A HEARTFELT FAREWELL FROM THE CAPTAIN
Sep 30, 2024To the City of Rochester and Amerks fans,
Thank you for an incredible four years! I could not have asked for a better experience. Throughout my career there was always something intriguing about the possibility of playing for the Amerks.
Then COVID hit.
Without a contract, I did not know what was next for my career or in life. Through a connection with Seth Appert, I found myself driving in a snowstorm to Rochester in February of 2021. I had no clue the next four seasons would create so many memories with so many great people.
I always felt a huge sense of pride and excitement being the Captain of the Amerks and representing such a great city. The community and fans truly care about the Amerks because of the deep history and memories the team has created over the last 68 years. Not every AHL team has deep roots like the Amerks do in Rochester. It truly is special!
I enjoyed it when the team brought back alumni who had success during their time with the team. It always made me hopeful our teams would find a way to engrain in that rich history.
Reflecting on my time as Captain, I think about our team winning multiple playoff series and a Division Title. The North Division is a grind, competitive and every season the team had to earn it. For fans who watched me play, I hope you witnessed a player who cared about his teammates, played hard, played the right way, and did everything I could to put the team in a position for success.
I ultimately decided to hang up my skates this summer. It was not an easy decision, and I will forever miss the bus rides, driving to the rink in the morning and recognizing I was playing professional hockey for a living, and the way the game made me feel alive, despite whether that feeling was good or bad.
I am leaving behind so many lifetime friends and relationships that mean so much to me, but the most important relationships in my life are the ones in my family. My wife, Jenna, and two boys, Mike and Mason, are everything to me. Their lives are in our hometown outside of Chicago and that is where I need to be. My kids are surrounded by their four amazing grandparents here, one of them being my Mom. Thank you for sacrificing so much to allow me to live my dream, Mom. It is time to create new memories and focus on the next generation in the Mersch Family!
When we first signed with the Amerks, my wife was pregnant with our son, Mike. When it was time to leave for hockey season, Jenna orchestrated a move to Rochester so our son could watch his dad play pro hockey. It’s probably one of the proudest things in my life.
During my third year, we had our second son, Mason, in Rochester, which will always give us strong ties to a great city. Before either of our boys were born, the front office had jerseys made with their last name and the “C” on the left shoulder. They instantly became Amerks!
We have so many great memories and wins together, but my favorite was when I had the opportunity to play a game with my younger brother, Dominick, with Jenna, Mike, and Mason in the stands watching.
As a player, I never thought about the day I would have to write a retirement letter. The fact I have the opportunity to even write this would not be possible unless you are surrounded by a lot of great individuals.
To all my teammates, staff members, coaches, medical and equipment trainers, I am so gracious for the ride we went on together. I always tried to endorse a culture where every person in the locker room was a part of the team and felt they could be themselves. You learn a lot about people when you are with them for an entire season.
I’ll always be thankful for Kevyn Adams, Jason Karmanos and Seth Appert for believing in me and giving me the opportunity to not only be an Amerk, but entrusting me with the honor of serving as Captain.
Most importantly, though, I’ll remain forever grateful for the unwavering support from the greatest fans in hockey. It was an absolute honor and a privilege to play in front of you every night.
Through the good times and the bad, I came out of this game with more relationships than I can count. I thank each and every one I crossed paths with for helping me play as long as I did.
Thanks for the memories and Let’s Go Amerks!
-Cap