Allen vs Tulsa NYE Preview, Tonight's Lineup, All-Time NYE Results, One Special NYE Game, Division Standings and More

 

It has been a while since the Allen Americans played a hockey game. It was, in fact, on December 21 in Kansas City when Allen had its five-game win streak snapped by the Mavericks. Since that last game, there has been a Christmas break, an ECHL strike, and several roster changes. The Americans restart the hockey season tonight (6:10 pm CST) against Tulsa, aiming to improve on their 7-3-0-0 record over the last 10 games, which currently ranks as the fourth-best in the ECHL. Here is the current Allen roster:

 

Goalies

• #33 - Marco Costantini  
• #32 - David Tendeck 

Defensemen

• #86 - Andre Anania
• #22 - Anthony Costantini
• #21 - Jackson Decker 
• #25 - Trevor LaDonne 
• #28 - Troy Murray
• #8 - Ty Prefontaine 
• #43 - Matt Register 
• #23 - Sam Sedley
• #6 - Braidan Simmons-Fischer 
• #2 - Quinn Warmuth 

Forwards

• #26 - Spencer Asuchak 
• #18 - Harrison Blaisdell 
• #11 - Thomas Caron
• #67 - Hank Crone
• #91 - Michael Gildon
• #14 - Kevin Gursoy 
• #7 - Colton Hargrove
• #9 - Danny Katic 
• #19 - Chase Maxwell 
• #92 - Colby McAuley 
• #77 - Brad Morrison 
• #29 - Brayden Watts

 

Here is the lineup tonight. David Tendeck gets the start in goal after his 42-save shutout in his last outing against Tulsa (December 20). Coach Martinson always talks about having four lines that can all score. That is definitely the case with this lineup. 

 

Forwards

9 Katic - 19 Maxwell - 77 Morrison 

26 Asuchak - 29 Watts - 18 Blaisdell  

67 Crone - 91 Gildon - 11 Caron    

92 McAuley - 7 Hargrove - #14 Gursoy 

 

Defense

86 Anania - 23 Sedley  

8 Prefontaine - 2 Warmuth  

25 LeDonne - 6 Simmons-Fischer

 

32 Tendeck

33 Costantini (backup)

 

 

 

- The game tonight will be the seventh of 15 games against Tulsa this season. The teams have split the six previous games, Tulsa winning the first three and Allen winning the last three. Here are the head-to head stat totals:

• Allen outscored Tulsa 22-17.
• Shots were almost even 203-204.
• Allen was 0-13 on the power play in the first 3 games, 3-10 (30%) in the last 3 games.
• Tulsa was 1-9 (11.1%) in the first three games, 1-5 (20%) in the last three games. 

 

 

- Here are some comparison stats between Allen and Tulsa:

• Allen is 7-3-0-0 over the last 10 games, Tulsa is 2-8-0-0.
• Allen is 7-4-1-0 at home, Tulsa is 4-7-0-0 on the road.
• Allen's goal differential is +4 (85-81), Tulsa's is -36 (67-103).
• Allen's team plus/minus is +1, Tulsa's is -158.
• Allen's team save percentage is .917, Tulsa's is .892.

 

- Here is the more traditional statistical comparison between the two teams.

• Goals scored average: Allen (3.3) - Tulsa (2.6)
• Goals allowed average: Allen (3.1) - Tulsa (4.0)
• Shots for average: Allen (31.7) - Tulsa (33.4)
• Shots against average: Allen (37.6) - Tulsa (36.5)
• Power play percentage: Allen (17.2%) - Tulsa (22.4%)
• Penalty kill percentage: Allen (87.3%) - Tulsa (78.1%)

 

- Special teams are always a big key to any series, but the contrast between Allen and Tulsa is striking when you look at the stats above. Allen has the ECHL's #1-ranked penalty kill; Tulsa's is ranked #23. The power play stats are the opposite. Tulsa is ranked #5, while Allen is ranked #21. In their six head-to-head match up, Allen was 3-23 (13.0%) on the power play, Tulsa was 2-14 (14.3%). Both teams will have power play opportunities tonight. Allen is ranked #9 in penalty minutes (364) and has taken 122 minor penalties. Tulsa is ranked #5 in penalty minutes (379) and has taken 117 minor penalties. Tulsa actually has more five-minute major penalties than Allen (13-10). 

 

- Both teams are below average in scoring the first goal of the game. Allen has scored first in only 42% of its games (11-26), but has an excellent record when they do score first, 8-1-2-0 (.818). Tulsa has scored first in 38% of its games and has a record of 6-4-0-0 (.600) when scoring first.

 

- The keys to the game for Allen are continuing to play like they did before the Christmas break. The Americans gave up six goals against Kansas City in their last game, but that is understandable after playing four games in five days, including three games in three different cities in three days. In the five games before the Kansas City loss, the Americans gave up a total of six goals (1.2) per game. In those same five games, Allen scored 25 goals (5.0 per game. 

A good start, speed through the neutral zone, and special teams excellence will get the Americans back on the winning track tonight.    

 

- The two Allen players who have been outstanding in the six games against Tulsa are Danny Katic (5G, 6A), averaging 1.83 points per game, and Brayden Watts (6G, 2A), averaging a goal per game, including a hat trick.

 

- The game tonight will be a one-referee game, which will be worked by Brendan Schreider (#12). The linesmen will be Antoine Bujold-Roux (#72) and Trent Williams (#38). According to my records, Schreider has not worked an Allen game this season.  

 

OTHER COMMENTS

- The new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) between the ECHL and PHPA was made official yesterday. Both organizations issued press releases. There was a hefty increase in the salary cap, which, from what I understand, is now in effect. The new CBA has not been published yet, but that should be available soon, and when it is, I will provide the details.  

 

-  A New Year's Eve game at home is a tradition in Allen. I say tradition because in 15 of the 17 years since the franchise was established (counting tonight), the Americans have played a New Year's Eve (NYE) game at home. In 2009-10, Allen played on the road, and in 2015-16, they did not play on NYE, but every other season, the Americans have played at home, including a 6-2 loss to Idaho last year. In the first seven NYE games, Allen was 7-0. The next four years, the Americans were 0-4. The overall NYE record is 9-6. Here are the all-time NYE results: 

• 2024-25 - Lost to Idaho at home 6-2 
• 2023-24 - Beat Idaho at home 5-4
  
• 2022-23 - Lost to Wichita at home 7-3
• 2021-22 - Beat Idaho at home 4-1 
• 2020-21 - Lost to Wichita at home 7-2
• 2019-20 - Lost to Idaho at home 6-5
• 2018-19 - Lost to Tulsa at home 3-1
• 2017-18 - Lost to Wichita at home 4-2
• 2016-17 - Beat Utah at home 8-4
• 2015-16 - Did Not Play
• 2014-15 - Beat Rapid City at home 5-3
• 2013-14 - Beat Wichita at home 5-3
• 2012-13 - Beat Quad City at home 4-0
• 2011-12 - Beat Laredo at home 3-2
• 2010-11 - Beat Tulsa at home 10-1
• 2009-10 - Beat Wichita on road 3-1

 

- It is always fun to get in the "way back machine" and remember games from the past. Wouldn't it be nice to replicate the 2010 NYE game tonight, which was a 10-1 drubbing against Tulsa. Here are some highlights from that game:

• Allen outshot Tulsa 47-19
• Dave Bonk had six points, including a hat trick (3G, 3A).
• Judd Blackwater also has six points (1G, 5A).
• In the second period, Tulsa coach Bruce Ramsay, (currently the coach in Wichita) received a bench minor for disputing a call, followed by a game misconduct for abuse of officials. 
• The lone goal by Tulsa in that game was scored by one of the three players who have their numbers retired in the rafters in Allen, Chad Costello. Also on that Tulsa team was one of the other players with his number retired in Allen, Gary Steffes. If that isn't enough Allen greats playing in that NYE game, Jack Combs was also on that team. 

 

- It is a busy schedule around the ECHL tonight with 12 games on the schedule. Seven of eight Mountain Division teams will be in action; Idaho is idle. Here is the ECHL Today with all of the previews. https://echl.com/news/2025/12/echl-today-dec-31     

 

 

 

-  Carter Savoie, whom Coach Martinson traded to Greenville to acquire Hank Crone, has left the Swamp Rabbits to play in Europe. Savoie was Greenville's leading scorer. He has been suspended by the team to protect his ECHL rights.

 

 

 

- If you track transactions in Ottawa, you saw the Senators' top goalie, Linus Ullmark, is taking an indefinite leave of absence for personal reasons. Leevi Merilainen, who played 13 games in Allen (2023-24), will be stepping in as the primary goaltender. Hunter Shepard was recalled from Belleville to serve as backup in Ottawa. That leaves Belleville with two goalies, one of them being Jackson Parsons. Bottom line is don't look for Parsons to be loaned to Allen anytime soon.  

 

 

- Here are the ECHL standings as 2026 approaches. Games played are in parentheses. The division remains very tight, especially from third place to seventh place. 

 

• .692 - Kansas City (26 games)
• .672 - Idaho (29 games)
• .586 - Tahoe (29 games)
• .558 - Allen (26 games)
• .500 - Wichita (26 games)
• .481 - Rapid City (27 games)
• .481 - Utah (27 games)
• .346 - Tulsa (26 games) 

 

 

DID YOU KNOW: The ECHL Stats post today is about players with the highest percentage of their team's goals. Allen's leader is Brayden Watts, who has scored 12.9% of Allen's goals. 

ECHL players with the highest percentage of their team’s goals this season: 

 

21.7% - Spencer Kersten, Orlando*

17.9% - Easton Armstrong, Tulsa

16.9% - Brandon Hawkins, Toledo

16.1% - Reed Lebster, Utah

15.9% - Jack O’Brien, Iowa

15.7% - Eddie Matsushima. Bloomington

15.5% - Ryan Kirwan, Cincinnati

15.2% - Brendan Hoffman, Idaho

 

*Kersten has scored 15 of Orlando’s 69 goals.