Barry The Blogger - Follow me on twitter at @allenamericans1 and/or like my Facebook page at Allen Americans Blog. This is the official blog of the Allen Americans.
One countdown has ended (start of training camp) and another has begun as the Allen Americans are just six days away from their first preseason game. There is a lot to accomplish in the next six days. There are players signed but not yet announced that will be arriving in Allen, the five tryout players in San Jose will find out if they are returning to Allen and some San Jose contracted players might get assigned to Allen. Coach Steve Martinson will start building the foundation so all of the new players know the system and forecheck before game play commences on Friday night.
- When the Americans take the ice at 10:30 this morning for their three on three tournament (see the post from yesterday for details and yes you are invited) there will be seven returning players from last season plus two players (Casey Pierro-Zabotel & Jonathan Lessard) that have played for Martinson in the past.
- There are three tryout players in camp with the Americans and two of them are goalies. It is expected a goalie will be assigned by San Jose (speculation is it will be Stephon Williams) but coach Martinson may need to sign one of these tryout goalies until the goalie situation gets sorted out. The goalies will get a good look over the next week.
- A few weeks ago I had heard Allen goalie coach, Thomas Speer, was a finalist for the position of goalie coach for USA Hockey's National Team Development Program (NTDP). Yesterday it was announced Thomas was named the national goalie coach for USA Hockey. It is quite an honor for Thomas who will be based out of Plymouth, Michigan. His duties will include working with both the national under-17 and under-18 goaltenders. The goal of the full-time NTDP is to is to prepare student athletes under the age of 18 for participation on U.S. National Teams. Thomas has worked with Allen goalies over the past four seasons and will be sorely missed but what a great opportunity to help with recruiting and developing goalies for the U.S National teams. Best of luck to Thomas and Amber and their young son on this great new adventure. Here is the press release issued by USA Hockey: http://www.usahockeyntdp.com/news_article/show/838757
- I know there are more than a few Allen Americans fans that have followed hockey in Texas for many years. I have heard many a story about the Dallas Blackhawks, Dallas Freeze, Fort Worth Texans and Fort Worth Fire as well as the the old barn at Fair Park. Whether you are a hockey fan that followed those teams or enjoy reading about the history of hockey in the metroplex and throughout Texas there is a new book you should be aware of. It is the second in a series on hockey in Texas and covers the seasons from 1942-43 to 1992-93. Great stories and photos. "Pro Strides to the Stars" skates you through the 50 year period between World War II and the arrival of the NHL. This is a great read and the book is available at http://texasonice.com/product/texas-on-ice-vol-2/
I have a copy of the book and will have it with me at the three on three tourney and at the Fan Fest today. Just ask me to take a look if you might be interested in purchasing a copy.
- Here is a story written by Greg Oliver that gives you some background on the Texas on Ice series mentioned above. Even if you are not interested in buying the book you will find this story interesting. http://www.sihrhockey.org/__a/public/column.cfm?cid=4
- The ECHL team in Portland, Maine that will start playing next season announced yesterday they will be known as the Maine Mariners, the same name as an AHL franchise that was located in Portland from 1977-1992. In the name the team contest the second place finisher was Wild Blueberries followed by Watchmen, Puffins and Lumberjacks. Here is the press release: http://www.pressherald.com/2017/09/29/and-the-winner-is-maine-mariners/
- It was a good night for the Iserlohn Roosters last night as they beat the Augsburger Panther 4-2 to improve their record to 2-4-1. It was a good night for the former Allen Americans as both Chad Costello and Jack Combs had a goal to lead the Roosters. The team is back in action again on Sunday.
DID YOU KNOW: I found this interesting fact in the Texas On Ice book that would be a great trivia question for your hockey friends. Since World War II no other state in the USA (nor any other country) has accomplished this feat. At every level of pro hockey, it is said a hockey championship is the hardest in sports to win. Texas and Texas only has won the eight most prized trophies in pro hockey:
Stanley Cup (National Hockey League)
Dallas Stars - 1999
Avco World Trophy (World Hockey Association)
Houston Aeros - 1974, 1975
Calder Cup (American Hockey League)
Houston Aeros - 2003
Texas Stars - 2014
Kelly Cup (ECHL)
Allen Americans - 2015, 2016
Ray Miron Presidents' Cup (Central Hockey League)
Fort Worth Fire - 1997
Laredo Bucks - 2004, 2006
Fort Worth Brahmas - 2009
Allen Americans - 2013, 2014
Turner Cup (International League)
Houston Aeros - 1999
Adams Cup (Central Professional Hockey League)
Dallas Blackhawks - 1969, 1972, 1974, 1979
Fort Worth Texans - 1968
Loudon Cup (United States Hockey League)
Houston Huskies - 1948
It is official, the 30th ECHL season is now underway. For the Allen Americans it will be a small group for a few days with five players still in San Jose along with some late arrivals. I had the chance to stop by coach Steve Martinson's office yesterday and he shared the following:
- The Americans will start camp with 16 players and that number includes three tryout players.
- The players will be on the ice on Saturday as Martinson has scheduled a fun practice for the guys and fans are welcome to come and watch. I am sure more complete details will be issued by the team but here is what coach shared with me. "With only a dozen skaters we felt a fun three on three tournament would be a great way to kick off the season. It is also an opportunity to showcase the new North Dallas Pond Hockey Training Center in McKinney. Small area games (the ice surface is 100' x 42') are a fun development tool for kids but they are also good for the pros. I am a pretty knowledgeable parent and this facility is something the area has desperately needed."
Practice is at 10:30 am on Saturday at the pond hockey facility which is just east of 75 and north of 380. The address is 2140 Redbud Blvd Suite F, McKinney, TX 75069 and if you need more info their website is dallaspondhockey.com.
This three on three tournament will be a round robin between three teams. There was a draft yesterday in coach's office and the team captains, who conducted the draft, are the three Allen Americans veterans (Joel Chouinard, Casey Pierro-Zabotel, Mathieu Aubin). There will be three goalies in camp so Martinson will draw names out of a hat to assign one to each of the three teams.
There will also be a shootout drill at the end and they are always fun to watch.
Fans are encouraged to attend. The timing works great so you can attend practice at 10:30, grab lunch and then head over to Fan Fest at the Allen Event Center (AEC) in time to listen to coach Martinson talk about the upcoming season and take questions from the audience. Martinson is scheduled at 1:00 pm but Fan Fest activities will take place from 11-3. Here are the details on the Fan Fest: https://allenamericans.com/americans-hold-fanfest-select-seat-event-september-30th/
- Coach Martinson or better stated General Manager Martinson made the first trade of the season yesterday trading Kyle Neuber for future considerations. It was just a numbers game as Neuber was moved to make room for some new players that have been signed but not yet announced. Not sure where Neuber is headed but as tough as he is, I doubt Martinson would trade him to a Mountain Division team.
- Casey-Pierro Zabotel has been selected as player/assistant coach for the upcoming season. Coach Martinson had this to say about Casey in the team's press release. "He is one of the smartest players I have ever had. He has the experience of playing in all situations, power play and penalty kill, and he can help the younger players." Here is the press release issued by the team: https://allenamericans.com/americans-name-casey-pierro-zabotel-playerassistant-2017-2018-season/
OTHER COMMENTS
- It was a rough night for the Barracuda as they lost their first preseason game in Bakersfield last night, losing to the Condors by a score of 6-0. Haven't seen a box score so not sure how Allen's five tryout players fared but getting shutout and giving up six goals it is probably best not to look at a box score. Two players with Allen ties tried to get the Barracuda going after they the fell behind 5-0 in the second period. Bryan Moore took on a guy that is 6' 5" and Josh Thrower also dropped the gloves. Here is the complete story from the San Jose Barracuda: http://www.sjbarracuda.com/news/detail/barracuda-blanked-5-0-in-preseason-opener
- The Barracuda play their second and final preseason game tomorrow (Saturday) afternoon at 1:30 local time. From what I understand all of the Allen tryout players are staying for that game. I would assume most will return to Allen after the game on Saturday.
- If you are an Allen Americans season ticket holder you should have received an email from the team about purchasing tickets for the two preseason games which will be Friday, October 6th at 8:45 pm and Saturday, October 7th at 5:45 pm. The cost is $15 per ticket and you can purchase up to four tickets per game. Only 300 tickets are available for each game as the games will take place in the community rink. If you didn't get an email I suggest you call the Americans front office (972-912-1000) and make sure they have the correct email in the system for your account. If you want to order any preseason tickets here is the link and if you have any problems or questions you can contact Robert Fatta at 972-912-1024: http://allenamericans.com/preseason-game/
- I often sing the praises of the Allen Americans Fan Club because they do so much behind the scenes to help the team. They asked me to include the following information and I am glad to do so.
The Allen Americans Fan Club is in full swing for the upcoming season. Are we excited or what? Numerous trips to the airport have taken place this week to pick up players. Apartments have been supplied and the players have moved in. The fan club will be supplying breakfast for training camp for the next two weeks. The fan club board has done another phenomenal job in conjunction with total support of new owner, Jack Gulati. This year is shaping up to be the best ever since the inception of the fan club. The one thing that may be missing is you! No worries, we will have a table at Fan Fest on Saturday. Please take a moment to stop by the table and sign up. If everyone does a little, no one will have to do a lot. If you are already a member please stop by, say hello and catch up on what you have been missing. So let's kick off the season this Saturday and pump our team up for championship #5. See you there!
DID YOU KNOW: The 18 players that have been signed and announced by the Allen Americans have an average age of 25.11. The youngest player is Josh Thrower who turned 21 in March and the oldest player is Riley Gill who will be 33 in January.
I get to say something I haven't said for many months, it is game day for the Allen Americans, at least for the five Allen players trying out with the San Jose Barracuda. Haven't seen the roster for the Barracuda's preseason game in Bakersfield tonight but have been told all five (Basara, Archambault, Arseneau, Rissling, Thrower) are expected to play. Bryan Moore and David Makowski, who are under contract with San Jose, should also be in the lineup. Best of luck to all of the guys!
- When you are a tryout player you are assigned some crazy numbers, usually very high numbers. Here are the numbers for the five tryout players plus Moore & Makowski:
#73 - Marcus Basara
#78 - Bryan Moore
#79 - David Makowski
#86 - Josh Thrower
#95 - Olivier Archambault
#86 - Jaynen Rissling
#97 - Vincent Arseneau
- The Sharks and Barracuda announced yesterday that they had extended their affiliation with the Allen Americans through the upcoming season. Here is the press release issued by San Jose if you haven't seen it: http://www.sjbarracuda.com/news/detail/sharks-barracuda-announce-affiliation-extension-with-allen. I was asked by a reader last night why a press release was issued on this extension when there was never a press release issued the last couple of years. My take on this affiliation with San Jose is it relates more to coach Steve Martinson than the Allen Americans. I don't know this for a fact but my opinion is if Martinson would have left Allen after last season, which was certainly a possibilty, he would have taken the affiliation with him. As for why no press release in the last couple of years it most likely had to do with past ownership issues related to the financial aspects of the affiliation. This press release and the ongoing affiliation is just another example of new ownership (Jack Gulati) improving relationships with an important stakeholder. As an aside, when you read the press release you can't help but notice it refers the East Coast Hockey League, a name that was changed to the ECHL 14 years ago. If AHL & NHL media can't get this right after 14 years maybe it is time for the ECHL to rebrand itself.
Martinson's quote in the press release really says it all and why the San Jose affiliation has been a key to Allen's success. It is almost impossible to have a successful AA franchise without a strong affiliation. Martinson said, "San Jose has been the best affiliate I have been involved with. They genuinely care about the success of not only their contracted players but also the Allen Americans."
- If you haven't seen this two part series about the ECHL written by Sam Donnellon from philly.com it is a must read. The headlines describe the subject perfectly.
- Don't forget about the Fanfest event on Saturday at the Allen Event Center. A good time to get back in the hockey spirit with other fans, the players and the Ice Angels. You won't want to miss coach Martinson who is scheduled to talk about the upcoming season and take questions starting at 1:00 pm. Here are all the details and activities: https://allenamericans.com/americans-hold-fanfest-select-seat-event-september-30th/
DID YOU KNOW: For you stats geeks the NHL issued a press release yesterday to announce they have completed the digitization of its entire statistical history. There is even a tutorial embedded in the release. They have added 15 million new player and game data points. Here are a couple of examples that were included of what you can find:
- In each of the league's first two seasons, 1917-18 and 1918-19, minor penalties were three minutes in duration.
- In the early years of the league, goaltenders had to serve their own penalties - Chicago's Mike Karakas was the last to do so on Decemebr 27, 1936.
- Through this digitization process Wayne Gretzky was moved to a plus/minus of +100 in 1984-85 (from +98) to become the third player in NHL history with a single season plus/minus rating in the triple digits. The top two remained unchanged through the process: Bobby Orr at +124 in 1970-71 and Larry Robinson at +120 in 1976-77.
You know that feeling you get when you open a can of soda or a beer that has been slightly frozen or dropped. As you very slowly open the can you just never know how much energy is going to come out. That is the way I feel about what is about to happen as we open the "can" on the 30th ECHL season in just two days. It has been a quiet week thus far but a lot is about to happen. Here is a reminder based on my reporting:
- The Barracuda have their first preseason game tomorrow night in Bakersfield and all five tryout players from Allen (Basara, Archambault, Arseneau, Rissling, Thrower) should play in that game. I don't think there is any way to watch the game but there should be some reporting on social media. The Allen players have looked good in practice and have received some positive feedback. The game in Bakersfield will be a big opportunity to show everyone in San Jose what they bring to the table. Obviously the goal for the guys is to get signed to a two-way AHL/ECHL deal by the Barracuda but even if that doesn't happen they are on the radar for loans to AHL teams during the season.
- If you have been tracking the Sharks and Barracuda training camps you may have noticed the Sharks still have a lot of players in camp, something like 32. Opening day for the NHL is just one week away and the Sharks will have to trim their roster to 23. With so many players still at Sharks camp the Barracuda camp has just 24 players. This could be good news for the Allen tryout players. The Barracuda play their first preseason game in Bakersfield tomorrow night but they have their second preseason game Saturday afternoon (1:30 pm local time) in San Jose. Unless the Sharks send more players down it is possible the five Allen tryout players will stay in San Jose at least through the preseason game on Saturday.
- There should be two more player announcements over the next few days. That would put the roster total at 20 players. Coach Steve Martinson will continue strengthening the roster whenever he can and these last two puzzle pieces will do that. Putting together a roster is much more complicated than you think because you have to balance high end players with younger players to stay under the salary cap, you can only have four players on the team with more than 260 pro games, you have to factor in how many players will get assigned from your affiliate and housing costs dictate the mix between married and single players. There isn't anyone that manages this recruitment chess game better than coach Martinson.
- The official training camp roster will be issued by the team any day. In addition to the 20 players Martinson has signed there will be some other players in camp on tryouts. Mostly guys that will spend the season in the SPHL but just like the Allen players on tryout in San Jose these guys are hoping to make an impression.
- One thing is certain and that is competition for opening day roster spots (due October 11) will be fierce. With 20 guys signed in Allen and the possibility of getting four or five players from San Jose there will not be enough slots for everyone. Martinson always describes training camp like this, "What you have done in the past might help you get to training camp but once camp starts everyone needs to prove themselves."
- Another axiom you hear from coach Martinson is he has the same team every year, it is just the names on the back that change. His goal is to have players that stay in shape, work hard, put the team first, finish their checks and are difficult to play against but also bring skill to the ice. It has been a winning formula for over 20 years. The way the 2017-18 roster is shaping up, if all of the players that might end up in Allen do end up in Allen this may be the hardest team to play against Martinson has ever assembled. I don't mean the fightingest team but the toughest/grittiest team.
- You can also expect the training camp schedule to be issued in the next couple of days. The team is already assembling prior to the official opening day of ECHL camps on Friday. There just might be a couple of surprises over the next few days. For sure you should plan on attending the "Fanfest" event on Saturday from 11-3. I have been asked about when the Q & A will take place with coach Martinson. That is typically at noon or one o'clock. I will try and get a specific time and include it tomorrow.
- Here is a great article written Kevin Kurz (theathletic.com) about the San Jose Sharks. What happens with the Sharks has a direct impact on the Barracuda and what happens with the Barracuda has a direct impact on Allen. If you take an interest in the Sharks and Barracuda rosters this story is for you. Lot's of detail on what players might be on the NHL roster versus the AHL roster. Here is Kevin's article, "10 Sharks observations: Young players look hungry, but are they good enough? https://www.theathletic.com/110631/2017/09/26/10-sharks-observations-young-players-look-hungry-but-are-they-good-enough/
DID YOU KNOW: - It is hard to believe it is time to kick off another Allen Americans
season, the ninth in team history. And what a pleasure it has been to
follow the team from the beginning. If you are an Allen Americans fan
there is no question you are spoiled. The team has never missed the
playoffs, reached the championship finals in the very first year and won
four consecutive championships (2013-16). While the team has had plenty of
struggles off the ice with three owners in nine years including numerous of budget issues, the on ice product has never wavered. Losing in the second
round of the playoffs last season was considered a disappointment, for
most ECHL teams that would have been a huge success. Of all of the
impressive Steve Martinson stats one of the best is in his five years as
the coach in Allen he has been in 15 playoff series with most of them
being best of seven. His record in those 15 playoff series is 14-1.
One of the worst kept secrets of the off-season, the return of Vincent Arseneau to Allen, was made official yesterday as the Americans issued a press release and video to honor the occasion. Arseneau is one of five Allen players attending the San Jose Barracuda training camp this week. Vincent's style of play may keep him in San Jose longer than some of the other players, if he has a good camp.
- It is hard to overestimate the impact Vincent Areseneau has on the ice. He was part of both Kelly Cup championship in Allen (2015 & 2016) and I think it is fair to say the team missed his presence last season. Coach Martinson describes Arseneau like this, "He is a skilled top line winger and he is the most devastating hitter in the ECHL."
If you watch games closely you can see players reluctant to hold on to the puck in the corners or behind the net with Arseneau coming at them. They get rid of the puck very early. When he signed with Wichita last season I had Allen players tell me they are always looking over their shoulder when Arseneau is on the ice and they would be very aware of him when the Americans played Wichita. But it is not just his ability to finish checks that makes him so valuable as a player. He drives the net and knows how to finish. Vincent played in only 24 games for Wichita last season because of nagging injuries but he scored 12 goals. A .5 goals per game average is in Greger Hanson, Bryan Moore, and Chad Costello territory.
In my opinion, if Arseneau can stay healthy and doesn't spend a lot of time in San Jose he will have the best season of his career in Allen. And it goes without saying it will be fun to watch.
Arseneau with the finish against Tulsa - photo by Kimberly Sauer
- I saw this on thecoachessite.com and it reminded me of a conversation I had with Allen skating coach, Luke Chilcott, last season. Luke works with players in San Jose as well as in Allen. He was sharing with me that it is typical that the players that work the hardest to improve their skating are players that are already good skaters. Many times Luke works with Allen players after practice if they want to stay and it is always interesting to see which players take the extra time to work on their skating. Here is the quote from The Coaches Site:
"The other day I watched a NHL defenseman, an Olympian, on the ice at a local arena working on his edges. Back and forth, over and over again. Truth be told I only watched for a couple of minutes because I got bored. But here is a millionaire who only has a couple of years left to play, working on his turns while a bunch of recreational hockey players whiz by without paying him any attention. It was awesome."
- I haven't heard or read much about the first day of the Barracuda camp yesterday but did find a video on the Barracuda website of an interview with team captain John McCarthy. He said with so many new guys in camp the first couple of days are to get the systems in place so everyone knows the forecheck and the basics. It is about laying the foundation. If you want to see the full video you can find it on the Barracuda website under the Instagram section: http://www.sjbarracuda.com/
- A couple of readers have asked about when the early bird special will be available for fans that want to sign up for ECHL-TV. Per the league office that usually comes out the first week in October so you should see something next week.
DID YOU KNOW: This season will be the 30th anniversary of the ECHL. The league started in 1988-89 with just five teams, Carolina Thunderbirds, Erie Panthers, Johnstown Chiefs, Knoxville Cherokees and the Virginia Lancers. Carolina beat Johnstown for the first championship which was the Jack Riley Cup. What made that series unique was it went to a deciding games seven and ECHL commissioner, Patrick J. Kelly, suspended three Carolina players for game seven. Game seven was played in Johnstown but against all odds Carolina won the game 7-4 and claimed the first Riley Cup.
It is finally here and Allen fans as well as those around the ECHL can say hockey starts this week. Players will be arriving in town all week. Per ECHL rules training camp officially opens on Friday but every team has a little different schedule.
- Allen has still not issued anything official on the training camp schedule or roster but that should be out in the next couple of days. The last I heard was players will have physicals on Friday and on ice practice is possible on Saturday (if ice time is available) and for sure on Sunday. Fans will have to wait for something official from the team as these dates are subject to change and some practices may not be open to the public.
- The San Jose Barracuda open their training camp this morning with 24 players on the roster after the Sharks sent eight more players yesterday. The Sharks roster is now at 32 players so still more players to be sent to the Barracuda in the next week. The Barracuda camp will definitely have an Allen flavor with six players under AHL contracts that have played in Allen (Adam Helewka, Alex Schoenborn, Jon Martin, Bryan Moore, Mike Brodzinski, David Makowski) along with five Allen players (Marcus Basara, Vincent Arseneau, Olivier Archambault, Josh Thrower, Jaynen Rissling) attending camp on tryout contracts.
- I had a chance to talk to coach Martinson about the five guys he is sending to the Barracuda training camp. He told me he met with them before they left for San Jose and they are all in great shape, have been training hard for this opportunity and should do well at camp.
- Don't forget the Allen roster is still not complete. There is still one open veteran slot and coach Martinson always has a surprise or two up his sleeve as the season gets underway. Stay tuned.
- Coach Martinson confirmed he will be heading to San Jose this morning (Monday) to attend a few days of the Barracuda camp. It gives him a chance to watch his five tryout players and also get an idea about the AHL contracted players that might end up in Allen. He will also have a chance to talk to the Barracuda coaching staff and the front office staff which is very helpful. Coach Martinson always says the affiliation an ECHL team has is key to success and the one Allen has with San Jose has been excellent.
- I have mentioned this a couple of times before and nothing has changed my mind. What has happened with the tryout players in the past is San Jose purchases round trip tickets up front, the players practice with the team, play in the first preseason game (Thursday in Bakersfield) and then are returned to Allen. If they decide to keep any of the players they just change the return ticket date. If things go as in the past all five tryout players will play in the Barracuda's first preseason game on Thursday.
- I am still getting questions about the Allen preseason games (October 6 & 7) asking when something will be out about purchasing tickets. I know the front office has been working diligently to come up with a plan but they have not shared any details with me. If I had to guess I would say the season ticket holders would get first crack at buying these tickets as that only seems fair. With so few tickets available (in the 300's range) even some of the season ticket holders may get shut out. My advice is keep an eye out for an email if you are a season ticket holder so you can act fast if you want to attend these preseason games. If I get anything official I will share it on social media. You may see something as soon as today.
- It is easy to forget there is a lot of activity going on behind the scenes to get ready for the season. The fan club volunteers to pick up players at the airport and they also get all of the apartments ready for the guys. A lot of hours devoted to both of these activities by the fan club. I ran into Stephanie Di Biase-Wheat, Director/Choreographer for the Ice Angels at the rink the other day and they are hard at work getting ready for the season. These ladies are not only great dancers but they are in phenomenal physical shape. There is a reason they are the best in the ECHL and many go on to NFL, NBA and NHL dance teams.
- In the battle of the former Allen Americans playing in Slovakia it was Josh Brittain's team (Banksa Bystrica) defeating Spencer Asuchak's team (Zvolen) 4-2 yesterday. It was also a bad day for Chad Costello's team who lost 5-3 even though Chad had a good day with a couple of assists. With the loss the team (Iserlohn Roosters) is now all alone in last place in the 14 team league with a record of 1-4-1.
DID YOU KNOW: What a difference a year makes. Here is what I posted one year ago today about the forwards coming to Allen's training camp. Winning consistently in the ECHL is so much more difficult than in the AHL & NHL with players on one year contracts and all of the player turnover from year to year. It is also why the best coaches in the ECHL are also the best recruiters.
September 24, 2016 - There were two player announcements this week as the team formally
announced that Greger Hanson and Tristan King would be returning. Since
they were both living in the area, have been skating at the informal
skates with the players and have been signed for a long time, these
announcements were certainly not a surprise. This completes all of the
forwards that coach Martinson will sign and a talented group they are.
There are 11 forwards and they have all played in Allen in the past.
Chad Costello
J.P. LaFontaine
Dyson Stevenson
Kale Kerbashain
Kyle Neuber
Gary Steffes
Chris Crane
Tanner Eberle
Spencer Asuchak
Greger Hanson
Tristan King
One of my goals before the start of training camp was to sit down with team captain Joel Chouinard and get to know him better both personally and professionally. I had the opportunity to do that a couple of days ago and came away very impressed. Open, honest, caring, introspective, engaging, humble, continuous improvement and driven are some of the words that come to mind after we talked about everything from from his family growing up in a Montreal suburb, his start in hockey, moving away from home at a young age, his junior career, his professional career, how he met his wife, his time in Allen, his leadership style, thoughts on his captaincy and his plans for the future. I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed chatting with Joel. Life experiences play a big part in who we all turn out to be and that is certainly the case with Joel.
Growing up in a suburb of Montreal you would think Joel grew up in a hockey crazed household. Not the case at all. As Joel said with a slight chuckle, "My immediate family does not come from a hockey background, my uncles all played but my dad never played and doesn't even really know how to skate. The Canadiens are a religion back home but my parents never followed them."
Education was important to the Chouinard family. Joel's dad (Jocelyn) is a retired neuropsychologist and his mom (Mary) was a school principal. Joel has one brother (Jacob) who is two years younger and also played hockey. After a junior career in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) Jacob went on to play four years at McGill University. Jacob is still at McGill pursuing a masters degree in economics.
By the way Jacob was a goalie and the brothers did get to play against each other a few times back in their amateur days. Joel did bring up that he had scored a goal on his brother and that was "pretty cool."
Joel started playing hockey at the age of five, drawn to the game because all of his friend were playing. His earliest hockey memory is the first time he put on skates. Joel's mom put his skates on the wrong feet and he ended up skating like a penguin. As he said, "That was my first time ever skating and it went horribly."
When I asked Joel about how he ended up playing defense it was an early life lesson. He played more forward up until he was 11. It was his first year in the age group and his coach told him if he wanted to make the team he would have to go and play defense. As Joel said, "I think that worked out pretty good."
Who were Joel's favorite players growing up? Here is what he said about that, "I grew up idolizing Mario Lemieux, he was always my favorite player. When he retired the first time I was just crushed. After that I started idolizing Scott Niedermayer. I don't compare my game to his by any means but I always thought he was such a smooth skater who was smart and could see the ice well. That is what influenced me as I got into playing defense. I never wanted to be a one dimensional player, I always wanted to bring different aspects to the game and that is the type of defenseman I have tried to be."
Like many young hockey players Joel left home to follow his dream when he was 15. While Joel was only 30 minutes from home he was required by the team to stay with a billet family. He would see his family on weekends when they would attend games. In 2006 he was drafted in the fourth round of the QMJHL draft by the Victoriaville Tigres which was 45 minutes from home so again he was away from home but close enough he would see his family most weekends. Joel had this to say about living away from his family, "It was good I got used to living a part from my family when I was younger. The big adjustment was when I turned pro and moved to Cleveland which was 12 hours away from home. So I didn't see my parents as much during those years. I think it was a good thing I got used to living a part from my family when I was younger but it is still hard not to see my family. I am really close to them and we talk on a daily basis, it just that the face to face time isn't there and that is the hard part."
For any young hockey player to get drafted by the NHL is a dream come true. Joel was still early in his junior career with Victoriaville when he was drafted by the Colorado Avalanche in the sixth round of the 2008 NHL draft. I asked Joel about that experience and here is the story in his own words:
"I was on the predraft list for defensemen and that certainly doesn't mean you will get drafted but you are on the radar of some NHL teams. The draft in 2008 happened to be in Ottawa which is four hours from my hometown. My family had a family reunion at my uncle's house that weekend and he lives in Ottawa. I wanted to live the experience so I went to the draft on that Friday night. I wasn't wearing a suit or anything, I was just sitting up with the fans taking it all in (Steven Stamkos was the #1 pick). I wanted to be drafted of course and on Saturday I wasn't really nervous until they got to the fourth, fifth and six rounds. I kind of had a feeling when Colorado was up in the sixth round that I would get drafted. My long time mentor is Sylvain Lefebvre who played in the NHL for 17 years. I am best buddies with his son (Djan). We are from the same hometown and we grew up together. At the time Sylvain was a coach in the Colorado organization. I knew he had mentioned my name to them so I was aware I was on their radar but I had never interviewed with them. My entire family was at the arena because of the family reunion and when Colorado selected me in the sixth round it was surreal. I remember right after being selected I had to give an interview in English and at that time (18 years old) my English was not very good as I was just learning it in school. I was interviewed on TSN which is the ESPN of Canada and that was challenging. It was an awesome moment for me just wearing the jersey and taking all of the pictures. After that, with the family reunion going on, I was wearing my jersey and everyone was so excited for me. Hockey is so big back home it is like football in Texas."
Joel returned to Victoriaville for his last two years of junior hockey. I mentioned "humble' was one of the adjectives I would use to describe him. While he talked about how much he enjoyed his time playing for Victoriaville he never once mentioned his accomplishments which I found while doing research for this story. Check out this list for his final junior season in 2009-10:
- Led the QMJHL in goals by a defensemen (23)
- Second in scoring for his team with 68 points in 65 games
- Assistant captain
- QMJHL first all-star team
- Finalist for the Emile "Butch" Bouchard Trophy as QMJHL's best defenseman
- Led his team in plus/minus (+23)
- Finalist for the Marcel-Robert Trophy as the QMJHL Scholastic Player of the Year
- Winner of the QMJHL's Paul Dumont Trophy as the "Personality of the Year" for his ambassador work in the community.
After his final junior season Joel signed his first professional contract in May 2010, a three year entry level deal with Colorado. He played for their AHL affiliate in Cleveland (Lake Erie Monsters) for the next three seasons. That experience was another life lesson for Joel. Here is how he explains it, "My entire professional career as been an awesome experience and I have had a great career so far. The main thing I take from my pro career it that I have really grown as a man. At first I was so focused on doing everything the coaches were telling me to do I ended up forgetting who I was as a hockey player. I forgot myself and forgot my game. I was always an offensive defenseman and my first two pro seasons my coach turned me into a defensive defenseman. I was told you are not going to make it to the NHL if you don't know how to play defense. I forgot my way those first two years and it wasn't until I got sent down to the Denver Cutthroats (CHL) in my third season (2012-13) that things started back up and I found the player I have always been. Ever since that experience in Denver I have gotten better every year. Last season was my best year ever and it is fun to keep growing. I have grown as a person, not just a hockey player."
How did Joel end up playing for the Allen Americans? The story goes back to when he met Courtney when he was playing in Cleveland for the Lake Erie Monsters (AHL) and one of his teammates was Justin Mercier. As Joel tells the story, "Justin's sister, Courtney, went to school at Michigan and over spring break she came and visited her brother. Their parents are from Erie, Pennsylvania and Cleveland is a midpoint between Erie and Ann Arbor so Cleveland was the perfect spot for the whole family to meet. They would come to watch Justin play and after I met them to watch me as well. That is how I met Courtney and it has been great ever since." Allen fans can thank Courtney for recruiting Joel for the Americans. While she was attending the University of Michigan Law School she took an internship in Dallas which led to a full time position after she graduated. Steve Martinson was the benefactor of the move to Dallas.
I think anyone that observed Joel play last season could see him take more and more of a leadership role as the season progressed. I asked him about that and this was his response. "I have always taken a leadership role on my teams and have enjoyed helping younger players and also helping with the systems. There was such a big group of leaders on the Americans team when I arrived, they had all won championships and knew how to win. At first I didn't want to step on anyone's toes but at the same time I wanted to stay true to myself. I am a veteran in this league and have lots of experience (over 200 AHL games) so I wanted to share my opinion. The guys on the team really welcomed me in, they didn't block me out because I wasn't one of them or hadn't won a championship in Allen. I appreciated how they trusted me and valued my opinion. That gave me more confidence to take on a bigger role. We don't have an assistant coach to help with the defense and after Gensy (Aaron Gens) got hurt I stepped up especially on the road when Marty is the only coach on the bench. Marty knows everything and he is good at who is going out next but sometimes I can be of some help. The guys were great and respected me when I was helping out with the defense and I got to really enjoy it."
Was Joel surprised when coach Martinson asked him to be captain? "I'm not going to lie, when Costy (Chad Costello) signed to play in Germany it came to my head of course. I have never been a captain in my pro career but have worn the "A" before. Being a captain is something I have always wanted to do so it did cross my mind but I knew we had a lot of guys coming back that were good leaders so I didn't want to put my expectations too high. When coach gave me a call I was thrilled."
How does Joel see his role as the captain of the team? "I don't believe one person needs to do all of the leadership duties. Of course the captain talks to the referee on the ice and there are certain times when the captain is called on to speak on behalf of the team. I feel strongly it doesn't matter who wears the letters, a good team has many leaders on the ice and in the locker room. I think it is important to have everyone take ownership of different roles and responsibilities so everyone feels part of the team. I look at our team as a big family and communication is a key and we need everyone to make that work. I can tell you the guys wearing the letter don't have all the answers and Marty doesn't have all the answers. I think one of the secrets to Martinson's success is he brings the right people together, he puts the right systems in place and he lets the players figure out a lot of things so they take responsibility. Marty provides the structure but it is the team that takes responsibility for success.
What are your thoughts on the roster thus far? "I was looking at the lineup the the other day and we will have a lot of toughness and I don't mean just fighting toughness. There are a lot of smart players that know how to play the game the right way. Lot's of guys that are leaders from their previous teams. I like our roster because we will have plenty of depth. To have a good team in the ECHL you need to have players step up when the team has injuries and call ups. That is why Allen has been so good because they have the depth where guys can step in to play a bigger role when others get called up."
The Americans might have five french players this season with yourself, Aubin, Archambault, Arseneau, and Lessard. Does that present any unique issues for you as captain? "It is something I have thought about because it can lead to teams having different groups or cliques. I have seen that before in my career. I have to admit it is strange to talk English to someone whose native language is French. Just imagine being in Mexico and speaking to your friend or relative in Spanish when English is your first language. I have gotten used to it but it feels weird. My goal is to have a cohesive group which would mean if two french guys are talking to each other in the locker room or on the bus they might speak French but if the are having a discussion on the ice that includes their English speaking linemate they speak in English. It is not about which language your are speaking but making sure everyone is included and cliques don't develop.
Joel has been working on degree in management and is already planning for life after hockey. He has an internship lined up for next summer after hockey season is over.
Joel Chouinard will be a great leader for the Allen Americans and will represent the team in an exemplary fashion on the ice, in the locker room and in the community. It will be enjoyable to watch. Courtney captured it best when she posted this on social media after Joel was announced as the Allen captain, "I don't normally post about Joel's hockey, but there's a first for everything and I think this "first" is warranted. I'm incredibly proud of this guy for all he has accomplished and for being given this opportunity. I have never met someone so selfless, compassionate and determined. Every day he challenges me to be a better version of me and I know as captain he will do the same for all those around him, Looking forward to a great season!
Here is a "get to know you" video from 2015 when Joel was playing for the Toledo Walleye that tells you more about him.
Finally, here is a video of Joel from 2009 when he was 19. It is in French with English subtitles so hopefully you can watch it on a big monitor. I include it because it shows several things. There is a question about his commitment to education, one about him purchasing a season ticket and donating the tickets to an organization for single parents to take their kids to a hockey game and lastly it reminds you that French is his first language. If you talk to him today you realize how hard he has worked as is English is impeccable.
A couple of documents fans have been waiting for were released
yesterday, that being the ECHL critical dates and the San Jose Barracuda
training camp schedule and roster. Let's take a look at both.
The first thing you notice is the roster only has 16 players and camp opens on Monday. The 16 players are made up of 11 players that were sent down to the Barracuda earlier in the week from the Sharks NHL camp and five players from Allen who were invited to camp on tryout contracts.
More players will be assigned from the Sharks camp to the Barracuda camp before Monday. The Sharks still have 42 players in training camp and the final roster will be 23. A big group will get sent down in the next two days.
The five Allen players attending the camp are forwards Marcus Basara, Olivier Archambault and Vincent Arseneau and defensemen Josh Thrower and Jaynen Rissling. Archambault is shown as a defensemen on the roster but that is an error.
With Arseneau in camp with San Jose that puts to rest any doubts concerning his ECHL status. You can now be assured if he doesn't stay in San Jose he will be playing in Allen.
Interesting to note the two oldest players of the 16 on the current training camp roster for the Barracuda are David Makowski who is 28 and Arseneau at 25. Two of the players (Alex True & Jeremy Roy) just turned 20.
If you look at the schedule you will notice the Barracuda will have three practices (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday) before the first preseason game on Thursday in Bakersfield. This is just conjecture on my part based on prior seasons but what might happen is the Allen tryout players may get a chance to play in the first preseason game on Thursday and then head back to Allen and will arrive in time for the Americans first on-ice session. Of course it is possible that the Barracuda will keep one or more of the Allen players longer and while not likely one of them could end up with an AHL deal. All any player ever wants is a chance and these five player have that chance.
The other unknown when you look at the roster and schedule is how many Barracuda contracted players will be assigned to Allen and when will they be assigned. The last I heard coach Martinson was intending to go to San Jose next week to observe the Barracuda training camp. When he returns to Allen he may have a better idea of what players will get assigned and when he might get them.
As I have mentioned before the Sharks still have four goalies in camp and just one assigned to Barracuda camp and that is Stephon Williams. If the Sharks send two goalies to the Barracuda this weekend (most likely Troy Grosenick & Antoine Bibeau) you would expect Williams would get assigned to Allen.
September 29 - This is the official date for opening training camps. Each ECHL team has a little different schedule but typically the first day is a get together and players under go physicals. The first on-ice session could be anytime after Friday and for Allen will probably be determined by the availability of ice time. I am sure the team will issue details sometime next week when practice will be open to the public. Everything will take place in the community rink since there will be no ice in the big rink until the week of October 1.
October 11 - This is the day rosters are due to the league office (3:00 pm EDT). Remember, the first month of the season the active roster can be 21 and then it reduces to 20. Coach Martinson hasn't always carried the maximum number of players because they have to fit under the salary cap which is $13,260 per week for the first month and them drops to $12,800 after the roster drops to 20 players.
January 19 - This is the jersey reversal date. I assume the Americans will wear white at home the first half of the season and switch to red the second half.
February 15 - Always a date to keep an eye on to see if any overseas players might return. I think the rule is they must be back in the US and with the team by that date. With Costello, Asuchak, Brittain and MacLeod all playing in Europe the odds of one of them returning is pretty good in my opinion. MacLeod has played in Europe before but for the other three it is their first time. The hope is their teams do well, they enjoy the hockey and are having a good time off the ice. Sometimes it doesn't work out that way. If you recall, David Makowski returned to Allen from Hungary in early December last season and look how it worked out for him. He had a great season with the Americans which earned him an AHL deal with the San Jose Barracuda.
- Speaking of the overseas players last night was not good. Costello's team lost 6-3 to fall into a tie for last place in the 14 team league. They play one of the teams they are tied with tomorrow (Sunday) with a chance to move out of last place. Spencer's team lost 3-2 in overtime and is tied for seventh place in the 11 team league with a record of 2-2-1. Josh's team also lost in overtime (3-2) and is in second place in the league just two points out of first. Brittain's team has played six games winning three and losing the other three in overtime. Everyone plays again on Sunday and the game to watch is Spencer's team taking on Josh's team.
REFLECTIONS
When you turn 70 as I did this week you can't help but reflect on the past and I have done plenty of that recently. While we all have many facets to our lives I couldn't help but think about what a wonderful
experience it has been to be a fan of the Allen Americans. I have written about this in the past but it is worth revisiting. It seemed
simple enough back in 2009 when my wife noticed there was a new hockey team coming to
Allen and maybe we should get season tickets. We were hockey fans
having gone to high school and college in Minnesota and attending
University of Minnesota and Minnesota North Stars games. Little did we
know when we became one of the first Allen Americans full season ticket
holders the joy it would bring.
It
would be easy to just focus on the success of the team as that has been
absolutely amazing. From going to the championship finals in the very
first year (2009-10) to winning four consecutive championships starting
with the 2012-13 season. The Americans have never missed the playoffs and won all four
of their championships on home ice. Allen's all time regular season
record is 344-145-24-30. No fan could ask for more.
Team
success is just part of the great fan experience in Allen. Most fans
would agree what makes minor pro hockey unique and more enjoyable is the
relationship between the players and the fans. Always accessible,
willing to take time with the fans, sign whatever the fans wish to have
signed. The players aren't just players but become friends with the
fans. You never get tired of watching the players interacting with the
young ones who attend practice, games or team events. It is special.
Many
fans not only become friends with the players but with their families.
It is like keeping track of relatives once the players retire or move
on. Luckily, social media plays a big role in updates as those babies
from a few years ago start to grow up. Harper and London Graham are now
in school and have a little brother. Aiden Snowden has already won a
golf tournament and been interviewed by the Golf Channel and both he and
his little brother (Keegan) love hockey. The oldest of the five Ludwig kids, (Tyler & Taylor have three and Trevor & Holly have two) are starting to play sports. The Schaafsma family grew by one last
summer. Nicole always posts pictures of Sawyer, Sutter and Sullivan to keep everyone up to date. With the Costello's in Germany, Ashley is keeping everyone informed of their three little ones. The current team
has a new crop of children (Pierro-Zabotel & Gill) for fans to watch grow
up. One thing is already apparent and that is there are some hockey players following in their dad's footsteps.
It is also fun to reflect on
some of the "characters" that have played in Allen over the years. You
know, those players the opposing fans don't like until they play on
their team. Kip Brennan, Darryl Bootland and Derek Mathers are great
examples. Totally different on the ice than off the ice. Engaging,
introspective and articulate guys who always had time for the fans.
The
last five years have been unprecedented in minor pro hockey as the
Americans won four straight championships before being eliminated in the second round this past season. You certainly can't
reflect on the history of the Allen Americans without talking about
Steve Martinson. His coaching prowess speaks for itself with 10
championships in 21 years as a head coach. He is a throw back coach who
knows what works and is a great recruiter. I have spent many hours with
coach Martinson over the last five years and it is clear he sees his job
as winning hockey games and that drives his decisions. He has been a
player, coach, general manager and owner and uses that experience each
and everyday to help him win. He knows all the rules and how to use them
to the team's advantage. A good example is managing the salary cap. In
Allen's first year in the ECHL (2014-15), coach Martinson submitted more than 250
salary changes to the league, all within the rules. The following year
the league changed the rule to limit salary changes to 52. Contrary to
popular belief, under Steve Martinson, Allen is not a team that breaks
the compensation rules. If the truth be known, Martinson won four
championship under some unbelievable budget constraints that would have
had most teams fail. He has dealt with serious problems related to
travel, housing, insurance, medical care, equipment, benefits, and
salary. All teams have budget issues but the issues in Allen were much
more serious than anyone knows. It is a tribute to Martinson that he has
been successful while dealing with the numerous budget/ownership issues the last few years until Jack Gulati bought the team in February.
I
also reflected on the many Allen Americans fans I have gotten to
know over the years. It is a tight knit group who truly enjoys
everything the team has to offer. It is like a big hockey family. It
makes you look forward to attending each and every game.
So
there you have some of my reflections about the Americans. Maybe you
have had some of the same reflections or maybe not. I just know for my
family the Americans have been a wonderful addition to the community and
have brought more enjoyment and success than anyone could have
imagined. Looking forward to the start of season nine. If for any reason you are hesitating renewing your season tickets for the upcoming season I would encourage you to reconsider. With new ownership, a new team president, a bunch of new players along with the same coach and general manager this season will be great entertainment.
DID
YOU KNOW: Tommy Daniels, Vice President of Broadcasting & Media
Relations, is the only employee of the Allen Americans that has been
with the team all nine years of its existence.
I want to start off this morning by thanking everyone for all of the birthday wishes. To receive so many messages by email, phone call, texts and on social media made turning 70 quite enjoyable. The Allen Americans family is amazing and to hear from so many of you was great. It was also great to hear from former players overseas, writers and bloggers from around the ECHL and fans from around the league. This is the sixth year of my blog and one of the things I realized back in the CHL days was the uniqueness of AA hockey. There was something special about the relationship between players and fans and between fans from the different markets. That is a big part of why writing the blog is so enjoyable.
- If you are anxious to get the hockey season underway a reminder that the Americans are having a fanfest event on Saturday, September 30. If you haven't attended these in the past it is a great opportunity to meet the players and hear from coach Martinson on the upcoming season. Come with your questions in hand for the coach. He is always entertaining and informative. Here is the press release with all of the details: https://allenamericans.com/americans-hold-fanfest-select-seat-event-september-30th/
- Tommy Daniels put together a great story on the experience David Makowski and Bryan Moore had attending the San Jose Sharks (NHL) training camp last weekend. They are now assigned to the San Jose Barracuda and that camp officially starts on Monday. If you haven't read this story it is a must read as David and Bryan describe the experience in their own words: https://allenamericans.com/americans-players-make-opportunity-san-jose-sharks-camp/
- The NHL is cracking down on slashing penalties this season and here is an article written by Paul Gackle that discusses the issue. Slashes across the hands sometimes result in broken fingers and that injury usually means 4-6 weeks out of the lineup. Kale Kerbashain, Zach Hall and Eric Roy all dealt with this issue last season if memory serves me right I am surely forgetting some others. The interesting discussion in this story is whether a slash to the stick should be allowed as a defensive tactic. Sharks defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic shares his opinion and the possible motivation the NHL has for the crackdown. Makes you wonder if this will be a point of emphasis for the ECHL this season. Here is the story: http://www.mercurynews.com/2017/09/21/sharks-vlasic-on-nhls-slashing-crackdown-its-all-about-scoring-they-want-goals/
- The Rapid City Rush announced yesterday they have hired Joe Macdonell as team President. He comes with a wealth of experience and was hired after Joe Ferras left the organization this summer to join the scouting department of the New Jersey Devils (NHL). Allen fans can attest that running a AA hockey team is a real challenge based on the Americans experience over the last few seasons. Ownership support is a big key. Best of luck to Joe and the entire Rush organization. Here is a story about Joe Macdonell from the Rapid City Journal: http://rapidcityjournal.com/sports/macdonell-named-new-rapid-city-rush-president/article_bbd534ef-fa79-551d-8c82-d94c5b419c37.html
- The overseas watch continues as Costello, Asuchak and Brittain all have games tonight (Friday) and Sunday. It will be a chance for Chad's team to gain ground in the standings as his Iserlohn Roosters play a team (Munchen) just two points ahead of them tonight and then the last place team (Wolfsburg) on Sunday. Spencer's team (Zvolen) has won two in a row after starting the season with two losses and Josh's team (Banska Bystrica) is tied for first in the league. It will be fun to watch the outcome on Sunday as Asuchak's team plays Brittain's team for the first time this season. By the way these two communities are only 13 miles apart.
DID YOU KNOW: Chad Costello and Spencer Asuchak both have just one point (a goal) in their first four games but Josh Brittain has gotten off to a great start with seven points (5 goals 2 assists) in five games. He leads the Slovakian league in goals, is second in points, seventh in penalty minutes, second in plus/minus and his team is in first place. That is what you call making a good first impression. Congrats to Josh.
With the official start of training camps around the ECHL just over a week away (September 29) it is important for all ECHL fans to keep informed on what is happening at their NHL & AHL affiliates training camps. These camps can have a big impact on what the ECHL rosters will eventually look like. Let's use the San Jose Sharks as an example. They started camp last Friday with 72 players divided into three groups including many names familiar to Allen fans because they played for the Americans in the past. On Monday the Sharks trimmed the roster by 13 players and sent 11 of those players to the San Jose Barracuda's training camp which commences this coming Monday (September 25).
- The Sharks played their first preseason game last night and came away with a 5-0 shutout win against the Anaheim Ducks. Aaron Dell was in goal for San Jose and played just as he left off last season with a great performance. The Sharks coach, Pete DeBoer, had made it clear the backup goalie position was open to competition with AHL goalie of the year Troy Grosenick also in the mix. Here is a story about the game and Dell's performance last night written by Paul Gackle titled, "What we learned in Sharks preseason opener: Dell tightens grip on backup goalie job" - http://www.mercurynews.com/2017/09/19/what-we-learned-in-sharks-preseason-opener-dell-tightens-grip-on-backup-goalie-job/
- The focus for Allen fans should now turn to the Barracuda camp which starts on Monday. The complete roster for that camp has not been issued but the first 11 players have been added to the roster. As mentioned yesterday they are defensemen, Micheal Brodzinski, Cavan Fitzgerald, David Makowski and Jeremy Roy; forwards, Jonathan Martin, Colby McAuley, Bryan Moore, Alex Schoenborn, Alexander True, Manuel Wiederer and goalie Stephon Williams.
- The rest of the Barracuda roster will be made up of additional players the Sharks will send down between today and Monday along with some tryout players. Allen will be sending five tryout players to the Barracuda camp. This process is repeating itself all across hockey. Some ECHL teams have already announced the tryout players they are sending to ECHL camps and I assume the Americans will make their announcement in the next couple of days. The try out players usually have roundtrip tickets so in most cases they will be returning to Allen before the start of the Americans camp. Based on past seasons here is how the schedule might work for the tryout players. They start camp with the Barracuda on Monday (25th) and will practice until the first preseason game which is Thursday (28th) in Bakersfield against the Condors. After that game most will return to Allen. One or two players may stay longer but will still be on a tryout contract. Last season Harrison Ruopp was one of the tryout players and stayed with the Barracuda until the first week of November. The best case scenario for one of these tryout players is they would be offered a standard players contract. It doesn't happen very often but it is a possibility. Most of the tryout players should be back in Allen when the Americans camp begins presumably a week from Friday. When the on ice practices begin has not been announced by the team so stay tuned for that.
- The other unknown is how many players that are under contract in San Jose will be assigned to Allen and when will they be assigned. The list of 11 above are the most likely candidates which includes Makowski, Moore, Brodzinski, Schoenborn and Martin who all saw action in Allen last season. The most likely player to be sent to Allen before the Americans start training camp is goalie Stephon Williams. Since he was the first goalie from Sharks camp sent to the Barracuda it reinforces he is number five on the San Jose depth chart and will be the goalie San Jose sends to Allen. Barring any goalie injuries in San Jose this could happen sometime next week but you will just have to wait and see. Here is the press release issued by San Jose when they signed Williams which will give you some background: http://www.sjbarracuda.com/news/detail/barracuda-sign-goaltender-stephon-williams
- I have had several questions about tickets for the two preseason games that will take place in the community rink against Kansas City on October 6 (8:45 pm) and October 7 (5:30 pm). Ticket information should be out in the next few days. With the limited seating, coordinating with the Mavericks, the Allen Event Center and city officials there are all kinds of logistical details that have to be worked out.
- Another question I had from a reader is in regards to a player by the name of Tyler Coulter who is a rookie forward who just finished his junior career with the Brandon Wheat Kings (WHL). Back in August the Brandon paper had an article about what was happening with several Wheat King players and in that story mentioned that Coulter would be attending rookie camp with the Arizona Coyotes (NHL) and had also signed a deal to play for the Allen Americans in 2017-18. Here is that story: http://bdnmb.ca/three-wheat-kings-off-to-camp-one-joins-coaching-ranks/. Subsequently it was reported Coulter had signed to attend college and play for the University of Calgary. What is known for sure is Coulter did attend rookie camp with Arizona and he in fact scored a goal in one of the rookie games.
As for the reporting that seems to be in conflict it may make more sense than it appears. My understanding is there is nothing to prevent a player that has just finished his junior career to commit to a college program and still negotiate a professional deal. A player can actually turn pro and still play college hockey that same season as long as he enrolls by a certain date which is sometime around the end of December. There are several examples of this happening in Allen over the years, the most recent being Jason Fram last season. It is always risky when you have one of these players on the roster because you never know if they will leave in December. Coulter is a Steve Martinson type player with skill (30 goals last season), grit (100 penalty minutes) and leadership (wore an "A" last season) so he would be a great rookie addition but it remains to be seen if he opts for college or the pros and if he should turn pro will he stay or head back to college in December. If Coulter does intend on turning pro there should be an announcement out soon.
DID YOU KNOW: Barry the Blogger turns 70 today. I celebrated as I do every morning with a 22 mile bike ride with my buddy, Jerry Tucker. I know age is just a number and it is how you feel that is important but to say you are 70 years old sounds like the official passage into old age. I know one way to stay young is writing this blog and hanging around a bunch of 20 something hockey players. I am blessed to be able to write about the Allen Americans each and every day.
The San Jose Sharks trimmed their training camp roster by 13 players yesterday. That took the training camp roster from from 55 players to 42 players. Two players were sent back to their junior teams and the other 11 were assigned to the San Jose Barracuda training camp which will officially open on Monday, September 25. This list of 11 is of special interest to Allen Americans fans as this is the group from which Allen is most likely to get players assigned. They are all under contract with San Jose.
Defensemen
Micheal Brodzinski
Cavan Fitzgerald
David Makowski
Jeremy Roy
Forwards
Jonathan Martin
Colby McAuley
Bryan Moore
Alex Schoenborn
Alexander True
Manuel Wiederer
Goalie
Stephon Williams
- The complete training camp roster for the Barracuda has not yet been released but remember coach Martinson has indicated he will have five players attending the camp on a tryout basis. Martinson himself will also be in attendance at the Barracuda training camp.
- The last two days I made an attempt to look at the Allen Americans 2017-18 roster in terms of offensive production and toughness/grit. Today I want to take a look at the roster in terms of leadership on and off the ice. This is an important component of success for any hockey team. Even more so this season when you think the entire on ice leadership team from last season will not be back. Co-captains Chad Costello (playing in Germany), Gary Steffes (retired) and alternate captain Dyson Stevenson (traded to Wichita) will certainly be missed. However, as I was reading the bios of some of the new players it seemed to me the roster for the upcoming season is filled with players that can fill the void.
Joel Chouinard has already been named captain for the upcoming season and that choice has been heralded by everyone. Joel has served as captain and alternate captain in the past and if you watched him last season, his first with Allen, you could see him take on more and more of a leadership role as the season progressed. As Steve Martinson said when he named Chouinard captain, "This is what comes to mind when I think of Joel. He does everything right. He is in top shape and always the hardest worker. He is a team first player." Chouinard is also by far the most experienced when it comes to AHL games played. Combined the roster has 440 AHL games, Joel has 204 of them.
Casey Pierro-Zabotel - It is hard to imagine Casey won't have a big leadership role on this team. When you are the winner of the last two Kelly Cups playing for two different teams (Allen & Colorado) it says all you need to know about how to win. Casey was an alternate captain in Colorado last season and also served in that capacity when he played for Gwinnett in 2014-15. I am sure he will be counted on for leadership on the ice and in the locker room.
I have had players tell me in the past team leadership is so much more than who wears a "C" or "A" on the ice. The current roster has plenty of players with leadership qualities. Here are the players on the current Allen roster (17 players) that have been a captain or alternate captain in the past. This info is from the website eliteprospects.com
Miles Liberati - alternate captain for his junior team (North Bay Battalion - OHL)
Jaynen Rissling - alternate captain and captain for his junior team (Calgary Hitmen - WHL)
Eric Roy - alternate captain for two seasons on his junior team (Brandon Wheat Kings - WHL)
Dalton Thrower - captain of his junior team (Vancouver Giant - WHL)
Mathieu Aubin - captain in Cincinnati (ECHL) and alternate captain in Utah (ECHL)
Tanner Eberle - alternate captain for two years in juniors (Moose Jaw Warriors - WHL)
Zach Pochiro - alternate captain for his junior team (Prince George Cougars - WHL)
With only 17 players currently on the Allen roster you can look for three or four more to be added. Players signed by coach Martinson or assigned by San Jose. There will assuredly be more leaders in this group. Bottom line is this team will have plenty of leaders on and off the ice. You can never have too many players that have a team first attitude. And one of the traits of a good leader is they are also good followers.
OTHER COMMENTS
- I heard from the league office that the press release on all of the critical dates for the upcoming season should be released some time next week.
- Congrats to Riley and Angie Gill who announced they are expecting their second child in March.
- The Mountain Division has a new look this season with Alaska folding and Kansas City moving to the Central Division along with the addition of long time Allen rivals Wichita and Tulsa. If you are on Twitter and haven't already done so, you should give the other Mountain Division Team Sin Bin writers a follow. It is a great way to keep up with the happenings around the division.
@SinBinRush - Mike Crook covers the Rapid City Rush
@SinBinThunder - Matt Harding & Zach Courter cover the Wichita Thunder
@SinBinEagles - Jay Hay covers the Colorado Eagles
@Rich_Lohman - Rich Lohman covers the Tulsa Oilers
- It was a good day on Sunday for Chad Costello and Spencer Asuchak. Chad's team (Iserlohn Roosters) earned their first win after three loses. Better yet Chad scored his first goal of the season. Spencer's team (HKM Zvolen) also won to improve their record to 2-2. He also has one goal thus far.
DID YOU KNOW: As the Allen roster stands today (17 players) they have a combined total of 644 games played for the Americans. Ten of the 17 players have games played for Allen. Here are those 10 players with games played in an Americans jersey:
122 - Riley Gill
101 - Mike Gunn
92 - Eric Roy
72 - Joel Chouinard
62 - Jonathan Lessard
62 - Tanner Eberle
58 - Casey Pierro-Zabotel
34 - Miles Liberati
33 - Zach Hall
8 - Kyle Neuber
Yesterday I made an attempt to look at the current Allen Americans roster (17 players signed and announced) and the roster from last season as it relates to scoring and pointed out why the numbers don't tell all. Today I want to take a look at another premise between the two rosters. That premise is will the 2017-18 roster be tougher, grittier and harder to play against than the team last season. Coach Martinson has said to me many times what he looks for in players is their willingness to finish their checks, move people from in front of the net, be fearless and make it difficult for others to play against. Yes, fighting is part of the equation but that is not the main factor of how tough a team is to play against. If a player is willing to stand up for his teammates and is fearless that is a real asset.
With the appropriate caveat above I thought it would be interesting to look at penalty minutes per game for the same list of players I used to compare points per game yesterday. It is a poor surrogate for grit and toughness but it is measurable. Here are the results:
2016-17
4.64 - Derek Mathers
2.80 - Bryan Moore
2.26 - David Makowski
2.00 - Dyson Stevenson
1.89 - Tanner Eberle
1.80 - Harrison Ruopp
1.67 - Mike Gunn
0.83 - Spencer Asuchak
0.79 - Zach Hall
0.67 - Jake Marchment
0.63 - Gary Steffes
0.58 - Chad Costello
0.56 - Travis Brown
0.50 - Joel Chouinard
0.48 - Greger Hanson
0.45 - Eric Roy
2017-18
3.00 - Dalton Thrower
1.89 - Tanner Eberle
1.67 - Mike Gunn
1.61 - Josh Thrower
1.57 - Zach Pochiro
1.18 - Marcus
1.10 - Jonathan Lessard
0.97 - Jaynen Rissling
0.83 - Olivier Archambault
0.79 - Zach Hall
0.65 - Casey Pierro-Zabotel
0.50 - Joel Chouinard
0.45 - Eric Roy
0.42 - Mathieu Aubin
0.18 - Miles Liberati
- If you look at the raw numbers the advantage goes to the team from last season even though both of these lists have seven players who averaged more than one penalty minute per game last season.
- Just like with the scoring comparison you need to keep in mind the roster for the upcoming season is not complete. If you add Bryan Moore (2.80), David Makowski (2.26) and Vincent Arseneau (3.67) to the list for 2017-18 there is little doubt it will be tougher and harder to play against than last year's team.
- Don't forget Kyle Neuber is also on the roster and is not included on either list above. Kyle has played just eight games for Allen over the last two seasons but in those eight games he has averaged 2.25 penalty minutes per game.
OTHER COMMENTS
- The Americans have hired a new trainer to replace Jaime Garcia who is now working for the Rochester Americans (AHL). Will have all the details on this new hire later this week.
- I have heard from several readers after writing about Beckett Dougherty, the three month old son of Britt and Kelley (Sklar) Dougherty, who his battling cancer. If you haven't seen the story you can find it here: http://allenamericansblog.blogspot.com/2017/09/allen-signs-veteran-forward-mathieu.html
If you want to follow Beckett's journey and share an encouraging word with the Doughertys you can do so by going to caringbridge.org and search for Beckett Dougherty. Kelley's sister (Cassidy) is providing updates almost daily and has shared how much Britt and Kelly appreciate the comments everyone is leaving to show support. Take the time to let them know the support they have from the Allen Americans family.
- You may have noticed a photo the Americans posted of a joint meeting that was held in Reading last week with the front office staffs of the Royals and Americans along with some folks from the ECHL office. In talking to several of the attendees it was a very productive meeting and another step in working together to improve both franchises.
- Congrats to former Allen goalie, Joel Rumpel who just became engaged to his long time girlfriend Alexandra.
DID YOU KNOW: Last season Allen had the second most fights in franchise history. but one player (Derek Mathers) had 30 fights by far the most in any season. Here are the number of fights and the leader for each season in franchise history courtesy of the website dropyourgloves.com. It is interesting the year Allen had the most fights (2012-13) the leader had the fewest fights (12). What made that team so tough was they had eight players with at least six fights that season.
When I talk to Allen fans about the upcoming season one comment I hear from almost everyone is how will coach Martinson replace all of the offense represented by the players that will not be returning. I have to admit this issue has been in my thoughts for some time. A lot of familiar names will be missing when the Americans
take the ice for their home opener against Orlando on October 21. It is
possible the top six scorers from last season will be missing. Just as a reminder the top six point scorers last season were Chad
Costello (122 points), Greger Hanson (76 points), Spencer Asuchak (66 points), Bryan Moore (51 points), David Makowski (50 points) and Gary Steffes (47 points). Moore and/or
Makowski could be assigned to Allen if they don't make the Barracuda
roster out of training camp but they both have a shot at
sticking in San Jose. These six players accounted for 54% of the Allen
goals last season and 51% of the total points. It will be
difficult to replace that much offensive firepower especially if Moore
and Makowski are in San Jose.
- I am going to try and do some type of statistical comparison between the players from last season and the upcoming season but am not sure how valid that comparison is. It is also important to state success is certainly more than how many points a team scorers. Looking at defense and goaltending between last season and this season is also key.
- First step is to look at average points per game for players from last season that played a minimum of 35 games in Allen and compare that stat to the players for the upcoming season and the average points per game they scored last season.
2016-17
1.69 - Chad Costello
1.31 - Greger Hanson
1.19 - David Makowski
1.03 - Spencer Asuchak
1.02 - Bryan Moore
.88 - Eric Roy
.86 - Zach Hall
.63 - Jake Marchment
.61 - Gary Steffes
.61 - Joel Chouinard
.57 - Dyson Stevenson
.44 - Tanner Eberle
.39 - Travis Brown
.23 - Mike Gunn
.20 - Derek Mathers
.20 - Harrison Ruopp
2017-18
1.22 - Casey Pierro-Zabotel
.88 - Eric Roy
.86 - Zach Hall
.70 - Jonathan Lessard
.69 - Olivier Archambault
.66 - Mathieu Aubin
.64 - Zach Pochiro
.61 - Joel Chouinard
.58 - Marcus Basara
.44 - Tanner Eberle
.42 - Jaynen Rissling
.38 - Miles Liberati
.30 - Josh Thrower
.23 - Mike Gunn
.13 - Dalton Thrower
- Looking at average points per game the numbers don't lie. There was a lot more fire power last season compared to this season's roster but there are a few things to keep in mind.
- The roster for this season is not complete so you can expect a couple of more new players to be added that will add more fire power. Adding Bryan Moore and/or David Makowski to the mix in Allen would be huge. While the hope is they stay in San Jose, if they are assigned to Allen it would make a big difference. I have mentioned numerous times that Vincent Arseneau is still unsigned according to eliteprospects.com and that says to me he is headed to an AHL training camp. If he is on the San Jose Barracuda training camp roster when it comes out in the next few days that would be good news for Allen fans. If he is on the roster for some other AHL team it probably means he will not be coming to Allen.
- Other than the players mentioned above, Allen will probably be assigned other players from San Jose that are on NHL or AHL deals. Last season Mike Brodzinski, Alex Schoenborn and Jonathan Martin all spent time in Allen. You can expect San Jose to send some of their NHL/AHL contracted players to Allen for development and to get them some playing time. Who that might be is unknown at this time.
- Steve Martinson plays a system that is very offensive minded. His team is always one of the highest goal scoring teams in the ECHL. Last season Allen was second with 294 goals and in 2014-15 they led the ECHL in goals scored with 292. The point being is you can expect some of the new players will score a lot more points in the Martinson system than where they played last season. There are plenty examples of players signing in Allen and scoring at a much higher clip. This would include Chad Costello's three 100 point seasons, Gary Steffes with 44 goals in a season which was double any other pro season, Jonathan Lessard's best season as a pro was in Allen when he led the team in goals (28), Alex Lavoie led Allen in scoring as a rookie (76 points) which is his highest point total as a pro. Hanson, Asuchak, Moore and Makowski all had career years last season with point totals far exceeding their other pro seasons.
- The bottom line is looking strictly at the numbers the Allen roster as it stands today (17 players) doesn't stack up to the stats from the 2016-17 roster. However, for the reasons stated above come opening day there will be plenty of offensive firepower on the ice for the Americans. And if the roster needs some change after the season starts Steve Martinson will make the changes. After the team started poorly last year going 8-11 and finding themselves in last place in the division at the end of November, Martinson made a bunch of changes in just a few weeks. Matt Willows, Chris Crane, Mike Brodzinski,
Tristan King, Alex Guptill, Jason Fram, J.P. LaFontaine and Rick
Pinkston were traded, released or recalled. Allen added David
Makowski, Bryan Moore, Harrison Ruopp, Zach Hall and Randy Cure. From that 8-11 start Allen finished the season 49-17-2-2 and missed having the best record in the league by just two points.
- Goalie play is obviously a big part of team success and this coming season may be a bit different from last season. The net will be anchored again by Riley Gill who is the best goalie in the league. Last season Riley's record was 32-7-2-0. In games when Riley wasn't in goal Allen's record was 17-12-2-2. The goaltending tandem this season could turn out to be improved. If you look at the San Jose depth chart the Americans are usually assigned the #5 goalie in the organization. Going into training camp the San Jose depth chart should look like this:
#1 - Martin Jones
#2 - Aaron Dell
#3 - Troy Grosenick
#4 - Antoine Bibeau
#5 - Stephon Williams
Barring injuries and training camp surprises Stephon Williams should be assigned to Allen and the Americans would have an experienced second goalie with two years of professional experience including 58 AHL games to his credit. This could turn out to be a great goalie tandem.
- I know I am a bit obsessive in checking on how Chad Costello, Spencer Asuchak and Josh Brittain are doing in their first season playing in Europe. I wrote an entire blog post (http://allenamericansblog.blogspot.com/2017/09/transition-to-europe-catching-up-with.html) confessing that as much as I wanted them to be successful, just like a parent I want them to come back home to Allen. Here is how things stand after three games. They all play game four today (Sunday).
Chad - Chad's team has gotten off to a rough start losing their first three games by scores of 2-1 in overtime, 4-1 and 4-1. With one point for the overtime loss they are in 13th place in the 14 team league. Chad has been held scoreless in the three games.
Spencer - Spencer's team had a terrible start losing their first two games by scores of 5-1 and 6-1 but they won their third game 5-4 and Spencer scored a goal. With a record of 1-2 the team is tied for ninth place in the 11 team league. By the way the 5-4 win was over the last placed team. The goal is Spencer's only point after three games.
Josh - Josh's team has a win and two overtime losses in the first three games. They are tied for third place in the 11 team league. Josh has two goals and an assist in the first three games. By they way Josh and Spencer play in the same league.
If any of them wanted to return to Allen they have until February 15 to make that decision and of course coach Martinson would have to want them back. They have been in Europe for almost two months and since it is their first foray they would know by now if it is something they enjoy. Things could be quite different in Germany where Chad plays versus Slovakia where Spencer and Josh play. After their success in Allen with two championships for Chad and three for Spencer it won't be much fun if their teams keep losing. As I said in the earlier piece everyone wants them to enjoy the experience in Europe but at the same time they sure would look good in red again.
DID YOU KNOW: Here is a list of Allen Americans players who had their best professional stats while playing in Allen. Keep in mind the years for each category (goals, assists, points) may have been different.
