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"A" For Amerks, Appert

August 15, 2020, 7:51 AM ET [2 Comments]
Mark Pino
Buffalo Sabres Blogger • RSSArchiveCONTACT
The Rochester Americans roster has undergone a massive makeover.

Gone are the grizzled AHL vets and the iconic head coach.

Seth Appert has been tasked with developing the top prospects in the organization into NHL players.


Who is Seth Appert?


The former Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) head hockey coach has been named head coach of the Rochester Americans, according to The Buffalo News.


Kevyn Adams is expected to make the announcement in the coming days. No word yet on Appert's assistant coaches. I'm told that former Sabres captain Brian Gionta may be joining Appert's coaching staff. Former Sabres forwards Matt Ellis and Adam Mair are also player development resources that can be deployed between Buffalo and Rochester to help in the grooming process.



The 2020-21 Amerks roster is expected to include Sabres' prospects Will Borgen, Jacob Bryson, Casey Fitzgerald, Mattias Samuelsson, Matej Pekar, Arttu Ruotsalainen, Oskari Laaksonen,, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, Jonas Johansson, and others.



Appert's wheelhouse is developing young players.


Appert worked with Jeremiah Crowe at the US National Training Development Program. In June, Crowe was promoted to the position of Buffalo Sabres director of scouting. Crowe was with the USNTDP or two years as the director of player personnel for the team for the 2016-17 season and as the assistant director of player perssonel for the USNTDP in 2015-16.

The 46-year-old Appert was head coach of RPI (Troy, NY) for 11 seasons, compiling a 152-221-48 record. He led the Engineers to the NCAA tournament in 2011.


Appert was fired after in the 2016-17 season.


When the RPI door closed, USA Hockey opened the door of its vaunted National Team Development Program to Appert as head coach.


In his time at the USNTDP, Appert has helped develop and cultivate many blue chip, first round NHL draft picks. At the 2019 NHL Draft there were a record 17 NTDP players selected, including eight in the first round of the draft.

Before joining RPI, Appert was an assistant coach at the University of Denver for nine seasons. Denver won back-to-back NCAA titles in 2004 and 2005 while Appert was there.

In his 20-plus years in the college hockey coaching ranks, Appert has recruited and hand a hand in developing 13 All-Americans, 37 all-league selections, four Players of the Year, four Hobey Baker Finalists and 23 players who have gone on to play in the NHL.

His other USA Hockey coaching experience includes two stints as head coach (2008, 2011) and one as assistant coach (2007) of the U.S. National Under-18 Select Team that competed in the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Cup.


In mid-June, shock waves reverberated through the Sabres organization when Jason Botterill and 21 other employees were fired by the Pegulas. Chris Taylor, the popular and successful former head coach of the Amerks, his assistant coaches and GM Randy Sexton were uncereminiously fired. Were it not for the COVID-19 pandemic that caused the suspension of the NHL and AHL seasons on March 12, Taylor would have guided his Amerks to their third straight Calder Cup Playoffs.



A collegiate goalie, Appert was a four-year letterwinner at Ferris State University from 1992-96. He owns a bachelor’s degree in public relations from Ferris State and earned his master’s degree in management from the University of Denver in 1999.

The Cottage Grove, Minnesota native and his wife Jill have two daughters, Addi and Campbell.

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