The Rochester Jr. Americans are an inactive Tier II Junior ice hockey team from Rochester, New York. Junior team returned to Rochester with the North American Hockey League accepting the location as an expansion franchise starting in the 2023-24 season.
History In 1996, the Syracuse Junior Crunch were founded to play Canadian Junior A in the Metro Junior A Hockey League, which was absorbed by the Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League in 1998. The team moved to Auburn that year, and was renamed the Auburn Junior Crunch. In 2005 the franchise was sold and renamed the Syracuse Stars, joining the American Tier III Junior A Eastern Junior Hockey League (EJHL). While they played in Syracuse, they also had a Junior B team in the Empire Junior Hockey League (EmJHL).
On December 9, 2009, Maksymum Hockey LLC, based in Rochester, New York, announced plans to operate the Stars and move them to Rochester beginning with the 2010–11 season. During this time they were called the Rochester Stars and were affiliated with the Tier III Junior B Maksymum Junior Hockey Club in the (EmJHL) and were no longer affiliated with the Junior B Syracuse Stars that continued to play in the EmJHL. The Rochester Stars began playing at the Bill Gray's Regional Iceplex.
In 2013, the EJHL dissolved after several members left to form the United States Premier Hockey League. By the beginning of the 2013–14 season, the Stars joined the USPHL in the Elite and Empire Divisions (with the former EJHL team in Elite and the former EmJHL team in the Empire). Both teams were renamed to the Rochester Jr. Americans.
In 2014, the Jr. Americans promoted their Elite Division Tier III team to the USPHL's Premier Division for the 2014–15 season and began playing against many of the former EJHL members. For the 2015–16 season they switched their team from the Empire Division (recently renamed USP3 Division) to the Elite Division. In 2016, the USPHL removed the Jr. Americans from the league and announced a new organization called the Rochester Jr. Monarchs would take their place in the Elite and youth divisions.
In 2020, Perinton Youth Hockey reached an agreement to form an official partnership with the Rochester Americans and restart the Jr. Americans program. Junior team from various age groups began the next season all under the new banner. For the 2023-24 hockey season, Rochester added a Tier-II club when the North American Hockey League (NAHL) announcement that its Board of Governors has approved the membership application for a team in Rochester, New York owned by Hockey ROCS, LLC, an entity owned and operated by Chris O’Donnell and Colleen Wegman.
On June 5, 2026, the Jr. Americans announced they would not participate in the 2026–27 NAHL season.
Season-by-season records 1996-2016 Crunch - Stars - Jr. American Records Season GP W L T OTL P GF GA Regular season finish PlayoffsSyracuse Jr. Crunch 1996–97 50 10 37 3 — 23 220 358 15th Metro A did not qualify 1997–98 49 29 16 4 — 62 273 219 4th Metro A Won First Round, 3–2 vs. Pickering PanthersWon Quarterfinals, 3–1 vs. Thornhill RattlersLost Semifinals, 3–4 vs. Caledon CanadiansAuburn Jr. Crunch 1998–99 51 27 22 2 0 56 232 195 6th of 13, OPJHL-East Lost Div. Quarterfinals, 0–3 vs. Lindsay MuskiesSyracuse Jr. Crunch 1999–2000 49 9 36 2 2 22 170 303 10th of 10, OPJHL-East did not qualify 2000–01 49 20 24 4 1 45 195 234 8th of 10, OPJHL-East Lost Div. Quarterfinals, 0–4 vs. Lindsay Muskies 2001–02 49 20 24 5 0 45 187 226 6th of 10, OPJHL-East Lost Div. Quarterfinals, 0–4 vs. Trenton Sting 2002–03 49 4 43 1 1 10 114 308 10th of 10, OPJHL-East did not qualify 2003–04 49 20 26 0 3 43 192 223 7th of 10, OPJHL-East Lost Div. Quarterfinals, 0–4 vs. Bowmanville Eagles 2004–05 49 8 35 3 3 22 158 267 9th of 10, OPJHL-East Lost Div. Quarterfinals, 1–4 vs. Aurora TigersSyracuse Stars 2005–06 45 11 27 1 6 29 127 208 6th of 7, North13th of 14, EJHL did not qualify 2006–07 45 19 18 3 5 46 155 175 5th of 7, North8th of 14, EJHL did not qualify 2007–08 45 30 9 5 1 66 155 120 2nd of 7, North3rd of 14, EJHL Lost Quarterfinal South Shore Kings 2008–09 45 24 14 6 1 55 184 160 3rd of 7, North4th of 14, EJHL Lost Quarterfinal vs. Bridgewater Bandits 2009–10 45 22 15 3 5 52 173 163 3rd of 7, North6th of 14, EJHL Lost Quarterfinals, 0–2 vs. Jersey HitmenRochester Stars 2010–11 45 13 29 3 0 29 109 173 5th of 7, North12th of 14, EJHL did not qualify 2011–12 45 15 26 — 4 34 103 156 6th of 7, North12th of 14, EJHL Lost First Round, 0–2 vs. Bay State Breakers 2012–13 45 24 15 — 6 54 150 140 4th of 7, North6th of 14, EJHL Won First Round, 1–1 vs. New York Apple CoreLost Quarterfinals vs. Islanders Hockey ClubRochester Jr. Americans 2013–14 42 36 4 — 2 74 217 80 1st of 10, North1st of 18, USPHL EliteWon First Round, 2–0 vs. Portland Jr. Pirates (Elite)Lost Quarterfinals, 1–2 vs. Jersey Hitmen (Elite) 2014–15 50 22 25 — 3 47 170 175 8th of 11 USPHL Premier Lost Quarterfinals, 0–2 vs. Jersey Hitmen 2015–16 44 13 28 — 3 29 128 183 9th of 12 USPHL Premier Won Play-in Game, 3–1 vs. Syracuse StarsLost Quarterfinals, 0–2 vs. Islanders Hockey Club
Season-by-season records 2023 - 2026 Season GP W L OTL P GF GA Regular season finish PlayoffsRochester Jr. Americans of the NAHL 2023–24 60 34 18 8 76 213 177 3rd of 9, East10th of 32, NAHLWon Div. Play-In series, 2–0 (Northeast Generals)Lost Div. Semifinal series, 2–3 (Maine Nordiques) 2024–25 59 39 12 8 86 242 121 1st of 10, East6th of 35, NAHLWon Div. Semifinal series, 2–1 (Johnstown Tomahawks)Won Div. Final series, 3–1 (Maine Nordiques)Lost Robertson Cup Semifinal series, 1–2 (Bismarck Bobcats) 2025–26 59 37 21 1 75 210 159 2nd of 10, East7th of 34, NAHLWon Div. Semifinal series, 3-2 (Northeast Generals)Lost Div. Final series, 1-3 (Maryland Black Bears)
Alumni In addition to those players which have gone on to play for various college teams, a number of former Stars players have gone on to play at the NHL level, including the following:
Ryan Callahan of the Tampa Bay Lightning Tim ConnollyYahoo! Sports Player Bio for Tim Connolly Colby Cohen Jeremy Morin of the Tampa Bay Lightning Matt Murley Rob Schremp Tim Sestito Tom Sestito Tom Aubrun
Former logos
References
External links
USPHL website