Rochester Americans
Fourth oldest AHL franchise, second longest continuous tenure.
The Rochester Americans, often called the Amerks, are a pro hockey team from Rochester, New York. They serve as the American Hockey League affiliate of the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres and play their home games at the Blue Cross Arena at the War Memorial. The franchise is the fourth oldest in the AHL and holds the second longest continuous run in its current location, trailing only the Hershey Bears.
The team’s colors are red, white, and blue, and its logo features a patriotic badge with “Americans” written in cursive. The Amerks have won the Calder Cup six times and have lost in the finals ten times.
Hockey has deep roots in Rochester, with the University of Rochester fielding a collegiate team as early as 1906 and East High School running a successful program by the 1920s. Professional hockey first arrived in 1935 with the Rochester Cardinals of the International Hockey League, but that team lasted just one season, finishing 15–29–3 and struggling financially. In the early 1950s, as the Rochester Community War Memorial was being built, Montreal Canadiens manager Frank Selke promised an AHL team to the city, with 1956 as a possible target. Interest was strong: 7,092 fans packed a November 1955 exhibition game between the AHL Buffalo Bisons and the NHL Canadiens, a 5–5 tie that sold out five days early. When Pittsburgh’s Duquesne Gardens was slated for demolition in 1956, the Pittsburgh Hornets had to suspend operations, opening a spot in the AHL for Rochester.
Before the AHL franchise came together, the Arpeako Packers drew crowds at the new War Memorial. Center Sam Toth and left wing Ed House led an early effort to bring pro hockey to Rochester, initially pitching the Central Hockey League, which promised more fans due to a rougher style of play. Toth and House held out for the AHL but lost out to a group backed by Canadian interests. The AHL granted a conditional franchise to a group including Toth and House in June 1956, requiring $150,000 in capital—two-thirds from stock sales within two weeks. When that effort fell short, a new group backed by Selke and Toronto Maple Leafs owner Conn Smythe took over. The Leafs and Canadiens each owned 27.5% of the team, with the rest sold to local investors.
Quick Facts
- Text Color
- #000000
- Team
- Rochester Americans
- City
- Rochester, New York
- League
- American Hockey League
- Conference
- Eastern
- Division
- North
- Founded
- 1956
- Arena
- Blue Cross Arena at the War Memorial (Capacity: 10,662) / KeyBank Center (Capacity: 19,070) (select games)
- Owner
- Terry Pegula
- Coach
- Michael Leone
- Gm
- Stacy Roest
- Captain
- Zach Metsa
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The Rochester Americans were awarded a conditional franchise in June 1956 after the Pittsburgh Hornets suspended operations due to the demolition of the Duquesne Gardens. An initial group led by Sam Toth and Ed House failed to raise the required $150,000 in capital, so a new group backed by Frank Selke of the Montreal Canadiens and Conn Smythe of the Toronto Maple Leafs was awarded the franchise. The team was named the 'Americans' and entered the league for the 1956–57 season as a joint affiliate of both NHL clubs, though operated by the Canadiens.
Under coach Billy Reay, the Americans finished third in their first season and defeated the defending champion Providence Reds in the playoffs before losing the Calder Cup final to the Cleveland Barons. In 1959–60, the Americans became the first team in AHL history to win a playoff series after trailing three games to none, coming back against the Cleveland Barons. Beginning in 1963–64, former defenseman Joe Crozier became coach and general manager, leading the team to Calder Cup championships in 1965, 1966 and 1968, and a finals appearance in 1967—the only team in AHL history to appear in the Calder Cup finals in four consecutive seasons.
During the 1965–66 season, the Americans played their final 10 regular season and all playoff home games at neutral sites because the 1966 American Bowling Congress tournament occupied the War Memorial. Home games were held at Toronto's Maple Leaf Gardens and one playoff game at Buffalo's Memorial Auditorium. The team was sold multiple times: in July 1966 to a group including Punch Imlach, and two years later to the Vancouver Canucks of the Western Hockey League.
Reader's Guide
The Rochester Americans are notable as the fourth oldest franchise in the American Hockey League and hold the second longest continuous tenure among AHL teams in their current locations, after the Hershey Bears. Their six Calder Cup championships and ten finals appearances mark them as a historically successful franchise. The team's origins are tied to the suspension of the Pittsburgh Hornets in 1956, when the demolition of the Duquesne Gardens created room in the league for a Rochester team. The Americans were initially a joint affiliate of the Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs, with the Canadiens operating the club. Under Joe Crozier, the team achieved a unique feat in AHL history by appearing in the Calder Cup finals in four consecutive seasons from 1965 to 1968, winning three of those championships. The franchise has undergone ownership changes, including sales to groups involving Punch Imlach and later the Vancouver Canucks of the Western Hockey League. The team's colors are red, white and blue, and its logo is a patriotic badge with 'Americans' in cursive script.
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