UTICA —The Utica Comets, the American Hockey League (AHL) minor-league affiliate of the National Hockey League’s Vancouver Canucks, will begin play this fall, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced today.

The Comets — who are relocating from Peoria, Ill. — will play their games in the Utica Memorial Auditorium, the governor’s office said in a news release.

Starting in the 2013-14 season, the team will compete in the same league as the Syracuse Crunch, the local affiliate of the Tampa Bay Lightning, and the Binghamton Senators, an affiliate of the Ottawa Senators.

“As the future home of the Comets, the new and improved Utica Memorial Auditorium will provide an instant boost to the local economy,” Cuomo said in the release. “The Aud has been a staple of downtown Utica, and our investment will make it a more competitive venue for other events, attracting more visitors and driving long-term economic activity for local businesses.”

The state’s investment in renovating and “modernizing” the 4,000-seat Utica Memorial Auditorium, locally known as the “Aud,” was “critical” to the team management’s decision to move to Utica, according to the governor’s office.

The state has announced $5 million in renovation work to enhance The Aud to meet professional-hockey standards and to improve the facility for use by the Utica College hockey program and its fans, the governor’s office said.

The facility will also be “more competitive” for other non-hockey events such as concerts, trade shows, and other athletic events, which will help spur economic activity in downtown Utica, the governor contends.

The Comets’ move to Utica will create 54 new jobs, including front office positions, coaches, players, trainers and equipment managers, as well as 34 new part-time jobs on the days of games and events, the state said.

The Utica Comets franchise brings the number of AHL clubs in New York to six, joining the Crunch, the Senators, the Rochester Americans, Albany Devils, and Adirondack Phantoms in the 30-team league.

Utica has been home to a number of minor-league pro hockey teams in the past, including the Mohawk Valley Prowlers of the United Hockey League from 1998-2001. The Utica Devils, a New Jersey Devils affiliate, played at The Aud from 1987 -1993.

Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com