How Steve Martinson Builds His Roster and Why, Allen Re-Signs Quinn Warmuth and Michael Gildon, Affiliate Announcement This Week and More

 

The Allen Americans concluded the week with the addition of two more players on Friday. With five players announced last week, the roster total for the 2025-26 season is up 16 players. The Americans have re-signed defenseman Quinn Warmuth and forward Michael Gildon. Here is the press release issued by the Allen Americans:  https://allenamericans.com/news/2025/08/news-americans-announce-two-returning-players    

 

- Here is the updated Allen roster. For players who have switched numbers, their old number is in parentheses: 

Goalies

• #33 Marco Costantini 

Defensemen

• #22 Anthony Costantini
• #28 Troy Murray 
• #43 Matt Register
• #6 Braidan Simmins-Fischer 
• #44 Kevin Spinozzi 
• #2 Quinn Warmuth 
• #9 Hudson Wilson (#5)

Forwards

• #26 Spencer Asuchak
• #18 Harrison Blaisdell (#24) 
• #11 Thomas Caron
• #8 Michael Gildon  (#16)
• #7 Colton Hargrove (#17)
• #76 Malik Johnson 
• #77 Brad Morrison 
• #29 Brayden Watts (#92)

 

QUINN WARMUTH

Quinn Warmuth

- A year ago, Quinn arrived at Allen's training camp as a tryout player, not signed to a Standard Player's Contract. If you have followed the team over the years, you know it is rare for tryout players to make the team. I found Quinn's approach to training camp was different than other tryout players, and I wrote about it the second day of camp. This story tells you a little about Quinn and a lot about why he made the team.

- Quinn Warmuth - Why I talked to Quinn was two-fold. In researching his background, I found a get-to-know-you type video from his amateur days in which he mentioned he was an only child, and it made me wonder how he first got involved in hockey. Secondly, he is one of the few rookie tryout players in training camp that has not signed with a SPHL club for 2024-25. Warmuth is a 6'4" 205-pound right-shot defenseman who finished his collegiate career at Division III SUNY- Oswego last season. Here is how he answered my two questions last year

Q: How did you get involved in hockey?

A: Nobody in my family is involved in hockey. I was taking swimming lessons at the local rec center, and my mom walked me over to the ice center to get a snack. I looked at the skaters on the ice and told my mom I would like to give that a try. I started in snowplow classes when I was four. My parents didn't know what we were doing. I ended up playing in a house league, and I just loved it, and I have been playing ever since. Nobody in my family has ever touched the ice.

Q: I noticed you are not signed elsewhere, like the SPHL. What is your plan if you don't make the team in Allen?

A: I came to Allen on a tryout, looking for an opportunity, and that is all that I wanted. Thankfully, Coach Adams gave me that opportunity. Right now, my complete focus is on making this roster and doing everything I can by showing up every day, looking to win the day. Right now, that is where my focus is at. I am looking to do everything I can that is going to get me in the lineup and keep me on the roster. If that means dropping the gloves, I am willing to do that. Fortunately, there are a lot of guys in camp with experience in that, and if they are willing to teach me, I am willing to learn.

 

Warmuth ended up making the team and improved throughout the season. When the season ended, here is how he ranked among all Allen defensemen:

• #1 - goals (7)
• #2 - points (17)
• #2 - assists (10)
• #2 - games played (55)   

 When I asked Martinson about Warmuth he mentioned that it helps him that he is a right shot and, he scored some goals last season. He was one of the players who made it clear to Martinson that opportunity was more important to him than money.  

 

It always fun to include way back get to know you videos. This is Quinn for six years ago. 

  

 

MICHAEL GILDON

 

Michael Gildon

- At the end of last season (March 9), the Allen Americans traded Kyle Crnkovic to Fort Wayne in a 2-for-1 deal. Allen acquired Brad Morrison and Michael Gildon in the trade.

Gildon grew up in Plano and played for the Dallas Stars Elite AAA team as a U14 and U16 player. In 2016-17, Steve Martinson's son played on the same team, so Martinson watched Gildon play a lot. He led his team in points that season (33 points in 31 games). The following year Gildon moved on to the US National Team Development Program. Playing with the Under-18 National Team in 2018-19, Gildon finished #7 on the team in scoring. (26 games, 29 points, 13G, 16A). Here are the six players who scored more than him, all established NHL players:

• Jack Huges - New Jersey
• Matt Boldy - Minnesota
• Cole Caufield - Monttreal
• Trevor Zegras - Anaheim
• Alex Turcotte - Los Angeles
• Cam York - Philadelphia

 Steve Martinson is a big believer that if a player has been a scorer in the past, he doesn't lose that ability. At 6'2" and 200 pounds, if Gildon gets to play with the right players, his numbers will be much improved in Martinson's system. 

FYI, Gildon played his college hockey at Ohio State University, where he earned a Bachelor's Degree and a Master's Degree (Sports Coaching). He was a four-time Academic All-Big Ten selection.  

Michael has an older brother (Max) who was drafted in the third round of the 2017 NHL draft by the Florida Panthers. He played in 101 AHL games between 2020-2023 and has been playing in Europe since. He will be playing in Italy in 2025-26. 

Michael has a younger sister, McKenna, who is a junior at Clemson University and is on the volleyball team. 

Here is a way back, get to know video from 2017 with Michael and his teammate at the time, NHL All-Star, Jack Hughes:

  

 

MY ROSTER THOUGHTS

- This is the 11th year I have worked with Steve Martinson, so I have a pretty good understanding of how he builds a roster. He will have an offensive-minded team that is tough to play against, but the team is also expected to play defense. There are so many factors Martinson has to consider when recruiting players. Here are some of those factors.

• In an ideal world, Martinson would have an even number of left-shot and right-shot defensemen. The split right now is five left-shot and four right-shot defensemen. 
• The split between offensive and defensive defensemen is also important. Martinson has always felt defensive defensemen have to be very physical and willing to drop the gloves. 
• Everyone knows Martinson will have a very physical team. Unlike last season, if the team is getting beaten 3-0 ten minutes into the game, there is no doubt there will be a response. If a game turns into a shit show, there will be plenty of guys in front of the line to respond. Guys on the bench will be asking to get on the ice.  
• With this year's roster, Martinson has what I would describe as three tiers of players. You have the top-tier high-end players he knows will earn their pay. Guys like Register, Hargrove, Spinozzi, Watts, and Asuchak.  
• A second tier are the guys who have been caught up in the change of the team under Martinson. These are second and third year guys who have potential, but will have to prove themselves in training camp.
• Martinson needs players who fit into certain salary levels. Guys who have played two or three years in the league may now be at a pay level that doesn't work, and they will lose their spots just like you see in the NHL. That is why you might see Martinson release your favorite players from last season or not recruit one of your favorite players from last season. 
• Martinson is not done signing players. He told me he plans to sign two defensemen in the next couple of days, another reason he will have to release players.
• Martinson is also trying to land a couple of top-tier rookies who will go to the affiliate's prospect tournament, yet another reason he will have to release players.
• With all of these salary considerations, Martinson's depth players will have to be entry-level ECHL players playing for rookie salaries.
• Martinson could decide to have one more high-end player and a rookie player, rather than two middle-tier players for the same total salary. He will have to decide the right mix.
• The reason some players are on the roster is that they chose opportunity over money. Other players are gone because they chose money over opportunity.   

 

- So when you are asking yourself, why did Martinson sign this player instead of that player, keep in mind it could be his style of play, is he physical, is he a left-shot or right-shot, how good is he defensively, how much money is he asking for, is he married or single, and a myriad of other factors. If Martinson could hire the best players without regard to cost, the job would be a lot easier. Getting the right mix of high-end players, mid-range players, and entry-level players without knowing exactly what help is coming from the affiliate is why many consider Martinson the best GM/ recruiter in the league.  

 

- It will be fun to watch it continue to unfold over the next couple of months. I know I sound like a broken record, but you can look for a very competitive training camp in October. 

 

OTHER COMMENTS

-  With Allen's announced roster at 16 players, the Americans rank #6 in the league in the number of players announced. Here are the top five:

• 19 - Florida
• 19 - Toledo
• 18 - Fort Wayne
• 17 - Utah
• 17 - Worcester

 

- How do the Americans rank in some of the other team comparisons? Keep in mind these are averages that will change as more players are announced. The range of players announced is from 19 to 5 (Cincinnati). Here is Allen's rank based on the averages today. Source: Elite Prospects:

• #1 - ECHL game experience (2424 games)
• #1 - Average Height (6'2")
• #1 - Average Weight (201 pounds)
• #8 - Average Age (27.06 years)    

 

- The ECHL All-Star Break for the 2025-26 Season is Tuesday, Jan. 20 to Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026. There are to be no games, practices, or team events during the All-Star Break. The Allen Americans will host the 2026 Warrior/ECHL All-Star Classic on Monday, Jan. 19. The format for the All-Star game has not been announced, but I have heard rumors that it will be different than in the past when the host team played the All-Stars. 

 

- In closing, the long-awaited announcement on Allen's affiliate for 2025-26 should happen this week. The agreement is being finalized, and the signatures could happen any day. You never want to be specific when lawyers are involved, but I will go out on a limb and say it happens this week.