The Lowell Devils were a minor

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

team in 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 le ...

playing in

Lowell, Massachusetts Lowell () is a city in Massachusetts, in the United States. Alongside Cambridge, Massachusetts, Cambridge, It is one of two traditional county seat, seats of Middlesex County, Massachusetts, Middlesex County. With an estimated population of 115,5 ...

, at the Tsongas Center. As their name implied, they were the top minor league affiliate of the

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 Kans ...

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 ...

. The team was founded in 1998 as the Lowell Lock Monsters and was purchased by the Devils in 2006. After the 2009–10 season, the Devils agreed to move the Lowell franchise to

Albany, New York Albany ( ) is the capital of the U.S. state of New York, also the seat and largest city of Albany County. Albany is on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River, and about north of New York Ci ...

, where their previous AHL affiliate, 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 an ...

, had played. The new team then became the Albany Devils.

History

Founded as the Lowell Lock Monsters in 1998, the team served as the top AHL affiliate of the

New York Islanders The New York Islanders (colloquially known as the Isles) are a professional ice hockey team based in Elmont, New York. The Islanders compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference ( ...

for three seasons, the last of which was shared with the

Los Angeles Kings The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles. The team competes in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division in the Western Conference and was founded on June 5, 1967, after Jack Kent ...

. In 2001, the team became the AHL affiliate of the

Carolina Hurricanes The Carolina Hurricanes (colloquially known as the Canes) are a professional ice hockey team based in Raleigh, North Carolina. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference ...

, serving in that capacity for five seasons, portions of which the affiliation was shared with the

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 tea ...

and

Colorado Avalanche The Colorado Avalanche (colloquially known as the Avs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (NHL), Central Division in the Western Conference (N ...

. The team was purchased by the

in 2006 and took the Devils' name for the start of the 2006–07 season. In effect, the Devils' move was an affiliate swap as the Hurricanes contracted with the Devils' former affiliate in Albany. In Lowell, the Devils averaged 2,293 fans per game during the 2008–09 season while receiving the AHL Excellence Award for the Eastern Conference for group sales. In February 2010, the

University of Massachusetts Lowell The University of Massachusetts Lowell (UMass Lowell and UML) is a public research university in Lowell, Massachusetts, with a satellite campus in Haverhill, Massachusetts. It is the northernmost member of the University of Massachusetts public u ...

took ownership of the Tsongas Center from the City of Lowell. Negotiations began between the University and the Devils for a lease extension, with the current lease set to expire at the end of the 2009–10 season. They could not come to an agreement and the Devils explored other options. They eventually struck an agreement with Albany, who was to lose the River Rats after the Hurricanes elected to move their top minor league affiliate to

Charlotte, North Carolina Charlotte ( ) is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont (United States), Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, Meckl ...

, as the

Charlotte Checkers The Charlotte Checkers are a minor-league professional ice hockey team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the American Hockey League (AHL), and are the top minor league affi ...

. Following the season, the Lowell Devils ceased to exist.

Season-by-season results

Regular season

Playoffs

Players

Team records

;Single season :Goals: Chuck Kobasew (38) - 2004–05 :Assists:

Keith Aucoin Keith M. Aucoin (born November 6, 1978) is an American former professional ice hockey player who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Carolina Hurricanes, Washington Capitals, New York Islanders, and St. Louis Blues. Playing c ...

(56) - 2005–06 :Points:

(85) - 2005–06 :Penalty Minutes: Louis Robitaille (250) - 2009–10 :GAA:

Cam Ward Cameron Kenneth Ward (born February 29, 1984) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender. He played the majority of his fifteen-year professional career for the Carolina Hurricanes of the National Hockey League (NHL). He played for ...

(1.99) - 2004–05 :SV%:

(.937) - 2004–05 ;Career :Career Goals: Mike Zigomanis (77) :Career Assists: Mike Zigomanis (114) :Career Points: Mike Zigomanis (191) :Career Penalty Minutes: Mark Fraser (321) :Career Goaltending Wins: Jeff Frazee (42) :Career Shutouts: Brent Krahn, Cam Ward (6) :Career Games: Mike Zigomanis (254) Affiliates *

(1998–2001) *

(1999–2001) *

(2001–2006) *

(2003–2005) *

(2005–2006) *

(2006–2010)

References

{{Defunct AHL New Jersey Devils minor league affiliates New York Islanders minor league affiliates Los Angeles Kings minor league affiliates Carolina Hurricanes minor league affiliates Calgary Flames minor league affiliates Colorado Avalanche minor league affiliates Ice hockey teams in Lowell, Massachusetts Ice hockey clubs established in 1998 Sports clubs disestablished in 2010 1998 establishments in Massachusetts 2010 disestablishments in Massachusetts