Jul 11, 2024
By Andrew Mossbrooks | @Mossbrooks48
The 2024-25 American Hockey League schedule has been released and we are three short months away from Amerks hockey!
A new season is exciting for every team, but with Rochester coming off a second-place finish and third straight playoff berth, the feeling is amplified. October 11 at Blue Cross Arena marks the start of season 69 in the rich history of the Rochester Americans. With that, let’s look at some games and moments that fall in the can’t miss category for the upcoming Amerks season:
For a third straight season, the Amerks will open their 72-game slate on home ice, hosting the Belleville Senators on the first night of the 2024-25 AHL campaign. Rochester earned points in four of eight meetings with Ottawa’s AHL affiliate last season and will face-off with Belleville just as many times this upcoming year.
A new era of Amerks hockey begins with the home opener, as head coach Michael Leone will make his professional head coaching debut behind the bench. This comes off the heels of former bench boss Seth Appert, who spent four seasons in Rochester, getting promoted to an assistant coaching role with the Buffalo Sabres. Leone, 36, became the 34th head coach in team history when his hiring was announced on June 6.
A month later, free agency began. Like any year, addition comes with subtraction. While the likes of Peter Tischke will go back to wearing the red, white, and blue, defenseman Jeremy Davies could return to the Flower City dawning a different jersey. The 27-year-old inked a two-way contract with Ottawa and could be leading the charge on Belleville’s blueline come Oct. 11. Davies had back-to-back 66-game seasons with the Amerks, accumulating 58 points (23+35) along the way. It would be a bittersweet reunion for the Amerks’ fanbase and the offensively gifted defenseman who was beloved by them.
The defending North Division champions will be in the building for the Amerks’ third home game of the season when the Cleveland Monsters make their first of four visits to Rochester. On the final day of the 2023-24 regular season, the Amerks tentatively owned first place in the North Division, before Cleveland would go on to win its final game of the year to finish in a tie with the Amerks, owning 88 points. Because of the tiebreaker, the Monsters would secure first place in the division entering the Calder Cup Playoffs.
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