Update (10-20-2017): The official word on Paetsch is that he’s week to week with a lower body injury, but Amerks Extra has learned that the injury may be more serious than the official report might suggest. Apparently Paetsch suffered a hairline fracture to his lower right leg/ankle and will be out for 4-6 weeks. If… Continue Reading

The Amerks have started the season off on the right foot. They won their first preseason game against the Toronto Marlies 3-2 in overtime, pulled out a 3-2 win against the Marlies in their second preseason game, beat the Syracuse Crunch 3-1 in their season opener, and pulled out a 3-2 overtime win against the… Continue Reading

The ice is prepped, the glass is clean, and the players are ready. In a few hours the Blue Cross Arena will be packed for the start of the 2017-18 Rochester Americans hockey season. You’ve probably picked up on the buzz surrounding this season on Twitter. If you haven’t followed preseason coverage, you’re in for… Continue Reading

The 2017-18 hockey season is upon us. The Buffalo Sabres open their season tonight at the KeyBank Center and the Rochester Americans open their season tomorrow at the Blue Cross Arena. A lot of changes during the off-season have reshaped the outlook of both franchises. Many looked to the Sabres and Amerks as playoff contenders… Continue Reading

C. J. Smith gave the fans something to be excited about tonight with a two-point night, including the overtime game winning goal, to help the Rochester Americans defeat the Toronto Marlies 3-2 at RIT’s Gene Polisseni Center. Smith’s (1 goal, 1 assist) earned tonight’s first star leading the team in scoring. The first period was… Continue Reading

As training camp drew to a close, Coach Taylor called everyone to center ice. He declared that it was time to get into game mode. Don’t think of tonight’s game as preseason, get the win. Get two points. It’s a definite change of tone from the past few seasons where winning was a secondary concern…. Continue Reading

When Nathan Paetsch got the call from Randy Sexton he knew he wasn’t being offered a job based on talent alone. At 34, Paetsch is nearing the end of his playing career. He feels his body has a couple of quality seasons left in it, after which he hopes to transition to coaching. Paetsch’s career… Continue Reading

Opening Day of Training Camp The first day of Amerks training camp for the 2017-18 hockey season is in the books. It’s hard to predict anything based on a single day of training camp. Practice is…practice, but I can compare it to other years. Overall I saw a lot more intensity. Players were skating harder… Continue Reading

One of the amazing things about being an Amerks fan is that the team has a vibrant and engaged community. Twitter is a great way to stay engaged with up-to-the-minute updates and discussions (follow @AmerksExtra!) but there is only so much that can be discussed within the 140 character limit. With local publications like the… Continue Reading

The 2017-18 AHL schedule has been released and the Amerks will play a total of 76 games. 37 of 38 home games will played at the Blue Cross Arena and 1 home game will be played at the Key Bank Center in Buffalo on Wednesday February 21st vs. the Syracuse Crunch. The season kicks off… Continue Reading

Last week ESPN Rochester’s Mike Danger broke the news that the Buffalo Sabres were exploring options to relocate the Amerks to a new arena. What arena(s), specifically, have yet to be determined and Mike Danger has not divulged his source of the information or the arena(s) contacted. Here’s what we’ve heard through the rumor mill:… Continue Reading

Win one, lose two. Lose one, win two. It’s the life of a .500 hockey club…and yet a .500 record would actually be an improvement over the .421 and .474 records of the past 2 seasons. Now in the 6th season of Buffalo Sabres ownership and the 3rd season of General Manager Tim Murray’s leadership,… Continue Reading

In a few hours the Amerks will take to the ice to open their historic 60th season. With a renewed focus on winning the organization hopes to make reparations for a disastrous 59th season. Last season’s “situation” in Buffalo trickled down to the Rochester Americans, which in turn trickled down to the Elmira Jackals. Players… Continue Reading

When tanking became the goal, Ted Nolan’s fate was sealed. There was no doubt the Sabres were in for a coaching change. The surprising part was just how swift and harsh Nolan’s ousting was. Just hours after the Sabres season ended GM Tim Murray sent Nolan packing and left little doubt he was blaming Nolan… Continue Reading

Take a long hard look at the current AHL landscape because you might not recognize the league come the 2015-16 season. The AHL is poised for a major shakeup—allowing a group of NHL owned AHL teams to move to California, forming a “Western Pod”. With player transactions between AHL teams and NHL affiliates on the… Continue Reading