GAMEDAY NOTES & QUOTES: HOME OPENER AGAINST BRIDGEPORT
Oct 13, 2023
By Andrew Mossbrooks | @Mossbrooks48
The 68th season of Rochester Americans hockey starts tonight when the Amerks welcome the Bridgeport Islanders to Blue Cross Arena for the first of two meetings this season.
“I’m excited for our group,” said Amerks head coach Seth Appert after morning skate. “This is the first opportunity for this group of men to show publicly to our great fan base what we want to stand for and what we’re going to fight for this year. They’re hungry. They’re hungry to become a great team here. They’re hungry to try and get further in their careers and into the NHL and I’m excited for our group to take that first step tonight to try and become something we’re proud of.”
Early games in the season are different than later in the year simply due to the lack of resources. Video isn’t readily available on the opposition and exhibition (preseason) games are hard to gauge structure and systems.
“We showed a little bit of video on Bridgeport, but they have a new coach and new players, and exhibition games don’t tell you a ton. I think 95% of these early season games are about yourself and not your opponent.
Keeping it Cool(ey)
Appert confirmed goaltender Devin Cooley will get the start on opening night. Cooley, 26, enters his fourth AHL season and will make his first start as an Amerk after spending the last two seasons with Milwaukee. The Los Gatos, California, native signed a one-year contract with the Buffalo Sabres during the offseason following a 15-8-2 mark with the Admirals across the 2022-23 campaign. Through 52 AHL games, Cooley owns a 2.99 goals-against average, coupled with a .904 save percentage.
Michael Houser will back-up Cooley. Dustin Tokarski remains out due to an upper body he injury sustained during training camp.
Other Lineup Notes
Appert noted during his morning skate media availability that four forwards and two defensemen would be scratched for tonight’s game.
“It’s one of the hardest things to do in the American Hockey League,” said Appert regarding lineup decisions. “We’ve got four forwards and two defensemen out tonight that are really good hockey players who have the potential to be future NHL players or even guys that have played in the NHL. That is difficult and as a staff we spent a lot of time individually meeting with players to make sure they understand. I don’t want my players to ever not understand where they stand and why decisions are being made. The best way to handle it is to be completely honest with our players. Sometimes they don’t like hearing that in the moment, but I think they appreciate not being left in the dark.”
Rochester’s depth in its roster has been well documented. A third of the skaters on this team have played in the NHL, with several others being on the cusp of making it to Buffalo.
Milestone Mersch
Forward Michael Mersch returns to Rochester for his fourth season and third as team captain. The Park Ridge, Illinois native enters his 11th professional season sitting 37 points shy of 400 for his AHL career. Mersch has recorded at least 40 points in six of seven seasons where he’s skated in at least 50 games. While individual milestones exist, Mersch is focused on team success rather than personal accolades.
“We’ve put in a lot of good work this week and we feel pretty confident going into this,” said Mersch following morning skate on Friday. “We’ve been able to build on some things over the last few years and the fan support has been incredible. One of the things I look forward to most is seeing our fans in Rochester.”
The Other Guys
Bridgeport skates into a new season with a new head coach. Rick Kowalsky replaces longtime Bridgeport coach, Brent Thompson, who served as bench boss for the last nine seasons.
Though new to the Islanders organization, Kowalsky is certainly no stranger to the AHL. Kowalsky, who’s a former draft pick of the Buffalo Sabres (10th round, 227th overall in 1992), served as the bench boss for New Jersey’s AHL affiliates in Albany and Binghamton from 2010-11 to 2017-18. He then spent three seasons as an assistant with New Jersey before returning to the AHL with Bridgeport ahead of the 2021-22 campaign.
The Islanders are coming off a 76-point season, going 34-30-7-1 and missing the playoffs for the sixth time since 2013.
Six of the last seven games between Bridgeport and Rochester have required overtime or a shootout. The Amerks have won five of the last six meetings at Blue Cross Arena.
While Rochester returns its top nine scorers from a season ago, Bridgeport is missing its top two point-producers, though they do see the return of New York prospect, Arnaud Durandeau, who scored 24 goals and composed a 55-point season last year in the blue and orange.
Game Night Information
The Opening Night festivities begin with a pregame Roc the Block Party, presented by Kinecta Federal Credit Union, on Broad St. beginning at 4:00 p.m. Family-friendly activities include a bounce house, face painting and live music. Fans can also choose from an assortment of food options while ushering in another exciting season of Amerks hockey in Rochester.
There will also be an extended Pregame Happy Hour, presented by Genesee Brewery, before the game where fans 21 and older can enjoy $5 beer specials outside at the Block Party as well as $2 Genesee drafts inside at the Genesee Brew House at Blue Cross Arena (located at the top of the stairs in the main atrium) until puck drop.
The first 5,000 fans in attendance will receive purple Kinecta FCU and Amerks-branded Thundersticks, courtesy of Kinecta Federal Credit Union. Additionally, the first 2,000 will also be gifted a replica North Division Playoff championship banner. Amerks 2023-24 magnet schedules, courtesy of Nissan, will be available to all fans as a postgame giveaway.
Tickets for the 2023-24 Home Opener start at just $10.