Happy 10th Anniversary, A Trip Down Memory Lane, Players Share Their Memories, Allen Scores Six Award Nominations, Protected Lists Released and More

 

I don't have a lot new to report, but today is the 10th anniversary of Allen's last championship, so I have to take a trip down memory lane. On June 9, 2016 (9:36 pm to be exact), Allen defeated Wheeling 4-2 to capture its second straight Kelly Cup and fourth consecutive league championship. What felt like another celebration at the time was actually the culmination of one of the greatest runs in professional minor-league hockey. A feat no other minor-league pro franchise has accomplished. 

 

YOU WILL WALK TOGETHER FOREVER - photo by Lauren Lyssy

 

 

- I went back and took a good look at the 2015-16 season, and this is what I found.:

• Allen was good in the regular season (89 points), but not great. In the previous year (2014-15), on the way to its first Kelly Cup, the Americans finished with 106 points, one point away from capturing the Brabham Cup. In 2015-16, Allen didn't even win their division, finishing 20 points behind Kansas City (Missouri at the time), who won the Brabham Cup.
• Allen almost didn't get out of the first round of the playoffs, beating Idaho in overtime in game seven. Allen returned home for games six and seven after trailing 3-2. To make matters worse, the Americans lost game five in Idaho 7-1, so all the momentum was with the Steelheads. In game seven, Allen was trailing 2-1 going into the third period. David Makowski tied the game on a power play to send the game into overtime, and Tristan King was the OT hero, scoring the game-winner at the 3:38 mark. 
• Allen took on their bitter rivals in the second round. Kansas City was the best team in the league. The Americans dispatched the Mavericks in six games, led by Hall of Fame goalie Riley Gill. Allen's four wins in the series were 2-0, 5-1, 4-1, 5-1. Gill's save percentage in the four wins was 1.000, .962, .946, .970.
• Allen beat Fort Wayne 4-1 in the Conference Finals, but it wasn't as easy as the 4-1 would indicate. In game two, Vincent Areseneau scored with 30 seconds remaining in the game to send it into overtime, and Gary Steffes scored 56 seconds into the overtime for the game winner. In game four, Allen trailed 5-2 going into the third period and scored three unanswered goals (Tristan King, Greger Hanson, David Makowski) to send the game to overtime. J.P. LaFomtaine scored one goal in 22 games in the playoffs, but it was a big one. He scored the game-winner at 3:46 of OT.
• It was off to the finals against Wheeling, and once again, it was tougher than the 4-2 series might indicate. Allen split the first two games at home and lost game three in Wheeling to fall behind 2-1 in the series. The Americans won games four and five in Wheeling to take a 3-2 series lead and beat the Nailers 4-2 at home in game six to win the Kelly Cup.

 

- Here are some individual and team standout performances from the 2016 Kelly Cup playoffs:

• Chad Costello set the all-time record (which still stands) for assists in a playoff with 29. His 36 points are #2 all-time. He became the first player in history to win the regular-season and playoff MVP award.
• Riley ended the playoffs with the most wins (12), minutes (997), saves (469), and a save percentage of .923. 
• Greger Hanson led the team with 15 goals, followed by Gary Steffes with 13. Hanson, who was the playoff MVP in 2015, is Allen's all-time leader in playoff goals with 39. 
• Rookie defenseman Eric Roy was third on the team in points (21) and led the team in plus-minus (+12).
• Vincent Arseneau, the hardest hitter to ever play in Allen, was third on the team in goals (8) and led the team in penalty minutes (55).
•  The Americans led the ECHL during the regular season with a power play percentage of  21.1%. In the playoffs, they improved the overall power play percentage to 27.2%, and at home, it was an astounding 32.7%. What is even more impressive is how disciplined the team was in not taking penalties. They made their opponents pay time and time again.

 

- I asked Coach Martinson and some of the players from the 2016 championship team about their memories on this 10th anniversary. Here is what they had to say:

 

• Steve Martinson  - What impressed me most about talking to Coach Martinson was his recall of specific plays, key goals, and yes, several of them were penalties that weren't called, such as goalie interference. "We had several key players that did not play a lot of games during the regular season because of injury, callups, or they were playing in college. That helped us play better in the playoffs. We had a lot of veteran guys play well in the playoffs. Our go-to guys played well, and we had some good additions. We were still traveling by bus that season, and Wheeling put us up in these cabins, and we were together all the time. I think that helped us. The 2016 team was a good bunch of guys to coach."   

• Chad Costello - I reminded Chad that he set the all-time assist record (29) and was the playoff MVP in 2016. This was his response. "I don't remember the 29 assists or the MVP. I remember playing for teammates I really cared about. I thought our group deserved to win, and I would do anything in my power to help make that happen. As a team, we wanted to make our city and fans proud. Marty did an incredible job keeping us motivated and made us championship-ready and deserving. As a coach now, I learned a lot from that team. Incredible players, coaches, and people. I am thankful for the memories, and I am thankful for the teammates."   

• Riley Gill - "After our overtime win in game five in Wheeling, you could feel the momentum swing. We came together when it mattered most, got big goals from our leaders and returned home determined to finish what we started. Winning back-to-back Kelly Cups wasn't just about talent. It was about trust, sacrifice, and a group that refused to be  denied."

• Spencer Asuchak - "Hanson's 15 goals in the playoffs were insane. When he scored the overtime game-winner in game five in Wheeling, it gave us so much confidence. I remember as we were on the bus (Big Red) getting ready to head back to Allen after that game, their fans surrounded the bus, started throwing crap, shaking the bus, and not letting us leave. It was pretty cool, haha. Gill was incredible in that series. That team was loaded.

• Aaron Gens - "Such an amazing run. We weren't coming into the playoffs as the top seed, so we had a ton of work to do. Beating Idaho in overtime in game seven in the first round was special, and then taking out the top team (Kansas City), and then rolling over Fort Wayne. Wheeling wasn't as easy as some people thought. It was small ice, and it was a war zone. They were hunting us down. I'll never forget Costy setting up Hanson for huge goals in Wheeling. They messed up when they gave us a hotel (cabins) in the wilderness. We had a bunch of outdoorsmen from all over North America, so we loved every second of being there. Between the games, we played a softball game with a bat made from wood. Our chemistry was so strong that we would do everything together."

THANKS FOR A GREAT SEASON BOYS! - photo by Dianne Webster

 

 - June 9, 2016, marked the fourth consecutive championship for the Allen Americans, capping one of the most dominant eras in minor league hockey. Just as remarkable, all four championship-winning games were celebrated on home ice, giving Allen fans the rare privilege of seeing an entire dynasty crowned in person.  

 

- The only constant in the four straight Allen championships was coach Steve Martinson, who had to build a new team every season with no multi-year contracts in AA hockey. There were no players from the 2013 championship still on the team in 2016. The list of players who won three of the four championships is impressive. Spencer Asuchak, Greger Hanson, Tyler Ludwig, Trevor Ludwig, Brian McMillin, and Jamie Schaafsma.  

 

OTHER COMMENTS

 - The ECHL released the protected lists this morning. The protected list is unlimited in size and typically includes every player the team holds the rights to. You can get all of the details here. https://echl.com/news/2026/06/echl-announces-protected-lists. Allen protected two goalies, 14 forwards, and 10 defensemen: 

- The ECHL announced the nominees for its annual team awards yesterday. A total of 106 nominees in 21 categories. Allen has a nomination in six categories, more than all but two teams. A far cry from all those years when Allen seemed to always be at the bottom of the list. Congrats to team president, Jonny Mydra, and his staff on the following nominations:

 

• Marketing Team of the Year
• Most Creative Ticket Package of the Year - (Goalie Content Creator/All Goalie Game)
• Game Operations Team of the Year
• Ticket Department of the Year - Growth
• Group Department of the Year - Growth 
• Team Award of Excellence - Growth 

 

- Here is a breakdown of the nominations by team and the ECHL press release with all of the details;

 

7 ORL, SC

6 ALN, ATL, GVL, IDH

5 BLM, CIN, FLA, JAX, KAL, SAV, TOL

4 MNE, RC, WOR

3 IND, KC, TR

2 FW, GSO, NOR, TAH, WIC

1 REA, WHL

0 ADK, IA, TUL, UTA

 

Press Release -https://echl.com/news/2026/06/echl-announces-finalists-for-2025-26-team-awards-presented-by-sponsorcx 

 

 

 

- It seems like a long time since Allen won the Kelly Cup, but this puts everything in perspective. Only four current ECHL teams have won a Kelly Cup since Allen's win in 2016. 20 of the 30 teams that competed this season have never won a Kelly Cup. Here are the 10 teams that have won the Kelly Cup and the most recent season they won.  

 

2025: Trois Rivières

2024: Florida

2021: Fort Wayne

2016: Allen

2013: Reading

2010: Cincinnati

2009: South Carolina

2007: Idaho

2002: Greenville (Grrrowl)

1994: Toledo (Storm)

  

 

 

- The Kelly Cup finals resume tomorrow night in Florida. Kansas City has a 2-0 lead, having won the first two games at home. The Mavericks were dominant, winning 6-0 and 5-2. The most impressive stat to me, other than outscoring Florida 11-2, is that Kansas City had 11 different players score goals. To say the game tomorrow night is a must-win for Florida is an understatement. If the Everblades fall behind 3-0 in the series, this will likely be yet another lopsided final series.

 

A reminder, the last four seasons the Kelly Cup finals were: 

 

4-1: Trois Rivières over Toledo

4-1: Florida over Kansas City

4-0: Florida over Idaho

4-1: Florida over Toledo

 

  

 

DID YOU KNOW: This week is the anniversary of another milestone in the Allen Americans franchise history. On Sunday, June 14, it will be 11 years since Allen won its first Kelly Cup with a 6-1 home win over the South Carolina Stingrays in game seven. Goal scorers in that game were Chad Costello (2), Vincent Arseneau (2), Gary Steffes, and Chris Crane. 

Steve Martinson Q & A, June Critical Dates, Playoff Update and More

I had a chance to ask Coach Martinson a few questions as he was packing up all of the family "stuff" to head back to their home in Rockford, IL, for the summer. He has a big pickup and an enclosed trailer, which he told me are both packed to the gills. He will leave tomorrow on the long drive, but there is no doubt that the 14+ hour drive will also be a recruiting trip, with lots of phone time. 


Q: Do you have any future consideration trades either coming or going that you have to satisfy by the June 20 deadline?

A: No, those are all taken care of.

 

 

Q: How would you assess the season, given the slow start at the beginning and then your 12-game point streak to end the season to finish in second place?

A: I wasn't anticipating the slow start. I thought we were gonna come out of the gate flying, to be honest with you. It just took the guys a while to get going. I hadn't coached most of the players before. And then you're putting a new group of guys together. As a team, we got into better shape after a few weeks. There was disappointment in the slow start, but the end of the season was great. It's always better to have a strong finish and be playing your best hockey going into the playoffs.



 

Q: Will your experience this season change your approach to training camp next season?

A: Training camp will be more competitive next season. Everybody coming back will know that you've got to show up in shape at their target weight. We will have more guys attending NHL/AHL camps. Those guys are on the ice for a month ahead of the guys who only come to our camp. 



 

Q: What are your thoughts on the playoff loss to Kansas City?

A: Well, that was pretty painful. We end up getting swept, but three games were one-goal games in the third period. Game three was really frustrating. We killed off a 5-on-3 penalty and then scored 12 seconds later to tie the game 4-4. A broken stick, and they take the lead right back 30 seconds later. Kansas City is really good. I can't say anything other than it was just an extremely frustrating series.

 

 

Q: How will recruitment for next year be different, given the stronger relationship with Ottawa, and the fact that you had your affiliate identified so early?

A: It is night and day. I have already got guys going to AHL training camp. Last year, by the time I got training camp spots, most of the top rookies were already signed. I was lucky that Anania and Sedley had waited to see if they would get AHL deals and were still available. It worked out well that we got those guys. With the affiliation already decided, I am recruiting now, which is a big advantage.

 

 

 

Q: You were the top offensive team in the league this season. How much of a help will that be in recruiting?

 

A: It is immeasurable how important that is. Players looking to move up know that points get you noticed, and in our system they will have the opportunity to do that. But just as important is how you play without the puck, and that is also important in our system.  When you are the #1 offensive team, you have players and agents calling all summer.     

OTHER COMMENTS

 

- Even though the playoffs are still going on, critical dates are coming up fast. The first day to sign players for 2026-27 is less than a month away: Here are the June critical dates: 

 

June 8 - Protected list due

June 20 - Future considerations deadline

June 22 - Season-ending rosters due

June 23 - First day to sign players for 2026-27

 

 

 

- Kansas City beat Fort Wayne 4-2 last night to take a 3-1 lead in that series. Game five isn't until Sunday in Fort Wayne. In the other Conference Finals series, Florida leads 2-0 with game three tonight in Wheeling. Almost everyone had Kansas City and Florida meeting in the Kelly Cup finals, and that matchup is still on track. 

 

 

  

- Despite playing in only nine playoff games (some have played 15 games), Danny Katic and Brayden Watts are still at the top of the playoff leaderboard.

 

 Katic is #6 in points (13) and #6 in goals (6). He is #1 in points per game (more than 2 games) at 1.44.

Watts is #8 in assists (8) and #9 in points (12). He is #2 in points per game at 1.33. 

 

 

 

DID YOU KNOW:  Here are the ECHL Stats posts from the last two days:

 

Here is a breakdown of the ECHL Kelly Cup final four rosters:

 

Florida

8 -  NHL/AHL contracted players (0 NHL, 8 AHL)

4 - Veterans

2 - Rookies

 

Fort Wayne

9 - NHL/AHL contracted players (4 NHL, 5 AHL)

4 - Veterans

7 -  Rookies

 

Kansas City

7 - NHL/AHL contracted players (0 NHL, 7 AHL)

2 - Veterans

7 - Rookies

 

Wheeling

14 - NHL/AHL contracted players (3 NHL, 11 AHL)

1 - Veteran

14 - Rookies

 

 

- Of the four remaining ECHL playoff teams (FLA, FW, KC, WHL), only Wheeling still has an affiliate in the postseason. Its AHL affiliate, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, is in the AHL Conference finals. None of the ECHL final four has an NHL affiliate still playing.

 

  

Thank You, Thank You, Thank You - The Turnaround Season

 The Allen Americans’ season came to an end at home a week ago, with a 5-3 loss to Kansas City before the second-largest crowd of the season, 6146. It wasn’t the ending Allen Americans fans were hoping for. The series was a lot closer than the 4-0 sweep might indicate.

- Here are a few things to remember about the 2025-26 season:

• Steve Martinson returned to Allen and engineered an immediate turnaround. From a last-place 43 points in the division in 2024-25, Allen finished in second place under Coach Martinson in 2025-26 with 92 points. The 49-point turnaround is the fourth largest in the 38-year history of the ECHL. 
• Allen finished the regular season on a 12-game point streak (11-0-1-0). The Americans beat Kansas City 2-1 in overtime in the last game of the season to pass Idaho for second place and earned home ice advantage for the first round of the playoffs, which they won, beating Idaho 4-1.
• Allen lost in the Division finals to the #1 team in the league, Kansas City. Another way to express this is that only four of the 30 ECHL teams advanced further in the playoffs than the Americans. Kansas City is now playing in the Conference Finals and is still unbeaten (9-0-0). 
• Coach Martinson is set up much better for 2026-27. Having the #1 offense in the ECHL will pay big dividends in recruiting, as will the improved help expected to come from the affiliation with Ottawa/Belleville.

- The blog will take a short offseason break, but the blog never really sleeps. I will continue posting on an as-needed basis whenever there is news to report. I interviewed Coach Martinson this morning about the just-completed season, and General Manager Martinson about the 2026-27 season. I will get that posted in the next couple of days.    

- There are so many people to thank for helping make this blog possible. Writing about the team almost every day throughout the season is a major undertaking, and it truly takes a village. Over the years, more and more readers have contributed with story ideas, information, questions, and words of encouragement. . It is hard to put into words how much I appreciate everyone, whether you read the blog every day or are a casual fan who occasionally stops by to read my daily musings. I have had the pleasure of meeting many of you over the years, and your support through personal conversations, blog comments, social media, message boards, emails, and texts has been both inspiring and deeply rewarding. Thank you to all of the readers for your support and for being such a big part of the blog. 

- Since Steve Martinson first came to Allen in 2012, he has been an invaluable part of this blog through his honesty, accessibility, and trust. Fans who attend his post-game chats after every game can attest to this. Martinson is always willing to take a call, answer a question, or provide background or perspective at almost any time of the day. The working relationship we have built over the years has grown into something far more meaningful, and I will always appreciate the respect, confidence, and countless conversations we have shared along the way.  

 

- I always feel welcome in the coach's office after practices and games. A chance to talk in-depth to all of the coaches in addition to Martinson;  assistant coaches Matt Register and Jason Deitsch, and goalie coach Chris Johansen. They have all helped me and educated me, and I thank them for that.    

 

- Thanks to head athletic trainer Jordan Dutton and head equipment manager Matt Miletich for always taking the time to give me updates at practice and responding to my numerous text messages. Thanks also to the players who have never said no to a single request I have made of them for a chat, an interview, or a question. 

 

- A special thanks to team president Jonny Mydra and the entire front office staff for their support throughout the season. Jonny always reaches out with information, helping publicize the blog and making himself available whenever needed. Whether it is early in the morning when I am writing the blog or late at night when I am planning the blog. It is nice to know the president of the team supports and reads the blog and lets me know it is appreciated.  

 

- As almost everyone knows, the blog is a labor of love for me, not a business. Tommy Daniels deserves the credit or blame for the blog, as he encouraged me to write about the team because I attended so many practices. Tommy has been a great help over the years. The only reason for the blog's existence is to share stats and information about the Allen Americans with an insider's perspective. Providing information that is hard to get elsewhere. From a meager start in 2012, the blog has reached over five million page views, and the number of blogs published is approaching 3000. The blog reaches people all over the US and Canada, as well as the hockey hotbeds in Europe. It proves fans of the Allen Americans are all over the world.

DID YOU KNOW: I always end the last blog of the season with this list. Lots of memories, good and bad, when you look at the games on this list. If you consider that only one team has the pleasure of winning the last game of the season each year, Allen fans are fortunate to have had that experience four times, and they all happened at home. Here is the date of the last game played in each season of the Allen Americans franchise, along with the results.

• May 4, 2010: 4-3 loss at Rapid City in the CHL Presidents' Cup finals
• May 8, 2011: 5-3 loss at Bossier-Shreveport in the CHL Berry Conference finals
• April 10, 2012: 4-2 loss at Texas Brahmas in the CHL Berry Conference semi-finals 
• May 11, 2013: 4-3 OT home win over Wichita in the CHL Presidents' Cup finals
• May 10, 2014: 5-2 home win over Denver in the CHL Presidents' Cup finals
• June 14, 2015: 6-1 home win over South Carolina in the Kelly Cup finals
• June 9, 2016: 4-2  home win over Wheeling Nailers in the Kelly Cup finals 
• May 9, 2017: 4-3  home loss to Colorado, Mountain Division finals
• April 25, 2018: 4-1 loss at Idaho, Mountain Division semi-finals
• April 6, 2019: 4-1 loss at Wichita, out of playoffs
• March 7, 2020: 4-2 home loss to Tulsa, no playoffs, season canceled
• June 22, 2021: 3-2 OT loss at Fort Wayne, Western Conference finals
• April 30, 2022: 6-3 home loss to Rapid City, Mountain Division semi-finals
• May 14, 2023: 6-0 loss at Idaho, Mountain Division finals
• April 28, 2024: 5-3 home loss to Idaho, Mountain Division semi-finals 
• April 12, 2025: 7-2 home loss to Tulsa, out of playoffs
• May 16, 2026: 5-3 home loss to Kansas City, Mountain Division finals

 

If you add it all together, here are the outcomes: 

• 4 - Championships
• 1 - lost in the Championship finals
• 2 - lost in the Conference finals
• 3 - lost in Division finals
• 4 - lost in the first round 
• 2 - out of playoffs 
• 1 - no playoffs  

Different Perspectives Today - Allen vs Kansas City

 

The blog this morning is unique from a few perspectives:

• First and foremost it is the first blog since hearing a good friend and Allen Americans super fan Ed Bohnemann passed away yesterday. For a lot of years, Ed and I were the eyes and ears for each other as to what was happening at practice. Since we were both retired we made practice quite frequently and if one of us missed the other would share what they saw in a text message. Ed was an early riser like me and became a fact checker for the blog, which I very much appreciated. Ed and his wife Sheri did a lot to help players and maintained many friendships long after they left the Americans. Ed will be missed. 
• This blog is also unique because I am writing it on my IPad in Washington, DC. Our 3 1/2 year old granddaughter (our only grandchild) has her first dance recital today, performing in a local festival. We weren’t going to miss that despite the playoff schedule.
• Today is also unique because the game tonight is and end of the season elimination game, win or go home.
• I decided to make this blog even more unique, by asking ChatGPT to help write the story. Here is what I got.

The season is hanging by a skate lace for the Allen Americans tonight. Down 3-0 in the best-of-seven series against the ECHL’s regular-season juggernaut, Kansas City Mavericks, who are now the only undefeated playoff team (7-0). Allen faces the hockey equivalent of trying to climb Mt. Everest in flip-flops (AI humor, not mine). 

The good news? History says game four is often the toughest one to win for a team holding a 3-0 lead. Case in point, the other two 3-0 teams in the playoffs (Florida & Fort Wayne) lost game four last night. The bad news? Kansas City hasn’t exactly looked interested in history lessons the postseason.

Allen nearly stole the first two games in Kansas City, falling 2-1 and 1-0 in two tight checking grinders. The came game three at home, when the Americans finally rediscovered their high-powered offense and scored four goals —- only to discover their defense had apparently taken the night off and left no forwarding address in a 7-4 loss. 

- As Coach Martinson said after the game on Wednesday,  “We just have to get the first one,” Tonight is the perfect opportunity in game four. Last night the two other 3-0 teams lost. South Carolina beat Florida 3-1 and Toledo beat Fort Wayne 3-2 in overtime. Kansas City is the only remaking undefeated team. 

- Allen had a great start on Wednesday scoring 26 seconds after the opening puck drop. It didn’t work in Allen’s favor but the alternate is even worse. Kansas City is 5-0 in the playoffs when they score first, but then again they are 2-0 when they give up the first goal. It is clear against a team like Kansas City playing from behind is a losing proposition. 

- The most important key tonight is improving team defense. It will be a long night if the Americans surrender odd man rushes and breakaways anywhere close to Wednesday. You have to believe that will not happen again. 

OTHER COMMENTS

- There are three games on the schedule tonight, and all three could end up with teams advancing to the Conference Finals. Maine leads Wheeling 3-2, Fort Wayne leads Toledo 3-1, and Kansas City leads Allen 3-0. The teams trailing in the series are all at home. Here is the ECHL Today with the previews. https://echl.com/news/2026/05/echl-today-may-16

- What are the historical odds of Allen winning tonight in their situation (down 3-0, game 4, at home)? Based on NHL data it is 38%. Another positive is Allen hasn’t lost four straight games since November. 

- There has been 58 playoff games thus far and they have resulted in four hat tricks. In the odd stats of the day, Allen has been involved in three of them. Danny Katic scored the first one against Idaho. On Wednesday, Allen gave up two hat tricks (Bobo Carpenter & Luke Loheit). 

- I have seen numerous comments on the blog that the Allen Americans have been sold or are for sale. I do talk to the Americans leadership on a regular basis and to Myles Jack periodically and neither of these  rumors are true. You never know what might happen in the future, but this are bad rumors.

DID YOU KNOW: No matter what happens in the series with Kansas City, Coach Martinson will end the playoffs as ECHL #1 all-time (tied) in playoff appearance, #2 all-time in playoff games coached, #2 all-time in playoff wins. He is one of a eight coaches in the 38 year history of the ECHL to have won multiple championships. 

Martinson’s four straight professional championships in 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 has rarely been accomplished. NHL legendary coaches like Toe Blake, Scotty Bowman and Al Arbour have done it.

I would argue it is much tougher in minor league hockey with one year contracts, low salary cap, lots of turnover and constant call ups to the AHL. plus his final two championships came immediately after Allen moved into the ECHL

Got to run or going to be late for the dance recital. I apologize for any errors from not proofreading.

A Deep Dive On the Allen Americans 2026-27 Schedule

 

The ECHL just released the schedule for the 2026-27 season. I thought it would be a good time to do the annual "deep dive" on the Americans' schedule. It is probably more information than you would ever want to know about the schedule, especially in the middle of the playoffs. Still, it will give you many different views of what coach Martinson and the team will be dealing with next season. Here is the ECHL press release with the 2026-27 schedule: https://echl.com/news/2026/05/echl-releases-2026-27-schedule

 

- Let me start by talking about the start of the 2026-27 season. I mentioned the other day that the CUTX Event Center will host three major stages of the 2026 League of Legends World Championships. League of Legends is the largest esport in the World (multi-player video game). The actual tournament, according to the CUTX Event Center calendar, is in three different stages through the semifinals, running from October 23 to November 8. 

Basically, the Allen Americans have been kicked out of the CUTX Event Center for six weeks for this esports event. The building took away Allen's practice ice and any chance for home games. Having no home games until the latter part of November was untenable, so the team exercised a clause in its lease with the City of Allen that allows the team to schedule two games at alternate venues. It is not ideal, but it does get Allen two "home " games early in the season.

The Americans will play two games at the Comerica Center in Frisco. It is a 6000 seat arena that is home to the Texas Legends (NBA G League) and is the Dallas Stars' practice facility. The two games at Comerica Center will be on Thursday, October 29th (School Day Game) and  Friday, October 30. Comerica will also host the second half of Allen's training camp.

In talking to Allen Leadership, they noted they were not happy about how they were kicked out of their home arena and practice facility for such an extended period of time. They also told me these games at Comerica Center might open the door for more games there in the future.

 

- Here is a breakdown of Allen's 72 games by opponent:

• 13 games - Rapid City (6 home, 7 away)
• 11 games - Wichita (5 home, 6 away)
• 9 games - Idaho (5 home, 4 away)
• 9 games - Tulsa (3 home, 6 away)
• 7 games - Tahoe (4 home, 3 away)
• 6 games - Kansas City (4 home, 2 away)
• 6 games - New Mexico (3 home, 3 away)
• 3 games - Fort Wayne (3 home, 0 away)
• 3 games - Savannah (3 home, 0 away)
• 3 games - Worcester (0 home, 3 away)
• 2 games - Indy (0 home, 2 away)    

 

- Here is a breakdown by month:

• October - 6 games (2 home at Comerica, 4 away)
• November - 13 games (2 home, 11 away)
• December - 12 games (9 home, 3 away) 
• January - 13 games (10 home, 3 away) 
• February - 12 games (7 home, 5 away)
• March - 11 games (5 home, 6 away)
• April - 5 games (3 home, 2 away) 

 

- Here is a breakdown of the 36-game home schedule by day of the week with the change from 2025-26 in parentheses: 

• 11 games - Saturday (-1)
• 12 games - Friday (+2)
• 5 games - Thursday (4 school games plus NYE) 
• 3 games - Wednesday (-4)
• 4 games - Sunday (-1) 
• 1 game - Tuesday  
• 0 games - Monday

- Friday, Saturday, School Days, and NYE are all high attendance dates. These days represent 78% of the home dates.  

 

 

 

- Allen will have 36 games against teams that didn't make the playoffs in 2025-26 (Rapid City, Wichita, Tulsa, and Worcester) and 30 games against teams that made the playoffs (Idaho, Tahoe, Kansas City, Fort Wayne, Savannah, and Indy). The other six games are against the new franchise, New Mexico.

 

 

 

 

-  Four games in five days is really brutal, especially if travel is involved. In 2026-27, the Americans will play four games in five days three times. The good news is these are spread out over the season, two of them are at home, and only one on the road is four games in Rapid City:

• November 25, 27, 28 29 - All four games are in Rapid City. The day off (26th) is Thanksgiving.
• February 16, 18, 19, 20 - Tulsa (H), New Mexico (H), New Mexico (H), New Mexico (H) 
• March 17, 19, 20, 21 - Kansas City (H), Wichita (H), Wichita (H), Wichita (H)

 

- One of the many things the team looks at when the schedule comes out is how many times they have to play three games back to back to back. Three games in three days is stressful, especially if there is travel involved. Players are more prone to injuries in these situations. All of the four games in five days listed above include three games in three days. Here are the other three games in three days. A break for Allen, as there are only four of them, and three of them are at home. The one that requires travel is the last three games of the season against Wichita, and both teams will travel. 

 

• November 13, 14, 15 - Kansas City (H), Tulsa (H), Tulsa (H)
• December 3, 4, 5 -  Kansas City (H), Tahoe (H), Tahoe (H)
• January 8, 9, 10 - Idaho (H), Idaho (H), Idaho (H)
• April 9, 10, 11 - Wichita (H), Wichita (A), Wichita (A) 

 

 

- The easiest part of the schedule from a travel perspective will be from December 12 to January 21. The Americans will be at home for six straight weeks, with one exception. A one-day trip to Tulsa the day after Christmas. 

 

 

 

- The toughest road schedule is at the start of the season, from October 17 to November 29. Here is the schedule. Travel to Tulsa, then to Idaho, and then back to Tulsa. Then back to Allen for two games at Comerica Center. Then back on the road to New Mexico, Kansas City, Tulsa, and Wichita. Two games at home against Kansas City and then back on the road for four games against Rapid City. When December 1st arrives, the Americans will have played 14 road games and four home games, with just two of the home games at CUTX Event Center. 

 

 

- Here is the Allen Americans press release with more details on the 2026-27 schedule:  https://allenamericans.com/news/2026/05/americans-announce-2026-2027-schedule

  

DID YOU KNOW: During the 2015-16 season, the Allen Americans were scheduled to travel 30,000 miles to their 36 road games, with 22,000 miles being on the bus. They flew on the 8,000-mile round trip to Alaska. 

Offense Awakens, Defense Collapses as Allen Falls into 3-0 Hole, Game Recap, Video Highlights, Martinson Comments and More

 

After two low-scoring losses in Kansas City (2-1 & 1-0), the Allen Americans finally found their offense last night, but their defense disappeared in a costly 7-4 loss that pushed the Americans to the brink of elimination.  

 

- Allen stunned the home crowd just 26 seconds after the opening puck drop when Hank Crone carried the puck into the offensive zone, dropped a perfect pass to Colton Hargrove, who buried the puck from his favorite spot at the top of the circle. 

 

- Allen had a chance to add to its lead midway through the first period on a four-minute power play, but the defensive woes that would plague the Americans throughout the game began. A minute into the power play, Kansas City scored a shorthanded goal to tie the score 1-1. Allen did not convert on the long power play, and the first period ended with the score tied 1-1.

 

- Allen started the second period on a carryover power play from the first period and scored 39 seconds into the period. Sam Sedley scored the goal from the blue line. It was Allen's first and only power play goal of the playoffs. The Americans are now 1-9 (11.1%) on the power play in the series. Sedley's goal at 0:39 started a flurry of goals. Kansas City tied the score at 2-2 at 1:41. Allen took a 3-2 lead just 26 seconds later, at 1:57, on a goal by Maxim Barbashev.

 

- Allen's 3-2 lead was not safe, as Kansas City added two goals 28 seconds apart later in the second period (10:53 & 11:51) to take a 4-3 lead, which was the score going into the second intermission. Allen trailed 4-3 after the second period, a dangerous position against a Kansas City team that entered the night 38-0-1-0 when leading after the second period (regular season and playoffs combined).

 

- Trailing 4-3 six minutes into the third period, Allen appeared to seize control after killing off a lengthy 5-on-3 disadvantage and tying the game 4-4 just 12 seconds after the penalties expired. Ty Prefontaine trailed a 2-on-1 Allen rush and put in a rebound. Momentum completely shifted to the Americans, and a comeback win seemed within reach.  Instead, disaster struck again. Allen turned the puck over in their defensive zone, and Kansas City scored to take a 5-4 lead.  The game-winning goal was scored exactly 30 seconds after the Prefontaine goal. The Mavericks scored two more goals, one on a breakaway and one into an empty net, to make the final score 7-4.   

 

- Allen's margin for error has officially disappeared. Lose Saturday, and it is golf/fishing season!

 

- Here are the video highlights and the game recap from the Allen Americans:

• Video highlights: https://echl.com/videos/kansas-city-mavericks-vs-allen-americans-may-13-2026-game-3
• Game Recap: https://allenamericans.com/news/2026/05/game-recap-americans-on-the-brink-after-7-4-loss  

 

COACH'S COMMENTS

As you know, Coach Martinson talks to season ticket holders after every game, win or lose. Two things were clear from his comments last night. It was the worst game of the series against Kansas City, with defensive mistakes that were off the charts. Second, if the players are as angry about the loss as the coach and as committed to keeping this series going as the coach, they will be fine on Saturday. Here are Martinson's comments last night:

"We didn't score enough goals to win this game. The back breaker was killing the 5-on-3 power play and scoring a goal right away, and then we passed the puck right to them in the slot, and they responded right away with the eventual game-winner."

"We gave up four breakaways, and they are a good team and made us pay. We haven't given up that many breakaways in a month, let alone in one game."

"It was a bad night to have a bad defensive game."

"Part of the problem with the power play that led to the shorthanded goal is that we forced the puck instead of putting it in deep. We have to move for each other. We were standing still instead of moving our feet, and that led to the turnover and shorthanded goal."

"We had plenty of power plays. Yes, I didn't like some of the calls and non-calls, but we didn't lose that game because of the officiating; we beat ourselves."

"We don't have everyone playing their best hockey right now, and this is the time of year you have to be playing well. We have some players we are counting on not scoring and not playing good defense. That is a bad recipe for winning."

"I am not going to bullshit anybody. If we play like that again in this series, the season is over."

"We have a great opportunity to have a great story, but it will take a lot better work effort than tonight."

"I thought we outplayed them in the two losses in Kansas City, but we didn't outplay them tonight. We need to get more guys in the fight. It was painful to watch that meltdown in the third period."

"We dug ourselves a hole, and we just have to get the first game. Then we have another game at home, and then we can get back to Kansas City, and they have to play in their practice rink. We just need to get the first one Saturday."

 

OTHER COMMENTS

 - Florida beat South Carolina 7-3 last night to take a 3-0 lead in the series. They play game four tomorrow (Friday). Maine beat Wheeling 5-3 last night to take a 3-2 lead in that series. Games six and seven will be in Wheeling on Saturday and Monday. Toledo at Fort Wayne is the only game on the schedule tonight. Fort Wayne leads the series 2-0. These teams will play three games in the next three days. Here is the ECHL Today with all of the details: https://echl.com/news/2026/05/echl-today-may-14

 

- What are the odds facing Allen down 3-0 in the series?

• About a 2% chance to come all the ways back to win the series.
• 35% to 45% chance of winning game four
• 15% to 20% chance of forcing a game six
• 5% to 8% chance of forcing a game seven

Historically, teams trailing 3-0 play their best game in game four, because of the urgency and desperation.  

 

 

- Five players still in the playoffs are averaging more than 1.35 points per game:

• 1.86 - Austin Magera, Fort Wayne
• 1.60 - Matthew Brown, Fort Wayne
• 1.43 - William Dufour, Fort Wayne 
• 1.43 - Anthony Romano, Florida
• 1.38 - Danny Katic, Allen

 

- Of the eight teams remaining in the playoffs, two have power play percentages above 30%, and two have penalty kill percentages of 90% or more. Notice the same two teams are on both lists:

• Power Play Percentages
• 31.3% - Fort Wayne
• 30.4% - Florida

• Penalty Kill Percentages
• 94.7% - Florida
• 90.0% - Fort Wayne 

  

DID YOU KNOW: The two best ECHL teams during the regular season were Kansas City (115 points) and Florida (108 points). They are the only playoff teams that are still undefeated with identical records of 7-0. They lead their Division Finals series 3-0 and can advance to the Conference Finals this weekend.

 

- Florida has scored 30 goals (4.29 average) and allowed 9 (1.29 average) for a goal differential of +21.

- Kansas City has scored 27 goals (3.86 average) and allowed 10 (1.43 average) for a goal differential of +17. 

 

The four #1 seeds rank:

Florida is #1 in goals scored and #1 in goals allowed.

Kansas City is #2 in goals scored and #2 (tied) in goals allowed.

Fort Wayne is #3 in goals scored and #2 (tied) in goals allowed.

Wheeling is #7 in goals scored and #4 in goals allowed. FYI, Wheeling is trailing #2 seed Maine 3-2 in their series.

 

It is looking more and more like the Kelly Cup Finals will be between two #1 seeds. The finalists could very well be the top two teams from the regular season (Kansas City vs Florida).

Duarte Out, Offense Struggling, Time for Line Changes - Tonight's Preview and Lineup, Keys to the Game, Division Finals Update and More

 

The Allen Americans are at home tonight, facing the reality every playoff team hopes to avoid: a must-win game three against the top team in the league. Historically, teams falling behind 3-0 in best-of-seven series rarely survive. Everyone in the CUTX Event Center understands tonight isn't technically an elimination game, but emotionally and practically, it feels very close.

 

  - Despite trailing the series 2-0, Allen can point to just how razor-thin the losses in Kansas City really were. The Americans lost 2-1 and 1-0 in two games dominated by defense, great goalie play, special teams, and missed opportunities.

 

- Allen entered the playoffs with the highest scoring offense in the league, but Kansas City's structured defensive game has slowed the Americans to a crawl. Still, the scoring drought cannot be blamed entirely on the Mavericks' defense. Allen has struggled to generate second chances, generate traffic around the net, and produce on the power play. Allen was 0-for-4 in Kansas City while the Mavericks capitalized on two of eight opportunities.  

 

- To make tonight's challenge even tougher, Kansas City got another player assigned by Coachella Valley. Forward Jakov Novak is familiar to Allen fans. He played briefly for the Americans in 2022-23 after he finished his collegiate career. He had 12 points (7G, 5A) in 14 games for Allen. Last season, he won the Kelly Cup with Trois Riviéres. This season, he has spent most of the time in the AHL with Coachella Valley, playing in 37 games, tallying 12 points (5G, 7A).

 

- Allen has lost one of its top players, Mark Duarte, for tonight, and he is doubtful for the weekend. With Duarte out and Coach Martinson looking for an offensive spark, you can see the forward lines are shuffled tonight, hoping to reignite some lines that have a history of carrying the team in the past. Here is the lineup:

Forwards

67 Crone - 7 Hargrove - 92 McAuley

9 Katic - 91 Gildon - 44 Dubois

26 Asuchak - 29 Watts -18 Blaisdell 

11 Barbashev- 76 Kidney - 55 Hookey

 

Defense

8 Prefontaine - 23 Sedley

86 Anania - 40 Toure

21 Decker - 22 Costantini

 

Goalies

31 Parsons

33 Costantini (backup)

- Here are the combined stats after the first two games of this series:

• Goals - Allen 1, Kansas City 3
• Shots - Allen 52, Kansas City 56
• Power Play - Allen 0-4, Kansas City 2-8
• PIMS - Allen 15 penalties 78 minutes, Kansas City 10 penalties for 60 minutes  
• Scored First - Allen 0, Kansas City 2
• Save Percentage - Allen .946, Kansas City .981 

 

- Keys to the game:

• Allen has to score the first goal. They haven't done it in the last five playoff games. So far in the division finals (10 games), the team that scored first has won them all.
• Allen has to win the special teams battle. The Americans have taken some costly penalties that have led to critical goals in the two losses. Kansas City has had twice as many power plays as Allen.  The Americans need to stay out of the penalty box and score a power play goal tonight.
• Allen has been trying a lot of east-west passing coming through the neutral zone with lots of turnovers. Going more north-south and getting the puck behind the defensemen if there isn't a play to be made could jump-start the offense.

 

- Here is another take on keys to the game from Maurice Fitzgerald, Americans' broadcast color analyst:

"Copy and paste the first period of game one against Idaho, when the Americans came out hitting everything that moved and played that physical, uptempo, Steve Martinson brand of hockey that has gotten the team to this point. If they do this, they can disrupt Kansas City's gameplay, which then opens up Allen's offensive creativity and allows the Americans to dictate the flow of the game."

"Go at the net hard all night long. Make it uncomfortable for the netminder when the play is regularly in the paint. We saw in the first two games how plays down in the paint were the difference makers. If Allen can keep up the pressure down low, it can open things up top for the points to rip more shots."

"Mind the retaliation in the after-the-whistle scrums. Recognize that the referees are, more often than not, going to ignore the initial infraction and call the retaliation. Allen needs to not take the bait and stay focused on the play within the whistles."  

 

OTHER COMMENTS

- The Division Finals are moving right along. Three of the #1 seeds (Florida, Kansas City, Fort Wayne) have 2-0 leads and will play three more games by Sunday. These three teams could advance to the Conference Finals by Sunday. The fourth #1 seed, Wheeling, is tied 2-2 with Maine. The final three games of that series are tonight, Sunday, and Monday. 

 

- There are three games on the schedule tonight. Kansas City at Allen, Wheeling at Maine, and Florida at South Carolina. Here is the ECHL Today with the previews: https://echl.com/news/2026/05/echl-today-may-13 

 

- Despite the Allen scoring drought, several Americans players are still on the ECHL leaderboard:

• Danny Katic
• #1 goals (6)
• #2 PP goals (3) 
• #3 points (13)
• #3 PP points (5)
• #3 Shooting% (40.0%)

• Brayden Watts
• #1 PP Assist (4) 
• #6 points (9) 

• Jackson Parsons
• #3 Save % (.963)
• #4 GAA (1.11)

 

- Here are the number of veterans on the rosters of the eight teams remaining in the playoffs:

• 4 veterans - Allen, Florida, Fort Wayne
• 3 veterans - Maine 
• 2 veterans - Kansas City
• 1 veteran - South Carolina, Toledo, Wheeling

 

- Kansas City is the only team remaining in the playoffs that still has playoff-eligible players in the AHL. The other seven teams are at their maximum 25-player rosters.  

DID YOU KNOW: This week is the anniversary of two very big days in the Allen Americans franchise history:

 

- On May 11, 2013, Allen won its first championship with a 4-3 overtime win against Wichita. Never get tired of this video celebrating that season. A fun watch, whether you were following the team at that time or you are a recent Allen fan.

 

 

 

 

- On May 10, 2014, Allen won its second championship with a 5-2 win over Denver.