**This Week’s Storylines**
VIEW FROM ABOVE
The Amerks come into the week sitting atop the AHL’s North Division standings with a narrow two-point lead, having earned 10 out of a possible 16 points in their last eight contests. Among all AHL teams, only the Charlotte Checkers have more wins (28) than the Amerks (23), who are second overall in the Eastern Conference with a .632 points percentage at the halfway point of the 2018-19 season.
C.J’s BIG WEEK
Last week, second-year forward C.J. Smith, scored his first-career NHL goal – the game-winner – in Buffalo’s 5-1 rout over New Jersey on Jan. 8. After being reassigned to the Amerks Friday evening, the Amerks reigning Rookie of the Year tied a career-high as he recorded his second-career professional hat-trick – which included the game-winner – to go with an assist in a 5-1 victory against the Toronto Marlies. With his four-point (3+1) outing, Smith grabbed sole possession of the Amerks points lead as he 33 points through 34 games this season with Rochester. Saturday’s win gave Rochester a 4-1-0-0 record in the head-to-head season-series with the AHL’s defending champions.
RED-HOT ALL-STAR REDS
Redmond has scored a team and career-high 16 goals this season, including eight on the power-play, good enough for sixth in the league in that category. Redmond, who had an AHL-best nine-game point streak to end the month of October, enters the week tied for 14th in the league in goals (16) and second amongst all active AHL defensemen with 32 points, while his seven game-winning goals are tops in the AHL. His 16 goals are also the most by an AHL blueliner.
REDMOND INCHING CLOSER TO HISTORY
Having set a new career-high with his 16th goal in just his 38th game of the season, Redmond is on a record-setting pace to etch his name in team and league history. Earlier this season, he became the fastest Amerks defenseman to score 10 goals in the fewest amount of games to begin the season since Amerks Hall of Famer Don McSween reached the mark in his first 21 games during the 1989-90 campaign. McSween would later go on to become the top scoring defenseman in franchise history. Redmond, who last season became just the first Amerk blueliner in seven years to lead the team in scoring, needs only two more goals to tie the single-season franchise record for the most by a defenseman of 18, set by Rick Pagnutti during the 1972-73 season. The AHL record is held by John Slaney, who netted 30 for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins during the 1999-00 campaign.
IRON MAN SIMPSON
Forward Wayne Simpson is the AHL’s current leader in consecutive games played with 225. Prior to joining the Amerks, the Boxborough, Mass., native appeared in all 76 regular-season games with the Hershey Bears and Providence Bruins over each of the last two seasons, in addition to 35 straight appearances for the Portland Pirates dating back to the 2015-16 campaign.
STAYING BUSY BETWEEN THE PIPES
Rochester goaltender Scott Wedgewood has gotten the nod in nine of the last 12 games for the Amerks, going 6-3-0 over that span, which prior to Friday night’s loss, included a four-game win streak. After dropping his first two games of the season, the sixth-year netminder won a season-long five straight to close out the month of October, matching the career-best mark he set while backstopping the Albany Devils during the 2015-16 season. He enters the week tied for third among all AHL goaltenders in shutouts (3) and fourth in wins (14). Wedgewood’s 24 appearances this season are seventh-most in the league while his 1,326 minutes are ninth. Wedgewood is one shutout away from tying a career-best from 2013-14season.
**This Week’s Schedule**
Monday, Jan. 14
Day Off
Tuesday, Jan. 15
Practice – 11:00 a.m. at Bill Gray’s Regional IcePlex
Wednesday, Jan. 16
Practice – 10:30 a.m. at Bill Gray’s Regional IcePlex
Thursday, Jan. 17
Practice – 10:00 a.m. at Bill Gray’s Regional IcePlex
Depart after practice
Friday, Jan. 18
Morning Skate – 11:15 a.m. at Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza
Away Game vs. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton – 7:05 p.m. at Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza
Saturday, Jan. 19
Morning Skate – 11:15 a.m. at PPL Center
Away Game vs. Toronto Marlies – 7:05 p.m. at PPL Center
Sunday, Jan. 20
Day Off
Time and locations are always subject to change.
Warren S. Kosel
Director of Public and Media Relations
(585) 286-9928
Ryan J. Harr
Public and Media Relations Coordinator
(585) 286-9940
