Another Allen Loss, Game Recaps, Video Highlights, Post Game Comments, Three Year ECHL Standings, Former Players in Europe, Rosters Comparison and More

 

 18 Game Challenge Update:

• 10th game in the books
  
• Last game: 6-2 home loss to Idaho
• Next game: At Kansas City on Friday
  
• Record: 1-8-1-0
• Point Percentage: .150

I had a question at the game last night about the 18 game challenge. It is the name I gave to a group of games starting on December 13 and running through January 15 against teams with winning records. At the time I came up with the challenge Allen had won seven games but five of the wins were against Utah and Rapid City, the bottom two teams in the division. The next 18 games would be against teams with point percentages ranging from .700 to .519 and would determine Allen's fate for the season. The 18 game challenge hasn't gone well for the Americans thus far and the final eight games won't be easy to get things turned around. Here are the remaining eight games including the opponents point percentage:

• Kansas City - .700 (2 away)
• Wichita - .613 (1 home, 3 away)
• Tulsa - .617 (1 home, 1 away)  

- Allen lost to Idaho last night 6-2 in similar ways the Americans have been losing recently. Here are few examples taken from the game preview blog yesterday with the results from the game last night.

• Scoring first will be important - Idaho scored first to improve its record when scoring first to 9-1-2-0.
• Don't play from behind - Idaho led 1-0 after the first period to improve its record with a first period lead to a perfect 7-0-0-0.
• The game tonight will likely be decided in the second period - Idaho outscored Allen 4-2 in the second period.
•  Don't play from behind - Idaho led 5-2 after the second period to improve its record with a second period lead to 12-0-0-0.
• Win the special teams battle - Allen was 0-2 on the power play and to make matters worse the power play unit gave up a shorthanded goal.
• Don't let former Allen players beat you. Hank Crone was held to just one assist but Matt Register had a shorthanded goal, an assist and was +4. He was named the #2 star of the game.
• Allen and Idaho are both at the bottom of the league in shots allowed, so you might see a lot of shots and goals in the game tonight. The teams combined for 77 shots and eight goals. Unfortunately Idaho had 41 of the shots and six of the goals.

- Idaho scored the first and only goal of the opening period at the 11:20 mark, but Allen fought back in the second period scoring two goals in just over three minutes. Nolan Orzeck scored his second goal of the season at 6:17 and Brian Chambers scored his second of the season and first for the Americans at the 9:36 mark. Allen had a 2-1 lead midway through the second period, had a 13-4 shot advantage and had the best of the play and then the roof caved in. Idaho scored four unanswered goals in three and a half minutes to take a 5-2 lead and the game was over. Yes, there were some bad bounces and fluky plays but there were also turnovers and a shorthanded goal, but good teams make their own luck. The third period was scoreless until Allen pulled goalie Anson Thornton, who had relieved starter Luke Richardson after the four goal outburst by Idaho in the second period, with 4:14 left in the game. The Steelheads added an empty net goal to make the final score 6-2. The Americans have now lost 12 of the last 13 games.   

 

- Here are the game recaps issued by both teams and the video highlights: 

Allen Americans game recap: https://allenamericans.com/news/2024/12/game-recap-americans-end-2024-with-a-6-2-loss-to-idaho

Idaho Steelheads game recap: https://idahosteelheads.com/news/2024/12/strong-second-period-propels-steelheads-to-6-2-victory 

Video Highlights: https://echl.com/videos/idaho-steelheads-vs-allen-americans-dec-31-2024

 

POST GAME COMMENTS

- Coach Adams brought along Brian Chambers to the post game press conference with the season ticket members. Here is what they had to say to the questions and comments form the STMs:

"Three minutes of the second period has been our downfall in the last few games. I couldn't have been happier how we were playing in the second period  until they scored. We scored into our own net which was frustrating, made some dumb mistakes and its the game.".....Adams

"We had shift after shift of constant pressure which led to Chambers goal.".....Adams

"Our power play had a couple of good looks, but then gave up a shorthanded goal which is very frustrating. You can see how dominate we were in the first half of the second period and the challenge is when we make a mistake not to compound it.".....Adams

"Mark Duarte came here to get opportunities at the next level and I will never hold guys back when we get a request to loan a player. He certainly deserves the opportunity. Mark played tonight and will also play on Thursday for Cleveland.".....Adams

"We have gotten more physical by adding Cole Fraser and Nick Isaacson to the lineup.".....Adams

"On my goal I went to the net and Hardie made a great play from the corner, shooting the puck at the net and I was lucky enough to tap it in. I thought at that time we would keep pounding them. A couple of unlucky bounces turned the game and it became a 5-2 game.".....Chambers

"The game was pretty even the whole 60 minutes. If we can play our next game like we played the first half of the second period we will have a better result.".....Chambers

"As players, we can definitely improve on not getting down on the bench when things don't go our way. We have mentioned that in the locker room to try and stay up, but that goal where the goalie makes the save and then it goes off our stick into the net is hard not to be down for a little bit. We do talk about it a lot to stay up when things don't go our way.".....Chambers

"If you look at the last few games we have had as many good opportunities as the other teams, but we miss the net a a lot. We need to do a better job on the execution compared to the other team.".....Adams 

"We had a few opportunities tonight to shoot off the rush and we didn't take the shot. I am pretty adamant about players needing to be more selfish and shooting off the rush. We don't have to pick corners, just get the puck on the net. Chamber's goal is a perfect example. It was a bad angle shot but it created a rebound and chaos and Chambers was able to spin and put the puck in the net. We need more second chance goals by putting more shots on the net. We are missing the net too much right now ".....Adams

 

OTHER COMMENTS

- Here are the ECHL standings at the beginning of the new year the last three seasons. You can see it is not too late for teams to turn around the season and make the playoffs, but it has to start right now. In 2022-23 Allen went from last place at the end of December to finish second in the division. The Americans January record was 9-4-0-0 (.692). That same season Utah made the playoffs despite having a .393 point percentage at this point. Utah's January record was 8-3-1-0 (.708). With the Mountain Division now an eight team division it is highly unlikely Rapid City, Allen or Utah will make the playoffs. These teams will have to win a minimum of two out of every three games the entire month to have a chance. 

• 2025
• .700 - Kansas City
• .672 - Tahoe
• .617 - Tulsa
• .613 - Wichita
• .583 - Idaho
• .383 - Rapid City
• .362 - Allen
• .339 - Utah
   

•  2024
• .758 - Kansas City*
• .726 - Idaho*
• .500 - Rapid City
• .483 - Tulsa*
• .435 - Allen*
• .400 - Wichita
• .393 - Utah
   

• 2023
• .879 - Idaho*
• .633 - Wichita
• .536 - Kansas City*
• .484 - Rapid City
• .444 - Tulsa
• .393 - Utah*
• .375 - Allen*

 
*Playoff teams 

- The championships in Europe are not that far off and for players whose teams will not make the playoffs they could be looking to return to North America and the ECHL. The deadline for returning is February 17. I took a quick look at some former Allen players that are playing for teams in Europe who are in first or second place and well positioned to win a championship. Here is a list with the years they played in Allen. The European league where they are playing is in parenthesis:

• Justin Kirsch:  2012-13 (Germany3)
  
• Scott Conway: 2020-21 (EIHL - Great Britain)
  
• Steve Owre: 2020-21 (Swiss League)
  
• Alec Breton: 2018-20 (DEL - Germany)
  
• Matt Maricnew: 2023-24 (DEL2 - Germany)
  
• Brett Pollack: 2019-20 (Slovakia)
  
• Josh Atkinson: 2018-19 (ICEHL - Hungary)
  
• Jake Hildebrand: 2015-16 (DEL - Germany)
  
• Dante Salituro: 2018-19 (Poland)
  
• Olivier Archambault: 2017-18 & 2019-20 (Slovakia)
• Joe Gatenby: 2023-24 (Norway)

- On a personal note this will be the last blog for a while. We are taking a trip to Greece and Albania (half the trip is a cruise on a 50 passenger ship and half the trip is a land tour). I will still have access to the internet and will post some on social media. Look for the blog returning around the 20th. 

 

I wish all of you a Happy New Year and want thank you so much for the kinds words and appreciation for the blog. So many of you made a point of telling me how much you appreciate the blog at the game last night. I was really touched by all of the kindness and as I told many of you the only reason I am still plugging away is because of the fans. Thanks again!

 

 

DID YOU KNOW: The ECHL Stats post today is about the number of NHL/AHL contracted players, rookies and veterans on the top and bottom five teams in the league. Allen is one of the bottom five teams and you will notice what sets the top five and bottom five teams apart is the number of rookies on the roster, not the number of NHL/AHL contracted players. The sweet spot for contracted players seems to be between five and seven. The bottom five teams vary in the number of contracted players, but all have 11-13 rookies. 

 

Is there a difference in the makeup of the rosters of the top and bottom teams in the ECHL? Comparing rosters:

 

1st # = NHL/AHL contracts

2nd # = Rookies

3rd # = Veterans

 

Top 5

.804: Wheeling, 11-10-1

.769: Trois Rivières, 6-8-2

.759: Florida, 6-7-4

.710: Toledo, 5-6-3

.700: Kansas City, 7-6-1

 

Bottom 5

.387: Reading, 11-15-1

.383: Rapid City, 4-13-2

.362: Allen, 3-11-2

.339: Utah, 8-15-2

.276: Cincinnati, 10-13-2

 

Conclusions

1. High number of NHL/AHL contracted players is not an absolute key to success.

2. The number of rookies is more of a predictor of success than the number of NHL/AHL contracted players or veterans. The bottom five teams have a total of 67 rookies. The top five teams have a total of 37.

Allen vs Idaho New Year's Eve Preview, Duarte Loaned to Cleveland, NYE Games Past, Comparing AHL, ECHL, SPHL Attendance and More

 18 Game Challenge Update:

• 9th game in the books
  
• Last game: 4-2 home loss to Kansas City
• Next game: Idaho at home tonight
  
• Record: 1-7-1-0
• Point Percentage: .167

 

- It is game day for the Allen Americans as the Idaho Steelheads are in town for the traditional New Year's Eve home game. I say tradition because in 13 of the 15 years since the franchise was established the Americans have played a New Year's Eve (NYE) game at home. In 2009-10 Allen played on the road and in 2015-16 they did not play on NYE, but every other season the Americans have played at home including a 5-4 win over Idaho last year. In the first seven NYE games Allen was 7-0. The next four years the Americans were 0-4. The overall NYE record is 9-5. Here are the all time NYE results: 

• 2023-24 - Beat Idaho at home 5-4
  
• 2022-23 - Lost at Wichita at home 7-3
• 2021-22 - Beat Idaho at home 4-1 
• 2020-21 - Lost to Wichita at home 7-2
• 2019-20 - Lost to Idaho at home 6-5
• 2018-19 - Lost to Tulsa at home 3-1
• 2017-18 - Lost to Wichita at home 4-2
• 2016-17 - Beat Utah at home 8-4
• 2015-16 - Did Not Play
• 2014-15 - Beat Rapid City at home 5-3
• 2013-14 - Beat Wichita at home 5-3
• 2012-13 - Beat Quad City at home 4-0
• 2011-12 - Beat Laredo at home 3-2
• 2010-11 - Beat Tulsa at home 10-1
• 2009-10 - Beat Wichita on road 3-1

- The game tonight (6:10 pm CST start time) will be the third time in the last four years Allen will play Idaho on NYE and they have won the first two. It would be great to extend that streak tonight. It won't be easy because Idaho has given Allen fits over the years, but if you look behind the numbers there is a silver lining. Over the last five seasons Idaho's record against Allen is 18-9-0-0. There is a big difference between games played in Idaho where the Steelheads are 14-2-0-0 and games played in Allen where Idaho is 4-7-0-0. 

 

- The game tonight will be the first of just six times Allen plays Idaho this season. After the lone game tonight the teams won't see each other again until Allen makes its one trip to Idaho for three games in March (19-22). Idaho will be back in Allen for two games in early April (4-5).

 

- The first two months of the season have been disappointing for both teams. Allen's struggles have been well documented. Compared to Allen's .375 point percentage and 21 points, Idaho is doing quite well with a .589 point percentage and 33 points. But the Steelheads were expected to be the class of the division along with Kansas City just like last season. While Kansas City is #1 in the Mountain Division (.707 and 41 points), Idaho is in fifth place and if the playoffs started today would miss the playoffs. 

 

- Both teams come into the game tonight struggling. Allen has lost 11 of its last 12 games. Idaho has lost six of its last 10 games including a 5-0 loss in Wichita in its last game. Three of the four wins the Steelheads have had in the last 10 games were against Rapid City. You would think Allen would have the advantage playing at home, but not the case. Idaho has only been a .500 team on the road with a 6-6-1-1 record, but the Americans have the worst home record in the ECHL (2-9-4-0).

 

-   Here is how Allen and Idaho rank is some key stats this season:

• Ave. goals scored: Allen #26 (2.43) - Idaho #7 (3.55)
• Ave. goals allowed: Allen #28 (4.11) - Idaho #21 (3.34)
• Ave. shots for: Allen #27 (26.71) - Idaho #4 (33.90)
• Ave shots allowed: Allen #29 (38.50) - Idaho #27 (34.41) 
  
• Power play percentage: Allen #9 (20.7%) - Idaho #13 (19.0%)
• Penalty kill percentage: Allen #16 (81.2%) - Idaho #12 (83.3%) 

You can see Idaho has the advantage in goals scored and allowed. On average Allen scores 1.12 goals per game fewer than Idaho and allows 0.77 more goals per game than the Steelheads. 

Allen and Idaho are both at the bottom of the league in shots allowed, so you might see a lot of shots and goals in the game tonight. 

 

- Special teams stats are relatively close with Allen having the edge on the power play and Idaho having the edge on the penalty kill. If you look at net special teams stats that take into account shorthanded goals you get a little different picture. 

• Power Play - Idaho has scored 20 power play goals but given up seven shorthanded goals for a net of 13 power play goals and net power play percentage of 12.4%. Allen has scored 17 power play goals and given up three shorthanded goals for a net of 14 power play goals and net power play percentage of 17.1%.
• Penalty Kill - Idaho has allowed 18 power play goals but scored two shorthanded goals for a net of 16 goals allowed which is a net penalty kill percentage of 85.2%. Allen has allowed 19 power play goals and scored one shorthanded goal for a net 18 goals allowed which is a net penalty kill percentage of 82.3%.

 

- Idaho has only scored first in 40% (11-29) of its games compared to 54% (15-28) for the Americans. However, scoring first hasn't been an advantage for Allen. The Americans record when scoring first is 5-7-3-0 (.433) compared to Idaho's record of 8-1-2-0 (.818).

 

- Scoring first will be important but based on the stats the game tonight will likely be decided in the second period. Allen has scored 23 second period goals, but allowed 38 for a goal differential of -15. Idaho is most dominate in the second period scoring 41 goals while allowing 26 goals for a goal differential of  +15. 

- Playing from behind will be as problematic against Idaho tonight as it was against Kansas City over the weekend. The Steelheads have a perfect 6-0-0-0 when leading after the first period and 11-0-0-0 when leading after the second period. It is a broken record but the Americans can't be playing from behind and expect to win. 

 

- The game tonight will be a homecoming for Hank Crone. He leads Idaho in points (36), assists (26), points per game (1.24) shots (85) and plus/minus (+11). Hank is #1 in the ECHL in assists and #3 in points, 

 Hank shares the plus/minus lead with another Allen alum, Matt Register. Matt leads Idaho defensemen in points (27), assists (24), points per game (0.93) and plus/minus (+11). Matt is #1 among all ECHL defensemen in assists and #2 in points. 

Allen fans have witnessed so many former players bite them in the ass when they return to the CUTX Event Center. Will that be the case again tonight?

 

-  Here is Allen's lineup tonight. Mark Duarte has been loaned to the Cleveland Monsters (AHL), the line of Crnkovic-Asuchak-Watts as been reunited and Luke Richardson gets the start in goal:

(F)

#16 Crnkovic-#26 Asuchak-#92 Watts

#14 Guy-#17 Jacobs-#22 Brodzinski

#86 Hardie-#28 Chambers-#9 Isaacson

#24 Blaisdell-#42 Baillageron-#84 Gorman

 

(D)

#44 Orzeck-#3 Gagnon

#5 Wilson-#2 Warmuth

#23 Brassard-#82 Fraser

 

(G)

#33 Richardson

#35 Thornton (backup)

    

OTHER COMMENTS

- Mark Duarte has led the Americans with with nine goals in the last 13 games and has been loaned to the Cleveland Monsters (AHL). It should be a good experience if Mark gets to play. Cleveland is tied for second place in the AHL North Division and leads the AHL in attendance averaging 10,580 per game. Cleveland plays Grand Rapids on the road tonight and at home on Thursday. As Steve Martinson used to say, scoring will get you noticed by AHL teams, but your role when you get loaned is to play good defensively. Should be a a great opportunity for Mark.

 

- Will Gavin is getting close to returning to the Allen lineup after being inured on November 8. He has been practicing with the team wearing a cage and the green non-contact jersey. Doubt he will make the trip to Kansas City.

- It is a busy Tuesday around the ECHL with 10 NYE games on the schedule with start times as early as 1:00 pm EST (Trois Riviéres at Maine) and as late as 9:05 EST (Tulsa at Rapid City). Six of the eight Mountain Division teams will be in action; Idaho at Allen, Wichita at Kansas City and Tulsa at Rapid City. Here is the ECHL Today with the previews: https://echl.com/news/2024/12/echl-today-dec-31     

 

- Some of the best players on Allen and Idaho are looking to break goal scoring droughts. Hank Crone has 10 goals, but just one goal in the last 10 games. Brayden Watts has nine goals but just one in the last 15 games and Kyle Crnkovic's goal on Saturday was his first in 16 games. It would not be a surprise to see all three of these players light the lamp tonight. 

 

DID YOU KNOW: The  ECHL Stats post today is about attendance across leagues. FYI, Allen's average attendance this season is 4687 which is higher than 13 of the 32 AHL teams.

Comparing 2024-25 average attendance thus far between the AHL, ECHL and SPHL:

 

AHL

5675 (Average)

10,580 (high - Cleveland)

1945 (low - San Jose)

 

ECHL

4721 (Average)

8670 (high - Jacksonville)

1167 (low- Iowa)

 

SPHL

4120 (Average)

6244 (high - Huntsville)

1997 (low - Macon)

 

 

Here are the top five in ECHL attendance. Only five of the 32 AHL teams average more per game than the top five ECHL teams:

 

8670 - Jacksonville

7967 - Toledo

7554 - Tulsa

7527 - Fort Wayne

7485 - Savannah

 

Allen Loses 4-2, Game Recap, Video Highlights, Coach's Comments, .700 Club, Net Power Play Leaders and More

 

 18 Game Challenge Update:

• 9th game in the books
  
• Last game: 4-2 home loss to Kansas City
• Next game: Idaho at home on Tuesday
  
• Record: 1-7-1-0
• Point Percentage: .167

 

- The Allen Americans came close to earning a point last night in a 4-2 loss to the Kansas City Mavericks. But as we used to say when I was in Vietnam in a mortar platoon, close only counts in darts, horseshoes and mortars. Or as I heard Colin Jacobs say in post game interviews the last two night, moral victories don't mean much in the standings. 

 

- The first period was scoreless which doesn't sound like a big thing, but it was. In the three previous games against the Mavericks the first period scores were 3-0, 1-0, 3-0 and remember, Kansas City is a perfect 13-0-0-0 when leading after the first period.

 

- Allen scored the first goal of the game at 3:24 of the second period which was the first time in the four head to head matches against the Mavericks the Americans tallied the first goal. That was big because Kansas City's record when it scores first is 15-1-1-1. While preventing the Mavericks from scoring first was big, it wasn't a big advantage for Allen. As hard as it seems, the Americans actually have a losing record when they score first (5-7-3-0, .433). That is the worst scoring first record in the league. 

- The second period has been an issue for Allen most of the season and it proved to be the case again last night. Allen has been outshot 401-250 in the second period this season and was outshot 23-11 last night. The 23 shots was the second most shots allowed in the second period in the ECHL this season.

- Second period goals have also been an issue for Allen. The Americans scored both of its goals in the second period taking a 1-0 lead on J.C. Brassard's second goal of the season and a 2-1 lead on Kyle Crnkovic's sixth goal of the season. The Americans couldn't hold either lead as they gave up three second period goals to the Mavericks. Allen has been outscored 38-23 in the second period. 

- Kansas City took the 3-2 lead into the second period intermission and it was pretty much lights out for the Americans. The Mavericks record when leading after the second period is 13-0-1-0 and when Allen is trailing after the second period its record is 1-13-2-0. The odds proved to be prophetic as the only goal of the third period was the Maverick's empty net goal with 0.2 seconds remaining to make the final score 4-2. 

 

- Nothing spells dominance more than the totals in the four games against Kansas City which were all played in Allen. The Americans are 0-4, have been outscored 22-4 and outshot 167-87. The Americans will face the Mavericks twice this week in Kansas City, on Friday and Saturday. As odd as it sounds, it will be a break for Allen playing Kansas City on the road. Both teams play much better on the road than at home. Hopefully that works in Allen's favor. Her are the stats:

• Allen is 2-8-4-0 (.286) at home vs 6-7-1-0 (.464) on the road.
• Kansas City is 4-4-1-1 (.500) at home vs 15-3-1-0 (.816) on the road.

 

- Luke Richardson played great in goal last night stopping 41 of 44 shots for a .932 save percentage. Since joining Allen, Luke has played in five games for a total of 258 minutes. He has a GAA of 2.33 and .928 save percentage. 

 

Here are the video highlights: https://echl.com/videos/kansas-city-mavericks-vs-allen-americans-dec-28-2024

 

COACH'S COMMENTS

"We were able to score first and hit a few posts, but some execution issues prevented us from scoring more. They turned the tide turned a little bit in our end in the second period. We got caught running around and that may have tired us out some for the third period."

"We had too many bad reads and didn't take care of the puck in terms of how we broke out. That hemmed us in and we had trouble with the breakouts."

"When we pulled the goalie at the end the execution wasn't good. Lost faceoffs and bad passes hurt us. It is not the shot that is the problem it is the bad pass into the feet or two inches high or behind the player. A pass off by three inches makes a big difference."

"We will take tomorrow off and get back at it on Monday to get ready for Idaho."

 

- Next up for the Allen Americans is a visit from the Idaho Steelheads on New Year's Eve. Idaho has had its struggles recently. Wichita beat them twice this weekend in Idaho. It was a 3-2 overtime loss on Friday and a 5-0 shutout last night for Idaho. The Steelheads have lost six of their last 10 games and are currently not in a playoff position.  

 

OTHER COMMENTS  

- Kansas City's sweep of Allen pushed the Mavericks above the .700 point percentage mark where they join a small club. Here are the five ECHL teams with a .700+ point percentage. The odds, based on the historical data, would say the eventual Kelly Cup champions will be one of these five teams. While Florida is on this list this year, last season the Everblades beat the historical odds by finishing #8 in the regular season with a .628 point percentage and went on to win the Kelly Cup. Here are the top five by point percentage:

• .788 - Wheeling
• .771 - Trois-Riviéres
• .750 - Florida
• .707 - Toledo
• .707 - Kansas City   

- It is a relatively busy Sunday in the ECHL with 10 games on the schedule, most of them starting at 3:00 pm local time. The only Mountain Division game today is Tulsa at Tahoe. Here are the previews: https://echl.com/news/2024/12/echl-today-dec-29    

DID YOU KNOW: The ECHL Stats post today looks at net power play percentage. Allen's power play percentage is 20.7%, but when you compute net power play percentage by subtracting shorthanded goals allowed the Americans net power play percentage is 17.1%. 

 

NET POWER PLAY PERCENTAGE 

 

ECHL net power play (PP) percentage leaders, defined as PP goals minus shorthanded goals allowed. 13 teams have a PP percentage above 19% without factoring in shorthanded goals allowed. With net PP percentage that number drops to just four. All four are top teams ranking first or second in their respective division. Each team’s current point percentage is in parenthesis:

 

26.1% - Trois Rivières (.771)

21.0% - Wheeling (.788)

20.4% - Toledo (.707)

19.6% - South Carolina (.648)

Another Loss to KC, Game Recap, Video Highlights, Coach and Players Comments, Rematch Preview, Tonight's Lineup and More

Sorry about the blog post being so late today. I assure you I have been at it since early this morning as usual, but talked to many fans about all kinds of topics, went down the usual rabbit holes researching statistics and sought out the keys to the game from a couple of different perspectives. Here it is at 1:30 pm, sorry about that.

 

 18 Game Challenge Update:

• 8th game in the books
  
• Last game: 5-2 home loss to Kansas City
• Next game: Kansas City at home tonight
  
• Record: 1-6-1-0
• Point Percentage: .188

 

-  The Allen Americans lost 5-2 last night to Kansas City in the type of game that has become very familiar to Allen fans when the Mavericks come to the CUTX Event Center. The pattern has been Kansas City scores first, holds Allen scoreless in the first period and the game is over by the first intermission. Last night Kansas City scored three goals in a five minute span in the middle of the first period, took the 3-0 lead into the first intermission and the game was over. The Mavericks improved their record when leading after the first period to 13-0-0-0 while the Americans record when trailing after the first period dropped to 1-10-1-0.

 

- Kansas City increased its lead to 4-0 with the only goal of the second period. Allen scored two goals in the third period to cut the score to 4-2 but the outcome of the game was never in doubt. Mark Duarte scored Allen's first goal on the power play. It was Duarte's ninth goal in the last 12 games and 10th of the season. Mark is now second on the team in goals behind Brodzinski who has 11. Brayden Guy scored Allen's second goal, his seventh of the season. 

- Allen pulled goalie Luke Richardson, who had taken over in relief of Anson Thornton after the first period, with just under two minutes remaining in the game. It took just 11 seconds for Kansas City to score an empty net goal. The empty goal epitomized how well Kansas City handled Allen in the entire game. The puck was shot down the ice by the Mavericks in what was going to be an icing call. However, a Kansas City player (Andreev) gained several strides on two Allen players to waive off the icing and then won the puck battle behind the net against the two Allen players. He chipped the puck to a Maverick's player all alone at the side of the net who poked it in. Here are the video highlights. Pay special attention to the empty net goal at the end of the highlight package (I used the 10 second rewind button many times) and it is emblematic of Allen's struggles. https://echl.com/videos/kansas-city-mavericks-vs-allen-americans-dec-27-2024   

- Here is the game recap from the Allen Americans with more details about the game: https://allenamericans.com/news/2024/12/game-recap-americans-third-period-rally-falls-short-in-loss-to-kc

 

- The one bright spot in the game was the Americans were able to capitalize on the fact they had better special teams stats than the Mavericks coming into this series. Allen scored a power play goal (1-2) and the penalty kill was 0-2.  

 

- With the loss, Allen's home record is now now 2-7-4-0 (.308) which is the worst home record in the league. Kansas City improved its road record to 14-3-1-0 (.806). The Mavericks have earned 29 road points, seven more than any other teams. One other team has a better road point percentage than Kansas City and that would be Tulsa at .808 (10-2-1-0). Allen has two more home games against Kansas City (plus 5 road games) and five more home games against Tulsa (plus two road games). 

 

- The combined stats in the three games against Kansas City got even uglier when last night's results are included:

• 0-3 - Allen's record against Kansas City.
• 3-0 - Kansas City's record when scoring first against Allen..
• 8 - The number of periods Kansas City held Allen scoreless before allowing a goal.
• 18-2 - Allen's goal disadvantage against Kansas City
• 7-0 - 1st period goal disadvantage
• 6-0 - 2nd period goal disadvantage 
• 6-2 - 3rd period goal disadvantage
• 122-59 - Allen's shot disadvantage against Kansas City  

  

- Anson Thornton started in goal, gave up three goals on eight first period shots and was replaced by Luke Richardson. Thornton has been a workhorse since Dylan Wells was recalled to Tucson in the middle of November. Until recently Thornton had played in 13 of 14 games including a couple of three games in three days. He is now #5 in minutes played among all ECHL goalies (990) and is #1 in saves. With Allen allowing the most shots per game in the league, Anson has 566 saves, 67 more saves than #2. 

Luke Richardson has done well since arriving in Allen with two relief appearances and two starts. His record is 1-1-0-0 with a GAA of 2.11 and a .926 save percentage. Richardson is obviously the fresher goalie having played in just one game (November 29) from the start of the season until he played in Allen on December 20. 

 

- What will it take for Allen to get a win tonight? Here are some keys to the game:

• Allen has to score the first goal of the game. Kansas City's record when they score first is 15-1-1-1 (.889). That is about as close to unbeatable as you can get.
• Allen has to play with the lead. Kansas City's combined record when the Mavericks have the lead after the first and second period is 25-0-1-0, unbeatable.
• Allen has a better power play (20.3% vs 15.5%) and penalty kill (81.6% vs 77/9%) than the Mavericks. The Americans need to leverage that in their favor tonight.
  
• For most of Allen's existence as a franchise the culture has been one of making it hard for teams to play against the Americans, especially at home. In those days, if a team scored three unanswered goals in five minutes in the middle of the first period, some one was going to drop the gloves. Push back when being embarrassed or when the opposing teams went after Allen's smaller skill players was a given. Would like to see more of that kind of push back from the Americans. 

 

- I asked assistant coach, Brett Ferguson, to give me his three keys to the game and this is what he had to say:

1. "Keep playing hard. Although the results haven't been where we want them to be, and moral victories don't show up in the standings, our last five games we have been playing the right way. When we get down there is always push back. We haven't been out of the fight."

2. "Limit turnovers. We can't spend unnecessary time in our zone because of puck mistakes. It starts with the breakouts need to be cleaner. Our rushes have to stop killing plays with poor execution off the rush. Against a fast, highly skilled team like KC those equal death."

3. "Capitalize on our chances. Everyone in the building felt the air go out after our push to start the game last night. We had four or five grade A chances and we didn't score. Then KC goes down and scores. We need to bear down and finds ways to score 5-on-5.

 

- I also asked Maurice Fitzgerald, color analyst on the Allen Americans home game broadcast to give me his three keys to the game. Here is what Mo had to say:

1. "Play more physical and finish checks. When Allen did that last night KC got disrupted and off their rhythm a bit."

2. "Provide better support and win those puck battles. Something Allen wasn't doing in the first two periods."

3. "Have to be quicker on the breakout. KC was running a strong two man forecheck to pressure the defensemen and it caused several turnovers. Get the puck out of the zone quick, but maintain control, don't just dump the puck to the neutral zone because then it is a half ice game where KC retrieves the puck and goes back on attack every time.

 

- Coach Adams brought along Colin Jacobs and Mark Duarte to talk to the season ticket members after the game. It was a standing room only crowd. Here is what they had to say:

"We have been skating Cole Fraser pretty good in practice but it is different than playing in a game. I thought he played pretty good for his first game in a long time. I will have to watch the video to get the complete picture but thought he played well. He gives us experience and toughness on the blue line.".....Adams

"By adding Jacobs to the roster we have a player with experience who plays center, can kill penalties, is a hard guy to play against, and is a voice in the locker room.".....Adams

"As I continue to shape the identity of the team and my vision of how I want us to be, there is a certain style we want to play and I believe over the last four games we have had some pretty good games even though the results aren't there yet. It is easy for us to deviate away from they way we want to play, but the last four games have been the best group of games, better than when we were winning games.".....Adams

"To be honest, I can't tell you why I have been scoring so much recently. I just go out there and try to work my hardest each and every night. Obviously it has been going my way the last 10 games. I attribute that to my linemates and the team around me.".....Duarte

"As a team we have been playing better and better. Our compete level has been through the roof the last few games and it is showing. Obviously the results haven't been there that we want for you guys and for us. As a team we are all in this together. I think if everyone keeps the work ethic up we will be rewarded as a group..".....Duarte

"Thornton was in a bit of a slump but you have to give him another opportunity. He came back from the break and looked pretty good. He is just fighting it right now. It is probably more of a mental game for him rather than anything else. He has to keep playing to get him out of it and we have to keep working with him.".....Adams.

"It is an honor to play for your hometown team, especially this team. The scoresheet and moral victories don't necessarily mean that much but I feel this team is close. A mistake here or there that goes our way and it is a totally different ballgame.".....Jacobs

"It is easy when things aren't going well to get negative. I try to do my part to stick with a positive attitude and work hard and hopefully other guys jump on board. It is pretty easy to stay positive here because everyone was working hard when I arrived.".....Jacobs

"At the start of  the season were weren't getting enough shots. When we are out there competing and working hard, but it is tough when we pass up shots and the puck goes the other way and we have to backcheck. We are shooting a little more now and it is showing on the scoreboard in the shots against and shots for. We have to continue to put pucks on net and good things will happen".....Duarte

"Before the game we talked about being physical especially in their defensive zone. We thought we could be physical on the forecheck and we thought they would turn pucks over and they did.. I would like us to be more decisive and assertive in our defensive zone. At times we are second guessing ourselves.".....Adams

"I am not sure if the third period was our best period. The formula is there. If we can keep getting pucks behind them and get in on our forecheck and get time in the offensive zone we can have success. When you are down 4-0 you are starting to cheat the game a little bit to score so your game changes.".....Adams

"I am waiting to see who emerges before I name a captain. We have made some roster moves and we have a lot of guys that can be leaders on the team. I know it is really important to the fans that we have a captain, but to the guys in the locker room it is not that important. I could give the "C" to a bunch of different guys right now, but I am waiting for the right opportunity.".....Adams

 

LINEUP TONIGHT

- Luke Richardson will get the start in goal and James Hardie will be back in the lineup after missing the last seven games with an injury

(F)

#14 Guy-#8 Duarte-#92 Watts

#9 Isaacson-#26 Asuchak-#16 Crnkovic

#86 Hardie-#17 Jacobs-#22 Brodzinski

#24 Blaisdell-#42 Baillageron-#28 Chambers

 

(D)

#44 Orzeck-#3 Gagnon

#5 Wilson-#2 Warmuth

#23 Brassard-#82 Fraser

 

(G)

#33 Richardson

#35 Thornton (backup)

 

OTHER COMMENTS

- The Mountain Division winners last night were Wichita, Rapid City, Kansas City and Tulsa. Here are the standings which continue to show a strong top five with the bottom three out of playoff contention. Points are in parenthesis:

• .696 - Kansas City (39)
• .667 - Tulsa (36)
• .648 - Tahoe (35)
• .589 - Idaho (33)
• .586 - Wichita (34)
• .389 - Allen (21)
• .375 - Rapid City (21)
• .315 - Utah

 

- There are another 14 games on tap tonight in the ECHL with all the Mountain Division teams having rematches from last night: 

• Kansas City at Allen 
• Idaho at Wichita
• Rapid City at Utah
• Tulsa at Tahoe

Here is the ECHL Today with previews on all 14 games: https://echl.com/news/2024/12/echl-today-dec-28

 

- If you are a season ticket member (STM) and attended the game last night you noticed the changes implemented by the team based on the input you provided to Jonny Mydra last week. If you were not at the game last night, one of the suggestions that was implemented was having a bartender in the STM Lounge. You can avoid the lines on the concourse, but even if there isn't a line, I encourage you support the service in the STM Lounge by buying your beer, sodas and water in the lounge.   

 

 

DID YOU KNOW: Easton Brodzinski makes the ECHL top five list on percentage of his team's goals.

ECHL players with the highest percentage of their team’s goals. The team’s point percentage is in parenthesis. This stat shows it isn’t necessarily a good thing to have one player with a high percentage of the team goals:

 

24.4% - Anthony Repaci, Worcester (.397)

19.0% - Cade Borchardt, Kansas City (.696)

17.3% - Cam Hausinger, Indy (.521)

16.7% - Easton Brodzinski, Allen (.389)

16.7% - Chas Sharpe, Cincinnati (.269)

 

Repaci’s 24.4% is higher than the NHL leaders:

21.6% - Draisaitl, Edmonton

21.5% - Kaprizov, Minnesota

20.4% - Nylander, Toronto

 

Allen vs Kansas City Preview, ECHL Standings Breakdown, Allen's Ironmen This Season, Best Offensive and Defensive ECHL Divisions and More

 18 Game Challenge Update:

• 7th game in the books
  
• Last game: 4-3 loss at Tulsa
• Next game: Kansas City at home tonight
  
• Record: 1-5-1-0
• Point Percentage: .214

- It is game day for the Allen Americans who are back in action after the Christmas break. The most challenging part of the 18 game challenge that began December 13 and will finish on January 15 takes place in the next nine days. The Americans will play four games against Kansas City and one against Idaho. 

 

- The good news is Allen has three home games to close out 2024. The bad news is the Americans play Kansas City tonight and tomorrow night and Idaho on New Year's Eve. Next weekend Allen is at Kansas City for two games. 

 

- Playing Kansas City at home isn't the advantage you might think. Last season the Mavericks set an all-time ECHl record for road wins with a record of 29-4-2-1. So far this year Kansas City's road record is 13-3-1-0. Since the beginning of last season the Mavericks combined road record is 42-7-3-1 for a points percentage of .830. Yikes!

 

- You combine Kansas City's great road record with Allen's dismal home record this season of 2-6-4-0 (.333) and you can see the challenge for the Americans the next two nights. If you look at the records over the last 10 games it also favors the Mavericks. Allen is 1-7-2-0 and Kansas City is 7-2-1-0.

 

- It is hard to forget the two times Allen played Kansas City this season. It was two home games on opening weekend and the Americans were shutout in both games, 4-0 and 9-0 and outshot 38-16 and 51-18. Allen has never recovered for the first two games of the season when they were outscored 13-0 and outshot 89-34. It has been two months since those games and Allen is ranked #29 is average shots allowed per game (38.46) and #28 is average goals allowed per game (4.08). 

 

- If you are looking for a silver lining in all of the stats for this two game series against Kansas City it would be on special teams, which will be key. Allen has a better power play and a better penalty kill than the Mavericks. Allen is ranked #12 (19.5%) on the power play and Kansas City is ranked #21 (15.8%). Allen is ranked #17 (81.3%) on the penalty kill and Kansas City is ranked #24 (78.4%). If Allen can win the special teams battle against Kansas City it this series, it will go a long way to the Americans earning some points this weekend.

 

- A good start is always critical but against Kansas City it is even more important. It will be almost mandatory for Allen to score first and avoid playing from behind if the Americans have any hope of earning points against Kansas City. The stats say it all:

• The Mavericks have scored 32 first period goals and allowed just 20 for a goal differential of +12. 
• Allen has scored 21 first period goals and allowed 31 for a goal differential of -10.
• Kansas City's record when scoring first is 14-1-1-1 (.882).
• Allen's record when giving up the first goal is 3-7-2-0 (.333).
• Kansas City's record when leading after the first period is 12-0-0-0.
• Allen's record when trailing after the first period is 1-9-1-0.  

 

-  Kansas City had a few roster changes over the break that will impact the games against Allen. On the plus side for the Mavericks was the return of Cade Borchardt from Coachella Valley (AHL). Borchardt has only played in 23 ECHL games for Kansas City, but leads the league is goals (19), plus/minus (+28) and has a 1.35 points per game average. In the two games against Allen he had five points (2G, 3A). Keep an eye on #28 tonight.

On the downside for Kansas City was two of their AHL contracted defensemen, Charlie Wright and Jake McLaughlin were recalled by Coachella Valley yesterday. Wright was second among defensemen in points per game (0.52) and McLaughlin was tied for lead among defensemen in plus/minus (+15).

 

- Allen has been getting more depth scoring in recent games, but the top two lines have not scored like the beginning of the year, The top two lines have been changed up quite a bit recently. I saw a stat that when the line of Watts-Asuchak-Crnkovic play together Allen's record is 8-4-4-0. When they aren't a line the Americans record is 0-9-1-0. If that stat is accurate it is a compelling reason to leave that group together. Over the first month of the season that group scored 70% of Allen's goals and points. Mark Duarte has been Allen's leading scorer the last 11 games with 11 points (8G, 3A). Duarte has eight goals over the last 11 games while Watts, Asuchak and Watts have a combine total of three goals. How about this for the top two lines tonight, no particular order:

• Watts-Asuchak-Crnkovic
• Guy-Duarte-Brodzinski
  

OTHER COMMENTS

- In about three weeks the ECHL will reach the 50% mark of the season. The top and bottom teams are starting to separate in a way that teams at the bottom will not make the playoffs and the teams at the top will battle for the Brabham Cup. After the end of January it will be very hard for big moves up or down the standings. Here is a league breakdown by point percentage:

• .700 to .771: Wheeling, Trois Riviéres, Florida, Norfolk, South Carolina
• .600 to .699: Toledo, Kansas City, Tahoe, Tulsa, Fort Wayne, Iowa, Jacksonville
• .500 to .599: Idaho, Wichita, Indy, Greenville, Savannah, Orlando, Atlanta, Adirondack
• .400 to .499: Maine, Bloomington, Kalamazoo, Worcester, Allen
• .300 to 399: Reading, Rapid City, Utah, 
• .280: Cincinnati  

 

 - You can't have a more busy schedule than the 14 games on tap tonight in the ECHL. Maine is the only team not playing. Other than Kansas City at Allen the other three Mountain Division match-ups are against teams with very similar records.

• Idaho (15-10-2) at Wichita (15-11-2)
• Rapid City (6-14-7) at Utah (7-16-3)
• Tulsa (16-8-2) at Tahoe (16-8-2)

Here is the ECHL Today with previews on all  14 games: https://echl.com/news/2024/12/echl-today-dec-27

 

- Very few players play all 72 games in a season. Of the over 1000 players that played in the ECHL last season just 28 played in every game. Kris Myllari was the only player that played in all 72 games for the Americans last season. Allen is 26 games into the season and there are still seven players that have not missed a game. The most players that have played in every game in a single season for Allen is three which happened in 2013-14 and 2014-15. Here are the seven players that have not missed a game this season:

• Spencer Asuchak
• Easton Brodzinski
• Kyle Crnkovic
• Mark Duarte
• Ryan Gagnon
  
• Brayden Guy
  
• Brayden Watts

 

DID YOU KNOW: The ECHL Stats post today is about average goals scored and allowed by division. The Mountain Division is the good on offense and bad on defense division. Not sure that is a winning formula when it comes playoff time. FYI, Allen has given up more goals (106) than any other team in the ECHL except Utah. At the same time Allen has scored the fewest goals in the Mountain Division (64).

One way to compare ECHL division’s offensive vs defensive strength is to look at average goals scored  and allowed by each team in the division (total goals scored and allowed in the division divided by the number of teams in the division). Here are some conclusions:

 

- The Mountain Division is the best offensive division and worst defensive division in the ECHL. #1 in average goals scored and #4 in average goals allowed.

 

- The Central Division is the best defensive division and worst offensive division in the ECHL. #1 in average goals allowed and #4 in average goals scored.

 

- The South Division is the strongest in the league, ranked #2 in average goal scored and #2 average goals allowed.

 

Here are the average goals scored & allowed (per team) thus far this season by division:

 

GOALS FOR

87 - Mountain

78 - South

76 - North

66 - Central

 

GOALS AGAINST

68 - Central

71 - South

76 - North

92 - Mountain

 

- Two teams have scored more than 100 goals, both in the Mountain Division (Idaho & Tahoe).

 

- Four teams have scored fewer than 60 goals, all in the Central Division (Indy, Bloomington, Kalamazoo, Cincinnati).

 

- Four teams have allowed more than 100 goals, three of them in the Mountain Division (Allen, Rapid City, Utah) and one in the North Division (Worcester).

 

Merry Christmas - Allen Americans Families From the Past Through Photos, All Those Kids Are Growing Up

Families have always been a part of the Allen Americans, especially in the early years. Some of those babies are now approaching their teenage years. Here are some Christmas photos from the past along with a more recent photo of the kids and families. 

The Costello's - 2016 - Camden, Avery, Ashley (front), Chad & Cayne (back)

 

                                                   Ashley, Cayne, Camden, Chad, Avery, Adelyn

This was posted in 2014 by the Allen Americans

Aaron Gens and soon to be Mrs Gens (in July) Kellie Wyatt - 2016

Connor and Leighton Gens

London, Whitney, Harper & Bruce Graham - Nottingham, England 2012

Graham kids 2016 - Harper, Beckett, London

                                      Harper, Beckett, Whitney, Bruce, London, ???

Nicole, Sawyer & Sutter Schaafsma - 2014

Sutter, Sawyer, Sullivan Schaafsma with mom Nicole where else but at a hockey game - 2016

Sawyer, Sullivan, Sutter, Sloan

Jackson Gill loves Santa - 2016

Jackson Gill's first Christmas with Angie, Riley & dog Guinny - 2015

                            Angie, Riley, Hudson, Jackson (hidden baby #3 on the way)

Holly, Beau, Lynden & Trevor Ludwig - 2016
  

Lynden's first Christmas and skate with dad, Trevor Ludwig - 2014

 

                                                               Lyden, Beau
 

The Snowden's

 
 
  

Aiden, John, Rowan, Janelle, Keegan

 
 

  

Sydney Ludwig - Tyler & Taylor's daughter

                                                  Sydney, Bradley, Taylor, Hayden, Tyler

- No better way to end today and put a smile on your face than with an Ice Angels Christmas performance. This one is from 2015. Enjoy!

Thanks to all the players from the past for establishing a winning culture in Allen and the joy you brought to the fans in Allen on and off the ice. Your determination on the ice and kindness off the ice was both noticed and appreciated. I hope this Christmas day was a joyous one for you and yours!

Happy Holidays from Barry the Blogger

Merry Christmas and Recap of Team President, Jonny Mydra's Meeting With Season Ticket Members

 

 MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!

 

 I have written many Christmas morning blogs over the years but have to admit this one is different. It is a followup on a topic near and dear to Allen Americans fans.  

 

- Before I start I want to say Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all from Barry the Blogger. My thoughts are with the first responders, health care workers, essential workers, those in the military, Allen players and others who will be working today or away from their family. Our daughter, Erin, is a labor and delivery RN at Parkland Hospital and had to work yesterday and today, so we will celebrate Christmas tomorrow. Our son, daughter-in-law and only grandchild, the perfect two year old Stella, lives in the Washington D.C. area and won't be with us. 

It will be difficult for many who will have empty chairs at the Christmas dinner table today having lost loved ones in the past year or for other reasons are unable to spend time together with family. My thoughts are with you this morning. 

Since we won't celebrate Christmas until tomorrow I plan to spend some time today in the blog's way back machine to put together some Christmas photos from the past. Will post what I find later this afternoon. For long time Allen fans it should be fun.

 

- I promised I would provide a synopsis of the meeting Jonny Mydra had with the season ticket members (STMs) after the game last Friday. I know some of you were in attendance and reported out some of this in the comment section of the blog, so this might be redundant. I am always aware there are many fans that are not on social media, so rely on the blog for information. 

The questions and comments for Jonny were wide ranging and fell into two broad categories, those related to the on ice product and those related to the off ice product. It was a spirited standing room only crowd that provided a lot of feedback and asked a lot of questions. Topics included changes made to the coaching staff, the future on the Allen Americans, the role of Zawyer, the disconnect between the STMs and the players, and the general feeling the STMs are not valued as they were in the past. The conversation went on for close to an hour and as an observer I felt those in attendance had the opportunity to express their concerns, ask questions and share suggestions for improvements. They expressed their appreciation to Jonny for taking the time to meet with them, answer the sensitive questions the best he could and agree to some changes in the STM experience. 

 

ON ICE PRODUCT

Q: Why did the organization select a coach with so little head coaching experience who had not won as a head coach and had never worked in professional hockey? 

A: Joe Ernst interviewed a lot of people for the position. We wanted a coach that would create a culture of accountability and toughness. We are not where we want to be right now, and we need to be more competitive. Our STMs deserve better. Ownership knows that and BJ and Brett know that. We have to be better and start winning more, especially in front of our home fans.

Q: Does leadership have a plan how to move forward to get the team to the level where they need to be?

A: I read Barry's blog every single day and see the comments. I listen and try to figure out what the fan base is thinking so we can improve. One misperception I think some people have is Myles doesn't know or care. He cares very much. It is extremely important to him that we win. He is constantly trying to figure out ways to get things better. I can promise you he is not just ignoring this situation.  

 

Q: Why can't we find an affiliate to help this team out. We keep getting affiliates that don't seem to care? 

A: We don't get anywhere near the help other teams do. Ottawa has very good people but didn't give us much help. It has been the same thus far with Utah/Tucson. It is tough because there are so many long term relationships in the league. To the credit of ownership they are always looking for a better affiliate. At the end of the day we need an affiliate that signs more players and sends more players to us.

 

Q: Can you address the scuttlebutt that you see about ownership making decisions so they can justify selling or moving the team?

A: That is one question I can answer definitively. I feel extremely confident the team is not going to move or leave Allen. We are in the process of getting a lease extension with the City of Allen which should happen in the next year. There has never ever been any talk from ownership about moving this team from the CUTX Event Center. That is the one thing I can say unequivocally, the team is not moving. Being in this market was very important to Myles and LJ when they purchased the team. The goal is to get another 7-10 year lease agreement.

Q: What has been the impact of being spun out of the Zawyer group?

A: Anytime you have a lot of different owners involved in the team there is a lot going on. Zawyer is definitely still involved with the team. Joe Ernst is running the hockey operations for the Americans and makes the decisions on the hockey stuff. Myles and LJ started in hockey as minority owners in Jacksonville and our staff is very thankful they purchased the Americans. They treat us with respect and we want to work hard for them. When we came up for sale they were very excited about it and Zawyer told them they would help them with the purchase of the team. Myles and LJ signed a long term consulting agreement with Zawyer and REV Entertainment that covered consulting on business operations and hockey matters. Myles and LJ  are the majority owners, but Zawyer and REV also help run the team. REV has taken a bigger role recently on the business side and our staff is excited to learn from them. The past two seasons have been filled with a lot of change, but I am proud of our staff for how they have handled all of it. 

Q: Can the contract with Zawyer be terminated?

A: That would be a question for Myles and LJ.

 

Jonny: In closing, there is one point I want to make clear and I hope you understand this. Myles is watching every single game. He realizes this is not acceptable and he cares very much about winning. It is good to have an owner like that. He is solely focused on having a winning product and he is trying to find the right formula to do that. If there is anyone that thinks that Myles doesn't care if the team wins or isn't watching the games intently or isn't very frustrated on how things have gone, that is wrong.   

 

 

OFF ICE PRODUCT

There were comments about how disconnected season ticket members are from the the team, reminiscing about how things used to be and suggestions for ways to reconnect with the STM's. Here are some examples/suggestions shared of how the fan experience can be made better:

- Get together opportunities with the players at some off-site location.

- More frequent autograph sessions with the players.

- Have post game press conference with STMs more regularly and bring along a player.

- Anyone can come into the STM lounge because nobody is checking badges at the door. Can this be fixed?

- More skate with the players nights.

- Communicate more with STMs through email. 

- Provide a beer stand in the season ticket holder lounge or a special line on the concourse for STMs.

- Communicate watch parties details more broadly and earlier. 

- Have injured players or those not playing stop by the STM lounge to mix and mingle. 

 

Jonny's comments:

"This is on me as I did not know the lounge for the STMs was not being monitored. That will be fixed for the next game, even if I have to be down there myself."

"You can ask what ever you want of me and that is totally fair because I work for you. But I would ask if things happen and you are upset just email me. I try to know what is going on all times, but that is not always the case."

"We want you to feel you are part of something, that should be a big part of being a STM. Your criticisms are fair. Please email me with specifics so I can execute on some of them."

"It hurts to hear you don't feel as connected to the team as you did in the past. We definitely want to fix it and make it better."

"This teams means more to me than you can possibly imagine. I obsess about it all of the time. It is very very stressful to me when we are not doing well. It means a lot to me you are still here supporting us and the fact we have so many in the room that care about the team is really cool. Obviously, there are some things I can't say in this forum. I live in Allen, I work in Allen, I am here all of the time. If anyone wants to go to lunch, grab a beer or just talk to me I am totally down to do that with any of you."   

 

- Another request that came up at the meeting was to establish a way STMs can be notified of practice times in case they wish to attend. I agreed to come up with a process. While all practices are open to the public and they usually start at 10:30 am or 11:00 am depending on which rink is used, the schedule does change. I will work with the Americans to come up with a process when STMs want to attend practice. In addition to getting specific days and times for practice to the STMs, entry to the rink is another issue that needs to be worked out. 

 

- Finally, and I can't emphasize this enough, if any Allen fan has a complaint, concern, suggestion or compliment you have direct access to the president of the team. He is willing to talk to you on the phone, through email or over lunch. He has made this offer several times in the blog over the last six month with very few takers. After the meeting with the STMs last Friday he did share with me he now has two lunch dates on the calendar. Jonny's email is jmallenamericans.com if you want to contact him.    

UPDATE

- It didn't take long for Jonny to react to some of the suggestions from the STMs. If you are a full or half season ticket holder, also known as Season Ticket Members, also known as a Patriot Club Members, you should have received an email that included the following information. If you didn't get this email make sure to contact your ticket rep to get added to the email list. If you don't know who your ticket rep is call 972-912-1000 and you will be helped.

Patriots Club Members:

Newly Scheduled Events - Bringing YOU Closer to the Players!

• Friday

  • Autograph Session w/ Inactive Players (Outside of Section 113)

  • All STMs get Free Access to the Friends TV Show Couch for Pictures

  • Postgame STM Press Conference with Coach and Multiple Players

• Saturday

  • Postgame Skate w/ Players

• Other Updates

  • We are working with the CUTX Event Center Staff to ensure the CryoBoost STM Lounge is more secure and only Patriots Club Members are allowed in. We will have security at the doors checking badges or names throughout the game.

  • Postgame Press Conferences will be more frequent moving forward and will always include multiple players and a coach.

  • We are working with our sponsors to find a location for an exclusive Patriot’s Club / Player bonding event in January.

  • Thank you for all the TEDDY BEARS this past Friday. We collected more bears than any season in the history of the team.

Thanks and we look forward to seeing you this Friday. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!