Preseason Game Update, Players Returning from Belleville, Transaction Report, Roster Rules and More

 

Wanted to let everyone know I am leaving at 5:30 am this morning to start my long trek for a week of pheasant hunting in North Dakota. It is a 950-mile drive to Minneapolis, where my hunting buddy of 60+ years lives. We are driving because I have so much hunting gear, and Nancy will stay in Minnesota to visit friends and family. Then on Friday, my hunting buddy and I will drive another 600 miles to NW North Dakota to our hunting spot. I will return on October 20. I am taking my laptop, and Coach Martinson will send information after the preseason games and during training camp, so I will try to write a blog or two while I am gone. At a minimum, I will post information on Facebook and X (Twitter).

 

- The team is getting ready for the first preseason game against Tulsa on Thursday at NYTEX Centre. I know Coach Martinson's plan is to have everyone on the training camp roster play in a game before he makes any cuts. Typically, when you have home and away preseason games, the experienced players will play at home, and the tryout guys will play on the road, that is, if everyone arrives on time. If you want to see the type of line combinations Martinson has in mind and see the top players, make the trip to NYTEX on Thursday.  You can look for each line to have at least one of the top puck carriers (playmaker), a goal scorer, a net front player, and a physical player.  

 

- Coach Martinson told me he has talked to most of the players who went to Belleville, and they all felt good about the camp and their meetings. Belleville likes things about all of the players. I don't know all of the details, but I heard Simmons-Fischer flew in last night, and Danny Katic arrives today. Duarte and Costantini are driving and will arrive on Wednesday. Not sure about the other players. 

 

- If you are tracking ECHL transactions, today was a big day for some teams to get NHL/AHL contracted players assigned. Cincinnati, South Carolina, and Wheeling all had eight players assigned. The only former Allen Americans player that was assigned today is Kyle Crnkovic, who was assigned to Wichita by the San Jose Barracuda.

 

- As the 2025-26 ECHL season is about to get underway, a reminder of the last year each team advanced past the 1st round of the Kelly Cup playoffs:

2025: TR, NOR, FLA, ORL, TOL, FW, KC, TAH

2024: ADK, IDH, WHL

2023: ALN, CIN, JAX, REA

2022: RC, UTA

2021: GVL, SC

2019: TUL

2013: ATL

2012: KAL

Never: IND, IA, MNE, SAV, WIC, WOR, BLM

 

 

 

- ECHL 2025-26 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 the reserve list

1 player on 3-day injured reserve

An unlimited number of players on the 14-day injured reserve