Photo by David Kirouac/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Earlier today, the New Jersey Devils and Utica Comets announced a ten-year American Hockey League affiliation deal. The link goes to Utica’s statement. Here is the statement from the Devils stating the same. The re-location of the Devils’ AHL team from Binghamton to Utica was approved today. It is now official: the AHL Devils are moving up two hours north on NY-12 to Utica. They will be there through to 2032 provided the agreement is honored in full.
The twist is that the trademark may not get used. At least not right away. The B-Devils will not become the U-Devils. The team will remain as the Comets as per Utica’s release:
New Jersey Devils AHL Team is Moving Back to Utica
There will be AHL Hockey at the Adirondack Bank Center in Utica next season after all, and the news comes with some nostalgia.
The Utica Comets confirmed Thursday that they have entered into a 10-year agreement with The New Jersey Devils and the Utica Comets to move their AHL team back to Utica, and the request was approved by the AHL Board of Governors. The board also approved the move of Vancouver s AHL team, now the Utica Comets, to Abbotsford, British Columbia, which is about an hour out of Vancouver.
Utica Comets President Robert Esche confirmed on Wednesday that as of right now, Utica does not have an AHL team for the upcoming 2021-22 season. Esche appeared on WIBX s Keeler in the Morning Show on Wednesday. As of right now, we don t know, Esche said. The Comets President said he learned that Vancouver would be pulling out of their agreement with Utica in December. He said he s been looking for a new team affiliation ever since.
The news comes amid rumors of a change over the last few weeks and Tuesday s announcement from the Vancouver Canucks that they are exiting Utica and moving their farm team closer to home in Abbotsford, British Columbia. Vancouver partnered with Esche 8 years ago to reintroduce AHL hockey to the area with the Utica Comets in 2013. Since then, the Comets have seen a significant expansion at the Utica Memorial Auditorium, now the Adirondack Bank Center, a team run for the Calder Cup and an active record for the most consecutive sell out games, which ha
Comets NHL Affiliate Vancouver Canucks Will Leave Utica
Jacob Markstrom and Chris Tanev 04012016 Vancouver Canucks v Anaheim Ducks Photo Credit: Harry How, Getty Images
The Vancouver Canucks have made it official. They will end their partnership with the Utica Comets at the end of this season and will be moving their American Hockey League franchise to Abbotsford, British Columbia. With momentum starting to build, we are pleased to confirm our goal to bring our AHL franchise and Canucks prospects home to the City of Abbotsford, said Francesco Aquilini, Chairman, Canucks Sports & Entertainment. The move would bring significant opportunities for both our team and the community and it would begin a new chapter, bringing Canucks hockey to even more fans throughout the Lower Mainland.
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