Affiliation Announcement Today, Nolan Orzeck Returns, Colton Hargrove Signs in Florida, Dyson Stevenson Heads to Budapest, Joe Ernst Interview and More

 

- The Allen Americans announced their sixth player for the 2024-25 season yesterday. Defenseman Nolan Orzeck is returning to Allen. Five of the six players announced thus far are returning from last year's team with Brayden Watts the exception. Here is the current roster with stats from last season:

Goalies

• Marco Costantini - 24 games, 3.19 GAA, .913 save percentage
   

Defensemen

• Ryan Gagnon - 48 games, 8 points (0G, 8A), 52 PIMS, +5
• Justin Allen - 38 games, 10 points (2G, 8A), 16 PIMS, -2
• Nolan Orzeck - 51 games, 27 points (5G, 22A), 10 PIMS +8  (Allen games only)
  

Forwards

• Easton Brodzinski - 62 games, 39 points (22G, 17A), 91 PIMS, 0 plus/minus
• Brayden Watts - 62 games, 58 points (14G, 44A) 29 PIMS, -34
  

- How does Allen rank in the number of players announced thus far. The Americans are in the middle of the pack. Player announcements range from a high of 19 (Fort Wayne) to a low of zero (Kalamazoo}. Here are the numbers for the Mountain Division:

• 12 - Wichita
• 9 - Kansas City
• 7 - Tahoe
• 6 - Allen
• 5 - Rapid City
• 4 - Utah
• 1 - Tulsa
• 1 - Idaho

- The #1 question I get each and every day is when is the affiliation announcement coming. Here is a pretty definitive answer. My sources tell me the Americans will announce their affiliate later this morning. No press conference will be involved. 

 

 - The affiliation announcement comes none too soon. Allen is the last of the 29 teams in the ECHL to name an affiliate. ECHL training camp is 64 days away, October 4th is the first day on the ice. Allen will play its lone preseason game at home (community rink) against Tulsa on October 11.  

 

- Allen lost a key player when team captain, Colton Hargrove signed with the Kelly Cup champion Florida Everblades yesterday. Hargrove has been described by opposing coaches in the Mountain Division as the best all around player in the division. A 200 foot player, a great leader and tough as nails. He missed the majority of last season with an injury. In 2022-23 Hargrove scored 39 goals in 64 games and had one stretch where he scored 28 goals in 29 games. His skill and presence will be missed in Allen. Here is an update on where Allen's top players will be playing in 2024-25. It is looking more and more likely Brodzinski will be the only player on this list that will return to Allen for 2024-25.

• Colby McAuley, 63 points - unsigned but likely will play in Europe
• Hank Crone, 55 points - unsigned but will likely sign with another ECHL team
• Blake Murray, 53 points - signed with Atlanta Gladiators
  
• Kris Myllari, 48 points - unsigned, still deciding if he will play next season
• Easton Brodzinski, 39 points - has re-signed with the Allen Americans 
• Bennett MacArthur, 32 points - signed AHL contract (Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins)
• Eric Williams, 31 points - Retired
• Liam Finlay, signed in Scotland (Glasgow Clan) 
• Colton Hargrove, signed with Florida Everblades  
  

 

-  Dyson Stevenson is heading to Budapest for the 2024-25 season. He is one of the most popular players to ever play for the Allen Americans. He was a member of both of Allen's Kelly Cup championships (2015, 2016). He is #15 on Allen's all-time most games played list with 222 (regular season and playoffs). Dyson was a great locker room guy who would always stand up for his teammates. In 2015-16 Stevenson led the Americans in fighting majors with 16. With how the ECHL fighting rules have changed, 16 fights today would accrue a total of 10 games worth of suspensions. 

Dyson has played in Scotland (Glasgow Clan) the last three seasons where he served as captain, but has signed with a team in Budapest, Hungary. Here is what Dyson had to say when I asked him about the move:

"I am really excited about signing in Budapest. We (Dyson and his wife Taylor) have heard nothing but good things about the city."

"My old coach from Glasgow went over to Budapest and said I was one of the first guys on his list he wanted to bring over and we got a deal done."

"It is obviously going to be a little different with the language barrier but we are excited. I hope to have a great season and stay away from injuries and make a deep playoff run."  

 

- I get many questions about the role Joe Ernst, Vice President of Hockey Operations for Zawyer Sports, plays as it relates to the Allen Americans. Ernst spend 33 years in the ECHL prior to taking his job with Zawyer. Starting as a referee in 1991 and rising to the ECHL Senior Vice President of Hockey Operations before he left for Zawyer Sports. I had a chance to spend a few minutes with Joe after the Allen press conference last week and asked him about his new job. Here is what he had to say:

Q: What does your job entail?

A: I oversee hockey operations for all of the Zawyer managed hockey teams (Jacksonville, Savannah, Atlanta, Allen, Tahoe). I obviously work closely with B.J. Adams. I was responsible for bringing him on along with L.J., Jonny and Kevin. I actually had to help hire four new coaches this summer all within a matter of two months. I am responsible for all of the coaches, assistant coaches, trainers and equipment managers. 

 

Q: What kinds of things do you sign off on?

A: I see all of the player contracts as they come through but the coaches sign all of the players. I talk to each team separately and don't share information between teams. Trades can't take place between the five Zawyer teams. I would say I serve more as a consultant to Allen, trying to help B.J. in anyway I can. 

 

Q: Will you be involved in disciplinary hearings with the ECHL since that was a role you served for so many years?

A: I will stick up for our players if I have to. If it is something major I will be involved as needed. For one or two game suspensions they will go through B.J. and I will get the information from him. It is his team to run.

 

Q: How are you involved in affiliations? 

A: I am the point person for affiliations and they are clearly important, but I tell our coaches you have to build your team so when NHL/AHL contracted players come down, that is the cherry on the top. 

 

DID YOU KNOW?  I mentioned above Dyson Stevenson is #15 all-time in games played for the Allen Americans (regular season and playoffs). There are 12 players in franchise history that have played 250+ games in Allen. The number of  championships each player won is in parenthesis:

• 610 - Spencer Asuchak (3)
  
• 347 - Chad Costello (2)
  
• 308 - Tyler Ludwig (3)
  
• 295 - Jarret Lukin (1)
  
• 286 - Gary Steffes (2)
  
• 277 - Mike Berube (2)
  
• 271 - Greger Hanson (3)
  
• 260 - Jamie Schaafsma (3)
  
• 258 - David Makowski (1)
  
• 258 - Kris Myllari (0)
  
• 256 - Brian McMillin (3)
  
• 254 - Eric Roy (1)
  

     

Allen Americans Press Conference Recap and Brayden Watts Player Profile

 

The Allen Americans press conference yesterday afternoon was a bit of a disappointment based on all of the feedback I received from those in attendance and from many fans overnight. While it was great to hear from coach and general manager B.J. Adams and meet the newest Allen Americans player, Brayden Watts, the main attraction of the event was going to be the announcement of Allen's new affiliate and that did not happen. As a reminder of how important the team saw the affiliation announcement, here is the graphic of the press conference announcement from July 12.

 

 - Despite the disappointment about the delay in the affiliation announcement, fans had a chance to meet and hear from coach Adams about the team he is building, the style of play of his team, his background and family. In addition, Adams introduced his latest signing, Brayden Watts, who will be a top forward for the Americans. See player profile below.

 

- There was a big turnout for the press conference. The biggest crowd I have ever seen at one of these events. It was standing room only and I would estimate the crowd size to be over 200.

 

- Tommy Daniels opened the press conference and delivered the bad news, "Unfortunately, due to the travel situation we have going on right now in the US, our affiliate was not able to make it here today, so we will have that announcement at a separate time, but we still have two huge announcements to make today."

 

- After some opening remarks by Allen mayor, Baine Brooks, the group was addressed by team owner, LaSonjia Jack. Here is what she shared with the group:

"I was here in October and Myles and I made some promises. We said we wanted to be focused on the community, our staff and we wanted to win championships. I am here to say we are keeping our promise."

"One of the ways we are fulfilling our promise is we have added some new leadership to the Allen Americans that we are overly excited about. B.J. Adams is going to bring great experience, leadership, dedication and most of all accountability to winning and commitment to success. He will ensure our players have what they need so they can advance to the NHL/AHL. Most importantly by bringing in this new leadership we are bound to bring the Kelly Cup here to Allen."

"A lot of things will be happening over the next couple of months. Put this on you calendar, I am coming back in November for another big announcement."

"We will have two new jerseys for next season. Our season begins October 16 and our home opening weekend is October 25th and 26th."

"Most importantly we are excited to do more in the community. We still have the promise from our foundation to support our veterans, the elderly, our school districts, police, fire and teachers. You will see Allen Americans out in the community doing more. If you have suggestions I am available and would love to talk to you about it."

- Next up was coach and general manager B.J. Adams. Here is what he shared with the group;

"I am really humbled and excited to represent the City of Allen and your hockey team. I understand the passionate fan base you are a part of as evidenced by the awesome turnout here today. I understand the history of this team and I am excited to take it to the next level."

"I would like to thank my family. My wife (Krista) is out looking at houses right now. Like any team, I have a team behind me and my family is the best team I have. We have two kids, Pierce is five and Briggs is two. They didn't make the trip and are staying with Krista's parents. They are the apple of my eye and they love what daddy does. They love coming to the rink and they love hockey. They already love Biscuit and can't wait to meet him."

"What we aspire to is having guys reach the next level and to win championships in Allen. Everybody I talk to, every player I talk to that is interested in coming here, I make clear that is our goal."

"The next surprise I have for you is a player announcement. Brayden Watts, who played in Wichita last year, is a high end forward who will score some goals and put up points for us. We also have a future Allen American (Watts was holding his young son, Bowie, as he came on stage). 

- Brayden Watts comments:

"I am obviously super excited to be playing for the Americans this year. Thanks you all for coming out today. We can't wait to get things going in October. Bowie is super excited to come to a game and see Biscuit."

"Hopefully we will bring this team back to a championship pedigree, thanks."

 

- Next up was a Q & A with the audience:

Q: What style of play will fans see from your team?

A:  Adams - We want to dictate the game. You can say it is aggressive but we want to control the game. We want to dictate the speed of the game. We want to be the ones in charge and we don't want to be playing on our heels. We also want to be versatile. Some nights we will have to play a hard-nosed game. Sometimes in this league it gets a little sloppy and it becomes an up and down game and we have to be sure we have the players that can play that style. We want to be able to play any type of game needed and above all we want to be a hard team to play against.

 

Q: Where are you at on selecting your assistant coach and what are you looking for in an assistant coach?

A: Adams - I am looking for the right guy but can't say anymore about the details until I get back to some of the applicants to let them know where we are in the search.

 

Q: What is your approach to get the best performance out of each player?

A: First, you have to have great players with great character. My way is to have open communication with players. It is about building relationships and having conversation about hockey and life. That helps when you have to have hard conversations both ways, they might not be happy with something I am doing. It is also about listening. I am truthful and honest and would rather have players mad at me for 24 hours than be mad the rest of their life because I have led them astray or given them false information. The best motivator for players is ice time. 

 

Q: In the past Allen has established a tradition of coaches having a press conference and meeting with season titleholders after each home game. What is your stance on that?

A: Adams - This is the first time I have heard about this and I am not sure of the logistics but I don't mind talking to people after the game. 

 

Q: Can you share your experiences in hockey?

A: Adams - I am originally from Toronto. I was fortunate to get a scholarship and played four years at Bowling State University. After college I played 10 years professionally all over including in Milwaukee, Rockford and in Odessa (CHL) to name a few. Then I got into coaching at the NCAA Division 1 level as an assistant coach. I was in charge of the defensive systems, the penalty kill and also recruitment. We won a championship in year four, the first ever for the college and went to the NCAA tournament for the first time. I then wanted to pursue something different and moved to major juniors with the OHL Erie Otters. I did not coach Conner McDavid as I came in the year after him, but I was fortunate to coach eight or nine NHL players in my time in Erie. We won a championship my second year in Erie and had back to back 50 win seasons. When then had to rebuild and we were getting really good and then COVID hit and then we had to start the process all over again. I decided I wanted to get back into pro hockey where I played and that was the next step for me, so I could not be happier than being here in Allen.

 

Q: How is it going to feel after playing four years in Wichita to play for Allen with its big rivalry with Wichita?

A: Watts - I am super excited to be in Allen. I never liked playing against Allen because they were a lot tougher than us. I am just happy to be on the other side of it now.

 

Q: When can we anticipate an announcement on the affiliation?

A: Jack - Very soon. Sooner than you think, I promise. 

 

Q: Who makes the final call on players, coaches etc. I know you have a management company (Zawyer). If something happens I don't like who do I get mad at?   

A: Jack - Myles and I are the majority owners of the Allen Americans so the buck stops with us. What is great about us being the majority owner is we have a fabulous operations team headed by Zawyer and REV Entertainment. Between the four of us we can address your needs, listen to your concerns and most definitely have a conversation. If you see Myles or myself walking around feel free to come see us. We make all decisions having to do with the ECHL.

CONCLUSIONS

I had a chance to talk to some people after the press conference and here are my thoughts on a couple of topics from the press conference. FYI, the press conference was not videotaped as intended so don't look for it to be loaded to social media as I mentioned yesterday.

Affiliation - My reporting is the team found out about the new affiliate not being able to make it to the press conference just a couple of hours before the start time so there was no other option than delay the announcement. You should not read into this any issue with the actual affiliation. Obviously, since the announcement was scheduled you know the agreement had to be signed. This should be a short delay before the affiliation is formally announced.

Assistant Coach - You could tell by the way coach Adams answered the question, he has made a selection on an assistant coach, but has to talk to the other applicants. That is why he said if he shared what he was looking for in an assistant coach it would give it away. Considering coach Adams has no professional coaching experience, my hope is he could find an assistant coach with some significant pro coaching experience.  UPDATE: The Americans just issued a press release that included the assistant coach will be Brett Ferguson. He has been an assistant coach/video coach for five years in the NHL (Anaheim), nine years in the AHL (Syracuse, Norfolk, San Diego) and one year in the USHL. Here is the press release with other info as well: https://allenamericans.com/news/2024/07/americans-sign-top-3-forward

 

L to R - Brayden Watts, B.J. Adams, LaSonjia Jack

 

 

BRAYDEN WATTS PLAYER PROFILE 

- Allen's first new player announcement for 2024-25 was certainly a good one for Allen fans. Brayden Watts is a five year professional even though he is only 25 years old. He has played 230 professional games so is a veteran in experience despite his young age and falling under the 260 pro games for meeting veteran status. Brayden has played 226 ECHL games, all with the Wichita Thunder, and four AHL games with his hometown Bakersfield Condors. 

- Watts grew up in Bakersfield, CA but like many young hockey players left home at 13 to play AAA hockey in Arizona. He played major junior hockey in Canada (WHL) where he had 161 points (68G, 93A) in 315 games. His stats in Wichita were 226 games with 197 points (60G, 137A). 

- Other Watts information:

• 6'0" 182 pound left shot forward
• Served as captain in Wichita
• Led Wichita in assists (44) last season
  
• ECHL All-Star in 2022-23
• Played in 3ICE 
• Selected as Wichita MVP in 2022-23  
  

- Brayden is married and his wife, Briley, is a nurse. She just graduated from nursing school last December. She is currently doing some home health pediatrics, but will start her first hospital job in October right around the time the Americans begin their season. 

 

- Away from the rink Brayden enjoys golf and fishing. He told me he really hopes to get his son, Bowie, into golf as soon as possible so they can enjoy that together and make it a little father-son thing. He also told me he hasn't been able to do much fishing as of late but hopes to find some spots around Allen.

 

- Watts has been more of a playmaker than a goal scorer during his pro career but shared this with me after the press conference, "A couple of years ago I started shooting the puck a little more and it started going in the net (he had 23 goals in 2022-23) so I know I have that ability. Last season I was dealing with some hand stuff so I didn't shoot the puck as much. I plan on shooting the puck more in Allen, but my big strength is definitely my playmaking."

- Here is a video from a couple of years ago when Brayden was the first player signed by the Wichita Thunder for the 2022-23 season:

 

 

DID YOU KNOW: Coach B.J. Adams shared with the fans that he played with Daniel Tetrault, who won a championship in Allen in 2014. They played together in Port Huron. Here is the story coach Adams shared. "Tetrault is a really great guy. We were actually cribbage partners on the bus. We played on every trip on the bus. When you get zero points in cribbage we called it Tetsy because he got them a lot." 

I know Tetrault still reads the blog so will await his response and a matching Adams story I am sure he will be willing to share. haha 

Allen Americans Update - Roster, Affiliation, Press Conference, Player's Status, Zawyer Ownership, ECHL Salaries and More

 

- The Allen Americans announced their fourth player for the 2024-25 season yesterday and all four are returning from last year's team. Here is the current roster with stats from last season

Goalies

• Marco Costantini - 24 games, 3.19 GAA, .913 save percentage
   

Defensemen

• Ryan Gagnon - 48 games, 8 points (0G, 8A), 52 PIMS, +5
• Justin Allen - 38 games, 10 points (2G, 8A), 16 PIMS, -2

Forwards

• Easton Brodzinski - 62 games, 39 points (22G, 17A), 91 PIMS, 0 plus/minus

- How does Allen rank in the number of players announced thus far. The Americans are in the middle of the pack. Player announcements range from a high of 15 to a low of zero. Fort Wayne has announced 15 players and five teams have announced zero. Here are the numbers for the Mountain Division:

• 8 - Wichita
• 7 - Kansas City
• 6 - Tahoe
• 4 - Allen
• 1 - Rapid City
• 1 - Utah
• 0 - Tulsa
• 0 - Idaho
   

- Next Tuesday is shaping up to be a big day for Allen fans as the Americans hold a wide ranging press conference. If you have been following along you may have noticed the graphic the team put out has the event's top billing "Affiliation Press Conference" with "Meet the Coach" in smaller print. The words that accompany the graphic say, Join us on Tuesday, July 23rd at 2 PM at the Credit Union of Texas Event Center as the Allen Americans announce our affiliation heading into the 2024-2025 ECHL Season and introduce new head coach B.J. Adams! If you click on the RSVP link it says, "Allen Americans Affiliation Press Conference RSVP." 

 

I share all of this detail because it is clear the Allen organization sees this affiliation announcement as a big deal. Every other team (28) in the ECHL has already announced its affiliate. If Allen was going to extend its affiliation with Ottawa/Belleville they would not wait until now and set up a big press conference to do so. It is abundantly clear the Americans have a new affiliate. 

 

The next question is which NHL team has Allen affiliated with. To be clear there are only three NHL teams that don't have an ECHL affiliate: Carolina Hurricanes, Columbus Blue Jackets and Utah Hockey Team. As I have said before I won't scoop the Americans on their announcement, but it is pretty clear, if you have been following the blog, who the affiliate will be. The Americans themselves gave a very big hint in the short video they posted on social media announcing the press conference. Here is a photo I took with my phone from that video:

 

 

 

 - To add even more intrigue to the Tuesday press conference is this message at the end of the Marco Costantini announcement on social media yesterday, "Not so secret message...make sure to be at the press conference this Tuesday where you can meet our next signing in person." After announcing four returning players I will take a guess this just might be a new player announcement.

 

 

- The press conference on Tuesday is a great opportunity for fans to hear from a variety of people. I don't think these press conferences have been open to everyone very often in the past. I know it is a work day, but if you can make this press conference it should be well worth your time and there is always a Q & A at the end of the presentations. In addition to hearing from head coach and general manage B.J. Adams, I expect you will hear from the Allen owners, Zawyer Sports, the NHL affiliate representative and the player that will be announced. If you have a question and can't make the press conference let me know and I will do my best to get an answer. You can contact me on social media or by email (janssenfamily@msn.com).

 

 

- There is an easy to access list of all affiliations on the ECHL website. From the drop down menu click on "Teams" and then "NHL/AHL affiliates. Here are the affiliates for 2024-25:

• Adirondack Thunder-New Jersey Devils-Utica Comets
• Allen Americans-????????-???????
• Atlanta Gladiators-Nashville Predators-Milwaukee Admirals
• Bloomington Bison-New York Rangers-Hartford Wolf Pack
• Cincinnati Cyclones-Toronto Maple Leafs-Toronto Marlies
• Florida Everblades-St. Louis Blues-Springfield Thunderbirds
• Fort Wayne Komets-Edmonton Oilers-Bakersfield Condors
• Greenville Swamp Rabbits-Los Angeles Kings-Ontario Reign
• Idaho Steelheads-Dallas Stars-Texas Stars
• Indy Fuel-Chicago Blackhawks-Rockford Icehogs
• Iowa Heartlanders-Minnesota Wild-Iowa Wild
• Jacksonville Icemen-Buffalo Sabres-Rochester Americans
• Kalamazoo Wings-Vancouver Canucks-Abbotsford Canucks
• Kansas City Mavericks-Seattle Kraken-Coachella Valley Firebirds
• Maine Mariners-Boston Bruins-Providence Bruins
• Norfolk Admirals-Winnipeg Jets-Manitoba Moose
• Orlando Solar Bears-Tampa Bay Lightning-Syracuse Crunch
• Rapid City Rush-Calgary Flames-Calgary Wranglers
• Reading Royals-Philadelphia Flyers-Lehigh Valley Phantoms
• Savannah Ghost Pirates-Florida Panthers-Charlotte Checkers  
• South Carolina Stingrays-Washington Capitals-Hershey Bears
• Tahoe Knight Monsters-Vegas Golden Knights-Henderson Silver Knights
• Toledo Walleye-Detroit Red Wings-Grand Rapid Griffins
• Trois-Riviéres Lions-Montreal Canadiens-Laval Rocket
• Tulsa Oilers-Anaheim Ducks-San Diego Gulls
• Utah Grizzlies-Colorado Avalanche-Colorado Eagles
• Wheeling Nailers-Pittsburgh Penguins-Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
• Wichita Thunder-San Jose Sharks-San Jose Barracuda
• Worcester Railers-New York Islanders-Bridgeport Islanders   

 

 

- Here is the status of Allen's leading scorers from last season, plus two key players that were injured:

 

• Colby McAuley, 63 points - unsigned but likely will play in Europe
• Hank Crone, 55 points - unsigned but will likely sign with another ECHL team
• Blake Murray, 53 points - unsigned but will likely sign with another ECHL team
• Kris Myllari, 48 points - unsigned, still deciding if he will play next season
• Easton Brodzinski, 39 points - has re-signed with the Allen Americans 
• Bennett MacArthur, 32 points - signed AHL contract (Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins)
• Eric Williams, 31 points - Retired
• Liam Finlay, signed in Scotland (Glasgow Clan) 
• Colton Hargrove, unsigned but will likely sign with another ECHL team   

If you add up the average points per game for all of the players above (except Brodzinski) that will likely not return to Allen it is close to eight points per game. A huge chunk of the offense that coach Adams will have to replace.

 

 

 

- A couple of other players from last season who were moved after the season to settle future consideration trades have signed for 20204-25. Colin Jacobs has signed with the Worcester Railers (ECHL) and Ty Fournier has signed with the Thetford Mines Assurancia (LNAH). The LNAH is a semi-pro league based in Quebec. It has had many former NHL enforcers play in the league that was once called the world's toughest hockey league. Fournier's brother, Stefan, who played in Allen in 2022-23, played in the LNAH last season. 

 

 

 

-  I have been asked to explain how the ownership works with the teams owned and/or are managed by Zawyer Sports. Zawyer recently bought the controlling interest in the AHL Charlotte Checkers and a photo of some of the minority owners includes among others, former NASCAR drivers Kevin Harvick and Regan Smith and Allen owner Myles Jack. For most of the teams under the Zawyer umbrella the organization owns the majority interest, but they have a business model of having numerous minority owners, people from the community and some pro athletes. I am pretty sure Myles Jack has a minority interest is several teams in addition to Allen. His first involvement as a minority owner was in Jacksonville where he played football for the Jaguars. Savannah and Charlotte are other teams he has a minority interest in. Allen is a different story. Zawyer does not own the controlling interest in the Americans. Myles and LaSonjia Jack own the controlling interest and Zawyer is a minority owner. Zawyer has a contract to operate the Allen Americans.

 

 

- Here is how this was explained in the Charlotte Checkers press release. The Checkers are the latest addition to Zawyer Sports & Entertainment’s family of teams. The organization owns and operates three ECHL franchises: The Jacksonville Icemen, Tahoe Knight Monsters and the Checkers’ newest affiliate, the Savannah Ghost Pirates. It also owns and operates the Gastonia Baseball Club, Community First Igloo in Jacksonville and 32 Degrees Marketing, a full-service agency. Additionally, Zawyer operates the ECHL’s Allen Americans and Atlanta Gladiators as well as Ghost Pirates Ice in Savannah. 

 

 

 

DID YOU KNOW: ECHL 2024-25 salaries:

 

Rookies: (fewer than 25 regular season pro games)

Minimum: $530 weekly

Maximum: $620 weekly

 

Non-rookies:

Minimum: $575 weekly

Maximum: none

 

The salary cap dictates how much you can pay players. For the 2024-25 season the salary cap is $14,600 per week. If you have 20 players on the active roster that is an average of $730 per player. 

 

There is also a minimum amount teams must spend per week which is $11,100. 

 

Most teams are trying to stay under the max salary cap, however, if a team has 10-15 NHL/AHL contracted players assigned, who only cost $525 per week against the salary cap, staying above the minimum can be a challenge.

 

In addition to salary, players are provided housing. Single players share, married players get their own housing.

   

An Allen Americans Update From the Roster to the Affiliation, ECHL Mascot of the Year Voting, Steve Martinson Update, ECHL Player Announcements

I just finished writing this long epistle only to realize for some reason most of the blog is in black on a red background and may be difficult to read. I apologize for that but want to get this posted ASAP.

It has been a long time since I posted an update on the Allen Americans. Nancy and I just returned from two weeks in Europe driving from Prague, Czech Republic to Bratislava, Slovakia to Budapest. Hungary. it was very educational learning about the history of these countries especially the impact of WW l and WW ll when the Nazis and then the Communists were in control before these countries gained their independence. While the big cities were amazing the small towns and villages provided many surprises. One of these surprises was fishing related. The small-town of Trebon (population 8000) in the South Bohemian region of the Czech Republic is the center of a fishing region that includes over 500 fishing ponds that were constructed from the 13^th century onward. The individual ponds vary significantly in size and are connected by a labyrinth of canals, ditches and streams. The initial construction had the primary intent of draining the area, particularly swamps with aquaculture a secondary goal.

The primary fish raised in these ponds is the delicacy of the Trebon Carp. Carp is considered a trash fish in most of America but not in these countries. The centuries old tradition of eating carp for Christmas dinner is alive and well in the Czech Republic. If you thought eating carp was the strangest part of the tradition, think again. What is truly odd is families usually buy the carp a few days before Christmas from one of the many carp stalls or stands and keep them alive in the bathtub.

In the fall you can fish the ponds but most of the fish are caught by commercial fishermen that catch the fish with nets as the ponds are drained. The Trebon Carp is very much controlled (by the European Union) even though over 50 tons of Christmas Carp are sourced from ponds all over the Czech Republic. 

FYI, the ponds in the Trebon basin are proposed for inclusion as an UNESCO World Heritage Site.

I couldn't resist partaking in this gastronomic delight even though we had already had lunch. A quick stop at a street vendor on the Town Square for a full portion of fresh Trebon Carp Chips. The carp was delicious which was undoubtedly helped by the fact it was fresh and it was fried.  Might be time to do some carp fishing in Texas!

 

Trying fried Trebon Carp Chips in Czech Republic

 

 

- I have had a few days to get caught up with what is happening with the Allen Americans so wanted to share the latest from my reporting and my educated guess as what is to come. 

- Allen made its first player announcement (Easton Brodzinski) while I as was in Europe and it was an important one considering I don't expect most of Allen's top scorers from last season (McAuley, Crone, Murray, Myllari, MacArthur) will return. Here is what I posted on social media about Brodzinski. 

 

Easton Brodzinski returns to Allen. In 2023-24 he was #1 in shooting percentage (16.4%), #2 in goals (22), #3 in PIMS (91) and #4 in games played (62). From 12/8/23 to 01/13/24 he scored 16 goals in 18 games. He will be a key player on the team in 2024-25. This will be his third pro season (107 pro games) and he will be asked to play a prominent role on the team.

 

 

- Everyone is always asking when will the next player announcement happen. Good news is that will happen today and it will be another returning young player that will be an important piece of the puzzle for Allen in 2024-25.

 

 

- The ECHL released the list of players that received qualifying offers yesterday and it surprised me that Allen only qualified two players, the fewest in the league. Liam Finlay, who has already signed in Europe and Ty Farmer. Here is my ECHL Stats post from this morning that shows the number of qualified players for every ECHL team.

 

Here are the number of players that received qualifying offers for each ECHL team:

- A maximum of eight players can be qualified.

- Players already signed do not need to be qualified.

- Vets are not typically qualified because they can eventually become free agents.

- Qualifying offer requires a minimum 5% pay increase.

- Teams with lower numbers of qualified players either have a lot of players already signed or are moving on from players from last season or a combination of both. All players that did not receive a qualifying offer and are unsigned are now free agents and can sign with any team.

 

8: ADK, CIN, FW, GVL, IA, JAX, KAL, KC, MNE, RC, SAV, TOL, TR, TUL, UTA, WHL, WIC, WOR

7: IDH, IND, REA, SC

6: ATL, NOR

4: FLA, ORL

2: ALN

 

If you haven't seen the list of players by team here is the ECHL press release. You will find some former Allen players on these team by team lists: https://echl.com/news/2024/07/echl-announces-players-with-qualifying-offers

 

 

 

- Why did Allen only qualify two players? There is always a lot of guesswork when you look at the players on the season-ending roster and try to figure out what is going on. Remember there were 19 players on the Americans season-ending roster and a maximum of eight could have been qualified. Here is my take on where Allen might be on these 19 players and why only two were qualified.

 

• Players already signed don't need to be qualified so Brodzinski is covered. The real guessing game is players that may be signed but not announced. Young players that played well last season and were on the playoff roster would definitely be qualified unless they are already signed. You have to assume young players like Marco Constantini, Ryan Gagnon, Justin Allen, Nolan Orzeck, James Hardie and Chaz Smedsrud fall into this category and that is why they are not on the qualified list.   
  
• Veterans are typically not qualified because they can become free agents on August 8, so that is why Colton Hargrove, Colby McAuley, Kris Myllari, Eric Williams and Matt Marcinew weren't qualified. I do not expect any of these players will return in 2024-25, but that is just my opinion.
• That leaves five players, Andrew Jarvis, Dalton Gally, Dalton Skelly, Kameron Keilly and Solag Bakich that played more limited roles last season. They could be signed, but more likely they may be free agents at this point and are free to sign with any team.  

I want to stress this is my best guess on what is going on with these players based on going through this exercise for many years in the past. I will not get these right in every case but it should be close.  

 

 

- The other big mystery to be answered is what is happening with affiliations in Allen and around the ECHL. As usual at this point in the off-season very few opportunities to affiliate are left. Most recently Cincinnati won the lottery as it was announced the Cyclones will be affiliated with Toronto. That means Cincinnati will get a bunch of NHL/AHL contracted players from Toronto and will be one of the favorites to in the Central Division. 

 

I think there are just five NHL teams that have not named an ECHL affiliate and they are Carolina, Columbus, Las Vegas, St. Louis and Utah. The no-brainer on this list is Las Vegas. The Zawyer owns the Savannah Ghost Pirates who were affiliated with Las Vegas last season and switched to the Florida Panthers for 2024-25. That means Las Vegas can affiliate with the Zawyer owned Tahoe Knight Monsters. Not sure why that hasn't been announced but it would be a shock if that didn't happen. Three-peat Kelly Cup champions Florida is looking for an affiliate after the NHL Florida Panthers switched to Savannah. The Everblades have been affiliated with Carolina in the past so it is possible that could happen again and the geography is favorable.

 

- That leaves the Allen Americans the only other team looking for an affiliate. If you look at the ECHL website it shows Allen is still affiliated with Ottawa, but that one year agreement expired at the end of the 2023-24 season. Based on the amount of help Allen received the past two seasons from the Senators, I don't see that agreement being extended. If that is the case Allen will end up affiliating with one of the three NHL teams left (Columbus, St. Louis, Utah). The most intriguing of these options is Utah who has moved from Arizona. The NHL team was just bought by the majority owner of the NBA Utah Jazz, Ryan Smith, who became a billionaire before he was 40 by selling the tech company he started. Very similar to Mark Cuban's path into professional sports. He is also the owner of a MLS soccer team, Real Salt Lake City. Smith is known for being hands-on and all-in in everything he does. Not sure which of the three teams Allen will end up affiliating with, but Utah could end up being a real good opportunity. I know some of you have conjectured Allen will not have an affiliate in 2024-25 and will be independent and there is no chance that will happen. FYI, here is a profile about Ryan Smith from a year ago before he bought the NHL Arizona Coyotes. https://www.capitalism.com/ryan-smiths-net-worth-how/   

 

 

- When will the Allen Americans announce its affiliation? My understanding is the tentative plan is to have a joint meet new coach, B.J. Adams, and the affiliation announcement sometime during the last two weeks in July.  

 

 

-  The 2024 ECHL Mascot of the Year voting is currently underway from July 8-11. Here is a link where the voting takes place. Biscuit does a great job for the Allen Americans and certainly deserves this recognition. Throw him a bone and give him your votes: https://tinyurl/VoteBiscuit

 

 

- I Had a chance to check in with Steve Martinson who is headed to Athens, Georgia on Thursday and will be formally introduced as the coach of the Athens Rock Lobsters at a meet and greet with a Q & A session on Friday, which is right up his alley. The Rock Lobsters are a new franchise in the single A Federal Prospects Hockey League (FPHL) that has been around since 2010. I asked Martinson why he signed to coach in the FPHL and he said, "I have had some other opportunities to coach but I knew if I was going to coach again it had to be with the right organization. This group is committed to everyone pulling in the same direction. We have a brand new rink and a great city to play in. Let's go!

 

Martinson will have the same style of team as he had in Allen and will set up the team the same way. He will have a combination of older players who want to win a championship and younger players that want to develop to move up or go to college. He has ECHL training camp slots to offer his recruits and will loan players to ECHL teams during the season. His team will play at the Classic Center Arena, a $150,000,000 new all purpose facility which will also be the home of the University of Georgia Ice Dawgs. The arena will hold 5500 for hockey and up to 8500 for concerts.

 

The Rock Lobsters play a 58 game schedule, but will not play a home game until December because the facility is behind schedule and will not ready. Martinson sounded like the four time Allen champion who plans to have the best team, the best rink, the best apartments, the best workout facility and the best players. He looks forward to meeting with fans after every game just like he did in Allen before COVID. His enthusiasm was palpable and there is little doubt his ability to recruit players that know his championship resume will put him in a position to win an 11th championship. 

 

Add the fact that Michelle Martinson will be managing the Rock Lobsters team store and they get to live and work in Athens, a college town culture, small city (130,000) 70 miles from Atlanta and they couldn't be happier.  

 

 

DID YOU KNOW: It is that time of year when ECHL teams start announcing players for the 2024-25 season. You can't tell much from the numbers because every team and coach takes a different approach:

• Some teams announce players almost in real time.
• Some coaches don't announce any players for fear it hurts in recruiting.  
• Some teams use announcements as a marketing tool and dribble them out over the summer.
• Some teams don't have many players to announce because they get so many NHL/AHL contracted players.

With all those caveats here are the 13 ECHL teams that have announced players as of early this morning:

 

• 8 - Trois Riviéres
• 7 - Florida, Fort Wayne
• 4 - Wichita
• 3 - Iowa, Maine
• 2 - Kansas City, Reading, Toledo, Worcester
• 1 - Allen, Norfolk, South Carolina

       

    

Allen Americans Update - Finlay Signs in Scotland, Good News for STMs, My Thoughts on Affiliation, Q & A, Critical Dates This Week, Former Players 2024-25 Plans

Nancy and I are heading out for a small group (16) adventure called the Jewels of Bohemia where we will visit the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary. This will be the last blog until after July 4th, but you might see me post occasionally on Twitter and Facebook if any newsworthy events happen. 

 

- With the coaching change in Allen and the respect the players had for Chad Costello it is expected a lot of players will not return to the Americans. The first to sign elsewhere for 2024-25 is Liam Finlay who has signed to play in Scotland for the Glasgow Clan of the EIHL. Dyson Stevenson has played the last three seasons in Glasgow and was the captain of the team last season. He has not signed yet for 2024-25 so not sure if he will play this season or plans to retire. I am sure Finlay is the first of many Allen players that will sign overseas, sign with other ECHL teams or choose to retire.  

 

I promised to share any information that came out of the meetings that took place last week when the Allen Americans business staff went to Jacksonville to meet with Zawyer Sports and Entertainment. Zawyer owns, manages and operates the Jacksonville Icemen, Savannah Ghost Pirates, Allen Americans and Tahoe Knight Monsters and manages the Atlanta Gladiators. All of these teams in addition to a baseball team Zawyer owns (Gastonia Baseball Club) were at the meeting last week. 

 

- When one organization manages five hockey teams a major goal is implementing standard processes and procedures across all teams to obtain synergies. Most of the meeting last week was related to business operations across the various departments such as marketing, ticket sales, business development and game presentation. 

 

- One of the agreements/action items that came out of the meeting for all Zawyer teams is to enhance the benefits for season ticket members (STMs). I hear it often from Allen season ticket holders that the benefits they received in the past no longer exist and they feel underappreciated. There will be a conscious effort going forward to provide more benefits to STMs. What might this look like? You have to wait for the specifics to be worked out, but in general there will be more opportunity for STMs (full and half season ticket holders) to interact with the players. Here are some examples:

• Special events exclusively for STMs to interact with players like has been done in the past at Top Golf or bowling. Another possibility is meeting with the players after practice. These are just examples of the type of events that will give STMs an opportunity to interact with players. The specific events will be determined later.
• The after game get together/press conference where the coach and players meet with STMs will be held on a consistent basis in 2024-25.
• The STM gift will be taken "to the next level" in 2024-25.

 To me the key point in this discussion is that the Allen Americans and Zawyer are acknowledging they need to improve and enhance the STM experience and are committed to doing that going forward.

 

-  Nothing new to report on an affiliation for the 2024-25 season other than I am told it is close. I can tell you having seen a couple of affiliation agreements in the past, there are a lot of details that need to be negotiated and put in writing once teams have an agreed affiliate. From what I understand the tentative plan is to have an event for the press and STMs to meet head coach and general manager B.J. Adams and announce the Allen affiliate sometime after July 4. 

 

- Each season there are not a lot of affiliation changes and it seems like Allen is usually at the tail end of the affiliation sweepstakes. I have no idea what is going to happen but it strikes me if the Americans are planning an event in July to introduce the new coach and announce the affiliate you wouldn't do that if the plan was to stay with Ottawa. 

 

- The Zawyer group is involved in several affiliate searches. Just yesterday it was announced that Savannah was changing affiliates from Vegas/Henderson to Florida/Charlotte. That will conveniently setup another Zawyer team, Tahoe, to affiliate with Vegas/Henderson, though no announcement has been made. 

 

- By my count there are only a handful of NHL teams without an affiliate including Carolina, Columbus, St. Louis, Toronto and Utah. Toronto is the real plum of this group because they have so many players signed their ECHL affiliate gets a lot of contracted players. Toronto was affiliated with Newfoundland before the team folded late last season. Cincinnati and Florida are both looking for affiliates and could be candidates for Toronto. You would have to give Cincinnati the edge based on geography. If the Cyclones do affiliate with Toronto it would have an immediate impact. Cincinnati had very few NHL/AHL contracted players in 2023/24, always toward the bottom of the list. Meanwhile Toronto sent 12-15 contracted players to Newfoundland every season.

 

- When you consider all of the Mountain Division teams except Allen have affiliates west of the Mississippi River it makes you wonder if Utah might be the best fit for the Americans. Here are the current Mountain Division affiliations: 

• Allen Americans - Ottawa Senators - Belleville Senators
• Idaho Steelheads - Dallas Stars - Texas Stars 
• Kansas City Mavericks - Seattle Kraken  - Coachella Valley Firerbirds
• Rapid City Rush - Calgary Flames - Calgary Wranglers
• Tahoe Knight Monsters - Vegas Golden Knights - Henderson Silver Knights (rumor, not official)
  
• Tulsa Oilers - Anaheim Ducks - San Diego Gulls
• Utah Grizzlies - Colorado Avalanche - Colorado Eagles
• Wichita Thunder - San Jose Sharks - San Jose Barracuda
  

- I have had several recurring questions over the last week so I tracked down the answers:

Q: Does Zawyer have plans to move the team from Allen?

A: Unequivocally the answer is no. There is absolutely no interest from Zawyer and even more so from Myles and LaSonjia Jack in moving the team. That is just not going to happen.

Q: How long is the current lease? 

A: There are three years left on the current lease, but the team is interested and from what I understand the City of Allen is also interested in extending the lease for an additional seven years. 

 

Q: What is the length of B.J. Adams contract?

A: His contract is for two years with an option for a third year if both ownership and Adams agree to extend.

 

- This week is big one for all ECHL teams but especially the Allen Americans:

• Thursday is the future considerations trade deadline, 2:00 pm Allen time. As I have said before you could see four or five players from last year heading to other teams.

• Saturday: season-ending rosters due 2:00 pm Allen time. Season-ending rosters may include up to 20 players.

• Sunday: First day for players to sign contracts for the 2024-25 season.
  

• After this week the next critical date comes on July 7. Teams can protect the rights to a maximum of eight players off the season-ending roster by extending them a qualifying offer prior to the July 7 (11:59 pm EDT) deadline.

   

     
  

-  Some former Allen players have already signed overseas for 2024-25. Here are just a few:

• Colton Saucerman has re-signed in the EIHL with the Sheffield Steelers and that is no surprise since there are three different championships in the EIHL and Sheffield won all three last season.  
• Forward Zane Franklin has signed with the Vienna Capitols for the second season. He went to Europe after Idaho traded him last December to Cincinnati.
• Alex Lavoie has played many seasons in Europe for many different teams. In 2024-25 he will be playing in Ljubljana, Slovenia for the Olimpija Ljubljana team. Kale Kerbashian, who is still playing at age 34, is on the same team.
  
• Olivier Archambault has signed with HC Pizen, a team in the Czech Republic (now call Czechia) in the Tipsport Extraliga.
• Les Lancaster (former ECHL Defenseman of the Year) has re-signed in the DEL (Germany) with EHC Munchen, the team he signed with at the end of last season after spending several years in Finland.
• Joining Lancaster in the DEL is another former ECHL Defenseman of the Year, Alex Breton. Alex played in Slovakia last season and will move to EHC Ingolstadt in the top German league in 2024-25. 
  

        

DID YOU KNOW: B.J. Adams is the fourth coach since the Allen Americans became a franchise in 2009-10. Here is how Allen did in the playoffs under each coach. As you can see the winning in playoffs culture in Allen has been long established. Just making the playoffs has never been the goal for the Americans:

Dwight Mullins (2009-2012)

• 2010 - lost in championship finals
• 2011 - lost in 3rd round
• 2012 - lost in 1st round

Steve Martinson (2012-2022)

• 2013 - won championship
• 2014 - won championship
• 2015 - won championship
• 2016 - won championship
• 2017 - lost in 2nd round
• 2018 - lost in 1st round
• 2019 - missed playoffs
• 2020 - no playoffs
• 2021 - lost inn 2nd round
• 2022 - lost in 1st round

Chad Costello (2022-2024)

• 2023 - lost in 2nd round
• 2024 - lost in 1st round

Ironically all three coaches were not retained after making the playoffs and losing in the first round.  

Meet Allen Americans Coach and General Manager B.J. Adams

 

I am sure by now everyone has had a chance to read the Allen Americans press release announcing the selection of B.J. Adams as the new coach of the team. If not, here is a link to the press release: https://allenamericans.com/news/2024/06/americans-hire-their-next-head-coach 

 

- I know many of you were upset the way Chad Costello was let go with one year remaining on his three year contract after all he his has accomplished for the Allen Americans as a player and a coach. I was certainly in that category. Not to belabor what I have said before, but Costello's results after two seasons as the Allen coach were a 2nd place and 3rd place finish in the Mountain Division, two playoff appearances and one playoff series win. How many ECHL teams made the playoffs the last two seasons and won at least one playoff series? The answer is seven out of 28 teams.

 

- I have also said the only opinion that counts in these situations is that of those paying the bills, the ownership group. I am sure the new majority owners, Myles and LaSonjia Jack, Joe Ernst, recently named Vice President of Hockey Operations for Zawyer Sports, other Zawyer executives (Zawyer manages the Allen Americans) and the Allen Americans senior leadership were in concurrence on this change and it is their call. It is the nature of the business and it can be cruel at times. 

 

- The one person that had nothing to do with this coaching change other than throw his hat in the ring once there was a vacancy is B.J. Adams. After going through the vetting process Adams was the coach the ownership group and Allen Americans executive management agreed was the best choice to lead the team going forward. To answer the many questions I have been getting about the process, there were a lot of applicants, many potential coaches were interviewed before the field was narrowed to the final few candidates from which ownership made its final selection.

 

- I had some time to talk to coach Adams yesterday which I appreciate given he had so many calls and texts to make at a very busy time of the off season. It was day one of his new job and he was already busy talking to the players on the protected list. What I would say to fans is give the guy a chance. I think you will like him once you get to know him and learn more about him. Here is some information I found out in the 15 minutes I had to talk to Adams.

 

- Before I talked to Adams I went through his playing days. The 48 year old was a defenseman (6'2" 205) that turned pro after four collegiate years at Bowling Green State University (1996-2000). He played professionally for nine years in four different leagues (IHL, ECHL, CHL, UHL). I won't go through all of the details but he played 259 ECHL games split between the Toledo Storm and Pee Dee Pride and had 65 points (13G, 52A).

 

- Adams actually started his coaching career before he quit playing. He was the player-assistant coach for three seasons in Port Huron (2006-09). Coach Adams has many years in coaching though the majority of his experience is as an assistant or associate coach. After he retired from playing he became an assistant coach at Canisius College from 2009-2014. He then moved on to the Erie Otters (OHL) and was an assistant coach, associate coach and head coach between 2016-23. In 2016-17 Erie was the OHL champion and a finalist for the Memorial Cup.

- Adams title in Allen will be the same as in the past, coach and general manager. He will have a full time, paid assistant coach. Nothing has been decided yet but the tentative plan is to have a meet the coach press conference and affiliate announcement sometime in July. FYI, most of the Allen staff will be attending the ECHL summer meetings in Las Vegas June 25-27.

 

- Coach Adam's family will be joining him in Allen. They currently live in Erie, PA. B.J. and his wife Krista have two sons. Pierce is five and Briggs is two. B.J. has a younger brother, Kyle, who is also a hockey coach. Kyle is the head coach for the Kirkland Lake Gold Miners, a Junior A team in the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League (NOJHL). 

The Adams Family (L to R) - Pierce, B.J., Briggs, Krista

 

 

- When I asked coach Adams about the style of play he will put on the ice it was clear he is well aware of the culture in Allen and the high standards that are expected. He will recruit an aggressive group with and without the puck that is hard to play against, with speed and skill. He knows in the Mountain Division you need to play heavy against some teams and with more skill against others. He hopes to build a team that can be successful no matter how the opponent wants to play.

- His favorite player growing up was Wayne Gretzky.

 

- His earliest hockey memory is playing on the rink his dad would build each winter in the backyard. 

 

- B.J. told me with two young sons most of his free time is devoted to family, but he does enjoy the occasional round of golf. 

I am sure there will be more time to get into the details with coach Adams as he settles into his new position. He begins his new job at a very busy time. In addition to recruiting for next season, Adams has to settle all future considerations trades by next Thursday (20th). By my unofficial count Allen owes five players to other ECHL teams. A week from tomorrow (22nd) the Allen season-ending roster is due and that roster is limited to 20 players. A week from Sunday (23rd) is the first day to sign players to contracts for the 2024-25 season. To say it will be a very busy time for coach and general manager Adams is an understatement. 

 

DID YOU KNOW: Late in his playing career (2007-09) while playing for the Port Huron Icehawks (IHL) Adams played with two players that would go on to play for the Allen Americans. Daniel Tetrualt won his only professional championship in Allen (2013-14) and went on to become the head coach in Rapid City. Mark Nebus played in Allen in 2011-12. The hockey world is a small world indeed.