Hockey Operations Department

Jason Karmanos - General Manager

Karmanos_Jason_Web.jpgThe Buffalo Sabres named Jason Karmanos as the team’s associate general manager on April 14, 2021.

 

In his role, Karmanos serves as the general manager of the AHL's Rochester Americans and oversees the Sabres' scouting, player development and analytics departments. 

 

A native of Orchard Lake, Michigan, Karmanos spent six seasons (2014-20) with the Pittsburgh Penguins, where he served as the assistant general manager for three seasons. He was the club's vice president of hockey operations prior to that. 

 

In his roles with Pittsburgh, Karmanos spearheaded the revamping of the Penguins' use of hockey analytics to assist management in their decision-making process.

 

He was also a member of the Carolina Hurricanes' front office from 1998-2013 and served as an assistant general manager for 13 of those seasons. 

 

Karmanos, 48, has been part of three Stanley Cup championships. He won with Carolina in 2006 and with Pittsburgh in 2016 and 2017.

 

Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams was an alternate captain on the 2005-06 Hurricanes. Adams and Karmanos were also teammates on the United States' 1994 World Junior Championship team. 

 

Before becoming a hockey executive, Karmanos played four seasons at Harvard, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree with honors. He played one season for the Raleigh Ice Caps of the ECHL in 1996-97, but an eye injury ended his playing career.

Michael Leone - Head Coach

_SocPo.pngMichael Leone enters his first season as head coach of the Rochester Americans in 2024-25 after being named to the position on June 6, 2024.

The 34th head coach in the 68-year history of the franchise, Leone embarks on his AHL head coaching career following two seasons as head coach and general manager of the Green Bay Gamblers of the United States Hockey League. His previous coaching experience also includes a successful three-year stretch as an assistant coach at USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program (NTDP), as well as brief stints at both the collegiate and professional levels.

 

Leone amassed a 66-41-10-7 record in his two seasons with Green Bay, leading the Gamblers to back-to-back 30-plus win seasons as well as consecutive playoff appearances for the first time in over a decade. Leone piloted Green Bay’s resurgence through the 2022-23 campaign, helping the team finish with the most wins (32) and points (71) since 2016-17. The following year saw the Gamblers capture two more wins and earn a third-place finish in the USHL’s Eastern Conference standings, culminating with a return trip to the postseason for the second straight year.

 

Before joining the Gamblers, Leone served as an assistant coach for USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program from 2019-20 to 2021-22, alternating duties between the U.S National U18 and U17 Teams. He also spent time as an assistant coach for the Bowling Green State University men’s ice hockey team (2018-19) and for the Quad City Mallards of the ECHL (2017-18).

 

During his three seasons with the NTDP, Leone helped implement a successful development model that produced an astounding 41 NHL Draft picks, including 13 future first-round selections, four of which were chosen in the opening round of last year’s draft.

 

A native Dearborn Heights, Michigan, Leone has extensive coaching experience at the international level, most recently serving as an assistant coach for the U.S. Junior Select team in 2023. He served in the same capacity with the 2022 U.S. Under-18 Men’s Select Team at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup and at the 2021 Under-17 Five Nations Tournament, where he helped guide the U.S. to the championship. Additionally, Leone was an assistant coach at the 2021 IIHF Under-18 Men’s World Championship, was behind the bench for Team USA's 2019 Under-17 Four Nations championship-winning team and for the Under-17 World Hockey Challenge, where the U.S. placed second.

 

Leone played three years for the Western Michigan University before embarking on a four-year professional career in the ECHL split between the Kalamazoo Wings (2012-13) and Toledo Walleye (2014-17), along with one season overseas with Villard-de-Lans in France. He also played three seasons of junior hockey in the North American Hockey League with the St. Louis Bandits.

Nathan Paetsch - Assistant Coach

Paetsch_Nathan.jpgNathan Paetsch enters second season as Assistant Coach in 2024-25 after spending the two previous seasons as a Development Coach for the Buffalo Sabres organization.

In his role, Paetsch, a native of LeRoy, Sask., oversees the defense and the penatly kill units.

A two-time Calder Cup winner, Paetsch announced his retirement in December 2020, ending an illustrious 17-year playing career with nearly 900 games in the National Hockey League, American Hockey League and the Deutsche Eishockey Liga in Germany.

 

The 39-year-old Paetsch appeared in 258 career games over parts of seven seasons in the red, white and blue, recording 100 points on 23 goals and 77 assists. His seven seasons in Rochester trail only Darryl Sly for the most by a defenseman in the 66-year history of the franchise and he’s one of only 20 defensemen all-time with at least 250 games as an Amerk. He also added four points (2+2) in 26 playoff appearances for Rochester, leading the Amerks to the postseason in each of his first two years with the team.

 

20200131MV0356.JPGIt was off the ice, however, where Paetsch’s contributions were the most impactful. In his seven seasons with the team, he was unanimously named the winner of the organization’s McCulloch Trophy for his commitment to the Rochester community on five different occasions, the most by any player. He also remains the only Amerk in franchise history to receive the award, coinciding with being named Rochester’s AHL Man of the Year for his community service, in three straight years from 2018-2020.

 

Paetsch is also a four-time recipient of his team’s AHL Man of the Year award as well as a three-time nominee for the league’s Fred T. Hunt Award, presented annually to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of sportsmanship, determination and dedication to hockey.

 

A seventh-round selection (202nd overall) of the Buffalo Sabres in 2003, Paetsch joined the Amerks as a rookie for the 2003-04 season following five years of junior hockey with the Moose Jaw Warriors. The following year, he and the Amerks enjoyed a record-setting season for the most points and longest home win streak while winning the Macgregor Kilpatrick Trophy as regular season champions thanks to an AHL-best 51-19-4-6 record. Paetsch would be the only Amerk to appear in all 80 games that season.

 

His best season as an Amerk came during the 2005-06 campaign when he posted career-highs in goals (11), assists (39) and points (50) to lead all Rochester defensemen and finish ninth in scoring among all AHL blueliners. For his efforts, he would be named Amerks MVP, becoming just the third defenseman in team history to earn the honors.

 

That year would also see Paetsch make his NHL debut for the Buffalo Sabres, paving way for a full-time spot in the NHL with the Sabres and later the Columbus Blue Jackets over the next four seasons.

 

Paetsch played an integral role during Buffalo’s record-setting season in 2006-07, his first at the NHL level, recording a career-high 24 points (2+22) in 63 games. He helped the Sabres set franchise records for the most consecutive wins and road wins to begin a season while also leading Buffalo to the 50-win mark for just the second time in franchise history. The Sabres also tied the franchise mark for the most points in a season on their way to capturing their first President’s Trophy as regular season champions and advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals of the 2007 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

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Paetsch would play parts of the next three seasons with the Sabres and Blue Jackets, totaling 42 points (7+35) over 167 career NHL games.

 

Following a brief return to Rochester in 2010-11 and a season abroad in Germany, Paetsch spent five seasons with the Grand Rapids Griffins, where he led the team to five straight playoff appearances and two Calder Cup championships while also serving as team captain during the 2016-17 campaign.

 

He rejoined the Amerks for his third stint in Rochester prior to the 2017-18 season, playing out the final 43 games of his career with 14 points (2+2) over his final three seasons.

 

In his AHL career, the 6-foot-1, 195-pound blueliner amassed 259 points (52+207) over 651 career AHL games with Rochester, Grand Rapids and Syracuse, while also adding 34 points (5+29) in 104 playoff contests. During the 2016-17 season with Grand Rapids, he became just the 18th player in AHL history to play in 100 or more Calder Cup Playoff games.

 

He departed the organization ranked 25th in scoring among all-time defensemen in franchise history, joining the likes of Amerks Hall of Famers Jim Wiemer and Randy Cunneyworth to begin and end their playing careers in Rochester.

 

Paetsch resides in Spencerport with his wife, Jaclyn, and their two children, Kellen (12) and Mira (10).

Vinny Prospal - Assistant Coach

Prospal_Vinny_2023 copy.jpgVinny Prospal enters second season as Assistant Coach in 2024-25 and oversees the forwards and the power play units.

Prospal joined the Amerks following three seasons (2018-2021) as head coach of HC Ceske Budejovice of the Czech Extraliga, with whom he began his playing career and had two subsequent stints with in 2004-05 and again in 2012-13. He led the team to back-to-back league championships at the second-tier level (Czech Republic Hockey League, Chance Liga) in 2018-19 and 2019-20, going 63-18-5 during the regular season, and was named the League’s Coach of the Year following the 2020-21 campaign.

Prospal’s professional coaching experience also includes a two-year stint as an assistant coach of the Czech national team from 2016-2018.

A native of Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic, Prospal amassed 765 points on 255 goals and 510 assists over a 20-year playing career highlighted by 1,108 NHL games with Columbus, New York Rangers, Tampa Bay, Anaheim, Florida, Ottawa and Philadelphia. He also added 35 points (10+25) in 65 career playoff appearances.

A third-round (71st overall) selection of Philadelphia Flyers in 1993, Prospal was a five-time 20-goal scorer and reached the 50-point on nine occasions, including six straight seasons with 50 or more points from 2001-02 to 2007-08.

He posted his best season during the 2005-06 campaign when he set career-highs in goals (25), assists (55) and points (80) while appearing in 81 games for the Lightning. He finished second on the team in scoring that year and ranked fifth in goals.

Prospal, who scored 34 game-winning goals over his illustrious career, played his final NHL season in 2012-13 when he led the Blue Jackets in scoring with 30 points in the lockout-shortened campaign. He announced his retirement on Jan. 28, 2014, ranking fourth in points scored, third in assists and sixth in games played among all Czech Republic born players in NHL history. He spent the remainder of the 2013-14 season as a scout with the New York Rangers.

Prospal’s professional playing career began with four seasons in the American Hockey League, including three with the Hershey Bears. He totaled 131 points (42+89) in 192 career games for the Bears before recording a career-best 95 points on 32 goals and 63 assists in 63 games with the Philadelphia Phantoms during the 1996-97 campaign, his final in the AHL. He finished the season tied for third in the league in scoring while earning First Team AHL All-Star honors and representing the Phantoms at the 1997 AHL All-Star Classic.

Internationally, in addition to his NHL accomplishments, Prospal helped the Czech Republic win the gold medal twice at the World Championship (2000, 2005), which included scoring the game-winning goal in the gold medal game in 2005. He was also a part of the Olympic bronze medal team (2006) in Torino, Italy. He represented his country on two occasions in the World Junior Championships (1993-94, 1994-95), once in the World Cup of Hockey (2004) and was a three-time participant in the World Championship (2000, 2004, 2005). He was named to his country’s 1998 Olympic team that won the Gold Medal in Nagano, but was unable to participate due to injury.

As a coach, he was behind the bench for the Czech Republic at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.

Anthony Gaede - Video Coach/Team Services

Tones_2023.jpgAnthony Gaede enters his first season as the video coach and team services with the Rochester Americans in 2024-25.

Gaede spent his first three seasons with the organization as a Video & Analytics Coordinator.

In his role, Gaede oversees all aspects of team travel and video operations.

Gaede, a St. John Fisher University graduate, currently resides in Rochester.

Adam Mair - Director of Player Development

Mair_Adam_2021-22.jpgAdam Mair begins his fourth season as Director of Player Development for the Buffalo Sabres organization in 2024-25.

 

Prior to being named in his current role, he served as an assistant coach with the Rochester Americans of the American Hockey League during the 2020-21 campaign.

 

Mair returns to Buffalo where he previously spent five seasons (2015-20) as a player development coach with the Sabres, and was instrumental in the development of the organization’s top prospects.

 

Prior to serving as player development coach for the Sabres, the Hamilton, Ontario, native spent two years as a coach at the Academy of Hockey and two years as the director of player development at Canisius College in Buffalo, joining the program shortly after his retirement following the 2011-12 season.

 

A fourth-round pick (84th overall) of the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1997, Mair spent the bulk of his 13-year pro playing career with the Sabres, playing a significant role in the team’s run to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2007. He finished his career with 114 points in (38+76) in 615 NHL games with Toronto, Los Angeles, Buffalo and New Jersey as well as eight points (3+5) in 35 playoff contests.

 

He also added 120 points (53+67) over 172 American Hockey League appearances for the St. John’s Maple Leafs, Manchester Monarchs and Springfield Falcons, including a career-high 49-point campaign as a rookie during the 1999-00 season.

 

Internationally, he led Team Canada to a silver medal with two points (1+1) in seven games at the 1999 IIHF World Junior Championship.

Tim Kennedy - Development Coach

Kennedy_Tim.jpgTim Kennedy enters his fourth season as a Development Coach for the Buffalo Sabres organization in 2024-25.

In his role, he works closely with the organization’s top offensive prospects, both in Buffalo and Rochester, playing a key role in their overall development process.

A native of Buffalo, Kennedy embarked on a 10-year playing career with his hometown Sabres, making his NHL debut in 2008-09 before earning a full-time spot the following season. His tenure in Buffalo saw him produce 26 points (10+16) in 79 games while also adding three points (1+2) in six playoff contests.

 

After leaving Buffalo, Kennedy continued his NHL career with stops in Florida, San Jose and Phoenix, totaling 39 points (15+24) over 162 games.

 

A former sixth-round (181st overall) pick of the Washington Capitals in 2005, Kennedy spent the majority of his career in the American Hockey League, including two separate stints with the Rochester Americans. Following a brief 14-game stay in 2010-11, Kennedy returned to the Amerks for the 2016-17 season. In all, Kennedy recorded 36 points (4+32) in 61 career games with the Amerks.

 

In 442 career AHL games with Portland, Rochester, Connecticut, Worcester, San Antonio, Hershey and Binghamton, Kennedy totaled 329 points on 79 goals and 250 assists. He was also named a 2015 AHL All-Star selection after leading all Hershey Bears skaters with 59 points (11+48) during the 2014-15 campaign.

 

Kennedy played three seasons of collegiate hockey at Michigan State University (MSU), leading the Spartans to an NCAA National Championship in 2007. He led the team in scoring in two of his three seasons at MSU, culminating with back-to-back 43-point showings. As a sophomore, he was named to both the Frozen Four and NCAA Midwest Regional All-Tournament Teams before earning MSU Offensive Player of the Year honors and a selection to the All-CCHA Second Team the following season.

 

Internationally, Kennedy represented the United States at the 2010 IIHF World Championship, scoring one goal in six games.

 

He resides in Buffalo with his wife, Janelle, twin daughters, Harper and June (9), and son, Jackson (8).

Zach Redmond - Development Coach

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Zach Redmond enters his second season as a Development Coach for the Buffalo Sabres organization in 2024-25.

In his role, he works closely with the organization’s top defensive prospects, both in Buffalo and Rochester, playing a key role in their overall development process.

Redmond, a two-time American Hockey League All-Star and 2019 Eddie Shore Award winner as the league’s top defenseman, returns to the Sabres organization after a three-year stint with EHC München of the German league to close out his 12-year professional playing career. In 140 games with the Red Bull, he totaled 33 goals and 79 assists for 112 points over 140 games from 2020-23. He also added six goals and seven assists in 25 playoff contests while helping the club to three consecutive postseason appearances, culminating with a Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL) championship in 2023 following a loss to Eisbären Berlin in the DEL Finals the previous year.

Prior to completing his career overseas, Redmond spent three years with the Rochester Americans, registering 41 goals, 86 assists and 127 points in 183 contests with the club from 2018-20. He also notched a pair of goals in six Calder Cup Playoff appearances with the Amerks.

He finished the 2018-19 regular season with career-best totals of 21 goals (tops among all AHL defensemen) and 50 points, along with a plus-13 rating in just 58 games for the Americans, who finished with the fourth-best record in the AHL. He tied for the overall league lead with nine game-winning tallies and ranked first among blueliners with 10 power-play goals (tied) and 200 shots on goal on his way to earning the Eddie Shore Award as the AHL’s outstanding defenseman.

Redmond, who broke a 46-year-old franchise record for goals by a defenseman in a single season, was also voted a First Team AHL All-Star that season following a Second Team selection in 2017-18. He remains one of only three defensemen in franchise history ever to receive the Eddie Shore Award, joining  AHL Hall of Famer Steve Kraftcheck (1959) and Hockey Hall of Famer Al Arbour (1965).

The Traverse City, Mich. native totaled 70 goals and 157 assists for 227 points in 373 career AHL games with Rochester, St. John’s, San Antonio and Chicago, as well as nine goals and 29 assists in 133 NHL contests with Buffalo, Montreal, Colorado and Winnipeg.

Redmond, who successfully resumed his career following a potentially life-threatening laceration to his femoral artery in 2013, was drafted by the Atlanta Thrashers in 2008 and was acquired by Buffalo in a trade with Montreal on Oct. 4, 2017.

Over his 12-year playing career, Redmond combined for 83 goals and 194 assists for 277 points in 646 regular-season contests while also totaling 34 points (12+22) in 66 playoff games.

Redmond represented the United States at the 2015 World Championship in Prague, earning a bronze medal after notching one assist in five games.

Seamus Kotyk - Goaltending Development Coach

Kotyk_Seamus(1).JPGSeamus Kotyk enters his eigth season as the Goaltending Development Coach for the Buffalo Sabres organization in 2024-25.

In his role, Kotyk is responsible for overseeing the development of all the organization’s goaltenders, including Buffalo’s minor league affiliates with the AHL’s Rochester Americans and ECHL’s Jacksonville Icemen.

Kotyk has been instrumental in the development of some of the Sabres’ top goaltending prospects, including 2020 AHL All-Star and Amerks MVP Jonas Johansson, who spent his first full season in Rochester in 2019-20. Johansson, Buffalo’s third-round pick in 2014, finished the season ranked among the AHL’s top five goaltenders in goals-against average and save percentage while also making his long-awaited NHL debut with the Sabres. Johansson became the fourth different Amerks netminder in the last five years to make his NHL debut for Buffalo, joining fellow Swede Linus Ullmark, Adam Wilcox and Jason Kasdorf, the latter of whom played for current Amerks head coach Seth Appert at RPI.

Kotyk joined the Sabres following four seasons with the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds of the Ontario Hockey League. He joined the organization in 2010 as a goaltending coach before being elevated to assistant coach the following year. He remained in that capacity until 2014 when he transitioned to the Sabres as a scout before assuming his current role.

A native of London, Ontario, Kotyk played four seasons in the OHL with the Ottawa 67’s, posting a 79-37-5 record with a 2.73 goals-against average and a .910 save percentage. He was a member of the 1999 Memorial Cup-winning squad and played for the 67’s in the 2001 Memorial Cup.

Originally a fifth-round pick (147th overall) of the Boston Bruins in the 1999 NHL Draft, Kotyk enjoyed an eight-year playing career that included stops in the AHL, UHL and ECHL before playing his final three seasons overseas. He boasted a 58-66-10 career record with a 3.10 goals-against average and a .904 save percentage during his time in North America, most of which was spent in the AHL with the Cleveland Barons, Milwaukee Admirals and Houston Aeros.

Koytk split the 2004-05 season with the Admirals and the Rockford IceHogs of the UHL. While with the Admirals, Kotyk scored an empty-net goal against the San Antonio Rampage on April 17, 2005, becoming the eighth goaltender in AHL history to score a goal.

Kotyk and his partner, June, reside in London, Ontario, with their 13-year-old son, Nayif, and dog, Stanley.

Evan Smith - Assistant Video and Analytics Coordinator

Evan_Smith_202425.jpgEvan Smith enters his first season as the Video and Analytics Coordinator with the Rochester Americans in 2024-25.

In his role, Smith assists with video operations as well as the analytics.

Smith spent the 2023-24 season as an assistant on the hockey operations staff for the (RIT) Rochester Institute of Technology men's hockey team. While with the Tigers earning the Atlantic Hockey Championship.

Smith, attends St. John Fisher University, where he is studying sports management.

Equipment Staff

Carl Hirner - Head Equipment Manager

Hirner_Carl_2022-23.jpgCarl Hirner begins his eighth season with the Amerks and first as the team’s head equipment manager in 2024-25.

 

In his role, Hirner, who spent the first four years in the organization as a game-day equipment assistant, is responsible for all the day-to-day care as well as maintenance, repair, transportation, cleaning, and storage of the team’s equipment needs.

 

Hirner’s additional experience includes one year at Locker Room Sports in Rochester. He specialized in outfitting local youth players and fulfilling all equipment related needs of the business operations.

 

A native of Middleport, NY, Hirner attended The College at Brockport, where he studied Sport Management.

Brendan Rieth - Assistant Equipment Manager

Amerks logoBrendan Rieth begins his first season with the Rochester Americans as the assistant equipment manager in 2024-25.

 

Rieth, a St. Louis, Missouri native, is responsible for assisting in the day-to-day care as well as maintenance, repair, transportation, cleaning, and storage of the team’s equipment needs.

 

Rieth spent the previous two seasons as a equipment staff game day employee of the Florida Panthers.

 

Rieth earned his bachelors of arts degree with a focus in communications from Florida Atlantic University in 2021.

 

He resides in Rochester.

Chris Caveny - Equipment Assistant

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Owen Ross - Equipment Assistant

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Hockey Performance Department

Michael Dhesse - Head Athletic Trainer

Michael_Dhesse_202425.JPGMichael Dhesse enters his sixth season as Head Athletic Trainer of the Rochester Americans in 2024-25.

 

Dhesse joined the Amerks after spending five years as the assistant athletic trainer at the University of Alaska Anchorage (NCAA), where he was the primary athletic trainer for hockey with the Seawolves. He was also the Medical Coordinator for the Anchorage Mayor’s Marathon & Half Marathon, the largest marathon in the state of Alaska.

 

While in Alaska, he was active in the Alaska Athletic Trainers’ Association, serving as their public relations chairman and sitting on the Governmental Affairs Committee.

 

Dhesse, a Peru, Illinois native, earned his Bachelor of Science degree in athletic training at Northern Illinois University (NCAA). While with the Huskies, he was an athletic training student covering football for two and a half years, which included a Mid-American Conference Championship game and the Orange Bowl and Poinsettia Bowl. In addition to his athletic training duties, Dhesse conducted research for the creation and implementation of emergency action plans in the secondary school setting on a national level and was awarded first place at the Great Lakes Athletic Trainers’ Association meeting in 2014 and was presented at the National Athletic Trainers’ Association Symposium that same year.

 

In his final semester of school, Dhesse interned with the University of Washington’s football team, and prior to leaving NIU, was awarded the American Kinesiology Award.

 

Dhesse is a member of the National Athletic Trainers’ Association and Professional Hockey Athletic Trainers’ Society.

 

During the 2021-22 season, Dhesse earned a recalled to the Buffalo Sabres for a west coast trip.

 

He currently resides in Rochester with his wife, Danielle, two dogs, Raisin and Annabelle, as well as their other various rescued animals.

Nick Craven - Head Strength and Conditioning Coach

Craven_Nick_2022-23.JPGNick Craven enters his eigth season as the Head Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Rochester Americans in 2024-25.

 

Prior to joining the Amerks, Craven was a member of the Olympic Strength and Conditioning department at the University of Georgia. Craven has also completed strength and conditioning internships with New Mexico State University and Colorado State University.  

 

After four years of collegiate hockey, Craven played professionally for two years with stops in Binghamton (AHL), Colorado (ECHL) and Fayetteville (SPHL).

 

Craven graduated from Wesleyan University in 2013 with a bachelor’s degree in Neuroscience. He received his M.S. in Kinesiology from the University of Georgia in 2017 and holds certifications through the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) and Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches Association (CSCCa).

Jacqui Gutierrez - Assistant Athletic Trainer

Jacqui_Gutierrez_202425.jpgJacqui Gutierrez enters her first season as an Assistant Athletic Trainer with the Rochester Americans in 2024-25.

Prior to joining the Amerks following a two-year stint as the head athletic trainer of the South Carolina Stingrays of the ECHL.

While with the Stingrays, Gutierrez became the first female athletic trainer in the franchise’s 30-year history.

Prior to joining South Carolina, the University of Nebraska at Omaha graduate spent a three-year stint in the USHL with the Sioux City Musketeers, where she served as the team’s director of athletic training and recovery. She was the first female to win the USHL’s Clark Cup as a part of the Musketeers' 2022 Clark Cup Championship.

Prior to joining Sioux City, Gutierrez earned her Master of Science in athletic training. While at University of Nebraska at Omaha, she served as an intern with the Mavericks hockey team and Creighton University’s basketball and baseball teams. Gutierrez earned her undergraduate degree in biology from Pacific Lutheran University.

Amy Sternberg - Assistant Athletic Trainer

Amy_Sternberg_202425.jpgAmy Sternberg enters her first season as an Assistant Athletic Trainer with the Rochester Americans in 2024-25.

Prior to joining the Amerks in a full-time role, Sternberg was an Athletic Training Student Intern with the organization's Hockey Performance Staff during the 2023-24 campaign.

A native of Monroe, New York, Sternberg earned her Bachelors degree in Exercise Science and Masters degree in Athletic Training from the University at Buffalo in 2024.

She currently resides in Rochester.

Amanda Edwards - Sports Psychologist

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Amanda Edwards enters her second season as the Sport Psychologist with the Rochester Americans in 2024-25.

Emily Galbraith - Team Dietitian

rochester19.jpgEmily Galbraith enters her first season as the Team Dietitian with the Rochester Americans in 2024-25.

Medical

Dr. Geoffrey Bernas, M.D. - Head Team Physician, Orthopedics

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Dr. Michael Freitas, M.D. - Team Physician, Primary Care Sports Medicine

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Dr. Michael Rauh, M.D. - Team Physician, Orthopedics

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Dr. Brandon Brownell, M.D. - Team Physician, Primary Care Sports Medicine

Brownell_Brandon(1).JPGDr. Brandon Brownell, M.D., is a Western New York native who graduated from Ross University School of Medicine and earned his Master of Science degree at Canisius College, specializing in Health and Human Performance.

 

He completed his residency with the University at Buffalo in the Department of Family Medicine before specializing in sports medicine. With his background in family and sports medicine, Dr. Brownell has a passion to return patients of all ages back to their active lifestyles. He has a focus in ultrasound guided musculoskeletal diagnosis and treatment.

 

He currently serves as the team physician for the UB Bulls Division I Men’s and Women’s basketball teams as well as the Rochester Americans, the American Hockey League affiliate of the Buffalo Sabres.

 

Dr. Brownell is a recipient of the Family Medicine Outstanding Service Award from the University at Buffalo and the Health and Human Performance Center Award from Canisius College. His professional affiliations include the American Academy of Family Physicians, American Medical Society for Sports Medicine and the American Medical Association.

Dr. Clayton Del Prince - Team Physician, Orthopedics

Dr. Jordan Antetomaso, DMD - Team Dentist

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Dr. Matthew Wolfe, DMD. - Team Dentist

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Dr. Donald Dudley, D.C. - Team Chiropractor

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Dr. Robert Bronstein, M.D. - Medical Consultant, Orthopedics

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