I made it back to Minneapolis from our pheasant hunting trip to North Dakota (625 miles) but still have a 925-mile drive back to Texas on Monday. I will share about the hunting trip next week after we get home. I had a chance to talk to Coach Martinson this morning to get an update on the team.
The ECHL season has finally arrived with eight games on tap tonight. The Allen Americans will kick off the season tomorrow night in Wichita with a 6:05 pm CDT start. Season-opening rosters were published yesterday. It is important to note the season-opening rosters are merely a starting point and changes were made before they were officially released. Case in point is Danny Katic has already been recalled to Belleville. Here is Allen's season-opening roster which totals 23 players:
Goalies
- #31 - Jackson Parsons
- #33 - Marco Costantini
Defensemen
- #86 - Andre Anania
- #22 - Anthony Costantini
- #21 - Jackson Decker
- #28 - Troy Murray
- #43 - Matt Register (reserve)
- #23 - Sam Sedley
- #6 - Braidan Simmons-Fischer
- #44 - Kevin Spinozzi (3-day IR)
- #2 - Quinn Warmuth
- #9 - Hudson Wilson
Forwards
- #26 - Spencer Asuchak
- #18 - Harrison Blaisdell
- #11 - Thomas Caron
- #67 - Hank Crone
- #27 - Mark Duarte
- #91 - Michael Gildon
- #7 - Colton Hargrove
- #76 - Malik Johnson (14-day IR)
- #?? - Danny Katic (recalled to Belleville)
- #77 - Brad Morrison (delayed arrival in Allen)
- #29 - Brayden Wattts
- The fact that a new CBA has not been agreed to means teams are operating under the salary cap from last season. Because there has been no increase in the salary cap, coach Martinson will play short in Wichita. The Americans will be playing with only 19 (2 goalies 17 skaters to stay under the salary cap. With Katic recalled, here are Allen's numbers as of this morning:
- 18 - active roster
- 1 - on reserve
- 1 - 3-day IR
- 1 - 14=day IR
- 1 - pending immigration
- As a reminder here are the roster rules:
1st 30 days
21 on active roster
19 skaters
2 goalies
After 30 days
20 on active roster
18 skaters
2 goalies
Other Rules
2 players maximum on reserve list
1 player on 3-day injured reserve
Unlimited number of players on 14-day injured reserve
- Coach Martinson could still make roster moves today. Matt Register will come off reserve and a couple of other moves are likely as Martinson deals with salary cap issues and player mix. Spinozzi and Johnson are not available for Wichita.
- The Allen Americans scored 175 goals and 464 points last season, the lowest in the ECHL.
- In 2022-23 when Hargrove and Crone were linemates as they will be this season, they combined for 88 goals and 190 points all by themselves.
- Matt Register had 51 assists last season; no Allen player had more than 34.
- The firepower Martinson has added, along with the returning players from last season, look for the Americans to have plenty of offense in 2025-26.
- The Americans have a much-improved defense from last season when Allen allowed 311 goals, an average of 4.32 goals per game, last in the league. It is only two preseason games, but the Americans shout out Tulsa twice. Last season the Americans played 73 games (72 regular season and one preseason) with zero shutouts. Martinson has assembled a defensive group that will be much more offensive, but also better defensively.
- What are the risks for this team? Two big ones are losing players to loans and callups to AHL teams and injuries.
- Since all of Allen's players (except Jackson Parsons) are AHL free agents any team can ask for them, not just Belleville.
- Injuries play a key role in team success, and the Americans have had more than their share the last few seasons. If Allen can stay relatively healthy and avoid season-ending injuries to key players, it will go a long way to a successful season.
OTHER COMMENTS
- With Katic being recalled to Belleville, Martinson will have to adjust the lines he had planned for the Wichita game. The team practiced this morning, before they got on the bus for the 365-mile trip to Wichita. I will try and post the lineup a few hours before the game tomorrow (Facebook and Twitter/X). The season-opening roster for Wichita shows Michal Stinil as immigration pending so he may not be in the lineup tomorrow. Stinil led Wichita, averaging 1.22 points per game last season.
- Allen's all-time opening game of the season record is 8-8. Ironically the home and road opening game of the season record is exactly the same, 4-4.
- Lots of former Allen Americans players on the season-opening rosters. Here are the ones I noticed:
- Mikael Robidoux - Bloomington
- Brandon Yeamans - Bloomington
- Theo Calvas - Bloomington
- Ayden MacDonald - Bloomington
- Tarun Fizer - Florida
- Nico Blachman - Florida
- Blake Murray - Fort Wayne
- Dalton Skelly - Greensboro
- Josh Atkinson - Greenville
- Patrick Polino - Greenville
- Nolan Orzeck - Iowa
- Bennett MacArthur - Jacksonville
- Will Gavin - Kansas City
- Grant Hebert - Norfolk
- Justin Young - Norfolk
- JC Brassard - Orlando
- Mike Van Unen - Rapid City
- Chaz Smedsrud - Rapid City
- Jared Westcott - Rapid City
- Artem Kulakov - Reading
- Jake McGrew - Tahoe
- Duggie LaGrone - Tulsa
- Tyler Poulsen - Tulsa
- Dakota Seaman - Tulsa
- Dylan Wells - Utah
- Trevor LaDonne - Wheeling
- Ryan Mashie - Wheeling
- Logan Neaton - Wheeling
- Nolan Kneen - Wichita
- Kyle Crnkovic - Wichita
- Cole Fraser - Worcester
- Riley Ginnell - Worcester
- The Allen Americans "Season Launch Party" will take place next Wednesday (October 22, 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm) at Northside Draft House. Coach Martinson, most of the players, Jonny Mydra, and the front office staff will be in attendance for the open house, meet and mingle type of event.
- The CUTX Event Center staff has informed the Allen Americans that there will be no bar service in the season ticket holder lounge this season. It was a venue decision not an Allen Americans decision.
DID YOU KNOW: The 2025-26 ECHL regular season begins tonight. Only two players, both locks for the ECHL Hall of Fame, have 800+ games played and 600 career points (regular season & playoffs). Both will be playing for new teams this season:
- Justin Taylor, Adirondack - 940 games played, 612 points, will become the ECHL all-time leader in games played this season.
- Matt Register, Allen - 839 games played 665 points, will become the ECHL all-time leader in points by a defenseman this season.
Thanks for the update Barry.
ReplyDeleteTommy P
Fantastic. Thanks Barry. Safe travels for your final drive home.
ReplyDeleteChase Maxwell, F, signed
ReplyDeleteWhat rocket scientist from the City of Allen runs the CUTX Event Center?
ReplyDeleteThey sure do hate making money in the arena. Its like everything they do will decrease sales and slow down service. Been that way forever. The lines aren't long because its so many people, the lines are long because the concession folks move in slow motion and dont know their jobs.
Delete100%.
DeleteMultiple comments on the blog about what can be done to fix it.
It is a mess. Slow, wrong food, wrong drinks, mistakes, give you a leaking cup, wont give you another because they "audit the inventory" .... good grief.
The arena is polar opposite to what Myles and JM are trying to achieve. Spend a moment in other arenas, many are first class all the way.
Whoever is responsible for the event center is accepting of mediocrity.
Such a shame.
Note to the City of Allen, fast service, better food and you'd double your profit instantly. Please wake up and pay attention.
I would guess the two geniuses are Ross and Bill.
DeleteThe people that operate the building are city employees so to them it doesn't matter if the building is a success or not, they keep their jobs on the taxpayer dime. As long as the service is ok enough to coast by then that is good with them. Just how government emplyoees are. That building needs to be privately owned. Myles should just buy it and run it the way he runs the team. Would be interesting if the Mayor would sell it to him.
DeleteExactly. Stop accepting mediocrity and fix it City of Allen. No wonder you can’t sell tickets for events and need to constantly cancel them. The aesthetics of going to the event center are poor.
DeleteAs the biggest tenant, the Americans need to demand more before signing any future lease extensions. It should be a simple conversation between the Americans and Allen’s Mayor. Let the city handle it from there and demand change and visible results on a reasonable timeframe.
LFG Red!
I don’t know Ross or Bill, but if those geniuses are responsible, then they need to be fired. Laziness is not a reasonable answer.
DeleteThere is a director somewhere who is not a typical city employee. His job depends on how well managed facilities under his oversight are and he could definitely be fired for continued poor performance. Makes you wonder if any of the City Council members ever attend hockey or any other event. It used to be superb, both upstairs and downstairs, now it is just mediocre on all levels. And some of the stupid decisions they make have nothing to do with expense, just stupid actions to make it appear they are doing something. Maybe emails to ALL council members would help some positive change come along?
DeleteGreat insight as always sir!
ReplyDeleteGhost Pirates lost. Suck it Zawyer. Suck it Little Joe.
ReplyDelete👆
Delete🤣 let’s just hope Jacksonville ensures the same outcome.
DeleteWhy are Zawyer teams always ass juice? Is this intentional?
DeleteGhost Pirates lost again.
DeleteZawyer v Zawyer saw Jacksonville beast Greensboro.
I guess one had to win.
The Zawyer conference will begin in 2028....
Its Game Day!!!! Let's go Red!!!
ReplyDelete** Hudson Wilson released ....
ReplyDeleteDamn. Didn't see that coming.
DeleteDid he join the team on the bus yesterday?
Must be more to the story here.
DeleteWilson was a good player and an even better person.
DeleteDisappointed with this trade.
Stumped by this decision.
DeleteSeason starting soon….
ReplyDeleteLET’S GOOOOOOOOO!!!!!
Hank Crone still doing Hank Crone things.
ReplyDeleteTime will tell if this was a bad trade with Greenville.
Yep, still doing MVP things.
DeleteGo Red!
1-0
ReplyDeleteAnyone know why Liam Finlay got placed on team suspension in Greenville?
ReplyDeleteUsually that means that he left the team and signed overseas.
Delete