Especially for the players who have been in Albany all four years, or at least a couple, it was a little harder to walk off the ice at the end of this season, knowing they won't be back with the franchise moving to Charlotte, N.C.

"That's hanging over the heads of a lot of the guys here who will be moving on next year to Charlotte," Albany coach Jeff Daniels said. "We have a lot of guys who have been here a couple years and grown accustomed to the area and meeting people outside the game, enjoyed their time here."

Daniels also wanted to pass along "just a thank you to the fans who have been so good to this team, especially over the two years I've been here."

Mike Angelidis was a rookie four years ago during the franchise's first year of affiliation with the Carolina Hurricanes. He said as hard as it is to walk away, he takes some solace in the move of the New Jersey Devils to place an AHL team back in Albany for next season. That move is not yet official, but a letter of intent was sent from Devils CEO/President/General Manager Lou Lamoriello to the Times Union Center.

"They're true fans," Angelidis said. "They really helped us out over the last four years and it's going to be really sad, leaving. But I know they're getting a team, which is nice to see. The city deserves a team. They're true fans and it's a great place to play."