Fan Appreciation Night will be Friday in the final home game of the season.
*The Amerks closed out their final three-in-three of the campaign with a 4-3 setback Sunday afternoon against the Toronto Marlies and finished the head-to-head series with a 6-3-0-1 record. In the middle game of the weekend, Rochester goaltender John Muse stopped all 33 shots he faced for his first shutout since April 10, 2014, as he blanked the Comets for a 5-0 win Saturday night during the third annual Pink the Rink Night at The Blue Cross Arena. Despite going 1-2-0-0 on the weekend, Rochester enters the final week having won seven of its last 10.
*Over the course of last week, the Amerks signed Anthony Florentino, Troy Crema, Justin Danforth and Alexandre Goulet, all of whom at one point made their pro or Amerk debuts during the weekend. Goulet made his pro debut in Friday’s 3-2 loss to Hershey before Florentino, who signed an AHL deal with the Amerks for next season, joined Crema in the Amerks lineup on Sunday. Danforth, meanwhile, had the most impactful debut for the Amerks, closing out the weekend with goals in back-to-back games. At the NHL level, Alexander Nylander collected his first NHL point with an assist in Buffalo’s season-ending loss to Tampa Bay on Sunday while Linus Ullmark made 33 saves in his lone appearance of the season with the Sabres.
*Entering the week, Cole Schneider remains Rochester’s top point-getter with a career-high 61 points (24+37) in 68 games, including 12 points (5+7) over his last 10 games. He surpassed the 60-point mark for the first in his pro career with a goal and an assist Sunday in Toronto, becoming the first Amerk to do so since Phil Varone put up 61 points during the 2013-14 season. For the second consecutive year, Schneider is one of three Amerks to score 20-plus goals. He joins Justin Bailey, who scored 20 goals last season, and Nick Baptiste (25) as the other two Amerks to reach the mark this season.
*The Amerks will hold Fan Appreciation Night presented by Tops Friendly Markets during the team’s final regular season home game this Friday against the Albany Devils. The first 7,500 fans in attendance will receive a 2016-17 Amerks Team Photo courtesy of Tops Friendly Markets, with select Season Ticket Members receiving the Amerks blue jerseys “off the backs” of the players following the game. Prior to the game, the 2016-17 Team Awards will be presented, including the Most Valuable Player, Most Improved Player, Rob Zabelny Unsung Hero and the Fairand O’Neil Sportsmanship Award. The winner of the “7th Man-Fan of the Year” will also be recognized while the winners of the Amerks Booster Club Awards, such as Rookie of the Year and Most Popular Player, will be announced.
The Buffalo Sabres announced the team assigned forwards Alexander Nylander and Evan Rodrigues, and goaltender Linus Ullmark to the Rochester Americans on Monday. The Sabres concluded their season on Sunday.
The Amerks also announced that team released forward Justin Danforth from his Amateur Tryout.