Albany River Rats

This article is about the defunct American Hockey League team, for the recreational team established in 2024, for please see Albany River Rats HC.

Albany River Rats
City:	Albany, New York
League:	American Hockey League
Operated:	1993–2010
Home Arena:	Times Union Center
Colors:	Red, black, white
Affiliates:	Carolina Hurricanes (NHL) (2006–2010) Colorado Avalanche (NHL) (2006–2007) New Jersey Devils (NHL)(1993–2006)
Franchise history
1990–1993:	Capital District Islanders
1993–2010:	Albany River Rats
2010–present:	Charlotte Checkers
Championships
Regular Season Titles:	2 1994–95, 1995–96
Division Championships:	4 1994–95, 1995–96, 1996–97, 1997–98
Calder Cups:	1 1994–95

The Albany River Rats were an ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They played in Albany, New York at the Times Union Center.

History

Founding to 2010

The team was founded as the Capital District Islanders (playing at Houston Field House on campus at RPI located across the Hudson River in Troy, New York) in 1990 but changed their name when the New Jersey Devils sold their old affiliate the Utica Devils to become linked with this team.

In 1998, Walter Robb purchased the franchise from original owner Al Lawrence, allowing the franchise to remain in Albany. Garen Szablewski has served as CEO and President of the River Rats for 15 years since 1994.

The Rats' glory days came in the mid to late 1990s making seven consecutive playoff appearances, won 2 division titles, and took home the AHL's Calder Cup in 1995. Also in 1995, their parent club, the New Jersey Devils won the Stanley Cup.

However, wins have declined since the 1997–98 season, the last time Albany won a playoff series. The River Rats finished last in each of the 6 seasons between 2000–01 and 2005–06. A new affiliation with the Carolina Hurricanes beginning in the 2006–07 season brought hope of a return to AHL glory not seen in Albany since the late '90s.

On March 22, 2006, the Devils announced that they were cutting ties with the River Rats after the 2005–06 AHL season, as the parent club announced the purchase of the Lowell Lock Monsters. Despite the move, the River Rats were not relocated.¹ In April 2006, The Carolina Hurricanes signed a one year agreement (with the option to renew for two additional) with the River Rats to be their farm affiliate.² Later on, Carolina was joined by the Colorado Avalanche in a one-year partnership agreement. On February 22, 2007, the Carolina Hurricanes and Albany River Rats announced that their affiliation agreement had been extended through the 2008–09 season. ³

On April 24, 2008, the River Rats lost 2–3 to the Philadelphia Phantoms in the longest game played in AHL history. The Phantoms Ryan Potulny scored 2:58 into the fifth overtime. Albany gave up 101 shots on goal, and goaltender Michael Leighton made 98 saves.

Move to Charlotte

On January 22, 2010, a report out of Raleigh, North Carolina that the franchise was to be sold and moved to Charlotte, North Carolina. The new franchise would be the new affiliate of the Carolina Hurricanes with a team name of the Charlotte Checkers.

On February 10, 2010 the River Rats web site announced the sale of the River Rats is complete and they will be moving to Charlotte at the conclusion of the 2009-10 AHL Season. "Capital District Sports, Inc. announced today that its subsidiary, the Albany River Rats, has sold its American Hockey League franchise to MAK Hockey, LLC located in Charlotte, North Carolina. The sale will not affect the remainder of the 2009-10 season, with regular season games concluding on April 10, 2010 followed by the 2010 Calder Cup Playoffs." However after the end of the 2010 season the team will relocate to Charlotte, North Carolina and be known as the Checkers and play in the Time Warner Cable Arena.

Shortly following the sale of the franchise, officials in Albany, as well as AHL President Dave Andrews, told media outlets the city would likely have a team for the 2010-2011 season and may even keep the River Rats title and logo, which remain property of former owner Walter Robb. It was reported in the Albany Times Union and the Portland Press Herald on March 15 that talks between the Times Union Center and the Portland Pirates to relocate the Pirates have broken off. Both Newspapers are reporting that Times Union Center GM Bob Belber said that they will go in a new direction and try to sign a deal with the Lowell Devils and bring back the Devils affiliaton to Albany. On the 6th of June the New Jersey Devils announced the relocation of the Lowell Devils to Albany to begin play in the AHL in the 2010-2011 season as the Albany Devils.

This market was previously served by: Albany Choppers of the IHL (1990–91)

The franchise was replaced by: Albany Devils of the AHL, a relocation of the Lowell Devils (2010-present)

The franchise was later known as: Charlotte Checkers

2009 Bus Crash

On February 19, 2009, five people were seriously injured when a bus carrying the team home from a game in Lowell struck a guard rail and rolled on its side on Interstate 90 in western Massachusetts. Nicolas Blanchard, Joe Jensen, Jonathan Paiement, Casey Borer, and the River Rats radio color commentator John Hennessy were taken to Berkshire Medical Center in Pittsfield with "serious" injuries.

Affiliates

• New Jersey Devils (1993–2006)
• Colorado Avalanche (2006–2007)
• Carolina Hurricanes (2006–2010)

Season-by-season results

Regular season

Season	Games	Won	Lost	Tied	OTL	SOL	Points	Goals for	Goals against	Standing
1993–94	80	38	34	8	—	—	84	312	315	3rd, North
1994–95	80	46	17	17	—	—	109	293	219	1st, North
1995–96	80	54	19	7	—	—	115	322	218	1st, Central
1996–97	80	38	28	9	5	—	90	269	231	3rd, Empire State
1997–98	80	43	20	11	6	—	103	290	223	1st, Empire State
1998–99	80	46	26	6	2	—	100	275	230	2nd, Empire State
1999–00	80	30	40	7	3	—	70	225	250	4th, Empire State
2000–01	80	30	40	6	4	—	70	216	262	6th, Mid-Atlantic
2001–02	80	14	42	12	12	—	52	172	271	4th, East
2002–03	80	25	37	11	7	—	68	197	235	5th, East
2003–04	80	21	39	11	9	—	62	182	257	7th, East
2004–05	80	29	38	—	6	7	71	198	248	7th, East
2005–06	80	25	48	—	4	3	57	206	278	7th, Atlantic
2006–07	80	37	36	—	4	3	81	246	258	4th, East
2007–08	80	43	30	—	3	4	93	213	198	3rd, East
2008–09	80	33	40	—	3	4	73	219	258	7th, East
2009–10	80	43	29	—	3	5	94	244	231	2nd, East

Playoffs

Season	1st round	2nd round	3rd round	Finals
1993–94	L, 1-4, PORT	—	—	—
1994–95	W, 4-0, ADIR	W, 4-2, PROV	--	W, 4-0, FRED
1995–96	L, 1-3, CORN	—	—	—
1996–97	W, 3-1, ADIR	W, 4-3, ROCH	L, 1-4, HAM	—
1997–98	W, 3-0, ADIR	W, 4-0, HAM	L, 2-4, PHIL	—
1998–99	L, 3-2, HAM	—	—	—
1999–00	L, 3-2, ROCH	—	—	—
2000–01	Out of playoffs
2001–02	Out of playoffs
2002–03	Out of playoffs
2003–04	Out of playoffs
2004–05	Out of playoffs
2005–06	Out of playoffs
2006–07	L, 1-4, HER	—	—	—
2007–08	L, 3-4 PHIL	—	—	—
2008–09	Out of playoffs
2009–10	W, 4-0 WBS	L, 0-4 HER	—	—

Team records

Single season

Goals: 46 Jeff Williams (1998-99)

Assists: 63 Keith Aucoin (2006-07)

Points: 99 Keith Aucoin (2006-07)

Penalty Minutes: 348 Matt Ruchty (1994-95)

GAA: 2.10 Michael Leighton (2007-08)

SV%: .931 Michael Leighton (2007-08)

Career

Career goals: 155 Steve Brule

Career assists: 214 Steve Brule

Career points: 369 Steve Brule

Career penalty minutes: 1197 Rob Skrlac

Career goaltending wins: 77 Peter Sidorkiewicz

Career shutouts: 8 Peter Sidorkiewicz

Career games: 423 Jiri Bicek

Current roster

As of April 14, 2010.

Goaltenders
#		Player	Catches	Date of birth	Place of birth
31		Justin Pogge	L	April 22, 1986	Fort McMurray, AB, Canada
35		Justin Peters	L	August 30, 1986	Blyth, ON, Canada

Defensemen
#		Player	Shoots	Date of birth	Place of birth
2		Jamie McBain	R	February 25, 1988	Edina, MN, USA
4		Zack Fitzgerald	L	May 16, 1985	Two Harbors, MN, USA
5		Tim Conboy	R	March 22, 1982	Farmington, MN, USA
6		Jay Harrison	R	November 3, 1982	Oshawa, ON, Canada
7		Kyle Lawson	R	July 11, 1987	Southfield, MI, USA
28		Casey Borer	L	July 28, 1985	Minneapolis, MN, USA
33		Bryan Rodney	R	April 22, 1984	London, ON, Canada
34		Brett Bellemore	R	June 25, 1988	Windsor, ON, Canada

Forwards
#		Player	Position	Shoots	Date of birth	Place of birth
8		Nick Dodge	C	R	May 1, 1986	Oakville, ON, Canada
9		Drayson Bowman	LW	L	March 8, 1989	Grand Rapids, MI, USA
10		Mike Angelidis	C	L	June 27, 1985	Unionville, ON, Canada
11		Zach Boychuk	C	L	October 4, 1989	Airdrie, AB, Canada
12		Steven Goertzen	RW	R	May 26, 1984	Stony Plain, AB, Canada
15		Stefan Chaput	C	L	March 11, 1988	Montreal, QC, Canada
17		Jerome Samson	RW	R	September 4, 1987	Greenfield Park, QC, Canada
18		Jacob Micflikier	LW	L	July 11, 1984	Winnipeg, MB, Canada
19		Rob Hennigar	C	L	April 4, 1983	St. Catharines, ON, Canada
20		Jiri Tlusty	LW	L	March 16, 1988	Slaný, Czechoslovakia
25		Chris Terry	C	L	April 7, 1989	Brampton, ON, CAN
26		Nicolas Blanchard	LW	L	May 31, 1987	Granby, QC, Canada
32		Oskar Osala	LW	L	December 26, 1987	Vaasa, Finland
36		Brad Herauf	LW	L	August 24, 1982	Regina, SK, Canada

Staff
Title	Staff member
Head coach	Jeff Daniels
Assistant coach	Geordie Kinnear
Head trainer	Brian Maddox

References

• ^1  "What's next for the River Rats?", Capital News 9, 2006-03-22. Retrieved on 2006-03-23. 
• ^2  "River Rats announce new affiliation, lease", theahl.com, 2006-04-04. Retrieved on 2006-04-17. 
• ^3  "River Rats to remain Carolina’s top farm club through 2008-09", Carolina Hurricanes, 2007-02-22. Retrieved on 2007-03-06. 

External links

• The Internet Hockey Database - Albany River Rats