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AHL Rochester Americans

Amerks Host Cunneyworth, Bulldogs Tonight at BCA

October 15, 2010 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Rochester Americans News Release


Rochester Americans vs. Hamilton Bulldogs

Friday, October 15, 2010 @ The Blue Cross Arena, AHL Game #42

Game Notes:

Tonight, the Rochester Americans kickoff their first three-game in three-night stretch of the new campaign as former Amerks coach Randy Cunneyworth leads his Hamilton Bulldogs to the Flower City for the first of 10 meetings between the North Division rivals this season. The 7:35 p.m. contest will be carried live on SportsRadio 1280 WHTK and FM 107.3, Rochester's Sports Talk. The game will also be televised live on Time Warner Cable SportsNet Channel 26.

Promotions:

The matchup falls on the first installment of "Dollar Dogs 'N' Drinks" promotion. Friday night, and now during every Friday night home game for the rest of the season, fans can purchase Zweigle's Hot Dogs and select draft products for just $1.00. Starting this season, however, fans will also have the opportunity to enjoy any fountain Pepsi products for $1.00.

A Few Familiar Faces Return:

The contest will mark Cunneyworth's return to The Blue Cross Arena for the first time in three years since last serving as Rochester's bench boss in 2007-08. A 2010 Amerks Hall of Fame inductee, Cunneyworth currently stands as Rochester's longest continuously tenured head coach in the 55-year history of the franchise, having posted a 306-273-61 record in his eight seasons behind the bench. Former Amerk Jimmy Bonneau also makes his return to Rochester, a place he called home for 57 games last season.

Amerks Turn Back the Clock:

The Amerks will give a nod to the past tonight as they wear their third sweaters, which are the 1960s whites worn by the three Calder Cup teams of that era. The Amerks will wear the throwbacks for the remaining Friday night home games during the 2010-11 season.

Milestone Watch:

Newly acquired veteran forward Michael Nylander is a mere eight games from skating in his 1,100th professional game. The Stockholm, Sweden, native embarked on the milestone in his Amerk debut last Saturday against Toronto. Nathan Paetsch returned to Rochester this last weekend on reassignment, appearing in his first game back in an Amerk uniform since 2005-06. The former AHL All-Star is two assists away from the century mark in his pro career. Forward Bill Thomas will reach his 200th pro game in four more outings.

Head-to-Head:

Rochester posted a 5-4-1-0 record against Hamilton last season, including a 3-2-0-0 count on home ice. The Amerks are 68-55-9 all-time against the Montreal Canadiens' affiliate. The contest will be the first on Hamilton's schedule.

Amerks Notes:

Rochester (1-1-0-0, 2 points) enters the contest fourth in the North Division, two points behind Lake Erie, Manitoba and Abbotsford who all have four points apiece. The Amerks come into the matchup after suffering a 4-3 loss to the defending Calder Cup champion Hershey Bears last Sunday at The Blue Cross Arena, a day after Amerks new head coach Chuck Weber earned his first win as an American Hockey League bench boss.

Veteran defenseman Clay Wilson is currently on a point-per-game pace, having netted goals in back-to-back games to kickoff the season. A 2010 Second Team All-Star, Wilson's two goals are presently a team-high, while his two points are shared among six others for the team lead. A seventh-year pro, Wilson also ranks tied for 12th in scoring among league blueliners.

Among Rochester's six top scorers, half are defensemen and two are first-year players. Chris Clackson, who recorded his first point at Toronto last Saturday and scored his first goal on Sunday, sits tied for 15th among AHL rookies with two points (1+1) on the young season. Defenseman Colby Robak quickly found his name on the score sheet as one of three rearguards to grace the top of Rochester's point-leader board.

Goaltender Jacob Markstrom, coming off back-to-back starts, enters the new week showing a 1-1-0 record with a 3.03 goals-against average and .897 save percentage in two games. His North American debut last Saturday at Toronto was highlighted with a 21-save performance which garnered his first AHL win between the pipes for the Amerks.

Hamilton Notes:

Hamilton comes into the matchup as the only AHL team that has yet to commence play this season. The Bulldogs return a corps of last year's team, 15 skaters in all, including their veteran captain in defenseman Alex Henry and goaltender Curtis Sanford.

David Desharnais enters his second full season with the Bulldogs looking to continue his offensive prowess from a year ago. A fourth-year pro, Desharnais was Hamilton's top point-getter in 2009-10, finishing first on the team in both points (78) and assists (51), in addition to scoring a career-best 27 goals. Averaging exactly 1.30 points per game, Desharnais finished fifth among the AHL's top scorers and found his name among league leaders in nearly every offensive category.

The Bulldogs owned the best goaltending tandem in the league last year in now-departed Cedrick Dejardins and Sanford. The duo split almost identical time between the pipes en route to finishing first and third among league netminders in goals-against average with a 2.00 and a .213 mark, respectively. They were also ranked among the top of the save percentage and wins columns. Dejardins was one of the top netminders in the AHL with 47 games played, having won 29 and only surrendering nine losses. He also added six shutouts during his stellar season. Sanford was just behind his fellow teammate coming, contributing 23 wins and 11 losses. He provided the bulldogs with four shutouts.

Next Game:

Rochester travels to Hershey on Saturday, October 16th to complete a home-and-home set with the Bears at Giant Center. The 7:00 p.m. matchup will be the second get-together in a week for the AHL's two oldest teams as the Amerks try to avenge their 4-3 home-opening loss to the Bears this past Sunday. Prior to the game, Hershey will hold its 2010 Calder Cup championship ceremony with a banner-raising, celebrating its back-to-back title win and third in five years. Fans can tune into the live broadcast on SportsRadio 1280 WHTK and FM 107.3, Rochester's Sports Talk. The Amerks are 0-1-0-0 this season and 182-204-53 lifetime against the Bears.

Next Home Game:

The Amerks return home on Sunday, October 17th as the Adirondack Phantoms journey west to The Blue Cross Arena for an intra-state showdown. The 5:05 p.m. contest will be the first of four meetings between the non-divisional opponents and can be heard live on SportsRadio 1280 WHTK and FM 107.3, Rochester's Sports Talk. The game will also be shown live on Time Warner Cable SportsNet Channel 26. Every Sunday night for the third straight season, as part of the Zweigle's Family Four Pack, fans can purchase four tickets to a game, four hot dogs and four sodas all for one low price of just $52.00.

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