(Rochester, July 13)... The Rochester Americans announced today the schedule format for the 2010-11 season. The Amerks, who will remain in the Western Conference’s seven-team North Division, will open their 55th season against the Hershey Bears on Sunday, October 10th at The Blue Cross Arena.

Joining Rochester in the division are Abbotsford, Hamilton, Manitoba, Grand Rapids, Toronto, and Lake Erie. Rochester (44-33-2-1) finished the 2009-10 season with 91 points and advanced to the 2010 Calder Cup Playoffs for the first time since the 2007 postseason.
This season, fans will have a chance to watch 13 of the league’s 30 teams at The Blue Cross Arena. Full-season ticket packages for the Amerks upcoming season are currently available starting as low as $320 for 200-Upper End/Balcony level seating and range in pricing up to $650 for 100-Premium level seating. Call the Amerks Office now at (585) 454-5335 to get your seats today. The complete schedule will be announced later this summer.

This season, the Rochester Americans’ balanced 80-game schedule features 44 games against Western Conference opponents. The Amerks’ divisional schedule includes six games against Grand Rapids, while Rochester will battle Lake Erie, Toronto and Manitoba on eight different occasions. The Amerks will see Hamilton 10 times this season, while only having four meetings with Abbotsford. For the second straight season, Rochester will not face off against the Western Conference’s West Division. In the past few seasons, the Amerks have devoted 14 games of their schedule to the AHL clubs in the Midwest.
 
In the Eastern Conference, the Amerks play a total of 36 games to level out the schedule. The contests are sprinkled among seven teams. The Amerks play geographical rival Binghamton only eight times, down from 10 last season, and have four games each against Hershey, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Adirondack and the newly formed Albany Devils. In the Atlantic Division, Rochester will see a pair of encounters with the Worcester Sharks. With Syracuse remaining in the Eastern Conference for its second straight season, Rochester will still play its longtime rival 10 times.