The team plays its home games in Rochester, New York, at the Blue Cross Arena at the War Memorial.

Rochester was awarded a new franchise in June 1956, when the Pittsburgh Hornets were forced to suspend operations after their arena, the Duquesne Gardens was razed in an urban renewal project.

The Cardinals, who played at Edgerton Park Arena, lasted only one season, compiling a 15–29–3 record and a host of financial difficulties.

Center Sam Toth and Left Wing Ed House started the original group tasked to bring professional hockey to Rochester.

The AHL granted a group which included Rochesterians (and Amerks Hall of Fame members) Sam Toth and Ed House a conditional franchise for Rochester that June.

[2] When their effort to secure the funds failed to reach its goal, a new group, backed by Selke of the Canadiens and Conn Smythe of the Toronto Maple Leafs, was awarded the franchise.

[6] Under coach Billy Reay, the team finished in third place in the AHL standings and played the defending champion Providence Reds in the opening round of the Calder Cup playoffs.

[11] The Amerks' comeback against the Cleveland Barons included the efforts of the veteran Migay, right wing Pat Hannigan and league-leading goaltender Ed Chadwick.

As the exclusive affiliate of the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Americans made the playoffs the next two seasons but never contended for the Calder Cup championship.

Notable players from this era included Bronco Horvath, Gerry Cheevers, Bobby Perreault, Al Arbour, Darryl Sly, Norm "Red" Armstrong, Duane Rupp, Wally Boyer, Dick Gamble, Stan Smrke, Jim Pappin, Don Cherry, Gerry Ehman, Larry Hillman, and Mike Walton.

When the National Hockey League expanded from six to twelve teams for the 1967–68 NHL season the Americans lost several players.

Just before Christmas, and with the team in last place with a record of 12-15-3, Crozier made a deal with the expansion Minnesota North Stars.

In exchange for forwards J. P. Parise and Milan Marcetta the Americans received Ted Taylor, Len Lunde, George "Duke" Harris, Murray Hall, Don Johns, Carl Wetzel and the rights to Horvath.

In July 1966, Maple Leaf Gardens Limited sold the team to a group which included their then general manager Punch Imlach for a reported $400,000.

[12][15] With the majority of the Rochester players transferred to Vancouver, Canucks won the 1968–69 and 1969–70 WHL Lester Patrick Cup championships, while the Amerks finished in last place each year.

But the Americans were saved in the summer of 1972 when a group of eight Rochester businessmen, most notably Sam Toth, Richard Altier of Altier's Shoes, and Joe Fox, head of Rochester-based athletic-wear maker Champion Products, bought the Americans franchise from Vancouver and named Amerks defenseman Don Cherry as coach and general manager.

Playing the next two seasons independent of any NHL affiliations, the Amerks qualified for the playoffs in 1972–73, losing to the Boston Braves in the first round.

During the five seasons with the Bruins, the Amerks made the playoffs the first four years, losing in the Calder Cup finals in 1977 to Nova Scotia.

(The Hamilton Bulldogs, which existed as an AHL franchise from 1996 to 2015, were closer geographically to Buffalo than Rochester is, but played on the other side of the U.S.-Canada border) During the original Sabres affiliation, the Americans won three Calder Cup championships and finished as runners-up another six times.

The Americans won the first of their "Sabres era" Calder Cups in 1983 under young coach Mike Keenan, sweeping Maine, 4–0.

After goalie Darcy Wakaluk paced the team to a tie in regulation and overtime, the game proceeded to the new "shoot-out" format used that season.

The Americans won the game in overtime on a goal by defenseman Jim Hofford, who was a late addition to the lineup as a result of the brawl.

[17] In the 2003–04 season, the Americans were beaten in five games by the eventual Calder Cup champion Milwaukee Admirals in the Western Conference Finals.

Reasons cited include the financial insecurity of the AHL team, issues between ownership, the City of Rochester, and Blue Cross Arena management, along with the awkwardness of the dual affiliation with the Panthers.

On May 13, 2009, Lewis Staats, president of the Americans, formally announced that Jody Gage would not return after 13 seasons as the team's general manager.

Derek Whitmore, from the Rochester suburb of Greece was the last shooter for Portland but goaltender Alexander Salak made the save.

Head coach Benoit Groulx left the organization on May 31 after a reported conflict with vice-president of hockey operations, Ted Nolan.

Second, the Americans' corporate sister club, the Rochester Knighthawks lacrosse team, was split off and retained by Styres as Pegula owned the rival Buffalo Bandits.