Allen Update, Trois Riviéres Wins, Coaching Selections, Zawyer vs Spire, Allen Players on Kelly Cup, Critical Dates, Martinson's 1st Year Stats, Office Renovations

 

The ECHL season ended last night as Trois Riviéres beat Toledo 4-1 to win the Kelly Cup. The game was much closer than the final score. Toledo outshot the Lions 49-25, including 38-15 in the first two periods, but were stymied by the best defense and goalie in the playoffs. The score was 2-1 until the Lions scored two late empty net goals. Here is the recap from this morning's ECHL Stats post:

Stick taps to the Trois Rivières Lions. who last night became the 19th different team and the second from Canada to win the ECHL championship (Kelly/Riley Cup). 

 

• Toledo has lost three of the last six Kelly Cup finals.

• Trois Rivières allowed just 34 goals in 21 playoff games, an average of 1.62 goals per game. Yes, defense wins championships.

• Trois Rivières scored first in 19 of 21 playoff games (91%).

• Trois Rivières outscored opponents in the third period 27-10 for a goal differential of +17. No other playoff team had a third-period goal differential greater than +5.

 

- In addition to stopping 48 of 49 shots in the clinching game last night, playoff MVP, goalie Luke Cavallin, led the playoffs in the following categories:

 

#1 in GAA - 1.53

#1 in save percentage - .948

#1 in wins - 15

#1 in minutes played - 1218 (294 more than any other goalie)

#1 in saves - 562 (147 more than any other goalie)

 

 

- Trois Rivières defeated Toledo in five games to keep the one-sided Kelly/Riley Cup Finals series intact. The 4-1 series win was the 17th time the finals were won 4-1. Here is a breakdown of all of the championship finals.

4-0: 5 times

4-1: 17 times

4-2: 8 times

4-3: 5 times (1999 game 7 went 2OT)

3-1: Once (2021, when only 14 teams played and eight made the playoffs)

 

 

 

- The other big news last week was the naming of coaches for three ECHL teams. Here is my ECHL Stats post with the details. 

If you are a long-time fan of AA hockey in the west (ECHL & CHL), congrats to three all-timers who were selected as ECHL head coaches in the last two days. All were great leaders as players and have their numbers retired.

 

Chad Costello: Greenville Swamp Rabbits

492 games (375 ECHL, 117 CHL)

3-time ECHL MVP (1 Colorado, 2 Allen)

3-timetime ECHL scoring leader (Allen)

2-time Kelly Cup Champion (Allen)

#13 retired by the Allen Americans 

 

Scott Burt: Greensboro Gargoyles

586 ECHL games

3-time Kelly Cup Champion (2 Idaho, 1 Alaska)

#12 retired by the Idaho Steelheads

 

Riley Weselowski: Cincinnati Cyclones

720 games (446 ECHL, 274 CHL)

1 CHL championship (Rapid City)

#6 retired by the Rapid City Rush

- For Chad Costello, it was a fitting end to a hectic year that saw him let go by the Allen Americans on May 30, 2024, hired as an associate coach in Rapid City on December 12, 2024, and selected as the head coach and general manager coach in Greenville on June 4, 2025. That is a lot to handle in a year for Chad, Ashley, and their four young children. Chad has landed with one of the best franchises in the ECHL, working for a first-class organization. Spire Sports and Entertainment, which owns ECHL franchises in Trois-Riviéres, Rapid City Greenville, an FPHL franchise (Athens Rock Lobsters), plus has a huge presence in NASCAR.

 

Greenville has a very strong relationship with its NHL/AHL affiliate (Los Angeles Kings, Ontario Reign), which means Costello will get a lot of support and many NHL/AHL contracted players assigned. As a comparison, last season, Allen had 151 games played by players assigned by Utah/Tucson. Greenville had 432 games played by players assigned by Los Angeles/Ontario. 

 

 

- If you haven't read the press release issued by Greenville when Costello was announced, make sure to read it, and if you have read it, read it again. It says a lot about the Spire Organization, the Greenville Swamp Rabbits, and Chad Costello's coaching philosophy. https://swamprabbits.com/news/2025/06/chad-costello-named-head-coachgm-of-the-swamp-rabbits 

- This is a little inside baseball, or should I say inside hockey, but it is pretty well known that there is no love lost between Spire Sports and Zawyer Sports. Two organizations that have a big presence in the ECHL and other sports. Allen certainly had a short and strained relationship with Zawyer. When Zawyer (Joe Ernst) fired Chad Costello, Spire hired him in Rapid City as an associate coach, and then last week in Greenville as the head coach and general manager. When Spire recently let Rapid City coach Scott Burt go (did not renew his contract), Zawyer (Joe Ernst) immediately hired him for their new franchise in Greensboro. It will be interesting to follow these two organizations' success on the ice. Spires' Trois Rivréres, Greenville, and Rapid City versus Zawyer's Jacksonville, Savannah, and Greensboro. I do know one thing: Chad Costello will be successful in Greenville. 

 

 

 - With the Kelly Cup playoffs in the books, here are some facts on Allen Americans players with their names engraved on the Kelly Cup.

• One former player (Jakov Novak - 2022-23) was on the Trois-Rivières championship team. 
• Kyle Neuber (2015-17) is the only player to have his name engraved on the Kelly Cup four times. He won his first championship in Allen (2016) before winning three straight in Florida (2022, 2023, 2024). The odd stat is Kyle played a total of 17 games in the four championships.
• Of the nine individuals who have their name engraved on the Kelly Cup three times, two played for the Allen Americans. Riley Gill won championships in Reading (2013) and Allen (2015, 2016). Matt Register won Championships in Allen (2016) and Colorado (2017, 2018).

- Nine players, plus coach Steve Martinson, have their names engraved on the Kelly Cup as part of Allen's bask-to-back championships in 2015 and 2016. Talk about a who's who of Allen Americans hockey!

• Steve Martinson
• Vincent Arseneau
• Spencer Asuchak
  
• Chad Costello
• Aaron Gens
  
• Riley Gill
• Greger Hanson
• Joel Rumpel
• Gary Steffes
• Dyson Stevenson
• Casey Pierro-Zabotel 

 

 

- Now let the 2025-26 ECHL season get underway with the first critical date this afternoon at 3:00 pm EDT. Teams must submit their protected lists today. I would assume the complete list will be published by the ECHL tomorrow. In talking to Coach Martinson, his plan is to protect every eligible player. By my count, that should be 27 players (2 goalies, 9 defensemen, 16 forwards). There is no downside to protecting everyone at this point. It gives Martinson more time to figure out the players he wants back, and it helps out when settling future consideration trades where Allen owes other ECHL teams a player.

 

 

- The next critical date is June 20th, which is the date Martinson has to satisfy future consideration trades. How future trades are structured tells me that nothing of significance will come from this process, either losing or gaining players.

 

 

- On June 22, the season-ending roster is due. This list is limited to no more than 20 players and will give everyone the first inkling of who Martinson wants back for 2025-26. Any players not on the list become free agents. Typically, veterans are not on the season-ending roster because they can become free agents in August even if they are included on the list. 

 

 

- Martinson is working overtime trying to line up an affiliate for next season. With so many NHL teams sticking with their ECHL affiliates from last season, there are not a lot of opportunities. Martinson is well aware of the importance of having an affiliate identified as recruitment picks up this month. The first day to sign players for 2025-26 is only 15 days away (June 23).

 

 

- The Allen Americans' front office is currently undergoing its first complete renovation since the franchise was established in 2009, thanks to team owner Myles Jack, who is behind the upgrades. I can vouch that 16-year-old carpeting is badly in need of replacement. There are also plans for some changes in the locker room.      

 

 

DID YOU KNOW: Steve Martinson has a history of putting together good teams very quickly. That is the expectation in Allen for 2025-26. Here is Martinson's record for the first year he coached each of these teams:

 

*San Diego, 1995-96: 49-7-2 (.862)

Rockford, 2004-05: 46-29-5 (.631)

Elmira, 2007-08: 41-24-7 (.618)

*Allen, 2012-13: 39-18-9 (.659)

Athens, 2024-25: 43-13-3 (.720)   

 

You add all these together, and the total is 218-91-26 (.690). 

*won the championship.