The former goalie backstopped the Amerks in 2 straight Calder Cup final appearances.
By Warren Kosel
Martin Biron returned to Rochester on Friday for Seneca Resorts and Casinos Legends Night at the Blue Cross Arena. The former Amerks netminder signed autographs for fans before the game against the Springfield Thunderbirds and made several other visits throughout the night to fans and sponsors.
Aside from participating in the Amerks-Sabres outdoor Alumni Game during the 2013-14 season, it was Biron’s first trip back to the city he called home for the first four years of his professional career. It was a trip down memory lane for the now retired Biron, whose tenure in Rochester featured back-to-back trips to the Calder Cup Finals in 1999 and 2000.
“I was here for two full seasons and then a little back and forth after that,” said Biron before the game. “I was here for two great seasons. My first one was a little tough. My second year we went to the Finals and it was fantastic. You think about some of the players I played with, Scott Metcalfe, he was a great leader and he was a veteran that really helped us and the younger guys get better. Craig Charron, for me, was a legend and I learned a lot from him. Having Jody Gage around the office and being able to talk to him on a regular basis really helped us develop.”
Biron backstopped the Amerks for parts of four seasons from 1997 to 2001, posting a career record of 59-32-9 with a 2.36 goals-against and a .921 save percentage. Biron’s best season as an Amerk came during the 1998-99 campaign when he appeared in 52 of Rochester’s 80 games, finishing with a 36-13-3 overall record while setting the franchise mark for the lowest goals-against average (2.07) and highest save percentage (.930), the latter of which also tied an AHL record. For his efforts, Biron was named the recipient of the AHL’s top two goaltending awards – the Aldedge (Baz) Bastien Memorial Award, presented annually to the goaltender voted best at his position, and the Harry (Hap) Holmes Memorial Award, which recognizes a team’s goaltender(s) with the fewest number of goals-against per game who has appeared in at least 25 games during the regular season.
The former first-round pick of the Buffalo Sabres also became just the second goaltender in team history to post six shutouts in a single season that year, matching the then franchise record originally set by Amerks Hall of Famer Bobby Perreault in 1967-68. Biron played his final season in Rochester in 2000-01 while also splitting time with the Buffalo Sabres, closing out his Amerks career with 2,761 saves and 13 shutouts in 103 games in the red, white and blue.
Biron went onto post a career record of 230-191-25-27 with 2.62 goals-against average, a .910 save percentage and 28 shutouts in 508 NHL games for Buffalo, Philadelphia, the New York Islanders and New York Rangers.
He currently serves as the Director of Goaltending for the Academy of Hockey at HarborCenter and makes regular appearances as a guest analyst during Sabres TV broadcasts on MSG.