The Rochester Americans announced Thursday night that their scheduled matchup with the Cleveland Monsters at Blue Cross Arena on Friday has been rescheduled for Saturday, April 10.
The team says the schedule change is out of an abundance of caution in regard to league COVID-19 protocols with the Amerks.
Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News reported on Friday the Amerks have, at least, one confirmed positive COVID-19 case, and contact tracing is underway. However, the team fears that more positive COVID-19 cases could be coming in Rochester.
In addition for Friday's game, the Amerks announced that Saturday's matchup with the Utica Comets at Blue Cross Arena has been postponed out of an abundance of caution. No make up date for that game has been announced as of yet.
So far through 10 games this season, the Amerks have played well with a 6-3-0-1 record, sitting with 13 points in the North Division.
In Rochester's most recent game on Wednesday against the Comets, the team fought back from a 2-0 deficit to tie the game at 2-2 and force overtime, and an eventual shootout. However, the team could not get the extra point in the shootout in a 3-2 loss in Utica.
In the loss, 2020 first round pick Jack Quinn managed to notch his first-career American Hockey League goal on the power play off a nice passing play with forwards Brett Murray and Arttu Ruotsalainen. So far in seven games this season, the 19-year-old has a goal and two assists, while registering nine shots on goal and scoring a shootout goal.
Meanwhile, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen settled down nicely in net after a shaky opening 20 minutes of play. The 22-year-old goalie finished his evening for the Amerks with 35 saves on 37 shots faced in 65 minutes, but he ended up taking the loss.
Luukkonen has started eight of Rochester's 10 games this season, going 5-2-1 with a 3.19 goals-against average and a .904 save percentage.
Pending any other schedule changes, the Amerks will next play on Wednesday night back in Rochester against the Syracuse Crunch at Blue Cross Arena. Faceoff is set for 7:05 p.m. ET.
***Photo: Micheline Michaelina (@MiMiV4682)***