News and Notes - Roster Update, Spencer Asuchak Returns, AEC Gets a New Name, Former Players Headed to Europe, ECHL Attendance and More

 It is that quiet time of year if you are an Allen Americans hockey fan but it is now less than 100 days until hockey returns. I had a few items of interest so thought with rain getting in the way of the morning bike ride it is time to empty the news and notes bin.

 Here is the Allen Americans playoff roster with an update on the players that have already signed for the 2021-22 season and those whose rights revert back to other teams:

 

Goalies 

#31 - C.J. Motte - signed in Great Britain (England) with Coventry Blaze

#34 - Jake Paterson - signed in Norway (Sparta)

#35 - Frank Marotte

 

Defensemen

#4 - Terrance Amorosa - signed AHL deal with Laval Rocket

#5 - Phil Beaulieu

#7 - Sam Ruopp

#14 - Les Lancaster - signed in Finland to a two year deal with Ilves which means Lynx in Finnish. Lancaster will play the top league in Finland (Liiga) and it is one of the six European leagues that count toward veteran status for the ECHL.

#16 - Darian Skeoch 

#18 - Kris Myllari

#20 - Ben Carroll

#43 - Matt Register - signed in Great Britain with the Cardiff Devils which is in Wales. The league is the EIHL (Elite Ice Hockey League). This league is the most similar to the style of play you see in the ECHL. The EIHL relies heavily on import players with 14 allowed to dress for each game.

Forwards

#8 - Steve Owre - signed in France with Cergy-Pontoise

#9 - Brett Neumann

#11 - Collin Shirley

#15 - Corey Mackin - signed in Sweden (HC Vita Hasten), ECHL rights revert to Reading

#17 - Colby McAuley - rights revert to Idaho

#19 - Chad Butcher - signed in Sweden with HC Vita Hasten

#22 - Tyler Sheehy - signed in Germany's top league (DEL) with Nurnberg Ice Tigers

#26 - Spencer Asuchak - re-signed with the Allen Americans    

#27 - Sam Laberge - rights revert to Adirondack

#40 - Josh Lammon - signed in Great Britain (Wales)

#44 - Zane Franklin 

#71 - Dyson Stevenson  

#77 - Scott Conway

 

- Spencer Asuchak kept up what has become a tradition when he was announced on Saturday as the first player signed for the 2021-22 Allen Americans roster. Asuchak has so many career records there are too many to recap. Most impressive is his longevity. This will be Spencer's ninth season in Allen. Only four players have played more than four seasons with the Americans:

9 - Spencer Asuchak

6 - Gary Steffes

5 - Jarret Lukin

5 - Brian McMillin  

- Asuchak is the all-time leader in regular season games (413) and playoff games (90) and is one of six players that won three championships in Allen. The others are Greger Hanson, Trevor Ludwig, Tyler Ludwig, Brian McMillin, and Jamie Schaafsma.

 

- When I talked to Steve Martinson earlier this week he shared that he has several other players signed for next season that will be announced over time. Some are players returning from last season and some new players. The player announcement next week will be of interest to Allen fans. 

 

- There are more Allen players that have signed in Europe but have not been announced in addition to the nine that have already been announced. Two of the unannounced players have signed with the same team in Great Britain (EIHL).  

 

- There is nothing new regarding an affiliation for next season. Most NHL/AHL teams wait until after the NHL draft to see what their rosters look like before talking about new affiliations. 

 

- Here are some former Allen Americans that will be playing in Europe in 2021-22:

Jack Combs - Germany

Kale Kerbashian - Denmark

Jonathan Lessard - France

Alex Lavoie - Sweden

Josh Atkinson - Hungary

Tanner Eberle - England

Braylon Shmyr - France  

Gabe Gagne - Norway

Alex Breton - Slovakia

 

- In Allen Americans franchise history (since 2009-10) there have been 106 defensemen play at least one game. Just three are in the top 10 all time in games played, goals, assists, points, average points per game. penalty minutes and won championships in Allen. These three all time, all around greats are Aaron Gens, Tyler Ludwig and David Makowski. 

- The City of Allen has sold the naming rights to the Allen Event Center and the AEC will be called the "Credit Union of Texas Arena" starting this fall. The Sponsorship Agreement is for eight years with a total cost of $2,275,000. If you are interested in the details here is a link: https://allen.novusagenda.com/AgendaPublic/CoverSheet.aspx?ItemID=9575&MeetingID=985

 

- The AEC is also undergoing some upgrades with a new sound system and video boards. I heard there will be five video boards in the arena. These upgrades will be completed prior to the start of the hockey season.

- The Dallas Stars extended their affiliation with the Idaho Steelheads for two more years. The Steelheads have served as the ECHL affiliate of the Dallas Stars continuously since 2005-06 as well as during the 2003-04 season. A total of 11 former Idaho Steelheads have played for the Dallas Stars. 

- We recently got home after spending a week in Iowa visiting friends and family. While in Iowa I had a chance to stop by the Iowa Heartlanders front office and get a tour of their new arena. My thanks to David Fine, the Director of Communications and Broadcaster for taking time out of his schedule to visit with me and to Molly Uphoff and Tysen VanDraska for the first class tour of the Xtream Arena. It would be a great road trip for Allen fans when the Americans visit the Heartlanders which will probably be in 2022-23. Everything is located in a 180 acre mixed use development (Iowa River Landing) with hotels, restaurants and shopping all within  walking distance from the arena. 

 

DID YOU KNOW: A breakdown of average ECHL attendance for the COVID restricted 2020-21 season:

 

2 teams averaged over 3000

3493 - Florida

3165 - Jacksonville 

 

5 teams averaged between 2000-3000

2902 - Tulsa

2846 - Fort Wayne

2778 - Rapid City

2464 - Orlando

2443 - South Carolina

 

6 teams averaged between 1000-2000

1971 - Kansas City

1859 - Allen

1837 - Greenville

1791 - Indy

1760 - Utah

1689 - Wichita 

 

1 team averaged under 1000

987 - Wheeling 

 

League wide average was 2275. Average attendance in the shortened 2019-20 season was 4327.

   

 

Allen Roster Update, Protected List, Season Ending List, ECHL Most Playoff Series Won List and More

 I had a chance to check in with Steve Martinson yesterday to get an update on the recruiting process and he is just starting to reach out to players with offers for next season. The season ending roster is due Thursday and the first day to sign players is Friday so this will be a busy week.

 

 Here is the Allen Americans playoff roster with an update on the players that have already signed for the 2021-22 season:

 

Goalies 

#31 - C.J. Motte

#34 - Jake Paterson - signed in Norway

#35 - Frank Marotte

 

Defensemen

#4 - Terrance Amorosa 

#5 - Phil Beaulieu

#7 - Sam Ruopp

#14 - Les Lancaster - signed in Finland to two year deal

#16 - Darian Skeoch 

#18 - Kris Myllari

#20 - Ben Carroll

#43 - Matt Register - signed in Great Britain (Wales)

Forwards

#8 - Steve Owre - signed in France

#9 - Brett Neumann

#11 - Collin Shirley

#15 - Corey Mackin - signed in Sweden, ECHL rights revert to Reading

#17 - Colby McAuley - rights revert to Idaho

#19 - Chad Butcher - signed in Sweden

#22 - Tyler Sheehy

#26 - Spencer Asuchak    

#27 - Sam Laberge - rights revert to Adirondack

#40 - Josh Lammon

#44 - Zane Franklin 

#71 - Dyson Stevenson  

#77 - Scott Conway

 

- Have had a couple of questions about the Allen Americans protected list which is made up of three goalies, 10 defensemen and 14 forwards. Here is the list:

Jake Paterson, C.J. Motte, Frank Marotte, Sam Ruopp, Lester Lancaster, Kris Myllari, Ben Carroll, Terrance Amorosa, Nolan Kneen, Will Lochead, Turner Ottenbreit, Miles Liberati, Collin Shirley, Dyson Stevenson, Zane Franklin, Spencer Asuchak, Josh Lammon, Chad Butcher, Scott Conway, Steve Owre, Darian Skeoch, Alex Lavoie, Mason Bergh, Jacob Doty, Brett Pollock, Jordan Topping, Gabriel Gagne.

Miles Liberati's rights were obtained from Tulsa in a trade that sent goalie Hayden Hawkey to Tulsa. Mason Bergh is a player Martinson claimed off of waivers.

 Players like Beaulieu, Neumann and Sheehy are not on the protected list because they were on AHL deals and assigned to Allen. 

 

- The season ending list/roster that is due on Thursday (3:00 pm EDT) is limited to 20 players and the players on the list must have signed an ECHL contract in 2020-21. That will eliminate Doty, Pollock, Topping  and Gagne. 

 

- Steve Martinson pointed out to me the rookie rule, where salary is capped for players that have played less than 25 games, will be an issue in re-signing players like Sam Ruopp and Collin Shirley. The CBA limits rookie maximum salary to $585 per week. They can do much better by going to Europe.

 

- The urgency will start quickly because Martinson will have until July 23 to sign players from the season ending roster. On the 23rd he can give qualifying offers to up to eight players from the season ending roster which protects their rights. Those that don't get a qualifying offer (and have not been signed) become free agents. 

 

- No news on an affiliation for the 2021-22 season.  Martinson emphasized it is important to get the right affiliation that works for everyone. He is confident he will be able find an affiliate for next season.

    

- I was looking at the final stats from the playoffs and a few stood out to me. Fort Wayne played a total of 64 games this season in winning its first Kelly Cup, 51 regular season and 13 playoff games. In Allen's two Kelly Cups it played 96 games (72+24) in 2015 and 97 games (72+24) in 2016.

 

- Allen had the best shooting percentage in the playoffs (11.4%) and also the best average goals per game (3.57). What was Allen's downfall was not being able to hold on to a lead. The Americans scored first in six of its seven playoff games but only won three of the six. 

 

- For all eight playoff teams the combined record when leading after the second period was 21-4. The Allen Americans record was 2-2. The Americans were almost unbeatable during the regular season with a second period lead (30-2-2-0). Blowing a 4-1 lead at home with 12 minutes left in game two against Fort Wayne will always be seen as the single period that cost Allen its third Kelly Cup.

 

- Even though he only played in seven playoff games, compared to 13 for Fort Wayne and South Carolina, Les Lancaster led all defensemen in goals (3) and was tied for the lead in points (7). 

 

 

OTHER COMMENTS

- When Fort Wayne won its first ever Kelly Cup last Friday, there were three former Allen Americans as part of the celebration. Zach Pochiro was Fort Wayne's second leading goal scorer during the regular season (14 goals in 32 games), Nick Boka was the Komet's Defenseman of the Year and goalie Justin Kapelmaster was the goalie of record in Allen's loss to Fort Wayne in game two of its series when the Americans were leading 4-1 in the third period and lost the game 5-4 in overtime. That third period and overtime was Kaplemaster's only appearance in the playoffs. He played 23 minutes and stopped all eight shots he faced. Congrats to Zach, Nick and Justin.

  

 

DID YOU KNOW: Here is yesterday's ECHL stats post that lists ECHL teams with the most playoff series wins since 2015 when the Central Hockey League (CHL) teams joined the ECHL. If you include the two years Steve Martinson coached the Americans in the CHL his series record in Allen is 16-3, to go along with four championships. 

ECHL teams with the most playoff series wins since 2015. Kelly Cup championships in parenthesis: 

 

10 - Allen (2)

10 - South Carolina (0)

8 - Colorado (2)

8 - Toledo (0)

7 - Florida (0)

7 - Fort Wayne (1)

4 - Newfoundland (1)

4 - Manchester (0)

3 - Wheeling (0)

3 - Adirondack (0)

 

 

 

 

Thank You, Thank You, Thank You

 

The day has arrived for the blog to say goodbye to the 2020-21 season and go into the summer hiatus from writing. I will still post blogs periodically as news arises and time permits. 

 

To say the 2020-21 season was unusual would be a gross understatement with the team in a bubble because of COVID. Luckily, I was able to attend practice as the only member of the media that covers the team on a daily basis. Have to admit it was lonely sitting at center ice all by myself, with my required mask on, watching practice and unable to interact with players and coaches other than with hand signals. I didn't attend a game in person until after I was vaccinated in mid February.  

I am not going to go through the long list of everyone I thank each year in the "thank you" blog at the end of the season but want to mention two. First are the readers of the blog. As most everyone knows the blog is a labor of love for me, not a business, and the only reason for its existence is to share information about the Allen Americans with all of you. From a meager start in 2012, as of today there have been 1,887,797 unique page views that have reached people all over the US and Canada as well as the hockey hotbeds in Europe. It proves fans of the Allen Americans are all over the world.

It is quite an undertaking to write about the team seven days a week during the season and it does indeed take a village to make it all possible. It seems like as the years go by more and more blog readers help me out with information, ideas for stories, ask questions and let me know they appreciate the work I do. A special shout out for those of you that act as proofreaders and fact checkers so I can correct the many mistakes I make being a one man show. It is hard to put into words my appreciation whether you read the blog every day or are a casual fan that stumbles across my daily musings. It has been my pleasure to meet many of you and your words of encouragement in person, comments at the end of each blog, on Twitter, on Facebook, message boards, and email have been very satisfying and inspiring. Thanks to you, the readers!

With all of the stats and information included in the blog what makes it special is hearing from coach/general Steve Martinson. If there has been a positive from this strange season it has been Martinson's willingness to talk to me early every morning to share the latest information about the team. It is definitely above and beyond the call of duty and I am confident not matched by any other coach in the league. I have said for several years the blog started when Martinson arrived and will end (in its current form) when he leaves. Luckily, he was just re-signed for one year, so he will be in Allen for the 2021-22 season and hopefully many more years beyond.  Thank you, Steve Martinson.
  
  


I will still publish blog on an as needed basis as new information becomes available. I will be talking to Martinson a couple of times per week. 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. Remember, it is only 117 days until Allen Americans hockey starts again. The lucky 13th season is not far off.
 
 



DID YOU KNOW: One year after the earliest last game of the season, this season set the record for the latest last game of the season. Here is the date of the last game played in each year of the Allen franchise along with the results.

May 4, 2010: 4-3 loss to Rapid City in the CHL Presidents' Cup finals
May 8, 2011: 5-3 loss to Bossier-Shreveport in the CHL Berry Conference finals
April 10, 2012: 4-2 loss to the Texas Brahmas in the CHL Berry Conference semi-finals
May 11, 2013: 4-3 OT win over Wichita in the CHL Presidents' Cup finals
May 10, 2014: 5-2 win over Denver in the CHL Presidents' Cup finals
June 14, 2015: 6-1 win over South Carolina in the Kelly Cup finals
June 9, 2016: 4-2 win over the Wheeling Nailers in the Kelly Cup finals
May 9, 2017: 4-3 loss to Colorado in the ECHL Mountain Division finals
April 25, 2018: 4-1 loss to Idaho in the ECHL Mountain Division semi-finals
April 6, 2019: 4-1 loss to Wichita, out of playoffs
March 7, 2020: 4-2 loss to Tulsa, no playoffs, season canceled
June 22, 2021: 3-2 OT loss to Fort Wayne, in the ECHL Western Conference finals

Q & A With Steve Martinson - This Season, Next Season, His Contract, Affiliation and More

 

On Wednesday morning after Allen lost to Fort Wayne 3-2 in overtime and was eliminated from the Kelly Cup playoffs, I started the blog with the following sentence. Last night was a disappointing ending, to a disappointing game, to a disappointing series, to a great season for the Allen Americans. 

 

Thursday morning I had a chance to sit down with coach and general manager Steve Martinson to talk to him about that final game, the series, the 2020-21 season, the 2021-22 season and other topics.

 

Question: What are your thoughts on the final game in Fort Wayne?

Answer: The most frustrating thing is we had a two goal lead in the game. They were pressing because they were behind and I thought our forwards should have been able to generate more offense. It was a combination of lack of communication, poor changes and turnovers that cost us.

Q: What are your thoughts on the series with Fort Wayne?

A: We had multiple times in the series where we went from full possession of the puck to a turnover to a goal. The frustrating part is many were unforced turnovers. It is one thing if you are pressured but too many times in the series we made bad decisions with the puck, which ended up with their guys in good scoring positions. The defensive breakdowns were uncharacteristic and cost us against Fort Wayne.

 

Q: It was a disappointing ending but you have to be pleased with the season overall?

A: We accomplished some good things during the regular season under difficult circumstances but it is hard for me to be pleased after the way it ended.

 

Q: With the loss of an affiliation with the Wild, more players getting opportunities in Europe and the AHL back to normal how much more of a challenge will recruiting be this off season?

A: It is a given there will not be as many players available. You have the players going to Europe but another big factor is most of the US college seniors are staying in school because they didn't play this season, so you have that whole group of players not available. 

I will be recruiting on the fact we were leading the league in offense and offense will get you noticed. Having the Defenseman of the Year the last two seasons, who led the league in scoring, will help in recruiting. There are a lot of benefits when recruiting players to Allen. We have an offensive and entertaining style, we have a goalie coach and skating coach, very nice housing, a major airport, a winning tradition and great weather. 

I will sign players as soon as I can (July 9) but a lot of players will be waiting to see if they get AHL deals. 

 

Q: Do you have any future considerations trades that have to be settled by the July 5th deadline?

A: No, all have been taken care of.

 

Q: You hear rumors every off season about the possibility of Chad Costello returning to Allen. Is there anything you can share regarding Chad?

A: All I will say is there is a possibility Chad will return.

 

Q: You just signed a contract extension, how long is that extension?

A: One year

 

Q: What are your thoughts on an affiliation for the 2021-22 season?

A: The key to an affiliation is getting one that will help Allen. You don't want an affiliate that only sees the ECHL as a place to park some players until they have injuries or call ups. The last two seasons I was involved in who our affiliate was signing as their depth guys and that is key. 

Before COVID the plan was for Iowa to send us nine players. The same things I mentioned in recruiting players helps when talking to potential affiliates. We have a skating coach, goalie coach, a major airport, a nice place to live and a history of developing players which all helps. From an on ice perspective, our affiliates have been happy with how we have developed their players.

There are NHL teams that need affiliates and I am trying to find one that will send the most good players to us. Unlike many ECHL coaches who are looking for a job with their affiliate, I am not looking for a job so I am not afraid to ask them for what will help us.  

Q: Is there anything you learned this season that will change your approach to the 2021-22 season?

A: When we were winning championships we had a core group of players whose primary goal was winning a championship, along with rookies and players looking to move up to the AHL. I think we need a bigger group of those guys that want to stay in Allen and win.

Q: What players that spent time in the AHL this season will you have the rights to next season?

A: Frank Marotte, Turner Ottenbreit and Will Lochead.

Q: How many players off the Allen roster do you think will go to Europe?

A: I don't know the exact number but it will be a lot. I know of several in addition to the five (Register, Lancaster, Mackin, Butcher, Paterson) that have been officially announced. We also have players whose rights go back to other teams in the ECHL, like Mackin and McAuley. They signed with teams that opted out of the 2020-21 season before signing with us.

 

Q: What are you most looking forward to this summer away from hockey?

A: The traits I have as a person go well with what I do as a job. I am not the kind of guy looking for a new thrill or adventure. When we are in Rockford, I tell people and I am dead serious, if I can't get there in my boat, don't invite me. I like the simple life of being on the river with the family. I like that our kids and their friends are always at our house, taking out the boat. We have bonfires several times a week. A the same time I think about hockey all day, every day and that is just the way I am built.

 

Q: Having played for the Montreal Canadiens what do you think winning the Stanley Cup would mean to your former team and Canada?

A: Obviously there is a ton of excitement. The newer younger fans haven't seen the domination the older fans have. So for them to see the team win will be amazing. The fan base there is all in and almost everyone is all in. It is like the Packers in Wisconsin, almost everyone is all in. 

 

Q: Minnesota Wild Assistant GM Tom Kurvers died this week. He is always described as a smart and genuine guy. I know you have been friends for a long time. When did you first get to know Tom. 

A: I met Tom at a conditioning camp in northern Minnesota. I had signed with the New York Rangers and Tom Kurvers and George McPhee were there. Tom was just out of college and I gave him a ride back to the Twin Cities after the camp. We would skate together in the summer and he would come out to Lake Minnetonka (where I lived) and we would spend time on our boat. His first date with his first wife was out on the boat with us. He came to our wedding reception that we had back in Minnesota after we got married. After Tom got hired by the Wild a couple of years ago we got reacquainted and talked strategy all of the time. He was a great guy and will be missed.   

Allen Eliminated With OT Loss, What Went Wrong, Reflecting on a Great Season, Lancaster Signs in Finland, Best Playoff Goal Scorers and More

 

Last night was a disappointing ending, to a disappointing game, to a disappointing series, to a great season for the Allen Americans. The Fort Wayne Komets defeated Allen 3-2 in overtime to advance to the Kelly Cup finals for the first time, where they will take on the South Carolina Stingrays.

 

- In my opinion the Americans could never recover from the disastrous loss at home in game two where it looked like they would take a 2-0 series lead. Allen had a 4-1 lead with 12 minutes remaining in the game and managed to turn it into a 5-4 overtime loss. A ten game win streak turned into a three game losing streak and the Americans were ousted by the Komets 3-1.

 

- Credit and congratulations goes to Fort Wayne but the three loses in this series after an opening game win were uncharacteristic for the Americans. Major breakdowns in team defense led to all three loses and the Americans couldn't hold on to a lead, something that was a strength all season. 

 

- Allen scored first in all four games of the series. During the regular season the Americans record when scoring first was 33-8-2-0. In this series their record was 1-3.

 

- Allen's record during the regular season when leading after the first period was 24-2-2-1. In two of the three losses in this series Allen had the lead after the first period.

 

- Allen's record during the regular season when leading after the second period was 30-2-2-0. In two of the three losses in this series Allen had a lead after the second period.

 

- Last night Allen took a 2-0 lead on a power play goal (Scott Conway) and shorthanded goal (Corey Mackin) and it looked like things were back to normal. Special teams were clicking, the team was playing well defensively and C.J. Motte was great in goal. The Americans had a 2-1 lead until Fort Wayne tied the scored with less than five minutes remaining in the game. On the goal that tied the game the Komets player (Boudens) was standing all alone in front of Motte for at least four seconds before he got the puck and put it home. The overtime game winner was similar to game two. Allen had full possession of the puck in its offensive zone and turned it over for a wide open shot. Fort Wayne won two overtime games with wide open shots after two bad turnovers. It took combined total of only four minutes of overtime for the Komets to secure two comeback wins.

- In the span of this series, Allen went from a team that was one of the best at closing out games to one that couldn't hold a lead. You never know what would have happened and it is a whole lot of woulda, shoulda. coulda, but if Allen had not imploded in the third period of game two and held on to win that game, I think they would have swept the series. Instead the Americans gave Fort Wayne all the confidence and momentum it needed to win three straight and take the series 3-1.

 

- It has been a tough season with all of the pandemic issues but Allen played all 72 regular season games and once again made a deep playoff run, winning four playoff games. Allen led all teams with 45 wins in the regular season. When it is all said and done the Americans will have won more games this season (49) than any other team in the league. The Americans have provided much needed entertainment when it was needed most. 

 

- There will be many players not returning next season but thankfully Steve Martinson will be back to put together another top notch team. Martinson overcame many challenges this season and despite the loss to Fort Wayne, I believe the 2020-21 season will go down as the best of his nine seasons in Allen.

 

- Many of the issues from this season, like loss of affiliation, will carry over. The change in recruiting to Europe, which has increased due to COVID, means more top players from the ECHL will make the jump. The AHL will be back be back to normal and looking to sign more players who were in the ECHL this season. It all means off season recruiting for ECHL teams will be tougher than normal. It is in this environment that Steve Martinson excels. 

 

- I will have Steve Martinson's thoughts on the series loss to Fort Wayne and the season along with some odds and ends tomorrow.     

OTHER COMMENTS

- Look for the Allen Americans to disperse quickly now that the season is over. The players that are signed in Europe don't have much time before they will report for training camps which will start in July. You can add Les Lancaster to the list of players that have been announced as moving to Europe for the 2021-22 season. Lancaster has signed to play in the top league in Finland (Liiga) which is rated by some as the fourth best pro league in the world after the NHL, KHL (Russia) and SHL (Sweden). A great opportunity for Les to get paid for his historic season in Allen by playing in one of the best pro leagues in the world. The team Lancaster signed with is Ilves which means Lynx in Finnish. The team is located in Tampere, Finland which is the second largest urban area in Finland. It is a gorgeous city wedged between two lakes about 100 miles north of Helsinki. The team was founded in 1931 and has won 16 championships. It is one of the most successful teams in the league but its last championship was in 1985. 

 

- The official list of players heading overseas in now up to four. Corey Mackin and Chad Butcher will play for the same teams in the second highest pro league in Sweden. Jake Paterson will play in Norway's top league. There are others heading to Europe as well but not officially announced yet. 

 

DID YOU KNOW: After missing out on a chance to win the Kelly Cup I thought today would be a good one to look back at some of the great playoff goals scorer from the the past. I knew Greger Hanson was clutch in the playoffs but didn't realize he averaged more goals per game than any other player over the last 20 years. 

 

Some all time greats on this list of players with the best average goals per game in the playoffs over the last 20 seasons (minimum 55 playoff games played):

 

Most Playoff Goals Per Game in ECHL since 2000:

0.51 - Greger Hanson

0.49 - Kyle Bonis

0.48 - Milan Gajic

0.44 - Wes Goldie

0.43 - Gary Steffes

0.43 - Mike Scott

0.42 - Andrew Rowe

0.42 - Kevin Baker

0.42 - Lance Galbraith

0.39 - Trent Daavettila

0.39 - Alex Belzile

0.38 - Joe Devin

0.38 - A.J Jenks

0.37 - Olivier Labelle

0.37 - John McCarron

0.34 - Shawn Szydlowski

0.33 - Chad Costello

0.33 - Yannick Tifu

 

Allen's Comeback Falls Short in Loss, Game Recap, Coach's Corner, Game 4 Preview, Rookie Playoff Leaders and More

 

The scoreboard showed the Allen Americans lost 4-3 to Fort Wayne. The score doesn't do a very good job of telling the story of what happened in the game. The 3919 fans at the Memorial Coliseum saw Allen score first (Les Lancaster) just 77 seconds after the opening puck drop. The lead didn't last long as the Komets scored four unanswered to take a 4-1 lead after the first period as the Allen defense broke down time and time again. It was another uncharacteristic period for the Americans who have allowed a total of seven goals in just two periods (last period of game two and first period of game three). The total goals allowed by Allen in the other 16 periods they have played in the playoffs this season is nine. The two bad periods led to two defeats and has put the Americans in a deep hole. Trailing 2-1 in the best of five series they will have to win tonight and tomorrow night in Fort Wayne to advance.

 

- To their credit the Americans never gave up in the game and for a while it looked like Allen might flip the script on the Komets and come back from the 4-1 deficit. Allen played solid defense the final two periods and with the help of goalie C.J. Motte held Fort Wayne scoreless. Tyler Sheehy cut the score to 4-2 with the only goal of the second period. When Les Lancaster scored his second goal of the game on the power play early in the third period (2:43) it looked like the comeback was on. The Americans had a great opportunity to tie the game with a late power play including some 6-on-4 time after pulling the goalie. Allen struggled getting organized on the power play and Fort Wayne did an excellent job killing the crucial penalty. 

 

- Here is the game recap from the Allen Americans: https://allenamericans.com/news/general/komets-take-game-three-as-americans-face-elimination/

 

- All the cliches apply tonight, win or go home, do-or-die, backs against the wall, last chance, one last shot, last stand, pick your favorite. Despite the two bad periods in the last two games when they were outscored 7-1, the Americans won the other four periods 6-1 and outscored Fort Wayne in all but one which was scoreless. The final two periods last night showed what Allen can do and that is the mindset they need to take into game four.

 

- Allen has scored first in every game in this series but doesn't have much to show for it with a 1-2 record. The team that scores first wins close to 80% of the time and stats have a way of regressing to the mean. You have to like Allen's chances if they get the first goal again tonight. 

 

- Both teams had a power play goal last night and they were key to the game. Fort Wayne converted on its only power play of the game. It was an ill advised retaliation penalty early in the game that allowed the Komets to tie the score 1-1. Allen was 1-4 on the power play as Les Lancaster scored early in the third period to cut the Fort Wayne lead to 4-3. Special teams played a key role last night and there is no doubt they will again tonight. 

 

COACH'S CORNER

"We have played two bad periods in this series and it has cost us two games. We have outplayed/outscored them in seven of nine periods."

"We talk all the time about not trying to make a play that isn't there. We had several goals scored in the bad two periods when we turned back into our offensive zone trying to make a play. I always use the football analogy of sometimes you just have to punt and get the puck out of the zone."

"I told the team after the game Fort Wayne is up one game in the series, that is it. All we have to do is even the series and the way we played in the final two periods will get it done."

"We have tweaked the power play for the game tonight."

"C.J. Motte will get the start tonight and Jake Paterson will start in game five. I liked the way Motte played after the first period and held us in the game."

"Sam Laberge and Dyson Stevenson will be game time decisions but could both be in the lineup tonight." 

OTHER COMMENTS

- South Carolina, who was the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference and the #7 ranked team in the ECHL during the regular season advanced to the Kelly Cup Finals last night with a 2-1 win at home over Greenville. The Stingrays won the series 3-1. They have played all of their playoff games in a practice rink that holds just 550 fans. It is already determined the final series will start in the Stingrays practice facility (Ice Palace) whether they face Allen or Fort Wayne. The first two game will be on Friday (June 25) and Sunday (June 27). Allen or Fort Wayne will get the last three games of the best of five series at home. 

- Here is a story from the local paper (The Post and Courier) that tells the story of the South Carolina Stingrays season which has been remarkable as they were barely able to sneak into the playoffs after a poor start to the season. It is pretty amazing when the Kelly Cup finalist happens to have the longest winless streak in the ECHL this season (10 games). It is a great story and worth the read:  https://www.postandcourier.com/sports/minor_leagues/sc-stingrays-slip-past-greenville-to-earn-kelly-cup-finals-berth/article_7785e1fc-d2e6-11eb-99e4-e3e62295cb36.html

 

- Here is the ECHL Today with its preview of the Allen vs Fort Wayne game tonight: https://www.echl.com/en/news/2021/6/echl-today-june-22  

- My final thought for today is something I have said before. Tonight could be last game of the season though I personally think it will not. Allen has enough talent to win every night and has a history of winning must win games. Win or lose, have fun watching the game tonight. It has been a tough season with all of the pandemic issues but Allen played all 72 regular season games and once again has made a deep playoff run. There are only three teams still playing hockey in the ECHL. The Americans have provided much needed entertainment when it was needed most. Be thankful Steve Martinson will be back next season and reflect on what I believe will go down as the best of his nine seasons in Allen as a general manger, whether the Americans win or lose tonight. Martinson had to deal with losing two affiliations and had to basically rebuild the team when he lost nine players in one week including five in one day when San Jose pulled its players. Trades, free agents, college players, talking to AHL teams, talking to players sitting at home, Martinson left no stone unturned. Martinson's ability to recruit is unparalleled.     

 

 

DID YOU KNOW: Rookies have played a big role in Allen this season. It is hard to believe but 50% (26) of the record 52 players that played in Allen this season were rookies. Here is the ECHL Stats post from today that highlights leading ECHL rookies in the playoffs:

 

 

Rookies are playing a big role in the Kelly Cup playoffs. Here are the rookie leaders:

 

Points (8) and Assists (7)

Steven Harper, Fort Wayne

 

Goals (4)

Brett Neumann, Allen 

 

Shooting Percentage (60%, 3 for 5)

Oliver Cooper, Fort Wayne (leads all players)

 

Shots (24)

Ben Finkelstein, Greenville 

 

Plus/Minus (+5)

Sam Ruopp, Allen 

 

Game Winning Goals (2)

Brett Neumann, Allen

Greg Meireles, Greenville 

 

Save Percentage (.941) & GAA (1.79)

John Lethemon, Greenville (leads all goalies)

         

Game Three Preview, Coach's Corner Including Lineup Changes, Best Playoff Save Percentages, Average Attendance and More

 

The Allen Americans are in Fort Wayne for game three of their best of five series which is tonight (6:30 CDT). It is not a must win game or a win or go home game but if the Americans lose tonight the hole they have dug will be as deep as it can go. Allen is looking for a response to the disappointing loss at home on Saturday when they literally gave the game away and allowed Fort Wayne to tie the series 1-1. Over the seasons the Americans have played well after bad losses and they have rarely lost back to back games this season (five times in 77 games.

 

- Both teams have now played enough playoff games to see strengths and weaknesses that don't show up looking at regular season stats. Here is an Allen vs Fort Wayne comparison looking at playoff only stats.

Goals Scored (average per game)
4.00 - Allen
3.00 - Fort Wayne

Goals Allowed (average per game)
2.60 - Allen
3.29 - Fort Wayne

Goal Differential (goals scored minus goals allowed)
+7:  Allen
 -2:  Fort Wayne

Shots For (average per game)
33.40 - Allen
31.86 - Fort Wayne

Shots Against (average per game)
31.20 - Allen
32.00 - Fort Wayne

Shooting Percentage (goals as a percent of total shots)
12.0% - Allen
9.4% - Fort Wayne

Power Play Percentage
11.1% - Fort Wayne
8.0% - Allen

Penalty Kill Percentage
88.9% - Allen
88.9% - Fort Wayne

Power Play Goals Scored
 3 - Fort Wayne
 2 - Allen

Plus/Minus
+33:  Allen
-9:  Fort Wayne  

Goals Against Average (GAA)
2.36 - Allen 
3.25 - Fort Wayne

Save Percentage
.917 - Allen
.905 - Fort Wayne


Playoff Record
4-0-1 - Allen
4-3-0 - Fort Wayne 

 

- Allen has to like their chances given most of the numbers above. If the Americans play to their potential you have to like their chances.

 

- The stat that is hard to explain is the power play percentage. These teams have gone from the top two teams during the regular season (25.9% - Fort Wayne, 20.5% - Allen) to the bottom two teams in the playoffs (11.1% - Fort Wayne, 8.0% - Allen). A power play goal played a big part in Fort Wayne's big comeback win on Saturday. Special teams will likely determine the winner tonight. There were 23 power play attempts in the first two games but just two goals (one for each team). There is little doubt both teams will get some power play opportunities tonight, the question is which team will execute the best. In the first two games of the series the team with a power play goal won.

 

- Scoring first is always important even though it didn't work for Allen on Saturday. With that one exception both Allen and Fort Wayne have won every game in the playoffs when it scored first. 

 

- Even though they have played several fewer games than their competitors, Corey Mackin is the ECHL overall leader in playoff points (8) and Les Lancaster leads all defensemen (5). Brett Neumann is second in goals (4). 

 

- Referees scheduled for tonight are Alex Normandin (#26) and Andrew Bruggeman (#25). It is Normandin's third conference finals and Bruggeman's second. I know coach Martinson is looking for consistency in what is called a penalty and hopes it is the same for both teams.  

COACH'S CORNER

"C.J. Motte will get the start in goal, Jake Paterson will be the backup."

"Frank Marotte and Darian Skeoch did not make the trip but we could fly them in if we need them."

"Dyson Stevenson has not been cleared so he will be helping me on the bench."

"Kris Myllari will go into the lineup tonight, Phil Beaulieu will be out."

"We need to play better defensively tonight and make better use of our speed."

"With Fort Wayne you know you will get power play chances, we need to convert on our chances."

 

OTHER COMMENTS

- The Eastern Conference Finals could end tonight. South Carolina leads Greenville 2-1 in that series with game four tonight in South Carolina. The Stingrays are playing in their practice facility (capacity 550) which could be an advantage. If Greenville wins tonight, game five will also be in the practice facility on Wednesday.

 

- Here is the ECHL Today with previews of both games on tap tonight: https://www.echl.com/en/news/2021/6/echl-today-june-21

 

- Average playoff attendance for the four conference finalists with rank among the eight playoffs teams:

#2:  3348 - Fort Wayne

#5:  2217 - Greenville

#6:  2067 - Allen

#8: 550 - South Carolina (playing in practice facility)

 

DID YOU KNOW: Best playoff goalies by save percentage (minimum 120 minutes). Playoff GAA and record is in parenthesis:

 

.949 - John Lethemon, Greenville (1.68, 2-0)

.929 - Ryan Bednard, Greenville (2.44, 2-3)

.927 - C.J. Motte, Allen (2.00, 2-0)

.914 - Billy Christopoulos, Indy (2.39, 1-2)

.911 - Jake Paterson, Allen (2.56, 2-1)