To all the faithful fans of the Rochester Americans:

Just a note to begin with to fill you in on some recent happenings in the past
few days...

The Go Amerks! Fan Site is now in operation! In conjunction with the Go
Sabres! Fan Site, the first and only fan-created website dedicated to the
Rochester Americans. The site can be accessed through the following link:
<A HREF="http://puckplace.com/sabres/amerks/">Go Amerks! The Ultimate
Rochester Americans FanÉ</A>

Also, I recently heard from a "longtime" subscriber (actually, one of the
first subscribers to this list) who would like to hear more about individual
Rochester Americans. I obliged to this request, and will do the same to other
requests for Amerks information. I am here to provide updates and information
on the Amerks to those of you who wish to get the latest on Buffalo's AHL
affiliates. This mailing is the first of those player bios...today's feature:
Martin Biron, the sensational backstop for Rochester.

Martin Biron was chosen with the Buffalo Sabres first round draft pick, 16th
overall, in the 1995 National Hockey League draft. Don't let that high number
fool you. He got the hint while playing in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey
League. The Buffalo Sabres goaltending coach, Mitch Korn, visted Quebec
unannounced to a game in which Biron was playing. When Biron asked Korn why
he was there, Korn's reply was "to scout Robert Luongo," who was the opposing
goaltender in the game. In another instance during Biron's not-so-spectacular
play, the Sabres drafted another goaltender, Mika Noronen of Finland.
These two happenings seemed to drive the point home with Biron. He outplayed
Luongo in the game with Korn in attendance and stepped up his play once he
joined the Americans. Biron is having a great year with Rochester, earning
four shutouts and a 16-9-2 record. His 2.06 GAA is also one of the lowest in
the league and he will be starting in net for Team Canada when it faces
PlanetUSA in the American Hockey League All-Star Game later this month. His
nine shutouts in his year and a half with Rochester also place him number nine
on the Amerks all-time list. His next will tie him with Amerk Hall-of-Famer
Gerry Cheevers.
Finally, Biron is not afraid to mix it up while he's in the net. He even
took on Hamilton Bulldogs' tough guy Daniel Lacroix and was quickly stopped by
the game's linesman. Later that night, he passed the linesman in the game
while leaving the arena and said "My girlfriend thanks you for saving my
life."
Is Biron the next Dominik Hasek? Or is he another goaltender who plays so
long in the minors that he loses focus of the larger goal, making it in the
National Hockey League? Who knows? Until either Hasek goes down with an
injury (God forbid!), retires, gets traded, or otherwise or until Buffalo
trades Biron, we may never know.

Yours,
Jon D. LeRoy,
List Moderator
Senior Correspondent,
Go Amerks! Fan Site