a game against the Quebec Citadelles. He missed the rest of the season and playoffs, where the Americans lost to the Hartford Wolf Pack in the 2000 Calder Cup Finals. Cunneyworth was the recipient of the AHL's Fred T. Hunt Memorial Award. This award honors the player that best exemplifies the qualities of sportsmanship, determination, and dedication to hockey. On September 8, 2000, Cunneyworth officially announced his retirement from playing hockey and was named the new head coach of the Rochester Americans by Sabres GM Darcy Regier. Coaching career Rochester Americans (1999–2008) First Stint During both years as a player, Cunneyworth acted as a player-assistant coach with the Rochester Americans, the Buffalo Sabres AHL affiliate during the 1999–2000 AHL season serving under head coach Brian McCutcheon. After the 1999–2000 season, Cunneyworth retired from being an active player and was named the head coach of the club by Sabres GM Darcy Regier. In his first season as head coach with the team in 2000–01, Cunneyworth led the club to a 46–22–9–3 record, getting 104 points, and first place in the Mid-Atlantic Division. In the playoffs, the Americans were upset by the Philadelphia Phantoms in four games in the first round. In the 2001–02, the Americans slumped to a 32–30–15–3 record, earning 82 points and ninth in the Western Conference. Cunneyworth was fined by the league for throwing a water bottle at referee Chris Rooney due to a disputed goal call vs Syracuse. The Americans qualified for a best-of-three qualifying series with the eighth seeded Philadelphia Phantoms. The Americans were then swept in two games, missing the post-season. The Americans had another mediocre season in 2002–03, as the team finished the season with a 31–30–14–5 record, getting 81 points, and tenth place in the Western Conference. The Americans faced the seventh place Milwaukee Admirals for a best-of-three qualifying series, and Milwaukee won the series two games to one to eliminate the Americans from post-season play. Rochester improved during the 2003–04 season, earning a record of 37–28–10–5, recording 89 points and third place in the North Division. In the playoffs, the Americans defeated the Syracuse Crunch and Hamilton Bulldogs before losing to the Milwaukee Admirals in the Western Conference finals. In 2004–05, Rochester won the Macgregor Kilpatrick Trophy, as the Americans had the best record in the AHL with a 51–19–6–4 record, earning 112 points. The Americans swept the Hamilton Bulldogs in the