Crunch open in Laval with returning scorers and a new goalie tandem
Jakob Pelletier and Dylan Duke return as Syracuse begins its 33rd season at Place Bell against the Rocket.
The Syracuse Crunch open their 33rd season on Friday, Oct. 2, against the Laval Rocket at Place Bell. Syracuse's opening-night roster has 28 players, including 18 who played for the club last season.
Jakob Pelletier returns after leading the AHL with 77 points, including 28 goals and 49 assists, in 63 games last season. Dylan Duke is also back after scoring a team-high 32 goals, including a league-leading 18 on the power play.
Syracuse begins the season with a new goaltending pair: Mads Sogaard and Olivier Rodrigue. The Crunch finished second in the North Division last season, one point behind Laval, before losing their division semifinal to Cleveland.
Laval enters the season with Daniel Jacob as head coach after Pascal Vincent joined the Seattle Kraken as an assistant. Jacob previously worked as a Syracuse assistant in 2023-24.
Fans can stream the game through AHLTV on FloHockey or listen on ESPN Radio Syracuse. The Crunch's pregame coverage begins at 6:45 p.m.
The matchup is part of an eight-game opening night for the AHL's 91st season. All 32 clubs will play 72 regular-season games, with the season ending April 11 and 23 teams qualifying for the Calder Cup playoffs.
