As a fan of hockey and a resident of the city of Lowell i am absolutely digusted with everything i've been reading in the Lowell Sun. The paper is single handedly driving professional hockey out of the city. Sure the Devils front office lacks the ability to self promote, but the articles writen in the Lowell Sun hasn't helped promote the team at all. There was one article all season that was rather uplifting and the rest was demoralizing. If you think for a second that mullet night in Manchester actually draws fans your are absolutely wrong. Look at Manchesters attendance for a regular season game compared to a playoff game. Theres a difference of atleast 3,000. Why? because they that 3,000 people were given free tickets. Which is another difference between the Lock Monsters and Devils. The fact that you guys assume the Devils will leave after their lease is the most disturbing, for many reasons. First, they put a ton of money into renovating the locker room and front office, which they don't get back if they leave. Second, if they move the team to NJ they'll have to pay atleast double the expenses for travel. Even in Lowell their only three and a half hours away from the home team. Third, you guys pointed this out, their lease. Why would they leave? Even if they doubled the lease its still one of the lowest in the league. Whats the difference if they keep U Mass or the Devils, the arena will still be empty. Both teams don't draw well and the arena management isn't capable of producing any good concerts. Which they blame on the lack of available dates, Ha. No good band wants to play a venue thats seats only 7,000 people. The turn around from a ice hockey to concert is only a couple hours. Many arenas handle hockey, basketball and concerts on a daily basis why can't the arena? Chances are the Arenas biggest draw, the Kiss 108 Jingle Ball, will move to the BU rink anyways because it holds more and is closer to Boston. You can say that Hockey takes up 57 possible dates, or you can say the Arena wastes 300 other chances to have a concert or show. In case anyone didn't notice: The attendance of the circus a couple months ago was below that of the Devils, and the Arenas only averages one concert a month. So you can run the Devils out, but when it comes down to it the Arena has hit rock bottom.

Mike you are all wrong. The problem with the Lockmonsters for the past several years has been lack of promotion by the team. The Lowell Sun was never given much to work with.

It started after they fool heartedly moved Tom Rowe out of the front office. He handed Jim Lehay a ticket base and fan enthusiasm that was on the rise. Leahy singlehandly lost that momentum after a year. He drove competent indivdiuals out of the front office and that's when it started to fall apart. He left supposedly for a better job but I bet he was moved out.

Then came Brian Martin. He started out strong and I thought things were going to change but for whatever rason things went backwards again. He had a very capable crew led by Danielle Claremont. Many of those people left as well. In all honesty I think his feet were being held financially to the fire by ownership and you can't make money unless you spend money. He left for Lowell High.

Next came Kevin Cummings and his crew led by the totally inept Kevin Bartl. Talk about a clueless crew. They drove the best enployee out the door in Danielle Claremont. But when the Devils took over it was hoped that they would change the front office staff and hire capable people. But they didn't. Cummings left and Bartl is just to much of a rump swap to even challenge what the front office was doing. He was the perfect puppet for the Devils.

Don't let the Devils organization fool you. They never intended to stay here. Before the ink was dry on the deal last year the rumors were out there that they would not be here the lenghth of the agreement. Now it looks like reality. Chris Lamoriello and company are not to be trusted.

It's a shame this is going to happen but after Tom Rowe left nobody cared what happened here.

Wow. Was the Lowell Sun editor trying to make me feel guilty for paying $18 apiece for a dozen seats -- and $5 for parking -- to watch a great bunch of guys play hockey? In some way are they equating that with, say, knowing that a pair of sneakers was made in a sweatshop, and buying them anyway? Wow. That was a fine slap in the face to the few remaining Devils supporters.

So it's like good riddance to me, too, and to many fans who liked the Monsters or the Devs. Well, I have always believed in the song, "If you can't be with the one you love, love the one you're with." It's why I miss the Monsters and still cheer for the Devs. I can't afford to bail them out, but I'll still cheer for the Lowell Devils if they come back for another season. Unless you people in Lowell put up a picket line and start dooring cars on the way to the Ayotte garage, I'll even pay to go to my measly few games.

But I might not go into town for dinner, or to browse in the shops, because I won't feel welcome there. And I do have other choices.

The UML River Hawks better learn from the mistakes Lowell and the Devils have made:

Don't assume the team is entitled to the community's support, no matter what sacrifices the city makes on your behalf. PLEASE promote your team. And make sure you have a lease option for the Chelmsford Forum.

Mike, you couldn't be more wrong about the Lowell Sun's efforts regarding professional hockey.

Were it not for the Sun jumping on the bandwagon and helping sell a very unpopular project in the mid-90's, you may not have had a Tsongas Arena or Lock Monsters in the first place. Even after the ownership change, the Sun help spearhead the campaign to drive up the season ticket base and save the team. Too bad the Devils themselves didn't invest that kind of time or effort...or dare I say...MONEY.

As for why AHL teams get less fans in the playoffs, it has nothing to do with free tickets. It has to do with season ticket holders not buying playoff seat packages. They've made their contribution in the regular season, and don't feel the need to tie up their money in playoff games they likely won't attend or may not happen at all. It's a dynamic that occurs throughout the AHL, and I've even had management types tell me they could care less about making the playoffs because it's a losing business proposition for them.

Terri, no one is saying good riddance to you...just to a business that never wanted to be here in the first place, rented a home here for two years till their new home was ready, and never took the time to invest or become part of the community they came to. Making matters worse, they were given a sweetheart lease that the University (a partner to the city in the true sense of the word) was not given. Talk about bad for business. It's like giving an illegal immigrant a scholarship and sticking it to your local students.

You are more than welcome to come to Lowell and visit businesses that have been entrenched in the community for years, that provide a desirable product, and that WANT to be here for the long-term.

So go ahead and cheer the Devils next year. I'll be right there with you as a business person who invested in season tickets as a result of the Lowell Sun campaign.

Just don't give them your heart. Because they're gonna dump you no matter how much you, I or the Lowell Sun capitulate, bribe, beg or plead them to stay.

As the J. Geils Band sang; Love Stinks!

Lowell never asked for my heart, just my money. Oh, and by the way, I was told I shouldn't use the parks in Lowell because I don't live there and pay taxes.

That message came through loud and clear. I heard it.

The playoff thing leaves a bad taste in my mouth as well. All season long I never got so much as a phone call or email (which I get plenty of both of from the Spinners who I also have season tickets to).

Granted that I only do the 10 game plan for the Devils because I also have UML season tickets and it's just too much to shell out for games.

But- as soon as playoff packages were on sale I sure got a phone call from an account manager for the Devils looking for my $$$$. I think the AHL should look into changing their by-laws. Why force your customers to pay more just because it's a playoff game? Individual teams should be free to price games for whatever they want in order to fill arenas- not play in front of a bunch of empty seats. Too many playoff games in the past were so depressing because they'd have about 1500 fans at best on a weeknight...

Just to be clear, dboisver and y'all, I was referring to Lowell in the larger sense, not the Lowell Devils. The Lowell Devils always treated me like a welcome guest. That's hard to find these days, especially in Lowell.

I sure hope the Lowell Devils' new Executive Director, Chris Ciceri, gets a warm welcome. It's good to read that he earned an award for sportsmanship, courage, and honor.

I'm afraid to buy tickets in advance, but not because I don't trust the Lowell Devils. It's LOWELL I don't trust any more.

So long, and thanks for hearing me out.

I wish I'd seen this thread sooner. It was pretty obvious that the Devils are a temporary stay. There is no doubt in my mind the team is gone to Trenton after this season. There is really only one way I see a sucessful minor league hockey franchise survive in Lowell. If for some reason the Boston Bruins moved their ECHL (Hockey 'AA' for those unfamiliar) to Lowell. And even then, though only 10 years old, there would need to be an investment in renovating and modernizing Tsongas Arena.