^ Posted by Patrick Williams
The end of the Calder Cup round surprising playoff.
A week ago, the Rochester Americans got involved in a battle with the Hershey Bears for the right to represent the Eastern Conference in the Calder Cup Finals. This weekend, the Americans pack their bags, gather for their end-of-season meetings, and head out the door.
A 1-0 loss Friday night in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals ended a six-week charge through the Calder Cup playoffs as the Americans avoided elimination three times in the Northern Division semifinals against Syracuse, swept Toronto in the Northern Division Finals, and then won twice. in Hershey to push the brave Bears into a long streak. It was the franchise’s deepest playoff run since reaching the Calder Cup finals in 2000.
“I know this,” the head coach said Seth Appert told reporters minutes after Friday’s loss. “When I look at this group it brings a smile to my face how much they loved playing for each other, what fun the training was, the attitude and work ethic they brought to the rink every day and then just the massive growth of the team. They had to fight hard to be a team that plays the way He loves playing for each other, loves being a Team All-American. But we’ve grown up for that, and I’m incredibly proud of them.”
“I am proud of what this group has strived to become.”
But now comes the change. He always does. The nature of the hockey business is what it is, this group will never be together again. Some players are directed to roles with the parent Buffalo Sabers. Others will return to Americas. Another part will look for their opportunities elsewhere. It’s just the way it is.
“I told them how proud I was of how proud they represented the organization, how they represented America, the city,” Appert said of his message inside Rochester’s locker room immediately after the game. “How lucky I was to coach them and what they gave me, the extent they gave our staff and our fans. That was special.”
Rochester was by no means closed to even qualifying for the Calder Cup playoffs, let alone playing in June. Struggled with injuries and player call-ups, the Americans spent most of the second half of the regular season trying to stay on the right side of the North Division playoff line. Appert admitted that he and his coaching staff had concerns in December and January about how far the team should go.
said the captain Michael MerchYou take a step back, which is kind of hard to do now, and you look at everything from September training camp to where we are today. You look at the big picture — for us to be where we are today has been very special.
“We had a process that we stuck to throughout the year and the coaches, the players all bought in to try and get better. [It was] Development where everyone, even me, we are all getting better.”
Saturday, Abert reversed some more.
“You’re still bitterly disappointed,” said Appert, trying to sum up the window of time since his club’s season was halted. “I’m still so torn about losing, because we were there, and I felt like we could win the Calder Cup. But at the same time, I’m incredibly proud of what this group has become and how far they’ve taken us.”
Buffalo general manager Kevin Adams Bring Appert into the organization in 2020 and give him a mandate: to develop an inbound stream of prospects. Whatever happened in Rochester would be crucial to the overall rebuilding that Adams inherited and reshaped after taking office two months before Appert’s appointment. The Sabers had high draft picks while cycling through the system and more picks on the way as Adams settled into the role. If Appert cannot fulfill this mandate, the rebuilding of Buffalo will be in jeopardy.
After nearly three years, visible results are visible.
straight ahead Jack Quinn, who finished eighth in the 2020 NHL Draft, went to Rochester as an 18-year-old. He was subsequently named the AHL Rookie of the Year for the 2021-22 season and is now a full-time player with the Sabers. Another draft class product of 2020, second round JG Petrka, led the AHL in rookie scoring last season and joined Peterka with Buffalo’s forward corps. Goalkeeper Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen I overcame hip surgery, played parts in three seasons of Uber, and stuck with the Sabers.
And Rochester is positioned to introduce more NHL-ready talent soon. First round picks Jiri Kulich And Isaac Rosen He had excellent first seasons as forwards in the AHL. Philip CederqvistAnd Tyson CusackAnd Brett MurrayAnd Lucas Rusk And Linus Weisbach They were among the young strikers who showed promise. injury cost Brandon Biro This postseason ran, but he grew into an excellent two-way player who could compete for a job in Buffalo.
“We’re proud of who we have become,” Appert said.
But how do Sabers and Amerks continue to drive Rochester’s successful development? Buffalo has compiled draft picks in recent years, with 11 draft picks in each of the past two drafts. Matthew Savoy, the ninth overall pick in the 2022 draft, made his first appearance in the Conference Finals. Waves of prospects are heading to Rochester in the next two or three years.
There is a very competitive, positive and player focused culture that Appert and his team have built. But with off-season departures leading to roster changes, that environment is hardly foolproof. It will take a lot of effort to retain and build on what Americans already have. Appert has repeatedly stressed that when the Sabers are looking for veteran help in Rochester, they will not sacrifice personality and leadership in that search.
“I think culture is always evolving,” Appert explained. “I strongly believe that if you feel like your culture is put down, you lose it very quickly. You have to fight for it every single day. You have to be very intentional about how you do it: the decisions you make. The things I say to the players. The things I say to my staff. How do we talk to each other How do we treat each other Who do we sign this leave to be a cultural driver for our young players.
“All of those things are very important factors in creating the culture that we’ve been able to fight for here.”
After taking some time to process this season, the Sabers will begin to take the next step for Rochester. Development camp is just weeks away. Free agency opens July 1st. But whatever happens, the group that left the ice Friday night won’t make a full comeback.
“Not coming in and training or playing another game with them is probably worse than anything else,” Appert said on Friday. “There will be a Northern Section banner at this rink for the first time in two decades, and it’s not the banner we wanted, but it’s still a banner that we’ll be very proud of.”
Patrick Williams has been in the American Hockey League for nearly two decades for outlets including NHL.com, Sportsnet, TSN, The Hockey News, SiriusXM NHL Network Radio, and SLAM! Sports, and she is currently the co-host of Hockey news on the “A” podcast. He was awarded the James H. Ellery Memorial Award from the AHL for his excellent coverage of the league in 2016.