Albany FireWolves sign new lease with MVP Arena

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- The Albany FireWolves will call MVP Arena home for at least the next three years. The team announced a new lease agreement with the arena on Tuesday. The deal is for at least three seasons, with a mutual option for three more.

The team moved to Albany three years ago after spending the previous five years in Connecticut. The team went just 3-15 two seasons ago, but turned it around last year, making it all the way to the NLL Finals. The FireWolves CEO said the support from local leaders and the arena allow the team to invest in the community.

"It's very important that we understand what we're representing. We're representing the Capital Region when we do things, and so, the longer you're here and the more people you know and the more commitments you have from Dan and Bob, you become a bit of a family," Albany Firewolves CEO Oliver Marti said.

The Albany market has been scorned by teams before. As the FireWolves continue to to build their fanbase, they hope this deal shows they aren't going anywhere. "I'm in the community, I'm playing men's hockey, I'm golfing and I'm interacting with a lot of people, and there is that narrative that it's a hard market and teams come and go and they can't keep teams," said FireWolves head coach and general manager Glenn Clark. "We're grinding through that and we're trying to break that perceived stereotype. This is another step in saying, look, we're committed to this community, we're committed to this arena, and we want longevity and stability."

The upcoming season starts November 30.