The Rochester Americans' storied history will be celebrated with two new inductees to the team's hall of fame in the coming months.
Former defenseman Nathan Paetsch and coach John Tortorella are the latest to receive the organization's highest honor. The pair are the 2027 selections for the Amerks Hall of Fame, the 72nd and 73rd members.
The induction ceremony is set for Saturday, Dec. 5, before the Amerks host the Belleville Senators.
Paetsch spent parts of seven seasons as a player in Rochester, the second-most for any defenseman in team history. According to the team's press release, he's also one of only three players to start and finish their playing careers in Rochester.
The 43-year-old finished his career with nearly 900 professional games
and two Calder Cup wins. Paetsch retired prior to the 2021-22 season and took turns as a development coach for the Buffalo Sabres and assistant coach with the Amerks.
"It's hard to say what this honor means to me. This organization helped raise me as a 20-year-old man and then helped me achieve my dream of playing in the NHL. I met my wife here and it instantly became my home. The Amerks aren't just a team I played and worked for, it's my family," Paetsch said in a statement.
One of the most colorful personalities in the hockey world, Tortorella had a two-year stint as the Amerks' head coach.
Previously an assistant with the parent Sabres, Tortorella was named the AHL team's bench boss prior to the 1995-96 season. He posted a record of 77 wins, 69 losses and 14 ties in those seasons, and guided Rochester to the Calder Cup championship in 1996.
Tortorella is the eighth former head coach picked for the team's hall of fame.
Following his time in Rochester, Tortorella spent the better part of 26 years coaching several teams in the NHL. He pushed the Tampa Bay Lightning to the Stanley Cup in 2004, and most recently led the Vegas Golden Knights to the Final.
The Boston native ranks ninth in NHL history with 777 career wins, second-most among American-born coaches. Tortorella is a two-time winner of the NHL's Jack Adams Award as the league's top coach.
"The time I spent in Rochester was such an important part of my career and I'm grateful to have had the opportunity, even if it was just for those two seasons," Tortorella said. "I am truly appreciative of this tremendous honor and look forward to being back in Rochester for the first time in a long time."
The Amerks (4-3-1) have two more games to wrap October: Wednesday vs. the Hershey Bears and Friday against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Amerks Hall of Fame adds John Tortorella, Nathan Paetsch
