Amerks Working to Restore Pride0

Kevin Oklobzija - Staff writer Democrat And Chronicle

When he coached the Buffalo Sabres, Ted Nolan could have told his players that unless they jumped over the videoboard at center ice, the team would lose.

A whole lot of his players would have broken bones trying to do the impossible.One thing about Nolan: When he’s behind the bench or addressing his team in the dressing room, he’s a master of convincing players what it takes to be a team, and what is necessary for a team to be successful.

Simply put, he could sell wooden hockey sticks to Easton.

Which is precisely why Rochester Americans owner Curt Styres hired Nolan as vice president of hockey operations July 1.

Styres needed someone to re-sell Amerk hockey; to veteran players on the free-agent market, to a jilted corporate community and to a once-loyal, once-large fan base that over the past three years found better things to do with their entertainment dollars.

“I’m out spreading the word of the Rochester Americans,” Nolan said. “We want to prove to people we’re here and we mean business.”

His mere presence in Rochester says just that. The revamped product will debut Saturday night when the Amerks open their 54th American Hockey League season at 7:05 against the Lake Erie Monsters at Blue Cross Arena at the War Memorial.

“The organization is furthering their commitment to winning,” Amerks defenseman Jordan Henry said. “If you want to be the best, you have to surround yourself with the best.”

Nolan’s rsum carries clout. He won the Jack Adams Trophy as NHL Coach of the Year with the Sabres in 1996-97 and guided the New York Islanders into the playoffs with a far-from-talented team in 2006-07.

He rebuilt his hometown major junior team, the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, into a Memorial Cup champion in 1992-93. He won a regular season championship in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League in 2005-06 with the Moncton Wildcats.

And while coaching is what he does best, he didn’t move to Rochester just to be a figurehead.

“When I met with Curt, it was not so much where you work but who you work for,” said Nolan, whose permanent home remains just outside of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, on the Garden River First Nation Reserve. “Yes, I still want to coach, but if I’m not doing that, then I might as well do what I’m next best at.”

His first task was to work with Jody Gage, the director of player personnel, to fortify the roster with quality veterans.

In the span of two weeks, they signed defenseman Clay Wilson and forwards Jeff Taffe, Graham Mink and Chris Taylor. In late August, they added forward Mike York, a 10-year NHL veteran. One of York’s NHL stops was the Nolan-coached Islanders.

“He was a big reason why I came here,” York said. “When he called, I jumped at the opportunity.”

High-quality players in place, Nolan then began knocking on doors and dialing phone numbers. He wanted to know why businesses ended their partnerships and sponsorships with the franchise. Why former season ticket holders refused to renew.

Many companies were turned off by unpaid bills. The team’s reputation took a beating during the financial crisis of 2007-08 under the former ownership group.

On the ice, the team finished in last place the past two years and fans weren’t entertained nearly enough.

Nolan’s plea as he sells Amerk hockey to the city: Give us a chance and you’ll like what you see.

“You look at what Curt did,” Nolan said. “He cleaned up the financial mess. He signed some good, veteran players (investing at least a half-million dollars in the payroll to do so).

“Your actions speak louder than words and his actions spoke volumes to me and should speak volumes to the people in Rochester. We’re selling a product that’s sustainable, something people can be proud to be associated with.”

Nolan, 51, expects anyone buying a ticket this season to believe their money was well spent.

“I want people to walk away from our games saying, ‘Did you see that guy hitting, did you see that guy’s shot, did you see this, did you see that,’” he said.

During his time out in the community, Nolan has been told the affiliation divorce from the Buffalo Sabres in 2008 was a mistake. The NHL’s Florida Panthers now supply most of the players.

Nolan disagrees. He says the team’s vision is to restore pride in Rochester, that the parent team is secondary.

“We want to be a community-based team because it’s amazing what sports teams can do for the city,” he said. “We have to build a team that Rochester is affiliated with, that says this is who we are as Rochester Americans, as Rochesterians.

“Fans have to feel it’s their team and we just happen to be a place where Florida puts its players or Buffalo puts its players. Why can’t we get our own civic pride?”