Rochester Jr. Americans


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The Rochester Jr. Americans are a Tier II Junior ice hockey team from Rochester, New York. Junior team returned to Rochester with the North American Hockey League accepting the location as an expansion franchise starting in the 2023-24 season.

Rochester Jr. Americans
CityFairport, New York, United States
LeagueNorth American Hockey League
DivisionEast Division
Founded1996 & 2023
Home arenaRochester Ice Center
ColorsRed, White, Blue
     
Owner(s)Hockey ROCS, LLC Chris O’Donnell and Colleen Wegman
General managerJohn Humphrey
Head coachFrancois Methot
Franchise history
1st Franchise
1996–1998Syracuse Jr. Crunch
1998–1999Auburn Jr. Crunch
1999–2005Syracuse Jr. Crunch
2005–2010Syracuse Stars
2010–2013Rochester Stars
2013–2016Rochester Jr. Americans - USPHL
2nd Franchise
2023–currentRochester Jr. Americans - NAHL
 
Jr. Crunch Logo
 
Syracuse Stars Logo

In 1996, the Syracuse Junior Crunch were founded to play Canadian Junior A in the Metro Junior A Hockey League, which was absorbed by the Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League in 1998. The team moved to Auburn that year, and was renamed the Auburn Junior Crunch.[1] In 2005 the franchise was sold and renamed the Syracuse Stars, joining the American Tier III Junior A Eastern Junior Hockey League (EJHL).[2] While they played in Syracuse, they also had a Junior B team in the Empire Junior Hockey League (EmJHL).

On December 9, 2009, Maksymum Hockey LLC, based in Rochester, New York, announced plans to operate the Stars and move them to Rochester beginning with the 2010–11 season. During this time they were called the Rochester Stars and were affiliated with the Tier III Junior B Maksymum Junior Hockey Club in the (EmJHL) and were no longer affiliated with the Junior B Syracuse Stars that continued to play in the EmJHL. The Rochester Stars began playing at the Bill Gray's Regional Iceplex.

In 2013, the EJHL dissolved after several members left to form the United States Premier Hockey League. By the beginning of the 2013–14 season, the Stars joined the USPHL in the Elite and Empire Divisions (with the former EJHL team in Elite and the former EmJHL team in the Empire).[3] Both teams were renamed to the Rochester Jr. Americans.

In 2014, the Jr. Americans promoted their Elite Division Tier III team to the USPHL's Premier Division for the 2014–15 season and began playing against many of the former EJHL members.[4] For the 2015–16 season they switched their team from the Empire Division (recently renamed USP3 Division) to the Elite Division.[5] In 2016, the USPHL removed the Jr. Americans from the league and announced a new organization called the Rochester Jr. Monarchs would take their place in the Elite and youth divisions.[6]

In 2020, Perinton Youth Hockey reached an agreement to form an official partnership with the Rochester Americans and restart the Jr. Americans program.[7] Junior team from various age groups began the next season all under the new banner. For the 2023-24 hockey season, Rochester added a Tier-II club when the North American Hockey League (NAHL) announcement that its Board of Governors has approved the membership application for a team in Rochester, New York owned by Hockey ROCS, LLC, an entity owned and operated by Chris O’Donnell and Colleen Wegman.

Season-by-season records 1996-2016

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Crunch - Stars - Jr. American Records
Season GP W L T OTL P GF GA Regular Season Finish Playoffs
Syracuse Jr. Crunch
1996–97 50 10 37 3 — 23 220 358 15th Metro A did not qualify
1997–98 49 29 16 4 — 62 273 219 4th Metro A Won First Round, 3–2 vs. Pickering Panthers
Won Quarterfinals, 3–1 vs. Thornhill Rattlers
Lost Semifinals, 3–4 vs. Caledon Canadians
Auburn Jr. Crunch
1998–99 51 27 22 2 0 56 232 195 6th of 13, OPJHL-East Lost Div. Quarterfinals, 0–3 vs. Lindsay Muskies
Syracuse Jr. Crunch
1999–2000 49 9 36 2 2 22 170 303 10th of 10, OPJHL-East did not qualify
2000–01 49 20 24 4 1 45 195 234 8th of 10, OPJHL-East Lost Div. Quarterfinals, 0–4 vs. Lindsay Muskies
2001–02 49 20 24 5 0 45 187 226 6th of 10, OPJHL-East Lost Div. Quarterfinals, 0–4 vs. Trenton Sting
2002–03 49 4 43 1 1 10 114 308 10th of 10, OPJHL-East did not qualify
2003–04 49 20 26 0 3 43 192 223 7th of 10, OPJHL-East Lost Div. Quarterfinals, 0–4 vs. Bowmanville Eagles
2004–05 49 8 35 3 3 22 158 267 9th of 10, OPJHL-East Lost Div. Quarterfinals, 1–4 vs. Aurora Tigers
Syracuse Stars
2005–06 45 11 27 1 6 29 127 208 6th of 7, North
13th of 14, EJHL		 did not qualify
2006–07 45 19 18 3 5 46 155 175 5th of 7, North
8th of 14, EJHL		 did not qualify
2007–08 45 30 9 5 1 66 155 120 2nd of 7, North
3rd of 14, EJHL		 Lost Quarterfinal South Shore Kings
2008–09 45 24 14 6 1 55 184 160 3rd of 7, North
4th of 14, EJHL		 Lost Quarterfinal vs. Bridgewater Bandits
2009–10 45 22 15 3 5 52 173 163 3rd of 7, North
6th of 14, EJHL		 Lost Quarterfinals, 0–2 vs. Jersey Hitmen
Rochester Stars
2010–11 45 13 29 3 0 29 109 173 5th of 7, North
12th of 14, EJHL		 did not qualify
2011–12 45 15 26 — 4 34 103 156 6th of 7, North
12th of 14, EJHL		 Lost First Round, 0–2 vs. Bay State Breakers
2012–13 45 24 15 — 6 54 150 140 4th of 7, North
6th of 14, EJHL		 Won First Round, 1–1 vs. New York Apple Core[8]
Lost Quarterfinals vs. Islanders Hockey Club
Rochester Jr. Americans
2013–14 42 36 4 — 2 74 217 80 1st of 10, North
1st of 18, USPHL Elite		 Won First Round, 2–0 vs. Portland Jr. Pirates (Elite)
Lost Quarterfinals, 1–2 vs. Jersey Hitmen (Elite)
2014–15 50 22 25 — 3 47 170 175 8th of 11
USPHL Premier		 Lost Quarterfinals, 0–2 vs. Jersey Hitmen
2015–16 44 13 28 — 3 29 128 183 9th of 12
USPHL Premier		 Won Play-in Game, 3–1 vs. Syracuse Stars
Lost Quarterfinals, 0–2 vs. Islanders Hockey Club

Season-by-season records 2023 - current

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Season GP W L OTL P GF GA Regular Season Finish Playoffs
Rochester Jr. Americans of the NAHL
2023–24 60 34 18 8 76 213 177 3 of 9, East
10th of 32, NAHL		 Won Play-In Round, 2–0 vs. Northeast Generals, Lost Div. Semi-Finals, 2-3 vs. Maine Nordiques

In addition to those players which have gone on to play for various college teams,[9] a number of former Stars players have gone on to play at the NHL level, including the following:

  1. ^ "| Amateur Hockey News". Ushr.com. Retrieved 2017-03-27.
  2. ^ "Prep Playoff Picture | Amateur Hockey News". Ushr.com. 2005-01-03. Retrieved 2017-03-27.
  3. ^ "The New Look Of Junior Hockey On the East Coast – All Team To League Transfers". The Junior Hockey News. 2013-05-16. Retrieved 2017-03-27.
  4. ^ "Junior Americans Join USPHL Premier Division". Junioramericans.com. 2011-07-13. Retrieved 2017-03-27.
  5. ^ "Junior Americans Add USPHL Elite Team for 2015-2016 Season". Junioramericans.com. 2011-07-13. Retrieved 2017-03-27.
  6. ^ "Rochester Jr. Monarchs Excited for Year One in USPHL". USPHL. June 22, 2016.
  7. ^ "Rochester Jr. Americans Are A Reality". NY Hockey Online. May 3, 2020. Retrieved April 17, 2024.
  8. ^ "New York Apple Core EJHL Tier II". Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2015-08-25.
  9. ^ "EJHL 2006 College Signings". Archived from the original on 2009-12-12. Retrieved 2014-02-25.
  10. ^ "Tom Sestito Stats and News". NHL.com. 1987-09-28. Retrieved 2017-03-27.
  11. ^ Yahoo! Sports Player Bio for Tim Connolly
  12. ^ "NHL Player Search - Player - Tim Connolly". Legends of Hockey. Retrieved 2017-03-27.
  13. ^ "Colby Cohen Stats and News | NHL.com". Bruins.nhl.com. 1989-04-25. Retrieved 2017-03-27.
  14. ^ "Colby Cohen hockey statistics and profile at". Hockeydb.com. 1989-04-25. Retrieved 2017-03-27.
  15. ^ "Jeremy Morin Stats and News". NHL.com. 1991-04-16. Retrieved 2017-03-27.
  16. ^ "NHL Player Search - Player - Matt Murley". Legends of Hockey. Retrieved 2017-03-27.
  17. ^ "Rob Schremp Stats and News". NHL.com. 1986-07-01. Retrieved 2017-03-27.
  18. ^ "NHL Player Search - Player - Rob Schremp". Legends of Hockey. Retrieved 2017-03-27.
  19. ^ "Tim Sestito hockey statistics and profile at". Hockeydb.com. 1984-08-28. Retrieved 2017-03-27.
  20. ^ "NHL Player Search - Player - Tim Sestito". Legends of Hockey. Retrieved 2017-03-27.
  21. ^ "NHL Player Search - Player - Tom Sestito". Legends of Hockey. Retrieved 2017-03-27.
  22. ^ "Tom Sestito Stats and News". NHL.com. 1987-09-28. Retrieved 2017-03-27.