The Season Begins, Six NHL/AHL Contracted Players Assigned, Allen vs Tulsa Preview, Opening Night Record

I am still in Minnesota having just returned from my hunting trip to North Dakota which was so much fun. We head back to Texas tomorrow. I have written this blog on my IPad so there less information and may be more errors than normal. We will be on the road the next two days, so there won’t be another blog until Tuesday. 

Game day for the Allen Americans has finally arrived. It has been 154 days since Allen’s last game, a 5-3 loss to Kansas City in the playoffs. It ended a big turnaround season as Coach Steve Martinson returned to the Americans. Here are some of the turnaround stats Martinson accomplished last season:

- 49 point improvement over 2024-25 from 43 points to 92 points. It was the fourth largest year over year improvement in ECHL history.

- Improved average goals per game to #1 in the ECHL at 3.72 from last place in 2024-25 (2.43).

- Improved home wins to 24 from 7 home wins in 2024-25. 

- Improved points percentage when scoring the first goal of the game to .889, #2 in the ECHL, from .483 in 2024-25 which was last in the ECHL.

- The stats show just how quickly and dramatically Coach & GM Martinson turned around the Allen Americans and he did it with very little help from the affiliation with Ottawa/Belleville. The expectations for 2026-27 are very high for the regular season and playoffs.

- As the Americans kickoff the season tonight in Tulsa (7:05 pm CDT) there are six NHL/AHL contracted players on the roster. That is a big improvement over last season, but it is noteworthy that five of the six are from Utah/Tucson. It is obvious Coach Martinson has developed a relationship with Utah/Tucson that has led to these players being assigned to Allen. And Ottawa/Belleville have yet to send the players that were expected.

- The six NHL/AHL contracted players that are on the trip to Tulsa:

Terrell Goldsmith (D) - 2023 fourth round draft pick of the Arizona Coyotes. He is a 21 year old rookie just starting his pro career.

Sam Lipkin (F) - 2021 seventh round draft pick of the Arizona Coyotes. Has played exclusively in the AHL (Tucson) the last two seasons (100 games).

Milo Matikka (F) - 2022 third round draft pick of the Arizona Coyotes. Third year pro with 79 AHL games and 25 ECHL games in Allen. Last season he played 51 games in Tucson.

Noel Nordh (F) - 2023 third round pick of the Arizona Coyotes. Played 60 games in Tucson last season.

Jesper Vikman (G) - 2020 fifth round pick of the Vegas Golden Knights. Over the last four seasons has played in 41 AHL games and 58 ECHL games. His career AHL save percentage is .880 and his career ECHL save percentage is .897.

Kevin Reisler (G) - 2022 fifth round pick of the Ottawa Senators. A rookie who played for Penn State last season with a .901 save percentage in 18 games.

- Lineups are always subject to change but this is the likely lineup:

FORWARDS 

Watts-Kidney-Mitikka

Crone-Gildon-Coughlan

Asuchak-Lipkin-De St. Phalle 

Sillinger-Shantz-Nordh

DEFENSE

Goldsmith-Uens

Decker-Sedley

Kneen-Greco

GOALIES

Vikman

Reidler

- It is always difficult to predict how teams match up at the beginning of the season because ECHL teams change so much from season to season. Allen was 9-5-1-0 against Tulsa last season. Danny Katic led the Americans with 23 points (12G, 10A) in 15 games, followed by Brayden Watts with 17 points (9G, 8A). 

- Last season Allen was ranked #2 in road power play percentage (24.7%), #16 in road penalty kill percentage (80.5%), #1 in average goals scored per game (3.72), and #13 in average goals allowed per game 2.90.

- Last season Tulsa was ranked #13 in home power play percentage (19.4%), #23 in home penalty kill percentage (78.6%), #24 in average goals scored per game (2.72), and #26 in average goals allowed per game (3.54).

- Last Saturday Allen lost its only preseason game in Tulsa by a score of 5-3. But Coach Martinson did not play a lot of the players that will be in the lineup tonight as he was still looking at some players to determine the makeup of  the opening day roster. Watts, Kidney, Crone, Gildon, Sedley, and  Kneen did not play in the preseason game. 

OTHER COMMENTS 

- It was a big opening night for the ECHL last night. There were eight games and the average attendance was 7118, led by Jacksonville (12,370) and Greensboro (9126).

- There were some surprises in the results of the opening night games. Rapid City went on the road and spanked Kansas City 6-3. Kansas City was the best defensive team in the league last season. The Mavericks gave up six goals only twice in 72 games last season.

- Both new ECHL franchises had rough nights for their first game in team history. Trenton gave up seven goals in a 7-4 loss to Trois Rivières and New Mexico lost 4-1 at home to Idaho. 

- There was one shutout on opening night. Norfolk missed the playoffs last season but went on the road to open the season and shutout Savannah 3-0 behind a 33 save performance by goalie Matt Vernon.

DID YOU KNOW: Allen’s opening night record has been so-so over the years. The Americans overall record on opening night is 9-8. The home record is 4-4 and the road record is 5-4.

The worst opening night ever was at home in 2014-15 when Tulsa beat the Americans 9-6. Gregor Hanson was the lone bright spot for Allen with a whopping 11 shots and four goals. The starting goalie in that game was none other than Aaron Dell who gave up seven of the nine goals. It was Dell’s only regulation loss in the 12 games he played for Allen that season. By the end of January he was in the AHL on his way to the NHL.

Training Camp Roster Details and Schedule, Allen's Athletic Trainer, Equipment Manager, ECHL Stats Posts and More

 

After a long wait, today is the first day ECHL teams can hold team meetings, register, and complete physicals. Tomorrow is the first day teams can have organized on-ice sessions. Each team's schedule can vary, but these are the earliest dates they can start. 

 

- For the Allen Americans, players have been arriving this week and getting settled in the apartments. There have been captain practices for those in town. Most of the players participating in AHL training camps have arrived back in Allen or will arrive over the next few days. 

• The players who attended the Tucson Roadrunners camp, Andre Anania, Brett Mirwald, and Lukas Sillinger are already back in Allen. 
• Sam Sedley was at camp with the Manitoba Moose and was just released from his PTO. Sedley is unsigned, but Allen has his ECHL rights. He is on his way to Allen, and I expect he will be signed in the next day or two.
• The players attending camp with Belleville that have been released include Chase Coughlin, Riley Kidney, Zackary Shantz, and Cal Uens, and are on their way to Allen.
• Quinn Warmuth was in camp with Cleveland and has also been released.  
• That leaves Mark Duarte (unsigned, but rights owned by Allen) as the only Allen-connected player left in the AHL. When Landon Hookey was injured at Ottawa's Prospect Tournament, Coach Martinson thought Belleville might keep Duarte. That appears to be what is happening.
• Belleville opens its season with two home games, tomorrow (Friday) night and Sunday afternoon. It remains to be seen if Duarte plays in those games.

 

- The unanswered question is when will NHL/AHL contracted players get assigned to Allen. Coach Martinson is expecting players to be assigned from both Belleville and Tucson. Players and positions should start being announced on Saturday. These contracted players are key because they only count $625 per week against the salary cap. 

    

- The Allen roster now stands at 20, which includes three veterans and five rookies.    

Goalies

• Brett Mirwald: rookie

 

Forwards 

• Divyne Apollon - rookie
• Spencer Asuchak - veteran
• Cole Bishop - rookie
• Chase Coughlin - rookie
• Hank Crone
• Mathieu De St. Phalle 
• Michael Gildon 
• Riley Kidney 
• Chase Maxwell 
• Anthony Rinaldi
• Zackary Shantz - rookie 
• Lukas Sillinger 
• Brayden Watts - veteran

 

Defense

• Andre Anania 
• Jackson Decker
• Nolan Kneen - veteran
• Troy Murray 
• Quinn Warmuth
• Cal Uens - rookie

 

- If you look at the Training Camp roster, here are the additions from above:

• Sam Sedley should be officially added in the next two days.
• There will be 5 or 6 tryout players at training camp. Three or four from Topeka (FPHL), a player who played for Martinson in Athens, and a local defenseman. 
• NHL/AHL contracted players could arrive as soon as Sunday, and that will continue into next week.  

 

 

-  Here is the Training Camp Schedule issued by the Americans on September 24: https://allenamericans.com/news/2026/09/americans-announce-training-camp-schedule 

As mentioned above, more players are arriving each day this week. In addition to dealing with housing, players will have physicals, deal with other paperwork, and practice by themselves. The team doesn't have ice on Saturday, and Coach Martinson plans a team scrimmage on Sunday. The first on-ice practice with coaches will be Monday.

UPDATE: I just got an update from Coach Martinson, and he has made arrangements for the team scrimmage on Sunday (3:15-4:15)  to be open to the public. The Americans will be issuing a press release with all of the details.  

 

- On a personal note, we leave Tuesday for Minnesota. Nancy will stay in the Twin Cities to visit family and friends, while my best friend and lifelong hunting partner, Dave, and I head to North Dakota with his superstar black lab, Bear, for a week of pheasant hunting. 

When Dave and I were hunting in high school, we once met a hunter who was 80 years old. We talked about how cool it was that he was still out there hunting and wondered if we would still be doing it when we were 80. 

More than 65 years later, here we are. Next week, with both of us in our 80th year, we will be busting through the fields, sloughs, and cattails of North Dakota chasing pheasants. 

Back then, 80 seemed a lifetime away. Turns out it was--and what a gift to still be doing what we loved doing together all those years ago.        

160 years of hunters and one young superstar

 

  

 

OTHER COMMENTS

 

- If you haven't already seen this elsewhere, Coach Martinson has selected a new Head Athletic Trainer, Allison Beazley, and Head Equipment Manager, Brian Garcia. 

Allison was the Assistant Athletic Trainer in Allen in 2021-22 and spent the last four seasons as the Head Athletic Trainer for the SPHL Peoria Rivermen. 

Brian has over 20 years of equipment manager experience, including serving as the Head Equipment Manager for the AHL Texas Stars (12 years) and AHL Coachella Valley Firebirds (2 years).    

 

 

- With ECHL training camps opening, some top players have retired and will be missed. Included on this list are all-stars, team captains, and future Hall-of-Famers:

 

Chris Cameron - Indy

Bobo Carpenter - Kansas City

Oliver Chau - Florida

Logan Drevitich - Savannah

T.J. Friedmann - Jacksonville

Logan Lambdin - Florida

Peter Laviolette - Savannah

Morgan Adams-Moisan - Trois Rivières

Matt Register - Allen

Jalen Smereck - Fort Wayne

Justin Vaive - Cincinnati

Sebastian Vidmar - Maine

Mitch Wahl - Idaho

 

 

 

- Beginning this season, 2026-27, the NHL has made it mandatory for all players to wear neck protection, with one big loophole. Players with one game of NHL experience are grandfathered in and exempt. It will take well over a decade to get everyone covered.

 

Case in point: The NHL made wearing visors mandatory in 2013-14, but players with 25 or more NHL games played were exempt and grandfathered in. When the NHL season began this week, three players are still not wearing visors:

 

Jamie Benn - Dallas

Zach Bogosian - Minnesota

Ryan O’Reilly - Nashville

 

FYI, the ECHL made neck protection mandatory for all players in 2024-25 with no exceptions.   

 

 

 

DID YOU KNOW: As ECHL training camps get underway today, the never ending reminder for writers, bloggers, reporters, fans, players, coaches, etc. What do the letters ECHL stand for? ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!

 

In a change reflective of its nationwide presence the East Coast Hockey League changed its name to simply ECHL in May of 2003.

 

      

Nolan Kneen Returns to Allen, Updated Roster, 10 Allen Players Attending AHL Camps, Former Allen Players in Europe, ECHL Stats Posts and Career Goalie Shutouts

 

The Allen Americans added an experienced defenseman to the roster this week with the signing of veteran Nolan Kneen. How much experience does Kneen add? The Americans have six defensemen on the roster. Nolan has six years of ECHL experience; the other five defensemen have a combined total of seven years of ECHL experience. 

Kneen is very familiar to Allen fans as he started his pro career in Allen in 2020-21. The 27-year-old, 6'0", 200 lb, right-shot defenseman from Kelowna, British Columbia, has played in 316 ECHL games (56 with Allen) and totaled 107 points (27G, 80A) and 298 penalty minutes. He spent part of his second season with Allen (2021-22) on loan to the AHL Charlotte Checkers for 18 games, where he recorded six points (1G, 5A).  

For the last three seasons, Kneen has played for the Wichita Thunder. Here is the press release issued by the Allen Americans https://allenamericans.com/news/2026/09/welcome-back-to-texas 

 

Here is a get-to-know-you Q&A video with Nolan from last season: https://wichitathunder.com/videos/meat-the-team-with-nolan-kneen-presented-by-wichita-wagyu   

 

- I had a chance to talk to Coach Martinson about the Kneen signing, and in addition to his quote in the press release about experience, skill, and physical play, the stability Kneen brings to the roster is key. Allen is likely to get contracted defensemen from two different AHL teams. That means you're more likely to lose multiple players to recall than if you had several from one team. Plus, Andre Anania has the skill to play in the AHL and is a free agent, so he can be loaned to any AHL team. Sam Sedley has not been signed, but is at training camp with Manitoba. While Allen has his ECHL rights, he may get signed by Manitoba. The bottom line is Allen could open the season with an embarrassment of riches at defense, but that depth could be put to a test if several of those defensemen get recalled or loaned to the AHL. 

Martinson was trying to find a veteran defenseman who wanted to get into coaching and stay in Allen, and Kneen fits that role. He won't be a player-assistant, but will be asked to work with the younger defensemen after practice. On the road, Kneen will be the voice of the defense on the bench on strategic moves Martinson makes during the game. With Kneen, Martinson will have a player who is in training to become a coach.    

 

- The Allen roster now stands at 20, which includes three veterans and five rookies.    

Goalies

• Brett Mirwald: rookie

 

Forwards 

• Divyne Apollon - rookie
• Spencer Asuchak - veteran
• Cole Bishop - rookie
• Chase Coughlin - rookie
• Hank Crone
• Mathieu De St. Phalle 
• Michael Gildon 
• Riley Kidney 
• Chase Maxwell 
• Anthony Rinaldi
• Zackary Shantz - rookie 
• Lukas Sillinger 
• Brayden Watts - veteran

 

Defense

• Andre Anania 
• Jackson Decker
• Nolan Kneen - veteran
• Troy Murray 
• Quinn Warmuth
• Cal Uens - rookie

 

 - By my count, the Americans will have 10 players attending AHL training camps after several attended NHL prospect and main training camps. That gives them exposure, and they will be in better shape if/when they end up at Allen's training camp.  

• Andre Anania - Tucson
• Chase Coughlin - Belleville 
• Mark Duarte - Belleville (unsigned, Allen has his ECHL rights)
• Riley Kidney - Belleville 
• Brett Mirwald - Tucson
• Zackary Shantz - Belleville
• Sam Sedley - Manitoba (unsigned, Allen has his ECHL rights)
• Luke Sillinger - Tucson
• Cal Uens - Belleville
• Quinn Warmuth - Cleveland 

 

OTHER COMMENTS

- The European hockey season is underway, and here are three former Allen players off to a good start based on points per game (PPG) and points:

• 1.60 PPG - Zane Franklin (Denmark) - 8 points (2G, 6A) in five games.
• 1.75 PPG - Scott Conway (Northern Ireland) - 7 points (4G, 3A) in four games.
• 2.00 PPG - Olivier Archambault (England) - 6 points (2G, 4A) in three games. 

 

- The number of ECHL games played by NHL/AHL contracted players in 2025-26 varied widely by team. I don't have a complete list, but teams like South Carolina and Wheeling totaled well over 600 games; Cincinnati and Savannah over 500 games, and Florida and Fort Wayne over 400 games. At the other end of the spectrum were teams like Jacksonville (152) and Allen (141). 

Some ECHL franchises are finding ways to get their affiliates to sign key veteran players to AHL contracts with no intention of them playing in the AHL. These are top players that would be signed for $1200 - $1400 per week in the ECHL, but only cost $625 against the salary cap once they sign an AHL deal. Here is how Coach Martinson explains this:

 "You are trying to stick handle between having key players you are not going to lose to the American League and players looking to move up. That is what we had when we were winning championships. A core group of guys not looking to move up who were good enough to win championships."

"To beat those teams that have proven players that are signed in the AHL but never recalled is difficult. They have a bunch of players that only cost $625 against the salary cap, which saves money that allows them to sign more players to high-end ECHL contracts."  

"Because of the salary cap, players on AHL contracts, and the number of teams, it is much harder to sign all the guys you need that are looking to stay in Allen and be good enough to win a championship. When we were winning championships, we had eight or nine of those core guys, and they all had the talent to play in the AHL, but were committed to winning in Allen."

"We have to take the risk with guys like Anania, Sedley, Duarte, and Kidney, knowing we could lose them to any AHL team. If they end up signing with our affiliate, we know they will be back for the playoffs. If they end up with a bad team, we may get them back for the playoffs, but there are several examples of players deciding they didn't want to return for the playoffs. A third possibility is a player signing with a good AHL team and isn't available to return to Allen for the playoffs because of the AHL playoffs."

"The bottom line is, to beat the top teams like Florida, who come up with a way to have their top guys never recalled, we have to take these risks." 

 

 

ECHL STATS

- If you don't follow my ECHL Stats pages on social media, here are a few of the most recent posts:

 

-   Fighting rules at all levels of hockey continue to get more restrictive. Here are the new fight rules for 2026-27 for one of Canada’s major junior hockey leagues (Ontario Hockey League), which caps team fights with fines;

 

Teams are capped at 35 fights for the regular season, down from 50. Every fight after 35 costs the club $5,000, up from $2,000.

 

Team cap for each game is still 3 fighting majors. A 4th in the same game is another $500 fine.

Players get 3 fighting majors from opening night through Dec. 31. The count resets on Jan. 1, to allow 3 more for the rest of the regular season. Playoffs are a separate bucket: three more. Go over the personal limit, and it’s a minimum two-game suspension on top of everything else.

 

 

- The vast majority of players announced thus far by ECHL teams for 2026-27 are from the USA (250) and Canada (246). However, 13 other countries are represented on ECHL rosters. Here are those 13 countries with the number of players from each:

12: Russia

5: Sweden

3: Latvia

3: South Korea

2: Belarus

2: Czechia

2: Finland

1: France

1: Hungary

1: Jamaica

1: Norway

1: Switzerland

1: Turkey

 

 

 

- When is the ECHL All-Star Break?

 

The All-Star Break for the 2026-27 Season is Monday, Jan. 25-Thursday, Jan. 28. There are to be no games, practices, or team events during the All-Star Break.

This is a positive change from the past when regular season games were scheduled during the All-Star Break. Last season, when the All-Star game was held in Allen,  there were four regular season games scheduled the same day as the All-Star game. The Idaho Steelheads will host the 2027 All-Star Classic.

 

 

 

 

- Talk about outstanding ECHL veterans: seven players on 2026-27 rosters have over 500 ECHL games played. Five of the seven (marked with an asterisk) have switched teams for 2026-27:

 

935 - Justin Taylor, Wheeling* (from Adirondack)

663 - Anthony Collins, Wichita* (from Tahoe)

627 - Logan Nelson, Rapid City* (from Greensboro & Fort Wayne)

559 - Mike McKee, Tulsa

557 - Spencer Asuchak, Allen

509 - Tyson Fawcett, Worcester* (from Adirondack)

501 - Anthony Petruzzelli, Indy* (from Fort Wayne)

 

 

 

DID YOU KNOW: In the long history of the Allen Americans franchise dating back to the 2009-10 season, only four goalies had more than two career shutouts:

 

10 - Riley Gill (including 7 in 2016-17, which is tied for 2nd all-time).

4 - Aaron Dell

3 - C.J. Motte

3 - Jake Paterson 

 

  

 

  

Allen Americans Add to Roster, Ottawa Senators Prospect Challenge Roster Has Allen Connections, European Leagues Begin Play and the Importance of ECHL Road Wins

 

The Allen Americans have added three more returning players to the roster. The players are forward Chase Maxwell and defensemen Troy Murray and Trevor LaDonne. 

 

- Chase Maxwell - here is the press release issued by the Allen Americans: https://allenamericans.com/news/2026/09/maxwell-returns 

Maxwell played in 44 games for the Americans last season and tallied five points (2G, 3A).  

 

- Troy Murray - here is the press release issued by the Allen Americans: https://allenamericans.com/news/2026/09/americans-add-size-and-toughness  

Murray played 21 games for the Americans last season, had one goal and 32 penalty minutes.

 

Trevor LeDonne - Trevor played 30 games in Allen last season and totaled seven points (2G, 5A). Coach Martinson told me there is some question about whether Trevor will be at training camp. As he does with all players, he made it clear it will be a competitive training camp, especially on defense, and nothing is assured. In addition to the six defensemen that have been announced, Coach Martinson could get up to four NHL/AHL contracted defensemen assigned, plus Sam Sedley could be in Allen to start the season. The bottom line is LeDonne is looking at other options. 

 

- The Allen roster now stands at 20, which includes two veterans and five rookies.    

Goalies

• Brett Mirwald: rookie

 

Forwards 

• Divyne Apollon - rookie
• Spencer Asuchak - veteran
• Cole Bishop - rookie
• Chase Coughlin - rookie
• Hank Crone
• Mathieu De St. Phalle 
• Michael Gildon 
• Riley Kidney 
• Chase Maxwell 
• Anthony Rinaldi
• Zackary Shantz - rookie 
• Lukas Sillinger 
• Brayden Watts - veteran

 

Defense

• Andre Anania 
• Jackson Decker 
• Trevor LeDonne
• Troy Murray 
• Quinn Warmuth
• Cal Uens - rookie

 

- The NHL rookie/prospects tournament gets underway tomorrow. Here is the Ottawa Senators roster with some familiar names to Allen fans. The question remains: how many of the players on this roster will see time in Allen this season? Two Allen-signed players, Riley Kidney and Zackary Shantz, are on the roster: 

  

- Here is the schedule for the tournament. All times are EDT:

• Saturday, September 12, 1:00 pm: Winnipeg vs Montreal
• Saturday, September 12, 6:00 pm: Ottawa vs Winnipeg
• Sunday, September 13, 1:00 pm: Toronto vs Winnipeg
• Sunday, September 13, 6:00 pm: Ottawa vs Montreal
• The Ottawa games will be live-streamed on the Senators' website. Check with the other teams' websites, as they may be live-streaming as well.

 

 -  Defenseman Sam Sedley is participating in the same prospect tournament as Kidney and Shantz, but is on the Winnipeg Jets team. 

 

- The European leagues are just getting underway, with games being played in Russia, Finland, Czech Republic, and Denmark. Many of these leagues have more than one league going on at once, with a smaller set of teams. A big one is the EIHL, as 12 former Allen players are playing in that league of 10 teams. Games start tomorrow night in something called the Challenge Cup. 

 

DID YOU KNOW: The ECHL Stats post today is about the importance of playing well on the road. In 2025-26, Allen was decent on the road with a record of 19-14-3-0 (.569), but outstanding at home. The Americans' home record in 2024-25 was the worst in the league at 7-24-4-1 (.264). Last season, in one of the biggest turnarounds in league history, the Americans' home record was one of the best in the league at 24-9-3-0 (.708).

 

How important is it to play well on the road? Playing well on the road is a big key to success. Five ECHL teams had more than 20 road wins in 2025-26, including all of the Kelly Cup final four. The team’s road points percentage is in parentheses:

 

28-4-2-2: Kansas City (.833)* 

25-4-7-0: Fort Wayne (.792)*

24-8-4-2: Florida (.722)*

23-8-2-3: Toledo (.708)

22-12-1-1: Wheeling (.639)*

 

*Kelly Cup final four

Allen Adds Centers Riley Kidney and Zackary Shantz, Player Profiles with Videos, Roster Update, Martinson Comments and More

 

The Allen Americans added two centers to the roster yesterday: Riley Kidney and Zackary Shantz. Kidney was assigned to Allen by Belleville during last season's playoffs, tallying 3 points (2G, 1A) in 4 games against Kansas City. Shantz is a 20-year-old rookie who played on the WHL championship team (Everett Silvertips) last season and scored 65 points (27G, 38A) in 66 games. Player profiles are below.

 

- Here is the Allen Americans press release announcing Kidney and Shantz: https://allenamericans.com/news/2026/09/americans-add-two-key-players-up-front 

 

- The Allen Americans have now announced 17 players for the 2026-27 season. Here is the list with ages. The Americans will be one of the youngest teams in the league. 

Goalies

• Brett Mirwald: 22 (rookie) 

 

Forwards 

• Divyne Apollon: 21 (rookie)
• Spencer Asuchak: 34 (veteran)
• Cole Bishop: 21 (rookie)
• Chase Coughlin: 21 (rookie)
• Hank Crone: 28 
• Mathieu De St. Phalle: 26 
• Michael Gildon: 25 
• Riley Kidney: 23 
• Anthony Rinaldi: 31
• Zackary Shantz: 20 (rookie)  
• Lukas Sillinger: 25 
• Brayden Watts: 27 (veteran)

 

Defense

• Andre Anania: 23 
• Jackson Decker: 27 
• Quinn Warmuth: 26 
• Cal Uens: 21 (rookie) 

 

- AHL experience of the 17 players who have been announced thus far:

• 132 games - Kidney
• 64 games - Asuchak
• 25 games - De St. Phalle
• 6 games - Rinaldi
• 5 games - Crone
• 5 games - Sillinger
• 4 games - Watts
• 1 game - Anania 

 

PLAYER PROFILE - RILEY KIDNEY

Riley Kidney

Riley Kidney is a 23-year-old, 5'11", 190-pound, left-shot center from Halifax, Nova Scotia. He played his junior hockey in the QMJHL. In his final season in the QMJHL (2022-23), he averaged 1.83 points per game and ranked #2 in the league in assists (82) and #4 in points (110). He was drafted by the Montreal Canadiens in the second round (#63 overall) of the 2021 NHL draft. He turned pro in 2023-24 at 19 and played the entire season with the Laval Rocket, totaling 20 points (7G, 13A) in 66 games.

Riley is only 23 years old and will be starting his fourth professional season. Thus far in his pro career, Kidney has played in 132 AHL games (39 points, 11G, 28A) and 46 ECHL games (33 points, 11G, 22A). He has more AHL games played than the rest of the current roster combined. 

What do the scouting reports say about Kidney:

• Talented playmaker with good hands, high-pace scanning habits, and strong vision.
• A pass-first player who can pick apart opposing defenses.
• His transition game keeps the puck in the opponent's zone.
• He relies on his work ethic to outperform others.
• While his playmaking is his calling card, he has an accurate, deceptive shot.
• Great hockey IQ with the ability to use his creativity to find open teammates.

Steve Martinson's thoughts on Kidney:

• "I expect him to be a dominant player in our lineup 
• "His last two years in the QMJHL, he was #1 and #2 in the league in assists and had 100+ points. My philosophy is if you scored like that in the past, you can do it again."
• "I really liked his game in the playoffs last season. He couldn't skate for a month, came off an injury, and the second he got cleared, he played. That says a lot to me."
• "One thing I noticed when I first looked at his stats is he always played well in the playoffs when games tighten up."
• "Kidney is an AHL-level player and is an AHL free agent, so he could get called up by any AHL team." 

 

Here is a video interview from a few years ago, after Riley had been drafted by Montreal and traded midway through his last season in the QMJHL. You can hear him talk about his game in his own voice.

   

PLAYER PROFILE - ZACKARY SHANTZ

Zackary Shantz

 

Zackary Shantz is a 20-year-old, 5'11", 170-pound, right-shot center from Sucker Creek, Alberta. He played his junior hockey in the WHL and had a breakout season in 2025-26, helping his team (Everett Silvertips) win its first-ever WHL championship. Zakary had 65 points (28G, 38A) in 66 games. 

 

What do the scouting reports say about Shantz:

• He is the kind of player whose motor never turns off.
• Great work ethic; rarely gives up on plays.
• Brings noticeable intensity to the faceoff dot, which shows up in draws. 
• He has a shoot-first mentality and is good at getting pucks through traffic.
• A strong two-way game in the offensive zone. Patrolling empty space while also defending backwards as the third forward high in the zone. 

 

Steve Martinson's thoughts on Shantz:

• "I expect him to be one of the top rookies in the league."
• "The only guys on his championship team last season in Everett who had more points than Zack were all high NHL draft picks." 
• "One of the things I wanted to get better at this season is pursuing the puck when we don't have it, and Shantz's game will help with that. He is one of those types of forwards where puck pursuit is a strength."
• "He converted to center a long time ago and is good on faceoffs. I saw one report that his faceoff percentage last season was 57.1%.

 

Here are two get-to-know-you videos with Shantz. 

• The first is an on-ice interview after his team won its first WHL championship (May 16, 2026) since joining the WHL in 2003. What a great smile. 
• The second video honors his membership in Sucker Creek, Cree First Nation in northern Alberta, but it is also a Zackary hockey highlight reel. What struck me as I watched these highlights was how good he is around the net. Allen has had some very skilled indigenous hockey players over the years, Colton Yellow Horn, Judd Blackwater, Casey Pierro-Zabotel, and Eric Roy, to name a few. They may have another one in Shantz. 

 

 

 

 

OTHER COMMENTS

- I have had several questions about the defensemen who will end up on the roster and why more haven't been announced. In addition to the four that have been announced, Coach Martinson could get up to four NHL/AHL contracted defensemen assigned, and Sam Sedley could be in Allen to start the season. Martinson also has a vet spot to hire an experienced defenseman if needed. 

 

- I have also had questions about a Q & A session with Coach Martinson. Steve and Michelle will be in Allen the week of September 14 and plan to have one of these sessions that week. 

 

-  I have said this in the past as it relates to signing players. When recruiting, it is not as simple as finding the best 20 players you can find. The reality is finding the best players at the best value given the salary cap. The salary cap increased by $500 per week from last season. Spread over a 20-player roster, that is $25 per player, and you know the high-end players expect a raise of a lot more than $25. 

 

- What Coach Martinson does is allocate his money to the areas where he thinks he will get the least amount of help from the AHL. It is also important to Martinson to have top players who are not looking to move up to the AHL. There is a premium for guys who just want to play in Allen. You don't want to have your whole team looking to be called up, even if they are good enough to be called up.  

 

- Play has just started in Europe. There is a league called the Champions League that is made up of 24 top teams from 11 different leagues. This league goes on during each team's regular season. A team could play a regular season game one night and then travel to a different country to play a Champions League game. The Champions League ends in February with a 16-team playoff. That is a long, drawn-out way to say the Champions League just had its first games. HC Pilzen, which is the team Danny Katic plays for in the Czech Republic, beat a team from Sweden 4-0. And yes, Katic scored a goal. 

 

- Zackary Shantz committed to St. Cloud State University last February, but decided to turn professional and sign with the Allen Americans. Ironically, Coach Martinson played his collegiate hockey at St. Cloud State.

 

DID YOU KNOW: ECHL teams with the youngest and oldest average ages of players. Based on players announced thus far for the 2026-27 season:

 

Oldest

Wheeling - 27.67

Adirondack - 27.58

Florida - 27.36

 

Youngest

Bloomington - 24.08

Greensboro - 24.73

Allen - 24.76

 

Source: Elite Prospects

Plenty to Discuss Off the Ice, Plenty to Like On It

I am sure most of you have noticed I have been really quiet recently despite many requests for information. As I have said many times, the blog is about the hockey operations of the Allen Americans, not what is happening in the front office. Recent developments have made that impossible, as the blog comments became predominantly about the team's ownership and front office. After deleting many comments, I made the decision, for the first time ever, to disable all comments. 

It didn't mean I intended to ignore what was happening; I just needed some time to gather the facts. So while the blog will remain focused on hockey, I want to share my thoughts on the current situation and do so as thoughtfully, fairly, and factually as possible. Here is what I know:

• The Jack family (Myles and LaSonjia) was pursuing the sale of the team during the off-season, but to answer one of many questions, the team was not leaving Allen. 
• Recently, Myles Jack shared with me that he was keeping the Allen Americans and will be making some changes moving forward in his approach in an attempt to reach his goals.
• To answer another question, the changes do not include the coach and general manager, Steve Martinson, who has been going all out putting together the team for 2026-27. See the hockey operations section below.
• Team President, Jonny Mydra, was just selected as president of the Dallas Renegades of the United Football League (UFL) and is no longer with the Americans. The UFL is a spring football league with strong ties to the NFL, and all of its games are nationally televised.   
• I always found Jonny to be exceptionally responsive, willing to share information, and a person who approached questions with a genuine desire to find solutions. I asked Jonny if there was anything he would like to share. This is what he sent me:    

     

These last 5 years with the Americans have been some of the best years of my life. I'm thankful for the relationships I've built with the fans, partners, community, staff, and many others. I was excited to come to work every day, and I'll never take that for granted.

I'm proud of what we accomplished in these last 5 seasons. From packing the house and setting our all-time attendance record last season, to bringing Coach Martinson back and going on our most recent playoff run. I will never forget the energy in that building, and how passionate the Americans fans are.

The opportunity to join the UFL and lead the business side for the Dallas Renegades is a major step forward in my career, and too good an opportunity to pass up. After speaking with their executive staff and leadership team, I'm really excited about what the future of the Renegades can be. I invite all Americans fans to come just down the road to Toyota Stadium and check out our games this spring. I promise we will deliver an exciting fan-first atmosphere just like we've done with the Americans.

As I told Barry, I plan on keeping my FloHockey subscription, making it to a few games each season, and rooting on the Red. I hope to see that place rocking as guys like Crone, Watts, and Asuchak beat up on Wichita. Speaking of Barry, I'd like to give a special thank you to him. The amount of work he has put in covering this team and writing such a comprehensive blog is amazing. The organization is very fortunate to have someone like him.

Overall, I will miss this place a lot, and hope to cross paths with many of you again. Thank you, and GO RED!

- Jonny Mydra

 

- There are still many unanswered questions as it relates to the front office organizational structure going forward. As I learn specifics, I will make sure to share. LaSonjia will be the team Governor and attend the Board of Governors (BOG) meetings, a role Jonny had before. The next BOG meeting is in September. LaSonjia is also running the team on a day-to-day basis right now.     

 

 

HOCKEY OPERATIONS 

 

- The Allen Americans have announced 15 players thus far. Here is the list with ages and games played in Allen:

Goalies

• Brett Mirwald - 22, 7 games  

 

Forwards 

• Divyne Apollon - 21, 2 games
• Spencer Asuchak - 34, 620 games
• Cole Bishop - 21, 0 games
• Chase Coughlin - 21, 0 games
• Hank Crone - 28, 172 games
• Mathieu De St. Phalle - 26, 0 games 
• Michael Gildon - 25, 86 games 
• Anthony Rinaldi - 31, 0 games 
• Lukas Sillinger - 25, 21 games
• Brayden Watts - 27, 139 games

 

Defense

• Andre Anania - 23, 66 games
• Jackson Decker - 27,  57 games
• Quinn Warmuth - 26, 120 games
• Cal Uens - 21, 0 games 

 

- Here are some of my thoughts on this list:

• There are four 21-year-old players on the roster, and there is another signed but not yet announced. If you look at the five youngest players announced in the ECHL thus far, three of them are in Allen. A big difference from a year ago, when Coach Martinson had to recruit most of the summer without the benefit of an affiliation agreement and the training camp slots that come with it.
• There are only two veterans on this list. I would expect Coach Martinson to save at least one vet spot to be used later in the season. I get a lot of questions on the status of Colton Hargrove. He is pursuing his real estate career and will not be with the team to start the season, but he told me he has not officially retired. You never know what might happen later in the season. 
• Seven of the 15 players on the roster have AHL experience, led by Asuchak (64 games), De. St. Phalle (25), Rinaldi (6), Crone (5), Sillinger (5), Watts (4), and Anania (1). 

 

- Here is what I have heard from Coach Martinson in the last two weeks, including his thoughts on the four 21-year-olds.

"We will have the best group of rookies and young players I have ever had in Allen." 

"I would describe rookie Chase Coughlin as a scrappier version of Mark Duarte. They both played in the OHL as juniors. In their last two OHL seasons, Duarte had 30 goals and 53 penalty minutes; Coughlin had 42 goals and 205 penalty minutes. Coughlin is going to be a greasy player for us.

"Apollon is the toughest young guy out there, and I am looking to develop him. He is at the top of the food chain when it comes to toughness, but I look at him as someone we can develop. He has worked hard this summer and lost 30 pounds. I have found over the years that a lot of players haven't been told exactly what they need to do to get where they want to go, especially with tough guys. Jacob Doty is a good example of a guy who had all the toughness, but needed to develop. He lost weight, improved his skating, got faster, and has had a great eight-year AHL career."

"Uens has poise with the puck, can find guys at the side of the net, and is similar to Sedley. Last season in the QMJHL, the right-shot defenseman had 49 points (13G, 36A) in 63 games. He is not a big guy, but he is tough."

"Bishop is a big, strong guy (6'3") who had 21 goals and 60 penalty minutes in the BCHL last season. He is raw and we will have to see how he does when he gets to training camp." 

"I was looking for a veteran defenseman, but I anticipate everyone will be available to start the season, and we will get two or three defensemen from the AHL (two different teams)."

"We are faster than we were last year. Between the players we have announced, the players we haven't announced, and the forwards we expect to get from the AHL, I have no concern that this team can be at the top of the league in scoring again this season." 

"We will be the deepest, quickest team I have had in Allen once we get AHL players assigned that I expect."

"We will be announcing two players this week that will be going to the Ottawa NHL Prospect Challenge on September 12 & 13. Ottawa is the host team, and the participants include Winnipeg, Toronto, and Montreal."

"Anania and Sillinger will be attending AHL training camp with Tucson."

"I expect to sign Mark Duarte before he goes to AHL training camp with Belleville."

"Sam Sedley will be going to the NHL Prospect Challenge with Winnipeg."

"Uens and Coughlin will also be attending AHL training camp with Belleville."  

"That makes eight players that could be on our opening day roster going to NHL Prospect Tournaments and/or AHL training camps.   

 

In closing, there have been many ups and downs over the history of the Allen Americans franchise, and I have always said and truly believe that ownership carries all of the financial risk, and with that comes the right to make the decisions they believe are necessary and in the best interest of the organization.  

Finally, I am turning comments back on, but I encourage all of us to focus on the Allen Americans hockey team and not let the comments be dominated by ownership issues. Personal attacks, insults, unsubstantiated accusations, defamatory statements, profanity, false information presented as fact, and private or confidential information will be deleted. I will do the best I can with the deletions while keeping the blog a place for discussion.    

 

    

 DID YOU KNOW: Steve Martinson has so many impressive records as coach of the Allen Americans. This is one of my favorites. After being named head coach in 2012, Martinson won his first 15 playoff series, not losing his first series until round two of the 2017 Kelly Cup playoffs.    

 

 

    

Rookies Rule Today, Allen's Roster, ECHL Stats and More

 

Just a quick post to cover a couple of items, most importantly the 2026-27 roster.

 

- The Allen Americans have announced five players thus far, and they are all experienced players with a minimum of five years of professional experience. As a reminder, here is the current roster with the first season they played professionally:

 Forwards

• Spencer Asuchak: 2011-12
• Hank Crone: 2022-23
• Mathieu De St. Phalle: 2023-24
• Anthony Rinaldi: 2020-21 
• Brayden Watts: 2020-21 

 

- The average age of the announced players is 29, but that will take a nose dive today as the youth movement will leave the station. From experience to exuberance, as three 21-year-olds join the roster today. It is rookie day in Allen. How would I describe these three rookies? A greasy power forward, an offensive defenseman, and a tough heavyweight. Stay tuned!

8:30 AM UPDATE: I just talked to Coach Martinson and he has asked Tommy Daniels to add a fourth rookie to today's announcement. And you guessed it, the fourth rookie is also 21. The Americans have gone all-in on 21.   

11:00 AM UPDATE: Here is the press release announcing the signing of four rookies: https://allenamericans.com/news/2026/08/americans-add-youth-and-toughness 

 

- The announcements will keep coming, and next week will be a return to players back in Allen from last season.  

 

-  I had some questions and comments after I wrote about the Houston ECHL franchise in the last blog. Just to be clear, Allen is not the team referenced in that press release, and the Americans are not the team that has signed a contract with the ownership group in Houston. 

- Here are a few of the recent posts from my ECHL Stats page for those that don't follow:

 

 

- Most and fewest shots by a team in a game last season (2025-26):

 

MOST SHOTS

63 - Allen

58 - Toledo

57 - Indy

56 - Cincinnati

 

FEWEST SHOTS

9 - Iowa

10 - Kalamazoo

12 - Tulsa

12 - Wichita 

 

Most shots in a period - 25 by FLA, IND, NOR, WHL

Fewest shots in a period - 0 by KAL

 

 

 

- A big part of the reason it is so difficult for ECHL coaches/GMs. They have to recruit a new team every year. All contracts are one season, no multi-year contracts, and they must compete with higher salaries in Europe. A big difference maker for ECHL teams is the number of NHL/AHL players assigned by their affiliate.

 

Meanwhile, most NHL players have multi-year contracts, with many for as long as 8 years. The new NHL CBA, starting September 16, 2026, reduces the maximum term to 7 years (if re-signing with current team) or 6 years (signing with a new team as a free agent).

 

 

 

- Here are the number of players that averaged 1.00 or more points per game in 2025-26 for every ECHL team (minimum 20 games played):

 

3: TAH

2: ALN, FW, KC

1: ATL, BLM, CIN, FLA, IDH, MNE, TOL, UTA, WHL, WIC

0: ADK, GSO, GVL, IND, IA, JAX, KAL, NOR, ORL, RC, REA, SAV, SC, TR, TUL, WOR

 

Two years ago (2023-24) there were many more players that averaged a point per game. 12 teams had two or more players average a point per game, compared with just 4 in 2025-26:

6: KC

5: IDH

3: SC, TOL, NFL

2: ATL, CIN, FW, MNE, SAV, TUL, WHL, WIC

1: ADK, ALN, FLA, IND, JAX, KAL, RC, REA, UTA

0: FLA, GVL, IA, NOR, ORL, TR, WOR

 

 

 

DID YOU KNOW:  So you want to play in the ECHL and feel you have the talent. What do you do? The answer is right on the ECHL website under “Frequently Asked Questions” and here it is:

 

How can I try out for an ECHL team?

 

Because the ECHL does not hold a draft like the National Hockey League, individual teams are responsible for recruiting and signing their players. Players should contact the general manager or coach of an individual team to see if there is an opportunity for them to play in the ECHL.

 

FYI, a few teams hold open tryouts, but the vast majority do not.