After seven months, it has come to this: tonight, the River Rats host Binghamton at the former Knickerocker Arena in the finale to their 16th American Hockey League season.

For the first time in three years as a Carolina Hurricanes affiliate, Albany won't be going to the postseason. That empty feeling is the same for the Senators, magnified even more by the fact that they weren't eliminated from contention until a stunning 6-1 home loss to Norfolk last night.

Tonight is also the last game on the air for Rats radio play-by-play broadcaster Owen Newkirk, who has been laid off by the team, effective at the final horn. Too bad; the kid is talented and well-liked, as evidenced by having several fans give him hugs and gifts before the game.

On the bright side, Nicolas Blanchard and Casey Borer, both badly injured in Albany's Feb. 19 bus crash, are on the ice for warmups. Neither will play, but seeing them out there again has to be an emotional lift for the boys. Captain Pat Dwyer, out since March 28 with a hand injury, is also skating and will return to the lineup.

This will be the Albany debut for forward Zach Boychuk, assigned to the Rats by Carolina on Friday. He'll be skating with another first-round draft pick, center Brandon Sutter.

Rookie center Nick Dodge is also in the lineup, making him the only Rat to skate in all 80 games this season. He's the first to do it since Johnny Boychuk in 2006-07; Boychuk, now with Providence, was named the AHL's top defenseman last week.

Dodge is the 10th player to play in franchise history to dress for every regular-season game and the third rookie, following Steve Brule and Daryl Andrews. The entire list is below.

Binghamton will have both its local boys, Marc Cavosie of Cohoes (and Albany Academy and RPI) and Shawn Weller of South Glens Falls, in the lineup.

To the game. Justin Peters (the subject of Sunday's notebook lead) gets the start in goal. He'll be opposed by Mitch O'Keefe, who has played parts of five games for Binghamton without a decision.

Albany's line combinations from warmups: Yannick Tifu-Cory Quirk-Jerome Samson; Tomas Pospisil-Nick Dodge-Jakub Petruzalek; Zach Boychuk-Brandon Sutter-Pat Dwyer (C); Ryan Weston-Michael Kennedy-Harrison Reed.

Defense combinations: Bryan Rodney (A)-Jamie McBain; Ryan McGinnis-Brett Carson; Benn Olson-Mark Flood (A).

Scratches: Noah Babin, Mike Angelidis, Stefan Chaput, Bobby Hughes, Joe Jensen, Nicolas Blanchard, Casey Borer, Trevor Gillies, Brad Herauf.

Binghamton line combinations: Greg Mauldin (A)-Peter Regin-Denis Hamel (C); Ilya Zubov-Zack Smith-Danny Bois (A); Aaron Slattengren-Marc Cavosie-Jim O'Brien; Jim McKenzie/Tomas Kudelka-Shawn Weller-Jeremy Yablonski (A).

Defense pairings: Matt Carkner (A)-Derek Smith; Mattias Karlsson-Drew Fata; Matt Taorminia-Neil Petruic.

Scratches: Jim McKenzie, Josh Hennessy, Jarrett Konkle.

Here are the Rats to play in all 80 games in a single season (*-rookie):

Nick Dodge, 2008-09
Johnny Boychuk, 2006-07
Scott Cameron, 2002-03
*Daryl Andrews, 2000-01
Henrik Rehnberg, 2000-01
Pierre Dagenais, 1999-00
Jiri Bicek, 1999-00
*Steve Brule, 1997-98, 1995-96
Bryan Helmer, 1997-98, 1995-96
Brad Bombardir, 1995-96