Growing up looked a little different for all of us.
For some, it was in the backyard with a football being tossed around from friend to friend. Others picked up their bikes by the handlebars and trekked around their respective neighborhoods. As generations have changed, so, too, have the forms of hanging out, which now more and more often tend to take shape in the form of a headset and gaming controller.
Nick Prinzing enjoyed all of these things, but at the end of the day, it always came back to paper and pen, or whatever his writing utensil of choice would be.
“I remember growing up drawing these logos over and over again,” said Prinzing when talking about the Amerks and Knighthawks. “I’m also a huge Sabres fan and growing up seeing them make it to the Stanely Cup Final and all the playoff appearances was just such a fun era.”
Prinzing’s passion was forged in Rochester. The Flower City native had favorite players to watch growing up, perhaps none more notable than Buffalo great Dominik Hašek, as Prinzing would later go on to become a goaltender, playing hockey recreationally to this day. But what stuck out to Prinzing wasn’t always the name and number on the back, but rather, the logo on the front of the jersey.
“As a kid, I didn’t know much about graphic design. Even so, I could still pick up on how cool it was that a logo can have so much power and meaning behind it. A city rallies behind that symbol. I just thought it was really compelling, even at a young age.”
Fast forward to 2023, and after several years of working in graphic design through freelance work around the world, Prinzing found himself at the steps of Blue Cross Arena, only this time as an employee rather than a bright-eyed fan as he had been for all those years prior.
The logos Prinzing admired became the ones he would create, then recreate, and recreate some more for the various specialty jersey nights both the Knighthawks and Amerks offer their fans.
Prinzing reflects as recently as the Knighthawks’ 90’s night as a game where creative fulfillment was in full swing as he resurrected colors from the past to pay homage to the city’s lacrosse roots from the Knighthawks of yesteryear. That was a design that came fairly quick to the Bishop Kearney High School grad, but there are other projects that present more challenges than others.
“ROC the Riverway would be an example of one,” said Prinzing. “That was a bit different. It involved a bit more research where I had to gain an understanding for what ROC the Riverway was all about and how to boil this down into something that can be created, because it was an ambitious project. How can we create that in imagery, and not just imagery, but something that ties back into a hockey team. That ended up being one of my favorite jerseys to design this season because it took longer. But the result was us coming up with something we hadn’t done before. When you’ve got a team that’s been around this long, the fans want to see something different.”
Prinzing’s attitude is non-existent. The SUNY Oneonta alum is as selfless as they come. He’s quick to credit the designs and jerseys created as work created “by the group” rather than himself, despite being the one turning a blank canvas into countless masterpieces.
“I definitely don’t do it alone. I love hearing ideas from our creative department or the business development team, or anybody from our staff willing to insert input. It’s a very collaborative group here in the office. I love fielding ideas and gathering inspiration, whether it’s from you guys or from past work the Amerks have done or the Knighthawks have done. You’re gathering ideas, you’re gathering symbols, you’re gathering inspiration and just sort of generating concepts and exploring all sorts of fun paths to take.”
Those paths have led to iconic imagery in Prinzing’s two short years with the organization. Most have been seen and created for the fans. Other projects have been for the players, like the stairway that leads down from the Amerks lockers room into the gym. On the climb down are several photos of Amerks from the past to the left and right on both walls.
“That was an idea that Seth Appert and some of the staff had about building a gallery wall with just all the legends that have come through these doors. I sort of designed each image, each frame, each portrait. These images serve as a reminder to our current team that this is the Rochester Americans and this is your gateway to greatness.”
The AHL and the Amerks have developed people, not just players. Prinzing created imagery for the players to find their gateway to greatness while the graphic designer is blazing a path of his own.
“I’m blessed with all of the opportunities I’ve been able to have here.”
Prinzing is truly living the dream.
