What would happen during that season though was unclear.  Steve Donner had purchased the Rochester Americans from the Buffalo Sabres and rebuilt the team into what they thought would be a winner and it turned out to be just that.

“The seeds of the Calder Cup were planted in the ruins of the previous year,” is said early on in the video.

“They tried to see if a talented development team would work here and I think the answer has been a resounding no,” Steve Donner said.  ”They’ve recognized that and given us a chance to change the equation to help their needs and help us for the future.”

Sounds familiar doesn’t it?  A development team with expected talent rarely wins championships. The mix of talented players developing and veteran leadership and scoring is what carries teams on.

Three players signed to that team who had a big impact were Craig Charron, Scott Metcalfe and Dan Frawley.  They signed Scott Metcalfe representing toughness, Dan Frawley represented character even though he did not play any hockey the previous two seasons.  Craig Charron was a 28yr old hockey nomad who played for 3 different teams in 3 different leagues the previous year.

John Tortorella was hired to replace John van Boxmeer.  Tortorella coached two seasons in Rochester before making the jump to the NHL.

In the video before the season started Tortorella stated, “Rochester, it’s just one of the greatest organizations in the American Hockey League.  The tradition and what the people demand out here I think is going to put pressure on the players along with my demands on the players and myself to make this work.”

Something that still holds true today.  It’s still a great organization and the fans demand a winning team, something fans of any sports team should do.

On the ice for the final puck drop and when the clock ticked down to zero was Craig Charron, Doug Houda, Dance Jackson, Scott Metcalfe, Terry Hollinger and Steve Sheilds in goal.

Jody Gage had started the season on the ice for the Amerks but a knee injury caused him to retire and join the Amerks front office, a place he has been ever since.

There’s a lot more in this video so sit back and enjoy.  All of game 7 will be online by the end of the weekend!

“They went through holy hell at times but they believed,” Tortorella says in the video.  ”They regained their composure and played with confidence.”

If you want to watch all of game 7 you can do that here.

Enjoy and share!  Also, thanks to @TheSchlag for letting me borrow these videos to get them online!

1996 Video Highlighting Amerks Calder Cup Win is a post from: Let's Go Amerks!. For discussion visit the forums at LetsGoAmerks.com/Forums.

Don Lever, John van Boxmeer, Jody Gage, Gates Orlando, Benoit Hogue, Daren Puppa, Ray Sheppard, Darcy Wakaluk and so many more names that will bring back memories. You can see the full roster here on hockeydb.com.

Great quote in the video, “It is not necesarily the team with the best talent that wins championships. Desire often dictates the difference between success and failure. The 1986 1987 Amerks drive to a 5th Calder Cup was built around the kind of character and leadership that comes from desire.”

Great bit of info that led to winning the division championship:

In the 1986–87 season the John VanBoxmeer-coached team won the division championship on the last game of the season against the Binghamton Whalers. The Amerks were one point behind the Whalers and playing in Binghamton. After goalie Darcy Walkaluk paced the team to a tie in regulation and overtime, the game proceeded to the new “shoot-out” format used that season. As the shoot-out began, VanBoxmeer made one of the most memorable coaching moves in Amerks history and pulled Wakaluk from the game, inserting usual starting goalie Darren Puppa who had sat out the game due to injury. Puppa stopped every shot and low-scoring defenseman Jack Brownschidle scored the winning goal. While the teams both finished with identical records (47-26-7), Rochester won the division based on having a better record in head-to-head competition.

Hard to imagine a coach doing that these days!

Classic material here, sit back and enjoy.

Cool to see that once the clock hits zero you can see fans jumping over the glass and out onto the ice to join the celebrations.  Coming up next, video about the Amerks 1983 Calder Cup win.

The American Dream The Drive for Five 1987 Calder Cup Video is a post from: Let's Go Amerks!. For discussion visit the forums at LetsGoAmerks.com/Forums.

All indications point to the paperwork being finalized and the only thing remaining is approval of the American Hockey League Board of Governors that will be meeting early next week in Hilton Head. Is there any reason the league would not approve this sale?  Of course not.  Everyone knows the Amerks need it for long term health of the franchise and the AHL could use one of it’s oldest teams back at the top of their game.

I’m pretty confident others will have all of the details (costs, negotiations, fate of the Amerks front office etc) before I do but it’s safe to say this deal is complete, every i has a dot and every t is crossed.

The Terry Pegula WNY hockey empire continues to build and there’s a lot of great reasons everyone should support that, mainly the desire for success.

All one has to do is look at how he reacted at the press conference announcing the purchase of the Sabres where the French Connection was present and he was like a little kid meeting his heros (nothing wrong with that!).  There’s likely more past and present professional hockey players living in Western New York than any other region and that is something we’ll continue have pointed out and will help attract players and personel to the area.

If the Amerks are successful and the Sabres are successful that will result in sponsors being happy and you get the idea.

When the Amerks and Sabres divorced a few years ago the situation was completely different and especially between the ownership groups. Maybe it’s worth revisiting to give people a history lesson but at this point I think everyone is better off saying it just didn’t work out at that time and both sides are to blame.

We should expect to see the tradition of the Rochester Americans carried on.  We should expect Amerks alumni to be recognized a lot more than in recent years.  Jody Gage will likely work for the Sabres and will build a winning team with a team that wants to build a winning team.

Yes, the Sabres will need players to develop and that will happen. They’ll also want players to win so that the winning attitude continues up to the NHL.

In a way maybe it’s good that the Amerks and Sabres took some time apart from each other.  For Amerks fans who’ve stuck around during the past few seasons we can tell you that even when the Sabres were still here there wasn’t as much buzz as there is right now.  It’s almost as if everyone took the relationship for granted and didn’t fully appreciate it (more so the fans than anything else).

To Amerks fans the real test of a Sabres owned team will come on July 1st when free agency begins.  For a while now we’ve had to sit back as American Hockey League free agents start getting signed by other teams in the league. Yes, the Sabres players need to develop but the fans of the AHL want to win a Championship too. Players who develop and win will carry that with them in their careers.

A perfect example is Ottawa Senators goalie prospect Robin Lehner after winning the Calder Cup when he said:

“All you naysayers and critics, you can go hide somewhere. You can never take this away from me. I’m not saying I’m going to go play in the NHL (right away). That’s a long road ahead. But you can never take away from me that I’m a Calder Cup champion and that I got the MVP here.”

As a Sabres fan it was painful to cheer for the Binghamton Senators to win the Calder Cup but it was also exciting seeing players care about winning for the City they played for, the team logo and sweater they wore and for themselves.  They weren’t playing for the Ottawa Senators, it was for them and their team the Binghamton Senators.  That’s the way it used to be for Rochester Americans fans, the City of Rochester and the players who wore the the sweater with the crest on it.  It wasn’t even that long ago either but in terms of sports it was the last generation that experienced those things.

Yes, Sabres prospects have won AHL Rookie of the Year honors in recent years but being a Calder Cup champion will go a lot farther.  As all of this becomes final I’m expect Pegula will want the same.  To Sabres fans reading, around here we talk about winning games, not “developing.”  As the details and of the sale come out and everything is finalized we can begin breaking down the roster and how it should compete with the rest of the American Hockey League.

Talk is cheap, here’s hoping that both Rochester and Buffalo have reasons to have an exciting winter and late spring in 2012!

AHL Approval and Details All that Remain of Amerks Sale to the Sabres is a post from: Let's Go Amerks!. For discussion visit the forums at LetsGoAmerks.com/Forums.

The Amerks were considered Calder Cup contenders for the 09/10 season and will be again this season.  That’s assuming there isn’t a long stretch of injuries, call ups and internal disagreements with the coaching staff.

Here’s more about the open lines of communication from Steve Gorten:

Tallon said Santos will work closely with AHL Rochester’s director of player personnel Jody Gage and the rest of the Americans brass, so it looks like the Panthers’ rocky relationship with its minor-league affiliate can be smoothed over. In fact, Tallon said Santos and Gage were on the phone all day working together to sign some AHL free agents.

Santos sounds like a much better option than Jack Birch was in his tenure with the Panthers.

“Significant signings” may be on the horizon in the near future for the Amerks.  From Kevin O:

I asked Santos how much of his duties will be devoted to Rochester and he said, “They’ve taken up most of my day today, and I mean that in a good way. I spoke with Jody Gage (director of hockey operations) five or six times today. We’re very close to signing some significant players.”

One significant signing has already happened, Jacob Markstrom.  He’s considered one of the top goalie prospects in the world and all signs point to him spending the season in Rochester.  Toss in Graham Mink and Chris Taylor who were signed last summer who will be back to lead the offense there’s good reason to be excited.

The general vibe surrounding the Florida Panthers since the arrival of Dale Tallon has changed from being skeptical to being optimistic about the years ahead.  Just because the Panthers and Amerks are heading into the last season of the current affiliation agreement does not mean that the Panthers are going to put a bad team on the ice in the minors.

By the time the summer is over the Rochester Americans will once again be considered one of the top teams in the American Hockey League and that’s something to look forward to.  Stay tuned!

Amerks Will Be Calder Cup Contenders Again This Season is a post from: Let's Go Amerks!. For discussion visit the forums at LetsGoAmerks.com/Forums.

After talking to a number of different players over the past week and watching practice on Tuesday morning I get the feeling that the swagger and confidence that has been talked about and also disappeared is back.  It’s pretty simple, you’re happy when you’re winning and you’re miserable when you’re losing.

I’ve watched a lot of practices in the mornings and the team that practiced on Tuesday morning looked to be a different team than the one I watched a few weeks ago.  The execution of drills, the passes, the shots and even the saves by Alexander Salak and Tyler Plante looked better.

It may have also helped that the coaches were more interactive and also giving a lot more specific directions.

Speaking of goalies, Tyler Plante has said that he is not starting on Thursday which would leave the job to Alexander Salak.  That’s not much of a surprise to me based on quotes last week by Benoit Groulx (look for them on Wednesday).  Groulx said that he’ll officially announce the starter on Wednesday.

The confidence of the team seemed to have fade from December on when injuries and call ups were really starting to have an impact on just about every game.  The lineup was changing, the goalies were changing, the rotating lines were also changing often during games.  It was a lot of change.  The players also never knew whether they were coming or going.  There is a mental aspect to hockey as well and when you’re mentally prepared one day for the minor league system and then have to switch modes to play in the NHL there is an adjustment to make and vice versa.

When the playoffs start on Thursday the team can go back to how they planned the systems at the start of the season with a specific roster and this time they will not have to worry about any players being called up.  Injuries and call ups are expected and common in minor league sports, playing through all of that is often challenging but this Amerks team found a way.

Actions will speak for themselves when the Amerks take the ice on Thursday against the Abbotsford Heat.  There’s no way that Jody Gage and Ted Nolan assembled this roster just so they could make the playoffs, they assembled this team knowing they could be capable of winning a Calder Cup.  It has not been smooth, but I’m ready for the bumpy ride to continue until June.

Look for a more in depth “Round 1″ preview on Wednesday.

Confidence is Key for the Amerks, They May Have it Back is a post from: Let's Go Amerks!. For discussion visit the forums at LetsGoAmerks.com/Forums.

The rosters can consist of 20 players and two goalies.  A player can be replaced because of injuries or call ups.  Also, players brought in from college or junior leagues are exempt and can be added at any time.

The Florida Panthers did loan Craig Weller to the Chicago Wolves, a move that many had thought would see a player loaned back to the Amerks in exchange.  Weller had been acquired from the Boston Bruins in a trade that also included Dennis Seidenberg.  Weller was set to make another $100k this season which is probably why the deal happened, a salary dump.

We could debate and discuss and question why nothing happened, but that wouldn’t be very productive (right now).  The clear day roster was submitted at 3pm on Wednesday to the AHL and should be made available sometime Thursday.  What we’ve had is what we’re getting for the playoffs.

It’s time to stop debating “what if’s” with the roster and time for this team built by Ted Nolan and Jody Gage to step up and prove that this mix of vets and prospects is good enough to make a long run in the playoffs.  Everything else can be debated once the season is over.

Here’s the roster:

According to AHL by-laws, only those 22 players listed on a team’s Clear Day roster are eligible to compete in the remainder of the 2009-10 AHL regular season and in the 2010 Calder Cup Playoffs, unless emergency conditions arise as a result of recall, injury or suspension. Teams may also add signed junior players or players on amateur tryout contracts after their respective junior or college seasons are complete.

The following 22 players are currently on the Clear Day List for the Rochester Americans:

Goaltenders: Alexander Salak and Tyler Plante.

Defensemen: John de Gray, Keaton Ellerby, Rory Fitzpatrick, Jason Garrison, Jordan Henry, Mathieu Roy and Clay Wilson.

Forwards: Jimmy Bonneau, David Brine, Evgeny Dadonov, Michael Duco, Jamie Johnson, Steve MacIntyre, Shawn Matthias, Graham Mink, Victor Oreskovich, Michal Repik, Jeff Taffe, Chris Taylor and Mike York.

Players In Residence: Luke Beaverson, Mike Caruso, Maxime Gratchev, Scott Hotham, Daniel Steiner and Andrew Sweetland.

Below was my original post and guess at the roster.

Below is my guess at the roster.  The only kink in the lineup would be the amount of vets.  Could Max Gratchev replace Steiner?  Keep an eye on Amerks.com or TheAHL.com on Thursday for the complete lineup, this just my guess.

Chris Taylor
Graham Mink
Evgeny Dadonov
Jeff Taffe
Jamie Johnson
Mike York
David Brine
Mike Duco
Victor Oreskovich
Michal Repik
Shawn Matthias
Daniel Steiner
Rory Fitzpatrick
Mathieu Roy
Clay Wilson
Jason Garrison
Keaton Ellerby
Jordan Henry
Michael Caruso
John de Gray

Alexander Salak
Tyler Plante

In case of injuries Luke Beaverson, Andrew Sweetland, Jimmy Bonneau and Steve MacIntyre will still be around.

Amerks Roster Set for Run at the Playoffs; Repik Up is a post from: Let's Go Amerks!. For discussion visit the forums at LetsGoAmerks.com/Forums.

We know that Curt Styres, Lewis Staats, Ted Nolan, Jody Gage and everyone else in the office cares about the success of this franchise but what can they really do on their own?  Not all that much, which brings up the question was recently raised by Kevin Oklobzija, If the parent team doesn’t care, why should the players?

I asked Ted Nolan on Sunday afternoon if they have talked to the Florida Panthers about what has been going on (the slump and possible reasons for it) in Rochester and he gave a quick answer of yes.  He said they’ve been on the phone and talked a lot of what’s been going on.  He didn’t provide any other details about whether or not any changes or help will be provided, but he did express that they are in communication.

Bill O’Flaherty, Director of Pro Scouting for the Florida Panthers was at the Amerks game on Saturday night to watch the game so someone from the Panthers was here to witness this team meltdown late in a game, a common theme of this season.

The Amerks 2,000th franchise win on Sunday versus the Portland Pirates could be a game the team can build off of but the same thing was also said about a Saturday win the week before prior to a three game losing streak.  With only 21 games remaining there’s a big gap between the Calder Cup contenders a lot of people thought the Amerks were early in the season and the team that is playing now.

Some will say that a team going from two of the worst seasons in franchise history to even making the playoffs is an accomplishment.  This team was not built to just make the playoffs though, it was made to try and make a run for the Cup.

The Democrat and Chronicle recently had this quote in the paper, “Curt put a lot of time and a lot of energy into this team,” Nolan said. “We’re not just going to sit and watching things slide.”

To fans, it appears they have done just that.  What fans would like to hear is that they (Amerks management) are upset that the Florida Panthers have done nothing and have not been around to take note.  In trying to keep a good business relationship they’re probably trying not to rock the boat and create a riff between the two sides.

It could be that patience is the key and everything will work itself out.  Unfortunately, if we look back to last season there was a similar situation when the Amerks season started out horribly the comments from Jack Birch was that the team had not even played 20 games yet.  Around the 20 game mark they went out and signed Mike Brodeur to help out in goal, but it was too little too late.  The season was lost and the Amerks were never able to climb out of the basement.  All we have to do is hope that the Amerks don’t slip into fifth place and out of a playoff spot before the Panthers take notice and try to make some changes or adjustments.

Ending on a positive and optimistic note, maybe patience really is the key and the players and coaches will turn everything will turn around and the remaining 21 games will include another long winning streak.  The return of Mike York to the lineup could help do just that.  We’ll see on Friday night when the Amerks try to win their first Friday home game since November 27th when they host the Grand Rapids Griffins who are currently in last place in the North Division.

Nolan Says Panthers are Aware of Amerks Slump is a post from: Let's Go Amerks!. For discussion visit the forums at LetsGoAmerks.com/Forums.

The archives from their show that aired on February 6th that featured an interview with Jody Gage is available for download at http://bluelineshow.com.  The interview with Gage starts at around the 26 minute mark in the full archive of the show or you can download just the Gage interview.

Send the show an email and give them some feedback!

The Blue Line Show February 6th Archive with Jody Gage Interview is a post from: Let's Go Amerks!. For discussion visit the forums at LetsGoAmerks.com/Forums.

Here’s the bio about the show:

The Blue Line Show is a show dedicated to Rochester and WNY hockey.  It is a one-hour program from 10-11 a.m. Saturday mornings on SportsRadio 950 ESPN in Rochester.  It is hosted by Seth Pohorence and Matthew Coller.  We are two nuts for hockey whose goal it is to discuss and promote local hockey.  They love the Sabres, Amerks and RIT and you WILL hear us talking about them!  If you’d like to talk about them, call in during the show at 585-222-6397.

THANKS and Keep Listening!

You can check out more about the show at www.bluelineshow.com where you can also download archives of previous shows and give it a listen.  If you have any questions or suggestions for the show send them an email through their web site.

ps… Listen for the LetsGoAmerks.com ad that will air at some point during the show!

Saturday Morning: Jody Gage on The Blue Line Show is a post from: Let's Go Amerks!. For discussion visit the forums at LetsGoAmerks.com/Forums.

All you have to do is look at Mink’s resume and watch him play to understand why he was honored.  Two Calder Cup championships.  Leadership.  Scoring.  Play’s hard every game.  He has fun.  He’s smart.  Involved in the community.  The list goes on.

I’ll be traveling to the All-Star Game again this season and will have full reports again.

You can vote for players, plenty of Amerks on the list, into the AHL All-Star Game here – http://theahl.com/forms/ahl-all-star-ballot-f1

Here’s the complete press release from the American Hockey League:

For Immediate Release
December 3, 2009

MINK TO CAPTAIN PLANETUSA ALL-STARS AT 2010 TIME WARNER CABLE AHL ALL-STAR CLASSIC

(Rochester, NY)… American Hockey League President and CEO David Andrews announced today that Nolan Baumgartner of the Manitoba Moose and Graham Mink of the Rochester Americans will serve as playing captains for the 2010 Time Warner Cable AHL All-Star Classic, to be held January 18th-19th at the Cumberland County Civic Center in Portland, Maine.

Captains for the American Hockey League All-Star teams are selected by the league president in recognition of their outstanding service and leadership to the AHL.

Graham Mink also began his AHL career in Portland, skating for the Pirates from 2001-05. The ninth-year pro went on to win two Calder Cups with the Hershey Bears (2006, 2009) before signing with the Florida Panthers and joining the Rochester Americans in 2009-10. Mink has totaled 190 goals and 190 assists in 522 career AHL games, and has appeared in seven NHL contests, all with the Washington Capitals. The native of Stowe, Vt., will be making his first AHL All-Star Classic appearance and will captain the PlanetUSA AHL All-Star team. Mink becomes the second Rochester player in as many years to be named team captain for the All-Star classic, following Rory Fitzpatrick’s selection last season.

A first-round draft choice by the Washington Capitals in 1994, defenseman Nolan Baumgartner is in his 14th professional season and 13th in the American Hockey League. Baumgartner has played 306 of his 739 career AHL games with Manitoba and has also spent time in Iowa, Philadelphia, Norfolk and Portland, where he spent his first four campaigns with the Pirates. Previously an AHL All-Star in 2005 and 2007, Baumgartner also has 131 career NHL contests to his credit, skating for Dallas, Philadelphia, Vancouver, Pittsburgh, Chicago and Washington. A native of Calgary, Alta., Baumgartner will captain the Canadian AHL All-Star team.

Previous players honored as AHL All-Star team captains include Bryan Helmer, Rory Fitzpatrick, Denis Hamel, Keith Aucoin, Mike Keane, Eric Healey, Craig Darby, Travis Richards, John Slaney, Randy Cunneyworth, Ken Gernander, Rob Murray, Peter Laviolette, current Philadelphia Flyers head coach John Stevens and American Hockey League Hall of Famers Jody Gage and Tim Tookey.

Of the 488 players to take part in the AHL All-Star Classic since 1995, more than 93 percent have competed in the National Hockey League, including Patrice Bergeron, Brad Boyes, Dan Boyle, Danny Briere, Brian Campbell, Zdeno Chara, Rick DiPietro, Miikka Kiprusoff, Kari Lehtonen, Ryan Miller, Zach Parise, Bobby Ryan, Martin St. Louis, Jason Spezza, Eric Staal and Tomas Vokoun.

The 2010 Time Warner Cable AHL All-Star Classic will feature the 2010 AHL All-Star Skills Competition on Monday, January 18th (8:00 p.m. ET) and the 2010 AHL All-Star Game on Tuesday, January 19th (6:00 p.m. ET), and will be televised live nationally in the United States and Canada.

Tickets for the 2010 Time Warner Cable AHL All-Star Classic – which include admission to both the Skills Competition and the AHL All-Star Game as well as an official commemorative All-Star Classic event program – are $49 (rows 1-12 in all sections) and $42 (rows 13-24 in all sections). To purchase tickets call (207) 775-3458, visit the Cumberland County Civic Center Box Office or go on-line at portlandpirates.com.

Graham Mink All-Star Captain; Vote Amerks into All-Star Game is a post from: Let's Go Amerks!. For discussion visit the forums at LetsGoAmerks.com/Forums.