October 16, 1998
Blue Cross Arena (Capacity: 11,125)
Rochester, NY
Rochester Americans vs Hershey Bears
Final Score: 7 – 2
* The arena was re-visited December 30, 2022
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My first game in the home of the Rochester Americans likely came in the late 1980s, but I was too young to remember. I attended dozens and dozens of games thru the 90s, when the building was known as the Rochester War Memorial. A significant renovation took place in the mid-90s and I decided to start my review after the renovations when the building re-opened as Blue Cross Arena. The Americans (better known as Amerks) have played since 1956, one year after the arena opened. They are one of the most historic teams in the AHL as they have been very successful in developing players and winning championships. Six Calder Cups belong to Rochester, with the last one coming in 1996. Much of the 2000s were not been kind to the franchise as losing teams and a bizarre affiliation change contributed to diminished fan support. Thankfully, Terry Pegula righted the ship and bought the team in 2011, reuniting it with the Buffalo Sabres. It was a slow build, but gradually the fans came back and in 2022, the team won their first playoff series in 17 years. Blue Cross Arena is a unique building with character that mixes the old with the new, making it a great place for hockey.
Prestige Ranking: 3.5 out of 5
Location
Rochester is the third largest city in New York with a population around 200,000 and it is located in the western part of the state, near Lake Ontario. Built on the rapid growth of big companies like Kodak and Xerox, their decline led to the city reinventing themselves as a technology and education hub. Rochester’s entertainment options aren’t too varied, though the Strong Museum and Eastman Museum are good visits. The area also has some really nice festivals. Blue Cross Arena is located on the Genesee River in downtown Rochester, amongst most of the city’s high-rise buildings. Though it is a scenic setting with the river and skyscrapers, the location is part of the business district in downtown, thus there is not much to do for visitors. The spot to eat nearby before or after games is Dinosaur Bar-B-Que. Give yourself plenty of time because this is really the only thing within walking distance despite being in the heart of the city. For a better vibe, head a mile away to the East End section, which features a more vibrant nightlife along East Ave.
Location Ranking: 5.5 out of 10
Accessibility / Parking
Several interstates lead into the area as I-90 (NY State Thruway) accommodates those going east-west, while I-390 takes care of anyone coming from the south. The city’s thoroughfare is I-490, but navigating it downtown can be tricky, especially when trying to find your way back to the expressway. The main parking garage is at the Civic Center across the street, however there are several other choices that include both garages and surfaces lots. Traffic getting out is worse from the Civic Center, so do some research ahead of time for the best spot that leads to the most efficient exit.
Accessibility / Parking Ranking: 6 out of 8
Exterior
The outside has a beautiful modern set-up, highlighted by a large glass atrium for the main entrance in the front corner of the arena. The opening concourse is clearly visible from the city streets. The “Blue Cross Arena” logo is located in a few places on the building and a great view of the arena is observed on the other side of the river. Aside from the glass entrance and signage, the mostly rectangular arena retains its look from the 1950s with red brick featured prominently.
Exterior Ranking: 7.5 out of 10
Concourse
After entering, fans start in the very spacious and bright atrium, where there is plenty of space before going past the ticket takers. This section also includes the team store and box office. A large flight of stairs leads to an opening of the concourse featuring a carpeted section that has become a large bar. Pre-game entertainment that includes a band makes this area a reason to come to the game early. With high top tables, counter space and a beautiful background of the river and city, it’s easy to see why this space is so popular. Further into the arena, the concourses are a much different story as the near 70-year age shows. Side hallways are very tight and old. There at least is a side off-shoot on each one that opens up a little more space.
Concourse Ranking: 3 out of 5
Food
Concession items are pretty good, especially considering Rochester’s several iconic food items are featured. Fans can get a version of the famous “Garbage Plate” either with a burger or hot dog. Speaking of dogs, both the red and local white variety is available. Pizza is from Salvatore’s and the Ice Cream is from Perry’s. Other things worth a try: Poutine, Buffalo Mac & Cheese and the Chef’s Daily Special. Beer is awesome too, especially with several choices between local favorites Genesee Beer and the Rohrbach Brewing Company.
Food Ranking: 7.5 out of 8
Interior
For somebody who doesn’t know that renovations were done to this arena, the inside is a complete surprise. It is dimly lit with a low roof and exposed heating ducts. Most of the dark blue seating arrangement is adequate with a split level on the sides and luxury suites at the top of that side seating. Sightlines are pretty good in those upper 200 seats as they have a natural, close view. Seats themselves though feel somewhat squeezed, both in width and length. The bowl is in a horseshoe shape as the south end is a unique design of seating with a very steep upper deck that is well above the first level of seats. Recently, the seats underneath have been replaced by a party area on the floor. Suites are in between the decks. The other end is not that good as there are plenty of seats in the standard design, but the second level extends far from the ice, secluding fans. The scoreboard even becomes obscured by the roof. These sections added a lot to the capacity as it went from 7,000 to 11,215 after the mid-90s renovation. This is certainly a unique building and there remains an old barn feel to it.
Interior Ranking: 7.5 out of 14
Scoreboard
The thing that sticks out the most is how the scoreboard is centered over the blue line, creating a very strange look for those sitting on the side. It has always been like this and the renovations weren’t able to fix the oddity. The board itself is decent and it consists of four sides, mostly made up of video. They put the game score/time/etc. at the bottom of the video display and then use the rest of the screen for video graphics, live game coverage and replays. Video quality is solid as this board debuted in 2018. A “Blue Cross Arena” logo sits on top of the scoreboard.
Scoreboard Ranking: 3 out of 4
Displays
The Amerks do a great job with displays and it starts in the concourse. Remember, this is a War Memorial and the arena honors local veterans. Tucked in a corner behind the main entrance are several plaques doing just that. It’s too bad this section is not more visible to the public as one has to search for it. When it comes to team honors, Rochester does that well too. Above the bar in the concourse, the team has hung replicas of their red championship banners. This section also includes the Amerks Hall of Fame and the wall represents a Who’s Who of the hockey world. A few steps away is a large info plaque for basketball legend Les Harrison, while further down is a section for the Rochester Lancers of the old NPSL. Blue Cross Arena honoring other sports continues in a lower-level lobby, where the Section V Hall of Fame is located. Section V is the division for local high schools and their basketball tournament is annually held here in “The Big House”. Inside the arena, the rafters at the south end have all of the Amerk banners and the white banners stick out as the Calder Cup championships. Jerseys for three players are retired: #6 Red Armstrong, #9 Dick Gamble and also #9 Jody Gage, who had a long and popular tenure with the franchise.
Displays Ranking: 5.5 out of 6
Cost
Like everything else in this world, tickets have become much more expensive. I feel that it is too pricey for the the AHL, but fans are coming out and it is comparable to what is seen in other Upstate NY markets. Tickets for Amerks games range from $25 to $40. One plus, is that the team does well to have promotions throughout the year to reduce prices and it is wise to check their website or social media. There are also a few value sections where you can get tickets for $15. Parking in the city for a long time was $7, but now the Civic Center garage jacked prices to $15, which is absurd for a city of Rochester’s size. Other parking can be found for a little cheaper, but not much. Concession prices are high too.
Cost Ranking: 5 out of 8
Fan Support
Amerks hockey was a huge thing in Rochester back in the 70s and 80s as sellout crowds frequented the War Memorial. Just ask former coach Don Cherry as the passion of the fans and loudness of the building was top notch. This was the heyday and gradually, fan support diminished during the 2000s, reaching the bottom of the barrel with the affiliation change. After Pegula took over the team and the Sabres became affiliates again, crowds got better. They are now middle-of-the-pack in terms of regular season attendance that has brought back respectability throughout league circles. The most impressive (and quite surprising) part of this turnaround is playoff attendance. In the minor leagues, it is rare to see it go higher than the regular season, but that is what Rochester did in 2022 and even 2023. The Amerks averaged over 9,000 fans and had a few sellouts as the city had playoff fever and were fully in invested in the team. It was an unexpected and fantastic thing to see that hopefully keeps going.
Fan Support Ranking: 6 out of 8
Atmosphere
Inside, the atmosphere features the occasional “Let’s Go Amerks” chants and you’ll see a lot of fans wearing jerseys of that beautiful crest. After a decade or two where Blue Cross Arena was just a standard AHL experience, the atmosphere has improved as fans have come back. The crowd gets into the game and it’s nice to see many get on their feet after a goal. The horn that they use is the same one that I heard as a kid back in the 90s and even better, they recently brought back “Freeze Frame“, their long-time goal song. Thank you! The building can get quite loud and the playoff atmosphere is one of the league’s best.
Atmosphere Ranking: 10 out of 14
Other Stuff
This is one place that has felt like home to me and always brings back many great memories. I’ll never forget Walter the Accordion Man, sitting on his folding chair near an entrance. He would play that wonderful accordion and sing a tune as you walked to the arena, ready for some hockey. Always gave him a nod and may he rest in peace……Hearing the din of the lamps during the National Anthem as they get warmed up to turn back on is another long-time part of Amerks hockey……One of the best mascots in all of sports is entertaining fans before and during the game. The Moose simply is the best around as he/she is funny for all ages and charming to the kids……The one casualty of the previous ownership was the removal of Fred Costello, who played that great, old organ that I sorely miss. Now a mix of techno and arena pop fills the stands. Boo…..Play-by-play man Don Stevens is a legend around these parts. He has been the broadcaster since 1986 and his throaty call of the game is perfect for radio…..The other building tenant is the Rochester Knighthawks of the National Lacrosse League. They have been here since 1995……Many still refer to the building as the War Memorial.
Game (Initial Visit)
In my first game after the major mid-90s renovation that made this a different building, the Amerks dominated as Dominic Pittis scored twice and Martin Biron started in goal to earn the 7-2 win over Hershey.
Stadium and Arena Visits 
