A Deep Dive on Allen Americans 2022-23 Schedule

 As the Allen Americans 2022-23 season is about to get underway, I thought it would be a good time to do the annual "deep dive" on the Americans schedule. It is probably more information than you would ever want to know about the schedule, but it will give you many different views of what coach Costello and the team will be dealing with.

- From a travel standpoint the Americans will make one trip to Rapid City, two trips to Idaho and two trips to Utah. Allen will have two road trips outside the Mountain Division. In November the Americans will travel to Cincinnati for two games and Fort Wayne for one. In December, Allen will travel to Reading for three games. 


- In addition to playing Cincinnati, Fort Wayne and Reading on the road, Allen will play Fort Wayne, Florida and Savannah at home (three games each). If you combine the home and road games against teams outside the Mountain Division, it totals 15 games which is 21% of the 72-game schedule. That is the highest percentage of games outside the division since Allen joined the ECHL.  



- Below is a complete list of Allen's 72 games by opponent. Teams with an asterisk are Mountain Division foes.

14 games - Wichita (7 home 7 away) *

12 games - Utah (6 home 6 away) *                                                   
9 games - Tulsa (3 home 6 away) *                            
8 games - Idaho (3 home 5 away) *                                     
8 games - Rapid City (5 home 3 away) *                      
6 games - Kansas City (3 home 3 away) *

4 games - Fort Wayne (3 home, 1 away)

3 games - Savannah (3 home, 0 away) 

3 games - Florida (3 home, 0 away) 

3 games - Reading (0 home 3 away
2 games - Cincinnati (0 home, 2 away)                      

                                                               


- Here is a breakdown of the 36-game home schedule by day of the week. 

12 games - Saturday

10 games - Friday

7 games - Wednesday

5 games - Sunday 

2 games - Thursday

0 games - Monday

0 games - Tuesday 

To get 22 of 36 homes games (61%) on prime weekend dates is a real plus, it is an increase from 18 last season. According to team President, Jonny Mydra, the Americans do an average of about 40% better on revenue on Friday/Saturday compared to weekday and Sunday games.  

  

 Allen has typically tried to get more road games early in the season to avoid conflicts with high school football plus early season road trips help bring the team together. Here is a breakdown of home versus away games by month:

 

October - 4 games (2H, 2A)

November - 10 games (3H, 7A)

December - 13 games (7H, 6A)

January - 13 games (5H, 8A)

February - 12 games (6H, 6A)

March - 12 games (8H, 4A)

April - 8 games (5H, 3A)

You can see the pattern has continued in 2022-23 with just five home games versus nine road games in October and November to start the season. The end of the season is the opposite with 13 home games and 7 road games in March and April. 

- The longest road game stretch of the season is six games between November 16 and November 26, when the Americans will visit Cincinnati, Fort Wayne and Idaho. Allen will have two six game homestands this season. From February 9 to 18, Fort Wayne and Florida will visit the CUTX and from March 16 to 25 Utah followed by Idaho will be in Allen for three game series. 

  

- One of the many things the team looks at when the schedule comes out is how many times they have to play three games back-to-back-to-back. Three games in three days is stressful especially if there is travel involved. Players are more prone to injuries in these situations. In 2022-23 Allen will play three games in three days six times and four of them will involve travel.


December 2, 3, 4 - Rapid City (H), Rapid City (H), Rapid City (H)
January 6, 7, 8 - Kansas City (A), Tulsa (A), Kansas City (H)
January 27, 28, 29 - Tulsa (H), Tulsa (H), Tulsa (A)
February 9, 10, 11 - Fort Wayne (H), Fort Wayne (H), Fort Wayne (H)
March 30, 31, April 1 - Rapid City (A), Rapid City (A), Rapid City (A)

April 7, 8, 9 - Savannah (H), Savannah (H), Tulsa (A)

The toughest of these three-in-three series will be January 6, 7 and 8 when Allen plays in Kansas City on Friday, Tulsa on Saturday and then travels home for a 2:05 pm start against Kansas City on Sunday. Meanwhile Kansas City doesn't play on Saturday while the Americans play in Tulsa and then travel back to Allen. 


-  Playing four games in five days is really brutal and will happen twice in 2022-23. 

January 25, 27, 28, 29 - Kansas City (H) Tulsa (H), Tulsa (H), Tulsa (A)

April 5, 7, 8, 9 - Savannah (H), Savannah (H), Savannah (H), Tulsa (A)

 

 - Seven of the 11 teams on Allen's schedule this season made the playoffs last season. Of Allen's 72 regular season games 41 (57%) will be against the seven teams that made the playoffs.


- Allen points percentage last season was .549. Here is a complete list of the 11 teams the Americans play this season in winning percentage order from last season. The number of games Allen will play each team this season is in parentheses:

.697 - Reading (3)

.653 - Florida (3)

.604 - Fort Wayne (4)

.604 - Utah (12)

.576 - Rapid City (8)

.549 - ALLEN

.542 - Tulsa (9)

.528 - Cincinnati (2)

.521 - Idaho (8)

.493 - Kansas City (6)

.438 - Wichita (14)

.000 - Savannah (DNP) (3)



- The easiest part of the schedule for Allen will be from February 9 to March 25. During this stretch the Americans will play 14 home games and just five road games. A trip to Utah (3 games) and a trip to Idaho (2 games) will be the only interruptions to 51 days in Allen.


- The toughest part of the schedule will be between November 15 and December 28. During this six-week period the Americans will play 17 games and 12 of them are on the road. The 12 road games will see Allen travel to Cincinnati, Fort Wayne, Idaho, Reading, Tulsa, and Wichita.


- Maybe the strangest thing about the schedule is Allen plays Tulsa at home just three times all season, something that used to happen in a month. It will, in fact happen in a month this season. Tulsa's three games in Allen all take place in January (11, 27, 28). As recently as 2020-21 Allen played Tulsa eight time at home. 


- If fans are looking to travel to Tulsa or Wichita when Allen plays back-to-back games, there are a couple of choices.  

December 22, 23 - Tulsa

January 13, 14 - Wichita

 



DID YOU KNOW: The Americans don't take the bus so much these days but back in the day of "Big Red" flying was a rarity. During the 2015-16 season the Allen Americans were scheduled to travel 30,000 miles to their 36 road games with 22,000 miles being on the bus. They flew on the 8,000-mile round trip to Alaska.

Barry the Blogger Returns from the Hinterlands and Covers the Latest from Chad Costello on the Allen Americans

 I am back in Minneapolis for a few days before returning to Texas after a week of pheasant hunting in North Dakota. We were hunting around a small town just six miles from the Canadian border and 25 miles from the Montana border. It was typical upper Midwest weather for this time of year where you can expect anything. It was too hot (70's) the first few days of hunting, it then got cold (30's) with big wind (40-50 MPH) and after returning to Minneapolis the first snow of the season arrived. The snow was just enough to cover the grass, trees and woods with a dusting of white while melting on contact with the roads. Add in the fall colors are still close to peak and it reminds me what a wonderland Minnesota is as the seasons transition. Pheasant hunting went from outstanding the first part of the week to impossible in the wind at the end of the week. I just count my blessings that my hunting buddy of 60+ years and I can still keep the hunting tradition alive at 75 years of age. Have to say whoever called them the golden years never lived through them as we don't get over the fences and through the sloughs like we used to. It was definitely two old guys and an old dog chasing the wily ring-necked pheasant. Because we still shoot well enough and Jett's nose can still find the pheasants, I will be bringing a limit home to Texas. And the best news is we are going to do it again in November when the weather will be cold, and the snow will be flying, which makes for even better hunting. 

Enough about me, it is time to focus on hockey. I had a chance to talk to coach Costello yesterday to get caught up on all things Allen Americans.  

- Training camp is well underway as the team prepares for opening night in Tulsa on Friday. The roster has been fluctuating as players that attended AHL camps return to Allen and players on tryout contracts are released. With opening day rosters due in the league office on Wednesday (2:00 pm Allen time), Costello will have some decisions to make in the next few days. He could keep as many as 21 players on the active roster for the first month of the season as long as they can fit under the salary cap. In addition, there can be two players on reserve, so the Americans could start the season with as many as 23 players.

 

- As of this morning everyone is back in Allen and the bumps and bruises from preseason games (ECHL and AHL) should be healed so everyone will be available for opening night in Tulsa on Friday. The current roster includes three goalies, eight defensemen and 12 forwards for a total of 23 players. How many players will have to be cut before the opening day roster is submitted Wednesday afternoon will depend on whether any players are placed on injured reserve (doubtful), whether the salary cap can support the maximum 21 players allowed on the active roster for the first month of the season (doubtful) and whether Ottawa assigns anymore players to Allen prior to Wednesday (doubtful) Here is the current roster:

Goali

• #1 - Anthony D'Aliosio
• #31 - Luke Peressin
• #?? - Logan Flodell

Defensemen 

• #3 - Ryan Gagnon 
• #4 - Kris Myllari
• #5 - Nick Albano
• #19 - Jared Bethune (D/F)
• #20 - Ben Owen
• #23 - Colton Saucerman
  
• #55 - Lord-Anthony Grissom 
• #24 - Dalton Skelly
   

Forwards

• #7 - Colton Hargrove
• #10 - Jackson Leppard
• #15 - Liam Finlay
  
• #18 - Zach Pochiro
• #21 - Jack Combs
• #26 - Spencer Asuchak 
• #28 - Justin Young
• #32 - Mikael Robidoux
• #44 - Andrew Durham
• #58 - Marcel Godbout
  
• #67 - Hank Crone
• #77 - Stephen Baylis 

- The big unknown is when Ottawa will assign players to Allen in addition to goalie Logan Flodell. Both Belleville and Ottawa are dealing with injuries which impacts this decision. According to Elite Prospects, Belleville has three goalies, nine defensemen and 14 forwards on its roster. If everyone was healthy the Senators would have three extra defensemen and teams typically only play six per game. Maybe at the point everyone is healthy, Allen will get a defenseman. Things could change, but it doesn't look like Allen will get any skaters assigned by Friday.

- Logan Flodell was assigned to Allen last week after the Americans acquired his ECHL rights from the Reading Royals (for future considerations). Flodell played 13 games for Reading last season with a record of 11-1-1, GAA of 2.04 and save percentage of .930. Reading qualified Flodell so retained his ECHL rights after he signed a one-year, two-way AHL/ECHL deal with Belleville on July 20, 2022. Here is the Belleville press release on his signing:  https://bellevillesens.com/senators-sign-goaltender-logan-flodell-one-year-two-way-ahl-contract/  

- Here are some team facts based on the 23 players on the current Allen roster:

• 12 players from the USA
• 11 players from Canada
• 1004 games played for the Allen Americans
• 562 games played in the AHL
• 6'0' average height ranks #18 in the ECHL
• 194 pounds average weight ranks #9 in the ECHL
• 26.57 average age is the second oldest average in the ECHL
• Youngest player on the team is Jackson Leppard (22), oldest player on the team is Jack Combs (34)

- It won't take long for Allen to find out how it stacks up against longtime rival Wichita. After opening the season against Tulsa on Friday the Americans play the Thunder four straight games. It is a light schedule with a total of five games over the first 19 days of the season, but then it gets busy with six games in 11 days. Here are the dates of the four straight games against Wichita. 

• October 22 (Saturday) in Wichita
• October 29 (Saturday) in Allen
• October 30 (Sunday) in Allen
• November 4 (Friday) in Wichita

- Every time I talk to coach Costello it is clear he has established a great relationship with Allen's new affiliate. He talks to them almost every day and is kept in the loop on what is happening in Belleville. Not sure how much it will lead to players being assigned to Allen, but the relationship is off to a great start. 

- Chad Costello is the third coach in Allen franchise history. How did the first two fare in their inaugural season at the helm in Allen. Dwight Mullins was the coach for the first season in franchise history (2009-10) and had a regular season record of 42-17-5. Steve Martinson's first season in Allen (2012-13) his regular season record was 39-19-9. The playoffs were even better as Mullins finished as the runner-up for the championship, losing to Rapid City. Martinson won the first of his four straight championships, beating Wichita in the finals.  

- Here is a good refresher on the seven teams in the Mountain Division that contains everything from arena capacity to current coach to a review of the 2021-22 season:   https://www.echl.com/en/news/2022/10/mountain-division-capsules 

DID YOU KNOW: Here is the ECHL stats post from today. It’s ECHL game week, when all 28 teams still think they can win the Kelly Cup. That is about to change as reality hits. Opening day rosters are due Wednesday and opening night is Friday. As a reminder, here are the last 10 teams that turned the opening week optimism into a championship season, bookended by the Florida Everblades.

2022 - Florida

2021 - Fort Wayne

2020 - No Playoffs

2019 - Newfoundland

2018 - Colorado

2017 - Colorado

2016 - Allen

2015 - Allen

2014 - Alaska

2013 - Reading

2012 - Florida

Allen Americans Finalize Roster with Addition of Jack Combs as Training Camp Begins

 I am coming to you from Minnesota where we are visiting friends and then I am heading to North Dakota tomorrow morning for the opening of pheasant hunting season on Saturday. Always fun with my best friend and hunting buddy of 60+ years. Nothing like the anticipation of another hunting season and the fall colors are spectacular right now. Lows in the 30's the next two nights but highs will be in the 60's for the North Dakota hunt. Since I will be hunting for a week just as training camp begins, here are my thoughts of what is in store for the Allen Americans.

- Coach Costello has finalized his 2022-23 roster with the exception of players to be assigned by Ottawa/Belleville. The final piece of the puzzle was no surprise to Allen fans. It was a forgone conclusion the Jack Combs would be part of the team and that was made official today.

- Jack Combs was arguably the most valuable player on the team last season when you consider he played in all situations (even strength, power play, penalty kill) and finished #2 on the team in points and #1 among forwards in plus/minus (+15). Here is how Combs ranked last season:

• 2nd - Points (62)
• 2nd - Assists (41)
• 2nd - Plus/Minus (+15)
• 2nd - Shots (200)
• 2nd - Game Winning Goals (4)
• 3rd - Power Play Assists (10)
• 4th - Goals

- Combs has played in 280 ECHL games over eight seasons dating back to 2009-10. In those 280 games he totaled 340 points (153G, 187A) for a points per game average of 1.21 which is top 15 all time in the ECHL among players with 280+ games played. He will likely have the highest points per game career average of all players in the ECHL this season other than players with a handful of games played.

- If Jack Combs stays healthy this season which is a big if considering he missed 12 games last season and will be 35 in January, he will likely lead the league in scoring. With Chad Costello now retired and behind the bench, Combs will be relied upon to take a bigger leadership role on the ice and in the locker room, in addition to his scoring prowess. 

THE ROSTER 

 

Goalies 

• #31 - Luke Peressin

Defensemen 

• #3 - Ryan Gagnon 
• #4 - Kris Myllari
• #5 - Nick Albano
• #19 - Jared Bethune (D/F)
• #23 - Colton Saucerman
  
• #55 - Lord-Anthony Grissom 
• #?? - Dalton Skelly
   

Forwards

• #7 - Colton Hargrove
• #10 - Jackson Leppard
• #15 - Liam Finlay
  
• #18 - Zach Pochiro
• #21 - Jack Combs
• #26 - Spencer Asuchak 
• #28 - Justin Young
• #32 - Mikael Robidoux
• #58 - Marcel Godbout
  
• #67 - Hank Crone
• #77 - Stephen Baylis 

- With eight players at AHL training camps this week, the Americans will supplement the roster with some tryout players until the guys at AHL camps return. Belleville plays preseason games tomorrow and Sunday and my understanding is the five Allen players at its camp will all get to play in a game before they return to Allen, likely the Friday game. I would expect all eight players at AHL camps will return to Allen by Sunday or Monday. 

- The big unanswered question is how many players Ottawa will assign to the Americans to start the season. A goalie is a given and the expectation is at least one defenseman and one forward will also be sent to Allen.

- Allen's roster of 19 players averages 195 pounds which is the 6th heaviest average in the league, but the average is a bit misleading since according to eliteprospects.com the Americans range is from 154 pounds (Finlay) to 249 pounds (Grissom). Finlay is the second lightest in the league and Grissom the second heaviest. Allen's average age of 26.63 years is the #7 oldest team in the ECHL.

 

- I have had some questions about whether training camp practices will be open to the public. Tommy Daniels was meeting with the City of Allen this afternoon and will put out the details soon thereafter. 

- Will try and post again in a week. 

Chad Costello Signs Two Veteran Rookies and One Rookie Veteran - The Details

 The Allen Americans announced three new players this week, bringing their total players announced for the 2022-23 season to 17. The new additions are forwards Colton Hargrove and Liam Finlay and defenseman Ryan Gagnon. Here is a player profile on each of them:

 

COLTON HARGROVE

 

• Left Wing: shoots left
  
• Age: 30 (June 25, 1992)
• Height: 6'1"
• Weight: 212
• Drafted: Round 7 (205 overall) in 2012 by Boston Bruins
   

 - I call Hargrove a rookie veteran even though he does not meet the ECHL definition of either. He is an ECHL rookie in that he has never played a game in the ECHL. After a stellar college career at Western Michigan University with 62 points (35G, 28A) in 105 games, the seventh round draft pick of the Boston Bruins played four full seasons in the AHL. Playing three seasons for the Providence Bruins and one for the Texas Stars, Hargrove tallied 113 points (51G, 62A) in 259 AHL games to go along with 205 penalty minutes. After the 2018-19 season he headed overseas for two seasons, where he played another 92 games and scored 69 points (23G, 46A). 

Hargrove has played in 351 pro games but only his AHL games count toward veteran status in the ECHL and his 259 AHL games puts him one game shy of being an ECHL veteran. That is a big bonus to have a player with Colton's resume and experience and he doesn't count against the four veteran slots by one game.

How did Colton Hargrove end up with the Allen Americans? After all, he didn't play hockey in 2021-22 and elite prospects showed him as retired. However, he decided to give the new 3-on-3 pro league (3ICE) a try this summer. Hargrove grew up in Dallas (Rockwall) and became friends with Chad Costello as they would travel together every weekend to the 3ICE tournaments. That friendship during the 3ICE summer league led to Hargrove signing in Allen. 

It is hard to overstate the importance of having a player of Colton's caliber sign with the Americans. He is a proven AHL player who plays a 200 foot game. He is big, strong, tough to play against, hard to get off the puck, plays in all situations and is a team first player. He has a heck of a shot and a very quick release. The last season Hargrove played in the AHL (with the Texas Stars before going to Europe in 2018-19) here was his rank on the team in various stats:

• 1st - shorthanded goal
• 1st - shootout attempts
• 1st - shootout percentage 
• 2nd - games played
• 2nd - game winning goals
• 2nd - empty net goals
• 6th - PIMS
• 7th - goals
• 9th - plus/minus
• 11th - points
• 14th - assists 

I came across this short video when Colton was just 18,  playing in the USHL for the Fargo Force. Always fun to look back at these intro videos. He will wear #7 for the Americans, obviously a favorite number from way back. https://youtu.be/0BwvgbzQzek

RYAN GAGNON

 

• Defenseman: shoots right
  
• Age: 26 (April 30, 1996)
• Born: Quesnel, British Columbia
  
• Height: 6'1"
• Weight:198

 I call Gagnon a veteran rookie because even though he has yet to played a professional game he has a ton of hockey experience having played five seasons in the tough Western Hockey League (WHL), all with the Victoria Royals and four seasons at the University of Calgary. His career WHL stats include 320 games played with 66 points (9G, 57A) along with 351 penalty minutes and a plus/minus of +56. Gagnon's college career stats in 99 games include 40 points (8G, 32A) and 152 penalty minutes.

Other career highlights:

• Captain of his team in last season in Victoria.
• Captain of his team in last season at the University of Calgary.
• In 2021-22 led his team in assists, was 3rd in points and 2nd in penalty minutes.
• 1st team all-star in Canada West last season.

Gagnon will bring skill and toughness to Allen's blue line, but his intangibles are off the chart. A mature rookie (26) with great hockey instincts who is a natural leader, a team first guy with a personality that bonds quickly with teammates.

Here is another way back video that shows Gagnon with his billet family from his junior days in Victoria. https://youtu.be/8R-b-Rrc-Wo 

  

LIAM FINLAY

 

• Right Wing: shoots right
• Age: 25 (February 18, 1997)
• Born: Kelowna, British Columbia
• Height: 5'7"
• Weight: 154

 

Liam Finlay is another player that you can call a rookie veteran. This will be his third year as a professional but he still qualifies as an ECHL rookie. After finishing his collegiate career at the University of Denver in 2019-20 he spent the last two seasons playing professionally in Europe but still does not have 25 pro games in European leagues that qualify in the ECHL. Here are Finlay's stats from juniors, college and pros.

• BCHL: 109 games, 114 points (40G, 74A)
• NCAA: 156 games, 98 points (34G, 64A)
• Pro: 80 games, 62 points, (21G, 41A)

Finlay was a member of the University of Denver NCAA championship team in 2017 that was coached by former Dallas Stars head coach, Jim Montgomery. In 2018-19, Finlay led the team in scoring. 

Despite being a small player, elite prospects shows him tied for the shortest player (5'7") and second lightest (154 pounds) player in the ECHL, Finlay has a knack for getting to the tough areas of the ice. He has a combination of speed and quickness that allows him to get in front of the net. He is also durable, playing in every game (118 straight) his last three seasons in Denver.

Sticking with the way back videos this is Finlay from his junior days in 2015. https://youtu.be/NoeVU9s65pE

 

- Chad Costello's quotes on the three new players:

Colton Hargrove - "Colton is a very skilled power forward who brings a lot of experience to our lineup. He is a great locker room guy that brings toughness and grit as well as a scoring touch to our team.'"

Ryan Gagnon - "Ryan had a great career in college and we are really excited to see his game grow as a pro. He is a competitor and plays the game very hard. He was the captain of his team, so he brings leadership qualities as well."

Liam Finlay - "Liam brings a lot of speed and skill into our lineup. His play making ability, mixed with his willingness to go to the hard areas to score, makes him a very effective offensive player. He qualifies as a rookie in our league, but has pro experience in Europe."

 

 - With the three signings this week the Allen Americans have now announced 17 players. Here is the current roster:

Goalies 

• #31 - Luke Peressini

Defensemen 

• #3 - Ryan Gagnon 
• #4 - Kris Myllari
• #5 - Nick Albano
• #19 - Jared Bethune (D/F)
• #23 - Colton Saucerman
  
• #55 - Lord-Anthony Grissom 
   

Forwards

•  #7 - Colton Hargrove
• #10 - Jackson Leppard
• #15 - Liam Finlay
  
• #18 - Zach Pochiro
• #26 - Spencer Asuchak 
• #28 - Justin Young
• #32 - Mikael Robidoux
• #58 - Marcel Godbout
  
• #67 - Hank Crone
• #77 - Stephen Baylis 

 

- The pace will now quicken as numerous players are headed off to AHL training camps that begin in the next day or two. Allen still has a couple of players to announce so expect that to happen this week. Signed players not going to AHL camps will start making their way to Allen to get settled in their housing. Before you know it the preseason game against Tulsa (12th) will be here.

 

It's Time to Get the Party Started - Allen Americans Prepare for 2022-23 Season

If you are the type that can't for hockey to start every fall, the time has come to get excited. NHL preseason games have already begun, AHL training camps start in a week and ECHL training camps are right around the corner. Allen Americans players should start arriving in about a week with the official start of training camp on October 6th when teams can hold team meetings, physicals, registration etc. 

 

- It is always a busy time as the Americans deal with details from housing to immigration to training camp meals. Coach Costello has spent a lot of time upgrading the physical environment in the locker room to meet the needs of the players. The locker room looks the part of a pro team and is more functional than in the past. Team building will be an important part of training camp and practices will likely be somewhat different than in the past. While Costello has been on a steep learning curve since being named the coach and general manager it is clear he brings a player's perspective to his new job.

 

- As many as eight players from the Allen roster will be attending AHL camps. Most will be at Belleville's camp, but there will also be players attending other AHL camps. This provides a great opportunity for young players to show what they can do in front of AHL coaches.

 

- With so many Allen players at AHL camps, Costello will have a some (mostly local) players on tryout agreements filling in at training camp. Again, a chance for them to show what they can do. The first organized, full on ice practice for the Americans will be October 10.    

 

THE ROSTER - While recruiting never stops when you are an ECHL general manager, Costello for the most part has his team put together for 2022-23. Just 14 players have been announced, but there five waiting in the wings for the official announcement. Two more players will be announced later today, my reporting is it will be two rookies. UPDATE: Allen has signed defenseman Ryan Gagnon and forward Liam Finlay. Here are the 146announced players:

 

Goalies 

• #31 - Luke Peressini

Defensemen 

• #3 - Ryan Gagnon 
• #4 - Kris Myllari
• #5 - Nick Albano
• #19 - Jared Bethune (D/F)
• #23 - Colton Saucerman
  
• #55 - Lord-Anthony Grissom 
   

Forwards

 

• #10 - Jackson Leppard
• #15 - Liam Finlay
  
• #18 - Zach Pochiro
• #26 - Spencer Asuchak 
• #28 - Justin Young
• #32 - Mikael Robidoux
• #58 - Marcel Godbout
  
• #67 - Hank Crone
• #77 - Stephen Baylis 

 - It remains to be seen how many players will be assigned/loaned to Allen by Ottawa for the start of the season. You can expect one goalie being assigned for sure, but the the number forwards and defensemen that will start the season in Allen has yet to be determined. Belleville's training camp begins October 2 so decisions on what players will be in Allen probably won't be finalized until the end of the AHL camp.

 

MIKAEL ROBIDOUX

- The Allen Americans announced last week the signing of forward Mikael Robidoux. He is  5'11"  190 pounds, 23 years old, forward from La Prairie, Quebec. He played his junior career in the QMJHL. Robidoux played in Kansas City last season (assigned by AHL Stockton) where he led the ECHL in penalty minutes (258) and major penalties (12). His 12 major penalties included nine fighting majors. 

Even though Robidoux was just announced he is a player that Chad Costello started recruiting shortly after getting his job as coach/gm. Costello decided early on he need a team that could play any style of hockey because of the diversity of teams in the Mountain Division. Costello saw first hand the physical spark Robidoux brought to the Mavericks and was successful in recruiting him over several other ECHL teams.

Robidoux started his pro career with the Maine Mariners in 2019-20 after his QMJHL season ended. He played 11 games for the Mariners and had 80 penalty minutes. Here is a get to know you video from his time in Maine. https://youtu.be/eCuauTpyGYA

 - The more time I spend with coach Costello the more clear it becomes the vision he has for the type of team he is assembling in Allen. The Americans will have a versatile team that will be able to adapt to any style of play necessary, depending on the opponent, but they will be much more than versatile. If there is a motto to describe what Costello is trying to achieve it would be go, go, go. Successful pro hockey requires speed, but that speed needs to be deployed within a system that allows for very quick transitions between offense and defense. To play this way takes speed, skill, smarts and a team first mentality. Coach Costello really likes the team he has put together for 2022-23 and is totally focused on how to best instill his vision within the framework of the roster.

 

- What are the areas that need the most improvement from last season? Here is a statistical answer to that question from the ECHL website. A list of stats Allen finished 15th or lower in 2021-22 among the ECHL's 27 teams:

• Allen was 3-8 in overtime and 2-1 in shootouts for a points percentage of .357 which ranked the Americans #23.
• Allen scored first in 50% of its game with a record of  21-10-4-1 and points percentage of .653 which ranked the Americans #22.
• Allen's power play was 18.5% (50-270) which was ranked #16.
• Allen allowed 20 shorthanded goals which was last in the league. 20 of the 27 ECHL teams allowed 10 or fewer shorthanded goals.
• Allen allowed an average of 3.39 goals per game which was ranked #20 in the league.
• Allen allowed an average 35.31 shots per game which was ranked #26 in the league.
• Not an on ice stat but attendance is another area that needs improvement. Allen averaged 3151 per game, well under the ECHL average of 3925 per game. The Americans were ranked #18 in attendance.

 

- Replacing the offensive firepower from last season will be a big challenge for coach Costello. Averaging a point per game is a very high standard. Here is a list of players that averaged a point per game last season in the games they played for the Americans. It should be noted some didn't play in a lot of games.

• 2.00 - Luke Henman 
• 1.25 - Colby McAuley
• 1.13 - Gavin Gould
• 1.09 - Chad Costello
• 1.08 - Branden Troock
• 1.04 - Josh Winquist
• 1.03 - Jack Combs
• 1.00 - Chad Butcher    

The only player on this list that isn't playing elsewhere in 2022-23 is Jack Combs. It is highly likely he will be in Allen, though nothing has been announced.  

OTHER COMMENTS

- The ECHL announced yesterday that beginning with the 2022-23 season, game lineups will increase to 17 skaters and two goalies. The previous limit was 16 skaters. This change will not increase the number of players on the active roster and will not impact the salary cap.

 

- There was hope Dyson Stevenson might return to the Allen Americans after playing in Scotland last season. Stevenson was unsigned until a couple of days ago. He has decided to return to the Glasgow Clan of the EIHL. Glasgow has gotten off to a rough start losing its first four games while being outscored 17-7. The poor start generated this statement from the managing director of the team. https://clanihc.com/statement-from-managing-director-gareth-chalmers/  

Stevenson was the captain of the team last season and was just added to the roster. He will bring leadership to the team on and off the ice.

- J.C. Campagna,, who signed in Allen last year when the team was shorthanded in February and scored 10 goals in 12 games, has signed with the Tulsa Oilers for 2022-23. 

- Only two teams have announced fewer player than the 14 announced by Allen. Newfoundland has announced just three players which is typical since they get assigned so many AHL players. The other team is Savannah who has announced just seven players. At the other end of the spectrum is Norfolk (28 players), Fort Wayne (26 players) and Kalamazoo (24 players).

DID YOU KNOW: How have ECHL penalty minutes (PIMS) changed over the last 10 seasons? Here is a comparison of season totals for 2012-13 and 2021-22:

 

2012-13 vs 2021-22

- 91% (21 of 23) vs 41% (11 of 27) of teams had 1000+ PIMS

- 380 vs 321 minor penalties, average per team

- 61 vs 35 major penalties, average per team (most are fighting majors)

 

PIMS Range

2012-13: 1741 (Utah) - 952 (Kalamazoo)

2021-22: 1482 (Kansas City)- 665 (Reading)

 

 

Update From Allen Americans Coach and General Manager Chad Costello Plus a Recap of My Trip to Brazil

 I had a chance to spend some time with Chad Costello this week, getting an update after being gone for a while. Some of you have asked about our trip. This is more than you want to know so skip ahead if you are not interested.

Nancy and I just returned from a two week nature trip to the Pantanal Region of Brazil. The Pantanal is the largest tropical wetland in the world at over 75,000 square miles. The majority of this ecosystem lies within Brazil's borders but it also has parts in Bolivia and Paraguay. While the Amazon is more famous, the Pantanal is home to the greatest wildlife concentrations on the South American continent. In addition to seeing 255 bird species (yes we kept track as there were several serious birders in our group of nine), we also saw over 40 different mammals/snakes including the Giant Anteater, Ocelots, Tapirs, Giant River Otters, Anacondas, Caiman, Capybara and the highlight of the trip, 17 sightings of the third largest cat in the world, the elusive Jaguar. If you are a nature lover I would highly recommend at trip to the Pantanal! 

I wrote a story for our Heritage Ranch (where I live) fishing club newsletter about encounters with fish on the trip. The fishing club was hoping it was about me fishing, but this is the best I could do. I will post some other photos from the trip when the photographers (not me) put an album together.

1. Swimming With Fish - Spring fed rivers in the southern Pantanal make for a watery wonderland of gorgeous vegetation and water that is completely clear. We snorkeled on three such rivers, riding the river current for up to one hour with the fresh water fish. You are not allowed to touch bottom to maintain the clarity of the water. It was 48 degrees air temperature when we entered the water early in the morning but the water temp was a constant 72 degrees so very comfortable with the wet suits. Here is a school of Dorado:
   

2. Fishing With Friends - Though I did not wet a line myself we did go fishing with five giant river otters one morning. The giant river otter is a carnivorous mammal that can reach six feet in length and weigh up to 50 pounds. We followed a family of five for over a half mile as they paid no attention to our boat. They were totally focused on fishing. When one of the otters caught a fish the other four waited patiently while it was eaten from head to tail. No sharing, all the spoils went to the otter that caught the fish.
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   3. Eating Fish - As you might imagine we had a lot of opportunity to eat fish on the trip. The two served most frequently.

• Pintado filets which is a catfish that is very firm, close to the consistency of very tender pork or chicken. The Pintado is a shovel-nosed catfish iconic of the Pantanal and a common feature on regional menus. We were told by our guide that fisherman from all over the world come to the Pantanal to fish for big Pintado.

• Fried ribs of Paku was served everywhere and was delicious. Paku have square molars that look surprisingly human. These are perfectly adapted for eating fruits and nuts which drop into the waters of the Pantanal. Their diet makes for a great sweet tasting fish. The meat just slides off the rib bones.
  

 

- Enough about my trip, here are some of the subjects I covered with coach Costello:

 

3ICE - It is old news by now but I wanted to ask Chad about his experience in the inaugural season of the 3-on-3 professional hockey league. It could not have gone better for Chad and his team (Team Trottier aka Blue Team). In addition to winning two of the eight regular season tournaments, Team Trottier won the playoffs and the first Patrick Cup. And the cherry on top was Chad being selected as the league MVP. In addition to a big payday (north of $140,000) which is nice, Chad told me 3ICE was one of the best hockey experiences of his long career. Here are a few of his quotes:

 

"What 3ICE is building and doing is very professional. It is easy to be skeptical of something brand new but I was sold right away when I saw the hockey and how good it was, the pace of play and how real it was and obviously the pay helps with the product. It was an honor to play 3ICE and I only have good things to say about what they have accomplished and where they are going."

 

"Hanging out with Bryan Trottier and my teammates was amazing. I think we were the tightest knit group in 3ICE."

 

"A side benefit for me playing 3ICE as a new coach in Allen was the networking and recruiting. Especially coach Trottier, but all of the coaches were more than willing to talk to me and share their ideas. I have already signed defenseman Colton Saucerman from 3ICE and there are more to come."

 

When I asked Chad if he did anything special with his "summer job" bonanza he said, I was gone for 10 weekends so the one splurge was to buy Ashley a new vehicle to replace the 12 year old one she was driving."

 

 

THE ROSTER - While recruiting never stops when you are an ECHL general manager, Costello for the most part has his team put together for 2022-23. Only 12 players have been announced, but there are many more waiting in the wings for the official announcement. Here are the 12 announced players:

 

Goalies 

• Luke Peressini

Defensemen

• Nick Albano
• Jared Bathune (D/F)
  
• Lord-Anthony Grissom 
• Kris Myllari
• Colton Saucerman 
   

Forwards

 

• Jackson Leppard
• Zach Pochiro 
• Hank Crone
• Marcel Godbout
• Justin Young
• Stephen Baylis

 

Costello really likes the roster he has put together and it will be a team that can play any style which is particularly important in the Mountain Division. Even though character, speed and skill are critical, Chad will have a team that competes hard, is tough to play against and if the opponents want to mix it up, the Americans will have plenty of grit and toughness. When Allen won its first Kelly Cup (2015) the Americans led the ECHL in goals per game (4.06) and penalty minutes per game (22.83). They had a lot of leaders in the locker room. It may sound cliche but Chad is putting together a team the will be able to play fast or tough, defensively or offensively, depending on the team they are playing against. I have heard Chad mention several times the NHL Tampa Bay Lightning as the type of team he wants and that includes good goaltending.   

AFFILIATION - Chad is really excited about the affiliation agreement Allen recently signed with the Ottawa/Belleville Senators. Costello had to recruit all summer as if he wasn't going to have an affiliation and wasn't going to get AHL players assigned. The fact of the matter is in the end there was more than one NHL team wanting to affiliate with the Americans. Here are some of Costello's thoughts on what the affiliation will mean for Allen:

"I look forward to learning from our affiliate. I have talked a lot to Belleville coach Troy Mann and will attend the AHL training camp the first week in October."

"I don't know yet which players will be assigned from Belleville, but we will get a goalie to team with Luke Peressini and I expect we will also get some skaters. I should know more about who and how many players will be assigned to Allen after spending time at Belleville's training camp."

"I did give thought to the downside of having an affiliate in Canada but in the end this was the best fit for our team. Belleville is only a couple of hours from Toronto and there are a half dozen nonstop flights between Toronto and Dallas daily."

"We will have a lot of players going to AHL training camps. Most will go to Belleville's camp but we will also have players attending other camps." 

 

COACHES - There were seven skaters that played in both of Allen's Kelly Cup championship playoffs in 2015 and 2016. At least four of them will be part of the 2022-23 Allen team with the announcement that Chad Costello has selected Aaron Gens as his assistant coach and Gary Steffes as the Mental Performance and Player Development Coach. The fourth player from those Kelly Cup championships will be Spencer Asuchak (unannounced but a foregone conclusion), who will be playing in his 10th season for the Americans. The other three are Greger Hansen, who is retired and living in Arizona, Vincent Arseneau, who is playing in the AHL (Abbotsford) and Dyson Stevenson who according to eliteprospects.com is still unsigned for 2022-23. That means it is still possible Stevenson could be the fifth player from those back to back Kelly Cup teams with Allen in 2022-23. 

Aaron Gens role will be just like a full time assistant coach with the exception he will not travel to the road games. He will still run practices for players that don't travel on road trips. Gens has been coaching youth hockey and won a state championship this past season. In addition to bringing the perspective of a defenseman, Gens will be the video coach for the Americans.

Steffes now lives in Florida so he will visit Allen periodically to carry out his new role. For anyone that has had the opportunity to talk to or hear Gary, he is made for the role he has been given with the team.    

TRAINING CAMP - Costello is spending a lot of energy making sure he has a team that becomes cohesive as quickly as possible. It will be difficult with close to half of the team participating in AHL training camps. There will be team building activities, the locker room has been updated and looks great with some player friendly changes incorporated. By the time Allen's lone preseason game roles around (October 12th against Tulsa) most if not all of the players attending AHL camps will be back.

 

DID YOU KNOW: Chad Costello has made it clear the expectation of winning in Allen hasn't changed and just making the playoffs, which may be the definition of success for many franchises, is not the goal for the Americans. How has Allen fared in the playoffs? It is clear deep playoff runs are part of Allen's DNA.

• 4 Championships -  2013, 2014, 2015, 2016
• 1 Finals Loss - 2010
• 3 Conference Finals Losses - 2011, 2012, 2021
• 1 Division Finals Loss - 2017
• 2 Division Semi-Finals Losses - 2018, 2022
• 1 Out of Playoffs - 2019 
• No Playoffs - 2020