There was finally Amerks hockey again, strange as it was

By KEVIN OKLOBZIJA

It was odd to be sure, from the eerie emptiness of the arena to the players during the roster introduction pretending to acknowledge the applause of the fans who didn’t exist.

From the spray-bottle disinfecting of the boards, glass, benches and penalty boxes between periods to nothing but the sound of the fog horn after goals by the home team.

But it was hockey. The strangest opening night in the 65 year history of the Rochester Americans, to be sure, but it was hockey.

Finally.

For the first time in nearly 11 months, since March 11, 2020, the Amerks played an American Hockey League game at Blue Cross Arena at the War Memorial.

The AHL season, twice delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic, is finally underway, disjointed as it may be. Just 32 games, no Calder Cup playoffs and just three opponents on the Amerks schedule.

But at least they’re playing, and that was a good thing, even if it was a 3-2 loss to the Utica Comets.

“We had what we love to do taken away from us — like so many people in the world,” new Amerks coach Seth Appert said, “so you could feel the excitement.”

When Patrick McGrath, who joined the Amerks this week because of a shortage of forwards, scored the first Rochester goal of the season at 19:34 of the first period, the horn sounded and players whooped it up on the ice, but that was it for reaction.

“That was definitely different,” McGrath said.

It was strange during play, too.

“We’re used to playing with fans so it was pretty quiet,” said first-year Amerk Arttu Ruotsalainen, the 23-year-old Finnish native playing in North America for the first time. “We have to make noise on the bench.”

While Ruotsalainen was making his AHL debut, Appert was coaching for the first time in pro hockey. He’d been in college and with the USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program.

Now he was in charge of the bench for an organization whose coaching alumni include Stanley Cup winners Mike Keenan and John Tortorella and franchise legend Joe Crozier.

He said he felt no different, however.

“It felt like a hockey game,” Appert said. “I didn’t feel like it wasn’t anything I hadn’t done before. It felt great, going into competition with a group of men who have given so much already.”

He didn’t have a full lineup, as recalls to the parent Buffalo Sabres, COVID protocols and injuries left the Amerks with only 10 forwards and seven defensemen.

Still, they played quite well, he thought.

“I really liked what we wanted to be about tonight,” Appert said. “I’m big on being processed focused, not always outcome focused. If you focus on the process the right way, the results will come.”

Second-year defenseman Jacob Bryson also was encouraged by the effort and play.

“I think honestly it was a great first game for our group,” Bryson said.

Mainly, though, it was a game, which after 47 weeks was a welcome sight, even if fans could only watch on TV.