GAME PREVIEW: ROCHESTER RETURNS TO HAMILTON TO FACE HAMMERS
Rochester last played in Hamilton 4,243 days ago during the Bulldogs final season in the AHL
Oct 16, 2026By Griffin Della Penna | @GriffinDP_
For the first time in 4,243 days, the Rochester Americans return to Hamilton, Ontario to take on the Hammers in the organization’s inaugural season.
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The Amerks previous’ trip to Hamilton saw Rochester emerge victorious by way of a 3-1 win over the Bulldogs before the franchise relocated to Laval as the new Montreal Canadiens affiliate. This meeting will be the first of six during the 2026-27 AHL season, and puck drop at TD Coliseum is slated for 7:00 p.m. The broadcast will be available on WGR Rochester and AHLTV on FloHockey.
Hamilton comes into tonight with a 1-2-0-1 record, winning its first game in club history via a 5-2 final over Belleville on Oct. 2. Since then, they’ve dropped three consecutive games at the hands of the Toronto Marlies, including a 5-4 shootout loss in their inaugural home opener last Friday.
Rochester continues its three-game road swing after losing 2-1 to Utica on Saturday, Oct. 10. The Amerks are still searching for their first road victory, only producing one point away from Blue Cross Arena in a shootout loss at Belleville earlier this month. Here is everything you need to know as Rochester looks to win the first ever meeting versus the Hammers.
OH, CAPTAIN, MY CAPTAIN
The organization announced Thursday that Matthew Peca was named the team’s 66th captain in franchise history. The Petawawa, Ontario, native previously captained the Springfield Thunderbirds for multiple seasons and was an alternate captain on the Syracuse Crunch earlier in his professional career. The veteran forward currently leads the Amerks at over a point-per-game, producing two goals and three assists through four games this year.
Peca, who signed a two-year AHL contract this offseason, is now just one of four active AHL captains who have worn the “C” with multiple franchises. The others are Logan Shaw (TOR), Mason Shaw (IA), and Jaycob Megna (HEN). He also becomes the second Quinnipiac alum to captain Rochester, following former Bobcat Zach Metsa, who repped the “C” in 19 games last season.
EARLY SEASON ROSTER MOVES
New letters wasn’t the only change for the Amerks this week, as the Buffalo Sabres traded Ryan Johnson to the Pittsburgh Penguins Monday afternoon in exchange for Caleb Jones and Daniel Laatsch. The pair of defensemen reported to Rochester on Wednesday, but Laatsch was reassigned to the Orlando Solar Bears less than 24 hours ago.
Jones is penciled to make his Amerk debut tonight versus the Hammers, as he looks to be a fortifying presence for Rochester’s group of bluelines. The 12th-year pro brings in plenty of experience, skating in 255 NHL games and another 186 in the AHL. The 2015 fourth-round selection by the Edmonton Oilers was limited to just eight games last season but already registered two assists in four games with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in 2026-27.
Jones comes from winning DNA as his brother, Seth, has played in 913 NHL games, winning a Stanley Cup with the Florida Panthers, and his dad won an NBA title with the Denver Nuggets as an assistant coach after his playing days ended.
5-ON-5 DEFENSIVE SUCCESS
Amerks head coach Michael Leone mentioned earlier this week how impressed with been with his team’s backend through the first four games of the season. Rochester comes in with the fourth-best defense in the AHL, only allowing seven goals with three coming on an opposing team’s power-play. While a small sample size, just four goals during 5-on-5 hockey bodes well for the Amerks who have showcased that they can put up goals in bunches.
Most of the credit goes to goaltender Matt Villalta, who continues to shine in between the pipes in his first season in Rochester. Villalta is the only goaltender in the AHL to start all his team’s games so far this season and log four appearances. The Kingston, Ontario, native has a 2-1-1 record with a .944 save percentage and 1.48 goals-against average.