Albany River Rats

The Albany River Rats™ debuted for the 1993–94 season with one of the greatest logos in minor league hockey history. At the time, there was a battle for hockey dominance in the Capital District before they arrived. The rival IHL relocated the Albany Choppers to Knickerbocker Arena (now Times Union Center) in Albany, relocating far further east than the IHL had previously been. Adirondack already played in Glens Falls in the AHL. The Capital District Islanders were relocated by the AHL to RPI Arena in Troy, bringing the total number of teams there to three. The Choppers quickly collapsed, and a few years later, in 1993, the Islanders relocated to the Knick and underwent a name change to become the River Rats.

The River Rats previously shared a connection with New Jersey, and as a result, many top players passed through their ranks. Robbie Ftorek served as their first head coach, and several other NHL players, like Patrick Elias, Zack Parise, Brian Gionta, and Mike Dunham, spent a lot of time there. They got off to a fast start, winning 46 games in their second season after winning 38 in their first. They also had the best record in the AHL during their second season, which helped them to defeat Fredericton in a four-game sweep for the Calder Cup. Throughout the 1990s, the River Rats would maintain their success, making the playoffs in each of their first seven seasons.

After the 2009–10 campaign, the team moved to Carolina and adopted the new moniker, The Checkers.