Is Josh Harris The Final Nail In Albany Hockey's Coffin?

With the temporary takeover of the Devils by the NHL due to financial concerns, my first worry was that they'd face the same fate as the Montreal Expos, letting big money players leave (hey, wait a minute..) and eventually leaving town for what would be a third time. Remember the KC Scouts and the Colorado Rockies? No, the old Colorado Rockies. The Devils began in Kansas City and spent a few years in Denver before settling in New Jersey.

Or even worse than the Expos situation, think about the Coyotes.

Thankfully, the league ownership only lasted a few days, with a group led by Philadelphia 76ers owner Josh Harris purchasing the Devils, the Albany Devils, and other assets from Jeff Vanderbeek for approximately 3.2 Ilya Kovalchuks.

My new worry falls with the second part of that purchase, the Albany Devils. Minor league hockey has been a mainstay in the capital district for decades. Albany has had the Devils/River Rats franchise for over 20 years, and hosted an Islanders affiliate and an IHL team prior. Nearby Glens Falls also had a Red Wings AHL affiliate from 1979 to 1999, and currently hosts the Adirondack Phantoms, who will soon be departing for Pennsylvania's Lehigh Valley area.

Of course, this doesn't mean the Devils will be moved by Harris to Philadelphia. Actually, that's very unlikely. After the Phantoms went upstate, the Spectrum was torn down to make room for something called "Xfinity Live!", and more parking for Citizens Bank Park, the Phillies' stadium.

A more feasible move is either to Connecticut or Long Island.  There's a plan in place to renovate the Nassau Coliseum after the Islanders bolt for Brooklyn, with hopes of pulling in an AHL team.  The team I've heard mentioned most to take over would be the Isles current affiliate in Bridgeport, CT.  The Hartford Wolf Pack (that's a thing again) have also been linked to Nassau, which would give the Rangers quick access to their prospects.

So where does this leave Albany? One would surely think Harris would love to move the team out of one of the AHL's worst drawing cities, and into Connecticut, where both the Wolf Pack and Sound Tigers draw decently.  Minor league hockey leaving the Capital Region makes me sad, and not just because it would force me to start going to Springfield Falcons games. The area has a rich tradition in the modern AHL, and one of the finest, if not most sparsely filled arenas in the league, in the Times Union Center.