heat remaining in Abbotsford. Attempts to relocate directly to Vancouver were blocked due to territorial restrictions, and plans for Seattle were denied by the NHL amid uncertainties surrounding the Phoenix Coyotes' relocation.

By May 2013, CS&E considered retaining the franchise in Peoria but ultimately opted against it, leading to a replacement team entering the SPHL. They also explored placing the team in dormancy for the 2013–14 season while loaning prospects elsewhere. Facing an AHL-imposed deadline for a new venue, CS&E finalized relocating the franchise to Utica, New York, utilizing the refurbished Memorial Auditorium. The team was rebranded as the Utica Comets with branding reflecting Canucks’ colors. The "Comets" name pays homage to several historic Mohawk Valley hockey teams dating back to 1927.

Affiliation with Vancouver Canucks (2013–2021)

Following establishment, CS&E appointed Travis Green as head coach for the inaugural season, supported by assistant coaches Paul Jerrard and Nolan Baumgartner, alongside Pat Conacher as director of hockey operations. The Utica Comets played their first game on October 11, 2013, with Pascal Pelletier netting their first-ever goal. Despite a slow start on ice, fan engagement was strong—selling out 17 out of 38 home games—and they narrowly missed postseason qualification.

Ahead of the 2014–15 season, Cal O'Reilly was named captain. Mid-season additions such as Sven Baertschi and Cory Conacher contributed significantly as Utica dominated the Western Conference. The Comets secured the Robert W. Clarke Trophy as conference champions and advanced to the Calder Cup finals but fell in five games to the Manchester Monarchs. Afterward, O'Reilly progressed to NHL play with the Buffalo Sabres.

During 2015–16, key players including Jacob Markstrom and Alex Biega moved up to Vancouver while others were traded mid-season. The Comets finished third in their division but were eliminated in their opening playoff round. In 2016–17 Carter Bancks assumed captaincy; although missing playoffs by four points, Utica maintained a full sellout streak at home games.

Travis Green’s accomplishments earned him promotion as Canucks head coach in April 2017; Trent Cull took over coaching duties for Utica. The team preserved its sellout streak throughout 2017–18 but was ousted in the first playoff round by eventual champions Toronto Marlies.

On October 19, 2018, Utica set an AHL record by achieving its 121st consecutive regular-season sellout game, extending that streak to 200 by February 2020. That December saw an extension of affiliation between Canucks and Comets for up to six additional years with biennial opt-out options.

The 2019–20 campaign ended prematurely after 61 games due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The following season’s start was postponed until February 2021; during this period Utica entered a one-year dual affiliation with St. Louis Blues after Springfield Thunderbirds opted out. Plans for a February 2021 outdoor match against Syracuse Crunch were canceled because of pandemic-related scheduling adjustments.

New Jersey Devils partnership (2021–present)

In April 2021, Robert Esche, serving as president of the Utica Comets, submitted a trademark application for the Utica Devils name in connection with plans to transfer the Binghamton Devils franchise. On May 4, the Vancouver Canucks revealed their plan to relocate the Comets to Abbotsford, British Columbia, subject to approval from the city and league authorities. The AHL granted authorization for both moves on May 6, as the Comets and Devils formalized a decade-long affiliation agreement for the Comets to manage the Devils’ AHL team. While retaining the Comets’ name, the team adopted the Devils’ color scheme. Kevin Dineen was appointed head coach under this new arrangement.

The Comets launched the 2021–22 AHL season with an impressive 11-game winning streak, matching the record set by the 1984–85 Rochester Americans for most consecutive victories at a season’s start. They surpassed this milestone by extending their unbeaten run to 12–0–0–0 before suffering their first loss in the 13th game against Rochester. This outstanding performance secured them the North Division regular season title and the highest points percentage in the Eastern Conference. Following a first-round bye, Utica was defeated in five games by Rochester during the North Division Semifinals.

Season-by-season results

Regular season											Playoffs
Season	Games	Won	Lost	OTL	SOL	Points	PCT	Goals for	Goals against	Standing	Year	Prelims	1st round	2nd round	3rd round	Finals
2013–14	76	35	32	5	4	79	.520	187	216	3rd, North	2014	Did not qualify
2014–15	76	47	20	7	2	103	.678	219	182	1st, North	2015	—	W, 3–2, CHI	W, 4–3, OKC	W, 4–2, GR	L, 1–4, MCH
2015–16	76	38	26	8	4	88	.579	224	217	3rd, North	2016	—	L, 1–3, ALB	—	—	—
2016–17	76	35	32	7	2	79	.520	195	220	5th, North	2017	Did not qualify
2017–18	76	38	26	8	4	88	.579	211	216	4th, North	2018	—	L, 2–3, TOR	—	—	—
2018–19	76	34	34	6	2	76	.500	224	257	6th, North	2019	Did not qualify
2019–20	61	34	22	3	2	73	.598	210	186	3rd, North	2020	Season cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
2020–21	28	16	11	0	1	33	.589	89	88	4th, North	2021	No playoffs held
2021–22	72	43	20	8	1	95	.660	246	206	1st, North	2022	BYE	L, 2–3, ROC]	—	—	—
2022–23	72	35	27	6	4	80	.556	215	222	4th, North	2023	W, 2–0, LAV]	L,1-3, TOR]	—	—	—
2023-24	72	32	29	5	6	75	.521	221	226	6th ,North		2024		Did not qualify
2024-25		72		31		33		6		2		70		.486		196		223		7th ,North		2025		Did not qualify

Current roster

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Team captains

Across its history, the initial franchise featured four captains, beginning with Colin Stuart who served during the 2013–2014 season before leaving as a free agent in 2014. The current and first captain of the second franchise is Ryan Schmelzer, who assumed the role in 2021. Both Carter Bancks and Schmelzer hold the record for the longest captaincy, each leading for four seasons.

First franchise

• Colin Stuart, 2013–2014
• Cal O'Reilly, 2014–2015
• Alex Biega, 2015–2016
• Carter Bancks, 2016–2020

Second franchise

• Ryan Schmelzer, 2021–present