Allen Wins 6-4, Game Recap, Video Highlights, Today's Lineup Changes, Allen Adds a Goalie, More Alumni Interviews, 35+ and 50+ Point Scorers and More

 

Last night could not have worked better for the Allen Americans. They beat Tulsa 6-4, while the team just ahead of them in the standings (Idaho) lost, and the two teams just behind them (Tahoe & Wichita) lost.

 

- The difference between the game on Friday and last night could not have been more stark. From a slow, sluggish start on Friday to a dynamic start last night featuring speed, crisp tape-to-tape passes, playmaking, and goals. When the dust settled on the first period, Allen had a 4-1 lead and had chased Tulsa goalie David Tendeck, whom Allen traded to Tulsa earlier this week. Friday night Tendeck saved 37 of 38 shots (.974) to lead Tulsa to a 4-1 win. Last night, he saved 10 of 14 shots (.714) and was replaced after the first period. 

 

- Allen scored the only goal of the second period to take a 5-1 lead into the second intermission, and it appeared the route was on. Tulsa spoiled the euphoria of the route by scoring three goals in less than seven minutes (9:33 to 16:14) in the third period to cut the score to 5-4 with almost four minutes remaining in the game. Allen put an end to the drama with an empty goal with 15 seconds left in the game to make the final score 6-4. Yes, it took the edge off the victory, giving up three third-period goals, but it didn't overshadow the Americans' scoring the most goals in two months

 

- Here are some of the positives from the game:

• Allen scored the 1st goal and improved its record when scoring 1st to 19-2-3-0 (.854)
• Allen's four 1st period goals tied the league high this season.
• Allen's record when leading after the first period improved to 11-1-2-0.
• Allen's record when leading after the second period improved to 20-0-2-0.
• Five different players scored goals, and 12 had points. 
• Braiden Simmons-Fischer scored his first goal with the Allen Americans. It was announced in the arena as his first professional goal, but he had two goals last season in the FPHL.
• Danny Katic's goal, his 25th, ties him for #3 in the ECHL. His 24.5% shooting percentage is #2.
• Stick taps to Colby McAuley, who showed what being a team player is all about, and also that he is as tough as nails. Colby went right after Mike McKee when McKee injured Hank Crone on a hit to the head into the side boards. It didn't bother Colby that he was giving up 5 inches and 55 pounds to McKee.

 

- Goal scorers for the Americans were Simmons-Fischer (1), Gildon (15), Blaisdell (17), Watts (19), Prefontaine (7), and Katic (25). Here are the video highlights with the goals, great saves, and fight: https://echl.com/videos/tulsa-oilers-vs-allen-americans-mar-7-2026

 

- Here are the game recaps from both teams:

• Allen Americans: https://allenamericans.com/news/2026/03/game-recap-americans-hold-on-for-6-4-win-over-tulsa  
• Tulsa Oilers: https://tulsaoilers.com/news/2026/03/murray-scores-first-pro-goal-adds-second-as-oilers-combeack-falls-just-short   

 

- Steve Martinson signed a goalie last night after the game, and he will be the backup goalie this afternoon. His name is Brett Mirwald, He just finished his second season at the University of British Columbia, where he had a record of 11-1-2, a GAA of 2.27, and a .907 save percentage. He is 6'1" 180 pounds, and catches left. Before college, he played his junior hockey in the WHL. He was the Goalie of the Year in 2023-24, playing for the WHL Vancouver Giants. He was just selected as the Goalie of the Year in his conference, Canada West. 

Brett Mirwald

    

 

- The lineup changes for today:

• Kevin Gursoy replaces the injured Hank Crone, who left the game in the first period last night.
• Jackson Decker is in for Trevor LeDonne.
• Marco Costantini starts in goal.
• Brett Mirwald makes his pro debut as the backup.

Forwards

14 Gursoy - 7 Hargrove - 92 McAuley

11 Chiasson - 91 Gildon - 9 Katic

29 Watts -18 Blaisdell - 77 Sillinger 

19 Maxwell - 3 Smith - 6 Simmons-Fischer

 

Defense

86 Anania - 22 Costantini

8 Prefontaine - 23 Sedley

21 Decker - 2 Warmuth 

 

Goalies

33 Costantini

32 Mirwald  (backup)

 

TODAY'S PREVIEW

- If Allen can match the speed and intensity of the first period last night, the Americans will be just fine. Sunday games are different, especially when you play the same team three times in about 46 hours. Players are tired, and the game often becomes more about will than skill. Allen's Sunday record this season is 3-2-1-0.

 

- Obviously, scoring first will be key, as will the special teams battle. The referees will be the same for the third straight game, and they haven't called a lot of penalties. There were just five power plays in both games. 

 

- Coach Martinson was very pleased with the first period, but not so much with the weak defensive plays in the third period. 

"It was nice to score some goals, and there were some good ones in the first period." 

"Friday night was our worst faceoff night of the season, so we worked on that at the pregame skate." 

 

- Here is the game preview/game notes issued by the Allen Americans: https://allenamericans.com/news/2026/03/game-day-preview-pucks-and-paws-day-in-allen

 

 

OTHER COMMENTS

 - Being from Minnesota, I am biased, but there isn't a week of hockey anywhere that is better than the State High School Hockey Tournament. Last night was the Class AA championship, and it was an epic game between the #1 seed, Minnetonka, and the #2 seed Moorhead. The attendance for this classic high school game was 17,954, which is a sellout. Moorhead rallied from a 4-1 deficit to win 5-4 in double overtime for its second straight Class AA championship. Here is a game recap with a long video (28 minutes) that is well worth watching and will give you the feel of the championship game. https://kstp.com/minnesota-sports/boys-state-hockey-moorhead-makes-it-back-to-back-state-titles-with-thrilling-double-overtime-win-over-minnetonka/

 

- Allen got plenty of help last night in the standings. The Mountain Division winners were Kansas City, Allen, and Utah. The losers were Idaho, Tahoe, Wichita, Rapid City, and Tulsa.  Here is an update with points percentage in parentheses:

•  91 points - Kansas City (.813)
•  74 points - Idaho (.649)
•  65 points - Allen (.591)
•  61 points - Tahoe (.545)
•  55 points  - Wichita (.509)
•  49 points - Rapid City (.445)
•  49 points - Utah (.438) 
•  41 points - Tulsa (.380)

 

- There are eight games on the schedule today. Just four Mountain Division teams are in action. In addition to Tulsa at Allen, Utah is at Cincinnati, and Wichita is at Toledo. Here is the ECHL Today with the previews: https://echl.com/news/2026/03/echl-today-march-8  

 

- Here are three more player updates from the Alumni weekend. You can see all the alumni interviews  (7 so far, with a few more to load) and a few other videos by going to my Allen Americans Blog YouTube Channel. Please subscribe, and for the record, I make no money from the channel; I would just like to have more subscribers as encouragement to do more videos. Maybe you can teach an old dog new tricks.

                                                                       Bruce Graham

                                                                 

 

                                                                        Mike Berube     

 

 

                                                                          Joel Rumpel 

 

DID YOU KNOW: ECHL Stats post today is about teams with the most 35+ point scorers and 50+ point scorers. Notice the Mountain Division dominates both lists:

Teams with the most 35+ point scorers this season. Of the seven on the list, five are from the Mountain Division:

6: Allen*

6: Tahoe*

5: Atlanta

5: Fort Wayne

5: Rapid City*

5: Utah*

5: Wichita*

*Mountain Division teams

 

 

Teams with 50+ point scorers:

2: Kansas City*

2: Rapid City*

2: Utah*

1: Adirondack

1: Allen*

1: Idaho*

1: Orlando

1: South Carolina

1: Tahoe*

1: Toledo 

 

*Mountain Division teams

Allen Loses 4-1, Game Recap, Video Highlights, Martinson Comments, Tonight's Lineup, Alumni Game Details and Player Update Videos

 

Welcome to another version of Allen Americans' inconsistency. The good was back-to-back wins in Kansas City last weekend, against the best team in the ECHL, which had won 25 of 26 games. The bad was a 4-1 loss at home last night against Tulsa, the worst team in the Mountain Division. 

 

- Lack of scoring has been the hallmark of Allen's recent play. The Americans have lost five of their last 10 games, by scores of 4-1, 4-3, 3-2, 2-0, and 2-1. Allen's five wins in the last 10 games include three scores of 2-1, two of which were in overtime. You add it all together, and Allen has scored two or fewer goals in seven of the last 10 games.

 

- In the last three games against Tulsa, the Americans lost 4-1, won 2-1 in overtime, and won 5-1. Allen scored a total of seven goals in the three games in regulation time. Six of the seven goals were power-play goals; just one was scored even strength. Last night, Allen's only goal was a power play goal. 

 

- It was another slow start that cost Allen last night. For the 31st time in 54 games (57%), the Americans gave up the first goal. Allen's points percentage when giving up the first goal is .387. Allen fell behind 2-0 in the first period, but cut the score to 2-1 with just 29 seconds remaining. It was a power play goal by Danny Katic, his team's 24th goal and eighth power play goal of the season. Assists went to Colton Hargrove and Sam Sedley.

 

- The first period has been the Achilles heel for Allen all season. The Americans' first-period goal differential of -12 is one of the worst in the league (45 goals scored, 57 allowed). Allen entered the second period with the momentum and the knowledge that it had been its best period all season. The second period goal differential is +15 (68 for, 43 allowed), but Allen wasn't able to score, despite a 15-8 shot advantage. The second period ended with Tulsa leading 2-1, and the odds of a loss for the Americans became very high. Allen's point percentage when trailing after the second period is .190 (3-16-2-0). Tulsa's point percentage when leading after the second period is .735 (12-4-1-0).

 

- There was still hope that Allen could come back until the 8:03 mark of the third period when Tulsa extended its lead to 3-1. That was followed (16:54) by an empty net goal to make the final score 4-1. To add insult to injury, goalie David Tendeck, who was traded to Tulsa by Allen earlier this week, assisted on the empty net goal to go along with his .974 save percentage.   

 

- Here are the game recap from Tulsa and the video highlights with the goals and great saves:

• Tulsa Oilers: https://tulsaoilers.com/news/2026/03/tendeck-shines-in-debut-as-thunder-bay-bombers-top-hamilton-mustangs-on-youngblood-night
• Video highlights: https://echl.com/videos/tulsa-oilers-vs-allen-americans-mar-6-2026 

 

MARTINSON POST-GAME COMMENTS

 "I was frustrated this week in practice because we weren't shooting the puck very well, and that carried over to the game. To have 38 shots and one power play goal is all you have to show for it is not good enough." 

 "I thought their forwards showed more speed at times than ours. Some of our 40+ point guys were non-factors out there tonight."

"It is pretty disappointing when you have a good week in Kansas City and then come back home and lose to the last-place team." 

"When you aren't scoring goals, the defensive mistakes we made on the first two goals were very costly."

"We scored on our second power play opportunity, and then we didn't try what was successful again. It seems like when we score on the power play, we think we have to score a different way, rather than doing the same play over and over until they take it away."

"I think our biggest problem is that we didn't show much speed, especially outside speed. Some of our defensemen showed speed carrying the puck into the zone. Tomorrow I am going to show the line rushes to show the lack of speed."

"The NHL trade deadline was today, and the AHL deadline is next Friday. I expect to get some contracted players assigned after the AHL deadline. The number will depend on what trades are made next week. I also expect to sign a college goalie this week."

"The bottom line is, it will get a lot more competitive around here over the next week or two. The guys I will bring in are not 4th line players."   

 

TONIGHT'S PREVIEW

- Coach Martinson mentioned this several times in his comments to the STMs after the game. To be successful, the team needs to use its speed, especially through the neutral zone.

 

- It can't be overstated how important it is to get off to a good start and avoid playing from behind. If Allen can do that tonight, a win is likely. 

 

- Allen had 38 shots last night, and they scored a power play goal. That should be enough to win. However, to go with the positive, the Americans gave up a shorthanded goal and had a 2.6% shooting percentage. Based on their season-long shooting percentage of 10.0%, 38 shots should generate 3 or 4 goals. Allen has one even-strength goal in the last three games against Tulsa. That has to change tonight. 

 

- The game tonight will be a two-referee game, with the same officiating crew as last night. The referees will be Jamie Pavia (#26) and Logan Gruhl #29). The linesmen will be Daniel Barnes (#76) and Aaron Schacht. They only called five minor penalties last night in the game without much physicality. I would definitely bet the over 5 on the number of penalties tonight.

 

- Here is the lineup tonight. Only changes are Avery Smith in for Gursoy and Ledonne in for Decker.

 

Forwards

67 Crone - 7 Hargrove - 92 McAuley

11 Chiasson - 91 Gildon - 9 Katic

29 Watts -18 Blaisdell - 77 Sillinger 

19 Maxwell - 3 Smith - 6 Simmons-Fischer

 

Defense

86 Anania - 22 Costantini

8 Prefontaine - 23 Sedley

25 LeDonne - 2 Warmuth 

 

Goalies

31 Parsons 

33 Costantini (backup)

 

OTHER COMMENTS

- Idaho, Kansas City, Tulsa, and Wichita were the Mountain Division winners last night. The losers were Allen, Rapid City, and Utah. Here are the standings with points earned in the last 10 games in parentheses so you can see who is gaining ground and losing ground to the teams close to them:

•  89 points - Kansas City (17 points)
•  74 points - Idaho (8 points)
•  63 points - Allen (11 points)
•  61 points - Tahoe (11 points)
•  54 points  - Wichita (9 points)
•  49 points - Rapid City (9 points)
•  47 points - Utah (9 points) 
•  41 points - Tulsa (12 points)

 

-  If you look at the points earned in the last 10 games in the list above, a few things stand out:

• 10 games is about a month of play
• It is hard to gain or lose a lot of points in a month. A gap of six or more points will be very hard to make up by the end of the season. 
• The top two teams over the last 10 games are first-place Kansas City (17 points) and last-place Tulsa (12 points).  

 

- Allen gave up its sixth shorthanded goal of the season last night. The Americans have only scored two shorties themselves. Here are the Allen shorthanded goals for (F) and against (A) since joining the ECHL. The net shorthanded goals (shorties scored minus shorties allowed) are in parentheses

• 2025-26: 2F, 6A  (-4)
• 2024-25: 4F, 6A (-2)
• 2023-24: 8F, 9A (-1)
• 2022-23: 6F, 6A (0)
• 2021-22: 7F, 20A (-13)
• 2020-21: 11F, 3A (+8)
• 2019-20: 9F, 3A (+6)
• 2018-19: 8F, 5A (+3)
• 2017-18: 7F, 10A (-3)
• 2016-17: 9F, 13A (-4)
• 2015-16: 9F, 10A  (-1)
• 2014-15: 8F, 8A (0)

 

 

- A light load for a Saturday night with only 20 of the 30 ECHL teams in action. The Mountain Division matchups are the same as last night: Here is the ECHL Today with the previews: https://echl.com/news/2026/03/echl-today-march-7

• Wichita at Indy
• Idaho at Norfolk
• Utah at Bloomington 
• Wheeling at Rapid City
• Tahoe at Kansas City
• Tulsa at Allen

 

ALUMNI GAME

- I haven't heard of any more changes to the roster. For those planning to attend, here are the times:

• 4:30 pm - doors open
• 4:35 pm - 10-minute warmups
• 4:45 pm -  player introductions
• 5:00 pm - puck drop
•  Format: Three 15-minute periods with one-minute intermissions 

 

- As I ran into the players from the past at the game last night, I asked them for an update on their families. I will load more of them tomorrow. Here is a sample:

Yesterday was a big day for Adam Pineault:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DID YOU KNOW: Truly outstanding performances. Here are some ECHL stats where #1 is way better than #2. 

 

Average Attendance

#1 - 9431, Jacksonville

#2 - 8055, Toledo

 

Points Percentage

#1 - .809, Kansas City

#2 - .727, Florida 

 

Overall Points

#1 - 68, Marcus Crawford, Kansas City

#2 - 59, Brandon Hawkins, Toledo

 

Points by defensemen

#1 - 68, Marcus Crawford, Kansas City

#2 - 46, Chad Nychuk, Atlanta 

 

Goals

#1 - 32, Brendan Hoffmann, Idaho

#2 - 28, Reed Lebster, Utah

The difference between #1 & #2 doesn’t seem so large until you consider Hoffmann has been on loan to the AHL since February 10.

 

Power Play Percentage

#1 - 29.7%, Toledo

#2 - 23.9%, Tahoe

 

Home Winning Streak

#1 - 16 games, Kansas City

#2 - 8 games, Idaho

Alumni Game Changes, Allen vs Tulsa Series Preview, Tonight's Lineup, Critical Dates, 96 ECHL Players On 14 Day IR and More

 

I mentioned yesterday that there would likely be some changes to the alumni roster, and that has been the case. The good news is Darryl Bootland will be able to attend the alumni game. The bad news is that Riley Gill and Ben Owen will have to miss the alumni game. Riley is the head coach, and Ben is an assistant coach for one of the Allen High School hockey teams. They have a game scheduled at 3:00 pm on Saturday. From what I was told, they will be at the Allen game, but will miss the alumni game.

 

- Before I get into the details of the Allen vs Tulsa series preview and the three games against the Oilers (tonight, Saturday, and Sunday afternoon), I want to bring everyone up to date on the roster changes over the last week.

• David Tendeck - Last Sunday, it was announced that Tendeck was traded to Tulsa for forward Mitchell Russell, whom Tulsa had acquired from Savannah on February 25. Russell did not report to Tulsa, so he was suspended. Russell was in Savannah before Tulsa, and Savannah is a Zawyer property. Allen can't trade with Zawyer teams because there are minority owners of the Americans who also own minority interests in other Zawyer teams. Initially, the league mistakenly let the trade go through, but it was corrected to a future-considerations trade the next day. Why did Martinson trade Tendeck to Tulsa? "I wasn't going to hold him back from an opportunity to play, and it was the best opportunity, factoring in the costs and the benefits." Martinson has been doing a lot of recruiting of college players as their seasons have ended, and I wouldn't be surprised to see a college goalie take over that third goalie spot down the stretch. 
• Colby McAuley - Colby was injured when hit by a puck in Allen's last home game (2/21) and missed the three-game series in Kansas City. He is good to go and will be in the lineup tonight.
• Lukas Sillinger - Lukas was also injured in Allen's last home game, his second game with the Americans. He has been cleared to play and will be in the lineup tonight.
• Andre Anania - Andre was loaned to Iowa on 2/25 and returned to Allen on 3/2. He missed the last two games in Kansas City and did not play in Iowa. He will be back in the Allen lineup tonight.
• Sam Stange  - Sam Stange was recalled by Springfield (AHL) on Monday and will miss his first game tonight. He played eight games in Allen and scored five goals. You add the three goals in four games with Florida earlier, and his season total is eight goals in 12 games. The good news is Sam has qualified for the ECHL playoffs. Hopefully, Stange will return to Allen at some point in the regular season and for the playoffs.
• Avery Smith - Coach Martinson brought Smith back from Topeka (FPHL), just in case he needs some additional toughness against Tulsa. The Oilers' Keegan Iverson was suspended for five games for leaving the penalty box to join an altercation on Wednesday, so he will miss the Allen series. They still have Cade McNelly and Dakota Seaman, who add toughness. McNelly has a goal in one game in his 64-game ECHL career. Unfortunately, it was a hat trick against Allen on January 17. The Americans lost 5-2. Seaman, who played six games with Allen last season, has no points and 20 penalty minutes in 16 games with Tulsa this season. I just got the lineup, and Smith will not be in the lineup tonight.

 

- Allen’s lineup tonight vs Tulsa:

 

Forwards

67 Crone - 7 Hargrove - 92 McAuley

11 Chiasson - 91 Gildon - 9 Katic

29 Watts -18 Blaisdell - 77 Sillinger 

19 Maxwell - 14 Gursoy - 6 Simmons-Fischer

 

Defense

86 Anania - 22 Costantini

8 Prefontaine - 23 Sedley

21 Decker - 2 Warmuth 

 

Goalies

31 Parsons 

33 Costantini (backup)

 

- Allen's record against Tulsa this season is 7-4-1-0. The Americans lost three straight to start the season, then reeled off five wins and have split the last four games. The three home games this weekend will be the last between these teams.   

 

- Here are some comparison stats between Allen and Tulsa:

• Allen's record is 29-19-5-0, Tulsa's is 17-30-5-0 
• Allen is 6-3-1-0 over the last 10 games, Tulsa is 5-3-2-0.
• Allen is 15-7-2-0 at home, Tulsa is 5-16-1-0 on the road.
• Allen's goal differential is +21 (181-160), Tulsa's is -56 (132-188).
• Allen's team plus/minus is +35, Tulsa's is -153.
• Allen's team save percentage is .914, Tulsa's is .896.

 

- Here is the more traditional statistical comparison between the two teams. The league rank is in parentheses: 

• Goals scored average: Allen 3.4 (#6) - Tulsa 2.5 (#28)
• Goals allowed average: Allen 3.0 (#15) - Tulsa 3.6 (#26)
• Shots for average: Allen 33.4 (#3) - Tulsa 32.3 (#8)
• Shots against average: Allen 35.1 (#28) - Tulsa 34.8 (#27))
• Power play percentage: Allen 20.3% (#9) - Tulsa 17.5% (#21)
• Penalty kill percentage: Allen 84.1% (#8) - Tulsa 74.2% (#29) 

 

- Here are the cumulative stats against Tulsa. 

• Allen has outscored Tulsa 43-33
• Tulsa has outshot Allen 399-394
• Allen is 28.3%% on the power play (13-46)
• Tulsa is 19.2% on the power play (5-26)
• Allen scored 1st in 7 of the 12 games. 
• Allen took 48 penalties (119 minutes), Tulsa took 69 penalties (202 minutes)

 

- If you look at all of the stats above, it is clear that Tulsa has outperformed when playing Allen this season. The Oilers overall points percentage is .375. Against Allen, it is .458. The Oilers have 17 wins this season, 30% on them (5) have been against Allen. It should also be noted that if you look at points earned in the last 10 games, the top three in the division are Kansas City (17), Allen (13), and Tulsa (12). Tulsa comes into the Allen series having won four of its last five games, with the only loss coming in Kansas City on Wednesday. Bottom line is Tulsa plays well against Allen, and the Oilers have been playing good hockey lately. This looks like it will be a great series.    

 

- As usual, special teams will play a key role in this series. Allen has the advantage in overall stats and head-to-head stats. The most stark stat is road vs home penalty kill. The Americans have the #1 ranked home penalty kill percentage (88.8%), and the Oilers have the #30 ranked road penalty kill percentage (68.7). Tulsa has taken a lot more penalties than Allen in the 12 head-to-head games (69 vs 48). If the Americans can take advantage of special teams, it will be a big help. 

 

- Across the ECHL, the team that scores first wins 75% on the points. Allen is one of the best in the league with a points percentage of .848  (18-2-3-0) when scoring first. Tulsa's record when scoring first is 11-8-1-0 (.575). As usual, the first goal will be key in this series.  

     

- Playing with the lead is also a key to this series. Here is Allen's record that tells the story of why the Americans can't be playing from behind in this series.

• 10-1-2-0: leading after 1st period
• 19-0-2-0: leading after 2nd period 
• 14-4-1-0: tied after 1st period
• 7-4-1-0: tied after 2nd period 
• 5-14-2-0: trailing after 1st period
• 3-15-2-0: trailing after 2nd period

 

- The game tonight will be a two-referee game. The referees will be Jamie Pavia (#26) and Logan Gruhl #29). The linesmen will be Daniel Barnes (#76) and Aaron Schacht.

 

 OTHER COMMENTS

 

- Anyway you slice it, the Americans will be the favorite in all three games this weekend. A sweep would give Allen some distance between themselves and fourth-place Tahoe. On February 14, Kansas City and Idaho had checked out over the rest of the division. Allen was tied for third place with Tahoe, but trailed Idaho by 16 points and Kansas City by 22 points. Today, Allen is two points ahead of Tahoe and 24 points behind Kansas City. However, what looked like an impossible 16-point deficit to Idaho has shrunk to nine points, and the Americans have two games in hand. Thanks to a slump by Idaho, which has lost six of the last eight games (4 of them at home), what was an impossible task a few weeks ago is now just a long shot for the Americans.

 

- Two critical dates that were shown as to be determined after the ECHL season was extended because of the players' strike are now set:

 

Recall/Ressignment Deadline

Wednesday, March 18 (11:59 p.m. local time)

Refers to NHL/AHL contracted players being recalled from one ECHL team and assigned to another (not players currently in the AHL).

 

ECHL Trade Deadline

Thursday, March 19 (3:00 pm EST)

 

 

 

- Tonight's game is Youngblood Night with both teams wearing specialty jerseys celebrating the release of the movie. Here are all of the details: https://echl.com/news/2026/03/special-youngblood-night-taking-place-friday-in-allen

 

 

 

- There are 11 games on the ECHL schedule tonight. All eight Mountain Division teams are in action, but four of them will be playing teams outside the division.:

• Wichita at Indy
• Idaho at Norfolk
• Utah at Bloomington 
• Wheeling at Rapid City
• Tahoe at Kansas City
• Tulsa at Allen

One of those rare nights when six of eight Mountain Division teams could win or lose. Here is the ECHL Today with all of the previews: https://echl.com/news/2026/03/echl-today-march-6   

 

 

 

DID YOU KNOW: Notice below the best team in the ECHL by far, Kansas City (.806 points percentage), has no players on the 14-day injured reserve. Allen has three, and its series opponent this weekend, last-place Tulsa, has a league-leading seven, including one NHL and one AHL contracted player.  

 

Injuries can play a key role in team success down the stretch. Here are the number of players currently on the 14-day injured reserve for each ECHL team. The total number is 96.

 

7: ADK, REA, TUL

6: FW, KAL

5: BLM, FLA, JAX, TAH, UTA, WHL

4: MNE

3: ALN, IA, SC, WOR

2: ATL, CIN, GSO, NOR, RC, SAV, TR

1: GVL, IDH, IND

0: KC, ORL, TOL, WIC

Allen Americans Alumni Game Roster, Details, and Stats

 UPDATE - Since I posted this yesterday, there have been a few changes. The good news is Darryl Bootland will be able to attend the alumni game, and his info has been added below. The bad news is that Riley Gill and Ben Owen will have to miss the alumni game. Riley is the head coach, and Ben is an assistant coach for one of the Allen High School hockey teams. They have a game scheduled at 3:00 pm on Saturday. From what I was told, they will be at the Allen game, but will miss the alumni game.  

Allen fans are in for a real treat on Saturday. The Allen Americans' third alumni game will take place at 5:00 pm, just before the Allen vs Tulsa game. The rosters will be a mix of former Allen players and some friends and family to fill out the rosters.  There have already been some changes from the press release issued by the Americans on Tuesday. Darryl Bootland, Dylan King, and Dayn Belfour have conflicts and will not be playing. One or two players could still be added. The count stands at 21 former players as I put this together.

• As a group, they have won 19 championships in Allen. 
• Ages range from 46 (Erik Adams) and 45 (Jason Deitsch) to 32 (Ben Owen) and 33 (Corey Durocher).
• The majority live locally, 14 of 21.
• Others have traveled a long way: New Brunswick & Alberta, Canada, Florida, California, and Minnesota.   

One way to describe the alumni game is many players from the past, with half the speed and twice the stories. Where former pros prove they still have the hands, but left their lungs and legs in the past. Game time is 5:00 pm.

Here is a little something about each of the former Allen players. Many had outstanding careers before and/or after playing for the Americans. The stats shown are just the time that was played in Allen. And, yes, several players will be wearing #5 and #9. A couple of players don't have a number assigned yet. 

I will provide the latest on the alumni game as part of the Allen vs Tulsa series preview tomorrow (Friday).    

TEAM RED - Captain, Tyler Ludwig 

D #32 ERIK ADAMS - 2009-12

• 107 games
• 53 points (10G, 43A) 
• 2014-15 - Allen Americans Assistant Coach
• Long-time Allen High School Coach 

 

D #6 MIKE BERUBE - 2010-14

• 229 games - #16 all-time
• 59 points (6G, 53A)
• 2013-2014 CHL Champion
• 2013-14 Team Captain 

 

 

F #91 JUSTIN BOWERS - 2009-10

• 49 games
• 73 points (23G, 50A)
• Led team in PPG (1.49)
• Led the league in playoff points (20 games, 30 points, 12G, 18A) 

 

 F  BRITT DOUGHERTY - 2009-10

• 45 games
• 3 points (1G, 2A) 85 PIM 
• One of several "enforcers" on the inaugural team.
• season cut short by injury 
• Highlight of season: meeting his future wife, Kelly Sklar, Allen ticket representative 

 

F #10 COREY DUROCHER - 2019-20 & 2021-22

• 49 games
• 23 points (9G, 14A) 

 

F #21 BRUCE GRAHAM - 2009-2014

• 184 games - #16 all-time
• 235 points (97G, 138A) - #3 all-time
• Twice led the team in points and plus/minus 
• 2014  CHL Champion
• 3-time CHL All-Star 

 

F #22 LIAM HUCULAK - 2009-11

• 110 games
• 39 points (19G 20A) 
• 219 PIM
• 2nd on the team in PIM in both of his seasons
• Power forward (6'5" 225 lbs) who would drop the gloves   

 

D #3 TYLER LUDWIG - 2001-15

• 247 games - #3 all-time
• 172 points (71G, 151A) - #10 all-time
• 2013, 2014 CHL Champion
• 2015  Kelly Cup Champion 
• Among defensemen: #1 games played, #2 points, #2 goals, #1 assists
• 2014 CHL Most Outstanding Defenseman 

 

G #41 DAVID MCKEE - 2009-10

• 5 games
• 3.95 GAA
• .897 Save Percentage 

 

G #35 JOEL RUMPEL - 2014-2016

• 43 games - #9 All-Time (Goalies)
• 2.69 GAA
• .907 Save Percentage
• 2015, 2016 Kelly Cup Champion 

 

 

TEAM BLUE - Captain, Jason Deitsch

F #9 MATHIEU AUBIN - 2017-18

• 48 games
• 20 points (7G, 13A) 

 

F #27 DARRYL BOOTLAND - 2012-14

• 100 games 
• 85 points (40G, 45A)
• 280 PIM
• 2012-13 was #1 points, #2 goals, #2 plus/minus, #2 PIM
• 2013, 2014 CHL Champion  

 

D #72 JOEL CHOUINARD - 2016-19

• 205 games
• 123 points (28G, 95A)
• All-Time Among Defensemen -  #3 assists, #4 points, #5 goals, #6 games
• 2017-19 Team Captain 
• 2016-17 Led ECHL in Plus/Minus +47, All-Time Allen Record 

 

F #19 JASON DEITSCH - 2011-13

• 132 games
• 100 points (27G, 73A)
• Never missed a game in two seasons with Allen  
• Team Captain, both seasons in Allen
• 2013 CHL Champion
• Served as Assistant Coach from 2017-2021
• Returned as Assistant Coach in 2025-26 

 

D #7 NOLAN DESCOTEAUX - 2014-2017

• 84 games
• 22 points (4G, 18A)
• 2015 Kelly Cup Champion 

 

D #5 AARON GENS - 2014-17

• 155 games
• 92 points (19G, 23A)
• All-Time Among Defensemen -  #6 assists, #7 points, #9 goals, #10 games
• 2014-15 Led all ECHL defensemen in points (56)
• 48 Assists in 2014-15 is the All-Time Allen Record for Defensemen 
• 2015, 2016 Kelly Cup Champion

 

G #30 RILEY GILL - 2014-2018

• 124 games (45 more than any other goalie)
• 2.50 GAA
• .921 Save Percentage 
• #30 Jersey Retired
• 2017 ECHL Goaltender of the Year
• 2017 ECHL Best Save Percentage (.935)
• 2015, 2016 Kelly Cup Champion 
• ECHL Hall of Fame (2026) 

 

D #24 TREVOR LUDWIG - 2011-15

• 171 games
• 62 points (20G, 42A)
• All-Time Among Defensmen -  #8 games, #8 goals, #10 assists
• 2013, 2014 CHL Champion
• 2015 Kelly Cup Champion 

 

F #9 BRIAN MCMILLIN - 2010-15

• 215 games - #9 all-time
• 126 points (53G, 73A)
• Had more goals (53) than penalty minutes (45) in his Allen career.
• 2013 CHL Playoff MVP
• 2013, 2014 CHL Champion
• 2015 Kelly Cup Champion 

 

*D #5 BEN OWEN - 2018-20 & 2021-22

• 44 games
• 4 points (0G, 4A) 

 

D #5 JACOB POE - 2015-16

• 32 games
• 4 points (0G, 4A) 

 

F ADAM PINEAULT - 2011-13

• 56 games
• 41 points (17G, 24A)
• 2013 CHL Champion

Allen Beats Kansas City 5-2, Wins Series, Game Recap, Video Highlights, Martinson Quote, Huge Attendance, Europe Deadline

 

I am without internet for almost a day now (AT&T network problem) so no desktop this morning. I am trying to write the blog on my IPhone. This will be short and sweet today and I apologize up front for any errors.

- The Allen Americans won the game (5-2) and the series against Kansas City last night and head back home with four of six points. Until last night the Mavericks had lost one series all season and that was back in late October. 

- The Americans have struggled to score goals recently and even strength goals have been even harder to come by. The last time the Americans scored more than three goals was February 14 against Tulsa. Allen won 5-3 and all five goals were power play goals. Last night was just the opposite. The Americans ended up 0-7 on the power play and scored five even strength goals.

- Allen got off to a great start, scoring the only goal (Danny Katic) of the first period at the 5:37 mark. It was the 23rd time in 53 games (43%) the Americans have scored first, with a record of 18-2-3-0 (.848). 

- Allen added to its lead scoring the only two goals (Sam Stange & Brayden Watts) of the second period to take a 3-0 lead into the second intermission. That was an excellent sign considering the Americans’ record when leading after the second period was 18-0-2-0.

- Kansas City scored early in the third period to cut the score to 3-1, but Allen got its three goal lead back just 51 seconds later on a Colton Hargrove goal and added a fifth goal at 9:41 on a Quinn Warmuth rebound goal. Allen took a couple of penalties in the last half of the period which led to a Mavericks’ power play goal. It was the only power play goal of the game by either team (1-14). The final score was 5-2. 

- Jackson Parsons was outstanding in goal again stopping 40 of 42 shots. His stats for the weekend are 3 goals allowed in 124:53 minutes, 1.46 GAA and a .956 save percentage. Those are ECHL Goalie of the Week numbers if you ask me.

- Goal scorers for Allen were Danny Katic (23), Sam Stange (8), Brayden Watts (18), Colton Hargrove (17) and Quinn Warmuth (6)  Here are the video highlights: https://echl.com/videos/allen-americans-vs-kansas-city-mavericks-feb-28-2026

- Here is the game recap issued by the Allen Americans: https://allenamericans.com/news/2026/02/game-recap-americans-hand-mavericks-second-straight-loss

- I had a chance to swap messages with Coach Martinson as the team was bussing back to Allen late last night. His message to me was, “Obviously it is nice to get four points on the weekend. The big takeaway is our attitude going forward. Will it be it was ‘nice to beat the 1st place team’ or will it be ‘we are coming and let’s f***ing go.”

- Allen will be even stronger going forward as McAuley and Sillinger should be available for the three game series against Tulsa next Friday, Saturday and Sunday. And if you know General Manager Martinson, he is always trying to add pieces down the stretch in anticipation of the playoffs. Stay tuned!

OTHER COMMENTS

- Quinn Warmuth’s 6th goal of the season last night ties him with Sam Sedley and Ty Prefontaine for the team lead in goals by a defenseman. Points are another story, The top four defensemen in points are Sedley (40), Anania (27), Prefontaine (15) and Warmuth (13).

- The Mountain Division playoff picture is getting clearer every day. While it is still a long way before the four playoff teams are mathematically assured, the gaps are getting to a point they will be very hard to close. After the games last night the Mountain Division teams have between 18-22 games remaining. Here are the standings by points. In parentheses is points earned in the last 10 games which shows how difficult it is to make up points:

85 points - Kansas City (17 points)

72 points - Idaho (10 points)

63 points - Allen (13 points)

61 points - Tahoe (11 points)

52 points  - Wichita (11 points)

48 points - Rapid City (9 points)

47 points - Utah (9 points) 

37 points - Tulsa (11 points)

You can see over a 10 game span the most any team has gained is 3 points, which Allen gained on Idaho. The Steelheads still have a nine point lead and there are only two 10 game periods left in the season. Unless a team wins or loses 8 out of 10 games it is almost impossible to makeup gaps more than a few points. My prediction is the only contest left is for #3 and #4 between, Allen and Tahoe, to see who plays Kansas City in the first round of the playoffs.

- Jackson Parsons has played 777 minute for the Allen Americans and to be qualified needs 1020 minutes. He is four games short of becoming qualified, but the 1020 minutes to become qualified increases as the season progresses. By the end of the season it will reach 1440 minutes played. If Parsons doesn’t get recalled, he needs to be in goal for 11 of Allen’s remaining 21 games to be qualified. That is a long drawn out way to say if Jackson were qualified, his .928 save percentage would be the third best in the ECHL.

- Last night was an outstanding attendance night for the ECHL. 15 games totaled 121,564, with an average of 8104 per game:

15,199: Tulsa 

14,268: Jacksonville*

9763: Fort Wayne*

9354: Cincinnati 

8668: Orlando 

8300: Toledo*

7485: Savannah*

6828: Reading*

6723: Utah

6572: Indy

6532: Greensboro 

5720: Worcester 

5460: Adirondack*

5425: Kansas City* 

5267: Idaho*

*published arena capacities aren’t always accurate, but by my review these teams had sellouts or close to sellouts. Stick taps to all of the sales and marketing staffs for one of the highest ECHL attendance nights ever.

DID YOU KNOW: ECHL players going to & from Europe is about to end:

GOING TO EUROPE

Dates vary by league but final deadline was February 15 according to International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) rule.

RETURNING FROM EUROPE

To play in the ECHL players must return by tomorrow, March 2 (3:00 pm EST).

OT Power Play Goal Powers Allen to Win, Game Recap, Video Highlights, Martinson Comments, Tonight's Preview, Top Scorers Since 2024-25 and More

 

 It took a third-period comeback and an overtime power-play goal for the Allen Americans to earn a 2-1 win over the Kansas City Mavericks last night. Allen's first win in five tries against the Mavericks this season was highlighted by outstanding goaltending from both teams. Allen goalie Jackson Parsons (.962 save percentage) and Kansas City goalie Jack LaFontaine (.947 save percentage) were the best players on the ice.

 

- Here are a few of the stats that contributed to the victory, and the odds the Americans overcame:

• Allen gave up the first goal and won the game against the team with the best record in the league when they score first (28-1-2-0, .917).
• Allen had nine power plays, including a long 5-on-3 and a power play during overtime, compared to Kansas City's four power plays.
• Allen won the special teams battle in a game where neither team scored an even-strength goal. 
• Allen outshot Kansas City 38-26, including 15-7 in the third period and 6-1 in overtime.
• Allen snapped Kansas City's 16-game home winning streak, the 4th longest home winning streak in the history of the ECHL.
• Allen snapped Kansas City's 12-game winning streak, the 2nd longest in the ECHL this season. The longest of the season (14 games) is also held by the Mavericks.
• Allen overcame a 1-0 second-period deficit. It was the first time all season that Kansas City had blown a second-period lead. Their record when leading after the second period is 26-0-1-0.
• Odd stat of the day - In its first 47 games, Allen had four games decided in overtime and lost all of them. In its last 5 games, Allen has had 4 decided in overtime and has won 3 of them.  

 

 - The fourth minute proved to be the magic minute last night. All three goals were scored in the fourth minute:

• 4:41 - After a scoreless first period, Kansas City scored the first goal of the game at the 4:41 mark of the second period. David Cotton scored his 17th goal of the season. Marcus Crawford assisted on the goal. It was Crawford's 55th assist of the season and his 67th point. The all-star defenseman has a 10-point lead in the ECHL scoring race and has 15 more assists than any other player.  
• 4:15 - Allen tied the score 1-1 at the 4:15 mark of the third period to start a comeback. It was a power play goal by Sam Stang, assisted by Brayden Watts and Ty Prefontaine. Stang has scored seven goals (3 in Florida, 4 in Allen) in 11 ECHL games. His goal-scoring pace would equate to 46 goals over a full season. Watts has been Allen's leading scorer over the last six games with 10 points. 
• 4:58 - Allen finished its comeback at 4:58 of overtime with a power play goal by Michael Gildon, his 14th of the season. Colton Hargrove and Brayden Watts had the assists. Gildon's 14 goals are more than he has scored since 2018-19 when he played for the US National team.  

 

- Here is the game recap from the Allen Americans and the video highlights with all of the goals and a bunch of great saves by both goalies.

• Game recap: https://allenamericans.com/news/2026/02/game-recap-americans-end-kcs-long-winning-streak 
• Video highlights:https://echl.com/videos/allen-americans-vs-kansas-city-mavericks-feb-27-2026

 

MARTINSON'S COMMENTS

I had a chance to talk to Coach Martinson this morning, and here is what he had to say:

"It was a big win against the best team in the league right now."

"We have to take more advantage of our power play opportunities. We need to generate more shots. That is what I will deal with at the meeting before the game tonight."

"The physical play should work to our advantage tonight in game three of the series. We are used to playing that way. I am not sure they are."  

"I expect we will have the same lineup tonight as last night. Parsons will get the start in goal. McAuley is still day-to-day." 

 

 

TONIGHT'S PREVIEW

- The rubber match of the series is tonight, and remember it is an early puck drop (6:05 pm CST). It will be another big challenge for the Americans. Kansas City has lost back-to-back games only once all season, and that was in late October. No doubt the Mavericks will come out strong tonight.  

 

- Allen won last night even though they gave up the first goal. The Americans don't want to try to defy the odds again tonight. Even with the loss last night after scoring the first goal, Kansas City has the best record in the ECHL when scoring first, 28-2-2-0 (.906). Allen has given up the first goal in six of the last seven games and is asking for trouble if they give up the first goal tonight.

 

- The team that won the special teams battle won the first two games of the series, and that trend will likely continue tonight. Kansas City had a 2-1 edge in power-play goals on Wednesday, and Allen had a 2-1 edge last night. Allen had a 9-4 advantage in power play opportunities last, and a 15-9 advantage in the two games. These numbers tend to even out, so you might look for that tonight. If you look at the power play percentage in the series, Allen is at 20.0% (3-15), and Kansas City is at 33.3% (3-9). 

 

- Here is the Allen Americans game preview/notes for tonight: https://allenamericans.com/news/2026/02/game-day-preview-earlier-start-time-tonight-in-kc

 

 

OTHER COMMENTS

- Allen has two players in the top 15 in  ECHL scoring, Brayden Watts is #4 with 52 points (17G, 35A), and Hank Crone is #15 with 46 points (12G, 34A). Sam Sedley is #5 among defensemen with 40 points (6G, 34A).

 

- There wasn't much change in the standings last night. Idaho was idle, so Allen gained on the Steelheads, and Tahoe won, so they are keeping pace with Allen. Here are the division standings by points with games played in parentheses. 

• 85 points - Kansas City (52 games) 
• 70 points - Idaho (53 games)
• 61 points - Allen (52 games)
• 59 points - Tahoe (53 games)
• 52 points - Wichita (50 games)
• 48 points - Rapid City (50 games)
• 47 points - Utah (53 games) 
• 35 points - Tulsa (49 games)

 

- It is a huge night in the ECHL with all 30 teams in action. For the Mountain Division teams that are outside the top four spots, each game is critical. It is going to be very hard for Wichita and Rapid City to make the playoffs if they keep winning four or five games out of 10. Here are the Mountain Division match-ups tonight:

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

Here is the ECHL Today with all of the previews: https://echl.com/news/2026/02/echl-today-feb-28   

 

 - Andre Anania did not play in Iowa's 3-2 win in Grand Rapids last night. The teams play each other again tonight. In 49 games with Allen, Andre has 27 points (4G, 23A). He is #5 on the team in assists, #4 in plus/minus (+9), and #3 in PIM (50 minutes). 

 

DID YOU KNOW: The ECHL Stats post today is about players with the most points combining 2024-25 and 2025-26. The Allen leaders are Hank Crone at #10 (110 points, 31G, 79A) and Brayden Watts at #11 (105 points, 36G, 69A). 

 

If you combine 2024-25 & 2025-26 stats, seven ECHL players have 115 or more points: 

 

146 (61G, 85A) Brandon Hawkins, Toledo 

127 (47G, 80A) Ryan Wagner, Rapid City

124 (44G, 80A) Peter Bates, Wichita

118 (50G, 68A) Brady Fleurent, Norfolk

117 (55G, 62A) Simon Pinard, South Carolina

115 (45G, 70A) Sloan Stanick, Tahoe

115 (39G, 76A) Michal Stinil, Wichita

 

 

Allen vs Kansas City Preview, Remaining Schedule, Top ECHL Goalies, and My Comments on Blog Comments

 

It's game day for the Allen Americans, and another chance to get a win against the Kansas City Mavericks for the first time this season after four losses. It has actually been over a year (January 4, 2025) since an Allen team defeated Kansas City, and it was the only win against the Mavericks last season (1-9-0-0). Brayden Watts was the hero in that 5-2 win, scoring a pure hat trick to start the game and give the Americans a 3-0 lead.

 

- The Americans held their own in the 4-3 loss to the Mavericks on Wednesday, outshooting Kansas City 33-24, including 15-2 in the third period. As Coach Martiinson said about the game, "I thought the big difference in the game was the power play. They scored two goals, and we scored one. I am confident that if we play our game on Friday, we will win." 

 

- I won't have the lineup until later in the day, but we do know:

• Allen will be missing  defenseman Andre Anania, who was loaned to the AHL Iowa Wild yesterday. Andre has been one of Allen's leading scorers recently with four points (1G, 3A) in his last five games. His goal was the overtime game winner against Utah last Saturday.
• Jackson Decker will replace Anania in the lineup tonight. 
• Jackson Parsons will get the start in goal; it will be his first start since returning from Belleville. Parsons has been consistent all season. He has been in 12 games, and only once had a save percentage below .900. His season total stats are 2.39 GAA and .922 save percentage, both of which lead the team. 
• The big unknown is whether Colby McAuley will be able to play tonight. He has been day-to-day since being hit by a puck last Saturday. It will be a big lift for the team if he can play, not only for his offense, but also for his physical play, which is a key to success against Kansas City.  

 

-  Here are three keys to the game if Allen wants to get a win tonight.

• The Americans have to score the first goal. They have given up the first goal in five of the last six games. Their record when giving up the first goal is 10-17-2-0 (.379). Allen can't afford to get off to a bad start.
• Allen and Kansas City both have excellent special teams. Kansas City is ranked #4 on the power play and #1 on the penalty kill. Allen is not far behind with the #8-ranked power play and #6-ranked penalty kill. An ace in the hole for the Americans is their #2-ranked road power play (25.5%). Kansas City won the special teams battle on Wednesday, going 2-5 (40%) on the power play. Allen was 1-6 (16.7%) and was also thwarted on a penalty shot. If Allen wins the special teams battle tonight, it will likely lead to victory.
• Allen has to avoid playing from behind if it expects to win. The Americans had to try to overcome deficits of 1-0, 2-1, 3-1, 3-2, 4-2, and 4-3 on Wednesday. They can't play from behind and expect to win. These stats tell you all you need to know about the futility of coming from behind against the Mavericks, who are almost impossible to beat with a lead. Kansas City is 28-2-1-0 when scoring first, 15-1-0-0 when leading after the first period, and 26-0-0-0 when leading after the second period. 

 

OTHER COMMENTS

- It is the end of February, and the Americans are in third place in the Mountain Division by points (59) and point percentage (.578) with 21 games remaining. How does the Americans' remaining schedule compare to Tahoe and Wichita, the two teams closest to Allen in the standings? Here is a breakdown of each team's remaining schedule, with the point percentage of the opponents.

Allen - 59 points, .578, 21 games remaining

• .824 - Kansas City (3 games)
• .660 - Idaho (2 games)
• .637 - South Carolina (3 games)
• .548 - Tahoe (2 games)
• .520 - Wichita (3 games)
• .452 - Utah (2 games)
• .347 - Greensboro (3 games)
• .344 - Tulsa (3 games)

 

Tahoe - 57 points, .548, 20 games remaining

• .824 - Kansas City (5 games)
• .653 - Toledo (3 games)
• .578 - Allen (2 games)
• .500 - Cincinnati (3 games)
• .490 - Rapid City (5 games) 
• .452 - Utah (2 games)

 

Wichita - 52 points, .520, 22 games remaining

• .864 - Kansas City (6 games)
• .660 - Idaho (1 game)
• .653 - Toledo (1 game)
• .578 - Allen (3 games)
• .561 - Indy (3 games)
• .521 - Trois Riviéres (1 game)
• .490 - Rapid City (3 games)
• .452 - Utah (3 games)
• .344 - Tulsa (1 game)

 

- There are lots of ways you can slice and dice the info above. Here are some of them:

• Allen has the fewest games remaining against Kansas City and will be down to one after tomorrow night. Tahoe (5) and Wichita (6) will see a lot of the Mavericks down the stretch.
• Allen has six games remaining against teams with point percentages below .400. Wichita has one, and Tahoe has none. 
• Excluding Kansas City, the number of games remaining against teams with a point percentage above .600 is Allen (5), Tahoe (3), and Wichita (1).
• Not included above, but here is a breakdown of the remaining games by home (H) and away (A) for each team. Allen (12H, 9A), Tahoe (9H, 11A) and Wichita (8H, 14A).
• All in all, I would say Allen has the most favorable schedule down the stretch.

 

- There are 13 games on the ECHL schedule tonight. Two of the idle teams are Idaho and Wichita. The six Mountain Division teams in action are Allen at Kansas City, Rapid City at Tulsa, and Tahoe at Utah. Here is the ECHL Today with all of the previews: https://echl.com/news/2026/02/echl-today-feb-27 

 

- A win tonight by Kansas City will be its 17th straight home win and move the Mavericks to #3 all-time, just two wins behind the all-time record of 19 straight home wins. A win will also improve Kansas City's point percentage to .827, which will be on pace for the highest point percentage in the history of the league. Idaho set the all-time record of .826 in 2022-23. The only other time an ECHL team has finished a season with a point percentage above .800 was in 2001-02 when the Louisiana IceGators finished at .806.      

- I don't normally enter the fray by commenting on comments from the blog, but I felt compelled to do so today. I rarely deleted any blog comments before the disaster of last season. That is when I decided to try and focus the blog comments on the on-ice product and not every complaint or compliment readers have about the facility, concessions, broadcasters, interns, team store, and front office staff,  just to name a few.

I will be the first to admit I am not always consistent in deletions, but I wanted to share what I am trying to do. I will rededicate myself to being more consistent in deleting all comments (good or bad) on these off-ice issues. If you have off-ice issues, suggestions, ideas, and complaints, or want to compliment someone, I encourage you to go directly to the team president or the front office staff person responsible.  

As a reminder, any personal insults, foul language, slurs, or attacks will be deleted, no matter the topic or the comment. 

I want the blog to be a place where readers feel comfortable sharing their comments without them being deleted. I just ask you to limit your comments to the on-ice product. Finally, I want to thank you for your continued support for this labor of love that has now reached 2790 published blogs and 3.97 million page views. 

 

 

DID YOU KNOW: Last season, 12 ECHL goalies finished with a GAA under 2.50, with three being below 2.10. So far this season, there are 18 with a GAA below 2.50, and six are under 2.10 (minimum of 960 minutes played). Here are the top six goalies by GAA:

 

1.94 - Logan Terness, Kansas

1.99 - T.J. Semptimphelter, Atlanta

2.00 - *Taylor Gauthier, Wheeling

2.00 - Hunter Jones, Trois Rivières

2.04 - *Cam Johnson, Florida

2.09 - Jack LaFontaine, Kansas City 

 

*Johnson (1.92) and Gauthier (2.06) were two of the three goalies who finished with a GAA below 2.10 last season.