Rochester remains in the North Division as the team prepares for its 62nd season in the AHL.
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — The Rochester Americans announced the team will open its 62nd season in the American Hockey League at home on Friday, Oct. 6 at the Blue Cross Arena.
In addition, the Amerks announced they will face off against 14 of the AHL’s 30 teams during the upcoming 76-game season (38 home games, 38 road games).
While the opponents for the dates below are yet to be determined, guaranteed home dates on the Amerks’ 2017-18 schedule, in addition to the Home Opener, include the following:
• Friday, Nov. 3
• Friday, Nov. 24
• Saturday, Dec. 30
• Saturday, Jan. 12
• Friday, Mar. 9
The Amerks will remain in the seven-team North Division and for the second straight year will play only teams within the Eastern Conference. Joining Rochester in the North Division are three new franchises set to make their AHL debuts in 2017-18, including the Belleville Senators, Binghamton Devils and Laval Rocket, in addition to the Syracuse Crunch, Toronto Marlies and Utica Comets.
Rochester will face Binghamton, the newest affiliate of the NHL’s New Jersey Devils, Syracuse and Utica 10 times apiece (five home, five road) and will play Belleville, top developmental team of the Ottawa Senators, Laval, which will serve as the AHL affiliate of the Montreal Canadiens, and Toronto eight times each (four home, four road).
The Amerks will again play the entire Atlantic Division this coming season, with two matchups each against the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, Hartford Wolf Pack and Charlotte Checkers, who will shift to the Eastern Conference beginning in 2017-18. The two games against Charlotte will be the first in franchise history since the Checkers joined the AHL for the 2010-11 campaign.
Similar to last season, they will also face the Providence Bruins and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, last year’s Macgregor Kilpatrick Trophy winners, twice (one home, one road) while also seeing the Hershey Bears, Lehigh Valley Phantoms and Springfield Thunderbirds for a pair of meetings (one home, one road), down from four from last season.