By KEVIN OKLOBZIJA
When it comes to men’s hockey, and women’s for that matter, the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics have a distinct Rochester Americans feel.
There are nine former Amerks playing in the Games, while three others with ties to Rochester’s American Hockey League team are coaching.
The United States team has four players: goalie David Leggio, defensemen Noah Welch and Bobby Sanguinetti and right winger Brian Gionta (OK, he only played one game as an Amerk, but he has practiced with the team all season and is a Greece native).
Derek Roy, Eric O’Dell and Marc-Andre Gragnani are playing for Team Canada, Michal Repik plays for the Czech Republic and Mikhail Grigorenko is on the Olympic Athletes from Russia (OAR).
Former Amerks goalie Robb Stauber coaches the USA women’s team, former Amerks (and Sabres) head coach Ron Rolston is an assistant for the men’s team and Craig Ramsay, who worked as a liaison between the Amerks and Sabres 25 years ago, is the coach for Slovakia’s men’s team.
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