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.