The Buffalo Sabres return Linus Ullmark and Nick Baptiste to Rochester on Thursday.
By Ryan Harr
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — As the days of the week are rolling by, the Rochester Americans are continuing their preparation for the 62nd season of professional hockey at the Blue Cross Arena.
Three days into his first training camp as head coach of the Amerks, Chris Taylor has been installing his schemes and strategies to the players participating in the week-long camp, which will conclude Saturday, Sept. 30 following the second exhibition contest with the Toronto Marlies at the HarborCenter in Buffalo at 7:05 p.m. Along with Taylor’s assistant coaches, Toby Petersen and Gord Dineen, the trio have been pleased with the overall effort from the 30-player squad.
“So far, three days into camp, I have been very happy with everything,” said Taylor. “I have been pleased with the guys as they have come to work each day. My assistant coaches and I are trying to prepare the players for how we want to play the two exhibition games this weekend and the rest of the season.”
Old Faces Return to Rochester
Much of the discussion heading into this training camp for the Amerks has been of the return of former team captain, Kevin Porter, along with veteran defenseman Nathan Paetsch.
Porter served as captain of the Amerks during the 2012-13 and 13-14 seasons both of which made the Calder Cup Playoffs. After his departure following the 2014 slate, Porter spent the last two seasons with Pittsburgh Penguins organization and won back-to-back Stanley Cups with the Penguins.
Paetsch, meanwhile, returns to Rochester for his third stint with the red, white, and blue after he helped the Grand Rapids Griffins to five straight playoff appearances from 2012-17 and was a part of two AHL championships, including the 2017 Calder Cup. The 34-year-old defenseman comes back to Rochester after appearing in 72 games during the 2005-06 season and nine more contests in 2010-11.
Both of the veterans will help look to share their leadership abilities pushing the Amerks into a playoff contender and end a three-year post-season drought.
“I believe that is part of my job now to teach these young guys and move them along to the National Hockey League,” said Paetsch. “It is something I am looking forward to really embracing this year. I have learned a lot of things and been in some really unique situations in addition to being on some really good hockey teams where we were fortune to appear in the Calder Cup Playoffs.”
The Buffalo Sabres on Thursday announced the team has assigned forward Nicholas Baptiste and goalie Linus Ullmark to the Rochester Americans.