It was a busy second half of 2011 for this site with acquiring a bigger audience with the sale of the Rochester Americans to the Buffalo Sabres.  Here’s a quick look back at what was popular over the past year (more like 6 months, I didn’t write much last season).
( AHL Playoff Format for 2010-2011 Season ) – The most popular post was about the American Hockey League playoff format for the 2010/2011 season.  The information had spread pretty quickly which generated hits but it’s now old.  Here’s the format that changed completely for the 2011/2012 season, so here’s a link to that ( AHL Alignment and Playoff Format for 2011-2012 Season ).
( Drew MacIntyre’s Lid Features Care Bears and Potato Heads ) – Everyone enjoys the story behind a goalies helmet and what it means to them, no surprise that MacIntyre’s has been a popular topic of conversation.  It’s a simple design with meaning behind it.
( Big Joe Finley, Strong on Defense, Can Also Throw Lawn Mowers and Attack Mascots ) – Joe Finley has made quite the impression since being an invite to the Sabres training camp, earning an NHL contract and then getting his first call up.  Here’s a little back story on him with stories from his past that he has put behind him (everyone does stupid things when they’re young).
( Zack Kassian and Marcus Foligno Fight Video ) – These two rookies have made a splash this season as expected and they did so early this season with this altercation.  There haven’t been any fights since but they’re two players who play hard every night, this is where it started in the 5th game of their pro careers.
( The Great Debate of the Sabres Logo on Amerks Jerseys ) – The great discussion that continues to come up every so often. Should the Sabres logo be seen on the Amerks jersey?  Not every AHL team does that, some do. The decision was made to not put the patch on because of the backlash by Amerks fans (not all Amerks fans are Sabres fans). The topic will likely come up again next season but kudos to the Sabres organization for listening.
( Rochester Americans 2011-2012 Schedule By Some Numbers ) – Breakdown of games for the season, pretty self explanatory.
( Florida to Finland and Back, David Leggio is Closer to Home and His Dream ) – Feature article I wrote on David Leggio including information about his mask.  Check it out if you missed it, great information on his past.
( New Amerks Coach, Ron Rolston ) – The news broke early that Rolston was going to be hired and this spread quick as well.  Rolston has been very well known in the world of hockey but to most fans still an unknown.  He’s been superb this season and has gotten the most of the team that was given to him.
( Amerks 2011-2012 Roster as of July 19th ) – Two players signed after this was written were Paul Szczechura and Michael Ryan.  Szczechura has been a key part of the offense while Ryan has remained out with an injury.  The concern then was that the team needed some scoring and it’s become less of a concern as the season goes on.
( Video of Conboy’s Hit on Turnbull and Fight vs Finley ) – Any video is usually popular especially when it relates to a fight and a hit to the head, this one wasn’t any different.
( Amerks Defenseman is now The Legend of Joe Finley with the Sabres ) – Lists are typically top 10 or top 50 or 100 etc but I had to include the top 11 since that’s where this article ranked.  The meme #LegendofJoeFinley was popular and a trending topic in Buffalo and Rochester for a couple of days.  The legend has cooled off recently but he’ll make a comeback.
