(Rochester, NY)… The Rochester Americans will celebrate their 60th Anniversary season on Friday, Jan. 8 when they host their oldest rival, the Hershey Bears, at 7:05 p.m. at The Blue Cross Arena on Seneca Casinos Legends Night.
More than 30 Amerks Alumni are scheduled to be in attendance to meet fans during the intermissions and participate in a special pregame ceremony as part of a Seneca Casinos Legends Night. The Calder Cup, which has been won by the Amerks six times (1965, 1966, 1968, 1983, 1987, 1996), will be on display in the upper concourse where fans can take photos. Among the Alumni expected to attend are Mal Davis, Richie Dunn, Dan Frawley, Paul Gardner, Jody Gage, Dick Gamble, Steve Ludzik, John Van Boxmeer and many more.
Nik and the Nice Guys, the legendary local band, will get the festivities started by performing at the Pregame Happy Hour, which features $2 Molson and Coors Light drafts, in the Upper Atrium Bar.
The Amerks will wear special “throwback” sweaters for the game, which were inspired by jerseys worn during the team’s first Calder Cup championship season of 1964-65. The red jerseys feature the classic stars and stripes shield on the front outlined in black, with a thicker black border on the right side to create a shadow effect. There are also six white stars on the shoulders, with three on each side, symbolic of Rochester’s six Calder Cup championships. Each arm features a thick royal blue stripe with a thinner white band at the top and bottom. There is also a white lace-up neck.
A special T-shirt and ticket package, with the shirt based off the design of the jersey, is now available for just $25 at www.amerks.com/anniversary. The package includes a T-shirt and Best-Available ticket, with additional tickets available for $20. A limited number of Mystery Pucks, also inspired by the throwback sweater, will be on sale during the game.
Following the game, there will be a special Postgame Party with the Amerks Alumni at Legends Sports Bar & Grille located inside the Radisson Hotel Rochester Riverside that is open to fans to enjoy great food and drink specials and the chance to catch up with their favorite former Amerks.
The first 6,000 fans in attendance will receive a commemorative poster looking back at 60 years of Amerks history, courtesy of Seneca Niagara Resort and Casino.
Rochester defeated Hershey four games-to-one to capture its first Calder Cup back in 1965. Today, the Amerks and Bears remain the longest-tenured teams in the American Hockey League. The Jan. 8 game will mark the 450th all-time regular season meeting between the two iconic clubs.
