The Tennessee Titans were one of the teams I wanted to see on the road this season, and although they play the Giants in December, their trip to Buffalo this past weekend was more enticing as it gave me a chance to visit one of my favourite venues. With that game being on Sunday afternoon, I had a chance to find another game on Saturday night. The Sabres were home that evening against the Rangers, but mileage flights to Buffalo were a bit more expensive than those to Rochester. With the Americans also at home, I decided to see that game instead, flying into and out of Rochester.
The Amerks play out of Blue Cross Arena, located downtown at the corner of Broad Street and Exchange Boulevard. Nearby parking lots were charging $10 but meter parking is free on weekends and you should not have trouble finding a spot within a short walk. The box office is inside the main entrance, with $16 the cheapest ticket. With a capacity of 11,215 and attendance averaging 5,000, you can sit anywhere in the 200 level without a problem.
After having your ticket scanned, go to the left of the stairs to check out a few exhibits. The statue above is called "For the Love of the Game" and honours those who made lacrosse what it is today. The Rochester Knighthawks of the NLL also play here.
The venue's full name is Blue Cross Arena at the Rochester War Memorial, and there are a series of information kiosks along one wall that detail American efforts during that war.
Finally, there is a plaque dedicated to Les Harrison, who founded the Rochester Royals, a team that won the 1951 NBA title and went on to become the Sacramento Kings after stops in Cincinnati and Kansas City.
Upstairs, you will notice many banners in the atrium (above), but there are even more inside the arena itself. The Amerks have had a long and successful history starting in 1956, with six Calder Cups in that time.
The rink was opened in 1955 and renovated in 1998. Further renovations are scheduled but overall, it still looks brand new. The seating bowl is clean, with the walkway separating the two levels, and comfortable blue seats all around.
The bowl is horseshoe shaped, but at the far end there are a few sections up high that are almost on top of the action, as you can see below.
Compare the view above to the one below taken at the end near the main entrance.
The concourses are also very clean, but a bit narrow in places as is common in older arenas. Still spacious enough for the small crowd in attendance on this evening. You can walk around the entire concourse. Food options were typical and I did not try anything.
One interesting aspect of the place is the clock is not positioned at center ice. This is a new addition for this season and I am not sure why it is set there. Possibly because basketball was played there first in 1955 and the original scoreboard was there. Regardless, the new video board is excellent, and shows high-quality replays of goals for both teams.
Overall, I was really impressed with Blue Cross Arena. I visited once back in 2003 and don't remember much, but certainly it is one of the most well maintained venues in the league. If you are driving through upstate New York and the Amerks are at home, stop in for a visit.
The Game
Charlotte was in town to begin the season and had won the opener 6-2 the night before. They dominated this one as well, scoring just 3 minutes in when Morgan Geekie (Hurricanes #3 pick in 2017) beat Scott Wedgewood (who played with Arizona last year) with a wicked shot from the high slot. Rochester got that back on a centering pass from Eric Cornel (Buffalo's #2 pick in 2014 who has yet to make it to the NHL) that was knocked in by a Checker. Just 9 seconds into the second period, Alexander Nylander (William's younger brother and the 8th overall pick in 2016) found a streaking Wayne Simpson, who beat Alex Nedeljkovic (2nd round in 2014) to give Rochester the lead.
But that was all for the home team. Charlotte scored a power play marker at 2:35, and then Nicolas Roy (4th round in 2015) added a shorthanded (down 5-on-3 no less) goal at 5:06 and another on the power play just before the midway point to make it 4-2. The second half of the game saw no scoring as Charlotte went defensive and Nedeljkovic stopped all 20 shots he faced in the third period to give the Checkers the sweep.
Notes
My cousin's kid plays for Rochester and was one of the Moe's Hot Players (Guhle in the middle below). If any of them scored, fans would win something at Moe's Southwest Grill. None did.
This was the third time I had seen Charlotte on the road in the last year after games in Belleville and Laval. They have won all three.
Best,
Sean
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