Allen Americans Weekly Update

 As September arrives rather than thinking about the start of training camp all I can think about is three more months (best case scenario) before the Allen Americans season starts. With a tentative date for the start of the ECHL season being December 4, no date has been published for the start of training camp. Training camp typically opens two week before the season opens but there was some talk bout having a longer then usual training camp. Will have to wait and see as dates firm up over the next 60 days.


- Steve Martinson continues to sign players for 2020-21 and the team has been announcing a player each Tuesday. That will continue again this week and if everything goes as planned it will be another defenseman. Here is the current roster with each player's combined totals from last season including all teams and all leagues.

Forwards
Spencer Asuchak - 32 points (7G, 25A), 47 games, 42 PIMS
Corey Durocher - 25 points (9G, 16A), 50 games, 22 PIMS
Zane Franklin - 91 points (29G, 62A), 63 games, 89 PIMS
Josh Lammon - 27 points (8G, 19A), 54 games, 27 PIMS
Braylon Shmyr - 16 points (7G, 9A), 34 games, 25 PIMS
Jared VanWormer - 37 points, (22G, 15A), 60 games, 12 PIMS
Patrick Watling - 34 points, (10G, 24A), 30 games, 24 PIMS

Defensemen
Cody Corbett - 12 points (4G, 8A), 48 games, 24 PIMS
Cole Fraser - 8 points (4G, 4A), 36 games, 84 PIMS
Nolan Kneen - 40 points (12G, 28A), 61games, 58 PIMS
Les Lancaster - 28 points (5G, 23A), 43 games, 10 PIMS


- You may be wondering what is happening with goalies for 2020-21 and that is yet to be decided. The first question that needs to be answered is will the Wild assign one or two goalies to the Americans. If the Wild end up with six goalies under contract you would expect two being sent to Allen. It is too early to know the answer to this question. In the meantime coach Martinson will assuredly sign a goalie or two. He has carried three goalies in the past and you could see that being a possibility with all of the uncertainties going into the 2020-21 season.


 - Here are some players with Allen connections that have signed for 2020-21:

Jake Doty - Ontario Reign (AHL)
Matt Register - Iowa Wild (AHL)
Josh Atkinson - Iowa Wild (AHL)
Gabe Gagne - Rockford IceHogs (AHL)
Mitch McLain - Iowa Wild (AHL)
Stepan Falkovsky - Dinamo Minsk (KHL)


- There are still many key players from last season that are unsigned. Here is my take on a few of them:

Tyler Sheehy - Would have to believe the Iowa Wild are interested in re-signing the ECHL Rookie of the Year and MVP Runner-up. Tyler certainly deserves a chance at the next level.

Alex Breton - Alex wants to play in Europe and it is hard to see him back with the Wild or Allen organization. This is a strange year so anything can happen.

Olivier Archambault - Another player looking to Europe that has not signed yet. Doubtful he would sign in Allen but he could find an AHL team sign him to a two way AHL/ECHL deal.

Jordan Topping - Still another player that was looking to sign in Europe. He was given a qualifying offer by the Americans so he is likely to be back in Allen if he doesn't go overseas.

Kayle Doetzel - Another qualified player that will likely be back in Allen unless he finds an AHL deal.

Turner Ottenbreit - Turner will be back in Allen unless he is signed by the Iowa Wild. He seems to be a good fit with Iowa and they just lost a defenseman (Menell) to the KHL.

Jack Sadek - Another player that had an AHL deal with Iowa last season that is looking for another AHL deal.


- The other unknown at this point is how many players will be assigned to Allen by Iowa. The Wild have been one of the AHL leaders in signing depth players early and the trend is to have more players assigned to ECHL affiliates. Who Allen gets assigned will go a long way in predicting how good the team will be in 2020-21. You can't win in the ECHL without a lot of help from your NHL/AHL affiliate. 


- I recently came across this article about British Ice Hockey which is a professional league that is like the ECHL in that they cannot survive without fans in the stands. The title of the story is "Prolonging the Inevitable" which provides food for thought about what the ECHL could be up against in November and December. I know everyone hopes it all goes smoothly but risks are clearly present: https://www.britishicehockey.co.uk/post/comment-prolonging-the-inevitable/ 



DID YOU KNOW: If you talk to players you will hear one the the reasons Steve Martinson is successful is because he knows how to push even elite players to be better. When you have a  championship ring for all 10 fingers and over 1000 wins as a coach players listen.

ECHL Season Delayed Until December 4, Allen Re-Signs Cole Fraser, Spencer Asuchak Engaged, Arseneau and Register Interviews, How Good Was Chad Costello

Allen announced another player yesterday as #23, defenseman Cole Fraser, will be returning for his second season with the Americans. Fraser played 36 games for Allen in 2019-20 and had eight points (4G, 4A). Even though Cole played in only 36 games his 84 penalty minutes ranked him second on the team and his six fighting majors led the Americans.


- Here is the press release issued by the Americans on the re-signing of Cole Fraser:
https://allenamericans.com/cole-fraser-back-for-20-21-season/


- Here is the Allen roster as it stands today with age in parenthesis:

Forwards
Spencer Asuchak (28)
Corey Durocher (28)
Josh Lammon (25)
Braylon Shmyr (23)
Jared VanWormer (27)

Defensemen
Cody Corbett (26)
Les Lancaster (25)
Cole Fraser (20)


- Here are a couple of recent video interviews with former players Vincent Arseneau and Matt Register:

-  The ECHL announced they have revised the anticipated start date to the 2020-21 season from October 16  to December 4. They still plan on a full 72 game schedule. Here is the press release: https://www.echl.com/en/news/2020/8/echl-announces-revised-start-date-to-2020-21-season


- Congrats to Spencer Asuchak and Cass Nelson who just became engaged. Spencer did it right proposing during a hot air balloon ride. Spencer tells me it was an amazing day and you can't beat early morning balloon rides. No date has been set for the wedding but it will probably be next summer after the hockey season.

Flying High

Spencer & Cass

- Still no official word on Chad Costello signing to play in Germany (DEL) for the 2020-21 season. There have been rumors but nothing official. The DEL did announce this week they plan to start their season on November 13 compared to the just announced revised date for the ECHL of December 4.



DID YOU KNOW: How good was Chad Costello in the three seasons (2014-17) he played for the Allen Americans.

3 times ECHL scoring leader
3 times over 100 points
3 MVP awards (2 ECHL, 1 PHPA)
2 Kelly Cups
1 Kelly Cup MVP

Allen Roster Update, Corey Durocher Re-Signs, Decision on Season Start Date, Allen Regular Season Record by Year and More

The Allen Americans kept their "Tuesday Tease Day" streak alive with another player announcement this past Tuesday. Forward Corey Durocher will return for his second season with the Americans. The 6th round draft pick of the Florida Panthers (2010) was picked up last season by the Americans from the Kansas City Mavericks in the middle of November. One of the faster skaters on the team, Corey played in 44 games and had 23 points (9G, 14A) to go along with a plus/minus rating of +15. Here is the press release on Durocher's signing issued by the Allen Americans: https://allenamericans.com/another-forward-returning-with-the-signing-of-corey-durocher/


- Here is the interview Tommy Daniels posted with Corey Durocher after he was announced:

- The number of players announced by Allen is now seven which is about average for ECHL teams which have player announcements ranging from 17 (Fort Wayne) to just one for Kalamazoo. It is important to remember the number of players signed is always much higher than players announced as most teams stretch out publicizing signings as part of their marketing plan. The "Tuesday Tease Day" will continue next week as the Americans will announce their eighth player signing. Maybe time for another defenseman to be added to the roster.


- Here is the Allen roster as it stands today with age in parenthesis:

Forwards
Spencer Asuchak (28)
Corey Durocher (28)
Josh Lammon (25)
Braylon Shmyr (23)
Jared VanWormer (27)

Defensemen
Cody Corbett (26)
Les Lancaster (25)


- The Chad Costello sweepstakes seems to be in full swing with the Elite Prospects website, for the second week, having Chad heading back to the DEL (Germany). Last week the rumor was Chad heading to the Iserlohn Roosters, this week a source in Germany says Costello is a possible candidate for the Schwenninger Wild Wings. While I haven't talked to Chad, my take on what is going on based on past conversations with him is if he can get a contract in the DEL based on what he feels he is worth as the second leading scorer in the league last season he will return to Germany. Compensation is clearly more in the DEL than what Chad could earn in the ECHL. It also seems clear Chad has not signed a contract yet so until he tells Steve Martinson he has signed in Germany there is still a chance he could stay home this season. There is absolutely no doubt if Costello does not go overseas he would sign with the Americans.


- There hasn't been much talk about goalies for the 2020-21 season. Depending on who the Wild sign it is possible Allen could get two contracted goalies assigned but I would guess general manager Martinson will also sign a free agent goalie.


- The AHL Board of Governors (BOG) has approved moving the anticipated start of the 2020-21 regular season to December 4. The ECHL BOG is meeting on Tuesday and you have to assume they will vote to delay the anticipated start of their regular season until December 4 because of the close connection to the AHL and the many contracted players assigned to ECHL teams. I heard the BOG may also be discussing an extended training camp. According to ECHL Week there is an expectation of some type of announcement being issued at the conclusion of the BOG meeting on Tuesday.


- I will be interested to see if any Wild contracted players will be attending the Americans training camp as that is usually the case. It is also important to remember that whatever the ECHL announces after their meeting next week is subject to change depending on what happens with COVID 19 between now and the end of the year.


- I recently came across this article about possible ECHL expansion locations. One of the favorite topics of ECHL fans is the future of the league. There are many of these articles written with a lot of conjecture but this one contains in detail the author's rationale for the places included. There are seven locations included in this story, some have been talked about many times before and some are new. Allen fans would have a big interest in Iowa City as the Minnesota Wild could move their ECHL affiliation if that would come to pass. Fort Worth could bring back the old rivalry between the Americans and Brahmas but my understanding is the owner of the Americans would have to approve such a move because of the proximity to his franchise.  

Trois-Rivieres, Quebec
Manchester, New Hampshire
Elmira, New York
Savannah, Georgia
Iowa City, Iowa
Reno, Nevada
Fort Worth, Texas

Here is a link to the article, "Future ECHL Expansion" from Game Changer Sports Network, it is worth a read: https://gamechangersportsnetwork.com/2020/07/10/future-echl-expansion/



    

DID YOU KNOW: The 2020-21 season will be the ninth year with Steve Martinson at the helm of the Allen Americans. Here is his regular season record for each season since becoming Allen's coach:

2019-20:  40-14-6-2
2018-19:  25-41-4-2
2017-18:  35-29-6-2
2016-17:  40-17-4-2
*2015-16:  41-24-3-4
*2014-15:  48-14-6-4
*2013-14:  39-22-1-4
*2012-13:  39-18-4-5

TOTAL   316-179-34-25

*won championship

Allen Americans Roster Update and Five Story Lines For Allen Fans to Follow

"We will have a very entertaining team in 2020-21. We will be more physical without sacrificing any skill. We are going to be a fun team to watch.".....Steve Martinson, July 27, 2020

There are many unanswered questions about the 2020-21 ECHL season but when it comes to the on ice product general manager Steve Martinson is putting together a roster that coach Steve Martinson is going to really like. Martinson wants teams that are big, fast, skilled, finish their checks and put the team first. A combination of guys that carry the water and guys that chop the wood. The one thing Martinson has said consistently since the 2019-20 season was canceled is he will have a more physical team in 2020-21.

- Let's look at where the roster stands today. There have been six players announced thus far. Look for another returning player to be announced tomorrow (Tuesday).

Spencer Asuchak - Mr. Allen American spent his franchise record seventh season with the team in 2019-20. Spencer is the all time leader in franchise history in games played (349) and goals (102). His 83 playoff games with Allen is also a record to go along with his three championship rings. Spencer will be a co-captain for the upcoming season.

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. Jared was named the team captain last season and will be a co-captain along with Asuchak in 2020-21.

- Josh Lammon - Josh 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 he has just scratched the surface of what he can accomplish.

- Les Lancaster - Les got off to a great start last season with 13 points in his first 10 games with the Americans. At the time of his first loan to the AHL back in November he was leading all ECHL defensemen in scoring. Several ECHL stints limited his time in Allen. He played in 34 games and had 22 assists. Lancaster will undoubtedly get more AHL opportunities in 2020-21 but will be a big contributor during his time in Allen.

Cody Corbett - A six year pro, Cody was acquired by Allen in a trade with Atlanta in February. He is one of many Allen players that played their junior hockey in the Western Hockey League (WHL). Playing for the Edmonton Oil Kings he was part of two WHL championships and in his last season (2014) the team won the Memorial Cup. Corbett played only 11 games with Allen before the season was cancelled. Look for him to play a bigger role on 2020-21.

Braylon Shmyr - Braylon returns to Allen after finishing the 2019-20 season playing in England. As a rookie in 2018-19 Braylon had 44 points (20G, 24A) for Allen in 64 games. A strong skater, if Shmyr can improve his defensive play and look to make plays on offense by utilize his teammates more, he will be a a great addition to the Americans.


- The other big part of the Allen roster for 2020-21 will be the players signed to NHL/AHL deals by the Wild that are assigned to Allen. Steve Martinson has developed a great relationship with the Wild that has improved each season and that will be a big help as players are assigned to Allen. While the Iowa Wild did take three defensemen that Martinson recruited last season (Josh Atkinson, Matt Register, Turner Ottenbreit) the Americans were also assigned from the Wild the ECHL Defenseman of the Year (Alex Breton), the ECHL top goal scorer among defensemen (Stepan Falkovsky) and the Allen Americans team leader in plus/minus (Jack Sadek). The trend in the ECHL is having more NHL/AHL contracted players assigned to ECHL affiliates and Allen will be a part of this trend in 2020-21.


- While you never know what players will be assigned to Allen in 2020-21 the story below certainly provides some possibilities. Note Steve Martinson's quote about Jesse Mychan who Allen fans will remember from his time with the Colorado Eagles, "He (Mychan) is a hard nosed tough goal scorer who hits like a truck. He is the kind of player that opposing defensemen don't like to play against. Here is a link to the story from the Iowa Wild, "The Wild Wire: Meet the New Guys"  https://www.iowawild.com/news/detail/the-wild-wire-meet-the-new-guys


- Martinson has been recruiting rookies that just finished their junior career in Canada. These are players that have AHL capabilities but have not secured an AHL deal because of the unusual situation this season. Martinson has shared with me he has recently come to terms with two of these rookies, a forward and a defenseman. Both are very skilled and also physical players.


- There are a lot of players that were under contract with Iowa last season that are still unsigned. Tyler Sheehy, Jack Sadek, Alex Breton, Olivier Archambault, Stepan Falkovsky were mainstays in Allen as they all played more than 45 games with the Americans. It is hard to believe Iowa isn't trying to sign Sheehy, the ECHL Rookie of the Year and MVP runner-up.


- Nick Boka, who was under contract with Iowa last season and had his season ended when he broke his leg in January has signed with the Fort Wayne Komets where he will play with his brother, Luke.


- There was more hope than normal that Chad Costello would not return to Germany for the 2020-21 season and would sign with Allen. Looks like Allen fans will be disappointed again as eliteprospects.com has under "rumors" on their website that Chad is going to the Iserlohn Roosters, which is the team he played for when he first went to Germany in 2017-18.


- Without a doubt the question I get asked most frequently is when will the season start? The official ECHL answer is no decision has been made and many teams are still advertising an October start date. The conventional wisdom, however, is the season will be delayed. Here are five story lines I will be watching over the next few days, weeks and months:

1. When will the ECHL season begin?
2. What impact will Covid 19 have on home games once the season starts?
3. Will the Allen Americans be sold?
4. Will Steve Martinson, who is in the last year of his contract, get a contract extension?
5. Will the Minnesota Wild move their ECHL affiliate to Iowa City (Coralville) if a new ECHL franchise is established there.



DID YOU KNOW: Steve Martinson's regular season record since joining the Allen Americans in 2012-13 is a lofty 316-179-34-25 which is a winning percentage of .624. Over his 24 seasons as a coach Martinson has 1043 wins, second most all time in professional hockey in North America. 


      

Americans Re-Sign Lammon and Lancaster, Future Announcements, Wild Affiliation Rumor, European Leagues, More Costello Records and ECHL PPP Loans

The Allen Americans added two more players to the 2020-21 roster with the announcement today that Josh Lammon and Les Lancaster have re-signed with the team. When neither of these players were on the qualifying list that was released last week it was a foregone conclusion that they had re-signed with Allen. A couple of quality players, character guys that play both ways. Here is a short recap:

- Josh Lammon - Rookie Josh Lammon was acquired by the Americans in a trade with Florida just before the start of the 2019-20. 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.

- Les Lancaster - The rookie defenseman got off to a great start with 13 points in his first 10 games with the Americans. At the time of his first loan to the AHL back in November he was leading all ECHL defensemen in scoring. Several ECHL stints limited his time in Allen. He played in 34 games and had 22 assists. Lancaster will undoubtedly get more AHL opportunities in 2020-21 but will be a big contributor during his time in Allen.


- Here is the press release issued by the Allen Americans: https://allenamericans.com/americans-welcome-back-lancaster-and-lammon-for-their-sophomore-seasons/


- Allen has now announced four players, three forwards and a defenseman:

Spencer Asuchak - co-captain, 9th pro season
Jared VanWormer - co-captain, 5th pro season
Josh Lammon - 3rd pro season
Les Lancaster - 2nd pro season


- As reminder the Americans gave qualifying offers to just six players though they could have qualified as many as eight. The players receiving qualifying offers were:

Kayle Doetzel
Jacob Doty
Gabe Gagne
Turner Ottenbreit
Brett Pollock
Jordan Topping

These players either have AHL (Doty & Gagne) deals or are looking for AHL deals or looking to sign overseas. By issuing qualifying offers to these players the Americans retain their ECHL rights for the entire 2020-21 season.


- There were many players that were on the season ending roster that did not get qualifying offers. Remember players that have already signed do not need qualifying offers. It is just a guess on my part but you have to expect non-veterans who were on the season ending roster but did not get a qualifying offer have been signed but not announced. Here is that group:

Forwards
Corey Durocher
Colton Heffley

Defensemen
Ben Carroll
Cole Fraser
Cody Corbett


-  I saw a post on social media that indicated the Minnesota Wild were considering placing their ECHL affiliate in a new arena in a suburb (Coralville) of Iowa City, Iowa. This would potentially happen for the 2021-22 season. Steve Martinson has spent the last two seasons developing a relationship with the Wild and despite being selected as the ECHL General Manager of the Year for 2019-20 he has not been signed to a contract extension. 2020-21 is the last year of his current contract. The timing does make you wonder what could be in store in the future. With the ownership in Allen possibly changing it is hard to predict what will happen. When I asked Steve Martinson if he has ever had a conversation with the Minnesota Wild about them putting their ECHL affiliate in Iowa City he said yes, but did not elaborate. 


-  The Small Business Administration (SBA) just released the list of businesses that received PPP loans. Mark Burns, who covers hockey for the Sports Business Journal posted this information:

Number of AHL/ECHL clubs in the PPP loan data, all in the $150K-$350K range. 

ECHL: Indy Fuel, Worcester Railers, KC Mavericks, Allen Americans, SC Stingrays, Jacksonville Icemen. 

AHL: Utica Comets, Syracuse Crunch, Springfield Thunderbirds, Milwaukee Admirals.


- It looks like the NHL is scheduled to start their playoffs around August 1st with the estimates of the Stanley Cup being awarded in October. If that is the timeline it would be an almost certainty that the ECHL season would not start until December or January.


- I saw where the DEL in Germany is unlikely to start before November 1. Many of the European Leagues will have a delayed start. If you are on Twitter give EuropeanHockeyClubs a follow (@EHCAlliance) as they provide the chart below on the status of the leagues:

 
  
DID YOU KNOW: Here is my ECHL Stats and Information post for today. Another example of how good Chad Costello was during his three seasons in Allen. Not only did he have a point in over 86% of the games he played over a three year period he never missed a game. That is the definition of consistency! Everything will have to fall just right to get Chad back in Allen for the 2020-21 season but there is a chance:

In 1985-86, Wayne Gretzky played in 80 regular season games and scored (goal or assist) in 78 of them for a percentage of 98%. Here are the stats and percentages for the last six ECHL scoring leaders:

81% - Josh Kestner, 47 of 58 games, (2019-20)

68% - Jesse Schultz, 42 of 62 games, (2018-19)

73% - Shawn Szydlowski, 47 of 64 games, (2017-18)

86% - Chad Costello, 62 of 72 games, (2016-17)

82% - Chad Costello, 59 of 72 games, (2015-16)

89% - Chad Costello, 64 of 72 games, (2014-15)

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