River Rats renew affiliation with Devils

April 6, 2004 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Albany River Rats News Release


Albany N.Y. – The Albany River Rats and the New Jersey Devils announced today that they have extended their affiliation agreement for two more years. Albany will remain New Jersey's primary affiliate through the 2005-06 American Hockey League season. The River Rats have served as the New Jersey's top minor league affiliate since Albany's inaugural 1993-94 AHL campaign.

"We are happy to continue working with one of the elite organizations in the National Hockey League," said Walter L. Robb, owner of the Albany River Rats, "and feel confident that our fans will witness a new era of Albany River Rats hockey."

Since 1993, the Albany River Rats have developed 50 players that have made their National Hockey League debut with the New Jersey Devils. Overall, the River Rats have dressed a total of 100 players that have skated for both Albany and in the NHL, including Vancouver Canucks center Brendan Morrison, Nashville Predators center Steve Sullivan and Montreal Canadiens defenseman Sheldon Souray.

In honor of the new affiliation agreement, the Albany River Rats have announced a new season-ticket initiative. Any current or previous River Rats season ticket-holder that commits a $50 deposit prior to April 30, 2004 will receive: a $50 cash rebate once the account is paid in full; a 10% discount off a regular price season ticket; a ticket to any 2004 New Jersey Devils playoff game or a ticket to the Devils' Opening Night of the 2004-05 home season, and a 2003 New Jersey Devils Stanley Cup Championship locker room cap.

The Albany River Rats, in their 11th season as a member of the American Hockey League, are owned and operated by Capital District Sports Inc., and serve as the primary affiliate of the New Jersey Devils.

ALBANY RIVER RATS – NEW JERSEY DEVIILS AFFILIATION CONNECTIONS

The 11-year affiliation between Albany and New Jersey ranks as the fourth-longest current affiliation between American and National Hockey League franchises. Only the Rochester Americans, Providence Bruins and St. John's Maple Leafs have been with their NHL affiliates longer than the Albany River Rats and Portland Pirates, who began their affiliations during the 1993-94 season.

The Albany River Rats and New Jersey Devils won their respective league champions during the 1994-95 season. That marked only the sixth time in professional hockey history that a National Hockey League club and its American Hockey League affiliate won in the same season.

The River Rats posted a 265-155-58-13 record through their first six seasons for a league-best winning percentage of .612 over that span. The club won back-to-back division championships (1994-95 & 1995-96) and finished first overall during the 1995-96 season with a record of 54-19-7 for a then-league record of 115 points.

River Rats head coach Robbie Ftorek has guided both teams during his time with the New Jersey Devils organization. Ftorek led Albany from 1993 through 1997, stewarding the club to a 138-70-42 record and a 12-2 mark en route to the 1995 Calder Cup Championship. While with New Jersey, Ftorek turned in an 88-49-19 record in 156 games behind the Devils bench.

A total of 20 different River Rat players have won the Stanley Cup with the Devils since their first championship in 1995. The following is a list of River Rats who participated in each New Jersey championship victory:

1995 – (6) Tommy Albelin, Sergei Brylin, Chris McAlpine, Kevin Dean, Jim Dowd, Brian Rolston

2000 – (10) Brad Bombardir, Steve Brule, Patrik Elias, Steve Kelly, John Madden, Krzyzstof Oliwa, Jay Pandolfo, Ken Sutton, Petr Sykora, Colin White

2003 – (11) – Albelin, Bicek, Brylin, Elias, Brian Gionta, Madden, Pandolfo, Pascal Rheaume, Mike Rupp, Corey Schwab and White

The Stanley Cup has visited Pepsi Arena on two separate occasions following a New Jersey championship victory. The world's most famous trophy toured the Capital District on February 25, 2001 and most recently on December 13, 2003.

The Albany River Rats played the club's first regular season game outside of Pepsi Arena at Continental Airlines Arena on January 22, 2004. RW Chris Hartsburg scored the game-winner during the third period of the first regular season AHL contest at the home of the New Jersey Devils.

The Devils played a preseason game at Pepsi Arena for nine consecutive seasons from 1994 through 2002, attracting close to 50,000 hockey fans in the process.



American Hockey League Stories from April 6, 2004


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