These Amerks reminded us what fun playoff hockey can be

The greatest player in Rochester Americans history pulled open one of the doors leading into the atrium of the Blue Cross Arena Sunday afternoon and motioned for me to go in first. I was expecting Jody Gage to immediately follow, but when “Mr. Amerk” saw the long procession of people behind me, he decided to keep holding the door open so he could exchange pleasantries with the scores of fans streaming into the 67-year-old hockey barn for that day’s highly anticipated AHL playoff game against the Utica Comets.

After a good two minutes of meeting and greeting, Gage was relieved of his duties by an appreciative fan in an old-style, red, white and blue Amerks jersey.

“Just like old times, huh?’’ Gage said to me, once inside the crowded atrium.

“Old times, indeed,’’ I replied, surveying the sea of humanity.

Sunday’s playoff matchup between these fierce Thruway rivals was more than a game; it was a happening; a reminder of what a great hockey town Rochester still can be if the stars align as they did that day. Die-hard fans had waited an eternity for a game of this magnitude, and the energy was palpable as you walked around the festive block party being held on Broad Street outside the building that will always be the War Memorial to many of us.

“I think this turnout is the culmination of a lot of things,’’ Gage said, as he watched smiling fans in Amerks, Buffalo Sabres and Bills jerseys fill the place. “I think some of this definitely is the release of pent-up energy after all the COVID restrictions. People have longed to be able to do fun things like this; things they really missed.

“I also think the fact that our parent club [the Sabres] finished the season on a high note after so many down years helps, too. And I think having a young team with some legitimate prospects hitting their stride at the right time is a huge plus.”

In other words, it’s been a perfect storm of events.

A sell-out crowd of 10,741 stuffed the old concrete arena to the rafters, and it felt like a volcanic eruption when the puck was dropped for the opening faceoff. Like the old days, when charged atmospheres were the norm, the big crowd was at full throat throughout regulation and into overtime. Between the “Let’s Go Amerks! chants and the thrashing of hundreds of air-filled Thunder Sticks, the decibel level was reminiscent of a Metallica concert. The joint was jumping.

And you couldn’t help but think the roof might blow off 99 seconds into the extra session when Arttu Ruotsalainen scored to give the Amerks a 4-3 win. Unfortunately, they followed this stirring victory with a stinker of a performance in a 4-2 loss to Utica Tuesday night in front of another impressive crowd (8,791), and now the best-of-five series is tied at two wins apiece. But regardless of whether the Amerks advance or not, there’s no denying their spirited play in recent weeks helped revive a dormant hockey hotbed.

One of the great appeals of minor-league sports is watching major-leaguers in the making. And it appears there’s a good chance in the not-so-distant future we may see the likes of Jack Quinn, JJ Peterka and Peyton Krebs putting pucks into nets for the Sabres. The fact this high-scoring Amerks trio has been playing in win-or-go-home games for nearly a month is contributing to their development.

“First, they had to face the pressure of being in regular-season games they needed to win just to get into the playoffs,’’ Gage said, referencing the fact the Amerks didn’t qualify for the postseason until the final day of the regular season. “And now they are experiencing the pressures and challenges of playoff hockey, which is an entirely different animal. I think facing those experiences are going to make them stronger mentally and help prepare them for the next level.”

Performing in front of packed houses can be a plus, too.

“When you have a crowd as big and enthusiastic as this one, you can’t help but feed off their energy and passion,’’ Gage said. “Rochester has really knowledgeable hockey fans. They know the game, and they can be demanding and hold you accountable if they don’t think you are hustling and playing smart. That also helps with these players’ development.”

You sense something positive — something hopeful — is finally unfolding in the Sabres organization, that perhaps the drought is ending. It’s been well-documented that Buffalo’s playoff famine stretches to 2011. Sabres fans haven’t witnessed their team win a playoff series in 15 years, but under the leadership of general manager Kevyn Adams and coach Don Granato, there are signs their plan is beginning to pay dividends, including here in Rochester. These Amerks won their first playoff series in 17 years last week, and their scrappy play against top-seeded Utica has been encouraging.

“It [postseason hockey] is important for development,’’ Amerks Coach Seth Appert said before this second-round series began. “Kevyn and I talked about this during the hiring process, that winning is part of development. There’s not been enough winning organizationally over the last decade or so.”

And that lack of winning (along with COVID) led to apathy on the part of Amerks fans, who have not experienced a Calder Cup title since 1996. But perhaps things are changing. Sunday’s electric atmosphere and riveting win was a reminder of the good old days when Rochester was the best hockey town in the minor leagues, and games were events that energized a community.

Best-selling author and nationally honored journalist Scott Pitoniak is the Rochester Business Journal sports columnist.