Rochester, N.Y. – The Rochester Americans announced today details for the team’s 2026-27 Home Opener presented by Seneca Park Zoo,featuring a pregame Roc the Block Party, Happy Hour, giveaways and more ahead of the Amerks’ season-opening matchup against the defending Calder Cup champion Toronto Marlies on Friday, Oct. 2 at The Blue Cross Arena.
“Seneca Park Zoo is honored to partner with another great community asset, the Rochester Americans, for both the season opener and our annual Defend the Den month in February,” said Pamela Reed Sanchez, President and CEO of the Seneca Park Zoo Society. “This partnership helps us raise funds for conservation through the jersey auction, and it is always a delight to bring the ZooMobile to hockey fans.”
The Opening Night festivities begin with a pregame Roc the Block Party on Broad St. beginning at 4 p.m. The event will include an assortment of family-friendly activities, including a bounce house, face painting, games and a photo booth, along with live music from DJ Showcase Sound. The Seneca Park ZooMobile will also be on-site for the game through the end of the second intermission. Since 1986, The ZooMobile has provided fun and exciting educational services year-round at public events, offering new and interactive programming for all ages to inspire the community to connect, care for, and conserve wildlife and wild places.
The event will also feature an appearance by various Amerks Alumni members, including Hall of Famers Randy Cunneyworth, Rory Fitzpatrick, Jody Gage, Jeff Hamilton, Steve Langdon, and Don Stevens, among others.
The Amerks players will make a special red-carpet appearance at the event beginning at 4:45 p.m. to meet with fans ahead of the game.
To accommodate the event, Broad St. will be closed and inaccessible from Exchange Blvd. and South Ave. Fans are encouraged to arrive early to allow enough time to navigate through the congested streets surrounding Blue Cross Arena while parking is also expected to fill up fast.
There will also be an extended Pregame Happy Hour, presented by Genesee Brewery, before the game where fans 21 and older can enjoy $5 12-ounce can beer specials outside at the Block Party as and inside at the Genesee Brew House at Blue Cross Arena (located at the top of the stairs in the main atrium) until puck drop.
The Amerks will wear their first of seven specialty jerseys for the upcoming season on opening night with a one-of-a-kind America250 sweater commemorating the 250th anniversary of the United States.
The one-of-a-kind, star-spangled jerseys will be auctioned off on DASH, a sport-focused online auction platform and partner of the Amerks, to benefit the Seneca Park Zoo. To access the auction, visit www.amerks.com/auction, or text “DASH” to 66866, click on the download link and install DASH on your mobile device. Fans can then create their own personal profile and select the Amerks as their favorite team to start bidding. The auction opens at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 3 and closes at 9 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 11. Winners will be contacted directly.
The first 5,000 fans in attendance will receive a 2026-27 magnet schedule, courtesy of Stellar Roofing.
Tickets for the 2026-27 Home Opener start as low as just $10.
Rochester opens its 71st American Hockey League season a home on Friday, Oct. 2 against the defending Calder Cup champion Toronto Marlies at The Blue Cross Arena. Season Ticket Memberships for the 2026-27 season, which start as low as $22 per game, are on sale now and come with several Members-only perks and benefits. Full and Half Season Membership options are also available. For more information on Amerks Season Tickets or to sign up today, call 585-454-5335 or visit www.amerks.com/memberships.
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