It has been a while since my last post and I have to admit my intentions for each day this past week was to write a story but the bad news for Allen fans kept coming and every morning I would put off my good intentions. Finally yesterday some good news happened with the announcement that Riley Gill has re-signed for his fourth season with Allen.
- The foundation for any team is goaltending and with Gill returning to Allen it gives coach Martinson that foundation to build on. Riley had the best save percentage in the ECHL last season (.935) and almost led the Americans to the best record in the league, falling just two points short. Gill had the best winning percentage in the league with a record of 32-7-2. Allen's record without Gill in goal was 17-12-2. Throw in three Kelly Cups and the most wins in ECHL playoff history (53) and you can see the first signing for next season is the most important one of the year. If you haven't seen the ECHL press release on Gill re-signing in Allen here it is: http://www.echl.com/gill-re-signs-fourth-season-americans
- The rest of the news recently has been anything but good for Allen Americans fans. It is always great to see players get opportunities elsewhere but tough to see them move on. The worst was to hear in a 24 hour period that Spencer Asuchak, Harrison Ruopp and Wade MacLeod will not return. For players heading to Europe it is a great opportunity where they can see their salary double or triple from what they can make in the ECHL. Here is a recap of the players from last season who will not return this season (at least at the start of the season).
Chad Costello - Chad signed with the Iserlohn Roosters in the top league in Germany (DEL). I have read that this league is the equivalent of the AHL so it is a great opportunity for Chad.
Josh Brittain - Josh signed with HC Banksa Bystrica in the top league in Slovakia
Spencer Asuchak - Spencer signed with HKM Zvolen in the top league in Slovakia. The distance between the team Josh plays for and Spencer plays for is only 21 kilometers (13 miles). I had the chance to touch base with Spencer and ask him if there is anything he would like to share with all of his fans in Allen and this is what he said, "The last four years in Allen were the best years of my life. Winning three championships in four years with such amazing teammates and fans will never be forgotten. I am very thankful to have gotten such a great opportunity playing for a coach of Marty's caliber. I am excited for the new chapter in my hockey career and to see other parts of the world. Allen will always be a second home to me and I will always consider the teammates and fans as family."
Wade MacLeod - Wade has signed with Lowen Frankfurt (DEL2) which is the second best league in Germany. Wade played for another team in this league (Starbulls Rosenheim) in 2015-16 and had 61 points (34 goals 27 assists) in just 50 games.
Dyson Stevenson - Dyson has signed with the Wichita Thunder after being traded from Allen as part of the deal that brought Alex Krushelnyski to Allen for the playoffs. This is part of what Dyson had to say when he was traded, "I had an amazing time in Allen! I had the best teammates ever all
three years and I would still do anything for everyone of them (until I
play against them next year). The fans in Allen were
the best I have ever seen. Always positive toward the players and the
team. And they wanted us to succeed more than any other fans in pro
sports."
Here is the press release from Wichita announcing that Dyson has signed, http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/press-release/stevenson-locked-in-for-2017-18-season.html - I said this when Dyson was traded and will repeat it again. - Dyson
will be a success in Wichita because he is a leader and will be the
ultimate teammate. With two Kelly Cup championships to his credit don't
be surprised if Dyson joins a long list of players that move on from
Allen and become captain of their new team. (Daniel Tetrault, Jamie
Schaafsma, Trevor Ludwig, Jarret Lukin).
Harrison Ruopp - Harrison was traded to Indy to complete the transaction that brought Tyler Barnes to Allen for the playoffs. His hard nosed style of play and relentless checking will be missed. There has been no announcement from Indy of him signing a contract at this point.
- The list above represents some key players that coach Martinson will have to replace but he has done that many times in his 21 years of coaching experience. The question that remains is who else from the season ending roster may not return. Here are my thoughts on a few of the players that have not yet signed. Each year the San Jose Sharks sign players to two way contracts and they spend time in San Jose and Allen. Coach Martinson has some input and even identifies players that he feels would be a good fit with the Barracuda. If you had to pick players from last season that might get a look from San Jose the most likely based on their performance would be David Makwoski, Bryan Moore and Greger Hanson. It is interesting to note Moore was called up by San Jose last season and performed well. Hanson was called up by four different AHL teams last season (San Diego, Chicago, Binghamton, Charlotte) but not by San Jose. If you remember, Greger did the best in San Diego and even got some power play time and played on the second line. Makowski did not play any games in the AHL last season but with the year he had after returning from Germany in December there are probably several teams interested in him and Allen fans can only hope he signs with San Jose.
- Joel Chouinard certainly had the numbers last season including a league leading +47 to play at the AHL level but he may be at the point in his career where other factors such as family are more important to him. His wife has a career in Dallas and to have him re-sign to anchor the Allen blue line would be a big step.
- Coach Martinson has most certainly agreed to terms with some of the role players on the team from last season and they are also a key to success. Possibilities include the following. Mike Gunn is a player everyone talks about as a great guy in the locker room and improving every season. Miles Liberati has great potential as a puck carrying defenseman. Kyle Neuber was injured all last season but could be a factor if he returns.
- The only players I haven't mentioned above are Gary Steffes, Tanner Eberle and Zach Hall. They all bring something to the table that the Americans will need to be successful. Whether they want to return and whether they will be offered a contract or are qualified remains to be seen.
- The big task for Steve Martinson will be to find the players to replace all of the offense that has been lost from last season. Allen scored 294 goals last season which ranked second in the league. The Americans had eight players that averaged a point per game. It is likely five or six of those eight players will not return next season. Most high end players will wait until after the NHL draft to see what impact the draft will have on AHL rosters. That all trickles down to ECHL players looking for AHL deals. Another big day is next Friday (11:59 pm EDT) when qualify offers are due to players. ECHL players that are not signed or given a qualifying offer by next Friday will become free agents. The bottom line is Martinson will have lots of options in putting together a roster but it will take a while to sign the high end players. Stay tuned!
OTHER COMMENTS
- I am sure you have seen by now the new ECHL division alignment. Here it is if you haven't seen it or want to refresh your memory: http://www.echl.com/annual-echl-board-governors-meeting-concludes-2017 - As I predicted back on May 21 after the Allen schedule came out showing the Americans playing the Mavericks just eight times next season rather than the typical 13 or 14, the Mavericks would move to the Central Division and Wichita and Tulsa would move to the Mountain Division. With this change Allen will now play 55 of their 72
games against teams in the Mountain Division. In 2016-17 Allen only
played 31 of 72 games against Mountain Division opponents. Below is a complete list
of Allen's 72 games by team. The asterisks are the Mountain Division teams.
*13 games - Tulsa (7 home 6 away)
*12 games - Wichita (6 home 6 away)
*10 games - Idaho (4 home 6 away)
8 games - Kansas City (4 home 4 away)
*8 games - Rapid City (5 home 3 away)
*6 games - Colorado (4 home 2 away)
*6 games - Utah (4 home 2 away)
2 games - Orlando (2 home 0 away)
2 games - Florida (0 home 2 away)
2 games - Fort Wayne (0 home 2 away)
1 game - Jacksonville (0 home 1 away)
1 game - Indy (0 home 1 away)
1 game - Atlanta (0 home 1 away)
- The odds are the Mountain Division will change again in 2018-19 as the Colorado Eagles are rumored to be pursuing a move to the AHL to be the Colorado Avalanche affiliate. Here is one of many stories about this move: http://arenadigest.com/2017/06/15/colorado-eagles-continue-discussing-move-ahl/
- It makes you wonder what players on the current Eagles team are thinking if the team will not exist after the upcoming season. Maybe it is better for them to find a new team this year when they have control rather than have to find a new team in 2018-19.
- The ECHL Board of Governors has approved the sale of the Alaska franchise to owners in Portland, Maine and they will compete in the 2018-19 season. Here are the details: http://www.pressherald.com/2017/06/15/portland-lands-a-pro-hockey-team-for-the-fall-of-2018/
- I know many of you get a broad range of minor league hockey news by following "The Sin Bin" at thesinbin.net. The group announced their annual awards this week and I was honored and surprised to be selected for one of the awards, "Newsbreaker of the Year" along with my friend and Allen Americans fan Mike Campos who covers the SPHL. Here is a link to the award annoucment: http://thesinbin.net/best-of-the-sin-bin-newsbreakers-of-the-year/
- Congrats to all Team Sin Bin award winners but a special acknowledgement to "Writer of the Year" Chad Boerth who covers the Orlando Solar Bears and "Photographer of the Year" Sarah Hobday who primarily covers the Norfolk Admirals but covered 61 games this past season in 11 different arenas and three different leagues (ECHL, AHL, NHL). You can get all of the details at http://thesinbin.net/
DID YOU KNOW: Chad Costello will be playing with his best friend, Jack Combs, in Germany. The two have amazing chemistry together as evidenced by their production when playing together for several different teams. Allen fans will never forget the 2014-15 season when they combined for 39 goals and 61 assists in 32 games before Jack went to Europe. In 2010-11 they played together in Tulsa and had a total of 74 goals and 92 assists as they finished one and two in scoring for the Oilers. In 2012-13 they split time between Colorado (ECHL) and Bridgeport (AHL). Combined they played 63 games in Colorado and had 100 points (36 goals 64 assists) and in Bridgeport they combined for 8 goals and 18 assists in 50 games. It should be fun to following Chad and Jack this season in Germany.
Saturday, June 24, 2017
Wednesday, June 14, 2017
Steve Martinson's Recruiting Process - Assembling the 2017-18 Allen Team & Dyson Stevenson Shares His Thoughts
Anyone who follows this blog knew Tuesday was the day all "future consideration" trades had to be completed but that doesn't make fans anymore prepared for what transpired. Dyson Stevenson was the player sent to Wichita in the transaction that ended up having Alex Krushelnyski assigned to Allen for the playoffs. Dyson is the definition of a team player who will do whatever it takes for his team to be successful. Stick up for a teammate, block a shot, play forward, play defense, score a goal, finish check, the guy could and would do whatever he was asked to do. And a great guy off the ice who was outstanding in representing the team with the fans and in the community. I had a chance to talk to Dyson this afternoon and ask if there is anything he would like to share and this is what he said,
"It was a phone call I wasn't expecting but it is pro hockey so anything can happen. I had an amazing time in Allen! I had the best teammates ever all three years and I would still do anything for everyone of them (until I play against them next year). The upstairs staff were all unbelievable to me! I owe Gus (Trainer) so much he was great to me especially with my concussions. Timmy (equipment manager) was unreal and the most professional equipment guy I have ever seen. I made a real close friend that I will miss everyday especially when I am on a bus and that is Monty Williams. He kept us safe on that shitty bus and still had time to be the most generous guy in the world. Finally, the fans in Allen were the best I have ever seen. Always positive toward the players and the team. And they wanted us to succeed more than any other fans in pro sports."
- I had the pleasure of getting to know Dyson off the ice as we spent many days around a fishing pond talking about everything but hockey. He will be a success in Wichita because he is a leader and will be the ultimate teammate. With two Kelly Cup championships to his credit don't be surprised if Dyson joins a long list of players that move on from Allen and become captain of their new team. (Daniel Tetrault, Jamie Schaafsma, Trevor Ludwig, Jarret Lukin).
- The other future consideration trade has not been announced as I write this but there will be a double dose of sadness when the player that was sent to Indy in the transaction that had Tyler Barnes assigned to Allen for the playoffs is announced. I will provide an update when the player is announced which should be later today.
- The full story behind these two transactions will probably never be known but the basis was to try and win an unprecedented third Kelly Cup. I know coach Martinson along with many other observers felt Allen had more depth going into the playoffs than in any other season. Things didn't work out as planned and now Allen has lost two players that will be tough to replace. Steve Martinson is hard at work recruiting the 2017-18 team and the old adage of cheer for the name on the front of the jersey and not the back could never be more true. However, it doesn't make it any easier to say good-bye to players like Dyson Stevenson.
- For coach Steve Martinson there is an off season but for General Manager Steve Martinson there is never time to relax. Recruitment is something he spends time doing everyday all year around but with Allen out of the playoffs early, Martinson has had extra time to recruit. He shared with me that a big difference this off season is he has been able to talk to many more agents/players about coming to Allen. The first signings for next season should take place over the next few days as June 16 is the first day to sign players. It doesn't mean the team will announce the signings as that is more of a PR decision. Typically the team likes to make a big splash with the first signing announcement. With Chad Costello heading to Europe it won't be him but maybe Riley Gill's re-signing would be a good way to kick off the first signing for next season. I have not talked to Riley but it would be such a great foundation for the team if he would re-sign.
Season ending rosters are due tomorrow and teams can list no more that 20 players. This list is not very meaningful as Allen only had 17 players on their protected list that was submitted on June 1. The next critical date will be on June 30. Until June 30 all of the Allen American player's rights for the ECHL remain with Allen (unless the rights are traded) but on June 30th Martinson has to submit to the league a list of no more than eight players he wants to protect/qualify. These eight names do not include players that have already signed. Because only eight players can be protected there is incentive to get as many players signed by June 30th as possible. The eight players will be given qualifying offers which for the most part must be 5% above their salary from last season. The qualifying offer period is from June 30th to August 1st.
- The starting point in putting together the 2017-18 Allen Americans team is determining a budget. While the salary cap is a given cost ($12,800 per week), housing and insurance can cost the team more than the players salary. A big cost factor is how many married players are on the team. Married players get their own apartment while the single guys share an apartment. Health insurance is much cheaper for single players and married guys without children than it is for families.
With four championships and a second round playoff loss over the past five years you might think everything would be positive in putting the 2017-18 team together but that is not the case. Some of the players want to try playing in the AHL or Europe. So you have a situation where some players want time to find other opportunities before committing to Allen. Another issue facing Martinson is most players feel they deserve a raise in pay, however the amount available for salaries will increase by just $200 per week for the entire team. The salary cap is set by the Professional Hockey Players Association (PHPA) and ownership and is spelled out in the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). This past season the salary cap was $12,600 per week to be shared by all players on the active roster. Next season the salary cap will increase to $12,800. That is an average increase of just $10 per week per player.
What is Steve Martinson's secret to recruiting? Have as many tools in your recruiting tool kit as possible. With the salary cap, competing based on salary is not the key to success as a player can always find a team willing to pay $50 or $100 more per week. The key to getting the best players is having other reasons to have them want to play for your team. Here are some of the many tools Steve Martinson uses when making a pitch to players.
- Allen has never missed the playoffs and has been to the championship final five times in eight years and won four championships. You can count on many additional weeks of pay as Allen makes a deep playoff run along with a couple of extra months of lodging and playoff bonuses. This can total $10,000 - $15,000 more in compensation for a player over a team that does not make the playoffs.
- You will play an upbeat, aggressive offensive system in Allen that is also dedicated to defensive hockey. Points you score in the ECHL won't keep you in the American Hockey League (AHL) but points will get you noticed. You have to be able to play without the puck and you have to understand the game and that is what we will help you with in Allen. With our system you will have plenty of opportunity to get points. We won't handcuff you in the third period with a lead. We will take less risks but we will keep our foot on the gas. If you want to play in a system where you can score a lot of points come to Allen.
- You will play in a great facility in the eight year old Allen Event Center which is surrounded by shopping and restaurants.
- You will play for a team that has a history of moving players to the AHL. Allen has had over 30 players from their roster spend time in the AHL in their three ECHL seasons. Our goal is to see you progress in your hockey career.
- You will be able to develop your skating technique by working with Luke Chilcott who is the skating coach for the San Jose Barracuda (AHL) and the Allen Americans.
- While playing in the Dallas Metroplex you have access to whatever interests you may have including the Stars, Cowboys, Mavericks and Rangers. Playing where you have a major international airport makes it easier for you and your friends and family to travel in and out of DFW and for players to get to AHL cities quickly if called up.
- You will live in a place where you can play golf year around. Average high temperature during the hockey season is 79 in October, 66 in November, 57 in December, 55 in January, 61 in February, 69 in March, 77 in April and 84 in May. It is a great place to live whether your are single or married.
- If you like to fish there are plenty of opportunities within 30 minutes of your apartment. Fishing is great.
- One of the biggest detriments in recruiting in the past was that it was well known Allen traveled by bus more than other teams and players would bring that up as a problem. With new ownership Martinson can now tell players the team will be flying more and they have a newer, better bus when they drive to the closer cities. One of the bigger obstacles has been overcome.
- You will be helped with whatever your post hockey career interests are through our intern program and you will be able to develop business contacts while you are still playing that will be useful after you retire. The DFW metroplex is a great place to build a post career network.
- There is a great fan base that supports the team and the players.
- With his record in Allen, Steve Martinson will have plenty of players and agents calling him this summer. When you have a successful program in a great location a lot of players will want to play in Allen.
- Because Steve Martinson has been around minor pro hockey for so long he has a real advantage when it comes to recruiting. But even with the contacts he has developed over the years he spends many hours going over data to determine who to recruit. He has a couple of techniques that he uses to find those diamonds in the rough, players who have underperformed but will thrive in his system and players that have not been used in the right way on their current teams. It is no coincidence that each year there are players that come in and have a career year in Allen. Whether it is young guys or experienced players, they thrive in the Martinson system.
- Another issue the coach needs to be aware of is the veteran status of each player as the number of veterans on the team is limited to just four. A veteran is defined as a player with more than 260 regular season professional games (for games in Europe only the top six leagues count). The Americans finished this season with four veterans (Costello, Steffes, Chouinard and Brittain). Greger Hanson passed the 260 games played mark this past season and is now a veteran. With Costello and Brittain signed in Europe, Martinson will have some veteran spots available. It is always good to have at least one veteran slot available for new players that might want to come to Allen.
Here is my opinion of how Martinson will approach recruitment for next season.
- Coach Martinson will have a base of corp players returning. That doesn't mean everyone wishing to return will be signed but he will reach out to everyone to see what they want to do. Players like Asuchak, Hanson, Moore, Makowski and Hall are surely looking for AHL deals. Best case for Allen is San Jose will sign some of them. There will also be players already signed in San Jose that might start the season in Allen.
- Players that are ready to sign immediately will be the top priority. Those that wait run the risk of other players being signed and a slot not being available or money not being available when they are ready to sign.
- Coach Martinson will strive to get as many players signed as quickly as possible. A good goal would be to have two lines, four defensemen and a goalie signed by June 30. That may be a bit ambitious but it is a good goal.
- With the average salary being about $640 per week ($12,800 divided by 20 players) finding good rookie players that make less than the average is critical so you can pay the top end guys.
- Popularity of players with the fans is not a big factor when it comes time to signing. It is strictly based on performance. You can always find another popular player.
- If Martinson finds a good player at the right price they will get signed right away.
- With just four veteran slots available the decision on veterans will be a difficult one.
- The affiliation with San Jose will continue though it has not been formalized yet. Allen will have players assigned for development from the beginning of the season.
One thing is certain, Steve Martinson will have the same type of team as he has always had. They will compete hard, be physical and be difficult to play against. The team will be tough but also skillful. He recruits guys that understand you must work hard, be in great shape, follow the system, be a team guy and finish checks. He builds his teams to have depth rather than a few super stars. This approach has worked for 21 years and it will work again in year 22 as he puts together the 2017-2018 team.
DID YOU KNOW: Dyson Stevenson played for Wichita coach, Malcolm Cameron, in junior hockey for the Regina Pats of the Western Hockey League. Stevenson's last year playing for Cameron before turning pro (2013-14) he had 76 points (38 goals 38 assists) in 66 games.
"It was a phone call I wasn't expecting but it is pro hockey so anything can happen. I had an amazing time in Allen! I had the best teammates ever all three years and I would still do anything for everyone of them (until I play against them next year). The upstairs staff were all unbelievable to me! I owe Gus (Trainer) so much he was great to me especially with my concussions. Timmy (equipment manager) was unreal and the most professional equipment guy I have ever seen. I made a real close friend that I will miss everyday especially when I am on a bus and that is Monty Williams. He kept us safe on that shitty bus and still had time to be the most generous guy in the world. Finally, the fans in Allen were the best I have ever seen. Always positive toward the players and the team. And they wanted us to succeed more than any other fans in pro sports."
- I had the pleasure of getting to know Dyson off the ice as we spent many days around a fishing pond talking about everything but hockey. He will be a success in Wichita because he is a leader and will be the ultimate teammate. With two Kelly Cup championships to his credit don't be surprised if Dyson joins a long list of players that move on from Allen and become captain of their new team. (Daniel Tetrault, Jamie Schaafsma, Trevor Ludwig, Jarret Lukin).
- The other future consideration trade has not been announced as I write this but there will be a double dose of sadness when the player that was sent to Indy in the transaction that had Tyler Barnes assigned to Allen for the playoffs is announced. I will provide an update when the player is announced which should be later today.
- The full story behind these two transactions will probably never be known but the basis was to try and win an unprecedented third Kelly Cup. I know coach Martinson along with many other observers felt Allen had more depth going into the playoffs than in any other season. Things didn't work out as planned and now Allen has lost two players that will be tough to replace. Steve Martinson is hard at work recruiting the 2017-18 team and the old adage of cheer for the name on the front of the jersey and not the back could never be more true. However, it doesn't make it any easier to say good-bye to players like Dyson Stevenson.
- For coach Steve Martinson there is an off season but for General Manager Steve Martinson there is never time to relax. Recruitment is something he spends time doing everyday all year around but with Allen out of the playoffs early, Martinson has had extra time to recruit. He shared with me that a big difference this off season is he has been able to talk to many more agents/players about coming to Allen. The first signings for next season should take place over the next few days as June 16 is the first day to sign players. It doesn't mean the team will announce the signings as that is more of a PR decision. Typically the team likes to make a big splash with the first signing announcement. With Chad Costello heading to Europe it won't be him but maybe Riley Gill's re-signing would be a good way to kick off the first signing for next season. I have not talked to Riley but it would be such a great foundation for the team if he would re-sign.
Season ending rosters are due tomorrow and teams can list no more that 20 players. This list is not very meaningful as Allen only had 17 players on their protected list that was submitted on June 1. The next critical date will be on June 30. Until June 30 all of the Allen American player's rights for the ECHL remain with Allen (unless the rights are traded) but on June 30th Martinson has to submit to the league a list of no more than eight players he wants to protect/qualify. These eight names do not include players that have already signed. Because only eight players can be protected there is incentive to get as many players signed by June 30th as possible. The eight players will be given qualifying offers which for the most part must be 5% above their salary from last season. The qualifying offer period is from June 30th to August 1st.
- The starting point in putting together the 2017-18 Allen Americans team is determining a budget. While the salary cap is a given cost ($12,800 per week), housing and insurance can cost the team more than the players salary. A big cost factor is how many married players are on the team. Married players get their own apartment while the single guys share an apartment. Health insurance is much cheaper for single players and married guys without children than it is for families.
With four championships and a second round playoff loss over the past five years you might think everything would be positive in putting the 2017-18 team together but that is not the case. Some of the players want to try playing in the AHL or Europe. So you have a situation where some players want time to find other opportunities before committing to Allen. Another issue facing Martinson is most players feel they deserve a raise in pay, however the amount available for salaries will increase by just $200 per week for the entire team. The salary cap is set by the Professional Hockey Players Association (PHPA) and ownership and is spelled out in the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). This past season the salary cap was $12,600 per week to be shared by all players on the active roster. Next season the salary cap will increase to $12,800. That is an average increase of just $10 per week per player.
What is Steve Martinson's secret to recruiting? Have as many tools in your recruiting tool kit as possible. With the salary cap, competing based on salary is not the key to success as a player can always find a team willing to pay $50 or $100 more per week. The key to getting the best players is having other reasons to have them want to play for your team. Here are some of the many tools Steve Martinson uses when making a pitch to players.
- Allen has never missed the playoffs and has been to the championship final five times in eight years and won four championships. You can count on many additional weeks of pay as Allen makes a deep playoff run along with a couple of extra months of lodging and playoff bonuses. This can total $10,000 - $15,000 more in compensation for a player over a team that does not make the playoffs.
- You will play an upbeat, aggressive offensive system in Allen that is also dedicated to defensive hockey. Points you score in the ECHL won't keep you in the American Hockey League (AHL) but points will get you noticed. You have to be able to play without the puck and you have to understand the game and that is what we will help you with in Allen. With our system you will have plenty of opportunity to get points. We won't handcuff you in the third period with a lead. We will take less risks but we will keep our foot on the gas. If you want to play in a system where you can score a lot of points come to Allen.
- You will play in a great facility in the eight year old Allen Event Center which is surrounded by shopping and restaurants.
- You will play for a team that has a history of moving players to the AHL. Allen has had over 30 players from their roster spend time in the AHL in their three ECHL seasons. Our goal is to see you progress in your hockey career.
- You will be able to develop your skating technique by working with Luke Chilcott who is the skating coach for the San Jose Barracuda (AHL) and the Allen Americans.
- While playing in the Dallas Metroplex you have access to whatever interests you may have including the Stars, Cowboys, Mavericks and Rangers. Playing where you have a major international airport makes it easier for you and your friends and family to travel in and out of DFW and for players to get to AHL cities quickly if called up.
- You will live in a place where you can play golf year around. Average high temperature during the hockey season is 79 in October, 66 in November, 57 in December, 55 in January, 61 in February, 69 in March, 77 in April and 84 in May. It is a great place to live whether your are single or married.
- If you like to fish there are plenty of opportunities within 30 minutes of your apartment. Fishing is great.
- One of the biggest detriments in recruiting in the past was that it was well known Allen traveled by bus more than other teams and players would bring that up as a problem. With new ownership Martinson can now tell players the team will be flying more and they have a newer, better bus when they drive to the closer cities. One of the bigger obstacles has been overcome.
- You will be helped with whatever your post hockey career interests are through our intern program and you will be able to develop business contacts while you are still playing that will be useful after you retire. The DFW metroplex is a great place to build a post career network.
- There is a great fan base that supports the team and the players.
- With his record in Allen, Steve Martinson will have plenty of players and agents calling him this summer. When you have a successful program in a great location a lot of players will want to play in Allen.
- Because Steve Martinson has been around minor pro hockey for so long he has a real advantage when it comes to recruiting. But even with the contacts he has developed over the years he spends many hours going over data to determine who to recruit. He has a couple of techniques that he uses to find those diamonds in the rough, players who have underperformed but will thrive in his system and players that have not been used in the right way on their current teams. It is no coincidence that each year there are players that come in and have a career year in Allen. Whether it is young guys or experienced players, they thrive in the Martinson system.
- Another issue the coach needs to be aware of is the veteran status of each player as the number of veterans on the team is limited to just four. A veteran is defined as a player with more than 260 regular season professional games (for games in Europe only the top six leagues count). The Americans finished this season with four veterans (Costello, Steffes, Chouinard and Brittain). Greger Hanson passed the 260 games played mark this past season and is now a veteran. With Costello and Brittain signed in Europe, Martinson will have some veteran spots available. It is always good to have at least one veteran slot available for new players that might want to come to Allen.
Here is my opinion of how Martinson will approach recruitment for next season.
- Coach Martinson will have a base of corp players returning. That doesn't mean everyone wishing to return will be signed but he will reach out to everyone to see what they want to do. Players like Asuchak, Hanson, Moore, Makowski and Hall are surely looking for AHL deals. Best case for Allen is San Jose will sign some of them. There will also be players already signed in San Jose that might start the season in Allen.
- Players that are ready to sign immediately will be the top priority. Those that wait run the risk of other players being signed and a slot not being available or money not being available when they are ready to sign.
- Coach Martinson will strive to get as many players signed as quickly as possible. A good goal would be to have two lines, four defensemen and a goalie signed by June 30. That may be a bit ambitious but it is a good goal.
- With the average salary being about $640 per week ($12,800 divided by 20 players) finding good rookie players that make less than the average is critical so you can pay the top end guys.
- Popularity of players with the fans is not a big factor when it comes time to signing. It is strictly based on performance. You can always find another popular player.
- If Martinson finds a good player at the right price they will get signed right away.
- With just four veteran slots available the decision on veterans will be a difficult one.
- The affiliation with San Jose will continue though it has not been formalized yet. Allen will have players assigned for development from the beginning of the season.
One thing is certain, Steve Martinson will have the same type of team as he has always had. They will compete hard, be physical and be difficult to play against. The team will be tough but also skillful. He recruits guys that understand you must work hard, be in great shape, follow the system, be a team guy and finish checks. He builds his teams to have depth rather than a few super stars. This approach has worked for 21 years and it will work again in year 22 as he puts together the 2017-2018 team.
DID YOU KNOW: Dyson Stevenson played for Wichita coach, Malcolm Cameron, in junior hockey for the Regina Pats of the Western Hockey League. Stevenson's last year playing for Cameron before turning pro (2013-14) he had 76 points (38 goals 38 assists) in 66 games.
Friday, June 9, 2017
Fishing Trip, Kelly Cup, Protected Lists, Future Considerations, Tetrault Rush Coach, Playoff Special Teams, Europe Exodus
Today marks one month since the Allen Americans played their last game of the season so thought it would be a good time to cover a few topics for those of you suffering from hockey withdrawal earlier than normal.
- For anyone that has ever spent time at a fishing camp in Canada the solitude and beauty is as great as the fishing. I just spent a week on Cedar Lake in western Ontario. It was my 20th year of this annual pilgrimage to Canada. It was the one positive outcome of Allen losing in the second round of the playoffs. I had not planned on going on the fishing trip because of the playoffs but Colorado changed the plans. The fishing was slower than normal but four of us still managed to to land 275 walleyes, 50 northern pike, 25 smallmouth bass along with a few crappies and perch.
- Enough about the fishing, the scenery on these Canadian lakes is spectacular. Lots of islands covered in trees in various colors of green at this time of year. During the week we saw bears twice, many Bald Eagles including three different pairs fighting in the air in an amazing acrobatic display of flying, we saw a fox, several beavers and we fed an eagle with a perch as the eagle came close to our boat. There were thousands of geese still traveling north to the breeding grounds. An otter was playing and looking for food where we docked our boat at night. The sounds of Loons calling at sunset travels for miles. The bottom line is a week on a lake in Canada is so much more than fishing. The serenity, beauty and camaraderie is as much fun as landing a big walleye.
- Congrats to the Colorado Eagles for their Kelly Cup victory and especially to former Allen Americans Darryl Bootland, Casey Pierro-Zabotel and Matt Register on a well deserved accomplishment. Allen fans can't help but wonder how things would have turned out had Casey and Matt been in Allen this season. If you can't win the Kelly Cup the next best thing is to have a team from your division win it. And the streak of former Central Hockey League (CHL) teams winning the Kelly Cup remains intact. Seems like that rough and tough style from the CHL translates to the ECHL pretty well.
- Matt Register had arguably the best post season in the history of the ECHL. He is the first defenseman in the history of the league to be selected as the Kelly Cup MVP. He finished second in playoff scoring with 24 points (8 goals 16 assists). Of his eight goals he had the game winning goal five times including twice against Allen. He also scored the game tying goal twice in the playoffs with less than a minute remaining in the game. Matt tied a game against Idaho with nine seconds left and against South Carolina with 25 seconds left. And lest Allen fans forget, Colorado beat the Americans both times they met in the regular season and Register had the game winning goal in both games. That I would say is payback!
- I will do a special recruiting post in the next few days but thought is would be interesting to see what former Allen Americans showed up on protected lists around the ECHL. Protected lists don't tell you very much as players that have retired, signed overseas and several other specific provisions can be protected. Teams will have to submit "season ending rosters" by June 15 and those rosters are limited to 20 players. June 30 will be the big date as each team will be able to qualify only eight players who aren't already signed.
Adirondack - J.P.Anderson
Atlanta - Alex Guptill
Brampton - Reggie Traccitto, Garrett Clarke, Justin Courtnall
Cincinnati - Joel Rumpel
Colorado - Matt Register, Casey Pierro-Zabotel, Darryl Bootland
Florida - Bryce Aneloski
Fort Wayne - Kyle Follmer, Jamie Schaafsma.
Greenville - Tristan King,
Idaho - Corbin Baldwin,
Indy - None
Kalamazoo - Ben Wilson
Kansas City - None
Manchester - Rick Pinkston, Daniel Doremus, Tony Turgeon
Norfolk - None
Orlando - Trevor Ludwig, Chris Crane
Quad City - None
Rapid City - Nicholas Miglio
Reading - None
South Carolina - Danny Federico
Toledo - J.P. LaFontaine
Tulsa - Reid Halabi
Utah - None
Wheeling - Kale Kerbashian
Wichita - Randy Cure
- A very important date for Allen fans is Tuesday (June 13) at 3:00 pm EDT. That is the date all future consideration trades need to be completed. The Americans have to send a player to Wichita to complete the transaction that had Alex Krushelnyski assigned to Allen and they will have to send a player to Indy to complete the transaction that had Tyler Barnes assigned to Allen. My prediction is there will be some sad faces in Allen when these trades get announced.
- Special teams were excellent for the Allen Americans in the playoffs. It was even strength that caused the problems. Allen had by far the best special teams stats of any of the eight teams in the Division finals. Here is how the final eight ranked.
Power Play
24.6% - Toledo
24.4% - Allen
23.1% - Colorado
22.6% - Fort Wayne
18.9% - Manchester
17.4% - Florida
17.2% - South Carolina
12.2% - Brampton
Penalty Kill
90.0% - Allen
89.1% - Florida
86.0% - Brampton
85.7% - Manchester
85.3% - South Carolina
82.1% - Toledo
79.5% - Colorado
79.5% - Fort Wayne
One way to look at overall special teams performance is combine power play and penalty kill percentages. Greater than 105% is considered excellent special teams play and anything under 100% is considered disappointing. Here are the percentages for the eight teams that made the division finals.
114.4% - Allen
106.7% - Toledo
106.5% - Florida
104.6% - Manchester
102.6% - Colorado
102.5% - South Carolina
102.1% - Fort Wayne
98.2% - Brampton
- Congrats to Daniel Tetrault who was named the head coach of the Rapid City Rush yesterday. Daniel won the only championship of his long and storied professional career in Allen in 2014. I first interviewed Tetrault when he signed with Allen in the summer of 2013. Two things struck me about that interview were his open, friendly demeanor and his passion for hockey. Daniel was a leader on every team he ever played on. He is a natural leader. Former Wichita head coach Kevin McClelland, where Tetrault was captain for two years, best described the type of player he is, "He gives his heart and soul to his team. Some guys are leaders in the dressing room, some guys are leaders on the ice. Daniel Tetrault is both. One question I asked Tetrault back in 2013 was, if you could be anything besides a professional hockey player what would you be and without hesitation he said "a hockey coach." Just four years later he has reached his dream.
- The exodus to Europe is going full tilt with many of the best players fielding offers they cannot refuse. The leading scorer for Allen (Chad Costello), Rapid City (Ryan Walters), Orlando (Eric Faille) and Brampton (David Vallorani) are just a few examples of great players heading overseas next season. In total over 40 players from the ECHL (including Josh Brittain) have signed overseas with many more to sign in the next two months.
DID YOU KNOW: If you look at the team history of every team that has ever played in the ECHL, Allen has the highest overall winning percentage at .692 (138-55-23) and the highest road winning percentage at .708 (71-26-11).
- For anyone that has ever spent time at a fishing camp in Canada the solitude and beauty is as great as the fishing. I just spent a week on Cedar Lake in western Ontario. It was my 20th year of this annual pilgrimage to Canada. It was the one positive outcome of Allen losing in the second round of the playoffs. I had not planned on going on the fishing trip because of the playoffs but Colorado changed the plans. The fishing was slower than normal but four of us still managed to to land 275 walleyes, 50 northern pike, 25 smallmouth bass along with a few crappies and perch.
- Enough about the fishing, the scenery on these Canadian lakes is spectacular. Lots of islands covered in trees in various colors of green at this time of year. During the week we saw bears twice, many Bald Eagles including three different pairs fighting in the air in an amazing acrobatic display of flying, we saw a fox, several beavers and we fed an eagle with a perch as the eagle came close to our boat. There were thousands of geese still traveling north to the breeding grounds. An otter was playing and looking for food where we docked our boat at night. The sounds of Loons calling at sunset travels for miles. The bottom line is a week on a lake in Canada is so much more than fishing. The serenity, beauty and camaraderie is as much fun as landing a big walleye.
 |
| My buddy Mike with a 27" walleye |
- Congrats to the Colorado Eagles for their Kelly Cup victory and especially to former Allen Americans Darryl Bootland, Casey Pierro-Zabotel and Matt Register on a well deserved accomplishment. Allen fans can't help but wonder how things would have turned out had Casey and Matt been in Allen this season. If you can't win the Kelly Cup the next best thing is to have a team from your division win it. And the streak of former Central Hockey League (CHL) teams winning the Kelly Cup remains intact. Seems like that rough and tough style from the CHL translates to the ECHL pretty well.
- Matt Register had arguably the best post season in the history of the ECHL. He is the first defenseman in the history of the league to be selected as the Kelly Cup MVP. He finished second in playoff scoring with 24 points (8 goals 16 assists). Of his eight goals he had the game winning goal five times including twice against Allen. He also scored the game tying goal twice in the playoffs with less than a minute remaining in the game. Matt tied a game against Idaho with nine seconds left and against South Carolina with 25 seconds left. And lest Allen fans forget, Colorado beat the Americans both times they met in the regular season and Register had the game winning goal in both games. That I would say is payback!
- I will do a special recruiting post in the next few days but thought is would be interesting to see what former Allen Americans showed up on protected lists around the ECHL. Protected lists don't tell you very much as players that have retired, signed overseas and several other specific provisions can be protected. Teams will have to submit "season ending rosters" by June 15 and those rosters are limited to 20 players. June 30 will be the big date as each team will be able to qualify only eight players who aren't already signed.
Adirondack - J.P.Anderson
Atlanta - Alex Guptill
Brampton - Reggie Traccitto, Garrett Clarke, Justin Courtnall
Cincinnati - Joel Rumpel
Colorado - Matt Register, Casey Pierro-Zabotel, Darryl Bootland
Florida - Bryce Aneloski
Fort Wayne - Kyle Follmer, Jamie Schaafsma.
Greenville - Tristan King,
Idaho - Corbin Baldwin,
Indy - None
Kalamazoo - Ben Wilson
Kansas City - None
Manchester - Rick Pinkston, Daniel Doremus, Tony Turgeon
Norfolk - None
Orlando - Trevor Ludwig, Chris Crane
Quad City - None
Rapid City - Nicholas Miglio
Reading - None
South Carolina - Danny Federico
Toledo - J.P. LaFontaine
Tulsa - Reid Halabi
Utah - None
Wheeling - Kale Kerbashian
Wichita - Randy Cure
- A very important date for Allen fans is Tuesday (June 13) at 3:00 pm EDT. That is the date all future consideration trades need to be completed. The Americans have to send a player to Wichita to complete the transaction that had Alex Krushelnyski assigned to Allen and they will have to send a player to Indy to complete the transaction that had Tyler Barnes assigned to Allen. My prediction is there will be some sad faces in Allen when these trades get announced.
- Special teams were excellent for the Allen Americans in the playoffs. It was even strength that caused the problems. Allen had by far the best special teams stats of any of the eight teams in the Division finals. Here is how the final eight ranked.
Power Play
24.6% - Toledo
24.4% - Allen
23.1% - Colorado
22.6% - Fort Wayne
18.9% - Manchester
17.4% - Florida
17.2% - South Carolina
12.2% - Brampton
Penalty Kill
90.0% - Allen
89.1% - Florida
86.0% - Brampton
85.7% - Manchester
85.3% - South Carolina
82.1% - Toledo
79.5% - Colorado
79.5% - Fort Wayne
One way to look at overall special teams performance is combine power play and penalty kill percentages. Greater than 105% is considered excellent special teams play and anything under 100% is considered disappointing. Here are the percentages for the eight teams that made the division finals.
114.4% - Allen
106.7% - Toledo
106.5% - Florida
104.6% - Manchester
102.6% - Colorado
102.5% - South Carolina
102.1% - Fort Wayne
98.2% - Brampton
- Congrats to Daniel Tetrault who was named the head coach of the Rapid City Rush yesterday. Daniel won the only championship of his long and storied professional career in Allen in 2014. I first interviewed Tetrault when he signed with Allen in the summer of 2013. Two things struck me about that interview were his open, friendly demeanor and his passion for hockey. Daniel was a leader on every team he ever played on. He is a natural leader. Former Wichita head coach Kevin McClelland, where Tetrault was captain for two years, best described the type of player he is, "He gives his heart and soul to his team. Some guys are leaders in the dressing room, some guys are leaders on the ice. Daniel Tetrault is both. One question I asked Tetrault back in 2013 was, if you could be anything besides a professional hockey player what would you be and without hesitation he said "a hockey coach." Just four years later he has reached his dream.
 |
| Daniel Tetrault |
- The exodus to Europe is going full tilt with many of the best players fielding offers they cannot refuse. The leading scorer for Allen (Chad Costello), Rapid City (Ryan Walters), Orlando (Eric Faille) and Brampton (David Vallorani) are just a few examples of great players heading overseas next season. In total over 40 players from the ECHL (including Josh Brittain) have signed overseas with many more to sign in the next two months.
DID YOU KNOW: If you look at the team history of every team that has ever played in the ECHL, Allen has the highest overall winning percentage at .692 (138-55-23) and the highest road winning percentage at .708 (71-26-11).