Qualifying Offers, Player Signing Announcement, More Interviews, Update on 2020-21 Season, Could Chad Costello Return, An ECHL Record Full of Allen Americans

Today is a critical day for Steve Martinson as he continues to put together the Allen Americans roster for the 2020-21 season. The deadline for making qualifying offers is this afternoon 3:00 pm EDT.

- Here is the list of players on the season ending roster that could be given a qualifying offer. Remember, only eight players can be given qualifying offers and this is a way to retain the rights to players.

Defensemen 
Turner Ottenbreit
Ben Carroll
Cole Fraser
Les Lancaster
Kayle Doetzel
Cody Corbett
Matt Register*

Forwards
Jake Doty
Brett Pollock
Jared VanWormer
Spencer Asuchak - signed and announced
Jordan Topping
Corey Durocher
Josh Lammon
Gabe Gagne
Colton Heffley
Josh Brittain*
Alex Guptill*
Shawn O'Donnell*

*veterans



- Typically coach Martinson does not extend qualifying offers to veterans because the rules allow them to become unrestricted free agents on August 1st as long as they don't sign with another team prior to that date. If Martinson does qualify a veteran it would be Matt Register who spent the majority of last season in Iowa.


- I would expect qualifying offers will be extended to Jake Doty, Gabe Gagne and Turner Ottenbreit just to retain their ECHL rights as they are expected to play in the AHL in 2020-21.


-  Players like Lancaster and Topping may have to be qualified because they are still awaiting deals with an AHL club or clubs in Europe before they re-sign with Allen.


- Coach Martinson has already agreed to terms with many players on the team from last season. The young players from last season that are not on the qualified list are most likely already signed but not announced.


- The bottom line is Martinson has more than enough slots to qualify everyone he wants to qualify. He will not have to use all eight qualifying offers. You may see some individual teams put out press releases prior to the ECHL issuing the complete list.


- The Americans will be announcing their second player this afternoon (Tuesday) and another key piece of the puzzle will be added.


- Tommy Daniels is trying to do two video interview per week, on Wednesday and Sunday. It wasn't finalized when I talked to him yesterday but his plan was to interview the Minnesota Wild General Manager Bill Guerin and post that interview on Wednesday. Guerin was the Assistant GM in Pittsburgh for five years before getting the GM job in Minnesota so he has a lot of experience dealing with the relationship between an NHL club and their AHL and ECHL affiliated teams. This should be a informative interview.


- Here is Tommy's latest interview with Jake Doty with a special appearance by Jake's young son, Dallas:

 


- There is much uncertainty about the start of the 2020-21 ECHL season with a reluctance to suggest the season will be delayed. Yesterday the Fort Wayne Komets issued a letter to their fans and season ticket holders that provided an update which covered some topics of interest. It would be helpful if all teams would issue such a letter to reassure fans of their approach to 2020-21.  https://www.komets.com/en/news/2020/6/season-update


- I was doing some research for my ECHL Stats and Information post yesterday and was reminded why Steve Martinson has said many times his 2020-21 team will be more physical than last season. The Americans finished the shortened 2019-20 season ranked #18 in average penalty minutes per game (12.02), #14 in minor penalties (285), #15 in major penalties (21), #15 in misconduct penalties and #24 in game misconduct penalties (1). When the Americans won their two Kelly Cups (2015 & 2016) they were top five in almost all of these categories. When they won their first Kelly Cup in 2015 Allen was #1 in penalty minutes with 1644.


- This is my ECHL Stats and Information post from today. It just reinforces how tough it was when Allen won back to back Kelly Cups in 2015 and 2016.  Going back 10 years, five of the top nine players with the most games played in one season are Allen Americans.

Most combined regular season and playoff games played in a single season in the last 10 years, since 2010–11:

‬
‪98 - Brett Stern, Wheeling (15-16)‬
‪97 - Chad Costello, Allen (14-15)‬
‪97 - Jamie Schaafsma, Allen (14-15)‬
‪97 - Aaron Gens, Allen (14-15)‬
96 - Chad Costello, Allen (15-16)
96 - Matt Register, Colorado (17-18)
96 - Jake Marto, Colorado (17-18)
96 - Kevin Young, Allen (14-15)
96 - Mathew Maione, Brampton & Wheeling (15-16)



DID YOU KNOW: With the rumor or maybe better described as wishful thinking, there is more talk than normal about the possibility of Chad Costello not returning to Europe for the 2020-21 season because of all the issues surrounding Covid 19. Unfortunately there is as much uncertainty surrounding the ECHL as the leagues in Europe. If the stars aligned and Chad would sign with Allen and he was called up to Allen's AHL affiliate he would be playing in front of all of his friends and family in his hometown of Des Moines.

A reminder of what Chad Costello can do in the Steve Martinson offense. Scoring more than 110 points in a season has happened 26 times in ECHL history but 23 of the 26 took place prior to the turn of the century. Here are the three exceptions:

125 - Chad Costello, 2014-15, Allen Americans
122 - Chad Costello, 2016-17, Allen Americans
114 - Tyler Donati, 2009-10, Elmira Jackals

Steve Martinson was the coach for all three of these achievements. Also, Chad Costello is one of only 12 players who have scored 120+ points in one ECHL season. Chad's 125 points in 2014-15 is #9 all-time and his 122 points in 2016-17 is #10 all-time. The eight players ahead of Costello on the single season point list all set their marks between 1989 -1996 during the high scoring years of pro hockey.  
 

Allen Americans Weekly Update, Player Announcement, Road Schedule, New ECHL Streaming Service and More

- It has been a week since ECHL players could be signed and undoubtedly many have been inked to a contract but announcements have been few and far between around the league. Just five or six ECHL teams have issued press releases on players that have signed for the 2020-21 season. You can expect the pace will quicken this week.


- The Allen Americans will make their first player announcement tomorrow (Tuesday). They were teasing the annoucment over the weekend and you can expect more teases today. The first player announced each season is always well received and that will certainly be the case tomorrow.


- It is still unknown when the 2020-21 ECHL schedule will be released as decisions will have to be made by the Board of Governors (BOG) on how to proceed. They will be meeting this week (virtual meeting) so it will be interesting to see what is made public after the meeting.


- As part of the BOG meeting the ECHL will announce the winners of 13 individual and team awards given to front office personnel. This will be live on Facebook on June 24th (Wednesday) at 3:00 pm CDT. Best of luck to Allen's two nominees, Ali Addikson for Sales Rookie of the Year and Tommy Daniels for Broadcaster of the Year. 


- With the uncertainty about the start of the ECHL season many teams have not released their home schedules. Allen will obviously visit the other six Mountain Division teams (Idaho, Kansas City, Rapid City, Tulsa, Utah, Wichita). I did a quick search around the league to find teams that had released their home schedule and Allen was included. I was able to find 11 of the 36 road games:

Idaho - December 2, 4, 5 and January 6 & 8
Rapid City - November 11, 13, 14 and January 22 & 23
Cincinnati - January 17
Toledo - January 30 & 31  


- The ECHL will have a new provider for televised streaming services when the season does begin. One can only hope with Neulion out, the cost and quality that the AHL and NHL enjoy will be available to ECHL fans. Stay tuned.


- For the many Allen Americans fans that are always wishing for the return of Chad Costello you probably noticed that the Costello's returned to the US from Germany this past week. From what I have read the league Chad played in (DEL) has been delayed until the end of October at the earliest, they typically start in August. It doesn't mean Chad won't return to Europe as other countries/leagues are planning to play as scheduled. I am sure coach Martinson is saving some money in case Costello decides he wants to stay in the US for the upcoming season. Unfortunately the situation in the ECHL is also very much unsettled.


- Tommy Daniels latest interview is with the Allen Americans Fan Club. This group does a lot to support the team. Take a look at the video for the details on what they do and how you can get involved:

 


DID YOU KNOW: I came across this stat recently and it is one of the most impressive in the record book. It is a page that shows the Kelly Cup playoff overtime records of all current ECHL teams. Allen is by far the best with a OT playoff record of 7-0 which includes 3-0 at home and 4-0 on the road. Here is the playoff overtime record of all current ECHL teams with a minimum of seven OT games.

7-0 - Allen
6-4 - Greenville
4-3 - Manchester
20-17 - Toledo
19-16 - Idaho
18-16 - Florida
18-16 - Cincinnati
15-13 -Wheeling
12-14 - Reading
9-11 - Fort Wayne
25-33 - South Carolina
6-13 - Atlanta
2-5 - Kalamazoo
3-13 - Utah

        

Allen Americans Update, Signing Date Arrives, Zoom Interviews With Lukin, Whitley, Lammon, Front Office Awards and More

The day has finally arrived, today is the first day for ECHL teams to sign players for the 2020-21 season. Because of the uncertainty surrounding what will happen with the NHL and AHL seasons, it creates some unique issues for Allen general manager, Steve Martinson. Here is my take on what is taking place.


- The season ending rosters for all ECHL teams were released this morning. For the Allen Americans the season ending roster looks very much like the protected list that was released two weeks ago. Just two players from the protected list are not on the season ending list (Jake Paterson & Josh Atkinson). Here is the ECHL press release with all of the season ending rosters:  https://www.echl.com/en/news/2020/6/echl-announces-season-ending-rosters


- Martinson will quickly sign players from last season that are ready to sign now. If players wait there might not be a spot available. Some players will wait to see if they can get an AHL deal.


- Each team is entitled to reserve the rights to a maximum of eight players from the season ending roster by extending a qualifying offer no later than June 30. Players on open qualifying offers cannot be traded. Teams are not required to extend a qualifying offer to players who sign a contract prior to June 30.


- Because only eight qualifying offers are available and players that sign before June 30 don't have to be qualified, there is incentive to sign players before the end of June. It is almost certain Martinson will extend qualifying offers to two players that have already signed AHL deals to retain their ECHL rights for next season. Jake Doty and Gabe Gagne have AHL deals but if they are given qualifying offers by Allen, their AHL team will have to send them to Allen if they are sent down to the ECHL. That would leave just six qualifying offers for players waiting to see what will happen with possible AHL deals.


- Because of the uncertainty of when the AHL season will start it is hard to know when they will sign players. Martinson will have to plan for two different scenarios, one which would have no NHL/AHL contracted players assigned to Allen and one where contracted players are assigned.


- Look for the Americans to announce their first player signing sometime this week. While players can be signed today, the contracts must be sent to the league office for approval and then the team has to decide when to make announcements. I would expect the first player announced will be one of the popular players from last season.


- Tommy Daniels will have a video chat with Steve Martinson tomorrow so stay tuned for that as I am sure they will cover the recruiting process in detail and what is happening now that the player signing date has arrived.



- Here are some of the more recent Zoom interviews Tommy Daniels has posted in case you haven't seen them. Former players Jarret Lukin and Chris Whitley from Allen's first team and Josh Lammon from last season:

    

- The ECHL will announce the winners of 13 individual and team awards given to front office personnel live on Facebook on June 24th at 3:00 pm CDT. There are five nominees for each of the 13 categories with awards ranging from Community Service Team to Marketing Team to Broadcaster of the Year to Sales Rookie of the Year. Congrats to the two Allen nominees, Ali Addikson for Sales Rookie of the Year and Tommy Daniels for Broadcaster of the Year.


- I took a look at which teams received the 65 nominations for the ECHL Awards with some interesting results for Mountain Division fans. Eight of the 26 ECHL teams received no nominations with four of the eight (Wichita, Utah, Kansas City, Tulsa) being from the Mountain Division. All six teams in the Central Division received nominations and they had a total of 28 of the 65 nominations (43%). Just three of the seven teams in the Mountain Division received nominations and had a total of 9 of the 65 nominations (14%). FYI the North Division also had nine nominations while the South Division had 19. Cincinnati led all teams with nine nominations.


- This is just my opinion but unless social distancing recommendations are relaxed going into the fall and the AHL/NHL start their 2020-21 seasons on time, the ECHL season will be delayed. I know it is a topic that teams don't want to deal with right now but they will have to soon.



DID YOU KNOW: I saw a lot of posts on social media this week with memories of Allen's past championships. Here are the dates and results of those four championship games which were amazingly all won at home.

May 11, 2013 - A 4-3 OT win over Wichita in the CHL Presidents' Cup finals
May 10, 2014 - A 5-2 win over Denver in the CHL Presidents' Cup finals
June 14, 2015 - A 6-1 win over South Carolina in the Kelly Cup finals
June 9, 2016 - A 4-2 win over the Wheeling Nailers in the Kelly Cup finals

Allen Americans Weekly Update, Video Interviews with Jack Gulati, Ryan Crelin and Brian McMillin, Iowa Wild Season Recap, Allen's Rookie Scoring Leaders and More

 - Not much to report on recruitment for next season. It has been wait and see for so long with the ECHL season suspended and then canceled in the middle of March. Things are about to change as the first day for coach Martinson to sign players for the 2020-21 season is now just three weeks away (June 16).  


- Tommy Daniels continues with his video interviews. The latest are with Allen Americans owner Jack Gulati, ECHL Commissioner Ryan Crelin and former Allen forward Brian McMillin who is one of six players that was part of three championships with the Americans. Here are those videos if you haven't seen them:

 

- The AHL waited until 10 days ago to cancel their season and Allen's affiliate, the Iowa Wild, were in a similar position to the Americans when the season ended. The Wild were second in the AHL in points and fourth in winning percentage (.651). They had a talented team with a great chance for a deep playoff run and the Calder Cup. Here is a recap of the Iowa Wild season which sounds a lot like the Americans story. https://www.iowawild.com/news/detail/a-team-where-everything-clicked 


- The NHL is getting closer to resuming play to determine the winner of the 2019-20 Stanley Cup. There is still plenty to be negotiated but there is an agreement on a 24 team playoff to start later this summer. Here are the details:  https://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/29211505/nhlpa-board-approves-league-plan-24-team-playoffs-coronavirus-return


 - The Allen Americans Memorial Day Weekend Clearance Sale is now going on with some great deals on merchandise. You can find these deals at the DASH auction sight but you don't have to bid on the merchandise, you can go to the DASH site and buy the items at a fixed discounted price. You can buy military replica jerseys for $80 (youth) and $91 (adult). There are a lot of hoodie sweat shirts in various colors (red, blue, grey) at only $29. Sizes vary from small to 3X. This sale ends tonight.  


- The financial fallout from the coronavirus pandemic hit an already struggling Division I hockey school when the University of Alabama Huntsville announced last week they are dropping their hockey program. They have had a Division I hockey program since 1988-89. Three former Allen Americans played at Alabama Huntsville. Here is the list with the season they played for the Americans:

Mike Salekin: 2009-10
David Nimmo: 2010-11
Tyler Poulson: 2017-18



DID YOU KNOW: Tyler Sheehy had 70 points in his rookie season with the Allen Americans which earned him Rookie of the Year honors. Here is the top scoring rookie for each season since Allen joined the ECHL. Notice two of the top scoring rookies (Roy and Baker) were defensemen.

70 points - Tyler Sheehy (2019-20)
44 points - Braylon Shmyr (2018-19)
35 points - J.C. Campagna (2017-18)
30 points - Zach Hall (2016-17)
30 points - Eric Roy (2015-16)
39 points - Justin Baker (2014-15)

Remembering Allen Americans Photographer Kimberly Sauer

Kimberly Sauer

I returned from my daily bike ride this morning to find out long time Allen Americans photographer, Kimberly Sauer, lost her long and courageous battle with cancer last night. I know many of you know Kimberly personally and many others remember her from her spot on the Allen bench, complete with a red Allen Americans hockey helmet, taking photos of game action. It was her faith, spirit, kindness, positive attitude and smile that will always be remembered by those that were lucky enough to know her.

I first met Kimberly and her husband Nathan (they were truly a team) when I started writing the blog back in 2012. They were kind enough to approach me and ask if I would like to use Kimberly's photos in the blog. That started a long and wonderful relationship. I get up at 4:00 am to write my blog and typically on game nights Kimberly and Nathan would be up until 1:00 or 2:00 am editing games photos to send to me for my game recap.


I did a feature story about Kimberly in 2016. Here is part of that story.

 Kimberly really doesn't need an introduction as she has been taking photos at the Allen Americans games since the beginning. She and Nathan have gone out of their way to help me over the years. Here is Kimberly's story in her own words:

Photographer Kimberly Sauer

I was raised in a small town in west Texas that had a population of about 600.  While growing up I spent the majority of my time outside enjoying nature.  In 1986, I met my best friend and husband, Nathan. We enjoy camping and hiking with our four dogs.   I currently work for Hewlett Packard Enterprise (formally EDS).  I became interested in photography when my aunt gave me my first camera at about the age of 10.  We did not have enough money to process film, so I pretended to take pictures of the deer, cattle, rattlesnakes and anything else I could find.  When I started working, I made sure film was in my budget even if it was just one roll.  I was in hog heaven when Nathan gifted me my first digital camera. 

When the Allen Americans opened up their franchise in 2009, Nathan purchased our season tickets and received special permission to bring in my camera.  In 2011, I became the team photographer and was able to take pictures from the bench.  The greatest pleasure was capturing the passion of the players while winning 4 championships. How did a country bumpkin who had never seen hockey become interested in the game?  It occurred about 25 years ago.

I became a hockey fan when flipping through TV channels and came across a Dallas Stars game.  Razor and Ralph were teaching the rules and explaining what was happening on the ice.  They had me hooked within the first few minutes.  When taking hockey pictures, my focus is on the player’s strength, dexterity, balance, speed,  hand-eye coordination and the overall effort they put into the game. In addition to sports photography, I also take family portraits, landscapes and wildlife.

Here is a sample of Kimberly's photos from the last two games against Cincinnati.

The shootout game winner

I got a few souvenirs

Let me out of here!

How's your mom and dad?

Oops!

These warm ups are strenuous 

Hey Rick, want to catch a bite to eat after the game?

The scouts at their best

Trainer Jaime Garcia tending to Riley Gill

Cyclone's Jack Downing ties the score with 12.7 seconds left in the game

DID YOU KNOW: When I wrote the story about Kimberly I asked her for something most people didn't know about her to use for the "Did You Know" for the day. Here is what she shared with me.

My dad was a rattlesnake hunter and I would go with him.  Every winter we had to keep the snakes warm, so we stored them under our beds.  I had two cages under my bed that held about a 1000 snakes each.


My thoughts and prayers go out to Nathan and Kimberly's loved ones and I am sure the same can be said for the entire Allen Americans family. Her legacy will live forever in the people she touched and the thousands of photos she has published of the Allen Americans players and fans. Rest in peace Kimberly, job well done!

Kimberly & Nathan

   

Recruiting Update, Bootland and Fraser Video Chat Interviews, Player Look Backs, DASH Auctions, Save of the Year, Another Costello Record, Oldest Allen Players

 - Another week with little to report in the way of recruitment for the 2020-21 Allen Americans team. The AHL formally announced the cancellation of their 2019-20 Season last week so now AHL teams can move full speed ahead on their recruiting process for 2020-21. The decisions the Wild make on the depth players they sign will have an impact on Allen's roster. Coach Martinson has been and will continue to work with the Wild organization on recruitment. Remember, the first day Martinson can sign players to ECHL contracts is still a month away (June 16).   



Tommy Daniels continues his video Zoom chats. Here are his latest with Darryl Bootland and Cole Fraser:

- Here are a few more look back stats for players past and present from another project I am working on:

Kayle Doetzel - Kayle was recruited by coach Martinson to fill a vital role on the team. Martinson was looking for a player with proven AHL experience who was a stay at home defenseman that could play against the opposing team's top line. Doetzel was a four year pro with 68 games of AHL experience. Kayle played a key role in Allen's defensive scheme as was a leader by example. He scored two goals all season and oddly enough they came in the same game when he led Allen to a win over Tulsa. He also had an assist in that game. His point total for the season was 10 (2G, 8A) and three of his points or 30% came in that one game.


David Strathman - David played just one season in Allen (2010-11) which was his rookie professional season after graduating from Northeastern University. His college teammates included other Allen alumni Wade MacLeod, Chad Costello and Drew Daniels. He played junior hockey for the USHL Cedar Rapids Roughriders with a bunch of future Allen Americans including Costello, Gary Steffes, Phil Fox and Steve Kaunisto. Playing on what I believe was the most talented team in Allen history, the 2010-11 team lost to Bossier-Shreveport in the Conference final. Strathman led all defensemen on that team in points with 41 (13G, 28A) in 66 games. He was one of two players on that team (Colton Yellow Horn the other) that did not miss a game all season. David was named to the CHL All-Star Team and was also selected to the CHL All-Rookie team where he was joined by another rookie, Gary Steffes, who was playing for Tulsa.


Trevor Ludwig - Trevor was a 6th round draft choice of the Dallas Stars in the 2004 NHL draft. He  played four seasons in Allen (2011-15) and was part of three championship teams. Trevor is top 10 all-time among defensemen in every category; games played (171), goals (20), assists (42) and points (62). Trevor retired after the 2016-17 season and moved back to North Texas and now owns a pool Serivice, Ludwig's Pool Service.


David Makowski - David played four seasons in Allen (2015-19) and was a member of the 2016 Kelly Cup championship team. He led all defensemen in scoring in three of his four seasons. He is Allen's all-time leader among defensemen in goals (55) and points (174). Makowski was selected to the ECHL First All-Star team in 2016-17 and 2017-18 and was second in the Defense of the Year voting both seasons. David retired after the 2018-19 season and lives in Allen. He went to corporate route and works for the McLane, which is a wholesale supply chain services company.



- There are no players that played on all four Allen Americans championship teams but there are six (Spencer Asuchak, Greger Hanson, Trevor Ludwig, Tyler Ludwig, Brian McMillin, Jamie Schaafsma) players that earned three rings in Allen. Here is the list by championship season:

2012-13 - Trevor Ludwig, Tyler Ludwig, Brian McMillin, Jamie Schaafsma
2013-14 - Spencer Asuchak, Greger Hanson, Trevor Ludwig, Tyler Ludwig, Brian McMillin, Jamie Schaafsma.
2014-15 - Spencer Asuchak, Greger Hanson, Trevor Ludwig, Tyler Ludwig, Brian McMillin, Jamie Schaafsma.
2015-16 - Spencer Asuchak, Greger Hanson


- There is another DASH auction taking place this week and the Zoom Video Chat Experience up for auction is with ECHL Defenseman of the Year Alex Breton. The current bid is $70 with the auction ending tonight. All of the proceeds from this auction go to the Players Relief Fund which has raised about $300,000 toward the goal of $750,000. The first Allen players fund auction was last week and brought in a whopping $1150 for a video chat with Spencer Asuchak. Knowing Asuchak he was marketing the auction to his many friends and family to help raise money for his fellow players.

Some ECHL teams are really stepping up to help the players fund. The Kansas City Mavericks are donating 50% of all team store sales in the month of May to the players fund. The South Carolina Stingrays just raised $15,190 from Stingrays fans through a game worn jersey auction and the principal owner contributed a two for one match with 100% of the proceeds benefiting players and their families. A total of $45,570 will be donated to the player fund. The Indy Fuel also held a jersey auction and raised $13,320 for the players fund.


- If you are interested in jerseys the Americans are having a few up for auction each week on DASH. The jerseys on the current auction include:

Jake Paterson autographed military game jersey - $330 current bid
Brett Pollock autographed military game jersey - $250 current bid
Stepan Falkovsky autographed red game jersey - $250 current bid
Jack Sadek autographed red game jersey - $250 current bid
Gabe Gagne autographed red game jersey - current bid $310

 This auction also ends tonight. If you are not sure of how to get to the DASH site an easy way is to go to the Allen Americans website and click on the blue tab "Click For Live Auctions" on the home page.


- The Americans are having a big DASH three day Memorial Weekend Clearance sale (May 23rd, 24th, 25th):
Merchandise bundles 40-50% off
Military Replicas 30-35% off
End of Season Clearance 


- The ECHL announced the save of the year yesterday and Allen was involved. Goalie Merrick Madsen of the Rapid City Rush received the award for a save on Jordan Topping.

- The Greenville Swamp Rabbits and Rapid City Rush have had ownership changes. Here is the ECHL press release with the details: https://www.echl.com/en/news/2020/5/board-of-governors-approves-transfer-of-controlling-interest-in-greenville-and-rapid-city


- Here is my ECHL Stats and Information post from this morning which you can find on Twitter and Facebook each day. Yet another record held by Chad Costello:

MOST ASSISTS, ONE KELLY CUP PLAYOFF YEAR

29 - Chad Costello, Allen, 2016*
26 - John Spoltore, Louisiana, 2000**
25 - Wayne Simpson, South Carolina, 2015**
24 - David Desharnais, Cincinnati, 2008*
23 - Brad Dexter, South Carolina, 1997*

*Team won Kelly Cup
**Team was Kelly Cup runner-up

In 2016 Chad Costello also set the playoff record for the most assists in a Kelly Cup final. Of Chad’s record 29 assists in the playoffs, 10 came in the finals series against Wheeling, breaking the previous record of nine set by David Desharnais of Cincinnati in 2008.

 
   


DID YOU KNOW: The oldest player that has ever played for the Allen Americans is Todd Robinson who was born on June 16, 1978 and is 41. Here are the oldest players from Allen's CHL teams (2009-2014) and the oldest players from the ECHL teams (2014-2020). I used a minimum of 50 games played for this list. Here are the oldest from each league with their birth dates:

CHL
40 - Daniel Tetrault - September 4, 1979
40 - Ryan Fairbarn - November 15, 1979
40 - Erik Adams - February 29, 1980
40 - Jason Deitsch - April 21, 1980
38 - Brett Clouthier - June 8, 1981
38 - Darryl Bootland - November 2, 1981

ECHL
37 - Kevin Young - July 16, 1982
37 - Jamie Schaafsma - February 11, 1983
35 - Adam Miller - November 1984
35 - Riley Gill - January 1, 1985
34 - Tyler Ludwig - May 24, 1985
34 - Trevor Ludwig - May 24, 1985   

A Tribute to Moms, Allen Americans Weekly Update, AHL Poised to Cancel Remainder of Season, Tommy Daniels Zoom Chats, DASH Auction and More

I want to start out today by wishing a Happy Mother's Day to all the mom's during these trying times. Some of you like me won't be able to hug your mom or grandmother because they are in heaven. Some of you won't be able to hug your mother, your grandmother or your kids because of social distancing. The toughest ones for me to watch are those mothers and grandmothers in assisted living, long term care or memory care and their loved ones aren't allowed in the facility so they will be alone without family. I have been thinking a lot about my mom, who was a nurse from Ireland and met my dad during World War II in England. In honor of all these mom's I thought today would be a good time to bring back a classic video about how special mom's are that always brings a tear to my eye and especially on this day, "So God Made a Hockey Mom."

- Nothing new to report on the recruiting front for the Allen Americans. I did have a chance to talk to coach Martinson and as he has said in his recent interviews he has been recruiting for a while and is now waiting for two things to happen before plans can be finalized. One is the ECHL signing date which is still five weeks away with no indication the June 16 date will be changed.


- The other decision that will impact recruiting is the fate of the remaining of the season in the AHL. The AHL Board of Governors met on Friday to discuss the issue but did not announce their decision. An official announcement is expected Monday and it is a forgone conclusion the decision is the AHL season will end. I read one account where the league was waiting until Monday so teams could be prepared to field questions from fans and sponsors during business hours.


- With the AHL season almost certainly coming to an end on Monday you can look for more attention focusing on the 2020-21 season. I know coach Martinson has been working with the Wild organization to identify players they might sign to add depth to the Iowa roster and also be a good fit in Allen. Martinson has always been an advocate of signing these depth players early in the recruiting process.


- Because of Covid 19 the dynamic in Europe has changed and recruitment for imports from North America has slowed down some and the money being offered is less. This could have an impact on recruitment for ECHL teams. Players could be available next season that would normally be heading to Europe.


- No matter how it all plays out the one thing that is certain is the 2020-21 Allen team will have more grit and toughness. Martinson mentions that every time he talks about the recruiting process for next season. There are a lot of moving pieces in the recruiting process this year with what is happening in the AHL, Europe and the overall uncertainty with Covid 19. Coach Martinson has much of his recruiting done but has to remain flexible as there are a lot of moving pieces to the recruitment puzzle and he will have to adapt to the changes as they develop.


- Tommy Daniels continues his Zoom chats. Here are the latest if you haven't seen them, Jamie Schaafsma and Brett Pollock:

- On Friday I sat down with Tommy Daniels for one of his Zoom chats and I wiffed on a couple of my comments. Luckily I write a blog so have a second chance. Strike one, I was talking about the talent on the 2010-11 Americans team and was recounting or trying to recount the three players that had 30 goals that season, names which I know very well. When I watched the interview back to my amazement I said Brian McMillin instead of Bruce Graham. For the record the three 30 goal scorers that season were Bruce Graham (34), Colton Yellow Horn (34) and Nino Musitelli (33).


- Strike two was when Tommy asked me my three most memorable moments ever other than the four championships. Nothing wrong with answers I gave but when I reflected on that question after the interview and what came to mind were memories not related to a specific game but more personal memories. The tribute to Steve Martinson after his 1000 win choked me up but when I interviewed him in his office long after everyone had left and asked if all the tributes from family and friends made him emotional his typical Marty answer was, "not really." When Martinson passed John Brophy for #2 on the all time wins list (1028), the Americans asked me to present a plaque to the coach at center ice along with his wife and daughter. Both of those milestones are favorite memories. Another favorite memory is off the ice. For a few years the players would come out to Heritage Range, where I live, to fish in the afternoons after practice. Aaron Gens and Riley Gill were the ring leaders and there were some avid fishermen like Eric Roy, Tanner Eberle, Dyson Stevenson and Derek Mathers to name a few. Then there were the guys who will remain nameless that needed help putting the minnow on the hook and taking the rare fish they would catch off the hook. It was always a fun time with lots of chirping and fish tales. Now that I have taken a second crack at the questions here is the interview where Tommy and I cover a few different topics from favorite championships to the schedule for 2020-21 to some former Allen players.

- Here is a look back on the 2019-20 season for a few more of the Allen players:

Andrew Shortridge - The rookie goaltender signed a one year free agent contract with the San Jose Sharks for the 2019-20 season and was assigned to Allen in January. Andrew allowed 13 goals in his first three games with the Americans. He took extra practice with Allen’s goalie coach and also put in a lot of time on video review. After those first three games Shortridge was very effective allowing just 14 goals in is last seven games before the season was canceled. In those seven games he had two shutouts and a save percentage of .932.

Stepan Falkovsky - Known as “The Falcon” and with a cannon of a shot, Stepan led the ECHL in goals by a defenseman with 15 and finished #4 in points with 41. Falkovsky also led all ECHL defensemen in power play goals (8), shorthanded goals (2) and shooting percentage (17%). The native of Belarus, Stepan was able to get back home to Minsk after the season was canceled, before flying internationally became so difficult.


Jared VanWormer - Jared finished his college career at Ferris State University in 2016-17 having scored a total of 25 goals in four seasons and never had a 10 goal season. He is a tenacious worker that never takes a shift off and despite his size lives in the dirty areas of the ice in front of the net and in the corners. He has improved in each of his three pro seasons. In 2019-20 he had 22 goals in 54 games, the best goal production of his pro career. Coach Martinson did not name a team captain at the beginning of the season as he made a decision to wait but when the time came he selected Jared to wear the “C”

Josh Lammon - Rookie Josh Lammon was acquired by the Americans in a trade with Florida just before the start of the 2019-20 season. A smart player who is always in the right position, he was captain of his college team (Mercyhurst) and was voted the best defensive forward in the entire league as a senior. After scoring just one goal in the first three months of the season in Allen the dam broke on January 18 when Josh had two goals and an assist in a win over Kansas City. Over the next eight games Josh had 11 points (6G, 5A). Lammon finished the season with 27 points (8G, 11A) but you get the feeling his second pro season will show he has just scratched the surface of what he can accomplish.


- The new DASH auction site the Americans have recently switched to has been very active with offerings each week. The latest has a Zoom video chat experience with Spencer Asuchak with the all  proceeds benefiting Player Relief Fund. A great way to support the players and have a chance to have a private conversation with the longest tenured Allen Americans. I would be asking for some stories about the bus trips and championship celebrations back in 2013-14 when the Americans were in the CHL as there were some classics. The current bid is $110 with a little over two days remaining.

The jerseys on the current auction include:

Alex Breton autographed military game jersey - $300 current bid
Corey Durocher autographed military game jersey - $250 current bid
Jake Doty autographed red game jersey - $270 current bid
Cody Corbett autographed red game jersey - minimum bid $250
Team autographed grey eagle jersey - current bid $250

If you are not sure of how to get to the DASH site an easy way is to go to the Allen Americans website and click on the blue tab "Click For Live Auctions" on the home page.


- Congrats are in order for former Allen defenseman Daniel Tetrault who is the current coach of the Rapid City Rush. Daniel signed a two year contract extension this week with a mutual option for a third year. Tetrault won the only championship in his storied 15 year professional career when he played for the Allen Americans in 2013-14.


- I sure hope the Allen Americans are working on a contract extension for Steve Martinson. The 2019-20 ECHL General Manager of the Year has just one year left on his contract. With 10 championships and 1043 wins as a pro coach which is #2 all time it is imperative to lock up Martinson for the future of the franchise no matter the ownership situation.   

 



DID YOU KNOW: It never ceases to amaze me the records Chad Costello set in his three seasons (2014-17) in Allen. Two Kelly Cups, three scoring titles, three MVP's and not missing a single game (regular season or playoffs) which was 276 games straight. He won his three scoring titles by 45, 34 and 23 points. I came across this stat while doing some other research which shows just how dominant Chad was in those three season. He certainly stood above the rest and had three of the best seasons in the history of the ECHL. Here are the top six players in total points, combined regular season and playoffs, from 2014-15 to 2016-17. As you can see Allen dominates this list.

426 points - Chad Costello, Allen
263 points - Shane Berschbach, Toledo
249 points - Shawn Szydlowski, Fort Wayne
236 points - Casey Pierro-Zabotel, Florida, Allen, Colorado
234 points - Greger Hanson, Allen
207 points - Gary Steffes, Allen