CLAUDE VERRET, DEAN MELANSON EARN INDUCTION INTO AMERKS HALL OF FAME
Pair of Calder Cup champions to be inducted as part of 70th-annniversary season
Jan 1, 2026The Rochester Americans are pleased to announce the induction of forward Claude Verret and defenseman Dean Melanson into the Amerks Hall of Fame as the Class of 2026.
Honored by the Amerks Hall of Fame Selection Committee, Verret and Melanson will be formally inducted into the prestigious club as the 70th and 71st members during a pregame ceremony on Friday, Jan. 30 when Rochester hosts the Hershey Bears at 7:05 p.m. at The Blue Cross Arena. This year’s Hall of Fame Night is presented by CSEA.
Verret becomes just the third inductee in the 70-year history of the franchise to enter the Hall of Fame posthumously following Norm “Red” Armstrong and Bobby Perreault, both of whom were among the team’s charter Class of 1986.
Verret, who passed away in March 2025, played his entire AHL career in Rochester, establishing himself as one of the most prolific scorers in franchise history despite only playing four seasons with the Amerks from 1983 to 1987. In 229 career games with Rochester, Verret produced an astounding 259 (111+148) points, including back-to-back 90-point seasons, while also adding 27 (10+17) points in 31 postseason appearances.
“This is such a special honor and one that we know he would be grateful for,” said his daughter, Emy-Lee Verret. “His time in Rochester was a wonderful mix of great team moments and remarkable achievements, including winning the Calder Cup in 1987, and the adoration from the loyal fans who were always so supportive of him.
A native of Lachine, Quebec, Verret joined Rochester for the 1983-84 season, winning the Dudley “Red” Garrett Memorial Award as the league’s top scoring rookie after recording 90 points (39+51) in 65 games. Verret also made his NHL debut that year with the Buffalo Sabres, who drafted him in the eighth round (163rd overall) of the 1982 NHL Draft, totaling seven points over an 11-game stint.
The following year was Verret’s best with the Amerks when he led the team with 40 goals, 53 assists and 93 points as a 21-year-old. He finished the 1984-85 season with 10 more goals and 18 more points than the next closest player.
The Amerks would miss the playoffs in 1986 despite Verret being nearly a point-per-player during the regular season, but he would lead the team back to the postseason a year later in 1987, helping Rochester capture its fifth Calder Cup and second in five years.
After departing Rochester, Verret played out the remainder of his pro career in France and Switzerland before retiring following the 1999-00 season.
The Verret family, consisting of his children, Emy-Lee and Anthony, son-in-law, Jean-Francois Massé, Anthony’s girlfriend, Alison Bélanger-Girard, along with his grandchildren, Lucas (7), Jacob (3), and Mateo (2), will accept the honor on his behalf.
Making up the other half of this year’s Amerks Hall of Fame Class is Melanson, who like Verret, was a fan favorite and Calder Cup champion during his time with the Amerks.
Widely regarded for his physicality and tenacious style of play, Melanson patrolled the Rochester blueline for parts of six seasons from 1992-96 and then again from 1997-99. In 353 games as an Amerk, Melanson recorded 100 points on 22 goals and 78 assists while piling up 852 penalty minutes, which rank sixth all-time in franchise history. His 353 games played also place him 19th all-time and rank fifth-most by a defenseman, trailing only fellow Amerks Hall of Famers Darryl Sly, Don Cherry, Doug Janik, and Dave Fenyves.
“After receiving the call informing me that I would be inducted into the Rochester Americans Hall of Fame, I can’t help but feel so honored to forever be part of Amerks history,” said Melanson, who was named the Defensive Player of the Year in 1993-94 and the winner of Rob Zabelny Unsung Hero Award in 1997-98. “It was an absolute privilege to wear the Amerks jersey for six unforgettable seasons and represent one of the most iconic franchises in professional hockey. It was a top-notch organization from great coaches and teammates to the training staff, and of course, the incredible fans.”
Melanson’s contributions were just as impactful in the postseason, guiding the Amerks to five playoff appearances in his six seasons, highlighted by a pair of trips to the Calder Cup Finals in 1996 and again in 1999. The rugged defenseman added 21 points (7+14) and 74 penalty minutes over 53 career playoff contests, including six points during Rochester’s unprecedented run to the Calder Cup in 1996. He is perhaps best remembered for delivering the game-changing hit on Richard Zednik in Game 7 against the Portland Pirates that year, ultimately leading the Amerks to their sixth and most recent championship. Only seven others in franchise history appeared in more playoff games than Melanson.
A native of Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Melanson first joined the Amerks for a brief eight-game stint at the end of the 1992-93 regular season after being selected by the Buffalo Sabres in the fourth round (80th overall) of the 1992 NHL Draft. His first full season in Rochester came the following year when he produced 22 points and racked up 138 penalty minutes as a rookie while being the only player to appear in all 80 games.
After missing half of the 1994-95 season due to injury despite making his NHL debut for the Sabres, Melanson’s return for the 1995-96 campaign sparked a remarkable midseason resurgence for an Amerks team that went from being last in the AHL to finishing third in the Central Division standings before ultimately being crowned league champions. Melanson and the Amerks were 11-1 through the first three rounds of the Calder Cup Playoffs entering the final series against Portland.
After a year away from the organization, Melanson returned for two more seasons with the Amerks, quite literally saving his best for last. The 1998-99 campaign saw him produce a career-high 27 assists and 34 points to finish second in scoring amongst all Rochester blueliners while earning 1999 AHL All-Star honors. Melanson would lead the Amerks back to the Calder Cup Finals later that spring, falling to Providence four games to one.
His professional career, which included nine NHL games with Buffalo and Washington, would take him elsewhere around the AHL and IHL before playing his final seasons abroad and officially retiring following the 2007-08 season.
Due to ongoing health issues, Melanson is unable to be in Rochester for the induction ceremony on Friday, Jan. 30. Fellow Amerks Hall of Famer and former teammate Martin Biron will accept the honor on Melanson’s behalf.
Melanson and wife, Renee, are the proud parents of five children: Corey (34), Sydni (26), Skyler (25), Cody (22), and Sienna (17), and three grandchildren: Ollie (7), Lucy (4), and Kamden Dean (4 months).