When Curt Styres bought the Rochester Americans he did so to own a professional hockey team, and well it was also part of a package to buy the Knighthawks which he really wanted. He didn’t do it to acquire a franchise to move it to another city. He also didn’t buy the Amerks to keep them from being moved. If Steve Donner never would have convinced Styres to buy the Amerks he would have simply sold the team to Tom Golisano at the time.

Why is this being brought up? Chuck Wade and Mike Catalana made references to the Amerks “staying here” a few times during their “That’s What We Said” segment below. A few people asked me if Pegula really bought the team because Styres was thinking of moving them. Based on the millions of dollars invested in and lost in Rochester by Curt Styres it’s proof that he has invested in Rochester and did not plan on going anywhere. Watch the segment below:

Chuck Wade said, “Terry Pegula buying the Amerks means they’re not going anywhere.”

Mike Catalana said, “Yes there may be a few things as a die hard Amerks fans that you don’t like, fine, but this team is staying in Rochester” and then said, “There is hope for the Amerks, they are staying.”

Chuck Wade closed with saying, “Curt Styres and Lewis Staats deserve to be recognized for what they did with the team… hats off to those two and their management group and they kept the team here.”

They (Curt Styres and Lewis Staats) kept the team here because it’s where the Amerks started, it’s where the Amerks belong and will always be. This wasn’t a case of Tom Golisano buying the Buffalo Sabres who were in the middle of bankruptcy and in danger of being bought and moved elsewhere.

Curt Styres had heard for years that fans wanted to be affiliated with the Sabres again and when the opportunity presented itself he didn’t waste any time filling out the paperwork. Styres did this for the hockey fans of Western New York. He would have preferred to still be the owner but it was an uphill battle and at no time did a potential outcome of the battle involve moving the Amerks out of Rochester.

Sorry for picking on you Mike and Chuck, it was a pleasure meeting you at the press conference, I just wanted to clear the air to avoid any confusion.