History
Founded as the Lowell Lock Monsters in 1998, the team served as the top AHL affiliate of the New York Islanders for three seasons, the last of which was shared with the Los Angeles Kings. In 2001, team became the AHL affiliate of the Carolina Hurricanes, serving in that capacity for five seasons, portions of which were parts were shared with the Calgary Flames and Colorado Avalanche.
The team was purchased by the New Jersey Devils in 2006 and took the ice for the 2006-07 season as the Lowell Devils. (Coincidentally, New Jersey's previous AHL affiliate, the Albany River Rats, signed an affiliation with Carolina.) In Lowell, the Devils averaged 2,293 fans per game during the 2008-2009 season while receiving the AHL Excellence Award for the Eastern Conference for group sales.
In February 2010, the University of Massachusetts Lowell 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. After the season, on June 10, 2010, the New Jersey Devils officially announced on their website that they were moving the Lowell Devils to the Times Union Center in Albany, New York beginning with the 2010-2011 AHL season to play as the Albany Devils. The move to Albany was made possible by the Carolina franchise moving the River Rats to Charlotte, North Carolina to play as the Charlotte Checkers.
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