The Utica Devils were a professional

ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice hock ...

team of the

American Hockey League The American Hockey League (AHL) is a professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary Minor league#Ice hockey, developmental league for the National Hockey League (NHL). Since the 2010–11 AHL se ...

(AHL). The team was based in

Utica, New York Utica () is a Administrative divisions of New York, city in the Mohawk Valley and the county seat of Oneida County, New York, United States. The List of cities in New York, tenth-most-populous city in New York State, its population was 65,283 ...

, and played its home games at the

Utica Memorial Auditorium The Adirondack Bank Center at the Utica Memorial Auditorium is a 3,860-seat multi-purpose arena in Utica, New York, with a capacity of 5,700 for concerts. Nicknamed the Aud, it is the home arena of the Utica Comets, the AHL affiliate of the NHL ...

History

The Utica Devils were AHL affiliate of the

National Hockey League The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...

New Jersey Devils The New Jersey Devils are a professional sports, professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey. The Devils compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern ...

from 1987 to 1993. The franchise was moved from

Portland, Maine Portland is the largest city in the U.S. state of Maine and the seat of Cumberland County. Portland's population was 68,408 in April 2020. The Greater Portland metropolitan area is home to over half a million people, the 104th-largest metropol ...

, at the end of the 1986–87 season, where it played as the Maine Mariners. The Utica Devils displaced the

Mohawk Valley Comets They Mohawk Valley Comets are a former professional ice hockey team based in Utica, New York. They were a member of the North American Hockey League The North American Hockey League (NAHL) is one of the top junior hockey leagues in the ...

of the

Atlantic Coast Hockey League The Atlantic Coast Hockey League (ACHL) was a minor league hockey organization that operated between 1981 and 1987. The league was founded by Bill Coffey. The Bob Payne Trophy was awarded to the team who won the league playoff championship. Acc ...

that had played there since 1985. Utica was coached by

Tom McVie Thomas McVie (born June 6, 1935) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey coach in the National Hockey League. McVie grew up in a poor family, and, upon signing his first junior league contract, is said to have left home with a single used st ...

for four seasons from 1987 to 1991, followed by

Herb Brooks Herbert Paul Brooks Jr. (August 5, 1937 – August 11, 2003) was an American ice hockey player and coach. His most notable achievement came in 1980 as head coach of the gold medal-winning U.S. Olympic team at Lake Placid. At the Games, Brooks' ...

in 1991–92 and

Robbie Ftorek Robert Brian Ftorek (born January 2, 1952) is an American professional ice hockey coach and former player. He was enshrined as member of the United States Hockey Hall of Fame in 1991. Playing career Ftorek played in the 1962, 1963 and 1964 Queb ...

in 1992–93. Notable players who at one time were Utica Devils include

Martin Brodeur Martin Pierre Brodeur (; born May 6, 1972) is a Canadian-American former professional ice hockey goaltender and current team executive. He played 22 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL), 21 of them for the New Jersey Devils, with whom ...

Bill Guerin William Robert Guerin (born November 9, 1970) is an American former professional ice hockey player and the current general manager of the Minnesota Wild. He previously was the assistant general manager of the Pittsburgh Penguins and general mana ...

Kevin Todd Kevin Todd (born May 4, 1968) is a Canadian former ice hockey forward who played in the National Hockey League (NHL). Todd started his NHL career with the New Jersey Devils in 1988–89. He also played for the Edmonton Oilers, Chicago Blackh ...

Corey Schwab Corey Schwab (born November 4, 1970) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goalie. He was drafted in the 10th round, 200th overall in the 1990 NHL Entry Draft by the New Jersey Devils. Schwab won the 2003 Stanley Cup with the New Jersey D ...

Bobby Holik Bobby or Bobbie may refer to: People * Bobby (given name), a list of names * Bobby (actress), from Bangladesh * Bobby (rapper) (born 1995), from South Korea * Bobby (screenwriter) (born 1983), Indian screenwriter * Bobby, old slang for a constab ...

Claude Vilgrain Claude Vilgrain (born March 1, 1963) is a Haitian-born Canadian former professional ice hockey right winger. He played in 89 National Hockey League games with the Vancouver Canucks, New Jersey Devils, and Philadelphia Flyers. He played in the 1 ...

Valeri Zelepukin Valeri Mikhailovich Zelepukin (russian: Валерий Михайлович Зелепукин; born 17 September 1968) is a Russian former professional ice hockey player who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the New Jersey Devils, E ...

, Jason Smith, and Jim Dowd. In 1993, the NHL's

Calgary Flames The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary. The Flames compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference, and ...

purchased the Utica Devils franchise from the New Jersey Devils and subsequently relocated the team to

Saint John, New Brunswick Saint John is a seaport city of the Atlantic Ocean located on the Bay of Fundy in the province of New Brunswick, Canada. Saint John is the oldest incorporated city in Canada, established by royal charter on May 18, 1785, during the reign of Ki ...

, to become the

Saint John Flames The Saint John Flames were a Canadian ice hockey team in the American Hockey League from 1993 to 2003 in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada. The Calgary Flames bought and relocated the Utica Devils, to be their AHL affiliate. History The Saint J ...

. The Devils moved their AHL affiliation to the

Albany River Rats 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. History Before the formation of the franchise Without a viable indoor arena with a ...

the same year. Utica gained the

Bulldogs The Bulldog is a British breed of dog of mastiff type. It may also be known as the English Bulldog or British Bulldog. It is of medium size, a muscular, hefty dog with a wrinkled face and a distinctive pushed-in nose.Colonial Hockey League Colonial or The Colonial may refer to: * Colonial, of, relating to, or characteristic of a colony or colony (biology) Architecture * American colonial architecture * French Colonial * Spanish Colonial architecture Automobiles * Colonial (1920 au ...

in 1993, which only lasted one season before folding and being replaced by the

Utica Blizzard The Utica Blizzard were a professional ice hockey team from Utica, New York, and member of the Colonial Hockey League (CoHL) from 1994 to 1997. The Blizzard replaced the Utica Bulldogs after the team had to be taken over by the league in the midd ...

in 1994. The AHL eventually returned to Utica in 2013 with the

Utica Comets The Utica Comets are a professional ice hockey team based in Utica, New York, with home games at the Adirondack Bank Center. They are members of the North Division in the Eastern Conference of the American Hockey League (AHL) and affiliated wit ...

using the

Vancouver Canucks The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference, and play their home games at Rogers Arena. Bruce B ...

' franchise. In April 2021, a new trademark was filed for the brand "Utica Devils" by

Robert Esche Robert L. Esche (born January 22, 1978) is an American former professional ice hockey goaltender who is the current president of the Utica Comets of the American Hockey League (AHL) and the Utica City FC of the Major Arena Soccer League (MASL). ...

, the operator of the Utica Comets, for a potential relocation of the

Binghamton Devils The Binghamton Devils were a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League (AHL) that played from 2017 to 2021 as the top minor league affiliate of the National Hockey League (NHL)'s New Jersey Devils. Based in Binghamton, New Y ...

. On May 6, it was announced that the Devils would affiliate with Utica, but the Comets name would remain.

Season-by-season results

Team records

:Goals: 53,

Paul Ysebaert Paul Robert Ysebaert (born May 15, 1966) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. During his fourteen years playing career, he played 11 years in the National Hockey League as a left wing for the New Jersey Devils, Detroit Red Wing ...

, 1989–90 :Assists: 81,

, 1990–91 :Points: 118, Kevin Todd, 1990–91 :Penalty Minutes: 359,

Bill Huard William John Huard (born June 24, 1967) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He played in the National Hockey League between 1992 and 1999 with six teams. The rest of his career, which lasted from 1988 to 2000, was spent in diffe ...

, 1990–91 :GAA: 2.71,

Chris Terreri Christopher Arnold Terreri (born November 15, 1964) is an American professional ice hockey coach and former player. He was inducted as a charter member of the Rhode Island Hockey Hall of Fame in 2018. Playing career Terreri was drafted by the N ...

, 1987–88 :SV%: .910, Chris Terreri, 1987–88 :Career goals: 126,

Jeff Madill Jeff Madill (born June 21, 1965) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey right winger. He was drafted by the New Jersey Devils in the 1987 NHL Supplemental Draft, and played 14 games for them during the 1990–91 season. The rest of his ca ...

, 1987–91 :Career assists: 163,

, 1988–93 :Career points: 264,

, 1987–90 :Career penalty minutes: 1216, Jamie Huscroft, 1987–92 :Career goaltending wins:

Craig Billington Craig Richard Billington (born September 11, 1966) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender. He played with several teams in a 15-year National Hockey League career, always known as "Biller," and serves as an assistant general manage ...

, 59 :Career shutouts: 3, Craig Billington :Career games: 273, Dave Marcinyshyn, 1987–91

References

External links

The Internet Hockey Database – Utica Devils
New Jersey Devils minor league affiliates Ice hockey teams in New York (state) Ice hockey clubs established in 1987 Sports clubs disestablished in 1993 1987 establishments in New York (state) 1993 disestablishments in New York (state) {{NewYork-sport-team-stub