Amerks’ Stevens to retire after 2025-26 season

Don Stevens, the longtime voice of the Rochester People and the longest tenured play-by-play broadcaster within the historical past of the American Hockey League, will retire following the 2025-26 season, his fortieth yr on the microphone in Rochester.

Stevens will name all 36 house video games and choose street video games this season to shut out an illustrious profession that spans 58 years in broadcasting.

“There’s something uniquely particular in regards to the relationship between a crew’s broadcaster and its followers,” stated Scott Howson, AHL President and Chief Govt Officer. “Don has offered the soundtrack for actually generations of Amerks followers, guiding them by all of the indelible moments which have outlined the franchise during the last 40 years. We sit up for serving to have a good time his profession this season.”

“No different particular person within the historical past of our group has been extra synonymous with Amerks hockey than Don Stevens,” stated Amerks vp of enterprise operations Chad Buck. “For 4 many years, Don has narrated a few of the most unforgettable moments in crew historical past, which to at the present time have been immortalized by his distinctive and distinctive name.”

Stevens, who has known as greater than 3,300 video games because the crew’s main play-by-play broadcaster, has witnessed a few of the most memorable moments within the close to 70-year historical past of the franchise. He additionally stays the longest tenured broadcaster within the American Hockey League after becoming a member of Rochester previous to the 1986-87 marketing campaign, serving the group in quite a few capacities together with public relations director, TV host and radio speak present host. Stevens has been on the decision for seven Calder Cup Finals – together with the Amerks’ 1987 and 1996 championships.

A local of Wainwright, Alta., Stevens was inducted into the Amerks Corridor of Fame in 2011 and is a two-time recipient of the AHL’s James H. Ellery Award for excellent media contributions to the league. In 2023, the Amerks devoted the press field on the Blue Cross Enviornment in his honor.