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 ...
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 developmental league for the National Hockey League (NHL). Since the 2010–11 season, every team in the lea ...
(AHL). The team was based in
Utica, New York
Utica () is a city in the Mohawk Valley and the county seat of Oneida County, New York, United States. The tenth-most-populous city in New York State, its population was 65,283 in the 2020 U.S. Census. Located on the Mohawk River at the fo ...
, 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 N ...
.
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 sports league, league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranke ...
's
New Jersey Devils
The New Jersey Devils are a 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. The club was founded as the Kan ...
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 metropo ...
, 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 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 wh ...
,
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 man ...
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 ...
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 in the Western Conference, and are the third major professional ice hockey te ...
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 ...
, 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 Sain ...
. 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, Albany, New York (state), New York at the Times Union Center.
History
Before the formation of the franchise
Wi ...
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 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 w ...
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 ...
' franchise. In April 2021, a new trademark was filed for the brand "Utica Devils" by Robert Esche, 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 Wings, ...
, 1989–90
:Assists: 81, Kevin Todd, 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 ...
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 Wings, ...
, 1987–90
:Career penalty minutes: 1216,
Jamie Huscroft
James W. Huscroft (born January 9, 1967) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman who spent parts of ten seasons in the National Hockey League.
Playing career
Huscroft was born in Creston, British Columbia. A tough defensive defe ...
, 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 man ...