The team in the Atlantic Coast Hockey League that began in and skated away with the league championship in The idea, which started with her late husband and Utica legend, Bill Horton, was the restart the tradition of professional hockey in Utica; picking up where the Clinton Comets left off many years earlier.
Luann gives us an incredible insight to starting the team alongside the coach, general manager and husband to get the team off the ground with the necessary players and investors. After the dust settled, the team was embraced by the city of Utica and stood alone as league champions. Tell us what your role with team when it started.
I was the office manager. I was the one pulling tickets, talking with fans and doing all that was necessary to help get the team going from the ground up. I was there to support Bill and we had to do everything.
We had a very small office staff. The total number of employees was five! Was there any time where we thought it was too much. No⦠we never looked at it that way. We just kept forging ahead. Bill Horton had a tremendous impact on that continues to this day. Can you describe what he went through to make it all happen?
You must remember, back then, the Auditorium was a closed facility. He had to the get the Aud opened. It was in shambles. Broken seats⦠etc. He had a lot of stamina. Bill gave everything he had. He saved hockey two other times it was folding in the area. Having the Aud reopened was the reason the Utica Devils came here.
