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| They are back! |
- After a long off season for the Allen Americans it was nice to see the team back on the ice yesterday for the first time since losing to Idaho in the playoffs on April 28. Lot's of unfamiliar faces on the ice. I have cobbled together this list of names which is a combination of players on the ice yesterday, players that didn't practice for various reasons and players at AHL training camp with Tucson. Players I know for sure are on a SPC (standard player contract) are marked with an asterisk. The league the player primarily played in last season is in parenthesis:
Goalies
- Marco Costantini* (ECHL)
- Brody Claeys (SPHL)
- Reid Cooper (ECHL)
- Daniel Davidson (College - MASCAC)
Defensemen
- Ayo Adeniye (college - NCAA III)
- Ty Farmer* (ECHL)
- Ryan Gagnon* (ECHL)
- Andrew Nielsen* (Slovakia)
- Nolan Orzeck* (ECHL)
- MacKenze Stewart (did not play)
- Mike Van Unen* (ECHL)
- Quinn Warmuth (college - SUNYAC)
- Alex Wilkins (SPHL)
- Hudson Wilson* (college - AUS)
Forwards
- Spencer Asuchak* (ECHL)
- Robbie Baillergeon* (France)
- Easton Brodzinski* (ECHL)
- Mark Duarte* (ECHL)
- Griffen Fox* (ECHL)
- Riley Ginnell* (ECHL)
- Liam Gorman* (college - H-East)
- Brayden Guy* (ECHL)
- James Hardie* (ECHL)
- John Kaljian (college - NCHA)
- Austen Long (SPHL)
- Patriks Marcinkevics (SPHL)
- Dawson McKinney (SPHL)
- Dakota Seaman (FPHL)
- Chaz Smedsrud* (ECHL)
- Frank Trazzera (SPHL)
- Rylan Van Unen* (college - CCHA)
- Brayden Watts* (ECHL)
- The one player that was announced back in July that isn't in camp is defenseman Justin Allen. I heard from coach Adams that Justin has decided to play in Europe this season.
- I don't think it is an overstatement to say the practice was the toughest opening day practice I have seen since covering the Allen Americans. I asked coach Adams what he was trying to accomplish the first few days. Here is what he said, "We want to get going right away, we are not easing into it. We want to see who has it and who doesn't. Back in the day some guys came to training camp to get ready. Nowadays players train all summer, have skating coaches, shooting coaches and strength coaches so there is no need to ease your way into it anymore. For me it is more of let's get after it and we want to establish the identity of our game, play fast, our compete level and overall how we want to play."
- It was good news last night as Allen's AHL affiliate, Tucson Roadrunners, played its first preseason game which was on the road against the Henderson Silver Knights and came away with a 6-2 win. Even better, all four Allen players in camp with Tucson played in the game and contributed:
- Mark Duarte (F): one goal, two shots and +1
- Riley Ginnell (F): one assist, two PIMS, two shots and +1
- Nolan Orseck (D): one shot and +1
- Hudson Wilson (D): +1
The teams play again this afternoon at 3:00 pm Allen time. If you have FloHockey you can watch the game. There are 33 players on the Tucson training camp roster so not sure if any of the guys from Allen will be in the lineup this afternoon
- In the past Allen players attending AHL camps have typically been sent back to Allen after the first couple of preseason games. You can expect some, if not all of these guys in camp with Allen next week.
- I asked coach Adams after he spent time with the Utah/Tucson coaching staffs will he adopt any of their systems and vocabulary in Allen. This was his answer, "Most of the systems are similar but the vernacular not so much. Some of the verbiage is the same, but we have to coach our team with what we have. We don't have a team of NHL/AHL guys. Not to say it is not going to be the same anyways, but we have to worry about what we can do, some things we can't do the way they do them up there."
- There are some unique stories among the players at training camp and my goal today is to find a couple of them to share in the next blog post.
- I posted this the other day and it struck me if people haven't adapted to a change made in 2003 it just isn't going to happen. Maybe the ECHL should embrace the name East Coast Hockey League even though it no longer describes the league. After all many leagues have survived with an old name after the league changes. The National Hockey League is no longer just national, the Big 10 doesn't have 10 teams and the Big 12 has 10 teams. The other option is to pick a new name with the same letters like "Every Coast Hockey League" or "Entire Continent Hockey League." It took just one practice for me to hear "the Coast" referenced is conversation. Anyway, here is the reminder post:
DID YOU KNOW: From my ECHL Stats post:
Having watched practice, and all opening day training camp practices the past 13 years we have completely differing opinions. I do not feel that was as intense as past years, in fact at times it looked like even the players were confused as to what the drill was.
ReplyDeleteAs for players "training all summer"; if that's actually true, and I've seen it said we've got a lot of 'young guys", then at the end of practice, when the guys were having to skate end to end, why is it that everyone was gasping for air while Asuchak was always leading every run to the other end of the ice?
Maybe ass man is just in good shape? Costello shouldn't have shipped that legend out of town like he did. Gutless.
DeleteI don’t think Costello shipped him out assman took the money in Europe and ran
DeleteIs it too early to start the Costello chant?
ReplyDeleteAskin for a friend 😉
Yeah let's chant for another szn of .500 or worse Costello hockey! How about No Lol.
Deleteyeah why root for .500 and the playoffs when you can have .300 and last place. I see your point!
DeleteI hope you cancel your season tickets. I don’t know who you are, but your sycophantic love of Costello is nauseating. Tbf all you that thought Costello was a good coach should hang up the tickets. Some really good things happened in the off season, Costello gone, and thank God we don’t have to deal with the C we had.
DeleteOh Justin you’ll be ok. You’ll find something else and someone else to blame everything on this season.
DeleteAppears some have short term memory loss. Folks, they destroyed the team in the offseason.
DeleteTo those critical of the Costello posts, he had to rebuild the team multiple times, without a full roster. Read the blog posts. Not sure how you can be critical of Chad, he clearly was building something, especially culture and player trust, those are the facts.
Sounds like ownership and management trying to deflect blame. We all saw what happened. Chad Costello was not the problem then and he is not the problem now
DeleteCostello was effecting change.
DeletePositive change.
Whoever is stating our position today or even in 12 months will be further along than we were mid May 2024, you are beyond delusional.
This team just took 2 steps forward in 22-24 and all of a sudden took 4 steps backwards in the off season.
Reality is that if the season goes as expected, the Costello rants and chants are only going to get louder.
DeleteFACT.
Let's quit with the Costello thing & move on. New coach new team. See what is in store. You might be amazed. Just saying.
DeleteKeep chanting for chad to come back so we can keep writing off your comments and contributions to this group.
DeleteSounds like we will get no affiliation help… but over the past 2-3 years we are use to that. Why can’t Allen just land a good affiliation these days. Not pumped at all about this season. We have a ton of no names on this team…
ReplyDeletePaging Johnnie Walker?
ReplyDeleteTime to lace the skates up!
What is Costello doing now?
ReplyDeleteSitting out non compete.
DeleteHas he been paid?
Why not?
It’s hard to conceive of a scenario where Costello would return to his former role and we know the off-season dismantling can’t be undone. So, when do we, as fans, begin
Deleteto "trust the process?” For me, that trust hinges on a few key things: clear communication from ownership, visible signs of progress, and a solid long-term strategy that I can believe in. If management can show that they have a plan, make smart moves, and demonstrate real improvement over time, I’m willing to buy in. I say this knowing full well ownership owes me none of it.
Posting anonymously on this blog...
DeleteNewsflash! Tissue Boy is on a retainer from the club to create stability within the forum boards!
DeleteTissue Boy, your dog has a keener sense of perception than most of the other contributors. I couldn’t agree more with him - woof! Woof!
Deleteyou think i create stability? hugs! thanks. There are also several great folks who post as well.
DeleteHas anyone given the new coach a chance in this league. It seems it's all negative. Let's all sit back watch a dozen games & then make comments. You fans don't know what you have. Old saying is silence is golden. Enjoy the season.
ReplyDeleteHe had his chance in a lower league and was fired before the end of the season, in his only tenure as head coach his record was 12-20-0-3, then did nothing till they hired him here.
DeleteSomeone mentioned in a different blog writeup that he was not the fourth on the list of candidates, calling out others who have claimed this. Leaving us to believe what? He was number 1? HA!
Agreed. ^^^^^^^^^^^
DeleteSilence is golden….yet you’re talking lol
ReplyDeleteI agree. Let’s see how things play out? Who’s to say these last 2 seasons were the best Costello could do and then he would have gone downhill? Point is we don’t know. This is where we are and let’s move forward and see what the season brings….and stop acting like 2 year olds.
ReplyDeleteResponding to your own comments is now a thing. Funny that!
ReplyDeleteWay to advance the conversation.
DeleteAllen:
ReplyDeleteAdd Kyle Crnkovic, F assigned by Tucson 10/6
Wow...a forward assigned by the affiliate before the season starts. That's at least good news.
Don't get too excited. The word around is that we shouldn't expect Tucson to help us out much more than Belleville. The Utah announcement was fanfare and balloons. Little substance.
Deleteit's one player but at least this guy is a legit hockey player for the ECHL level!
DeleteKyle is playing well at the rink today, expect him to fill the void by Finlay.
DeleteFarmer nailed a spectacular goal in the first period on Constantini.
My take on the play is fast, upbeat, a little sloppy. Some including myself may be surprised. Guys seemed to get along really well.
When Kansas gets the help that was announced yesterday, it’s going to be tough for anyone to play against 10-12 AHL players on the ice.
Thanks for the detailed update on Day One of the Allen Americans training camp! It’s always exciting to get an inside look at how the team is shaping up for the season. I found it really interesting how you highlighted the mix of veterans and rookies, and how they’re already starting to gel on the ice. It must be quite the atmosphere to see the team coming together so early in camp.
ReplyDeleteComing from Tucson, where we have a passionate hockey community, it’s always great to see how other teams build chemistry during these crucial early days. I’m curious—based on what you saw during Day One, are there any particular players (either new faces or returning veterans) who seem poised to make a big impact this season?