Volume 6 Issue 4 July / August 2016 Rochester Americans Booster Club Among Three Inducted into Amerks Hall of Fame Submitted by RABC... all-time among Since the Rochester Americans are celebrating their 60th Amerks defensemen. anniversary season in the American Hockey League, it’s He also ranks seventh only fitting that this year’s Hall of Fame class features two in both goals and of the most iconic players to ever wear the sweater and an assists among organization that has provided unwavering support for Rochester defensemen and nearly half a century. served as a team While the Amerks have made an increased effort all year captain during the long to pay tribute to the past, they will etch yet another 1988-89 season. chapter into their storied history on Friday night as they welcome Calder Cup winners Richie Dunn and Daren After splitting the 1985 Puppa, in addition to the team’s loyal Booster Club, as the -86 campaign between the Amerks and newest members of the Amerks Hall of Fame. Buffalo Sabres, Dunn The trio will be formally enshrined prior to Friday’s 7:05 pm posted arguably his matchup against the Springfield Falcons, becoming 57th, best season in 1986-87. In 64 games, he registered 32 58th and 59th members of the prestigious club. “It’s truly points on six goals and 26 assists to lead all Amerks an honor being inducted with so many great Rochester blueliners in scoring and was named to the AHL First All- Americans players,” said Dunn, who played parts of five Star Team. In the postseason, he collected seven points seasons for the Amerks (1+6) in 18 games to help the Amerks win the Calder Cup from 1985-86 to 1989-90 championship. and put together one of the all-time great runs by a “The group of guys we had that year…you couldn’t have asked for a better group,” said Dunn in reference to the Rochester blueliner. 1987 Calder Cup team. “If you had to play in the AHL, Rochester was it with Dunn upped his offensive contributions the following the hockey atmosphere season, scoring an AHL career-high 12 goals and adding and great fans supporting 35 assists to rank fifth on the team in scoring and tops you. There really was no among defensemen, earning a place on the AHL Second All-Star Team. He went on to add 58 more points (16+42) better place to play.” over 110 games over his final two seasons with the Amerks In 276 career games for before retiring in 1990. Rochester, Dunn recorded 161 points on 41 goals and In addition to his Hall of Fame career with Rochester, Dunn 120 assists, along with 226 spent significant time in the NHL, recording 176 points penalty minutes. His 161 (36+140) in 483 career games with the Buffalo Sabres, points still rank him eighth (Rochester...continued on page 3) In Contact Lake Erie Wins Booster Club Around the AHL BOG Convention Convention Congratulations Information Calder Cup Happenings AHL Annual Meeting Photo Contest DVD This Issue Pages 2 Page 2 Page 4 Page 4 Page 4 Page 4 Page 5 Page 4 Monsters bring Calder Cup back to Cleveland From www.theahl.com CLEVELAND (theahl.com) ... The Lake Erie Monsters won their first Calder Cup on Saturday night, defeating the Hershey Bears, 1-0 in overtime, in Board of Directors Game 4 of the American Hockey League's championship series at a President: sold-out Quicken Loans Arena. Terri Lewis Oliver Bjorkstrand scored with 1.9 [email protected] seconds left in the first overtime period as the Monsters finished off the Bears, Vice President: four games to none. Lake Erie Bill Walch completed its postseason run with 15 [email protected] wins in 17 games, the best record ever for a team requiring four playoff rounds. Treasurer: Bjorkstrand, a 21-year-old rookie and a Chris O’Shea third-round selection by Columbus in [email protected] the 2013 NHL Entry Draft, was awarded the Jack A. Butterfield Trophy as the MVP in the Calder Cup Playoffs after Secretary: totaling 10 goals and six assists for 16 points in 17 games. Bjorkstrand tied an Cindy Haluszczak AHL record with six game-winning goals and set a new mark with three overtime [email protected] goals in a single postseason. Convention Chair: Anton Forsberg, who made 23 saves in the Game 4 shutout, finished the postseason with a 9-0 record in his 10 appearances, a 1.34 goals-against Chip Hanucsik average and a .949 save percentage. [email protected] In their first season as the top development team of the NHL’s Columbus Blue Mission Statement Jackets, the Monsters followed up their second-place finish in the Central Division (43-22-6-5, 97 points, .638) with series wins over the Rockford IceHogs The purpose of this organization (3-0), the Grand Rapids Griffins (4-2) and the Ontario Reign (4-0) before will be: sweeping Hershey in the Finals. Including their final 11 regular-season contests, Lake Erie went 24-4 over its final 28 games in 2015-16 en route to winning the a. To promote better understanding between Booster Clubs and the 10th Calder Cup ever for the city of Cleveland; the original Cleveland Barons American Hockey League won nine titles in their existence from 1936-72, the last coming in 1964. Organization. Attendance at Quicken Loans Arena on Saturday night was 19,665, the largest b. To Compare and attempt to crowd ever to see a professional hockey game in the state of Ohio and the alleviate problems confronting second-largest postseason crowd in American Hockey League history. For the each individual Booster Club. regular season and Calder Cup Playoffs combined, a total of 7,129,963 fans attended AHL games across North America in 2015-16, the highest total ever. c. To act as a social organization Lake Erie’s victory brings an end to the AHL’s historic 80th-anniversary season. for Booster Club members. In operation since 1936, the AHL continues to serve as the top development league for all 30 National Hockey League teams. More than 88 percent of Submitting an Article today’s NHL players are American Hockey League graduates, and more than 100 honored members of the Hockey Hall of Fame spent time in the AHL in their To submit an article to this careers. newsletter, please email it to [email protected] 2016 Calder Cup Finals – Best of 7 with “AAHLBC Newsletter” in the subject line. Game 1 - June 1, 2016 - Lake Erie 4, HERSHEY 1 Please note: Your club must be Game 2 - June 3, 2016 - Lake Erie 5, HERSHEY 3 a member of the AAHLBC in order to submit an article to this Game 3 - June 6, 2016 - LAKE ERIE 3, Hershey 2 newsletter. Game 4 - June 11, 2016 - LAKE ERIE 1, Hershey 0 OT Editor: Bill Walch 2 (Rochester...continued from page 1) said Puppa. “The fans in Rochester were very supportive Calgary Flames and Hartford Whalers. He also won the of us and helped propel us into winning it all. “We had a Eddie Shore Award as the AHL’s outstanding defenseman great team with a good mixture of young and old players. in 1984-85 as a member of the Binghamton Whalers. The wisdom and experience I learned that year was immeasurable.” Puppa, meanwhile, joined the Amerks in 1985-86 After going 14-8-2 in 1987-88 while splitting the season and played in 105 games between Rochester and Buffalo, Puppa went on to spend over parts of four seasons the next 12 seasons in the NHL with the exception of two in Rochester, compiling a brief conditioning stints. He finished his NHL career with a record of 55-35-8, making record of 179-161-54 while appearing in 429 games with him one of the winningest the Buffalo Sabres, Toronto Maple Leafs and Tampa Bay goaltenders in franchise Lightning. In 1989-90, he finished as the runner-up to Hall history. His 55 victories of Famer Patrick Roy for the Vezina Trophy. rank 13th in Amerks history, though only one Representing the contributor category is the Amerks of the goalies ahead of Booster Club. Currently celebrating its 50th season, the him on the list appeared in Club has been supporting Rochester Americans hockey fewer than the 105 games and the local community in a variety of ways since its Puppa played in. He also inception in 1966. The idea for the club originally came recorded three shutouts from Mike and Nancy Sullivan, who, with the help of then along with a 3.12 goals- Amerks Head Coach and General Manager Joe Crozier, against average and launched the Amerks Executive Club in 1966-67 for the a .894 save percentage purpose of promoting hockey, supporting the team and assisting the front office. Along the way, the club has during an era of high-scoring hockey. supported countless charitable causes. “I am looking forward to going into the Hall of Fame on Friday night,” said Puppa, a fourth-round draft choice by “On behalf of the Amerks Booster Club, I would like to the Buffalo Sabres in 1983. “It’s going to be a special night thank the organization and Hall of Fame committee for this to be inducted with my good friend and former teammate, great honor,” said Amerks Booster Club President Virginia Paddock. Richie Dunn, and the Booster Club, who supported me greatly while I was in Rochester.” Over the years, the Booster Club assisted the Amerks in a Puppa began his professional career with the Amerks in variety of ways, such as helping sell tickets at local malls, 1985-86 after a standout college career at RPI.