Allen Wins 6-3, Recap, Video Highlights, Martinson Comments, Blaisdell Hatty Team's 10th, ECHL Attendance, Defensemen Leading Team in Points

 

The Allen Americans beat the Wichita Thunder 6-3 on Sunday afternoon to keep their hopes alive of passing the Idaho Steelheads for second place in the Mountain Division and home ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs. Idaho beat Tulsa 7-3 yesterday in its final game of the regular season and finished with 91 points. Allen has 88 points with two games remaining. The Americans play in Wichita on Friday and close out the season against Kansas City at home on Saturday. Because Allen owns the tiebreaker (regulation wins) 35-29, the Americans need three points in the two games this weekend to claim second place.

 

- Allen's win yesterday was similar to a lot of its wins during the Americans 10-game point streak (9 wins, 1 OT loss). The Americans trailed 1-0 after the first period, the game was tied 2-2 after the second period, and Allen pulled away in the third period with four goals.

 

- Trailing 1-0 after the first period, Allen scored two goals in the first half of the second period to take a 2-1 lead, and it looked like the Americans were on their way to victory.  Maxim Barbashev scored at 3:34, and Harrison Blaisdell scored at 9:19. The momentum quickly shifted back to Wichita when the Thunder tied the score 2-2 just 40 seconds after Allen had taken the lead. The second period ended with the score tied 2-2.

 

- Despite being tired from playing four games in five days and traveling all night to get to Wichita, Allen owned the third period. They outshot the Thunder 14-8 and outscored them 4-1 to cruise to the 6-3 win. The four goals in the third period were scored by Jax Dubois, Danny Katic, and Harrison Blaisdell (2). 

 

- Here is the goal recap: Blaisdell (28,29,30), Barbashev (9), Dubois 4), Katic (37). Prefontaine, Sedley, and Sillinger had two assists. FYI, Allen is the only ECHL team with two 30-goal scorers this season. It was Blaisdell's third hat trick of the season. Here are the video highlights with all of the goals, a couple of highlight reel saves, and a scrum. https://echl.com/videos/allen-americans-vs-wichita-thunder-apr-12-2026 

 

- Here is the game recap issued by the Wichita Thunder with all of the details: https://wichitathunder.com/news/2026/04/wichita-closes-weekend-with-loss-vs-allen

 

- I asked Coach Martinson to share what he liked about the Allen win in Wichita. This is what he shared:

"We had a big third period with a lot of slick passing. The cream is rising to the top."

 "The Katic, Watts, Gildon line could have had five or six goals."

"Blaisdell's goals were just plain will over fatigue. He just blew through Wichita's attempts to stop him and got rewarded with a hat trick."

"I was frustrated with the goals against. Something to work on this week at practice."

"Andre is on his way back from Milwaukee. We will come back to Wichita for the game on Friday rested and laser-focused to set us up for home ice." 

"What I like is that we are approaching every game knowing there is a lot on the line and stepping up to the challenge."

"Next Saturday's home game will be like a game seven playoff game for us."  

 

 

OTHER COMMENTS

- Andre Anania is back in Allen after his loan to Milwaukee over the weekend. He played on Saturday (1 shot, +1) but did not play on Sunday, because the team received a defenseman back from the NHL. 

 

-  Here is an update on the Allen players vying for top spots in various scoring stats. 

• Danny Katic leads the league in goals by three (37-34) over Brandon Hawkins of Toledo. Both players have two games remaining. Danny will also finish as the league's most accurate shooter. His 26.2% shooting percentage (37 goals on 141 shots) is 2.5% better than second place.
• Brayden Watts is tied for #2 in assists (#)1 among forwards in assists with 49. Brayden is tied with Danny Dzhaniyev of Utah, but the Grizzlies have no game remaining.
• Sam Sedley is #2 among ECHL defensemen in assists (46).    

 

-  Harrison Blaisdell's hat trick yesterday, his third of the season, broke Allen's all-time record for hat tricks in a single season, which this team already owns. Here is every hat trick since Allen joined the ECHL in 2014-15. The order is by the number of hat tricks. This is an impressive team statistic when you consider all of the great teams from the past. 

• 2025-26 (10)
• 3 - Danny Katic 
• 3 - Harrison Blaisdell 
• 1 - Hank Crone 
• 1 - Mark Duarte 
• 1 - Colton Hargrove 
• 1 - Brayden Watts

 

• 2022-23 (8)
• 3 - Hank Crone
• 2 - Liam Finlay
• 2 - Colton Hargrove
• 1 - Jakov Novak 

 

• 2021-22 (6)
• 2 - Branden Troock
• 1 - Chad Costello  
• 1 - Gavin Gould
• 1 - Luke Henman
• 1 - Josh Winquist

 

• 2016-17 (6)
• 3 - Bryan Moore 
• 2 - Greger Hanson
• 1 - Chad Costello

 

• **2014-15 (6)
• 2 - Jack Combs
• 1 - Chad Costello
• 1 - Conrad Abeltshauser*
• 1 - Kyle Follmer
• 1 - Greger Hanson

 

• 2018-19 (5)
• 1- Alex Breton*
• 1 - Jacob Doty
• 1 - Zach Pochiro
• 1 - Braylon Schmyr
• 1 - Gary Steffes

 

• 2024-25 (3)
• 1 - Spencer Asuchak
• 1 - Easton Brodzinski
• 1 - Brayden Watts

 

• 2019-20 (3)
• 1 - Gabe Gagne
• 1 - Alex Guptill
• 1 -Jordan Topping 

 

• 2017-18 (3)
• 1 - Vincent Arseneau
• 1 - Alex Guptill
• 1 - Gary Steffes

 

• **2015-16 (3)
• 1 - Dyson Stevenson
• 1 - Chad Costello
• 1 - Chris Crane

 

• 2020-21 (2)
• 1 - Les Lancaster*
• 1 - Jesse Mychan  

 *Defensemen 

**Kelly Cup Championship seasons

 

- The Central Division battle for the final two Kelly Cup playoffs spots is tighter than a goalie's five-hole in overtime. Three games remaining for some, two for others. It's playoff hockey before the playoffs. Here are the points and games remaining for the four teams vying for the final two playoff spots: 

76 points - Indy (2 games remaining) 

75 points - Bloomington (3 games remaining)

75 points - Cincinnati (2 games remaining)    

74 points - Kalamazoo (3 games remaining) 

FYI, the first tiebreaker is regulation wins, and it looks like it will be needed. Here is how they stand:

• 26 wins - Bloomington
• 25 wins - Kalamazoo
• 24 wins - Indy
• 21 wins - Cincinnati 

 

- The ECHL average attendance for 2025-26 increased from 4955 to 4982 over the weekend and has a chance to become the best average attendance since the 1990's when the ECHL averaged over 5000 for three straight seasons. 32 games are remaining, and the average attendance could reach 5000 for the first time since 1997-98. Here are the top six all-time: 

5361: 1996-97

5196: 1995-96

5110: 1997-98

4984: 2024-25 

4982: 2025-26 (32 games remaining)

4981: 2023-24

 

DID YOU KNOW: Four ECHL defensemen lead their team in points. 14 lead their team in assists:

 

Points

86 - Marcus Crawford, Kansas City

57 - Nikita Sedov, Bloomington

46 - Ben Meehan, Reading

45 - Matt Petgrave, Indy

 

Assists

72 - Marcus Crawford, Kansas City

45 - Chad Nychuk, Atlanta

45 - Riley McCourt, Toledo

44 - Jalen Smereck, Fort Wayne

44 - Nikita Sedov, Bloomington

43 - Brent Johnson, Wheeling

38 - Jeremy Hanzel, Adirondack

29 - Josh Atkinson, Greenville

37 - Jordan Sambrook, Florida

37 - Davis Pennington, Kalamazoo

35 - Jake Johnson, Cincinnati

34 - Ben Meehan, Reading

33 - Dennis Cesana, Savannah

33 - Matt Petgrave, Indy

 

Marcus Crawford leads the entire ECHL in points and assists and is a lock to win the MVP. That has happened only one other time in ECHL history. Hall of Fame defenseman Chris Valicevic was the ECHL MVP in 1998-99.

   

Allen Win Streak Ends with OT Loss, Game Recap, Video Highlights, Wichita Preview, Bellville Update, ECHL Players with 20+ Goals and More

 

The Allen Americans came back from a 3-1 third-period deficit only to lose 4-3 to Tahoe in overtime last night. The game-winning goal, at 2:34 of overtime, was scored on the power play. What appeared to be an obvious slashing penalty against Tahoe was not called, just before Allen was called for a tripping penalty. It drew this remark from Coach Martinson when I talked to him after the game, "If you don't call the slashing, you can't call the tripping."

 

 - Allen's eight-game winning streak was snapped, but the point they earned last night extends their point streak to nine games and may be critical to passing Idaho for second place in the division. The Steelheads beat Tulsa 4-1 last night and have a three-point lead (89 vs 86) over Allen. Idaho plays Tulsa this afternoon in their final game of the season. What does Allen have to do to finish in second place? If Idaho wins today, Allen needs five points in its last three games. If Idaho loses today, the Americans need three points in their last three games.

 

- In retrospect, there were a couple of key turning points early in the game last night that were key. Allen scored the first goal (8th time in 9 games) at 3:56 of the first period when Spencer Asuchak batted the puck out of the air into the net after it bounced off the end boards. Three minutes later, Danny Katic appeared to score a second goal. It was ruled a goal on the ice, but after a long review, the goal was disallowed for a kicking motion. Shortly after the disallowed goal that would have given Allen a 2-0 lead, Tahoe tied the score. The period ended with the score tied 1-1, but Tahoe took two penalties in the last nine seconds of the period (19:51 & 19:59).

 

- The second turning point was when Allen started the second period with a long 5-on-3 power play (1:51) and failed to convert. The Americans managed just one shot. When I asked Coach Martinson about this power play, he told me, "We had a chance between periods to set up three different plays to try on that 5-on-3, and they didn't try any of them."

 

- The second period, which has been Allen's best all season, did not go well for the Americans. After the failed 5-on-3 power play, Tahoe scored two unanswered goals to take a 3-1 lead into the second intermission. The Americans had some chances, outshooting Tahoe 13-11, but could not get the puck past the Knight Monsters' goalie.

 

- Allen's record when trailing after the second period is 3-18-3-0, so it was clear the third period would be a challenge, trailing 3-1. It didn't take long for Allen to cut into that lead. Michael Gildon, scored his second goal in as many games at the 4:24 mark. At the midpoint of the period, Brayden Watts tied the score 3-3, and Allen was back in business. Both teams had opportunities to win the game in the second half of the third period, but the goalies made great saves. The bottom line is that it was a big comeback by the Americans to force the game into overtime.

 

- The overtime period was a disappointment for the Americans. No shots in the first 1:56 of overtime, and then a tripping penalty gave Tahoe a 4-on-3 power play. It took 38 seconds for Tahoe to score. It was the only shot of the overtime period. 

 

Here are the video highlights and game recaps from both teams:

• Video highlights: https://echl.com/videos/tahoe-knight-monsters-vs-allen-americans-apr-11-2026 
• Allen game recap: https://allenamericans.com/news/2026/04/americans-earn-ot-point 
• Tahoe game recap: https://knightmonstershockey.com/news/2026/04/knight-monsters-win-season-series-against-americans-with-4-3-overtime-road-victory  

 

- Right after the game, the team was scrambling to get packed up to head to Wichita, which is a 365-mile drive. Puck drop this afternoon is 2:05 CDT. Wichita also had to travel back home last night after losing 4-3 to Kansas City. Their commute was 207 miles.  

 

- No doubt, both teams will be tired today, playing their fourth game in five days. You often hear these games are more will over skill. In that case, the Americans should be very motivated with second place on the line. There is no excuse for not winning this game. Wichita has nothing to play for and has had its team depleted. They have lost 11 of their last 12 games. By any measure, Allen is the better team today. They need to prove it today.

 

- Allen will have some lineup changes for the game today. Landon Hookey (injured) and Colton Hargrove (healthy scratch) did not make the trip. Andre Anania is still in Milwaukee on loan. Moving into the lineup with fresh legs will be Kevin Gursoy and Chase Maxwell.  Marco Costantini will be in goal. His last start was April 2, against Greensboro.

 

- Here is the lineup for today. 

Forwards

11 Barbashyov - 44 Dubois - 92 McAuley 

29 Watts - 91 Gildon - 9 Katic

77 Sillinger - 18 Blaisdell - 19 Maxwell

26 Asuchak - 14 Gursoy - 67 Crone

 

Defense 

8 Prefontaine - 23 Sedley 

25 LeDonne - 22 Costantini

21 Decker - 2 Warmuth

 

Goalies

33 Costantini 

32 Mirwald  (backup)

 

 

- Allen's game starts an hour before Idaho's, so the Idaho outcome will not be known before the Allen game is over. What is known is that an Allen regulation loss today, along with an Idaho win, eliminates all chances of the Americans reaching second place. The definition of a must-win game.

 

OTHER COMMENTS

- Danny Katic's ECHL goal lead is two goals over Brandon Hawkins of Toledo (36-34). Both players have three games remaining. Hawkins will also have a say in which forward finishes with the most points. Hawkins leads with 73 points, followed by Brayden Watts with 72. Utah's Danny Dzhaniyev also has 72 points, but only one game left.

 

- Savannah lost last night, but still clinched a spot in the playoffs. There are only two playoff spots yet to be determined, both in the Central Division. Here are the points and games remaining for the four teams vying for the final two playoff spots: 

75 points - Cincinnati (3 games remaining)  

74 points - Indy (3 games remaining) 

73 points - Bloomington (4 games remaining)  

72 points - Kalamazoo (4 games remaining)

 

 

- Andre Anania had one shot and was +1 in helping Milwaukee to a 4-3 shootout win yesterday. He will be in the lineup again today (3:00 pm CDT) when Milwaukee hosts the Iowa Wild at home. 

 

- Belleville has been officially eliminated from the AHL playoffs, and now the only thing keeping the Senators from sending players to Allen is availability. Belleville has three games remaining, on Wednesday (15th), Friday (17th), and Saturday (18th), so don't expect many players to be sent to Allen before Saturday. FYI, playoff rosters are due on Monday (20th) at 3:00 pm EDT.

 

- A former Allen American has been suspended, and a coach has been fined. Here are the details: https://echl.com/news/2026/04/echl-announces-fines-suspensions2

   

 DID YOU KNOW: The Americans are the best offensive team in the ECHL, averaging 3.72 goals per game. Allen has six players with 20 or more goals. How does that compare to the rest of the league?

Number of players on each ECHL team with 20 or more goals. Some strong offenses at the top of this list:

 

6: ALN, TAH

5: KC

4: FW, IDH

3: ATL, FLA, NOR, RC, TOL, UTA, WIC

2: CIN, MNE, SC, WHL, WOR

1: ADK, GVL, KAL, ORL, SAV

0: BLM, GSO, IND, IA, JAX, REA, TR, TUL

 

 

Seven teams have a player with 30 or more goals. ADK, ALN, IDH, KC, TAH, TOL, UTA.

Allen Wins 6-2, Game Recaps, Video Highlights, Hookey Injured, Anania Loaned, Martinson Comments, ECHL Attendance and More

 

The Allen Americans extended their winning streak to eight games last night with a 6-2 win over Tahoe. Allen's all-time record winning streak is nine games, set in 2014-15. This is just the third winning streak of eight games in franchise history. The other two were in 2016-17 and 2014-15.

 

- Allen's win, along with Tulsa beating Idaho last night, has Allen two points behind Idaho for second place in the division with two games in hand. If Idaho wins its two remaining games (tonight & Sunday), the Americans will need six points in their remaining four games to claim second place. 

 

- It was a slow start last night for two high-powered offenses, ranked #1 and #3 in the league in goals per game. There was no scoring in the first period. Things picked up in the second period when the teams combined for five goals. Allen scored the first goal 97 seconds after the second period puck drop. It was a power play goal by Brayden Watts. Tahoe responded with back-to-back goals in 93 seconds to take a 2-1 lead. Then it was Allen's turn to respond, and the veterans came to the rescue. Spencer Asuchak tied the score 2-2 just over two minutes after Tahoe took the lead, and Colton Hargrove scored Allen's second power play goal of the game to give the Americans a 3-2 lead, which they took into the second intermission. As you know, when Allen has the lead after the second period, it is pretty much lights out. The Americans' record when leading after the second period improved to 29-0-2-0.

 

- Allen added three goals in the third period, and it could have been more. The Americans had 13 minutes of power-play time, including a four-minute high-sticking penalty and a five-minute major for slew-footing. Allen did manage to get two power-play goals (Hargrove & Dubois), but missed on several other opportunities. The third-period even-strength goal was scored by Michael Gildon, as he became the 6th Allen player with 20+ goals. 

 

- Recapping the goal scorers: Watts (23), Asuchak (12), Hargrove (25,26), Gildon (20) and Dubois (3). Three players had multiple assists: Katic (3), Sedley (2), and Gildon (2). Here are the video highlights, plus the game recaps from both teams:

• Video highlights: https://echl.com/videos/tahoe-knight-monsters-vs-allen-americans-apr-10-2026 
• Allen game recap: https://allenamericans.com/news/2026/04/game-recap-americans-win-eighth-straight   
• Tahoe game recap: https://knightmonstershockey.com/news/2026/04/allen-scores-five-unanswered-to-defeat-knight-monsters-on-home-ice-6-2   

 

- Two keys to the game in Allen's 6-2 win were scoring the first goal and winning the special teams battle. 

•  Allen has scored the first goal in seven of the eight games of its winning streak. The Americans' points percentage when scoring first is up to .894 (28-2-3-0),
• Allen was 4-8 (50%) on the power play, the second-best power play night of the season, only surpassed by Valentine's Day. The Americans beat Tulsa 5-3 with all five goals from the power play. Allen was 5-6 (83.3%).  

 

-  Roster news:

• Tahoe's leader in points per game, Sloan Stanick, has been suspended for one game for the uncalled elbow to the head that injured Landon Hookey, and will miss the game tonight.
• Defenseman Andre Anania has been loaned to the AHL Milwaukee Admirals, who play at home tonight (Chicago) and tomorrow afternoon (Iowa). It is a tough time to lose a top defenseman, but Coach Martinson wants players to get AHL opportunities as long as the AHL teams say they will play. 
• Trevor LeDonne will take Anania's place in the lineup.
• Brett Mirwald will start in goal tonight, Marco Costantini will start in Wichita tomorrow afternoon. 
• Landon Hookey will dress for the game tonight, but will play very very sparingly.

I will post the full lineup later today. 

 

 

- Here is the game preview issued by the Allen Americans: https://allenamericans.com/news/2026/04/game-day-preview-another-battle-with-tahoe 

 

COACH MARTINSON'S POST-GAME COMMENTS 

"Hookey was elbowed in the jaw, and there was no penalty called. I will submit that to the league for review. Hookey will be in the lineup tomorrow, but will only play briefly to get the game credit. He won't travel to Wichita with us after the game. We will do the same thing next week (Hookey playing briefly to get game credit) when we go to Wichita again, and then play Kansas City on the 18th, and he will have his five games played. We will have 20 players dressed for those three games, but we will be playing short a player, because Hookey will only play a few seconds."   

"It was nice to get all of the power play goals and for Gildon to get his 20th." 

"It would have been nice to get a goal on that 5-on-3. I really wanted seven goals."

"I thought we played pretty well tonight. Tahoe has some good players with a lot of offense. My whole thing after the second period was that they can't change their position in the standings; they just want to score. If we just play hard, we will be successful." 

"We are loaning Anania to Milwaukee tomorrow. He will be playing two games, and the timing isn't great, but that kid deserves every opportunity he gets."

"Mirwald will play again tomorrow, and Marco will play on Sunday. Mirwald has been in a zone, and remember, he sat around for a month and had to wait for his turn. He has been outstanding. You don't get Goalie of the Year in the WHL and Canada West (college) Goalie of the Year unless you are really good."

Ottawa/Belleville is very motivated to help us in the playoffs, but who and when players will be sent remains to be seen. I would like to have some of those players here for the final game of the season against Kansas City."  

 

OTHER COMMENTS

- Allen's points percentage is up to .625 with four games remaining. Here is Allen's regular-season points percentage each season since joining the ECHL. Steve Martinson coached teams are marked with an asterisk 

• .736: 2014-15* (won Kelly Cup)
• .722: 2016-17*
• .710: 2019-20*
• .653: 2020-21*
• .625: 2025-26* 
• ,618: 2015-16* (won Kelly Cup)
• .549: 2021-22* 
• .542: 2017-18*
• .535: 2022-23
• .486: 2023-24 
• .389: 2018-19* 
• .299: 2024-25 

 

- The points keep coming as Allen has won eight straight. Here is an update:

 The totals for the eight-game win streak are 48 goals scored (6.00 average) and 17 goals allowed (2.13  average). Here are some of the individual accomplishments:

• Brayden Watts has points in nine of the last 10 games. He is #3 in the league in assists (47) and #3 in points (70).
• Danny Katic leads the league in goals (36) and shooting percentage (26.7%). He has an 11-game point streak.
• Colby McAuley has12 points (6G, 6A) and is +10 during this winning streak.
• Michael Gildon has points in eight of the last nine games. His totals are 15 points (5G, 13A). 
• Harrison Blaisdell has points in seven of the last nine games. A total of  12 points (7G, 5A). 
• Sam Sedley has points in six straight games, 10 points (2G, 8A). He is #3 in the ECHL in power play assists (24) and #4 in power play points (24).
• Colton Hargrove has 12 points (8G, 4A) in the eight-game win streak.
• Anthony Costantini +16 and Andre Anania +14 lead the team in plus/minus during this eight-game winning streak. 

 

- There are only three playoff spots yet to be determined. One in the South Division and two in the Central Division. Savannah can clinch a spot today. The Central Division will likely go until the last game of the season. Here are the points and games remaining for the four teams competing for two playoff spots:

74 points - Indy (4 games remaining) 

74 points - Cincinnati (4 games remaining) 

72 points - Kalamazoo (5 games remaining)

71 points - Bloomington (5 games remaining) 

 

 

- It is a rare night when all 30 ECHL teams are in action. Even more rare is that all of the games are within the division, except one (Bloomington at Greenville), because they come from divisions with an odd number of teams. Here is the ECHL Today with all of the previews: https://echl.com/news/2026/04/echl-today-april-11

 

- Who are the hottest teams in the ECHL heading for the playoffs? If you look at the current longest undefeated streaks, they are all from the Mountain Division, and two of the teams won't make the playoffs.

• 8-0-0-0: Allen
• 6-0-0-0: Tulsa - 22% of Tulsa's wins this season have come in the last six games.  
• 5-0-0-0: Utah  - 42% of Utah's home wins this season have come since April 1. 

 

DID YOU KNOW: The ECHL Stats post today is about average attendance. Allen will set an all-time attendance record this season. Here are the top five:

• 4846: 2025-26 
• 4573: 2024-25 
• 4571: 2015-16  
• 4349: 2023-24 
• 4340: 2016-17 

 

ECHL average attendance this season is 4955 with 60 games remaining, which currently ranks #7 all-time, but could climb to #4 by season's end. Here are the top seven seasons:

 

5361: 1997-97

5196: 1995-96

5110: 1997-98

4984: 2024-25

4981: 2023-24

4979: 1999-2000

4955: 2025-26

 

Last night, 13 games averaged 5601

 

.

Here is a breakdown of the 2025-26 ECHL average attendance:

9000+: 1 team

8000-8999: 1 team

7000-7999: 3 teams

6000-6999: 3 teams

5000-5999: 6 teams

4000-4999: 7 teams

3000-3999: 5 teams

2000-2999: 2 teams

1000-1999: 1 team

 

Allen vs Tahoe Series Preview, Belleville Players Qualified for ECHL Playoffs, .700 Regular Season Teams and the Kelly Cup and More

 

The Allen Americans' quest for second place in the Mountain Division continues tonight at the CUTX Event Center in the first of two games against the Tahoe Knight Monsters. If the Americans want to control their own destiny and not rely on Idaho to lose one of its three remaining games, tonight's game is a must-win.

 

-  Allen has played Tahoe three times this season, all at the beginning of January on the road. Allen lost the first two games of the series and won the third. They were memorable games. Here is a reminder:

January 2 - The Allen Americans were shut out 5-0 by the Tahoe Knight Monsters in the opening game of a three-game series. You know it is going to be a long night when the Americans outshot Tahoe 20-8 in the first period and trailed 3-0. The game was over quickly when the Knight Monsters scored twice in the first four minutes of the game (2:14 & 4:07). Allen had plenty of chances, but could not get the puck by rookie goalie Cameron Whitehead, who stopped all 39 Allen shots on the way to his first professional shutout. 

January 3 - The Allen Americans lost a heartbreaker, 4-3. The game was back-and-forth from beginning to end. Tahoe scored first just 85 seconds after the opening puck drop. Allen scored the next two goals to take a 2-1 lead. Then it was Tahoe's turn to score two goals to take a 3-2 lead. Allen tied the score 3-3 with less than five minutes remaining in the game, and as time wound down, it looked like it was headed to overtime. That is when the heartbreak happened. Allen iced the puck with 22 seconds remaining, lost the faceoff, and Tahoe scored the game-winner with 13 seconds remaining to make the final score 4-3. 

January 4 - The Allen Americans salvaged the series in Tahoe with a 5-1 win over the Knight Monsters on Sunday afternoon. After losing the first two games of the series (5-0 & 4-3), the Americans made a statement in game three, dominating Tahoe in record fashion. On the way to their 5-1 victory, Allen set a franchise record with 63 shots on goal. The Americans also eclipsed the highest shot total in the ECHL this season (55). Coach Martinson has talked about the importance of winning the final game of three games in three days and four games in five days, something that wasn't happening earlier in the season. Team fitness, playing physically, and playing with speed through the neutral zone are key components to recent success in these situations. As Martinson said after the game, "Our team is built for series and the playoffs, we are just getting started." 

 

-  FYI, the 63 shots Allen recorded in that game on January 4 is still the ECHL high for the season, and it is five more shots than second place. 

 

- Here are some comparison stats between Allen and Tahoe:

• Allen's record is 39-23-5-0 (.619), Tahoe's is 33-29-3-3 (.529). 
• Allen is 7-3-0-0 over the last 10 games, Tahoe is 4-5-1-0.
• Allen is 22-9-2-0 (.697) at home, Tahoe is 14-15-2-1 (.484) on the road.
• Allen's goal differential is +51 (248-197), Tahoe's is -1 (242-243).
• Allen's team plus/minus is +154, Tahoe's is -14.
• Allen's team save percentage is .914, Tahoe's is .905.

 

- Here are more statistical comparisons between the two teams.

• Goals scored average: Allen #1 (3.70) - Tahoe #3 (3.56)
• Goals allowed average: Allen #14 (2.94) - Tahoe #28 (3.57)
• Shots for average: Allen #2 (33.76) - Tahoe #8 (31.97)
• Shots allowed average: Allen #27 (34.28) - Tahoe #29 (37.01)
• Power play percentage: Allen #9 (20.7%) - Tahoe #5 (22.1%)
• Penalty kill percentage: Allen #11 (83.8%) - Tahoe #20 (79.3%)

 

- When you look at the stats above, a few things stand out:

• Allen is an excellent home team, and Tahoe has a losing record on the road.
• Goal differential is a good proxy for how good a team is. The four playoff teams are +95 (Kansas City), +51 (Allen), +27 (Idaho), and -1 (Tahoe).
• Both teams have high-powered offenses, ranked #1 and #3 in the league. The team that plays better team defense will win. Allen has allowed 15 goals in the last seven games (2.14 average). Tahoe has allowed 24 (3.43 average).

 

- Special teams will likely be the difference in the series, and these teams are close statistically:

• Overall PP percentage: Allen 20.7% vs Tahoe 22.1%
• Overall PK percentage: Allen 83.8% vs Tahoe 79.3%
• Home vs Road PP %: Allen 16.2% vs Tahoe 18.8%
• Home vs Road PK%: Allen 88.6% vs Tahoe 79.8%
• Shorthanded goals for: Allen 5 vs Tahoe 9
• Shorthanded goals against: Allen 6 vs Tahoe 5 

Allen has the edge on the penalty kill, while Tahoe has the edge on the power play. The question is, who will prevail? If the series in January is any indication, there will be plenty of power play opportunities in this series. The teams combined for 48 penalties and 31 power plays in the three games. Allen was 2-16 (12.5%), and Tahoe was 3-15 (33.3%). 

 

- Odds are heavily in favor of the team that scores the first goal winning the game. League-wide, it is about 75%. Allen is way above the league average at 89%, and Tahoe is below the league average at 62%. A reminder, the Americans' record when giving up the first goal is not good, 12-21-2-0 (.371).

 

- If you are looking for players to watch in this series, it is a very long list. Two of the best offenses in the league both have six players with 19 or more goals.  One player to watch if he is in the lineup is #18 Alex Weiermair, who just signed with Tahoe on Wednesday. He is a 2025 draft choice of the Las Vegas Golden Knights and just wrapped up his junior career in the WHL with the Portland Winterhawks. He will be on an NHL contract next season, but will begin his pro career with Tahoe, starting tonight. He had 93 points (37G, 56A) in 66 games for Portland this season. 

 

- The Allen players in the lineup tonight will be the same as Wednesday against Wichita. Brett Mirwald will start in goal; the defensive pairings should be the same, but Coach Martinson told me the lines will be juggled.  

 

OTHER COMMENTS

- Spencer Asuchak will play in his 700th professional game tonight. 615 of them are with the Allen Americans. I have always thought it was strange that when teams and the league acknowledge these milestones, they only include regular-season games. The real total, if you include playoff games, is that Spencer has played in 714 games for Allen and 811 in his professional career. 

 

- I have had a lot of questions asking about players from Belleville, who might be sent to Allen for the playoffs. I have no idea who and when players might be sent. Here is a list of players who could be sent to Allen based on the ECHL playoff qualification rules:  

• Mark Duarte - Right-shot forward who played nine games in Allen the first month of the season and 36 games in Belleville. Led the Americans in goals last season.
• Riley Kidney - Left-shot forward who played 46 games in Trois-Rivières this season, six games in Laval (AHL), and five games in Belleville. The 2nd round draft choice of Montreal (2021) is under an NHL contract. He was traded to Ottawa and loaned to Belleville in mid-March. 
• Ryan O'Rourke - Left-shot defenseman played 11 games with Trois-Riviéres this season, eight with Laval (AHL), and nine with Belleville. He was traded from Laval to Belleville in mid-March. He was the second-round draft choice of the Minnesota Wild in 2020.
• Djibril Touré - Right-shot defenseman who played five games in Allen and has played 34 games in Belleville,
• Luke Mistlebacher - Right-shot forward who was just signed by Belleville for the 2026-27 season and joined Belleville on an ATO (amateur tryout) for the remainder of the 2025-26 season. Because he is on an ATO he is qualified to be sent to Allen, even though he has not played in the ECHL. 
• Hoyt Stanley - Right-shot defenseman recently (March 30) signed a three-year entry-level NHL contract with Ottawa, set to start in 2026-27. He was Ottawa's fourth-round draft pick in 2023. He just joined Belleville on an ATO (amateur tryout). Because he is on an ATO, he is qualified to be sent to Allen, even though he has not played in the ECHL  
• Jackson Parsons - He has played 22 games in Allen this season and 13 games in Belleville. 

 Just to emphasize again, this is a list I put together of players on the Belleville roster who meet the ECHL playoff qualification rules. I have no idea how many of these players might end up in Allen, and when they might be loaned/assigned. FYI, Belleville's last game of the season is the same as Allen's, April 18.  

 

- It is a busy night in the ECHL with 13 games on the schedule, with many having playoff implications. Some teams can move up in the seedings, and two teams (Reading & Adirondack) can punch their ticket to the playoffs. Here is the ECHL Today with the previews: https://echl.com/news/2026/04/echl-today-april-10   

 

DID YOU KNOW: The ECHL Stats post today is about teams finishing above .700 in the regular season and not winning the Kelly Cup. In 2014-15, Allen had a .736 regular-season points percentage, which was #2 in the league and went on to win the Kelly Cup. The following season (2015-16), Allen finished #5 in the regular season (.618) and won the Kelly Cup. The only team above .700 was Kansas City at .757. Allen beat Kansas City 4-2 in the second round of the playoffs.

Few ECHL teams finish the regular season with a points percentage of .700 or more. With the current season winding down, three teams are above .700. Will the 2025-26 list be able to accomplish what the other .700+ teams since 2022-23 did not? Win the Kelly Cup.

 

2025-26

Kansas City (.809)

Florida (.735)

Wheeling (.701)

 

2024-25

South Carolina (.757)

Florida (.736)

Kansas City (.715)

 

2023-24

Kansas City (.792)

Toledo (.739)

 

2022-23

Idaho .826

Cincinnati .715

  

 

Allen Wins 5-3, Longest Win Streak Since 2016-17, Game Recap, Video Highlights, Martinson Comments, Assist Leaders, 30+ Goal Scorers, Shootout Stats and More

 

The Allen  Americans extended their winning streak to seven games last night with a 5-3 win over the Wichita Thunder. The last time Allen had a winning streak as long as seven games was in 2016-17. That season, Allen won 15 of its last 16 games to overtake Colorado to win the division. It was almost a 16-game win streak; the Americans won seven straight, lost in overtime, and then won the last eight games of the season. This season reminds me of 2016-17, when I predicted Allen would not catch Colorado and was proven wrong. A couple of weeks ago, I predicted Allen would not be able to catch Idaho for second place. A seven-game win streak by the Americans, combined with a three-game Idaho losing streak, means Allen controls its own destiny. If they win the last five games, the Americans will finish in second place, no matter the outcome of Idaho's last three games of the season in Tulsa this weekend.     

 

- Allen scored five goals last night and improved its league-leading average goals per game to 3.70. A win is a win, but Allen overcame some odds last night. Here are some of the good and the bad:

• Allen outshot Wichita 42-25.
• Allen gave up the first goal of the game and still won. The Americans' record when giving up the first goal is not good, 12-21-2-0 (.371)
• Allen outplayed Wichita in the first period, measured by shots (17-6) and puck possession, but trailed 2-0 at the first intermission. Allen overcame its record when trailing after the first period of 5-17-2-0 (.250) to win the game.
• Allen outscored Wichita 3-0 in the second period to turn the game around. Allen's second period has been the best by far all season. The Americans' goal differential by period is -5 (1st), +41 (2nd), +14 (3rd).
• Allen had a 3-2 lead after the second period, and that has been golden this season. The Americans' record when leading after the second period is 28-0-2-0.
• Allen won despite losing the special teams battle. The game pitted the #1 home penalty kill in Allen against the #28 road power play in Wichita. Allen was 0-4 on the power play, Wichita was 1-3. 
• The bottom line is Allen got an important win against a depleted Wichita team. If Allen wants to keep the winning streak going, the Americans will have to play better tomorrow night against Tahoe. FYI, Allen's win over Wichita last night clinched a playoff spot for Tahoe. The Knight Monsters can't improve on their fourth-place position in the standings. Could that help Allen this weekend?

 

- Goals scorers for Allen were Colby McAuley (25), Jax Dubois, (2), Landon Hookey (1), Danny Katic (36), and Harrison Blaisdell (27). Sam Sedley led the team with three assists, and Hookey led the team with seven shots. Here are the video highlights with all of the goals and the game recaps from both teams with the goal-by-goal details:

• Video highlights: https://echl.com/videos/wichita-thunder-vs-allen-americans-apr-8-2026  
• Allen Americans recap: https://allenamericans.com/news/2026/04/americans-storm-back-to-beat-wichita 
• Wichita Thunder recap: https://wichitathunder.com/news/2026/04/thunder-suffer-5-3-loss-at-allen 

 

- I will have a complete preview tomorrow of the two-game series with Tahoe (Friday and Saturday), but here are a couple of stats. Allen is 1-2-0-0 against Tahoe this season. They played the three games in Tahoe at the beginning of January. Currently, Allen is on a seven-game win streak, and Tahoe has lost four of its last six games.

 

-  The Allen offense continues to click. The totals for the seven-game win streak are 42 goals scored (6.00 average) and 15 goals allowed (2.14 average). Here are some of the individual accomplishments:

• Brayden Watts has an assist in eight of the last nine games. He is #2 in the league in assists (47) and #3 in points (69).
• Danny Katic leads the league in goals (36). He has a goal in 11 of the last 15 games for a total of 14 goals in 15 games.
• Colby McAuley had at least one point in every game of the winning streak and was a plus player as well. His totals for the seven games are 12 points (6G, 6A) and +11.
• Michael Gildon has points in seven of the last eight games. His totals are 15 points (4G, 11A) 
• Harrison Blaisdell has points in six of the last eight games. A total of  11 points (7G, 4A). 
• Sam Sedley has points in five straight games, eight points (2G, 8A). He is #3 in the ECHL in power play assists (24) and #4 in power play points (24).
• Colton Hargrove has 10 points (6G, 4A) in the seven-game win streak and is +11.
• Anthony Costantini +15 and Andre Anania +13 led the team in plus/minus during this seven-game winning streak.    

 

MARTINSON'S POST-GAME COMMENTS

"We didn't defend well on a couple of the goals. We practice defense in a 2-on-1 situation every day in practice, but we didn't play them very well in the game. We will go over some video with the defensemen to clean that up."

"I liked Hookey in the game. He is a big, strong guy with good hands and good vision. He will get stronger over the next 10 days by playing more minutes. He has been in and out of the lineup in Belleville. 

"We have never had an affiliate that is willing to send as many players as Ottawa will send us for the playoffs. Even though Belleville is not going to make the playoffs, they can't send players now. They need them all because they don't have extra players."

"We can't look past Friday night, but I am excited about what we have coming for the playoffs."

"Because we were playing a team that was depleted, we talked before the game about playing the right way and the four important things. Working hard, being in shape, being a team guy, and finishing your checks."

"We didn't score on the power play, but we did some good things. When we work things from the left side, it is nice to have a right shot net front guy like Hookey, because he can step off on his forehand and have a passing lane."

"I didn't match lines at all tonight. With four games in five days, I am trying to keep the minutes even." 

 

    

OTHER COMMENTS

- With his three assists last night Sam Sedley joins the exclusive group of defensemen with 40+ assists in a single season since Allen joined the ECHL:

• 48 assists - Aaron Gens (2014-15)
• 47 assists - Matt Register (2020-21) 
• 44 assists - Alex Breton (2019-20) 
• 43 assists - David Makowski (2017-18)
• 41 assists - Sam Sedley (2025-26) - 5 games remaining

 

 - Danny Katic's 36th goal last night moved him up another notch on the all-time franchise list of 30+ goal scorers. With five games remaining, he has a four-goal lead as the top goal scorer in the ECHL: 

• 49 goals - Hank Crone (2022-23)
• 44 goals - Gary Steffes (2014-15) 
• 41 goals - Chad Costello (2014-15) 
• 39 goals - Colton Hargrove (2022-23)
• 36 goals - Danny Katic (2025-26) - 5 games remaining 
• 36 goals - Jack Combs (2022-23)  
• 35 goals - Greger Hanson (2016-17)  
• 34 goals - Bruce Graham (2010-11)
• 34 goals - Nino Musitelli (2010-11)
• 34 goals - Zach Pochiro (2018-19)
• 33 goals - Chad Costello (2016-17)
• 33 goals - Colton Yellow Horn (2010-11)
• 33 goals - Liam Finlay (2022-23) 
• 31 goals - Bruce Graham (2009-10)
• 30 goals - Corey Mackin (2020-21)

 

- Kansas City lost to Tulsa 2-1 at home last night. The Mavericks' points percentage dropped to .809, which is the second-best all-time. If Kansas City wins its final four games, the Mavericks would finish with a points percentage of .8194, just shy of Idaho's all-time record of .8256 set in 2022-23. The difference is one point over a 72-game schedule.

 

 - There is only one game on the ECHL schedule today: Chad Costello's Greenville Swamp Rabbits take on the Bloomington Bison. Greenville lost 4-3 to Savannah at home last night and was eliminated from the playoffs. The Swamp Rabbits have six games remaining (all at home). It is that time of the season when players are playing for jobs for next season and pride. 

 

- Mathematically, only 10 teams have qualified for the playoffs, but realistically, the Central Division is the only one with playoff spots up for grabs. In the North Division, Reading and Adirondack will join #1 Wheeling and #2 Maine. In the South Division, Savannah will join #1 Florida, #2 South Carolina, and #3 Atlanta. In the Mountain Division, all four playoff teams are already decided. That leaves the Central Division with four teams vying for two playoff spots to join Toledo and Fort Wayne. Here are the points and games remaining for the four teams:

• 72 points - Kalamazoo (6 games remaining, 2 home, 4 away)
• 72 points - Indy (5 games remaining, all away)
• 72 points - Cincinnati (5 games remaining, 3 home, 2 away)
• 69 points - Bloomington (6 games remaining, 2 home, 4 away)  
• Bloomington has the easiest schedule with all six remaining games against non-playoff teams.
• Kalamazoo and Cincinnati play each other three times.
• Which two teams make the playoffs?

 

DID YOU KNOW: The ECHL Stats post today is about shootouts. Allen is the best in the league at converting on shootout attempts. However, the Americans are only 3-5 in games decided in overtime.

 

The anatomy of ECHL shootouts in 2025-26:

 

Zero Shootouts

Norfolk

Tulsa 

 

Best Shootout Record

6-1: Idaho

5-1: Adirondack

5-1: Indy

3-0: Allen

 

Worst Shootout Record

1-5: Toledo

1-4: Wichita

0-3: Florida

0-3: South Carolina 

 

Shootout attempts converted

Best - Allen is 6-9 (.667)

Worst - South Carolina is 0-8

   

Allen vs Wichita Preview, Landon Hookey Assigned By Belleville, Player Profile, Goalie of the Week Questionable Selection, Rookie vs Vet Mix and More

 

It will be a brutal week for the Allen Americans with yet another four games in five days. Three home games starting tonight against Wichita, followed by Tahoe on Friday and Saturday. Then the Americans travel overnight to Wichita after the Saturday game, arriving around 5:00 am. They will have to be at the rink at noon for a 2:05 pm puck drop. 

 

- How important are the four games this week? They got a lot more important last night when Idaho lost to Utah 3-1. Allen's fate is now in its own hands. Here are the facts:

• Idaho's regular season ends on Sunday after they play three games in Tulsa this weekend.
• Idaho has 87 points, and with a sweep in Tulsa will finish with 93 points.
• Allen has 81 points, and if the Americans win their final six games, they will finish the regular season with 93 points.
• If the teams end up tied, Allen holds the tiebreaker, which is regulation wins. 
• Win or lose this week, if Allen is within four points of Idaho after the games on Sunday, the Americans' fate will be in their hands the final week of the season when they play Wichita on the road on the 17th (Friday) and Kansas City at home on the 18th (Saturday).

 

- It is great to know that if Allen wins the final six games of the season, they will finish in second place. That would give them home ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs. It would also mean just one trip to Idaho instead of two, saving the team $15,000. 

 

- Right now, the only game Allen should be thinking about is tonight against Wichita. With Tahoe coming to Allen for two big games on Friday and Saturday, the Americans can't look past Wichita. It would be easy to do, considering Wichita has the worst record in the ECHL over the last 10 games (2-7-1-0), and they have lost all of their NHL/AHL contracted players. They have had nine different players assigned at some point this season; they currently have none. The only team in the ECHL with no assigned players.

 

- The game tonight will be the 8th of ten games against Wichita. Allen's is 6-1-0-0 against the Thunder.  Here are the stats:

• Allen's record is 38-23-5-0 (.614), Wichita's is 25-30-7-4. 
• Allen is 7-3-0-0 over the last 10 games, Wichita is 2-7-2-0.
• Allen is 21-9-2-0 at home, Wichita is 10-19-5-0 on the road.
• Allen's goal differential is +49 (243-194), Wichita's is -31 (180-211).
• Allen's team plus/minus is +139, Wichita's is -213.
• Allen's team save percentage is .915, Wichita's is .909.

 

- Here is how the teams rank in some key stats: 

• Goals scored average: Allen #1 (3.68) - Wichita #21 (2.73)
• Goals allowed average: Allen #14 (2.94) - Wichita #21 (3.20)
• Shots for average: Allen #2 (33.64) - Wichita #11 (31.73)
• Shots against average: Allen #28 (34.42) - Wichita #27 (34.36)
• Power play percentage: Allen #8 (21.0%) - Wichita #18 (17.7%)
• Penalty kill percentage: Allen #9 (84.1%) - Wichita #11 (83.9%

 

- Here are some other relevant stats:

• Allen is ranked #13 in penalty minutes (851), Wichita is ranked #28 with 648 minutes.
• Allen has scored first in 48% of its games with a record of 27-2-3-0 (.891)
• Wichita has scored first in 47% of its games with a record of 16-11-2-2 (.581).
• Allen has been involved in 11 overtime games with a record of 3-5 in OT and 3-0 in shootouts. 
• Wichita has been involved in 15 overtime games with a record of 3-7 in OT and 1-4 in shootouts. 
• Allen is 27-0-2-0 when leading after the 2nd period, Wichita is 16-2-2-1. 
• Allen is 5-17-2-0 when trailing after the 1st period, Wichita is 6-13-1-2.
• Conclusions from these stats tell you that the team that stays out of the penalty box, scores first, and plays with the lead has a big advantage. Neither team plays well from behind.

 

- Allen has a big special teams advantage when you compare home vs road percentages. Wichita has the second-worst road power play percentage (12.9%) in the league, and Allen has the #1 ranked home penalty kill percentage (89.1). If you look at the head-to-head stats, the Americans scored at least one power play goal in six of the seven games for a total of 9-31 (35.5%). Wichita scored power-play goals in three of the seven games for a total of 4-27 (14.8%).

 

- When it comes to who to watch for the Americans tonight, it is almost everyone. Allen has won six straight games and scored 38 goals in the six games (6.33 average). FYI, the defense has also been good, giving up just 12 goals (2.00 average), and five of them were in one game. The line with Watts,  Katic, and Gildon is one to keep an eye on. Katic has a three-goal lead (35-32) in the goals race, Gildon is looking for his 20th goal, and Watts is #2 in assists and has a chance for #2 in points. I could see this line having a big game tonight, but any of the forwards could have a four-point night tonight.

 

- Here is the tentative lineup for tonight, always subject to change. Hookey will wear #55 and play center. Brett Mirwald will get the start in goal  

Forwards

67 Crone - 7 Hargrove - 92 McAuley 

29 Watts - 91 Gildon - 9 Katic

26 Asuchak  - 55 Hookey - 18 Blaisdell 

77 Sillinger  - 44 Dubois - 11 Barbashyov

 

Defense 

8 Prefontaine - 23 Sedley 

86 Anania - 22 Costantini

21 Decker - 2 Quinn Warmuth

 

Goalies

32 Mirwald 

33 Costantini (backup)

 

 

 - Here are the game notes issued by the Allen Americans: https://allenamericans.com/news/2026/04/game-day-preview-final-visit-by-wichita-this-season

 

LANDON HOOKEY PLAYER PROFILE 

- Allen's roster will get a boost tonight with the addition of Landon Hookey, who was just assigned by Belleville. 

Landon Hookey #55

 

 

- Landon Hookey is a 22-year-old,  6''5", 223-pound, right-shot forward from Sarnia, Ontario. Landon is a rookie who has spent the year in Belleville where he has played in 49 games and totaled 12 points (5G, 7A). Last season, Hookey had 70 points (34G, 36A) in 68 games, playing his final year in juniors, for Owen Sound Attack (OHL). He led his team in points and goals, was 2nd in penalty minutes, and was captain of the team. A true power forward who can also play center, kill penalties, and being a right shot can help on the Allen power play. Here is a get-to-know-you video with Hookey after he was signed by Belleville last August: 

 

 

- Hookey's coach last season in Owen Sound was Scott Wray. For you long-time Allen fans, that is a familiar name. In the first year of the franchise (2009-10), the Americans surprised a lot of people, making it to the CHL championship finals against Rapid City. Trailing in the series 3-2, with the final two games in Rapid City, Allen took a 3-0 lead in game six, but Rapid City scored two goals in the final five minutes of the game to send it to overtime. With 32 seconds remaining in the second overtime, Rapid City scored. Scott Wray was the player who scored the championship-winning goal. In my opinion, it was the most disappointing loss in franchise history. 

- I digress. Here is what Hookey's coach, Scott Wray, had to say about him when he named Landon captain: "Landon has been nothing but a leader for us all season. He continues to help work with the young guys to develop into everyday OHL players. He takes pride in both ends of the rink and has really become a true power forward in this league. When Hooks speaks, everyone listens and follows."

 

- Sending Hookey to Allen is an important move and says a lot about Belleville's commitment to the Americans. He needs to play five games in Allen to qualify for the playoffs, so Belleville assigned Landon even though the Senators are still battling for a playoff spot and don't have extra players. I assume he will be here for the rest of the season. Belleville is all but mathematically eliminated from the playoffs. They will have to win their five remaining games and hope Rochester loses its six remaining games to make the playoffs.

 

- With the players Coach Martinson expects to get from Belleville, starting with Hookey, Allen will start to resemble the type of team Martinson is known for, lots of skill and toughness made for playoff hockey. Any players who get assigned by Belleville going forward are already qualified for the playoffs. What you will see happen over the next 10 days is two-fold. Belleville is really stepping up to help Allen have the strongest playoff roster possible, and the Senators' missing the playoffs gives their players a chance to play more games in crucial situations and develop for next season. 

 

OTHER COMMENTS

-  Surprise is an understatement; shocked is a better word to describe what I felt when I saw Brett Mirwald was not selected as the ECHL Goalie of the Week last week. Nothing against the Savannah goalie who won, but how does the ECHL pass up a 22-year-old goalie making his first two professional starts and recording back-to-back shutouts? The ECHL could have had all kinds of publicity on such a feat. To me, it was a baffling snub that felt like a missed PR opportunity. A master class in missing the obvious.

 

- Allen can do a favor for the idle Tahoe Knight Monsters tonight. Tahoe will clinch a playoff spot if the Americans beat Wichita tonight. The Mountain Division will become the first division to have all four playoff teams determined. Kansas City is locked in as the #1 seed, and Tahoe will be the #4 seed and play the Mavericks in the first round. Allen and Idaho will meet in the first round. Who gets the #2 seed and home ice advantage is still to be determined.

 

- It is a light Wednesday night schedule in the ECHL with only four games on tap. Here is the ECHL Today with all of the previews:  https://echl.com/news/2026/04/echl-today-april-8              

 

- The ECHL had to extend the season a week to fit in the games that were cancelled because of the strike. Idaho made up those games during the season, so its final regular-season game is Sunday. That means the Steelheads will be sitting around for a long time waiting for the playoffs to begin. They could be waiting close to two weeks. Plenty of time to heal those bumps and bruises, but also time for the rust to form. It will be interesting to see how they play to start the playoffs.  

 

DID YOU KNOW: The ECHL Stats post today is about the mix of rookies and veterans on the top ECHL teams. I know Coach Martinson is a believer in the importance of veteran presence during the regular season and playoffs. 

What is the best combination of rookies (R) and veterans (V) to win the Kelly Cup? Here is the mix for the top 10 teams, those above .600 points percentage. When Florida won three straight Kelly Cups (2024, 2023, 2022), the Everblades roster always had the maximum veterans and fewer rookies. Will that formula be key in 2026? These numbers are current as of Monday’s transactions:

 

.821 - Kansas City, 8R, 2V

.735 - Florida, 4R, 5V

.701 - Wheeling, 13R, 1V

.682 - Fort Wayne, 6R, 4V

.679 - Toledo, 12R, 2V

.662 - South Carolina, 12R, 1V

.652 - Maine, 12R, 3V

.647 - Atlanta, 12R, 3V

.630 - Idaho, 15R, 4V

.614 - Allen, 9R, 4V

 

Mirwald with Back-to-Back Shutouts, Game Recaps, Video Highlights, Goal Scoring Records. Magic Numbers, Brabham Cup Curse Stats and More

 

There are so many storylines from the Allen Americans' 4-0 win over Greensboro last night, I don't know where to start. Here they go in no particular order:

• Rookie goalie Brett Mirwald had a 33-save shutout after a 25-save shutout on Friday, which was his first professional start. His only other game action was in South Carolina in the third period of a 7-1 Allen win, when he stopped all six shots he faced. You add it all up, and he has played 133 minutes as a pro and still hasn't given up a goal, saving all 64 shots he has faced. No doubt he will be the ECHL Goalie of the Week when that is announced on Monday.
• Allen won a three-game home series for the first time all season. The Americans did win four straight against Wichita in January, but it was two home and two away.
• Allen has won six straight games, matching the longest win streak of the season (January 4-16).
• Allen's defense hasn't given up a goal in 129 minutes and 17 seconds.  
• With the win last night, Allen has tripled the number of home wins from last season (21 vs 7), and four home games are remaining. Allen's home wins the last four seasons were 7, 17, 18, 20.
• Danny Katic scored an empty net goal, his 35th of the season. He has a three-goal lead in the race for most goals in the league this season. 

 

- Here is what happened in the 4-0 win last night. 

• Allen scored the first goal for the sixth straight game and won them all. The Americans' record when scoring first improved to 27-2-3-0 (.891).
• Allen outshot Greensboro in every period. They had 41 shots on goal, the most shots in 20 games.
• Allen scored in all three periods, leading 2-0 after the first and 3-0 after the second. Allen's record when leading after the second period is 27-0-2-0 (.966).
• Colby McAuley got the party started at 8:46 of the first period, scoring his 24th goal of the season. Colby passed to Crone in the slot and was in a perfect position to put in the rebound of Crone's shot.  
• Allen's second goal was a great give-and-go play between Maxim Barbashev and Kevin Gursoy. The first-period goal, Barbashev's eighth of the season (first in Allen) at the 11:52 mark, gave the Americans a 2-0 lead.
•  Allen extended the lead to 3-0 on the only goal of the second period at 14:54. Spencer Asuchak carried the puck into the zone and dropped a pass behind him to Ty Prefontaine in the slot, and he buried it. It was his eighth goal of the season, tied with Sam Sedley for the lead among defensemen.
• Allen finished the scoring with Katic's empty net goal with 49 seconds remaining in the game. Danny got his money's worth shooting the puck from behind the goal line the length of the ice.

 

- Check out all of the goals, great primary assists, super saves, and the Anania fight in this highlight package, plus the game recaps from both teams:

• Video highlights: https://echl.com/videos/greensboro-gargoyles-vs-allen-americans-apr-4-2026 
• Allen Americans recap: https://allenamericans.com/news/2026/04/game-recap-americans-blank-greensboro-again 
• Greensboro Gargoyles recap: https://gargoyleshockey.com/news/2026/04/americans-sweep-gargoyles-with-4-0-shutout-saturday 

 

OTHER COMMENTS

- Danny Katic is quickly marching up the list of Allen's all-time leaders in goals in a single season, with his 35th last night. He has six games left to continue the march. Here are the all-time leaders: 

• 49 goals - Hank Crone (2022-23)
• 44 goals - Gary Steffes (2024-15)
• 41 goals - Chad Costello (2014-15)
• 39 goals - Colton Hargrove (2022-23)
• 36 goals - Jack Combs (2022-23)
• 35 goals - Greger Hanson (2016-17) 

 

- If you are still holding out hope that the Americans can catch Idaho for second place in the Mountain Division, here are the numbers. Kansas City beat Idaho again last night (4-3) after beating them 5-4 on Friday. Here are the magic numbers:

• Idaho
• 87 - points
• 4 - games remaining (1 at Utah, 3 at Tulsa)
• 95 - maximum points possible

 

• Allen
• 81 - points
• 6 - games remaining
• Wichita (H)
• Tahoe (H)
• Tahoe (H)
• Wichita (A)
• Wichita (A)
• Kansas City (H)
• 93 - maximum points possible

The first tiebreaker is regular-season wins, and Allen owns that tiebreaker 32-27. That means Idaho has to finish one point ahead of Allen to claim third place. If the Americans win their remaining six games, it would force Idaho to earn seven points in its last four games.

 

- If you are thinking about the chances Tahoe can catch Allen for third place in the division, that ship has sailed. With the Americans winning last night and Tahoe losing to Cincinnati, the Knight Monsters are mathematically eliminated from third place.

 

- Here are the points earned by each Mountain Division team over the last 10 games. The number in parentheses is the team's rank in the division standings. This list shows two things. First, 10 games is about three weeks. You can see how hard it is to gain ground. Allen is on a six-game winning streak and has gained two points on Idaho in 10 games. Second, it shows how some teams, like Tulsa, are playing much better than their division rank.  

  

19 points - Kansas City (1st)

14 points - Allen (3rd)

14 points - Tulsa (8th)

12 points - Idaho (2nd) 

11 points - Utah (5th) 

9 points - Tahoe (4th)

9 points - Rapid City (7th)

5 points - Wichita (6th)

   

 

- Brett Mirwald's back-to-back shutouts were not the first for the Americans, but they were the first to take place at home. In franchise history, there have been four back-to-back shutouts, and ironically, two of them happened within a month in 2016. 

• Riley Gill had back-to-back shutouts on November 29, 2016, in Tulsa and on the 30th in Kansas City. Definitely the best back-to-back shutout performance ever. The first game in Tulsa was a 1-0 overtime win; Greger Hanson scored the OT goal. The next night, after traveling to Kansas City, Gill beat the Mavericks 1-0, with Joel Chouinard scoring the only goal at 10:08 of the third period. 
• A month after the Gill back-to-back shutouts, he combined with Jamie Murray to do it again. This time, both games were in Wichita. On December 28, 2016, Riley had a 42-save shutout in a 5-0 win. The next game (two nights later), Jamie Murray had a 27-save shutout in a 9-0 win.
• The last back-to-back shutouts took place on March 19 & 20, 2021. On the 19th, Justin Kapelmaster shutout Tulsa 3- 0 in Allen. The next night, he shutout the Oilers 5-0 in Tulsa.

 

DID YOU KNOW: How powerful is the Brabham cup curse? The curse is so powerful, it books your tee time before the playoffs start. First place comes with an early exit guarantee.

Congrats to the Kansas City Mavericks, who won the Brabham Cup last night as the ECHL regular season champions. Now they must deal with the curse that goes with winning the regular season. The Brabham Cup is proof that the regular season and the playoffs are two completely different sports. Where regular-season Kings become playoff question marks.

 

The curse has bitten every Brabham Cup winner in the 38-year history of the ECHL except the following three. Will Kansas City overcome the odds? Here are the three teams that won the Brabham Cup and went on to win the Kelly Cup:

 

2013-14 - Alaska Aces

2007-08 - Cincinnati Cyclones

1996-97 - South Carolina Stingrays