Albany Choppers
Order classic Albany Choppers tees, long sleeves, hoodies, crewnecks, mugs and more. The Choppers took their name and colours from part owner Price Chopper when the old Fort Wayne Komets moved to Albany in 1990, and they iced Alain Lemieux, brother of Mario, before folding after just 55 games. Celebrate this Albany hockey curiosity by browsing all of our Choppers gear, then read the team history below. We're an American small business bringing the logos and stories of long-lost hockey teams back.
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Albany Choppers History
The Albany Choppers have to be one of the worst business decisions a minor league franchise has ever made. From 1952-1990 the Choppers were the Fort Wayne Komets in Indiana, a team that is an institution in Fort Wayne to this day. But in 1990, owner David Welker decided to move the franchise east to the New York State capital of Albany and turn them into the Albany Choppers. The supermarket chain Price Chopper became a part owner, hence the name and color scheme. The team also picked up Alain Lemieux, brother of Mario, along the way.
The move to Albany didn't go well. As part of the agreement to let them move east, further east than the IHL had ever been, they had to pick up the travel tab for some of the teams coming to visit them. They also faced competition from local college and AHL teams in the area, and played to small crowds in a 15,000-seat arena. Given all this financial pressure, the Choppers would fold after only 55 games in Albany.
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