Thank Yous All Around & Recruitment For Next Season Is Underway

While we are all still basking in the glory of a hockey season that ended with a second straight Kelly Cup championship for the Allen Americans it is time for me to say my thanks to all involved. While I will still be posting blogs during the summer when there is news to report, it will no longer be each day.

I sure consider myself lucky to have started this blog four seasons ago and have all of them end with championships. Who would have imagined a blog started for the Heritage Ranch Allen Americans fan club now reaches people all over the US and Canada as well as the hockey hotbeds in Europe on a daily basis and is about to pass 700,000 pages views.  It proves fans of the Allen Americans are all over the world.

I want to start out by thanking all of the fans that frequent this blog. It has been my pleasure to meet many of you and your words of encouragement in person, comments at the end of each blog, posts on Twitter, Facebook, message boards, and email have been very satisfying and inspiring. A special thanks to Mary Betz and Ted Hosterman for filling in for me when I go on a trip (or two) during the hockey season. They do a great job.

Thanks to the many fans, bloggers, and media from all over the league that have promoted the blog as fair and balanced and also have shared information with me about their teams. One of the unexpected benefits of writing the blog has been getting to know all of the broadcasters, writers, bloggers and passionate fans from other teams.

Joe Babik, Director of Communication for the ECHL has once again spent more time with me this season than I deserved to help educate me about the policies, rules, and procedures of the ECHL. Joe has gone above and beyond the call of duty and seems to respond to questions 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Thanks also to Joe Ernst, Vice President of Hockey Operations, for his willingness to answer all of my questions when he is attending games in Allen and also for compiling information when requested.

Thank you to the players who have never said no to a single request I have made of them for a chat, an interview or a question.  I have gotten to know most of these young men both professionally and personally and they have represented the Americans in an outstanding manner.

One of my goals when I started the blog was to share the personal stories of the players. The wives/girlfriends, parents, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles and friends I have met have been great about sharing family stories which I have then been able to share in the blog. Thanks to all of you.

Thanks to Steve Martinson and his staff (Tony Curtale, Jason Deitsch, Thomas Speer, Luke Chilcott, Nolan Bowker, Jaime Garcia) for always being willing to talk to me and help educate me. A special thanks to coach Martinson, for allowing me to stop by his office after every game and every practice to ask questions and talk about the team. It is his openness and trust that has allowed the blog to have information you can't find anywhere else.

A special thank you to Tommy Daniels, Director of Communications & Broadcasting for the Allen Americans, who has been a tremendous help to me for four years. He is the one who encouraged me to start the blog, made me feel like part of the media team, answered many questions, let me stop by his office on an almost daily basis to get current information, publicized the blog to attract new readership, and invited me to be part of the between periods conversation on his radio broadcast to talk hockey and promote the blog.  Tommy is the best in the business and is always willing to share his knowledge with others.

Thanks to Tommy's radio sidekick, Maurice Fitzgerald, for all the between periods chats on the radio broadcast. I always describe myself as the between periods fill-in guest when nobody else is available. There are plenty of people around during the playoffs but for those midweek games in October and November I am in high demand. It was a special thrill to be asked to do a Wichita radio broadcast this year with Maurice as we filled in for the voice of the Wichita Thunder, Jason Mals, who was accompanying his daughter to her first father-daughter dance. Maurice did all the heavy lifting as the play by play guy while I did the color commentary. We both became big Wichita fans for just one night. 

Thanks to photographers Lauren Lyssy, Kimberly Sauer and Dianne Webster who work tirelessly to provide pictures for the blog. You may know I write the blog in the morning and get up at 4:00 am. Many nights after a game, Dianne, Kimberly and Lauren are up until 2:00 am to process all of their pictures and send me their best ones. It sure makes for a better game recap with their pictures included.

Thanks also to the entire Team Sin Bin which has welcomed me into their group for the second year and made it very easy for me to get my stories on their site (thesinbin.net). A special thanks to Matt Harding (SinBinThunder) and Joe Rozycki (SinBinMavs) who work their magic every day to post my stories.

Unlike most writers, bloggers, and other media types that cover the Americans I have a dual role as in addition to being a blogger I also coordinate the activities of the fan club (over 200 members) at Heritage Ranch where I live. In this capacity I spend a lot of time in the front office of the Americans arranging for season tickets, suites, individual game tickets, seats for soldiers tickets, and other promotions. I want to thank the entire sales and marketing staff and especially Mike Martin and Robert Fatta who have gone out of their way to help me and the residents of Heritage Ranch. This group is understaffed and overworked and do a great job given the circumstances they are dealing with, if you know what I mean.

Thanks also to the Ice Angels for all they do to promote the team off the ice and entertain the fans at games. They are the best in the business, led by Ice Angels Director (and mamma bear), Stephanie Di Biase-Wheat.

So a fourth consecutive magical season has come to an end. I have been a season ticket holder since the beginning so I have been following the team since its inception but these last four seasons have been different. I have been able to see the team from a different perspective and the access given by the entire organization helped me bring the Allen Americans story to the blog.

With the official celebrations of winning the Kelly Cup complete and the guys already heading out of town, the uncertainty about next year commences. Wendy Ellis, who works for the company that developed the Villages at Allen and Villages at Fairview (MGHerring) does a lot for the team, is a super fan and is the closest thing to a "team mother"  says this every year and it captures the sentiment perfectly.  "The day after winning the championship is always so bittersweet. Winning is awesome - so happy for the guys! Saying goodbye is the hardest day of the season! We will miss these guys and their families so much. Such a wonderful group. So proud and so grateful we get to share it with them. We have come to realize how fortunate we are to get to know the players and their families the way we do and to have access the way we do."

This will be the last daily blog post for the season. I am having knee replacement surgery in a week so will be laid up for a while. Like so many of the players, I will be rehabbing this summer and hope to come back next season in much better shape. I will still blog on an as needed basis as new information becomes available. If you are on Facebook or Twitter you can see whenever there is a new post on the blog by liking my page on Facebook at "Allen Americans Blog" or following me on Twitter at @allenamericans1. I will also put any new post up at thesinbin.net which is a great place to get information about all teams in the ECHL during the off season. Maybe the easiest way to stay in touch is by making allenamericansblog.blogspot.com one of your favorites and checking in once and a while. Remember, it is only 125 days to opening night!




DID YOU KNOW: For coach Steve Martinson there is an off season but for General Manager Steve Martinson there is never time to relax. Recruitment is something he spends time doing everyday all year around. Talked to GM Martinson yesterday and his first signing for next season will happen next week. June 16 is the first signing day for next season. Another critical date is coming up on June 30. Until June 30 all of the Allen American player's rights for the ECHL remain with Allen (unless the rights are traded) but on June 30th Martinson has to submit to the league a list of no more than eight players he wants to protect. These eight names do not include players that have already signed. Because only eight players can be protected there is incentive to get as many players signed by June 30th as possible. The eight players will be given qualifying offers which for the most part must be 5% above their salary from last season. The qualifying offer period is from June 30th to August 1st. The rules are a little different for players with 39 or fewer games, 40 or more games and veterans (over 260 games) but in almost all cases the offer must include a 5% salary increase.

The Boys of Summer - The Plans for the Off Season

I attended the Allen Americans championship celebration rally yesterday afternoon (4:00 pm) which took place outside at the Village At Fairview. Have to admit it was anticlimactic after the excitement of the post game activities at the Allen Event Center following the game on Thursday night. However, it was an opportunity for fans to talk to the players, get pictures and/or autographs and wish the guys well for the summer. My suggestion if this should happen again (drive for five was already being thrown about for next season) is hold this celebration at 6:00 pm when more working folks can attend and the temperature is a few degrees cooler.

For me, the day after the championship celebration always leaves me with a melancholy feeling because it is the last time I will ever see some of the players (and their families) I have gotten to know both personally and professionally during the season. Some will get AHL contracts, some will go overseas, some won't want to return and some won't be invited back. So the celebration is happy and sad at the same time.

From winning the championship to scattering to the winds always happens quickly but this year seems to be quicker than normal. Justin Courtnall has already left, others will be leaving over the weekend and most will be gone next week. 

One factor in players returning to play for Allen next year is salary. When you win a championship everyone feels they deserve a raise but the salary cap for next season goes up a whopping $200 per week from $12400 to $12600. That is about $10 per week per player. Players have to come to Allen for more than an extra few bucks. As coach Martinson says, you can always find a team that will pay you $50-$100 more per week but will you live in a place like Allen and make a deep playoff run with a couple extra months of pay and playoff bonus. When you add up the playoff bonus (over $4000), the extra weeks of pay and the extra months of housing the players don't have to pay it can be over $15,000 for the higher paid married guys.

I had the chance to ask everyone their plans for the summer. Almost everyone pointed out that with playing until June 9 there isn't much of a summer. Many are dealing with injuries and their concentration over the summer will be on rehab. The other trend I noticed this year is how many players plan to spend the majority of the summer in Texas. Maybe a good sign there will be a big core group back for next season.

Here goes the "boys of summer" in their own words:

Rick Pinkston - I will go home (Michigan) for a bit but will also spend time in Texas visiting relatives who have a ranch. I will also spend about a month at school (Dartmouth) as a friend and myself started a company so we will be spearheading that. No vacation plans. This week celebrating the championship will be my vacation. I have never played hockey until June so that would typically be my rest period. I will probably take a week off and then hop back on the ice. For me being on the ice is not work, it is enjoyment. I see it as an escape. Many say skating is like riding a bike but it is not that way for me. If I take a week off I feel like I have to re-teach myself how to skate. I am not a huge golfer but I do like to play roller hockey in the summer. I like to bike a lot and will do a few bike races over the summer. 

Jake Hildebrand - I do a lot of private lessons and goalie camps back home in Pittsburgh where I will spend the summer. I will also do a lot of golfing and fishing. I just bought a new grill and am real excited about becoming a master griller. I think I am taking a vacation to Myrtle Beach in July. It will be a family vacation and is always a lot of fun.

Matt Register - I will spend most of the summer in Minnesota where my wife is from. I plan on playing a lot of golf. I will relax for a while, re-energize my body and then get ready for next year. I will take at least a month off before I start skating again. No vacation plans other than a few weddings we will attend. We will also go back to Canada to visit my family. 

Nolan Bowker (equipment manager) - I will be going to Nashville in a couple of weeks for an equipment conference. Then I plan on going to San Jose for their development camp. I will head home to Vancouver for a couple of weeks to visit and play some baseball. Then I will head back to Allen around the end of August to get ready for training camp. 

Chris Crane - I will be at home in Virginia Beach. I am still in physical therapy after my knee surgery and am trying to get my knee back to where it was before. I am going to have to train much harder than normal this summer just because of this injury. I have another month before I can get back on the ice so I am really going to focus on training and getting ready for next season. I live on the ocean so it is kind of a vacation everyday. 

Spencer Asuchak - I am going back to Kamloops for the summer to train and spend time with my family and friends. I will play some ball and also golf. My best friend is flying to Dallas the end of the month and we are driving home through California. We will take a week or so to get home stopping wherever we want on the way. We will pretend we are beach bums for a couple of weeks. 

Jordan Rowley - I will be heading home (Edmonton)  and will take a week off and then start training for next season. I am not sure yet what my plans are for next season. It is possible I will be playing overseas and that would make for a very short summer as they start early. The time I do have at home will be devoted to training and lots of golf. 

Danny Federico - I will be heading back home to Massachusetts for the summer. As soon as I heal up I will start working out to get ready for next season. My vacation will be my honeymoon in August when we will go to Aruba. I play in a summer hockey league with all of the guys I train with.

Greger Hanson - I will be spending most of the summer in Allen. Andrea and I will visit her family in Michigan, then go to Sweden to visit my family. We will spend some time in London as well but other than that we will be in Texas. Andrea (she just graduated from law school) in pursuing a job in Dallas.

Tristan King - My wife and I will be traveling here and there to visit family but we will be staying in Texas for the summer. I will take some time off to recover from the season before I start lifting weights. I won't start skating again until August. I like to fish and may try to hook up with Gill and Gens in Minnesota. I am not a fanatic fisherman like them but I do like to fish. 

Kyle Neuber - I work at the University of Guelph (Guelph, Ontario) during the summer running kids camps. My parents just went to Italy and I was supposed to go but couldn't because of the playoffs. That was supposed to be my summer vacation. I have no injuries and am not banged up so I will take a week off and start training for next season. With the camps, I am on the ice everyday so that helps. I enjoy golfing with my parents in the summer so look forward to that.

Nikita Jevpalovs - I will be going home to Latvia for a short time and then head to Canada where I will train for next season. When I am at home my favorite things to do is sleep and play soccer. 

Thomas Carr - I will be heading home (Edmonton) for the summer. I will be building a deck on my home, getting my lawn put in and playing golf everyday. I will go on vacation somewhere with my girlfriend. Probably to one of those all inclusive resorts in Mexico. Then I will head home and go to work getting ready for next season. 

Casey Pierro-Zabotel - We will be headed back to Canada, probably leaving Wednesday, and await the birth of our child. I will be training and playing a lot of baseball. Most likely no vacation this summer with the new baby. 

Eric Roy - I am heading home for a quick visit but then I am going to the Columbus Blue Jackets development camp later this month. I will take a couple of days off to spend time with the family but then get right back in the gym. After the development camp I will spend time at the lake with family and friends. I will do a lot of fishing. 

Jaime Garcia (trainer) - I will be here in Allen over the summer. I will work at Ortho Texas and will be watching over the guys that are rehabbing back in their hometowns. We do weekly and sometimes daily check-ins with them. Personally, I am still doing rehabilitation on a torn hamstring I suffered so I am working on that. I love to go up in the mountains and hike and camp. I like to paddle board and also trail running. I have an aunt and uncle in Austin so will visit them. 

David Makowski - I will be heading back home to St. Louis for the summer. I will stick around Allen for a little bit and then head home next week. I will start my rehab on my hand and get ready for next season. Last summer I went to Hong Kong, Singapore and Bali but with my injury and needing to do rehab I will most likely not take a vacation this summer. With a hand injury I can't do anything with a stick for a while but the good thing is I can skate and focus on my lower body. I will need to find a new hobby for the summer since I won't be able to golf. I will probably do a lot more fishing. 

Joel Rumpel - I will be spending the summer back at the University of Wisconsin in Madison training with a bunch of guys. Some NHL guys like Joe Pavelski, Brian Elliott and Adam Burish all own homes there so it is a good training environment. Since we played so long this season, the only time away from training will be to go back home to Canada to visit family. I am a big golf fan. I am playing in a charity golf tournament in Wisconsin on Thursday and have a charity hockey game on Saturday in Madison that a lot of NHL guys come back to play in. 

Dyson Stevenson - I will be headed home to Saskatchewan for the summer. I will be rehabbing my shoulder injury and getting ready for next season. I will be helping my dad and grandfather on the farm and also hope to do some fishing. My dad and I are looking to get a boat. I normally play a lot of softball but my injury will prevent that. I am helping put on a charity softball tournament that takes place next week.

Aaron Gens - I am going to Minnesota on Thursday as I am doing a hockey camp. If we have to move out of our apartment I will come right back to Texas but if not I will go home (Baudette, MN) and fish for a week. I have an internship that will start here in Texas in early July. 

Riley Gill - We just bought a house here in Texas so we will move our stuff on Monday and then Thursday we will head to Minnesota for a visit with family and to do some fishing. I am the player representative for the team so we will be going to Orlando from June 20-25 for the PHPA (Professional Hockey Players Association) annual meeting. We will then spend a couple of weeks at our cabin in Wisconsin and then head back to Allen early July. We have a wedding to attend in the Outer Banks of North Carolina the end of August so that will be our vacation. 

Vincent Arseneau - I will head home to Quebec for the summer and that is a vacation for me. I plan on doing a lot of fishing while at home. I will take about a month off to rest my body and then start getting ready for next season. My routine is to play golf in the morning and workout after golf. Then I can fish in the afternoon. 

J. P. LaFontaine - Honestly I have no idea at this point. I hope to get back to Minnesota soon. I also need to spend time with my grandpa because he is not doing the greatest. He is in Michigan so I will visit with him. He has the best house ever, right on a lake so I visit him every summer. I will fish almost everyday when I am with my grandpa. 

Chad Costello - Our plan is to stay in the Allen area for the summer. We will go home to Iowa for a week or so. Me and Gens have an internship that will start in July and hopefully I will be here again next year. I like to golf in the summer and will spend time at the pool with the kids and playing baseball with the oldest. I will take two or three weeks off to rest my body and then start biking. I don't like to stay off the ice too long so will start skating in about a month. 

Gary Steffes - I will be working full time for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and will be traveling around the US coaching hockey and telling people about Jesus. My schedule already has me going to Minnesota, Maryland, Massachusetts, Utah and then I will travel home to Michigan to see the family. I get to play with kids and play with pucks all summer so it is a blessing and I just love it. I will also be attending an event in Chicago called the "Global Leadership Summit" which my mom gave me as a birthday gift. My dad an I will also go on a kayaking trip while I am in Michigan. 

DID YOU KNOW: The ECHL Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) is a five year agreement with next season (2016-17) being year number four. There are escalator clauses that call for increases in each year of the agreement but they are small increases. For next season the salary cap increases $200 per week to $12,600. The maximum a rookie (fewer than 25 games) can be paid goes up $10 per week to $530. The minimum salary for rookies increases $15 per week to $445. The minimum salary for non-rookies increases $20 to $500 per week. There is no maximum salary for non-rookies as long as the team stays under the salary cap. Per diem when on the road increases $2 per day to $42.

Allen Wins Kelly Cup - You Will Walk Together Forever

YOU WILL WALK TOGETHER FOREVER - photo by Lauren Lyssy

Today's post will be a long and rambling road because there is so much to say about the momentous occasion last night. For the record the Allen Americans beat the Wheeling Nailers 4-2 to win the Kelly Cup by a series score of 4-2. I spent time on the ice after the game, in the locker room and in the coaches office and didn't record one comment, ask a question or take a picture as all I wanted to do was observe what was going on and congratulate everyone involved.

- There is something special about the grind that leads to a championship in any sport but to win 16 games on the way to a hockey championship is special. The quote below really captures what team sport is all about at any level and what the Allen Americans represent.  A bunch of men playing a game, strangers coming together for a common goal, willing to do anything for each other.

"Win today and we walk together forever."
—Philadelphia Flyers Coach Fred Shero wrote this on his famous chalkboard before the Flyers' 1974 Stanley Cup finals victory.

You can talk about all of the championships Allen has won in the past but for this group of players it is all about this season as they will always be connected in a very special way and to see them celebrate their accomplishment was great. They will indeed walk together for ever. 
 

- One of the most enjoyable parts of watching the team win a championship is the reaction of their families and friends. The tears of joy, celebrations, and pictures are very special and are memories that will be cherished forever. Whether it was Chad Costello putting his MVP trophy on the ice to embrace his three young children, Riley Gill straining to find his wife and son in the crowd or Steve Martinson looking all over for his two children, it was obvious how important it is to share the moment with family and friends. The biggest smile of the night on coach Martinson's face was when he gave his kids a hug and presented them with a championship hat. I saw lots of embraces with moms, dads, siblings, grandparents and friends.

- A special acknowledgement to the moms on the team. Yes, the hockey season is grueling for the players but imagine what it is like for the moms with young children to deal with late night hockey games, long road trips, all of the "guy" activities and after hours commitments. How about the team giving the wives and girlfriends a championship necklace this year to go along with the championship rings the players receive. And no I wasn't put up to this by one of the wives.

- Goals scorers in the game last night for Allen were Tristan King (7), Greger Hanson (15), Eric Roy (5) and Gary Steffes (13).

- It was certainly fitting that Allen won the Kelly Cup last night in a game where they went 3-4 on the power play and did not have an even strength goal. The power play has been the savior for Allen many times this season and it was certainly the biggest factor in winning in the playoffs. The Americans led the ECHL during the regular season with a power play percentage of  21.1%. In the playoffs they improved the overall power play percentage to 27.2% and at home it was an astounding 32.7%. What is even more impressive is how disciplined the team was in not taking penalties. They made their opponents pay time and time again.

- Led by arguably the best passer in the history of the ECHL in Chad Costello, the Americans dominated the power play stats in the playoffs. Allen occupied the top four spots in power play points with Costello (17), Makowski (13), Hanson (12) and Roy (11). Hanson led the playoffs in power play goals (8), Costello in power play assists (17) and points (20), Roy in rookie power play assists (8) and points (11). David Makowski led all defensemen in power play goals (3), assists (10) and points (13). That is what you call dominance.

- Allen has won four straight championships (two in Central Hockey League & two in ECHL) which is unprecedented in minor league hockey, The only constant in the four championships is coach Steve Martinson. There are no players from the 2013 championship still on the team. The list of players that have won three of the four championships got longer last night as Greger Hanson and Spencer Asuchak joined Jamie Schaafsma, Brian McMillin, Tyler Ludwig and Trevor Ludwig with three Allen Championship rings.

- As much enjoyment there is in seeing players repeat or three-peat as champions in Allen it is just as much fun to see players win in an Americans uniform for the first time. Players with a lot of experience (Pierro-Zabotel, King, Register, Courtnall) and those still classified as rookies (Roy, Jevpalovs, LaFontaine, Pinkston, Carr, Rowley, Rumpel, Hildebrand. However they arrived in Allen is was a good move.

- How does Steve Martinson continue to win? He is the best general manager in AA hockey. He always says the key to winning is getting the best players and that is what he does best. He has done it with youth ( their were eight rookies on this year's playoff roster) and with teams with very few rookies. He gets the most from the players and is not afraid to part ways with players if it helps the team win. Martinson has now won 10 championships in 20 years of coaching. Throw in a couple of championships as a player and it is an even dozen rings. He certainly isn't noted for being a sentimental guy but he did bring his championship rings from the first three years in Allen to the rink last night. Martinson is now 14-0 in playoff series since becoming the Allen coach. The last seven times he has made it to a championship final he has won. Here is a story written by Rick Gosselin that makes to case for for Steve Martinson. It is a must read: http://sportsday.dallasnews.com/dallas-stars/stars/2016/06/10/gosselin-best-gm-town-stars-jim-nill-rangers-jon-daniels-itsnbspsteve-martinson-allen-americans

- Hard to overstate the importance of Chad Costello to the Allen Americans. Last night he became the first player in ECHL history to win the regular season MVP and go on to win the playoff MVP award. His 29 assists in the playoffs blew away the all time record which was set way back in 2000 at 26. He served as co-captain of the team. He won the ECHL regular season scoring championship the last two seasons. With all of Chad's offensive accomplishments, maybe his most impressive stat is he  has never missed a game (regular season or playoffs) since joining the team last season. He is the true ironman of this team.

- Allen would not be the two time Kelly Cup champions with out goalie Riley Gill. There is nothing more important in the playoffs than an experienced goalie. Riley had a couple of injuries during the season and in the playoffs but as he has done in the past, when it is crunch time he is as good as it gets. The higher the stakes the better he plays. That is why he has won the Kelly Cup three times in the last four years. With 3:44 remaining in the game and Wheeling trailing by one goal, Riley made an unbelievable save as Nailer forward Ty Loney had a wide open net at point blank range. Riley somehow slide to his right and got a piece of the puck with his pad. It was definitely a game saver and a shot Loney will see in his sleep for a long time. Riley ended the playoffs with the most wins (12), minutes (997), saves (469) and a save percentage of .923.

- With his 12 wins in the playoffs this year Riley Gill now owns the all time ECHL record for playoff victories. He has 48 playoff wins. Second all time is 43 and third is 31. That record may stand for a while and my guess is Riley is not done adding to his total.

- Congrats to the Wheeling Nailers team and entire organization for an unbelievable playoff run. They certainly earned the moniker of "comeback kids" with what they accomplished to get into the playoffs and to the final. Here is what coach Martinson had to say about Wheeling, "Wheeling had a great playoff run. It is always a crap shoot when you are a small market northern team. Getting guys back from the AHL in time to win in the playoffs is always critical. I have a ton of respect for what the coaches and players accomplished in the playoffs. Coaches that have not had the opportunity to work in the north don't realize how hard it is not to have your best team going down the stretch. When I coached in Elmira, I used to get multiple calls from the AHL every Friday. We played over 30 games with less than 16 skaters. Wheeling had a great playoff run. I think what differentiates our team is the experience our battle tested players have gets passed along and spreads to the entire team and helps make us a tough team in the playoffs."

- On a personal note what a thrill to be at the Kelly Cup clinching game to celebrate with the team, front office and fans. It took a 14 hour drive from Minnesota on Thursday but it was worth the effort. I am so fortunate to be a small part of the Allen Americans family.

- I thought it was a nice touch for the team to allow fans on the ice to celebrate with the team. There are always concerns about liability when you let so many people on the ice, many with shoes not fit for the occasion. The players were great in staying out to greet the fans and take pictures until everyone had their fill. Job well done.

- Speaking of fan support, the Americans averaged 5082 fans per game during the playoffs which was a big increase over the regular season (4571) and last year's playoff attendance (3547). Let's hope the enthusiasm carries over in ticket sales for next season.  

- If there was a negative concerning what was an amazing night for all involved it was the fact that none of the team owners or their representatives showed up for the game. Seems like the least you could do for the most successful on ice product in minor league hockey is show up and say thanks. One can only hope the lack of support means the owners are negotiating to sell the team to local ownership which is precisely what needs to happen.


- If you haven't had a chance to read some of the stories about the Allen victory here a few links.

Rick Gosselin from the Dallas Morning News has been a big supporter of the Allen Americans and having someone of his stature with a national reputation support the team is invaluable. Here is the story Rick filed after the game last night: http://sportsday.dallasnews.com/dallas-stars/stars/2016/06/09/gosselin-riley-gill-vital-allen-americans-second-consecutive-echl-kelly-cup-championship-fourth-title-row

Here is a story from Patrick Hayslip from the Denton Record Chronicle: http://www.dentonrc.com/sports/sports-headlines/20160610-allen-americans-win-kelly-cup.ece

Here is a story from collegehockeyinc.com that talks about the 12 college alumni who were part of the Kelly Cup championship last nght. http://collegehockeyinc.com/articles/allen-wins-another-kelly-cup

Here is a story from Shawn Rine of the Intelligencer/Wheeling News-Register titled "Bakker, Nailers helping rebuid city of Wheeling"...http://www.theintelligencer.net/page/content.detail/id/662523.html

Here is the story from the ECHL with some more stats about Costello and Gill: http://www.echl.com/allen-claims-second-consecutive-kelly-cup-title-p202765

Here is a story written by Matt Harding of Team Sin Bin, "No Mistaking the Greatness of Allen's Run"... http://thesinbin.net/no-mistaking-the-greatness-of-allens-run/

THANKS FOR A GREAT SEASON BOYS! - photo by Dianne Webster

DID YOU KNOW: To say Allen Americans fans are spoiled with success would be a huge understatement. In their seven years as a franchise they have never experienced a team that did not make the playoffs. Allen made the CHL final in their very first season and has lost in the first round just one time. Throw in two regular season titles and the last four championship seasons and it has been quite a ride.

 

JUST GIT 'ER DONE BOYS!

While Barry is on vacation, the views contained in this blog do not represent Barry, or those of the Allen Americans Organization.

courtesy of social media

This will be our last blog for this season. And, oh, what a season it has been! Barry will be back tonight and will finish it up! Thanking each and everyone of you for your continued support! 

There is very little to be said about a game preview that would not, at this point, be redundant.

The Americans know what they have to do:

• stay out of the penalty box
• provide traffic in front of the net
• don't give up the puck in front of our net
• don't allow odd man rushes

If they play their game and don't allow Wheeling to bait them into stupid penalties, this should be a good game.

We have heard about some bad behavior that occurred in Wheeling. For the most part though, feedback was that Nailer fans were very nice.  Please remember to thank any Nailer fans that have made the long trip to Allen. Let's show them what a class act we are.

Did you know: In previous championship series, the Americans beat Wichita on a Saturday night, Denver on a Friday night, and South Carolina on a Sunday. Can we please add Thursday night to these stats! Thanks to Paul Dolinar for this info.

Thoughts From A Fisherman Missing the Kelly Cup Final

It has been a while since you have heard from me as I have been on my annual fishing trip to Canada and Minnesota. When the Allen Americans were in the Central Hockey League (CHL)) the championship final was always concluded by the time the fishing trip I have been going on for over 20 years commenced. The last two years, since joining the ECHL, the Americans have been playing in the Kelly Cup final during the last week of my fishing trip. It is hard to explain how difficult it was last season to miss the win over South Carolina at the Allen Event Center (AEC) to clinch the Kelly Cup. When you write about the team on a daily basis, attend practice, interact with players and coaches regularly and then miss the biggest game of the season it is an empty feeling. I promised myself that would not happen again.

After what happened last season how could I possibly be sitting in northern Minnesota in the same position again this year. It was plain and simple lack of faith. When I had to decide in early January if I was going to drop out of my fishing trip, which I love, the Missouri Mavericks were running away with the Central Division. Winning a single Kelly Cup championship is a phenomenal task but winning two (in your first two seasons in the league) is impossible. With visions of the Americans not making it to the  Kelly Cup final and also missing my fishing trip I decided go with the odds and go on the fishing trip. Note to self, that was a bad decision as you never want to underestimate what this team and Steve Martinson can accomplish. 

As we were fishing this past Sunday morning, watching eagles soar by, a pair of Loons catching minnows to feed to their two chicks and all the other gorgeous views will sitting on a lake in Minnesota 

I kept thinking about what the Americans had accomplished Saturday night with their 3-2 overtime win in Wheeling. They would be coming home with a 3-2 series lead and two chances to win their fourth straight championship at home. I made the decision to cut the fishing trip short and get back to Allen for game six tomorrow night. It will be a road trip somewhat similar to an Allen Americans road trip. Instead of "Big Red" it will be a 1000 mile trip in "Little Red" (my wife's red Prius) on Thursday. Should get back to Allen in time to change clothes and head to the AEC. 

A byproduct of spending a week at a remote fishing camp in Canada is no radio, no television, no access to social media or message boards.  For a blogger that lives and dies by these contacts there was a lot of catching up to do after crossing the border. Here are a few of my thoughts after checking out all the dialogue on the Allen vs Wheeling series.

- Getting to the Kelly Cup final is an amazing accomplishment and neither team should be disparaged. As a matter of fact, I would include Fort Wayne and South Carolina in a group of four teams that had a great playoff run. To get to the final four in the 28 team ECHL should be celebrated.

- No matter what the outcome of the final, Wheeling and Allen have done amazing work to get this far. With 25 (Wheeling) and 23 (Allen) playoff games in the books everyone is bruised and battered. Injuries always play a big part in the playoffs. Just ask South Carolina who lost a lot of key players including their #1 goalie in the series against Wheeling. 

- Allen has had many key players injured during the playoffs. Riley Gill, David Makowski, Dyson Stevenson, Spencer Asuchak, Danny Federico and Rick Pinkston have all missed playoff games with injuries. Aaron Gens missed all of the first two playoff rounds and most of the third recovering from a broken ankle. Depth is key and Allen has relied on that depth, especially at defense, in the playoffs.

- Wheeling has earned the title of "comeback kids" starting with winning the last two games of the regular season with third period comebacks just to make the playoffs and get the #5 seed in the Eastern Conference. Being down 3-2 in a series as they are against Allen is nothing new for the Nailers. In the Eastern Conference semifinals they were losing to Reading 3-2 and had to win two games at home to advance. In the Eastern Conference final they were losing to South Carolina 3-2 and had to win two games on the road to advance to play Allen. Any way you cut it, Wheeling has shown they know how to play from behind. It is an impressive record for which they should be commended.

- Winning two games in Allen will be a much bigger task for Wheeling than it was in South Carolina. They are not playing against a first year untested goalie. They will be playing against the two time Kelly Cup champion, Riley Gill, who has won more ECHL playoff games than any goalie in the history of the league. 

- They will also be playing against a coach that excels in the playoffs and is seeking his 10th championship in his 20th season as a coach. Steve Martinson has never been selected as coach of the year or General Manager of the year since coming to Allen but he has never lost a playoff series. Here are just a few of his records:

 - Martinson has been in 13 playoff series in Allen and his record is 13-0.

 - Martinson has not lost a playoff series later than the second round since 1999.

 - Martinson is 6-0 in his last six championship finals. 

 - Martinson has never lost a game seven at home in 20 years of coaching.

- You have to like Allen's chances but if Wheeling can win the next two games it would be unprecedented and they would be a deserving champion. All you could do is tip your hat to them.

- if Allen does win the Kelly Cup they will have beaten the #1 & #2 seeds in the Western Conference and the Eastern Conference champions to win their second straight ECHL championship.

- No matter what the outcome I hope fans, players, coaches and the media give the winner their due. You don't win 16 playoff games because of weak divisions or conferences, bad bounces, the referees, poor ice or whatever other excuses available. Whoever wins the Kelly Cup wins because they are the best team, period.

DID YOU KNOW: Allen had the fewest penalty minutes (average per game) of the final four teams in the playoffs.

THE WHEELING NAILERS GET HAMMERED IN O/T!

While Barry is on vacation, the views contained in this blog do not represent Barry, or those of the Allen Americans Organization.


Things did not go as planned for the #NailItDown crew as Allen only needed 17 seconds of overtime to (pardon the pun) hammer the Nailers!  A game that started out hard fought on both sides in the first period remained scoreless at the first intermission. Allen did not return to the ice in the second with the enthusiasm and confidence as in the first.  They made a lot of mistakes but thankfully only 1 goal would reach the back of the Allen net. The second period would find Wheeling up by one.  Allen returned to the ice for the third knowing what a long ride it would be back to Allen if they lost this game.  They worked hard and it payed off.  The Americans would score twice in 4 minutes to take the lead.  But the Nailers would tie it up with a power play goal and take the game to overtime late in the third. Does anyone out there have any fingernails left? Not to worry,  the game concluded 17 seconds into overtime as Greger Hanson scored his playoff leading 14th goal topshelf off the crossbar above Wheeling's Goalie Frank Palazzese's glove.

In true Coach Martinson's style, veterans carried most of the load coming through with key plays that counted.

• Spencer Asuchak and Casey Pierro-Zabotel maintained good presence in front of the net
• Asuchak also assisted on the overtime goal by winning a puck battle at the blue line
• Chad Costello scored Allen's first goal with a laser like shot from almost in line with the net
• Chad also ties the ECHL post season record for assists with 26 (his 33 points are only 5 shy of the ECHL post season points record)
• Hansen, shooting through traffic, scored the game winning goal in overtime
• Riley Gill notched his 11th career ECHL victory, extending his ECHL record for the Kelly Cup Finals.  In this year's playoffs Riley's GAA stands at 2.37 with a SV% of .920

Allen was again outshot last night 26-16 but continues their unusual record of 10-2 when being outsot by opponent.  Allen's 16 shots were only 1 more than the fewest recorded (15) in this playoff year.

The third period is very productive for Allen.  It continues to be their best period, having their most goals (30) and their least number of shots (206).


Bodies were falling all over the ice last night due to poor ice conditions resulting from the arena's malfunctioning air conditioning. Speaking of the ice, the Americans adapted well to the unusual size of the WesBanco arena ice.  The rink is shorter and wider than at the AEC with a smaller neutral zone, and more room behind the net.


Coach Martinson's post game comments:

• our go-to and returning players have come up big every time we needed them
• we were just trying to get pucks to the net and traffic
• Wheeling's small neutral zone and tight corners makes the 2 wins really big
• I think our power play will be better at home
• we were better defensively tonight

For those of you who think the Kelly Cup is in our pocket you must bear in mind these facts about Wheeling:

• the Nailers had to win on the next-to-last regular season game to qualify for the playoffs
• they lost their coach shortly after winning the opening round
• they have trailed 3-2 in their last two playoff series and came back both times defeating South Carolina on the road (an ECHL first) to advance to the finals.

Dyson Stevenson, who sustained an injury in game 3, flew home to Allen on Saturday.  Dyson was in the broadcast booth with Tommy for game 4 and did an outstanding job explaining moves on the ice with insightful commentary.


Many thanks again to Angie Blair, Christa Minnick, and Sheri Bohnemann, who were in West Va. to support our team and send us photos.

The team stayed at the Oglebay Resort in West Virginia. Sheri Bohnemann shared this photo of the grounds.

Did you know: The last ECHL team to return to the Finals after winning the previous year's Finals, was Toledo in 1995.  The award was the Riley Cup, an earlier version of the Kelly Cup.  To paraphrase Mayor Terrell - this occurred in the last century.

ALLEN NAILS GAME 4 TO TIE SERIES 2-2

While Barry is on vacation, the views contained in this blog do not represent Barry, or those of the Allen Americans Organization.

Before a sellout crowd of 5439 (standing room only), Allen ensures game 6 at the AEC by tying the series up 2-2 with a 4-2 victory.  The Kelly Cup will not be awarded until either next Thursday or Saturday in our house.  Phew....this is championship hockey at its' best when the game could go either way until that 2nd insurance goal is scored with only 34 seconds left of play.  Gives credence to the old Philly saying "It is not over until the fat lady sings"  (referring to Kate Smith singing God Bless America at the Flyers game)!

Allen was outshot 34-29, however, this is not a disadvantage as we are 9-2-0-0 when outshot by our opponent.

Key performances from this game:

• Gary Steffes scored his 12th goal of the post season and 9th of the Kelly Cup Finals.  He is now tied for 2nd most goals in ECHL Kelly Cup history. He has a 9 game point streak and 4 game goal streak.
• Chad Costello continues his playoff lead in points and assists.  He has 32 pts (1.45 per game) and 26 assists (1.18 per game).  He also is on a 6 game streak in both categories.
• Riley Gill notched his 9th Kelly Cup final victory setting a new ECHL record.
• Eric Roy's +10 leads the Americans and is 2nd in the playoffs.

Allen improved their record when scoring first to 11-1-0 for a winning percentage of .917.  The league playoff average is .741.  Wheeling's record is 7-2-0 when scoring first for a percentage of  .778

The play of the night was Costello's no look backhand pass from behind the Wheeling net to Casey Pierro-Zabotel setting up the game's first goal by Gary Steffes.  

Allen and Wheeling continue to be #1 in power play percentage.  Allen is 27.2% and Wheeling 28.8%.

Game five winners are 23-1 in Kelly Cup Finals.  In the eight times the teams have been tied 2-2 the winner of game 5 has gone on to win the finals.

Coach Martinson's post game comments:

• Costello had a big offensive night
• we are now in a best of 3 series with home ice advantage
• my money is on Gill
• we have a few things to tighten up before tomorrow's game
• we need to get better in front of our net

These writers sorely miss our photographers but superfans Angie Blair and Christa Minnick  sent us a few from WesBanco Arena.  Thank you both.

Did you know:  The first recorded broadcast use of " It Ain't Over Until The Fat Lady Sings" appeared in the Dallas Morning News on March 10th in 1976 by Journalist Ralph Carpenter.  (info obtained from Wikipedia)