Rochester Americans: Games to Gun for

Games to gun for will go over specific games and opponents fans might want to see. Criteria are based upon AHL rivalries, fun teams to watch in the AHL and regional rivalries between the local NHL teams. Consider it a guide for casual fans to know how to get the biggest bang for their buck.

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As I have mentioned before, the Rochester Americans are a historical AHL team. This year they are celebrating their 60th anniversary as a franchise. They have six Calder Cups, one for every decade the franchise has been around, however its been exactly a decade since they've seen more than one opponent in the post season. This is certainly a trend the Sabres Affiliate would hope to amend. Making the playoffs is nice and all, but its also nice to make it past your first round. Fun fact, Rochester, Utica, Hershey, Milwaukee, Iowa, Binghamton, Portland, Manitoba and San Antonio are all older than their NHL counterparts. Hartford Wolf Pack was founded the same year as the Rangers, along with a few other expansion teams that formed the same year as their affiliate. That means greater than 1/3 of the AHL is as old, if not older than their NHL team. For a league as volatile as the AHL, that says a lot about both the NHL and the AHL...

Home opener: October 9

Opponent: Lake Erie Monsters

Analysis: The Amerks open up their historic season at home against a non-divisional opponent. This is what eats me up on the inside. I think the opening game of the season, one where the team will be celebrating opening its 60th year would be so important and should be a game you go to. However...

Opponents.

1. Utica Comets

This is by far the superior match up. Utica is one of the teams I consider to be an original six team, and the salt in the wound is that they play the next night. It's such a huge oversight and a flaw in the schedule that it actually upsets me. I'm sad that the Americans don't get to open against the best opponent, a historical AHL match up, for their historical season. I'm very tempted to say, no, that game against the Monsters is just an exhibition match and this is the true home opener. Blow off game one, and make Game 2 the true start to your season. Then watch as the comets face off eleven more times (five at home for the Americans). Help make the season special by watching two teams who have been around for a long time face off.

2.  St. Johns Ice Caps

Follow up that history with more History. St. Johns has been around for a while too you know. And to make that sweeter, they are the Canadiens affiliate. Even more history, and an NHL rival of the Sabres. History, passion, and competition are the three magic words that make hockey be beautiful. See them at home up to four times, or travel to see them all eight.

3. Syracuse Crunch

Another one of my AHL original six opponents makes the list! They meet ten times, five of those will be at home. As I talked about on the Crunch games to gun for blog, expect fights.

4. 5. 6. Hershey Bears, Hartford Wolf Pack, Springfield Falcons

I'm going off the beaten path a bit here, and for the rest of the blog. Normally I would say, make it about the division rivalries, but I think in a historic season, getting to see historic opponents outweigh that true blue rivalry. Sure, you can have a good time watching them go up against Albany, ect, but as I mentioned before and could rehash my original six blog, make these games a priority. They face the Bears once at home, Hartford twice at home, Falcons once at home.

AHL original Six

I keep talking about the AHL "original six," but in reality, there are no historic teams in the AHL anymore with the exception of the Bears, whom are the oldest standing franchise in AHL history. Springfield was moved and another team took its spot, so the Falcons aren't historical, at least as much as they should be. Providence, teams moved all around and they didn't have an AHL team for a while. Trying to follow it all is a nightmare, so I'm going to try to do my best to identify the six most historical teams in the AHL.

Wikemedia Commons

1. Hershey Bears
Most calder cups, no major moves or re-brandings, pretty consistently there. They are the oldest operating team in the league.

2. Springfield Falcons
Springfield is the home of AHL headquarters. They have pretty consistently had a team, and the city played host to one of the original teams as well. That team was moved to Worcester and was dissolved but in its stead, the Falcons formed and kept hockey in Springfield MA.

3. Hartford Wolfpack
The Wolfpack is not as new you think they are. And I'm not just talking about the year the spent as the Whale. They have historically been one of Springfield's biggest rivals since day 1, when they weren't even in Hartford, but were AHL founding member, the Providence Reds. They moved from place to place, Re-branding after re-branding, until they wound up where they are, living out the history they started with Springfield as a major market rival.

4. Utica Comets
While Springfield is home to the AHL for its founding and growth, Utica is home to one of those founding Springfield teams. Early on they were the Springfield Indians, before moving around from city to city and landing in Utica.

5. Rochester Americans
Founded in 1956, they're currently one of the oldest operating teams in the AHL, were founded to be a Canadiens affiliate, and Rochester is also home to an old IHL (International Hockey League) team, which the IHL was an early predecessor for the AHL.

6. Syracuse Crunch
The team might be as old as the Falcons, but the city is rich with AHL history, with teams coming and going for years. Syracuse is just another place that is just a good AHL market and some team always finds a home there.

Also worth consideration are the Senators, whom have been around since 1972, though just not in New York, and the St. Johns Ice Caps whom were founded in the 60s. But I don't consider these locations as important to the AHL history, nor have a historical team history to them. So, there we have it, your AHL hockey tradition as defined by me: The guy who started blogging about this last week.

Hershey Bears: Games to Gun For

Games to gun for will go over specific games and opponents fans might want to see. Criteria are based upon AHL rivalries, fun teams to watch in the AHL and regional rivalries between the local NHL teams. Consider it a guide for casual fans to know how to get the biggest bang for their buck.

Creative Commons: Teka England

The Hershey Bears are one of the most historical franchises in the AHL. Think of them as an original Six city of sorts when it comes to the AHL. There is a lot of history and a lot of Calder cups, 11 to be exact so they are an AHL team worth your attention, and their winning history and stylish, classy and classic logo have earned my attention. Of all the teams I'm most eager to learn about in the AHL, the Hershey Bears are at the top of my list. Since I'm starting to get out of my areas of knowledge, I'm going to do the best I can from here on out and these blogs might get updated further down the line. Or maybe next year when I get a year under my belt. 

That said, Hershey Bears have made my job easier with some nifty schedule breakdowns on their schedule page. Bonus points to them there.

Home opener:Saturday Oct. 24,

Opponent: Hartford Wolfpack

Hershey starts off with a loooong road trip and they don't open at home until about two weeks after many of their divisional opponents. By the time they play, it might not even feel like a home opener at all, but still, they're playing a divisional opponent and should be plenty ready for this match. If they are looking to start the season, why not start with some revenge against the team that knocked them out of the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals.

Opponents:

1. Wilkes-Barton Scranton Penguins

I have typed those words so many times, and I'm not even sure if I'm spelling it right. Its a divisional, regional, affiliate rival whom also has an affiliate in the same state. Its a good storm where if you're a Hershey fan, or a Caps fan, they can earn your ire, or if you're a flyers fan in the area, same thing, or if you're a Penguins fan who lives in the area, this team is probably on your list. These teams face twelve times, so if volume=rivalry, they're also high on the list with twelve games, six at home.

2. Lehigh Valley Phantoms

See: Penguins. Much of that reasoning applies here, only you're more in Flyers home territory anyway, so you're more likely to want to see a home game. Like the Penguins, they face twelve times, six at home.

3. Springfield Falcons

This is more about AHL history if anything. They don't meet often, only twice at each location, but if you get the chance, it should be fun for the fact that Springfield is home to seven Calder Cups, second most out of all the active locations in the AHL. Granted, not all by the Falcons, but still, its a classic match up. 

4. Syracuse Crunch

They only meet six times (More than some divisional rivals) and they don't have as much at stake, but there is one important reason to go to this match up: fights. Syracuse loves to fight and has been at the top of the league, or around it for a few seasons now. Maybe it was because their mascot was a coked up, psychotic Sasquatch, and with a new mascot, that might change as they continue to shift away from that, but I hope they still continue to put up some fists. Sometimes, all you want to see is a trench war and this is probably the match up that will best exemplify that. 

5. Birminghamton Senators

This one is added by the volume alone. They face off four times at home, four times away. While they aren't divisional, they see each other as often as a divisional opponent. That makes sense because last year they were a divisional opponent... But that's the volatility of the AHL for you, rival one year, next year they're chopped liver, year after that they could be in the ECHL for all you know. I'm pretty sure there isn't any love lost between the two in any case.

Hall of Fame

Recently the AHL announced their own Hall of Fame nominations I am neither old enough nor have I been knowledgeable enough to be able to talk at length about any of the nominations. But it is an interesting piece of history.

Credit: AHL website

My knee jerk reaction was to think this was a really cool way to honor players and coaches and build upon the AHL's history. Second knee jerk reaction was why are people from the NHL hall of fame also being inducted? Then third knee jerk reaction was well, its whoever made the AHL special, though I'm still a bit confused at what exactly the criteria is that separates an NHL nomination from the AHL nomination. I've discussed the volatility of the league before and this was a smart way to ground the AHL a bit with names.

It seems like teams change their names, change locations, affiliations, lose players to moving up or trades. It's nice to keep track of the players who are good enough to make the AHL special, though perhaps more likely those players are probably owners, coaches or managers of AHL teams. Right now I'm trying to dig through it all to get a good glimpse of that history, though its pretty dry. They also seem to have a lot of ground to cover before they will get to the players and coaches of recent years that seem to make the Hall of Fame situation special for fans who might grow up watching the AHL. (It might even behoove them to add on a more contemporary inductee to their list to compliment more historical inductees while they get caught up.)

I would say, since its all online, pay it a visit. I'll be trying to get caught up before the season, and maybe look into doing some blogs on the history of the AHL teams / players. Ra-Ra.