The Rochester Americans (colloquially the Amerks) are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. The team plays its home games in Rochester, New York, at the Blue Cross Arena at the War Memorial. The Americans are one of the oldest franchises in the AHL, celebrating their 50th consecutive season in the American Hockey League in 2005–06. Their years of unbroken league membership rank second to the Hershey Bears. Rochester was awarded a new franchise in 1956 when the Pittsburgh Hornets were forced to suspend operations after their arena was razed in an urban renewal project. The owner of the Hornets, John H. Harris, held the Pittsburgh franchise in limbo until a new arena could be built. The Hornets re-entered the American Hockey League in 1961-62. All of the records of th