Over the upcoming weeks heading into the 2003-04 AHL season we will preview the upcoming season by looking at the Crunch’s opponents in the new North Division of the Western Conference. First off we look at Syracuse’s biggest rivalry in the AHL, the Rochester Americans.
Rochester Americans:
Last season finished second in the Central Division with a record of 31-30-14-5 and 81 points. Received the ten seed in the Western Conference and lost to Milwaukee two games to one in the qualifying round.
Coaching: Head Coach Randy Cunneyworth just signed a new two-year deal to remain behind the Amerk bench. He will be entering his fourth year as the headman in Rochester and looks to guide the Amerks to their fourth straight playoff appearance under his command.
Joining Cunneyworth this season will be the recently retired Doug Houda. The Alberta native traded in his skates for a coat and tie after 18 full seasons and over 1,000 games as a pro.
Forwards: Jason Botterill returns for his second season with Rochester after finishing second in the American League with 37 goals last year. Also returning to Rochester is center Chris Taylor. Last year’s team MVP, Taylor finished the year with 61 points and his 55 assists were good enough for second in the AHL. Look for the playmaking center to remain a critical component in Rochester’s offense.
The Americans also brought back into the fold former Crunch player Domenic Pittis. Pittis previously played two seasons in Rochester leading the Amerks to two Western Conference championships and consecutive appearances in the Calder Cup Finals
Two other players to keep an eye on are Paul Gaustad and Jason Pominville. The 6’5”, 220 pound Gaustad appeared in every Rochester game last season registering 14 goals, 39 assists and 137 penalty minutes. He also finished the year a +2. Pominville appeared in 73 games last season recording 13 goals, 21 assists and was a combined +5. Both look to improve on those numbers in their sophomore campaigns.
Defense: Where do you start? Thanks to a half million dollars from new Buffalo owner Tom Golisano, Rochester went out and may have assembled the most complete defensive core the AHL has seen in years. Of course that is all conjecture at this point, but on paper the unit is plain scary.
First off they reeled in long time NHL veteran Joel Bouchard. The 6’1”, 200 pound Bouchard spent time with the Penguins and the Rangers last season and was part of the Alexei Kovalev deal. After arriving in New York, Bouchard appeared in 27 games, registering 12 points (5g,7a) and was a +6.
Next they inked former Houston Aero David Cullen. Fresh off a Calder Cup championship, the 26 year-old is very solid in his own end and he also stands to improve on the 29 points (2g,27a) he recorded last season.
That may have been enough for some teams, but not Rochester as they look to return to prominence after two sub-par seasons. They then plucked Brian Chapman and Doug Mrozik from the Manitoba Moose and the St. John Flames respectively.
Chapman spent the last six seasons with the Moose, four of which he served as team captain. He has played in over 1,000 professional games and was a member of the 1991Calder Cup champion Springfield Indians. Chapman should step right into the spot vacated by former public enemy number one Doug Houda.
Mrozik joins the Amerks after spending three seasons in the Calgary organization. Last year he registered 2 goals, 10 assists in 68 games with the Flames and was voted the team’s top blueliner along with leading the club in +/- (+9). The Minnesota native is a solid stay at home defenseman known for doing all the little things on a consistent basis.
Joining the newcomers could be Rochester native Rory Fitzpatrick, third-year player Doug Janik and second-year man Ryan Jorde.
Goaltending: When will this run end? Steve Shields. Martin Biron. Mika Noronen. Ryan Miller. One thing fans have learned over the years is that the Amerks will be strong between the pipes and barring a trade of some sort, this year should be no exception.
Rochester should have, if you want to call him that, the loser in the battle for the back-up spot to Martin Biron on the Sabres. Trouble is referring to either the very talented Noronen or the second-year sensation Ryan Miller as a loser in any context is a huge mistake.
Despite struggling at times in the back-up role, Noronen still posted respectable numbers in Buffalo. The 24 year-old netminder finished the season with a record of 4-9-3 with a save percentage just over 92% and a goals against average of 2.42. In limited play in Rochester he was 5-9-5 with a goals against average of 2.82 and a save percentage around 90%.
The former Hobey Baker winner Miller didn’t disappoint either in his rookie season as a professional. In Rochester he finished the season 23-18-5 with a paltry 2.34 goals against and a save percentage of .920. His strong play in Rochester combined with Buffalo’s struggles warranted a late season call-up and Miller was far from overmatched on the big stage. In 15 games he had a record of 6-8-1, a goals against still under three (2.63) and a save percentage of .902.
Long time backup Tom Askey was also re-signed, clearing the way for the Tonawanda native to participate in his fourth straight season with the Americans. The 28 year-old Askey is the perfect number two for the Amerks. He knows his role and he doesn’t need plenty of work to stay sharp.
The Fight Card: Just like goaltenders, Rochester is rarely without a proven heavyweight and again this season will be no exception. AHL fighting major leader (41) Sean McMorrow returns for his second tour of duty with the Amerks. The hulking forward finished third in the league with 315 penalty minutes and with the passing of Syracuse’s Trevor Ettinger, the only player McMorrow seemed to have trouble with, he seems poised to be the undisputed heavyweight in the league this year,
Even though injuries and the presence of McMorrow seemed to take the steam out of his sales, 2002 AHL penalty minutes leader Andrew Peters is also slated to return to Rochester this season. He isn’t called upon quite as often, but if his ailing shoulder is healthy, Peters does the give the Amerks another option when things get physical.
Outlook for 2003: Much to the chagrin of Crunch fans everywhere, Rochester seems poised to return to the top of the AHL. Everyone is aware that it is only on paper, but to put a defense like the one the Amerks can potentially put on the ice in front of some one like Ryan Miller is almost unfair. Fans should expect plenty of 2-1, 3-2 wins for the Americans.
Also do yourself a favor and if he does spend some time on the farm, make sure you check out the young Ryan Miller. He is as good a goaltending prospect there as been in years and with the bright lights calling, Miller will be gone before you it. Problem is it probably won’t be soon enough for AHL fans outside of Western New York.