AMERKS TAKE DOWN MARLIES TO OPEN 70TH SEASON
Rosen scores twice, Levi makes 24 saves in 4-3 season-opening win over Toronto
Oct 10, 2025A two-goal performance from forward Isak Rosén and a 24-save effort from goaltender Devon Levi propelled the Rochester Americans (1-0-0-0) to a 4-3 season-opening win over the Toronto Marlies (0-1-0-0) to usher in their 70th anniversary season Friday night at The Blue Cross Arena.
GAME SUMMARY PHOTO GALLERY POST-GAME REPORT
With the victory, the Amerks improved to 42-22-6 all-time in home-openers over the previous 69 years and have outscored their opponents 283-221 over that span. Additionally, the Amerks have scored four or more goals in 10 of their last 12 home-opening victories dating back to an 8-5 win over Toronto to open the 2005-06 season.
Rosén (2+0) and his fellow countrymen Noah Östlund (0+2) both tallied a pair of power-play points while newcomer Zac Jones (0+2) also collected a pair in his Amerks debut. Rookie Tyler Kopff scored his first professional goal before Brendan Warren added the eventual game-winning tally.
Radim Mrkta, the Buffalo Sabres’ first-round selection in the 2025 NHL Draft, recorded his first point in his professional debut to close out the scoring while Trevor Kuntar and Jake Leschyshyn both sported the Amerks crest for the first time.
Levi (1-0-0) stopped 24 of the 27 shots he faced to earn the victory.
Borya Valis (2+0) and Jacob Quillan (0+2) both recorded two points each for Toronto, which hold a 14-15-1-1 record in season-opening matchups. Logan Shaw (1+0), Luke Haymes (0+1), Matthew Barbolini (0+1), and former Amerk Alex Nylander (0+1) rounded the scoring with one point each.
Netminder Artur Akhtyamov (0-1-0) made 22 saves in his fourth overall appearance against Rochester and first of 2025-26.
FIRST PERIOD
After being held without a shot for the first seven minutes of the contest, Rochester drew the game’s first power-play and then generated the next four shots, including one that glanced off the post. The home club continued to search for the first goal, gained another man-advantage seconds after the first had expired but was unsuccessful.
Near the end of the first stanza, newcomer Kuntar lowered a shoulder into a Marlies skater before dropping the gloves with another, which resulted in Rochester’s third power-play of the night.
The third time was the charm as Rosén capitalized on a feed from the right face-off dot inside the Toronto zone from Jones and Östlund at the 18:48 mark.
SECOND PERIOD
Rochester used the momentum from the late goal in the opening stanza and drew another power-play in the opening minute of the second.
Immediately after a face-off win by Leschyshyn to the right of the Marlies cage, Rosén pushed it to his left for Jones. While the latter played a quick game of catch with Östlund, Rosén positioned himself in the near circle and quickly snapped home his second of the night seven seconds into the power-play.
Rochester upped its lead with just over 14 minutes to go as Kopff carried the puck into the offensive zone after gathering it near the benches. The rookie, who also logged his first pro point against Toronto on April 19, 2025, was accompanied by Graham Slaggert on an odd-man break but elected to shoot for his first pro goal.
Five minutes after Kopff’s tally, Toronto got its first of the campaign on Valis’ first of the night, but the Amerks countered the momentum later as Warren converted on a breakaway opportunity at the 13:57 mark to restore Rochester’s three-goal cushion.
The goal came instantly after Jack Rathbone leveled a Marlies skater along the boards and the puck eventually caromed off Mrtka before settling for Warren near center ice. The Michigan native outraced a Toronto skater and sped forward all alone before rifling a shot past Akhtyamov.
Toronto trimmed the Amerks’ lead with 75 seconds left in the stanza as Shaw finished off a centering feed from Barbolini and Haymes.
THIRD PERIOD
Entering the final frame trailing 4-2, the visitors made it a one-goal affair just 5:39 in as Valis backhanded in his second of the night while parked on the doorstep from Quillan and Benning.
Despite Toronto holding a 10-3 shot-advantage over the stanza and both clubs each having a power-play, the Marlies pulled Akhtyamov as the score remained 4-3 with under 120 seconds but were ultimately unable to find the equalizer.
UP NEXT
The Amerks hit the road for the first time in the young season as the home-and-home with the Marlies shifts north of the border on Saturday for a 4:00 p.m. rematch at Coca-Cola Coliseum. The afternoon matinee will be carried live on The Sports Leader 95.7 FM/950 AM The Fan Rochester as well as AHLTV on FloHockey.
STARS AND STRIPES
Tonight marked the first time Rochester scored a pair of power-play goals against the Marlies since Oct. 14, 2023 … Additionally, the Amerks notched their first man-advantage marker versus Toronto since Feb. 19, 2024, ending an 0-for-45 streak ... Dating back to the start of the 2024-25 campaign, the Amerks show a 22-1 record when Rosén scores.
Goal Scorers
TOR B. Valis (1, 2), L. Shaw (1),
ROC: I. Rosén (1, 2), T. Kopff (1), B. Warren (1 – GWG)
Goaltenders
TOR L. Akhtyamov – 22/26 (L)
ROC: D. Levi – 24/27 (W)
Shots
TOR 27
ROC: 26
Special Teams
TOR PP (0/2) | PK (3/5)
ROC: PP (2/5) | PK (2/2)
Three Stars:
1. ROC - I. Rosén
2. TOR - B. Valis
3. ROC - B. Warren