Steve Martinson's Q&A Recap, Seven Attending Belleville Training Camp, Allen Americans Documentary, ECHL Critical Dates and More

 

 It has been a while since my last blog post, as there wasn't much new information to report. That all changed last night when Coach Martinson had another Q&A session with season ticket holders (aka Patriot Club Members). He covered a great deal of ground and shared a wealth of new information. Here is a recap;

 

- Belleville Senators training camp: Allen has seven players attending. On ice sessions began yesterday.  

• Andre Anania -  defenseman
• Marco Costantini - goalie 
• Mark Duarte - forward
• Braidan Simmon-Fischer - defenseman/forward
• Danny Katic - forward
• Sam Sedley - defenseman
• Carter Savoie - forward

 

-  Danny Katic is on the list above even though he is already under contract with Belleville. He is one of the players Martinson identified to Belleville that they signed as a depth player. Anything can happen during training camp, but the expectation is that Katic will start the season in Allen.  

   

- Here is the press release issued by Belleville yesterday with all of the details on its training camp, including the 27 players currently in camp. In addition to the Allen-signed players on this list, Martinson mentioned Allen could see as many as seven players under contract with Belleville assigned to the Americans at some point during the season. He thinks it is realistic that Allen could start the season with a goalie (most likely Parsons), at least one forward (Katic), and a defenseman. Nothing is certain until the season begins, but this is the thinking at this point. If you are an avid fan, tracking the names in this press release will give you an idea of the players you might see in Allen this season: https://bellevillesens.com/belleville-sens-announce-27-player-roster-to-open-2025-26-training-camp/     

 

- Martinson also made three player announcements last night. All three players played for Martinson last season in Athens:

• Kayson Gallant: Played for Martinson in Athens last season and led the Rock Lobsters in goals. He scored 40 goals in 56 games, which also led the league (FPHL) in goals. Gallant is a 25-year-old, 5'11", 170 lbs, right-shot forward who has played 61 professional games, but is considered a rookie in the ECHL.
• Danil Glukarev: Another player who played for Martinson in Athens last season. He is 25 years old, 6'1", 190 lbs, a left-shot forward from Moskva, Russia. He totaled 41 points (21G, 20A) in 48 games for the Rock Lobsters. It was his first season playing in North America. He will also be a rookie in the ECHL despite having several years of professional experience. He won't report for about three weeks.
• Avery Smith: A local product (Flower Mound), Smith also played for Martinson last season. He is a 26 year old, 6'3", 220 lbs., right-shot forward. Since turning pro at the end of the 2023-24 season, he has played 58 games (all in the FPHL) and tallied 34 points (19G, 15A) to go along with 149 penalty minutes. He will also be a rookie in the ECHL, despite having pro experience.

 

- Martinson is still trying to make a couple of trades this week to improve the roster. Hopefully, he can get something done before the start of training camp.

 

- Martinson recently took Spencer Asuchak, Colton Hargrove, Brayden Watts, and their wives out to dinner. His exact quote was, "I didn't have a budget to buy breakfast when I was here before. It was great to meet their wives, as I don't normally do that. It was nice to spend some time with them. These three players will play a big role this season in leading the ship in the right direction."    

 

- Martinson spent some time talking about what he expects will be a potent power play this season. How important is a good power play? Check out this stat:

A good power play percentage is 20% or more. Last season (2024-25), 11 ECHL teams met that standard, and eight of them made the playoffs. The top two in power play percentage were the Kelly Cup finalists. 

 

25.1% - Toledo**

24.5% - Trois Rivières**

23.2% - South Carolina*

22.3% - Tulsa*

22.3% - Idaho

21.8% - Wichita*

21.5% - Wheeling*

20.9% - Kansas City*

20.4% - Indy*

20.1% - Bloomington

20.0% - Maine

 

**Kelly Cup finalists

* Playoff teams    

 

OTHER COMMENTS  

- Martinson shared with the group last night that owner Myles Jack has hired a group to do a documentary (Hard Knocks Type) about the Americans. They will have a film crew in Allen for 30 days during the season. It is the type of thing that could get picked up by Netflix or a similar on-demand streaming service. This group is also going to help the Americans with their social media platforms and expand their use of YouTube. 

 

- Martinson talked at length last night about training camp. Here is a repeat of what I included in a previous blog about training camp:  

• The guys who are going to Belleville's camp will be missing the start of Allen's camp.
• There will be at least a dozen players coming to Allen's training camp (via sleeper bus) from the new FPHL franchise in Topeka, KS. Martinson has been working with the coach in Topeka (they worked together in Elmira), so Allen has players to call on when they are short during the season. There are no formal agreements between these leagues, just a good working relationship with the Topeka Scarecrows. 
• When Martinson was in Allen before, it was sometimes difficult to get players because some teams would make it difficult to call guys up, and he ended up playing short. It was also a strain on the budget because most SPHL teams are far away, and it was costly to get players to Allen. With Topeka, he has a team in close proximity to a lot of places Allen plays on the road, and Martinson will have seen many of the players on the Topeka roster. 
• Some of the guys that don't make Allen's roster out of training camp will end up in Topeka.   
• Because Allen plays only one game opening weekend (October 18), Martinson can take his time getting the team up to speed.
• Allen has two preseason games, both against Tulsa. At NYTEX Sports Centre (October 9, 7:30 pm CDT) and in Tulsa (October 11, 7:00 pm CDT).
• Martinson's plan is to have a practice with only his players on the first day (Friday, October 3). The next two days (Saturday and Sunday) will be "skill scrimmages" so Martinson can watch all of the players and make assessments. He emphasized that when he was playing in the NHL, these types of scrimmages were common to start training camp. The difference is that they were all out with big checks, fights, and guys would get hurt. He doesn't want any of that with his scrimmages. He has no interest in seeing who is the toughest guy, and he doesn't need to be entertained. These scrimmages/intrasquad games will give Martinson a chance to see who will be the best depth guys. The scrimmages will be fun and also help the guys get in shape. 
• The scrimmage on Saturday night (10/4) will not be open to the public because of other events going on at CUTX Event Center. The scrimmage Sunday morning (10/5), which starts at 11:00 am, is open to the public. If you are interested in attending, you need to contact your ticket rep to make arrangements. 

 

- The new franchise in New Mexico has announced its name. The New Mexico Goatheads will begin playing in the 2026-27 season. Here is the press release with the details: https://echl.com/news/2025/09/introducing-the-new-mexico-goatheads  

 

- This topic was discussed at the Q&A session last night, as it related to points per game average for the eight players returning from last season. This is the points per game average only for games played with Allen in 2024-25. Number of games played is in parentheses:

• 1.17 - Brad Morrison (12)
• .78 - Brayden Watts (68)
• .68 - Spencer Asuchak (57)
• .58 - Mark Duarte (67)
• .31 - Quinn Warmuth (55)
• .21 - Michael Gildon (14)
• .20 - Harrison Blaisdell (50)
• .17 - Hudson Wilson (65)  

 

- I have heard it referred to as the Steve Martinson effect. Are Mountain Division teams gearing up for a more physical season in 2025-26? There is no doubt Martinson will have his typical physical team, with plenty of toughness and players who are hard to play against. The Mountain Division, once known for its toughness, has lost that reputation recently. In 2024-25, the Mountain Division didn't have a single team ranked in the top 10 in penalty minutes. The division was ranked #12, #13, #14, #21, #24, #27, #28, and #29.  

Tulsa is a good example. Last season, the Oilers leader in penalty minutes had 87 minutes, and that was a 10-year veteran who had one fight. Tulsa recently signed rookie Matthew Henry, who played 94 games in the rugged WHL. He had three points (2G, 1A) in those 94 games, but led the league in penalty minutes in 2022-23 and in penalty minutes per game in 2023-24.  

Martinson talked about how he wants division teams to add more physical guys because it will make the games more entertaining.  

 

- The ECHL has issued its critical dates press release for the 2025-26 season. Some highlights:

• October 15 - season-opening rosters due
• October 17 - season begins 
• November 16 - rosters reduced from 21 to 20
• January 18 & 19 - All-Star game (in Allen)
• January 23 - jersey reversal date
• March 2 - overseas deadline (for player returning to the ECHL)
• April 12 - last day of regular season

Here is the press release with all of the dates: https://echl.com/news/2025/09/critical-dates-2025-26-season 

 

DID YOU KNOW: ECHL Stats post for today. Chad Costello's records never cease to amaze:

This is a very small club. Here are the ECHL players with 60 or more assists in a single season since 2014-15:

 

89: Chad Costello, Allen, (2016-17)

84: Chad Costello, Allen (2014-15)

79: Chad Costello, Allen (2015-16)

68: Shane Berschbach, Toledo (2015-16)

64: Casey Pierro-Zabotel, Allen, (2015-16)

64: Zach O’Brien, Newfoundland, (2022-23)

60: Jack Dugan, Fort Wayne, (2023-24)

60: Alex Ierullo, Greenville, (2022-23)

 

Chad Costello’s 89 assists in 2016-17 are #4 on the ECHL all-time list. The three ahead of him all played in the 1990s.

Allen Family Grieves Two Player Deaths This Week Plus a Conversation With Steve Martinson

 

I have been writing this blog for a very long time, 2737 blogs to be exact, and never had a week like this week. Two young men with ties to the Allen Americans are gone way too early. It started with the news that Orca Wiesblatt (age 25), who was just announced as a member of the 2025-26 Allen roster two weeks ago, was killed in a traffic accident early Sunday morning.  Then yesterday, I found out Wade MacLeod (age 38), who played in Allen in 2016-17, had passed away after a long battle with brain cancer. 

 

- Orca's death was obviously a big shock to everyone. He was looking forward to playing for Steve Martinson in the ECHL. The story of his family, his quitting hockey for a couple of years to help care for his younger brothers, returning to hockey only to have injuries, and finally having an opportunity in the ECHL was very compelling. Here is a player profile story about Orca's journey, which I posted on September 4: https://allenamericansblog.blogspot.com/2025/09/allen-signs-forward-orca-wiesblatt.html  

 

-  Wade MacLeod was a warrior on and off the ice. He battled brain cancer since 2013, first discovered when he had a seizure on the ice during a game while playing for the AHL Springfield Falcons. When he signed with Allen late in the 2016-17 season, he had battled back from a second brain surgery. In 13 games with the Americans, he tallied 13 points (8G, 5A) plus another eight points (3G, 5A) in the playoffs as Allen lost to Colorado in the second round of the playoffs. Here is an interview Tommy Daniels recorded when Wade signed in Allen: 

 

Wade's battle to beat cancer and play hockey continued after he left Allen, signing in Germany for the 2017-18 season. However, his cancer returned, and he had two more brain surgeries two months apart in 2018. Wade last played professional hockey in 2021-22, but the battle and perseverance have continued. I have heard his total brain surgeries was up to six. His strength and the strength of his wife, Karly. and their two young daughters were evident to the end.

If you want to get some idea of what desire, perseverance, willpower, and mental toughness are all about, watch this interview Wade did in April 2023, after he retired from professional hockey on his own terms, coming back to play after four different brain surgeries. At the time of this interview, Wade was cancer-free and had beaten this disease. There are so many life lessons in this 36-minute video.

 

 

 

 Wade's passion for hockey was obvious in the way he battled back to play after so many brain surgeries. He was a prolific goal scorer. This is from my blog post on March 17, 2017:

Wade MacLeod is a goal scorer and always has been. In his last year of junior hockey (2006-07), he scored 51 goals, which was only good for a tie for the team lead with another familiar name in Allen, Casey Pierro-Zabotel. Their entire team (Merritt Centennials) scored 212 goals that season. Wade and Casey combined 102 of them. No other teammate had more than 14 goals.  Wade moved on to college at Northeastern University, where he played for four years. He was second on the team in points as a freshman and then led the team in points his last three seasons. He led Idaho in goals (38) and assists (42) in 2014-15 and last season in Germany, he led his team with 34 goals in 50 games. If you compare ECHL career goals scored per game for MacLeod and Allen's top goal scorers, here are the results. This is career ECHL goals divided by ECHL games played.

.54 - Wade MacLeod
.52 - Greger Hanson
.49 - Chad Costello
.45 - Bryan Moore
.41 - Gary Steffes
.38 - Spencer Asuchak

 

CONVERSATION WITH STEVE MARTINSON

- I had a chance to talk to Coach Martinson about the deaths of Oraca Wiesblatt and Wade MacLeod. along with several other topics. Here is a recap of those conversations

- Orca Wiesblatt - Steve Martinson's quote in the Allen Americans press release about Orca's tragic accident was, "We are all heartbroken. Orca was really looking forward to the next step in his career. He wasn't just skilled, he was a momentum-changing hitter. I can still see his grin when he would return to the bench after one of his big hits. That is what we will miss the most, his infectious smile."

When I asked Martinson to elaborate on Orca, he offered an insightful perspective on how he interacts with players. Something I have never heard Martinson talk about in the many years I have worked with him.  

"If you separate my role as coach and GM, the coach is trying to find out what makes your players tick. The coach spends a lot of time with the players; the GM doesn't. In the NHL now, they use a lawyer to buffer between the GM and agent, so there are no ill feelings in the negotiations. At the ECHL level, when you are doing both (GM & coach), you are switching hats between these two roles daily. The GM side of me tries to stay separate from the players because that side of me has to make tough decisions to trade players, release players, or not bring back players that you personally like. As GM, I make decisions I think are in the best interest of the team. The coaching side of me gets to know the players better as I coach them. You have heard me talk about saying to players, don't mistake me being friendly for being your friend. That sounds like a tough thing to say, but it is because of the GM side of me trying to warn the players. I don't want players to think they are untouchable because I like them."

Martinson went on to say, "Some players are easier to get to know because you are involved with them about more than just hockey. They may not have the same support group as other players. That was the case with Orca. He only played for me one year, but I got to know him better because of his background. It just happens with some player because of their personal situation. You can tell as a coach which players need more from you. Don't get me wrong, I am a big believer in being self-motivated. One thing I have found is that players who are motivated by praise often need two kicks in the ass for every pat on the back. It is one of the reasons I rarely go into the locker room after the game. Players now do a "hard hat" award after every game. I truly believe that validation of your game and effort means more when it comes from your teammates."

After sharing his overall approach to p[layer relationships, Martinson started talking about Orca. "He was one of those players I spent more time with. His story of when he left hockey to go home to help take care of his younger brothers virtually ended his career for a couple of years. Then, when he did return to pro hockey, he broke his ankle right away. He just had a lot of struggles along the way. One of the things I talked to Orca about this summer is that it is okay to have a chip on your shoulder if you use it in the right way. If you use it to complain, nobody is interested. If you use it to motivate yourself, it helps you. Orca was really looking forward to his opportunity in Allen, and I was looking forward to having him on the team. It is a very sad ending. Orca just had that personality that made him fun to be around. I would tease him, and he would just look at me and laugh. He will be missed!"

 

- Wade MacLeod - "Oftentimes, the team that gets you to the playoffs isn't the team that you need to win in the playoffs. Wade was a player I added late in the 2016-17 season just for that reason. He was a proven goal scorer, having averaged a half goal per game and over a point per game in his ECHL career. I was aware of his battle with brain cancer, but that did not concern me when he assured me he was ready to go and had been cleared by his doctor. Wade had an immediate impact, scoring eight goals in 13 games. Wade returned to Germany the following season, but I have tracked his journey ever since. I was saddened to hear he passed away at such a young age and with a young family." 

 

 

OTHER TOPICS    

- Allen players attending Bellville Senators training camp:

• Andre Anania -  defenseman
• Mark Duarte - forward
• Braidan Simmon-Fischer - defenseman/forward
• Danny Katic - forward
• Sam Sedley - defenseman
• Carter Savoie - forward

The players will leave for Belleville next week. A training camp schedule has not been released; however, based on last season, medicals and fitness testing will be on Sunday (28th), and the first on-ice practice will be on Monday (29th). Belleville will have two preseason games, both at home. They play Laval on Friday, October 3 (6:00 pm CDT) and Toronto on Sunday, October 5 (2:00 pm CDT). 

Training camp will be a great opportunity for Allen players to show what they can do. The best case is that they make enough of an impression, and they get signed to an AHL contract. More likely, what they show at training camp will help them get loaned to Belleville when the Senators need players during the season.

FYI, Danny Katic is already under contract with Belleville. He is one of the players Martinson identified to Belleville that they signed as a depth player. Anything can happen during training camp, but the expectation is that Katic will start the season in Allen.

 

- Allen's training camp will be unique for a few different reasons:

• Because Steve Martinson just returned to Allen, he hasn't seen most of the roster play in person. 
• The guys who are going to Belleville's camp will be missing the start of Allen's camp.
• There will be at least a dozen players coming to Allen's training camp (via sleeper bus) from the new FPHL franchise in Topeka, KS. Martinson has been working with the coach in Topeka (they worked together in Elmira), so he has players to call on when he is short during the season. There are no formal agreements between these leagues, just a good working relationship with the Topeka Scarecrows. 
• When Martinson was in Allen before, it was sometimes difficult to get players because some teams would make it difficult to call guys up, and he ended up playing short. It was also a strain on the budget because most SPHL teams were far away, and it was costly to get players to Allen. With Topeka, he has a team in close proximity to a lot of places Allen plays on the road, and Martinson will have seen many of the players on Topeka roster. 
• Some of the guys that don't make Allen's roster out of training camp will end up in Topeka.  
• In addition to the players coming from Topeka there will be a few other players at training camp on tryout agreements.   
• Because Allen plays only one game opening weekend (October 18), Martinson can take his time getting the team up to speed.
• Allen has two preseason games, both against Tulsa. At NYTEX Sports Centre (October 9, 7:30 pm CDT) and in Tulsa (October 11, 7:00 pm CDT).
• Martinson's plan is to have a practice with only his players on the first day (Friday, October 3). The next two days (Saturday and Sunday) will be "skill scrimmages" so Martinson can watch all of the players and make assessments. He emphasized to me that when he was playing in the NHL, these types of scrimmages were common to start training camp. The difference is that they were all out with big checks, fights, and guys would get hurt. He doesn't want any of that with his scrimmages. He has no interest in seeing who is the toughest guy, and he doesn't need to be entertained. These scrimmages/intrasquad games will give Martinson a chance to see who will be the best depth guys. The scrimmages will be fun and also help the guys get in shape. 
• These two days of scrimmages will be open to the public if the logistical details can be worked out. The scrimmages will be Saturday night (10/4) and Sunday morning (10/5). Stay tuned for details. 

 

- Feedback from Ottawa's Prospect Showdown

Carter Savoie and Braidan Simmons-Fischer attended Ottawa's prospect tournament in Montreal last weekend. In addition to practicing with the Ottawa prospects, they played in the second game of the tournament on Sunday against Winnipeg. Ottawa outshot Winnipeg 37-22, but lost in overtime 3-2. Here is the feedback Coach Martinson got on his players:

Simmons-Fischer: Braidan added a lot of muscle to his frame since last season. He told Martinson he felt like he was moving just as well at 240 pounds as he did last season at 223. The feedback Martinson got was that Braidan moved well for a big guy. He went to the prospect camp as insurance, based on Martinson's recommendation, in case they needed a physical presence in those games. He wasn't guaranteed to play in a game, but they liked the way he moved in practice, and he earned a spot in the lineup. He led the team in hits, had the puck a lot, and made some nice passes in tight spaces. They had a meeting with him after the game and talked about him coming to Belleville's training camp. He will play in Belleville's preseason games because they want to see more of him.    

Savoie - Carter is a much more well-known player, having won an NCAA championship in college and has played 109 AHL games. The feedback on Savoie was that he looked good, made plays, had some nice scoring opportunities. He also had some power play time. 

 

-  The Allen Roster

• Martinson currently has 22 players under contract, including a couple who have not been announced. With all that happened this week, he did not want to announce any players.
• He is happy with the team he has and the players he expects to get from Ottawa. There won't be a lot of them, but the players he gets will be good. 
• Martinson has more players signed than can make the team.
• Martinson has a lot of first-line guys on the roster. After he gets players from Belleville, he could end up with three lines of first line players.
• A Martinson quote, "I don't think I have ever had a better defense (on paper) to start a season. We have skill, physical guys, defensive guys, left shots and right shots, size, and speed. 
• Martinson is currently pursuing a trade that could involve more than one player.  

 

- Help Wanted

Michelle Martinson, who manages the Allen Americans Team Store, was telling me she is looking for some help to work in the Team Store. I asked her for the details to share in case any of you or someone you know. might be interested: 

This retail sales associate position will help and guide customers in the Team Store:

Responsibilities

• Ability to work a flexible schedule, including all Allen Americans home games.
• Greet customers with a friendly and engaging attitude.
• Recommend and help locate merchandise based on customers' needs and desires. 
• Manage product, inventory, and payments via the Shopify Point of Sale platform.
• Ensure the sales floor is consistently sized, organized, and that new deliveries are displayed.  

Required Skills and Qualifications

• Excellent verbal communication skills.
• Friendly, professional demeanor.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment, understanding sales and customer service.
• Capable of lifting and maneuvering 30 lbs. throughout the store.
• Ability to work with other team members to create a positive work environment.
• Prior experience in retail sales is desired.

If you are interested or have questions, email Michelle at michellem@allenamericans.com    

  

 

DID YOU KNOW: Here is my ECHL Stats post for today, which has a distinct Allen flavor.

Some players excel in the playoffs. Only five ECHL players have a career goals per game average of .50 or more in the playoffs since 2014-15 (minimum 40 playoff games). All of them won at least one Kelly Cup. The number of Kelly Cups won is in parentheses. The teams shown are their Kelly Cup-winning teams:

 

.53 - *Alex Belzile, COL (1)

.52 - Brandon Hawkins, FW (1)

.51 - Greger Hanson, ALN (2)

.51 - Zach O’Brien, NFL (1)

.50 - Gary Steffes, ALN (2)

 

*Also won a Kelly Cup in Alaska before 2014-15.

 

It is not a coincidence that every player on this list won Kelly Cups. You can’t win in the playoffs without players who can score under pressure.

Allen Signs Defenseman Sam Sedley - Player Profile, Martinson Q&A Recap, Roster Update, Links to Recent Stories, DASH Auctions and More

 

Steve Martinson added another top defenseman to the roster this morning, announcing the signing of Sam Sedley. He is another player who will be attending the Belleville Senators training camp. Here is his player profile:

 

SAM SEDLEY - PLAYER PROFILE

Sam Sedley

- Sam Sedley is a 22-year-old,  6''0", 195-pound, right-shot defenseman from Stratford, Ontario. He played his junior hockey in the OHL with the Owen Sound Attack. In 236 games in Owen Sound, Sam had 168 points (21G, 147A) and 116 penalty minutes. In his final season in the OHL (2023-24), he notched a career-high 63 points (9G, 54A) in 64 games, ranking him third on the team in points and second in assists. Anytime a defenseman averages .98 points per game over an entire season, you know they are an offensive threat. Over his entire junior career, Sedley averaged .71 points per game. As a frame of reference, Alex Breton averaged .44 points per game in juniors (QMJHL) before becoming the ECHL Defenseman of the Year with Allen in 2020, and Les Lancaster averaged .62 points per game over his college career before becoming the ECHL Defenseman of the Year with Allen in 2021. It is unfair to compare Sedley with Breton and Lancaster at this point in his career, but he should thrive in Steve Martinson's offensive style of play, where defensemen are expected to jump into the play. 

 

- Sedley is the all-time Owen Sound leader in career points by a defenseman, and the team has been around for over 35 years. 

 

- After completing his junior career, Sedley signed his first professional contract for the 2024-25 season with the AHL Lehigh Valley Phantoms (Philadelphia Flyers affiliate). He spent most of the season on loan to the Reading Royals, where he recorded 37 points (7G, 30A) in 62 games. He had five more assists than any other player on the team. His .60 points per game average led all Reading defensemen.   

 

- When you read scouting reports and quotes about Sedley, you see the same traits repeated over and over again:

• Smart
• Offensive-minded
• Dynamic rush ability 
• Strong hockey IQ
• Adapted quickly to pro hockey

 

- Here is an interview with Sam from the end of last season in Reading. Always good to hear players talk about themselves, the season, and offseason plans:

  

 - Here is an updated Allen roster, which now numbers 21 players, one goalie, 10 defensemen, and 10 forwards:  

 

Goalies

• #33 Marco Costantini 

Defensemen

• #86 Andre Anania 
• #22 Anthony Costantini
• #21 Jackson Decker 
• #28 Troy Murray 
• #43 Matt Register
• #23 Sam Sedley
• #6 Braidan Simmons-Fischer 
• #44 Kevin Spinozzi 
• #2 Quinn Warmuth 
• #9 Hudson Wilson

Forwards

• #26 Spencer Asuchak
• #18 Harrison Blaisdell 
• #11 Thomas Caron
• #91 Michael Gildon
• #7 Colton Hargrove
• #76 Malik Johnson 
• #77 Brad Morrison
• #8 Carter Savoie
• #29 Brayden Watts
• #88 Orca Wiesblatt

 

 

OTHER COMMENTS 

 

- I get asked all the time about players from last season that were signed very early in July who have subsequently been traded or released. As Steve Martinson put together his roster and the affiliation with Ottawa became a reality, it necessitated trading or releasing some of these players. The final number of players from last season who were originally signed and subsequently traded or released is five. There will be no more signed and not announced players traded or released. The five players who were signed, never announced, and then traded or released were Kenny Johnson, Artem Kulakov, Trevor LeDonne, Reid Perepeluk, and Mike Van Unen. Two of the five players have already signed with other ECHL teams, Artem Kulakov (Reading) and Mike Van Unen (Rapid City). 

 

There are now eight players on the Allen roster from last season, and I assume the number will go to nine if Duarte re-signs. Will all nine players make the opening day roster? As Steve Martinson has said many times, training camp will be very competitive, so that question won't be answered until training camp.. 

 

 

- Most of what Steve Martinson shared at his Q&A session on Monday has been covered in the blog before. The reason to come to these types of events is to get the unvarnished, unedited, and humorous version of the issues, with very few filters. As Jonny Mydra has said before, fans will have numerous opportunities to interact with Coach Martinson, and they will be scheduled at different times so all will have a chance to attend. Here are a few of the items Martinson talked about that I haven't covered in the blog before:

•  Hank Crone has returned to Dallas from Europe. Norfolk holds his ECHL rights, so any team interested in signing Crone has to trade for rights, and Norfolk will be looking for a top player in a trade. Martinson can't talk to Crone, since Norfolk holds his rights. Fans will have to wait and see how it all works out. 
• Topeka is a new team in the FPHL. Martinson wants to work with them because the Americans play so many games in that area, so it will be easier to get players if the Americans need them.
• You can't have high-scoring forwards if you don't have high-scoring offensive defensemen. There is nothing wrong with scoring a bunch of points, as long as it is done the right way. 
• We will have a skills scrimmage on October 4 at 7:00 pm in the community rink, where fans can come in and see our training camp players. This will be a fun scrimmage, as I don't want to get anyone hurt on the second day of training camp. We will send out more details as training camp gets closer.

 

- If you don't keep up with all that is happening daily, here are some links to recent stories and information:

• Here is the Ottawa Senators roster for the upcoming Montreal Prospects Showdown. Two Allen players (Carter Savoie & Braidan Simmons-Fischer) will be participating. Ottawa plays Toronto at 1:00 pm EDT on Saturday and Winnipeg at 7:00 pm EDT on Sunday. All of the games will be broadcast on FloHockey, The individual teams may live stream their games as well; go to their website on the day of the game to find out. Winnipeg is the only team that has already said their games will be live-streamed. https://ottawacitizen.com/ottawa-senators/rookies-hit-ice-thursday-sep-11-2025 

• Here is the entire ECHL preseason schedule, which is short and sweet. Allen plays Tulsa on October 9 (at NYTEX, North Richland Hills) and in Tulsa on October 11: https://echl.com/news/2025/09/echl-announces-preseason-schedule

• The Utah Grizzlies have been sold and will be moving to Trenton, NJ, after the 2025-26 season: https://echl.com/news/2025/09/echl-returning-to-trenton-with-transfers-of-controlling-interest-and-home-territory-of-utah-membership 

• Aaron Dell, who led the Allen Americans to their first championship in 2013 in the Central Hockey League, has retired from professional hockey. https://www.discoverairdrie.com/articles/airdrie-goalie-aaron-dell-retires-after-13-year-pro-career  

• If you are looking for Allen gear at good prices, check out some of the auction bundles on DASH. One of them is a signed Asuchak jersey and hat. It is the popular Texas jersey that the team has trouble keeping in stock. There are also many other bundle auctions with autographed hats, cowbells, pucks, and ministicks. The auction ends at midnight tomorrow (Friday): https://fans.winwithdash.com/team/allenamericans/event/689cb973180ec70007bd8753 

 

 

 - Here is my ECHL Stats post from a few days ago. Allen is lucky to have two of the top veterans in the league who have won a combined seven pro championships and five Kelly Cups. When you know there will not be a lot of help from the affiliate, having seasoned veteran leadership is critical.

 

Talk about outstanding ECHL veterans, seven players on 2025-26 rosters have over 450 games played. Each player’s rank on the all-time games played list is in parentheses:

 

*867- Justin Taylor, ADK (#2)

683 - Matt Register, ALN (#9)

608 - Anthony Collins, TAH (#15)

576 - Logan Nelson, GSO (#26)

505 - Spencer Asuchak, ALN (#49)

487 - Mike McKee, TUL (#56)

454 - Anthony Petruzzelli, FW (#88)

 

*Justin Taylor needs just 18 more games played to pass Michael Pelech for #1 all-time.

 

 

DID YOU KNOW: Here is my ECHL Stats post for today. It raises the question of whether any of the teams that finished with fewer than 70 points last season will make the playoffs in 2025-26. In Allen's case, I think the Americans have a good chance to crack the ECHL all-time top five single-season point increases. To do so, Allen will need to end the 2025-26 season with 92 points. 

 

- Eight ECHL teams had 90 or more points in 2024-25. Who doesn’t make 90 points in 2025-26? Who misses the playoffs?

 

109: South Carolina

106: Florida

103: Kansas City

99: Toledo

98: Trois Rivières

92: Jacksonville

91: Fort Wayne

90: Wheeling 

 

- Eight ECHL teams had fewer than 70 points in 2024-25, and all missed the playoffs. How many rebound and make the playoffs in 2025-26?

 

43: Allen

57: Adirondack

58: Utah

62: Greenville

65: Atlanta

68: Bloomington

69: Cincinnati

69: Savannah

 

Allen Signs Forward Orca Wiesblatt - Player Profile With Unique Family Story and More

 

 Steve Martinson has added another forward to the roster, just announcing the signing of Orca Wiesblatt. The roster now consists of 20 players, one goalie, nine defensemen, and 10  forwards. 

Goalies

• #33 Marco Costantini 

Defensemen

• #86 Andre Anania 
• #22 Anthony Costantini
• #21 Jackson Decker 
• #28 Troy Murray 
• #43 Matt Register
• #6 Braidan Simmons-Fischer 
• #44 Kevin Spinozzi 
• #2 Quinn Warmuth 
• #9 Hudson Wilson

Forwards

• #26 Spencer Asuchak
• #18 Harrison Blaisdell 
• #11 Thomas Caron
• #91 Michael Gildon
• #7 Colton Hargrove
• #76 Malik Johnson 
• #77 Brad Morrison
• #8 Carter Savoie
• #29 Brayden Watts
• #?? Orca Wiesblatt

 

PLAYER PROFILE - ORCA WIESBLATT

Orca Wiesblatt

 

Orca Wiesblatt is a 25-year-old,  5'10", 185-pound, left-shot forward from Calgary, Alberta. He played for Steve Martinson last season and tallied 42 points (17G, 25A) in 37 games. He had 37 penalty minutes and had a plus/minus of +22. 

Orca played his junior hockey in the Western Hockey League for the Calgary Hitmen. In 138 WHL games, he had 79 points (27G, 52A). In 2019-20, his last full season with Calgary, he had 57 points (20G, 37A) in 64 games. 

Wiesblatt left Calgary early in the 2020-21 season to return home and help with some family matters, and didn't play hockey again until 2023-24. In 2023-24, after just four games in the SPHL he broke his ankle and was out for the season. Last season in Athens, he broke his wrist and missed 10 weeks. The bottom line is Orca has missed a lot of hockey since 2020-21and has a lot of room to grow. Here is what Steve Martinson had to say about Wiesblatt, "Orca was a top scorer on his junior team and can play any position in the lineup. He is a top penalty killer and another punishing body checker. He never has to be reminded to go through people after they pass the puck." 

Wiesblatt has a fascinating family story that is covered in the two videos below. I highly recommend you take the time to watch both of them. He has three brothers and a sister whose names all begin with the letter "O" and are unique. As Orca explains in the video, both of his parents are deaf and would be called hippies. All four of the Wiesblatt brothers play professional hockey, and as Orca says in the video, his youngest sibling, the only girl, hates hockey after spending so much time as a youngster at the rink watching her brothers play. Here is a rundown of the four brothers' hockey careers:

• Ocean (26) - played for Athens and another FPHL team last season. Unsigned for 2025-26.
• Orca (25) - see above
• Ozzy (23) - 1st round (#31 overall) draft choice of the San Jose Sharks in 2020. He is signed with the AHL Milwaukee Admirals for 2025-26. He made his NHL debut last season, playing five games with the Nashville Predators.
• Oasiz (21) - finished his WHL junior career last year, where he was the captain of the Medicine Hat Tigers. He had 103 points (36G. 67A) in 66 games. His team lost in the finals of the Memorial Cup. He has signed a three-year deal with the Milwaukee Admirals, so he will be playing with his brother in 2025-26.
• Oceania - the youngest of the family, prefers horses. 

   

Here is an interview with Orca from last season when he was in Athens. He talks about his family, hardships, injuries, and his journey. This is a must-watch, and you will be rooting for Orca after taking the time to watch this 18-minute video:

  Here is a real tear-jerker about the Wiesblatt family from 2019, when the boys were all playing junior hockey. The dreams have come true for Kim, as all four boys have  made it to professional hockey, and Ozzy has played in the NHL. Even better, there is more to come in the future for this hockey family. 

 

 

OTHER COMMENTS

-  With the addition of two more players being announced today, the Americans are one of five ECHL teams that have announced 20 or more players. These numbers change quickly, but the five teams that have announced 20+ players are Fort Wayne, Worcester, Toledo, Adirondack, and Allen. Makes you wonder if these teams don't expect a lot of help from their affiliates.

 

- At the opposite end of the spectrum are four teams that have announced fewer than 10 players according to elite prospects: 

• 6 - Cincinnati
• 9 - Greensboro
• 9 - Bloomington
• 9 - Tulsa

 

- I heard the Americans are planning a fancy cocktail party at the Tower Club in downtown Dallas for all season ticket members (STMs) and sponsors. I know owner Myles Jack is a member at the Tower Club, so I expect this was his idea. The date is Friday, September 12. If you are a season ticket member (full or half season) expect to get an email with the details sometime this week.    

 

DID YOU KNOW: Here is the ECHL Stats post from this morning. Putting together this list reminded me of 2022-23, when the Allen Americans had four players who averaged 1.30+ points per game:

• 1.52 - Hank Crone
• 1.36 - Jack combs
• 1.33 - Colton Hargrove
• 1.30 - Liam Finlay 

 

Six players on 2025-26 ECHL rosters have a career points per game average of 1.00 or more (minimum 50 games played):

 

1.16 - Brandon Hawkins, Toledo

1.11 - Liam Finlay, Greenville

1.04 - Colton Hargrove, Allen

1.04 - Ryan Wagner, Rapid City

1.02 - Michal Stinil, Wichita

1.00 - Ty Pelton-Byce, Idaho

Allen Signs Defenseman Andre Anania, Remembering Ted Hosterman, Martinson Q&A on Monday, Top Goal Scorers Since 2019-20 and More

 

 Steve Martinson has added another defenseman to the roster, just announcing the signing of Andre Anania. Here is the press release from the Allen Americans: 

The roster now consists of one goalie, nine defensemen, and nine forwards. 

Goalies

• #33 Marco Costantini 

Defensemen

• #86 Andre Anania 
• #22 Anthony Costantini
• #21 Jackson Decker 
• #28 Troy Murray 
• #43 Matt Register
• #6 Braidan Simmons-Fischer 
• #44 Kevin Spinozzi 
• #2 Quinn Warmuth 
• #9 Hudson Wilson

Forwards

• #26 Spencer Asuchak
• #18 Harrison Blaisdell 
• #11 Thomas Caron
• #91 Michael Gildon
• #7 Colton Hargrove
• #76 Malik Johnson 
• #77 Brad Morrison
• #8 Carter Savoie
• #29 Brayden Watts

 

PLAYER PROFILE - ANDRE ANANIA

Andre Anania

 

 -  Andre Anania is a 23-year-old,  6'1", 193-pound, left-shot defenseman from Richmond Hill, Ontario. He was the 4th round draft pick (#100 overall) of the Edmonton Oilers in the 2020 NHL draft. He played his junior hockey in the OHL with the Sudbury Wolves. In 180 games in Sudbury had 87 points (21G, 66A) and 189 penalty minutes. In his final season in Sudbury (2023-24), he notched a career high 41 points (10G, 31A) and set a franchise record with a plus/minus of +49. 

Andre was honored with several team awards in 2023-24:

• Players' Player Award (voted by his teammates for character and effort
• Top Defenseman
• Top Plus/Minus Player

 Here are some quotes from various scouting reports about Anania's style of play:

• Quiet, responsible, and efficient defender whose effectiveness lies in consistency and positioning rather than flashy plays.
• Excels in man coverage, body contact, and penalty killing duties, showing a willingness to block shots and absorb traffic without hesitation.
• He is very mature and reliable, precisely because he makes the right play so consistently. 

After Anania finished his junior career, he signed a two-way (AHL-ECHL) deal with the Charlotte Checkers. He attended the Florida Panthers "NHL Rookie Showcase" a year ago. He spent his rookie season assigned to Savannah, the ECHL affiliate of Florida/Charlotte. In 51 games, he had 11 points (4G, 7A) and 40 penalty minutes. His offense picked up toward the end of the season. In the final two months of the season, he tallied 9 points (4G, 5A) in 17 games. When I asked Martinson about Anania's rookie season in Savannah, he told me it is hard to assess without knowing the system he was playing in and who he was playing with. Martinson reminded me of what he has said many times in the past: if a player has done it before, he can do it again. Remember, in 2023-24, Anania had 41 points in 60 games and was +49. No other player on his team was more than +20. His +49 was the fourth-best plus/minus in the entire Ontario Hockey League.  

Anania is a defenseman who will fit well in Martinson's style of play. He is responsible defensively, can carry the puck, will make a good first pass, and will jump into the play in the offensive zone. 

Andre is another one of the players Martinson has signed as a depth player for Belleville. The Senators are aware of Anania from his OHL career and talked to him about the opportunity in Belleville if he does well in Allen. He will be attending training camp with Belleville. 

 

 It is always fun to hear a player talk about themselves. Here is a young (17) Andre Anania in a 2019 get to know you video.

 

 

OTHER COMMENTS

Ted Hosterman

 

- It was sad to hear that a good friend and super long-time Allen fan, Ted Hosterman, passed away Tuesday night after suffering a cardiac arrest. It has been a difficult summer for the Hosterman family, as Ted's wife, Sharon, passed away in July.

I always looked forward to running into Ted at the hockey games to get his thoughts, good and bad, on how the team was playing and what improvements were needed. I took a couple of road trips to Tulsa with Ted and some of his hockey friends, and they were always a great time.

Ted has always been a big supporter of the blog, posting positive comments to counteract some of the negative ones. And he always posted with his name attached to the comment, never anonymously. I checked the last time Ted commented, and it was just two blogs ago, when the new affiliation was announced. It was typical Ted, as his comments always made me feel good about writing the blog, "Barry, the information and insights you share give us fans and insiders' perspective not available to fans of other teams. Hats off to you and Coach Martinson for sharing!!!"

Unless you are a long-time reader of the blog, you won't remember that Ted, along with Mary Betz, used ti write the blog for me when I went on trips during the hockey season. Ted used to specialize in interviewing players and doing player profiles. I went back and read the player profiles he did on Casey Pierro-Zabotel and Zack Hall. What great work he did.

It is always tough to find the right words to tell how much a friend will be missed. The news of Ted's passing was heartbreaking, but I know he will live on in our hearts, and we will be talking about him as long as I am roaming the concourse of the CUTX Event Center. 

The Americans are planning a "moment of loudness" for Ted on opening night.  

 

- Steve Martinson will be in Allen next week, and the Americans are setting up a Q&A session for Season Ticket Members at Kelly's. The Q&A will take place on Monday (September 8) at 3:00 pm. If you have attended one of these sessions in the past, you know they are both informative and entertaining. If you have never attended one, it is a not to be missed event. Come loaded with your questions. If you are too afraid to ask your question, give it to me and I will ask it for you.

The Americans will be sending an email to all Season Ticket Members with this information sometime today. If you don't receive it, make sure to call the Allen American front office to make sure you are on the list.

 

 

DID YOU KNOW: This is my ECHL Stats post from two days ago. The players on the Allen 2025-26 roster with the most goals since 2019-20 are Brayden Watts (79) and Spencer Asuchak (78).  

Of the ECHL players who are returning for the 2025-26 season, seven of them have scored 100 or more goals since 2019-20. Here is the list with games played since 2019-20 in parentheses:

 

190 - Brandon Hawkins, Toledo (343)

127 - Jay Dickman, Wichita (361)

115 - Alex Aleardi, Fort Wayne (276)

112 - Aaron Luchuk, Orlando (282)

107 - Anthony Petruzzelli, Fort Wayne (378)

106 - Anthony Repaci, Worcester (265)

101 - Michal Stinil, Wichita (247)