GAME PREVIEW: AMERKS HOST ROCKET ON 90’s NIGHT
Five things to know as Rochester looks to inch closer to division-leading Laval
Feb 19, 2026By Andrew Mossbrooks | @ Mossbrooks48
The Rochester Americans (24-17-4-3) turn the clocks back to the 1990’s to wrap up their three-game homestand with a Friday night matchup against the first-place Laval Rocket (31-14-2-3).
| HOW TO WATCH | GET TICKETS | GAME NOTES | ROSTER SHEET | MEDIA KIT | LINE CHART |
Here are five things to know ahead of the big game at Blue Cross Arena.
AH, SHOOT
Jake Leschyshyn and Matteo Costantini helped the Amerks rally from a 2-0 deficit Wednesday night, but Rochester was unable to earn the extra point in what became a 3-2 shootout loss to the defending Eastern Conference champion Charlotte Checkers.
Devon Levi managed 30 saves on the night, then went 1-for-2 in the shootout, while shooters Konsta Helenius, Jack Rathbone, and Zac Jones were unable to solve Cooper Black in the breakaway challenge.
Team captain Zach Metsa made his return to the Amerks lineup for the first time in over two months, posting an assist in his first AHL game since Dec. 6, 2025.
Laval last played Monday afternoon in Toronto and were less than two minutes from winning before the Marlies tied the game late, going on to top the Rocket in a 4-3 shootout.
The outcome snapped a seven-game win streak for the Rocket, though Montreal’s AHL affiliate has still strung points together in 13 of their last 15 contests, yielding a commanding lead of the North Division as they rank five points ahead of second-place Syracuse and are 12 points clear of Rochester.
RETURN OF THE STARS AND BARS
The Amerks will celebrate the 30-year anniversary of their 1996 Calder Cup-winning team by wearing the signature red, white, and blue stars and bars jerseys from that era.
At Christmas break, the 1995-96 Rochester Americans were last place in the Central Division before turning their season around to reach the playoffs in April. From there, first-year head coach John Tortorella guided the Amerks through the first three round of the Calder Cup Playoffs by winning eight straight and 10 of the first 11 games before topping the Portland Pirates in a seven-game series that went the distance, culminating with a 2-1 win in game seven at Blue Cross Arena June 13, 1996.
Members of the ’96 team, including Jody Gage, Dixon Ward, and Wayne Primeau will be on-site at the game Friday against Laval, as will both the current and vintage Calder Cup that Amerks players hoisted above their heads 30 years ago.
A DAUNTING TASK
The Amerks now jump into the final third of their 2025-26 regular season schedule, having played 48 of the 72 scheduled games thus far. The final stretch is a grueling one for Rochester, with 20 of the 24 remaining contests slated against opponents in playoff positioning. Of those 20, 19 will be against teams with as many or more standings points than the Amerks and 15 of those come against North Division adversaries.
Rochester shows a 23-15-4-2 combined record against the remaining teams on its schedule that they’ve faced so far this season. They will split their final 24 games evenly between home and away tilts, but following the game against Laval, the Amerks will play four of the next five outside the Flower City.
LEAGUE-LEADING LAURENT
The North Division has been an offensive powerhouse this season, with the top three AHL scorers all coming from the seven-team group. Belleville’s Arthur Kaliyev had been leading the charge for the bulk of the season, but has given way recently to Laval’s Laurent Dauphin, who is now five points clear of his peers with 55 (15+40) in 46 games played.
A 30-year-old veteran of over a decade in pro hockey is a point away from his best year yet. Dauphin reached 56 points in 63 games a season ago, with a career best-26 goals. This time around, the Repentigny, Quebec, native is already at a career high-40 assists.
Dauphin did not dress when the Amerks and Rocket met last month, however, his game against Rochester early in the season on Nov. 1 saw the forward score four goals in a 5-2 win for the Rocket.
BLASTING OFF ON THE ROCKET
Friday is meeting five of eight in the season series between the Amerks and Rocket, with the two teams set to play the remainder of their encounters over the next two weeks. The Amerks will again host Laval next Friday before traveling to Place Bell the first weekend of March for a pair of games against them.
Rochester is 2-2-0-0 against Laval thus far this season after facing off last spring in the North Division Finals of the Calder Cup Playoffs. Despite being a top-10 team for fewest shots against, the Rocket have been unable to fend off the efforts of Rochester, which has outshot Laval by a 161-110 margin this season. In their recent game on Jan. 9, the Amerks fired a season high-49 shots on goal, yet fell by a 3-2 final to the Rocket.
Helenius leads the Amerks in scoring against Laval this season with two goals and six points. Levi has taken the crease for three of the four matchups against Laval, including Oct. 24 when the third-year pro made 19 saves for his first shutout of the season.