teams as a condition of being allowed to move to Albany. They were unable to secure a full NHL affiliation (and its subsidized salaries); they had to settle for a secondary affiliation with the Vancouver Canucks. They only had 11 players with NHL contracts. The team sank into last place, and attendance plummeted; for numerous games attendance in the cavernous 'Knick' (capacity 15,000) was no more than a few hundred fans. After local media reported attendance figures at odds with the ones management was reporting (by quite literally counting heads), the team ceased to report attendance altogether, while giving season tickets away outright. The end As it was, the team hemorrhaged funds, held back by the most expensive travel budget in the IHL and a lack of natural rivalries. Their nearest opponent was the new Komets (Welker's franchise had been replaced by the relocated Flint Spirits team, which took the Komets' name and history), some 670 miles west. The team eventually struggled to meet payroll, missing it several times, and supplies ran short. One notorious incident came during an overtime game against the Komets, when Jim McGeough was sent out for the final shot in a shootout because he had the only sound hockey stick remaining on the bench. By December, the Choppers were gasping. Their assets had been frozen when a travel agency sued them for non-payment, and they lost their radio flagship due to three months of unpaid bills. Out of desperation, Allison put all of the players who did not have NHL contracts on waivers. The Milwaukee Admirals claimed Henry, forcing the Choppers to trade Lemieux to the Admirals to get Henry back. However, it was understood that Lemieux would return to Albany if Welker found a buyer for the team. The end came in February, when Price Chopper announced it was pulling its sponsorship and its investment after the season, citing a poor relationship with Welker and lackluster promotion. By February 14, the Choppers were so short of cash that they were not only about to miss payroll again, but lacked enough money for their next road trip. Even though they had won six of their last nine games and were in contention for a playoff berth, no credible buyers were on the horizon. Welker finally gave up and shuttered the team that night. The Capital District Islanders promptly honored all Choppers season tickets in an