AMERKS 2022 TRAINING CAMP: DAY ONE NOTEBOOK
Oct 4, 2022By Ryan Harr
The Rochester Americans took to the ice on Tuesday morning to begin their 2022-23 Training Camp with a group of 29 skaters and three goaltenders at The Blue Cross Arena.
AMERKS OPENING DAY ROSTER
Second-year Amerks head coach Seth Appert along with assistant coaches Michael Peca and Mike Weber all put the group through their first official skate of the 2022-23 season. It was the team’s initial practice in Rochester after spending last several weeks assisting at Buffalo Sabres Training Camp. The trio were also joined by former Amerk Nathan Paetsch, in his second season as a player development coach with Buffalo, and Jason Payne and Alex Bezzera of the Cincinnati Cyclones.
Familiar Faces Return
Of the 32 players on Rochester’s opening day roster, 13 who appeared in at least one game with the Amerks last season made their way back onto the ice.
Returning for his third season in the Flower City, captain Michael Mersch headlines this year’s roster after he posted career-highs in goals (26), assists (28) and points (54) in 65 games last season.
He also appeared in five Calder Cup Playoff contests during the Amerks’ historic run to the North Division Semifinals.
The nine-year pro has appeared in 470 career AHL games between the Amerks, Texas Stars, Ontario Reign and Manchester Monarchs, totaling 318 points (156+162) while also adding 35 points (16+19) in 49 Calder Cup Playoff games. Additionally, Mersch, a five-time 20-goal scorer in the AHL who won a Calder Cup with Manchester in 2015, has skated in 17 career NHL contests with the Los Angeles Kings, tallying a goal and a pair of assists.
In addition to Mersch, forwards Brandon Biro, Mason Jobst, Brett Murray, Kohen Olischefski, Lukas Rousek, Brendan Warren, and Linus Weissbach all are familiar faces in Rochester. Defensemen Mitch Eliot, Ethan Prow, Peter Tischke and Oskari Laaksonen and goaltender Michael Houser all saw time with the Amerks last season.
Murray enters his fourth professional season, splitting time between Buffalo and Rochester the last two seasons. Murray appeared in 19 games for the Sabres last year after making a statement at the Prospects Challenge. Murray recorded six points — including his first NHL goal on Nov. 29, 2021 – with his family in attendance.
In Rochester last season, Murray had a career-year: he posted career-highs in points (32), goals (15) and assists (17) in 52 games. He added 6 points in 10 games — and was a big presence — in the Calder Cup Playoffs.
Biro is entering his third professional season after signing a two-year deal with the Buffalo Sabres this summer. The Penn State product tallied 41 points (12+29) in 48 games last season and added three points (1+2) in 10 playoff games.
Biro made his NHL debut with the Buffalo Sabres on Feb. 23, 2022. He was named the Most Improved Player and Unsung Hero of the Amerks for the 2021-22 season.
Laaksonen enters his third professional season after being drafted 89th overall by the Buffalo Sabres in the 2017 NHL Draft. Last season in Rochester, Laaksonen posted his best offensive effort, tallying career-highs in goals (5), assists (29), and points (34). Laaksonen recorded four power-play goals and one game-winner last season.
Prow returns to the Flower City after he signed a two-year AHL contract with Rochester in July after spending last season serving as an assistant captain for the Amerks. In 70 games, Prow led all Rochester defensemen in goals (10), assists (39), and points (49). He finished the regular season ranking third amongst all AHL defensemen in both assists and points.
Prow, who added four assists in 10 Calder Cup Playoff games for the Amerks, also skated in four contests with the Buffalo Sabres last season. Prow earned his first-ever NHL recall on Dec.29, 2021, and scored his first NHL goal during the third period against the New Jersey Devils later that night.
In 61 career games in the AHL, all with Rochester, Warren has registered 12 points (8+4) while also totaling 50 points (23+27) in 91 contests with the Jacksonville Icemen (ECHL). Jobst meanwhile is entering his fourth professional season, totaling 15 goals and 23 assists.
Forward Patrick Polino is one of 10 invitees, who appeared in at least one contest with Rochester in 2021-22.
Newcomers to Roc
Despite taking the ice for the first time in Rochester, a wave of Sabres’ draft picks took the ice for the first time, including Isak Rosen (14th overall, 2021), Jiri Kulich (28th overall, 2022), Tyson Kozak (193rd overall, 2021), Alexsandr Kisakov (53rd overall, 2021), and Filip Cederqvist (143rd overall, 2019).
Forward Josh Passolt, defenseman Zach Berzolla and goaltenders Beck Warm are all under contract with the Amerks but made their way onto the ice for the first time on Tuesday. Malcolm Subban rounded out the goaltending trio after his reassignment from the Buffalo Sabres on Monday.
Subban enters his eighth professional season, having split his time between the NHL and AHL. He has appeared in 86 NHL games and 132 AHL regular season games. Buffalo acquired Subban from Chicago in December 2021 and signed a one-year deal with the Sabres in July. Subban joins the Rochester squad after clearing waivers on Monday.
Warm signed a one-year AHL contract with Rochester in July after spending the majority of last season with the Norfolk Admirals (ECHL). He posted a 7-10-1 record and one shutout in 18 games. Warm began his pro career in 2020-21 when he posted an 8-4-1 mark in 14 games with the Chicago Wolves (AHL), including a pair of shutouts to go along with a 2.74 goals-against average and .914 save percentage.
Passolt also signed a one-year AHL contract with Rochester in July after appearing in six games with the Cincinnati Cyclones last season. He scored his first professional goal with a second-period tally on April 15 against the Indy Fuel. Prior to turning pro, Passolt recorded 108 points (44+64) in 166 career games at Western Michigan University (NCHC). He earned NCHC Academic All-Conference honors during all five seasons.
Berzolla inked a one-year AHL contract with the Amerks in July after spending eight games with the Hartford Wolf Pack (AHL). The blueliner also registered three goals to go with a career-high 17 assists and 20 points in 51 games with the Jacksonville Icemen (ECHL) and tallied his first AHL goal during his debut on Dec. 29, 2021.
HOMECOMING FOR WEBSTER'S KEENAN
Among the 10 camp invitees is Rochester native Conlan Keenan, who is entering his third pro season in 2022-23.
The 5-foot-10, 170-pound forward scored 13 goals and added 20 assists for 33 points while being the only member of the Toledo Walleye (ECHL) to appear in all 72 regular-season games last season. He finished the season plus-16 and was honored by the ECHL as the league’s Plus Performer for January after leading all ECHL skaters with a +13 on-ice rating during the month. Keenan also skated in 10 games for the Walleye during the Kelly Cup playoffs, notching a pair of assists.
The Webster native dominated at the college level while playing four years for SUNY-Geneseo that included two seasons as team captain. In 110 career games for the Knights, he posted 172 points (86+88). Keenan was named the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) Conference Player of the Year as a senior in 2019-20 when he picked up 50 points (22+28, which was third-most in NCAA III that season.
Keenan helped lead the Knights to back-to-back SUNYAC Championships and NCAA Tournament appearances, including a trip to the NCAA Frozen Four in 2019.
Looking ahead
After an unusual three-week camp leading into the shortened 2020-21 season and then an Opening Training Camp roster of just 18 skaters and one goaltender last fall, Appert and company have 32 players to begin the 2022-23 Training Camp.
Rochester plays its first of two preseason games on Saturday, Oct. 8 when they visit the Syracuse Crunch for a 5 p.m. face-off at Upstate Medical University Arena. The Amerks will conclude its camp as they host the Utica Comets on Sunday, Oct. 9 for a 5 p.m. tilt at The Blue Cross Arena.