AMERKS ANNOUNCE 2020-21 YEAR-END AWARD WINNERS
May 19, 2021The Rochester Americans announced today the year-end team award winners for the 2020-21 season, presented by Seneca Niagara & Casino.
Scoring Champion - Brett Murray
Second-year forward Brett Murray led the Amerks with 20 points and finished second on the team with nine goals in 27 games. Of his nine goals, a career-high mark he matched in nearly 30 fewer games than his rookie season, a team-high six were scored on the power-play. Murray, who also skated in his first two games at the NHL level with the Buffalo Sabres this season, tied for second among all Amerks with 11 assists. He never went more than three games all season without registering a point and was the only player to reach the 20-point mark.
Game-Winning Goals Award - Brett Murray
Murray also led the Amerks with two game-winning goals during his second year of professional hockey. He registered at least one shot on goal in 25 of the 27 games he appeared in with the Amerks this season.
Rookie of the Year - Mattias Samuelsson
Mattias Samuelsson appeared in 23 games during his rookie season with the Amerks and finished second in both goals (3) and points (13) among all first-year skaters. Among all AHL defensemen, he was ranked 11th in assists and 12th in points. Also notched his first two NHL points (0+2) in 12 contests with the Sabres as one of five Amerks players to make their NHL debuts with Buffalo this season.
Rob Zabelny Unsung Hero Award - Casey Fitzgerald
In his full season with Rochester, Casey Fitzgerald ended the campaign with a career-high nine assists and 11 points in 22 games before suffering a season-ending injury. Had his first career two-goal outing, which included a shorthanded tally, on March 3 to help the Amerks to a 4-2 win over the Utica Comets. Often served as an alternate captain and was a calming presence on the Rochester blueline despite only being a second-year pro.
Fairand/O'Neil Sportsmanship Award - Oskari Laaksonen
Oskari Laaksonen finished his first season in North America leading all Amerk skaters and ranked fourth among all AHL rookie defensemen with 15 assists while appearing in all but one game for Rochester. He ranked second in the AHL among all first-year blueliners with eight power-play assists while his 17 points were fourth-most. Opened the season with five assists through his first four games, including a season-high three-assist effort against Syracuse on Feb. 10, while his six penalty minutes were among the fewest on the team this season.
Most Improved Player - Matej Pekar and Dominic Franco
For just the second time since 1984-85, the Most Improved Player has co-winners (2002-03, Paul Gaustad and Jason Pominville).
Despite being the second-youngest player on the Amerks this season at age 21, Matej Pekar finished second among all AHL rookie skaters with a team-high 50 penalty minutes in 25 games. After being held off the scoresheet through his first 17 contests, Pekar notched six points (1+5) over his final eight appearances.
Dominic Franco led all Rochester rookies with four goals while being just one of two first-year skaters to record game-winning goal. In his first seven games as a pro, Franco, the first West Point graduate in the sport of hockey to turn pro, recorded just one assist before totaling eight points (4+4) in his final 16 games. Four of his goals came in a span of seven games, including two on back-to-back nights.
Most Valuable Player - Remi Elie
During his third stint with the Amerks, Remi Elie produced a career-high in both goals (10) and points (19) in 28 games. Elie was the lone Rochester skater this season to reach the 10-goal mark after tying his previous career-high mark in 31 fewer games. Notched a pair of multi-goal outings, including opening night, and also never went more than three consecutive games without recording at least one point.