The Albany Choppers were an independent professional ice hockey team in Albany, New York , which existed for the first 55 games (of 82) in the 1990–91 season of the International Hockey League .
21-517: The Fort Wayne Komets had been mainstays of the IHL for four decades. Before the 1990–91 season, its owner, gravel magnate David Welker, opted to move his franchise to Albany. The city had recently built Knickerbocker Arena , which was built to National Hockey League standards of the time. They represented the IHL's first effort in years to push beyond its traditional heartland in the Great Lakes ; they were
42-458: A condition of being allowed to move to Albany. They were unable to secure a full NHL affiliation (and its subsidized salaries); they had to settle for a secondary affiliation with the Vancouver Canucks . They only had 11 players with NHL contracts. The team sank into last place, and attendance plummeted; for numerous games attendance in the cavernous 'Knick' (capacity 15,000) was no more than
63-401: A few hundred fans. After local media reported attendance figures at odds with the ones management was reporting (by quite literally counting heads), the team ceased to report attendance altogether, while giving season tickets away outright. As it was, the team hemorrhaged funds, held back by the most expensive travel budget in the IHL and a lack of natural rivalries. Their nearest opponent was
84-764: A minor league ice hockey team, which currently plays in the East Coast Hockey League . They play their home games at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum in Fort Wayne, Indiana . They have won post-season championship titles in 1963, 1965, 1973, 1993, 2003, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012, and 2021. In all of North American professional hockey, only the Original Six teams of the NHL and the Hershey Bears of
105-557: A playoff berth, no credible buyers were on the horizon. Welker finally gave up and shuttered the team that night. The Capital District Islanders promptly honored all Choppers season tickets in an attempt to boost their own attendance. Somewhat ironically, Henry, Knickle and Vivieros finished the season back in Springfield, where they helped the Indians to their final Calder Cup championship, while leading goal scorer Yves Héroux would move to
126-597: A small market. It did not help matters that the perennial college hockey powerhouse RPI Engineers also played in Troy. All three suffered at the gate through the subsequent price wars (although RPI benefited from having the Capital District Islanders as a tenant). However, the Choppers suffered the most. Not only were they essentially an expansion team, but they also had to foot the travel expenses for six IHL teams as
147-753: A top-level feeder league for the NHL. The entrenched American Hockey League was unnerved by the IHL's expansion into its traditional stronghold in the Northeast, and hastily planted a team just across the Hudson River in neighboring Troy , the Capital District Islanders . Moreover, the three-time Calder Cup champion Adirondack Red Wings were less than fifty miles north in Glens Falls . Never in recent history had so many minor-league teams been crammed into such
168-767: The AHL have played continuously in the same city with the same name longer than the Komets. There have been two different hockey teams known as the Fort Wayne Komets. The original Komets franchise was founded in 1952 in the International Hockey League . In 1990 they moved to Albany, New York and became the Albany Choppers . They only played part of one season in Albany before folding on February 15, 1991. The second team
189-661: The Colorado Avalanche of the NHL , providing a direct line to Colorado's American Hockey League affiliate, the Lake Erie Monsters . After a successful season and partnership proving beneficial to all parties, on July 21, 2015, the Komets announced a continuance of the affiliation with the Avalanche and new AHL affiliate, the San Antonio Rampage on a two-year deal through the 2015–16 and 2016–17 seasons. However,
210-603: The Peoria Rivermen and prove key in their own Turner Cup championship in that same season against the Komets, the team with whom Burnie signed. Lemieux, Burnie and Richter retired after the season. Defenseman Scott Drevitch was the final Chopper active in professional hockey, playing for the Elmira Jackals of the United Hockey League in the 2006–2007 season. Fort Wayne Komets The Fort Wayne Komets are
231-523: The 2024-25 season. This is a partial list of the last ten seasons completed by the Fort Wayne Komets. For the full season-by-season history, see List of Fort Wayne Komets seasons Records as of the conclusion of the 2023–24 regular season. The Komets have honored over 40 personnel in three sections - Executive Builders, Team Personnel and Media - in the Komets Hall of Fame established in 1988. They have also retired numbers to honor 16 people over
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#1732858902210252-662: The Admirals to get Henry back. However, it was understood that Lemieux would return to Albany if Welker found a buyer for the team. The end came in February, when Price Chopper announced it was pulling its sponsorship and its investment after the season, citing a poor relationship with Welker and lackluster promotion. By February 14, the Choppers were so short of cash that they were not only about to miss payroll again, but lacked enough money for their next road trip. Even though they had won six of their last nine games and were in contention for
273-536: The Avalanche and Komets mutually agreed to end the affiliation one season early in 2016. After a season operating independently of an affiliation, the Komets agreed to a one-year affiliation deal with the Arizona Coyotes and their AHL affiliate, the Tucson Roadrunners , but did not extend the affiliation after the deal ended. On August 21, 2018, the Komets announced a new one-year affiliation agreement with
294-631: The International Hockey League, which became available when the previous IHL ceased operations in 2001. In 2010 that league also ceased operations, and the Komets joined the Central Hockey League (CHL) along with the surviving members of their former league. In 2012 they left the CHL for their current league, the ECHL . For the 2014–15 season , the Komets entered into a one-year affiliation with
315-557: The NHL's Vegas Golden Knights and AHL affiliate Chicago Wolves . The affiliation was later extended for the 2019–20 season. The affiliation with the Golden Knights ended on May 19, 2022. On July 27, 2022, the Komets announced a new affiliation agreement with the NHL's Edmonton Oilers and their AHL affiliate, the Bakersfield Condors . On May 28, 2024, the Komets and Edmonton Oilers extended their affiliation agreement for
336-653: The course of their history. List of Fort Wayne Komets alumni who played more than 100 games in the IHL and 100 or more games in the National Hockey League / World Hockey Association . List of Fort Wayne Komets alumni who played more than 25 games in the ECHL and 25 or more games in the National Hockey League . These are the top-ten point-scorers in franchise history. Figures are updated after each completed regular season. Note: Pos = Position; GP = Games Played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; * = still active with
357-785: The easternmost team in the IHL since the Johnstown Jets left the league in 1955. The Schenectady -based Price Chopper supermarket chain bought in as a minority partner—hence the name and colors of red, white and blue, which matched Price Chopper's corporate hues. Among players for the Choppers were goaltenders Rick Knickle , former St. Louis Blue Bruce Racine and former Boston Bruin John Blue ; former New York Islander and team captain Dale Henry , former Minnesota North Star Dave Richter , and Mario Lemieux 's brother, center Alain Lemieux , who
378-405: The new Komets (Welker's franchise had been replaced by the relocated Flint Spirits team, which took the Komets' name and history), some 670 miles west. The team eventually struggled to meet payroll, missing it several times, and supplies ran short. One notorious incident came during an overtime game against the Komets, when Jim McGeough was sent out for the final shot in a shootout because he had
399-419: The only sound hockey stick remaining on the bench. By December, the Choppers were gasping. Their assets had been frozen when a travel agency sued them for non-payment, and they lost their radio flagship due to three months of unpaid bills. Out of desperation, Allison put all of the players who did not have NHL contracts on waivers. The Milwaukee Admirals claimed Henry, forcing the Choppers to trade Lemieux to
420-673: Was founded in 1985 in Flint, Michigan where they were known as the Flint Spirits . In 1990, only two days after the first Komets team left Fort Wayne, the Franke family of Fort Wayne bought the Flint Spirits, moved them to Fort Wayne, and took the Komets name and history. From 1985-1999 they also played in the IHL, then in 1999 they moved to the United Hockey League (UHL). In 2007 the UHL changed its name to
441-437: Was the team's leading scorer until he was traded for cash. A large number of players were ex- Springfield Indians , including Henry, Lemieux, forwards Stu Burnie , Bob Bodak and Jim McGeough , and defensemen Vern Smith and Manny Vivieros . Dave Allison served as the team's head coach. The team began play in the 1990–91 season, but ran into several major roadblocks. By this time, the IHL had firmly established itself as
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