The Amerks more than just a feeder for the Buffalo Sabres

Lately, the debate has raged regarding the Rochester Americans, and whether they are nothing more than a feeder to the Buffalo Sabres. 

Although they’re technically owned by the same people and are essentially one and the same, there has been some unnecessary debating between the Buffalo Sabres and Rochester Americans die-hards on social media lately. Of course, you got one camp claiming the Amerks serve as a feeder to the Blue and Gold, and little else, while the Amerks faithful claim otherwise.

So who is in the right here? While it’s true many Sabres fans only follow the Amerks to watch their favorite high-end prospects develop, that’s not logistically the case for everyone. Personally, I’ve found myself having some fun watching the likes of Mason Jobst, Michael Mersch, Zach Metsa, Kohen Olichefski, Ethan Prow, and Brendan Warren.

The common denominator between the aforementioned talents? None are currently signed with the Sabres. And while it’s true that I primarily write about Sabres prospects on this site, it doesn’t mean I’m not also ignoring the likes of those signed only to the Amerks, and hopefully all of the above names will remain in Rochester while the likes of Kulich, Rosen, Rousek, and perhaps even Brett Murray work their respective ways to the NHL.

No, the Amerks are not just a feeder system for the Buffalo Sabres

I grew up watching a lot of college football, and to this day, everyone in my immediate and extended family are huge fans of the Ohio State Buckeyes. Why am I bringing this up? Because college football is the primary feeder system for the NFL at the moment, but that doesn’t stop fans from purchasing season tickets, merchandise, or even dedicating an entire room to their favorite team, even if most players are only there for between three and five seasons.

The Amerks have the same thing going on for them. It’s one of the best fanbases in the AHL, and there are plenty of season ticket holders out there who only watch the Amerks and couldn’t care less about the Buffalo Sabres. There are also, as touched on earlier, plenty of talent signed only with Rochester, and it’s highly unlikely they ever sign with the Blue and Gold.

So if you believe the Amerks are nothing more than a feeder, I urge you to either attend or tune into a game. And when you see a sold out crowd of over 10,000 at Blue Cross Arena decked out primarily in Amerks gear, I’m sure you will change your mind not only about the team’s function, but the AHL as a whole. Personally for me, what started out as a way to only watch the Buffalo Sabres prospects is turning into something else: I am becoming more of an Amerks fan by the second, and that has nothing to do with the way some perceive the team’s function.