Goaltender Tyler Plante is currently in Florida having surgery. One can only assume it is on his shoulder that was ailing him throughout the end of the season.
Archive for April, 2008
Amerks Equipment Sale
The Rochester Americans will be holding an equipment sale on Saturday, April 19th in the main lobby of The Blue Cross Arena at the conclusion of the 2007-08 American Hockey League season. The sale, which runs from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., will offer fans the opportunity to purchase hockey apparel, new and used:
-Pants
-Helmets
-Gloves
-Practice jerseys
-Stick shafts and blades
-Wood sticks
-Skates
-Goalie equipment
All the equipment comes in Adult Sizes and ready to be used on the ice. Supplies are limited. Please contact Amerks Equipment Manager Peter Bureaux at 454-5335 ext. 3016 for more information.
Just to also add on, many teams in the AHL do this regularly, not just teams like the cash strapped Amerks.
LetsGoAmerks.com – Our First Season
We just wanted to take a moment and say thank you to everyone who has continued to read our site daily. The on ice hockey season may be over, but there’ll be plenty going on during the off season that we will continue to cover. Even though the players locker rooms have been cleaned out, we won’t be cleaning out our desks, but instead stacking paper work with things to work on.
How have you enjoyed our first season covering the Amerks?
We’ll also gladly accept any constructive criticism as well. We plan on sticking around for a while, so let us know.
Only six months until Amerks training camp starts!
Amerks say off-ice circus had an impact
Reported in the Tuesday April 15, 2008 edition of the Democrat and Chronicle:
Kevin Oklobzija
Staff writer
As the losses piled up on the ice and the franchise’s financial turmoil swirled to tornado force off it, Rochester Americans players didn’t make excuses.
For the most part, they talked a good game, even if they didn’t always play one.
They were politically correct to a fault, saying non-hockey matters didn’t impact their performance.
But with a miserable season now over, players admitted during Monday’s locker cleanout that the off-ice distractions were difficult, if not impossible, to ignore.
Bickering between management of the Amerks and Buffalo Sabres, along with fiscal limitations of the franchise, impacted the players’ every-day activities during their 24-46-6-4 season.
“You’d tell guys from other teams what it’s like and they were kind of shocked,” said winger Rob Globke, who has been an Amerk for three seasons.
The Amerks themselves were sometimes stunned. Like the time Stefan Meyer’s athletic supporter ripped and he was told the supply cabinet was empty.
“Top to bottom, you noticed what was happening,” third-year winger Anthony Stewart said. “The coaches sort of going at it with the owner. Not having certain stuff, [...]Read More
Amerks End Season With a Win
The ice was being removed from Blue Cross Arena this morning after the Rochester Americans closed out the 07/08 season with a 6-5 victory over the Lake Erie Monsters on Sunday night at Blue Cross Arena.
Mark Mancari scored two goals and also got an assist, he led the team this season with 57 points. His two goals also tied Stefan Meyer with 21 to end the season.
Paul Baier scored his first professional goal in the second period.
Jordan Henry, Brady Calla, and Marek Zagrapan also tallied goals.
The Amerks also allowed a short handed goal, yet another category they led the league in this year.
In the coming days and weeks we’ll recap the season, and talk about the future. It appears all but final that the Florida Panthers will be the sole affiliate next season. Florida Panthers assistant GM Randy Sexton said the Panthers have every intention to stock the Amerks next season. Also with speaking with the Buffalo Sabre prospects, none of them expect to be back in Rochester next season.
Amerks Season Ends Tonight
The Rochester Americans close out the season tonight at Blue Cross Arena against the Lake Erie Monsters, game time is at 6:05pm. The Amerks will end the season with the worst record in the league, worst record in Amerks team history, and are currently on a six game losing streak.
Tonight is also Amerks Awards Night as the team will honor their top performers of the year. A special award should be given to fans who have stuck around this season.
Stefan Meyer and Dylan Hunter are both expected to miss the final game with shoulder injuries.
Friday Morning Practice
The Amerks had there usual morning skate today at Blue Cross Arena, one player that stuck out was a face on the ice that hasn’t been seen since January 5th, Mike Card. Unfortunately he won’t be playing in any of these final three games, but he looked great practicing in full gear with the team.
Tyler Plante is going to get his chance to redeem himself by starting again tonight against the Syracuse Crunch. Cunneyworth was telling him to not let the other team control or see his emotions.
The team was being told to go into the opposing end hard and continue to shoot the puck each and every time. “You’re here to play hockey and play hard, if you’re not here for that get the __ off the ice,” said Cunneyworth.
Stefan Meyer did not practice and won’t be playing tonight. He suffered a shoulder injury on Wednesday when Pavel Valentenko boarded him in the second period.
Dylan Hunter also didn’t practice, he had left Wednesdays game in the second period with a shoulder injury as well.
Rob Globke was also on the ice today for the Amerks. Hopefully, he will be back in the lineup for tonight’s matchup.
[...]Read MoreFinal Weekend of the Season
The Rochester Americans play the Syracuse Crunch tonight at Blue Cross Arena to begin the final weekend of the season. The team is hoping for a better game tonight than last Sundays embarrassing 10-3 loss against the Crunch.
The Amerks have lost 9 out of 11 games against the Crunch this season, and have also been outscored by a margin of 49-21.
If the Amerks win these final three games, and the Norfolk Admirals and Lowell Devils lose their remaining games they can stay out of last place in the league. Not likely, but it’s all we have left to play for.
The team travels on Saturday to play the Toronto Marlies at 4pm on Saturday, and returns home on Sunday to end the season against the Lake Erie Monsters at 6:05pm.
Patrick Kaleta will be sitting out the final three games per advice from Sabres doctors to rest a lingering shoulder injury.
“If I had the choice, I’d be there playing,” Kaleta said. “It feels like I’m giving up on the team and I’m not about that.”
The Buffalo Sabres anticipate him making the roster out of training camp next season, it’s understandable they wouldn’t want him to [...]Read More
Amerks Squander Three Goal Lead in Hamilton
After building a 4-1 lead shortly into the second period, the Amerks allowed the Hamilton Bulldogs to score seven more goals and win the game 8-4.
At the end of the first period as I got up to walk around Copps Coliseum I said, “I won’t get my hopes up especially heading into the second period.” I was right.
The Amerks controlled the game in the first period by building a 3-1 lead with goals from Jordan Henry, Stefan Meyer, and Martin Lojek.
Clarke MacArthur scored the fourth goal for the Amerks on the power play to give them a 4-1 lead, it was all downhill from there.
The real point of no return came in the third period when it was a 5-4 game in favor of the Bulldogs. Anthony Stewart had the puck at the top of the face off circle and faked a shot, two Bulldog players went to the ice to try and block it, Stewart then rang the puck off of the post.
The Bulldogs then scored another three goals to end the game, one of those was an empty net goal.
As usual the team played a solid first period, second period started decent, but the [...]Read More
