Today I want to take a look at Allen Americans individual stats for penalty minutes (PIMS) and fights. In the process I will make some conclusions on the tough guys that have played in Allen. PIMS are not a good surrogate for tough guys, especially all time PIMS but let's start with the top five players all time and the top five single season PIMS leaders:
PIMS Leaders (all-time)
487 - Garrett Clarke (4 seasons)
475 - David Makowski (4 seasons)
377 - Spencer Asuchak (7 seasons)
331 - Bryan Moore (2 seasons)
326 - Trevor Hendrikx (3 seasons)
PIMS Leaders (single season)
274 - Derek Mathers (2016-17)
257 - Garrett Klotz (2013-14)
256 - Brett Lyon (2014-15)
223 - Garrett Clarke (2012-13)
218 - Bryan Moore (2017-18)
Maybe a better way to look at tough guys is how often they drop the gloves. Here is a list of the players with the most fights each season since the start of the Allen Americans franchise.
2019-20: Cole Fraser (6 fights)
2018-19: Jake Doty (13 fights)
2017-18: Josh Thrower (10 fights)
2016-17: Derek Mathers (29 fights)
2015-16: Dyson Stevenson (16 fights)
2014-15: Garrett Clarke (16 fights)
2013-14: Garrett Klotz (20 fights)
2012-13: Garrett Clarke (12 fights)
2011-12: Brett Clouthier (13 fights)
2010-11: Liam Huculak (15 fights)
2009-10: Liam Huculak (16 fights)
- There are plenty of heavyweight fighters not on the lists above because they were not in Allen a full year. Here are a few of them:
Kip Brennan (6'4" 230) - Kip had the tough guy role in the NHL, AHL and spent parts of two seasons with Allen at the end of his career. In 2010-11 Kip played in 31 games for Allen and had 21 points (8G 13A) to go along with 146 PIMS and 10 fights.
Alex Penner (6'4" 240) - With a nickname of "Weapon X" there is little doubt about the enforcer role Penner played in his professional hockey career. Alex played just 20 games (1G, 3A) with Allen in the 2012-13 season and accumulated 88 PIMS before being suspended for the remainder of the season and playoffs after a brawl against the Fort Worth Brahmas on February 23. Allen fans may remember in November of 2018 Steve Martinson signed Penner to a contract for one weekend when the Americans were playing Wichita at home twice for the first time after a previous game resulted in 10 fighting majors. After the ECHL put both teams on notice that any actions the league felt would be detrimental to the league in the weekend games would lead to fines and suspensions the Americans management made the decision to not register Penner's contract. Allen and Wichita split the two games and there were no fights.
Britt Dougherty 6'3" 225) - Britt was on the 2009-10 Allen team and had 10 fights in his first 42 games (1G, 2A) for the Americans before getting hurt in February. His injury led to an early retirement from pro hockey. A pure fighter, there were not many CHL players that wanted to fight Dougherty.
- There are agitators who will fight, there are players that will stick up for their teammates but are not pure fighters and there are players whose primary role is to fight, though in recent times you have to be more than just a fighter. It is a part of the game where it is hard to find consensus on who was the best. If you look at who fought the most, Derek Mather's 29 fights in 2016-17 stands out and his record may never be broken.
- When you ask the question who is the best fighter to ever play in Allen, the player most feared by opponents, for me two names rise to the top of the list. From back in the CHL days it would be Alex Penner and more recently it would be Jake Doty. Two guys that wouldn't back down from anyone and players that rarely lost a fight. Allen still owns the ECHL rights to Doty who is under contract with the AHL Ontario Reign. In 53 games with Allen, Doty has 14 points (5G, 9A).
- When it comes to most entertaining fighter it is hard to beat Darryl Bootland. In his career Bootland had over 1400 PIMS in the AHL, over 1400 PIMS in the ECHL and over 400 in the CHL. Bootland was in his 30's when he joined the Americans for two seasons (2012-2014). In 100 games with the Americans the man known as Booter had 30 goals, 45 assists and 280 PIMS. He was part of two CHL championships with the Americans. Here is one of Bootland's fights after he delivered a big check on one of Tulsa's top scorers, Gary Steffes.
- Without a doubt the most famous fight in Allen history involved a player the rarely fought but could handle himself when he did fight. Judd Blackwater had just two fights in 2010-11 but his two punch knockout on March 2, 2011 went viral on YouTube.
DID YOU KNOW: PIMS during the playoffs are always reduced but not as much back in the CHL days. Here are the top five players in PIMS in a single postseason. The top four are from the CHL years:
82 - Mike Salekin (2009-10)
61 - Justin Bowers (2009-10)
60 - Darryl Bootland (2012-13)
56 - Jim McKenzie (2012-13)
55 - Vincent Arseneau (2015-16)
You really didn't give two guys enough credit here. Back in 2010-11, the CHL was a much tougher league. Huculak and Brennan were beasts. Both were not afraid to drop the gloves and there were lots of tough guys in the league. Brennan may have not had as many fights, but he certainly lowered the boom on lots of guys trying to come across the blue line.
ReplyDeleteSo, a big shout out to Liam and Kip. Thanks for your time in Allen.
Gary, Great points and both of them were great guys as well. Plus they both had some offensive skill to go along with their toughness.
DeleteThanks Berry. Do you have any statistics on Americans (Hits)?
ReplyDeleteRichard, unfortunately the ECHL does not track hits. The team has done so sporadically but it is not published anywhere.
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