Allen Americans Update - Roster, Affiliation, Costello, The Jacksons, Preseason, Europe and More

 - The pace has quickened with six player announcements in the last week. The Americans are now up to 14 players on the 2021-22 roster. As a comparison to other ECHL teams, Allen's 14 players announced is mid-pack with 11 teams announcing fewer and 12 teams announcing more players than the Americans. Fort Wayne leads with 21 players announced while Tulsa and Iowa have announced just five players. There are a lot of announcements yet to come with the first day of on ice training camp just two weeks away. 

- Here is Allen's announced roster with seven forwards, six defensemen and one goalie:

Goalies

#35 - Frank Marotte

Defensemen:

#5 - Phil Beaulieu

#16 - Darian Skeoch 

#18 - Kris Myllari

#20 - Ben Carroll

#24 - Nolan Kneen

#28 - Miles Liberati

 

Forwards

#8 - Jackson Leppard

#9 - Dawson Butt

#11 - Branden Troock 

#15 - D-Jay Jerome

#25 - Kelly Bent

#26 - Spencer Asuchak 

#?? - Jackson Leef

 

- There is nothing new (officially) on the Allen NHL/AHL affiliation for the upcoming season. There may be a clue, however, in that goalie Frank Marotte is on the Seattle Kraken training camp roster. The Seattle training camp opened yesterday with the first Kraken preseason game on Sunday against Vancouver. There are five goalies in camp. It may be just a coincidence that Marotte is attending an NHL training camp with Seattle but it may also be a tell on Allen's affiliation.

 

- I had a chance to talk to Chad Costello this week and he is continuing his preparation for the upcoming hockey season. He is training hard and it is clear he expects to be ready to play. It is impossible to overstate how important it would be if Chad would return to Allen for the 2021-22 season. 

 

- Here is a little info on the two Jackson's coming to Allen:

JACKSON LEEF - Jackson will be starting his sixth year as a pro hockey player. He won the Kelly Cup last season with the Fort Wayne Komets. Jackson grew up in Fort Wayne and is the son of Ron Leef, who played for Fort Wayne from 1981 to 1987. Ron Leef is #10 all-time in points for the Komets with 503 (212G, 291A) and is a member of the Komets Hall of Fame. He also played two games with the Dallas Black Hawks (CHL) before signing with Fort Wayne. Jackson Leef is also familiar with the DFW area as he played his junior hockey with the Texas Tornado (NAHL) winning the Robertson Cup in 2011-12. Jackson attended college at Westfield State University and served as captain of the team in 2016-17 when was selected as the Player of the Year in his conference. Here is a video from a couple of years ago with Jackson talking about his career: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5us0SnKJgk

 

 

 JACKSON LEPPARD - Jackson is an ECHL rookie that played his junior hockey in the WHL where he had 115 points (49G, 66A) in 252 games. The 6'2" 200 pound left shot forward describes his game this way, "I am a power forward with lots of grit. I work hard in the corners and the d-zone. I have some skill and use my strength to get on the puck and hopefully put it in the net. As a bantam in 2014 his team won the Western Canada Bantam Championship and one of his teammates and good friend was Nolan Kneen. Here is a video of Leppard with some of his WHL highlights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oD_UKgyx1Sg

 

 

- I have had a few questions about what will be the COVID protocol for the 2021-22 Allen Americans season. I posed the question to team President Mike Waddell and while guidance is always subject to change here is what Mike had to say, "The ECHL is requiring all team personnel who engage with players to be vaccinated. Additional guidance is expected from the league in the next 7-10 days."

"Per COVID protocol for fans, the Allen Americans are planning to operate at 100% capacity in the Allen Event Center. There will be no mask or vaccination requirement."

"All ticketing will remain digital for the 2021-22 season."

"All Americans Team Store transactions will be cashless."

 

- Allen has announced 14 players thus far and true to form Steve Martinson continues to recruit players from the Western Hockey League (WHL). Eight of the 14 players announced played their junior hockey in the WHL (Asuchak, Carroll, Kneen, Skeoch, Troock, Leppard, Butt, Jerome).

 

- Some European leagues have started their season but most are still in preseason. There are several preseason tournaments in Europe so some leagues/teams get an early start. Off to great starts include Tyler Sheehy who has three goals in his first five games and Les Lancaster with three assists in his first three games. Alex Breton has not started playing yet but his Slovakian team, Banksa Bystrica, has an unusual schedule. It will play the first 22 games on the road, then 22 home games in its newly renovated rink. 

 

- Longtime ECHL coach Malcolm Cameron, who was in Wichita from 2016-19 is coaching the Glasgow Clan in Scotland this season and has recruited many players from his past including former Allen players Dyson Stevenson and Colton Yellow Horn. Here is a story about how Cameron put together the team in his first year in Europe and the impact of signing Dyson Stevenson: https://clanihc.com/post/news-coach-its-not-a-typical-malcolm-cameron-team/   

 

- If you saw the ECHL preseason schedule you noticed the Allen Americans will not play preseason games. The team is still in the process of planning the activities for preseason but there will be some kind of intrasquad game for fans to check out the team prior to the beginning of the regular season. Stay tuned.

 

DID YOU KNOW: The last two ECHL seasons have been difficult for fans and players alike. I posted this on my ECHL stats page recently and it really hit home how much impact COVID has had on professional hockey players at all levels but particularly the ECHL. In 2018-19 there were exactly 1000 players play at least one game in the ECHL. In the COVID shortened 2019-20 season that number was down to 870 players. In 2020-21 when so many ECHL teams opted out of the season and just 14 played, the number of players that found jobs was down to just 584. Let's hope the 2021-22 season will see a return to normal and all 27 teams will play the full 72 game schedule.   
 

Allen Americans News and Notes

 

I have been reminded several times lately, both subtly and not so subtly, it is time for me to start writing more blogs. I have been remiss because of a lack of information and lack of enthusiasm during this shortened off season. I will try to do better in September but be forewarned I plan to spend most of the month of October in Minnesota and North Dakota on an extended hunting trip with my lifelong friend and hunting buddy. At our age (mid 70s) you never know how many years you have left walking through pheasant, duck, goose and partridge habitat following a hunting dog. 

 

- It is now less than 50 days until 2021-22 opening night for the Allen Americans and there is still a lot to be accomplished. Only eight players have been announced but many more have been signed but not yet announced. 

 

- As a comparison to other ECHL teams, Allen's eight players announced is on the low side. Only five teams have announced fewer players than the Americans. Iowa has still not announced any players, while Tulsa and Utah have announced just three. At the other end of the spectrum is Fort Wayne (17), Atlanta (15) and Norfolk (14).

- Here is Allen's announced roster. I would estimate there are another 7-8 players signed but not yet announced:

Defensemen:

#16 - Darian Skeoch 

#18 - Kris Myllari

#20 - Ben Carroll

#24 - Nolan Kneen

#28 - Miles Liberati

 

Forwards

#11 - Branden Troock 

#25 - Kelly Bent

#26 - Spencer Asuchak

 

- Every ECHL team with the exception of Allen now has a NHL/AHL affiliation. Steve Martinson assures me the Americans will have an affiliation for the 2021-22 season with all of the details still being worked out. Stay tuned.

 

- The question I get most often other than affiliation news is the status of Chad Costello for the upcoming season. Nothing new to report other than what I included in the blog a month ago. Chad has moved to Texas and his quote on playing is the best indication of his plans, "After rehabbing my knee and starting to train hard all I can say is I am all in to play again next season."  

- The ECHL Board of Governors (BOG) will meet in Miami this week (8th & 9th) and one of the agenda items will be COVID protocols for the upcoming season. If you follow other North American hockey leagues and teams the rules are as strict mandatory vaccinations for everyone including fans to less restrictive rules where the protocol has no mandatory vaccination requirements. 

- Former Allen forward Colton Yellow Horn has signed for yet another season in yet another league in yet another country. The 34 year old will play the 2021-22 season for the Glasgow Clan in the EIHL. Colton and Jordie Benn, who recently signed with the Minnesota Wild for 2021-22, are the only players from Allen's inaugural season still playing professional hockey.

 I saw this about Yellow Horn posted on the Hockey Indigenous Twitter page, "Since leaving North America after the 2012-13 season and continuing his hockey journey in Europe/Asia, Colton Yellow Horn (Blackfoot) has played for nine teams, in seven different countries, in seven different leagues." Colton's business card should read, "Have skates, will travel." Colton's stops in North America included Stockton, Elmira, Allen, Ontario and Manchester. It is quite a resume for a great player.

Other than Chad Costello's three seasons in Allen, fans sometimes forget Yellow Horn is the Americans all time single season leader in points (88) and assists (55). Colton is one of 10 players in Allen history with 30 goals in a season. He scored 33 goals in 2010-11. 

 

- Dyson Stevenson will be teammates with Yellow Horn this season with the Glasgow Clan. It was just announced that Dyson will head to Europe for the first time in his career. He was recruited by Clan coach, Malcolm Cameron, who is in his first season in Glasgow. Cameron coached Stevenson in juniors (WHL - Regina) and was also the coach in Wichita when Dyson played for the Thunder. 

 

- Dyson Stevenson is the 13th player from Allen's 2020-21 ending roster that will play in Europe in 2021-22. Here is the list:

Corey Mackin and Chad Butcher - Sweden (HC Vita Hasten)

Matt Register and Josh Lammon - Wales (Cardiff Devils)*

Scott Conway and Sam Ruopp - Northern Ireland (Belfast Giants)*

Les Lancaster - Finland (Ilves)

Steve Owre - France (Cergy-Pontoise)

Tyler Sheehy - Germany (Nurnberg Ice Tigers)

Collin Shirley - Poland (Cracovia Krakow)

C.J. Motte - England (Coventry Blaze)*

Jake Paterson - Norway (Sparta Sarpsborg)

Dyson Stevenson - Scotland (Glasgow Clan)*

*These six players will see each other frequently as they all play in the same league (EIHL). Other former Allen Americans playing in the EIHL in 2021-22 include Wade MacLeod, Jared VanWormer, Dallas Ehrhardt, Greg Chase, Tanner Eberle, Alex Ranger and Ben Wilson.

- Here are some other former Allen players that have recently signed for the 2021-22 season: 

Kayle Doetzel - Hungary 

Dante Salituro - France (teammate with Jonathan Lessard)

J. C. Campagna - Toledo

Josh Atkinson - Hungary 

Cody Corbett - Kalamazoo

Alex Breton - Slovakia

Nick Boka - Rochester (AHL)

Aaron Dell - Buffalo (NHL)

Brett Pollock - Sweden

Vincent Arseneau - Abbotsford (AHL)

 

- The Adirondack Thunder have announced the signing of 11 players and their average age is 29.18. The Maine Mariners have announced the signing of 10 players and their average age is 24.00.

DID YOU KNOW: I post each morning on my ECHL Stats and Information page (Facebook and Twitter) stats that I find interesting. I recently posted this one which says a lot about both the Allen Americans style of play and the greatness of Chad Costello. Keep in mind when you look at the stats below that every season Chad played in the ECHL he led the league in average points per game and by a wide margin. FYI, Chad played in Europe since 2016-17 and was injured in 2013-14. This list shows the impact Chad has had on his ECHL teams.

ECHL leaders in average points per game, last 10 seasons, (minimum 35 games played):

 

1.15 - Anthony Beauregard, Wichita, 2020-21

1.49 - Tyler Sheehy, Allen, 2019-20

1.47 - Reid Gardiner, Kalamazoo, 2018-19

1.37 - Caleb Herbert, Greenville, 2017-18

1.69 - Chad Costello, Allen, 2016-17

1.43 - Chad Costello, Allen, 2015-16

1.74 - Chad Costello, Allen, 2014-15

1.26 - Mickey Lang, Orlando, 2013-14

1.61 - Chad Costello, Colorado, 2012-13

1.62 - Chad Costello, Colorado, 2011-12

  

The Allen Americans Roster - Past, Present and Future, Including a Chad Costello Update

If you don't keep up with the happenings around the ECHL and the Allen Americans it is easy to lose track of all the activity. Here is my list, in no particular order, of some of the activity over the last couple of weeks.

 

- Scott Conway and Sam Ruopp became the 10th and 11th players from Allen's playoff roster to sign in Europe for the 2021-22 season. They signed with the same team (Belfast Giants) in the EIHL. They are the third duo from Allen to sign in Europe. Matt Register and Josh Lammon signed with the Cardiff Devils (Wales). Corey Mackin and Chad Butcher signed with HC Vita Hasten (Sweden).

- Allen added two defensemen to the 2021-22 roster last week, Miles Liberati and Ben Carroll. They join Spencer Asuchak as the players announced thus far. Liberati didn't play last season but in 2019-20, playing for the Tulsa Oilers, he was the second leading scorer in the ECHL among defensemen with 46 points (11G, 35A) in 56 games. Ben Carroll returns to Allen after a very successful rookie season. He played in more games (65) than any of the 26 different rookies that saw action for the Americans last season. If there was a team award for unsung hero, Carroll would be the winner. He became part of Allen's top defensive pairing with Les Lancaster and took on more responsibility as the season progressed.

 

- This is the time of year fans are anxious to find out which players from last season have been signed for next season. There is a way to make an educated guess by looking at Allen's qualifying offers and see what players didn't receive one. That is because if a player was signed prior to the final date for qualifying offers (July 23) they don't need to be qualified. Here are some of players that were on the season ending roster that did not get one of the eight qualifying offers. What that means is these players are either signed by Allen for next season or they are free agents and can sign with any team. Since these players have not been announced as signed elsewhere the odds are they are not going to Europe and have signed with Allen. The one exception, that doesn't make sense to me, is Collin Shirley since he is caught in what I call the "rookie trap" which means he didn't play 25 games last season (he played 19) so he is considered a rookie for all of the 2021-22 season. Rookie salaries are capped between $500-$585 per week.   

Zane Franklin

Darian Skeoch

Kris Myllari

Nolan Kneen

Collin Shirley 

- Co-captain Dyson Stevenson was on the season ending roster but did not receive a qualifying offer. His situation is different because he is a veteran. Teams can only buy time by qualifying veterans because if the vet doesn't sign a qualifying offer by August 1 they become a free agent. For that reason, teams rarely qualify veterans. Stevenson is looking for an AHL deal so whether he returns to Allen remains to be seen. He is now a free agent so he can sign with any ECHL team though you have to assume if he plays in the ECHL next season it would be in Allen.

 

- Of all the questions I get asked every off season the most frequent is about the possibility of Chad Costello returning to Allen. Chad's 2020-21 season in Norway was over early with a season ending knee injury. Chad had played just 11 games for his new team (Stavanger) and was off to a great start with 14 points when he was injured on December 3. At this point it is an unknown if, when or where Chad will play in 2021-22. If you are an Allen fan his comments to me when I contacted him in Iowa a couple of days ago contains some hope. Here are his comments in his own words, "My son has a tournament in Minnesota next weekend and we are planning on moving to Texas after that. My knee is getting better and I have been able to start training pretty hard. After rehabbing my knee and starting to train hard all I can say is I am all in to play again next season." This is definitely a stay tuned story. 

- Many of the players Steve Martinson is recruiting are waiting to sign because they are looking for AHL deals. Allen will be their first choice if they don't sign with an AHL team. Not having an affiliation can hurt in recruitment. In the past, having slots in the Wild training camp or prospect tournament was a great recruiting tool but not the case this season. I asked Martinson this morning about the status of an affiliation and he said, "Hoping to square that up this week. Had to wait for NHL free agency to settle down."

 

- Speaking of recruitment I love this stat which was posted on my ECHL Stats and Information page recently. It should be part of any pitch when recruiting offensive defensemen to Allen. Since 2016-17 just four ECHL players have a combined points per game average above .800 (minimum 100 games). All you can say is offensive defensemen thrive in Steve Martinson's system.

.858 - Les Lancaster 

.836 - Matt Register

.825 - Alex Breton

.810 - David Makowski  

DID YOU KNOW: Just 1/2 of a percent of all ECHL players played in 72 regular season games in 2020-21. Now this is an elite group.

584 players played at least one game in the ECHL during the 2020-21 season. Only six of 14 teams played a full 72 game schedule and just three players played in all 72 games. Congrats and hats off to these three Ironmen:

 

Aaron Luchuk - Orlando

Les Lancaster- Allen

Tristan Langan - Orlando

 

Luchuk and Lancaster were both named to the All-ECHL first team. Luchuk was the ECHL scoring leader (74 points) and MVP finalist. Lancaster led all defensemen in scoring (64 points), was Defenseman of the Year and runner-up MVP.

 

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.