Lowell Devils

The Lowell Devils were an ice hockey team in the American Hockey League playing in Lowell, Massachusetts at the Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell. As their name implied, they were the top minor league affiliate of the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League. The team was founded in 1998 as the Lowell Lock Monsters and was purchased by the Devils in 2006.
After the 2009-2010 season, the Devils agreed to move the Lowell franchise to Albany, New York, where their previous AHL affiliate, the Albany River Rats, had played. The new team kept the Lowell team's name and plays as 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 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 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 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 agree on one, 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 North Carolina (settling on Charlotte, where they became the Checkers), and following the season the Lowell Devils ceased to exist.http://devils.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=531414
==Season-by-season results==
Season 	Games	Won	Lost	Tied	OTL	SOL	Points	Goalsfor	Goalsagainst	Standing
1998–99	80 	33 	32 	13 	2 	— 	81 	219 	237 	1st, Atlantic
1999–00	80 	33 	36 	7 	4 	— 	77 	228 	240 	3rd, Atlantic
2000–01	80 	35 	35 	5 	5 	— 	80 	225 	244 	4th, New England
2001–02	80 	41 	25 	11 	3 	— 	96 	229 	209 	1st, North
2002–03	80 	19 	51 	7 	3 	— 	48 	175 	275 	5th, North
2003–04	80 	32 	36 	6 	6 	— 	76 	208 	242 	6th, Atlantic
2004–05	80 	47 	27 	5 	1 	— 	100 	242 	190 	3rd, Atlantic
2005–06	80 	29 	37 	— 	6 	8 	72 	222 	257 	5th, Atlantic
2006–07	80 	38 	30 	— 	6 	6 	88 	212 	220 	5th, Atlantic
2007–08	80 	25 	43 	— 	7 	5 	62 	183 	270 	7th, Atlantic
2008–09	80 	35 	36 	— 	2 	7 	79 	213 	243 	6th, Atlantic
2009–10	80 	39 	31 	— 	4 	6 	88 	239 	232 	4th, Atlantic
Season 	1st round 	2nd round 	3rd round 	Finals
1998–99	L, 0-3, Saint John	— 	— 	—
1999–00	W, 3-0, Saint John	L, 0-4, Providence	— 	—
2000–01	L, 1-3, Worcester 	— 	— 	—
2001–02	L, 2-3, St. John's	— 	— 	—
2002–03	Out of playoffs. 	Out of playoffs. 	Out of playoffs.	Out of playoffs.
2003–04	Out of playoffs. 	Out of playoffs. 	Out of playoffs.	Out of playoffs.
2004–05	W, 4-2, Hartford 	L, 1-4, Providence	— 	—
2005–06	Out of playoffs. 	Out of playoffs. 	Out of playoffs.	Out of playoffs.
2006–07	Out of playoffs. 	Out of playoffs. 	Out of playoffs.	Out of playoffs.
2007–08	Out of playoffs. 	Out of playoffs. 	Out of playoffs.	Out of playoffs.
2008–09	Out of playoffs. 	Out of playoffs. 	Out of playoffs.	Out of playoffs.
2009–10	L,1-4, Worcester 	— 	— 	—
== Players ==
=== Team records ===
;Single Season
:Goals: Chuck Kobasew (38) - 2004–05
:Assists: Keith Aucoin (56) - 2005–06
:Points: Keith Aucoin (85) - 2005–06
:Penalty Minutes: Louis Robitaille (250) - 2009–10
:GAA: Cam Ward (1.99) - 2004–05
:SV%: Cam Ward (.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
* New York Islanders (1998-2001)
* Los Angeles Kings (1999-2001)
* Carolina Hurricanes (2001-2006)
* Calgary Flames (2003-2005)
* Colorado Avalanche (2005-2006)
* New Jersey Devils (2006-2010)
==References==
Category:American ice hockey teams
Category:American Hockey League team
Category:Established in 1998
Category:Disestablished in 2010
Category:Defunct Teams
Category:American Hockey League teams