Rochester, N.Y.- Three years and 160 games later, the wait is over for Rochester hockey fans.
The Buffalo Sabres and the Rochester Americans are back together again. American Hockey League President and CEO David Andrews, Sabres owner Terry Pegula, President Ted Black, and GM Darcy Regier announced the acquisition of the famed Rochester franchise on Wednesday morning at the Blue Cross Arena.
"This is a very special day for hockey in Rochester," Andrews said. "We have a wonderful history, and the Rochester Americans are one of the iconic franchises in this league. This is as an important of an event as we possibly could have had to finish the 75th anniversary season of the American Hockey League."
Pegula, who purchased the Sabres in February and reportedly paid more than $5 million for the Amerks, made it clear that this move is a significant boost to the organization and the community after the NHL’s three years away from Rochester.
"We had a great thing going in Portland, but it was all about arriving at Rochester", Pegula explained. Jokingly referring to the Amerks club as the "University of Sabres", Pegula left no doubts that this new partnership is all about winning. "Our plan is to make this franchise a shining star that will develop our players. We want to have successful teams."
Sabres and newly-minted Amerks President Ted Black echoed the importance of success on the ice. "We very much want to win a Stanley Cup for the Sabres nation, and we consider Rochester to be a suburb of the Sabres nation. We’re committed to do whatever we can to win the Stanley Cup. Building a winning AHL franchise that develops players is a very key component of how we’re going to go about doing that," said Black. "Winning at the NHL level and winning at the AHL level are not mutually exclusive concepts."
Additionally, Black also announced that all Amerks season tickets would be priced at only $10. "We want to fill this building up", he added. "We know the fans are committed and we want to deliver a very good value." General Manager Darcy Regier seconded Black’s excitement over the acquisition, saying "This opportunity allows us to increase the level of learning, increase the level of proficiency of hockey players in our organization. Ultimately, this is about championships."
"We are one team and we have one vision. When we win the Stanley Cup, there will be a parade in Rochester. This is one hockey heaven," said Black, who summed up the Amerk’s purchase up best: "This is not an affiliation. This is a unification."
The Sabres had previously been the NHL parent of the Amerks from 1979 until 2008, when new ownership forced the Sabres to join themselves with the Portland Pirates. For more information about the acquisition and Amerks season tickets, call 855-GOAMERKS or visit www.amerks.com.
