Allen Trades for Forward Daniel Leavens - The Details, Alex Lavoie Update and Free 2nd Level Loge Tickets

Daniel Leavens

The Allen Americans made a trade yesterday acquiring forward Daniel Leavens from the Wheeling Nailers for defenseman Jaynen Rissling. There are many reasons to make a trade and sometimes fans want to read something negative into a player being traded. While this may be the case in some trades, more often than not the reason for a trade is an effort to improve the team. Both coaches mentioned in their press release on this trade, "you have to give up a good player to get a good player." Wheeling needed a big tough defenseman and coach Martinson was looking for a right shot puck carrying forward. I doubt this was a factor in the trade but Rissling is a fourth year professional while Leavens is a rookie so there is some salary cap savings for the Americans. It is expected Leavens will be in the line up for Allen when they take on Utah Wednesday night.

- Here is the press release issued by the Allen Americans on the trade: https://allenamericans.com/americans-add-skilled-forward-wheeling-two-player-deal/


- Here is the press release issued by the Wheeling Nailers on the trade: http://www.wheelingnailers.com/news/nailers-acquire-jaynen-rissling-trade-allen


- Daniel Leavens is a 24 year old 200 pound 6' 1" rookie who is from Thornhill, Ontario. He played his collegiate hockey at Robert Morris University where he majored in Sports Management. In his senior season (2016-17) he was an alternate captain on the team and finished with 49 points (14 goals 35 assists). The 49 points was the fifth best individual season in program history. His 35 assists is the team record for an individual season. A clutch performer, Leavens had five game winning goals his senior season.


- Leavens career totals in college were 40 goals and 68 assists in 136 games. He played in all situations including power play and penalty kill. He had 10 power play goals, two shorthanded goals and blocked 67 shots.


- Daniel was named to the Atlantic Hockey Conference All-Academic Team as a freshman, sophomore and junior. As a senior he was selected as the Robert Morris University Presidential Scholar Athlete across all men's sports. The honor is bestowed on a senior student athlete who combines both academic and athletic excellence throughout their respective careers. 


- Here is a video of Daniel Leavens from the start of last season (2016-17) which was his senior year at Robert Morris. In the "other than playing hockey" section Daniel talks about video games (MLB) and country music, he is going to fit right in as a Texan!

Here are Daniel's stats courtesy of hockeydb:

Daniel Leavens

Forward -- shoots R
Born Jun 26 1993 -- Toronto, ONT
[24 yrs. ago]
Height 6.01 -- Weight 200

			Regular Season						Playoffs
Season	Team	Lge	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM	+/-	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2009-10	Hamilton Red Wings	OJHL	47	10	11	21	34	7
2010-11	Hamilton Red Wings	OJHL	6	1	5	6	4		--	--	--	--	--
2010-11	Newmarket Hurricanes	OJHL	36	12	18	30	47		12	2	4	6	18
2011-12	Newmarket Hurricanes	OJHL	44	22	31	53	28		13	2	3	5	8
2012-13	Newmarket Hurricanes	OJHL	53	25	44	69	76		24	11	13	24	10
2013-14	Robert Morris University	AHA	26	1	2	3	10
2014-15	Robert Morris University	AHA	33	7	20	27	16	5
2015-16	Robert Morris University	AHA	39	18	11	29	16	5
2016-17	Robert Morris University	AHA	38	14	35	49	30	11
2016-17	Wheeling Nailers	ECHL	7	5	3	8	0	2	--	--	--	--	--
2017-18	Wheeling Nailers*	ECHL	3	0	0	0	2	-1
2017-18	Allen Americans	ECHL	Statistics Unavailable

OTHER COMMENTS

- Alex Lavoie set all Allen rookie scoring records in 2013-14 with 76 points (25 goals 51 assists) in 60 games and was the Central Hockey League's (CHL) Rookie of the Year. Alex was the leading scorer on that Americans team as a rookie and of course they went on to win the CHL championship. Alex has been playing in Europe the last two seasons. Last season he played in Sweden and this season he signed in Finland. It was announced yesterday he was leaving his Finnish team. Today it was announced he will be returning to Sweden. I had a chance to talk to Alex's mom to ask what had happened. Christine shared with me the style of play on the team in Finland was not a good fit for Alex so he decided to make a change. Alex is headed back to the same Swedish league he played in last season (Allsvenskan) and has signed with the first place team (Timra IK) in the 14 team league. As Christine said, "This new start with a great team will be amazing for Alex." Everyone that follows the Allen Americans and Steve Martinson knows how important it is to play in the right system to live up to your potential. There are so many examples of players struggling elsewhere that thrive in Allen. It sounds like Alex is headed to a team that better fits his strengths as a hockey player. All of his fans in Allen wish him the best.


- I have two pair of premium level loge tickets (second level) for the game on Wednesday (tomorrow) at 7:05 PM.  I will have a drawing for the tickets late this afternoon, notify the winners and leave the tickets at will call. If you are interested let me know by email (janssenfamily@msn.com). All I need is your name. The tickets are in the end of the rink where the Zamboni enters the ice. Good luck!  


DID YOU KNOW: Daniel Leavens is from Thornhill, Ontario (northern suburb of Toronto) and went to college at Robert Morris University (RMU) which is in the Pittsburgh area. Steven Tarasuk who played for Allen briefly in 2013-14 and 2014-15 is also from Thornhill. Former Americans that played hockey at RMU include defenseman Chris Kaufman who was in Allen in 2009-10 and goalie Eric Levine who was in Allen in 2013-14 for a brief period.  

Allen Loses Third Straight to Tulsa, Game Recap, Martinson Comments, New Definition for Shots on Goal, Jersey Auction Results

The Allen Americans lost to the Tulsa Oilers for the third day in a row Sunday afternoon by a score of 4-3 in overtime. A weekend that started with the promise of moving into first place in the division could have not gone any worse. Actually it could have been worse as Eric Roy scored with 30 seconds remaining yesterday to send the game to overtime and salvage a single point for the Americans.

- The Americans have now lost four games in a row after winning the first three games of the season. Their record is 3-2-2-0 which has them in fourth place in the Mountain Division with eight points.


- Allen gave up the first goal in all three games this weekend and never once had the lead in any of the games. They were outscored 10-6, were beat on special teams and even had fewer penalty minutes than Tulsa. Allen had 34 penalty minutes while Tulsa had 48. Special teams really cost the Americans as the power play was 2-12 (16.7%) which isn't all that bad until you realize the power play scored two goals but gave up three shorthanded goals.


- In the game yesterday Tulsa had a 2-0 lead by the midpoint of the first period on a power play goal and a shorthanded goal and Allen could never recover. Jeremy Brodeur, making his professional start on his 21st birthday kept the Americans in the game as he was peppered with 50 shots on goal by the Oilers. He certainly deserved a better fate. On the game winning overtime goal Jeremy made two stops on the same play before Adam Pleskach once again beat Allen.


- Props to Tulsa goalie, rookie Devin Williams, who played in all three games this weekend and stopped 113 of 119 shots for a save percentage of .950. Williams also played the third period in a game on Wednesday and stopped all four shots he faced.  The summary for the week includes playing in four games in five days, three wins, a no goal relief appearance, a shutout and a save percentage for the week of .951. There is little doubt Williams will be the ECHL goalie of the week and it is well deserved.


- Goal scorers for Allen were Spencer Asuchak (2), Jaynen Rissling (1), and Eric Roy (2). The Roy goal to tie the score 3-3 with 30 seconds left in the game was very much like the Adam Pleskach game winner on Saturday. Eric was in the corner almost on the goal line and just threw the puck at the net and it went in. Here is a link to all of the video highlights. You can also see Brodeur make two stops on the overtime game winner before Pleskach scored. If you take the time to use the 10 second rewind button on all of the highlights to view them several times you can see how goals were scored but also the defensive breakdowns that led to the goals. https://www.echl.com/


- Here is the press release issued by the Allen Americans with a game recap and post game quotes from captain Joel Chouinard: https://allenamericans.com/americans-skid-continues-4-3-ot-loss-tulsa/


- Here is a game recap from the Tulsa World: http://www.tulsaworld.com/sportsextra/oilers-road-report-oilers-sweep-allen-with-overtime-win/article_baf11be7-51a3-5d45-8eea-4722604b28df.html


- Things don't get any easier for the Americans as they get ready to play Utah at home on Wednesday. The team will be missing a bunch of players including both of their goalies as Stephon Williams was recalled to San Jose yesterday and Riley Gill is injured. It will be Jeremy Brodeur in goal on Wednesday with an EBUG (emergency back up goalie) on the bench. David Makowski will be serving the last of his four game suspension and the two players on 21 day IR (Matthieu Aubin & Miles Liberati) aren't eligible to play until Sunday. Bryan Moore and Olivier Archambault are still in San Jose.


- Everyone knows Steve Martinson is not very patient when the team is not playing up to its potential and even with the missing players a four game losing streak is not acceptable. You often hear coach Martinson say at times like these your best players have to be your best players which means the most experienced (higher paid) players need to lead the team by contributing more. Sure the team was tired after playing three days in a row but as Martinson pointed out after the game, Tulsa was playing their fourth game in five days so no excuses there. Tulsa had the fresher legs, more energy and more stamina. Martinson also commented that he felt the team was not hard enough to play against and if that is the case the Americans need to score more.


- If you have followed this team since Martinson's arrival you know at times like these he tends to make moves to improve the team. He could wait and see how things work out when he gets some players back that are not currently in the line up or he could try and improve the team through a trade. You just never know what kind of conversation coach Martinson will be having with general manager Martinson this morning while the team has the day off.


OTHER COMMENTS

-  I had a conversation with some of the off ice officials at the game last night that you might find interesting concerning the definition of a shot on goal. This has been a topic of conversation over the years as the definition was not as simple as one might think. Here is how I addressed this issue last season. Shots on goal is a topic you hear discussed quite often in the press box, among fans, with coaches and certainly with goalies. For a long time I thought a shot on goal was simply any puck that would have gone in the net had the goalie not been there but that is not correct. Here was is the official definition from last season of a shot on goal with some clarifications:

"A shot on goal occurs when an attempt by an attacking player, with intent to score a goal, either results in a goal or would have entered the goal if not stopped by the goaltender."

- Clearing or stray passes that end up on goal, but were not taken with an intent to score, are not considered shots.
- Any effort resulting in a goal is considered to be a shot on goal. 
- Attempts that hit only the crossbar or goalpost, or that are blocked by a forward or defenseman before reaching the net are not considered shots.
- Regardless of where the puck is shot, it is deemed a valid shot if it is a legitimate effort or attempt at scoring by the player taking the shot. For example, a bank shot from behind the net can be a shot on goal.
- Any penalty shot is considered a shot on goal regardless of whether the attacking player actually puts a shot on net.
- In a shootout, the winning team is credited with one additional shot on goal, though this shot is not credited to any player in particular.

The definition above has been changed for the 2017-18 season and the concept of intent has been deleted. The NHL changed the definition and the other leagues have adopted the change. This season, for the first time, clearing or stray passes that end up on goal will be counted as a shot. The new rule is much more straight forward with no room for judgement other than whether the puck would have gone in the goal.

The bottom line is there will be more shots on goal recorded this year than in the past because of this change in definition. Something that should make everyone happy, especially goalies who get judged on save percentage. I did a quick calculation and the average shots on goal are up 1.08 (3.4%) per game thus far this season compared to last season.



- The Halloween jersey auction turned out to be a big success. The team replaced the after the game live auction with an online auction through a company called BidPal. This process will only grow as more fans become familiar with BidPal and signup to participate. There are many benefits from using an online auction with one of the biggest being you don't have to be in attendance at the game to bid. You can literally bid from anywhere. Here are the results from the Halloween jersey auction:

 

$650 - Spencer Asuchak
$605 - Mike Gunn
$506 - Jeremy Brodeur
$505 - Miles Liberati
$455 - Tanner Eberle
$450 - Zach Hall
$440 - Casey Pierro-Zabotel
$430 - Josh Thrower
$430 - Vincent Arseneau
$430 - Riley Gill
$414 - K9 Biscuit
$380 - David Makowski
$369 - Dalton Thrower
$365 - Alex Schoenborn
$354 - Bryan Moore
$330 - Joel Chouinard
$330 - Jonathan Lessard
$330 - Zach Pochiro
$325 - Eric Roy
$324 - Stephon Williams
$324 - Mathieu Aubin
$319 - Connor Reilly
$309 - Jaynen Rissling
$305 - Peter MacArthur
$305 - Olivier Archambault
$284 - Thomas Hodges


- The Allen loss to Tulsa was the only Mountain Division action yesterday but around the ECHL Reading beat Adirondack 9-4 to improve their record to 4-0-0-0. The Royals join the idle Wichita Thunder (6-0-0-0) and South Carolina Stingrays (4-0-0-0) as the only undefeated teams in the ECHL. Reading and South Carolina will square off for two games in South Carolina on November 7th & 8th.


- Here are the current Mountain Division standings with games played in parentheses:

12 points - Wichita (6 games)
12 points - Colorado (7 games)
9 points - Tulsa (8 games)
8 points - Allen (7 games)
7 points - Idaho (7 games)
6 points - Utah (8 games)
2 points - Rapid City (6 games)


- I have two pair of loge tickets (second level) for the game on Wednesday (November 1st) at 7:05 PM.  I will have a drawing for the tickets tomorrow (Tuesday) afternoon, notify the winner and leave the tickets at will call. If you are interested let me know by email (janssenfamily@msn.com). All I need is your name. The tickets are in the end of the rink where the Zamboni enters the ice. Good luck!


DID YOU KNOW: During  the month of November Allen plays 12 games, six at home and six on the road. Other than one game in Wichita on Friday the Americans will be at home from November 1st until November 18th when they again play in Wichita. The last part of the month Allen has all road games. They will play at home on November 12th and then have all road games until December 1st.    









  
 

Tulsa Beats Allen 2-0, Game Recap, Rematch Today, Goalie Shortage, Undefeated ECHL Teams, Jersey Auction & More

Tulsa picked up its second straight win over Allen last night shutting out the Americans 2-0 before an announced crowd of 4608 at the BOK Center. The two teams will square off for a third time this afternoon (4:05 pm) at the Allen Event Center (AEC).

- The difference in the game last night was a goal by Tulsa's Adam Pleskach early in the third period. Pleskach was in the corner close to the goal line, shot the puck toward the net and it somehow evaded Allen goalie Stephon Williams. The Oilers scored their second goal on an empty net with 28 seconds remaining in the game.


- Allen played much better last night than they did in the 4-3 loss to Tulsa on Friday night. The Americans out shot the Oilers in every period including 15-9 in the second and 12-6 in the third. For the game Allen out shot Tulsa 45-29. Both goalies played great as Tulsa's goalie, rookie Devin Williams, was selected as the #1 star of the game and Allen's goalie, Stephon Williams, was selected the #3 star of the game.


- You can check out all of the video highlights at ECHL Rewind. Not much here if you are an Allen fan other than a couple of missed opportunities. The Pleskach goal is hard to watch, he has been a thorn in the side of the Americans for years. Here is the link: https://www.echl.com/


- Here is the game recap by the Allen Americans: https://allenamericans.com/americans-fall-oilers-2-0-second-three-game-weekend-series/


- Here is a game recap from the Tulsa World complete with post game comments from Oiler goalie Devin Williams and coach Rob Murray. The Murray quote that captures the night is, "The goal by Pleskach is a good example of when you throw the puck at the net, you never know (what will happen). You cannot find a better example than his goal." http://www.tulsaworld.com/sportsextra/rookie-goalie-devin-williams-steps-up-in-goal-as-oilers/article_12f32331-f497-5f73-a6e6-3d4189b8a1fa.html


- Both teams were 0-3 on the power play last night. Allen was 1-9 (11.1%) in the two games in Tulsa and for the season is now 4-32 (12.5%) which ranks them #20 in the ECHL. The Allen penalty kill unit continues to perform well. They held Tulsa scoreless in three attempts last night and for the season have allowed only two power play goals. The penalty kill is 2-30 for a penalty kill percentage of 93.3% which ranks #4 in the ECHL. Even more impressive is they have killed numerous 5-on-3 penalties. 


- Allen has scored the first goal of the game only twice in their first six games and won them both. A good start to the game this afternoon is essential in snapping what is now a three game losing streak.


- There have been a lot of questions about the goalie situation in Allen with Riley Gill injured and Stephon Williams heading to San Jose later today (Sunday). This is what I heard from coach Martinson in his pregame interview with Tommy Daniels last night. Rookie Jeremy Brodeur, who was just signed by the Americans, will get his first professional start this afternoon. It happens to be Jermey's and his twin brother William's 21st birthday today. Stephon Williams will be dressed for part of the game but will have to leave at some point before the game is completed. The Americans will then have an EBUG (emergency back up goalie) available. Stephon Williams is heading to San Jose as a precaution because one of their goalies will miss some time as his wife is about to give birth.

The word on Gill is he is feeling better and it is possible, emphasis on possible, he could be available as soon as next weekend. If Gill is available or Williams is back from San Jose this weekend the crisis is averted. That still leaves Wednesday night when Allen plays Utah at home. That game could be Jeremy Brodeur in goal with and EBUG on the bench. This is all speculation at this point but will try to get more detail after the game today.


- The officiating crew will be just as tired as the players this afternoon. It is the same crew that officiated the game last night in Tulsa. Officials scheduled for the game are referee Sean MacFarlane (#4) and linesmen Micheal Houle (#49) and Addison Brush (#80).


OTHER COMMENTS

- After scoring 19 goals in their first three games the Americans have managed just six goals in their last three games. In their first three games Allen generated 19 goals on 100 shots for a shooting percentage of 19%. In the last three games they scored only six goals but took 119 shots for a shooting percentage of 5%. 


- Allen's record this season after six games (3-2-1) is very similar to last season after six games (3-3). In both seasons the Americans won their first two games and then lost three of the next four.


- The ranks of the undefeated ECHL teams is now down to three led by the Wichita Thunder who defeated Kansas City last night 4-1 to improve their record to 6-0-0-0. The other undefeated teams are South Carolina (4-0-0-0) and Reading (3-0-0-0).


- The San Jose Barracuda lost to the Texas Stars 3-2 in a shootout last night. Both Bryan Moore and Olivier Archambault were in the lineup. Archambault had an assist in the game. He is playing on one of the top lines and getting plenty of ice time. He has an assist in the last two games. Moore has played in four games since being recalled by the Barracuda has no points, two shots and six penalty minutes. The next game for the Barracuda is on Wednesday against the Ontario Reign.


- Greger Hanson has been recalled by San Diego (AHL) from their ECHL affiliate (Utah) and played in the Gulls 5-3 win over San Antonio last night. Hanson had no points, no shots but did pick up a penalty in the game. The Gulls next game is on Friday at home.


- Don't forget the online auction for the Halloween specialty jerseys the Americans will wear today ends at 5:45 pm CDT. If you always get priced out of buying jerseys at the live auctions this is your  chance to pick one up at the minimum bid of $249. As of this morning according to the BidPal site there are still eight jerseys including Archambault, Asuchak, Chouinard, Gunn, MacArthur and Moore with no bid. As more fans become aware of and sign up at BidPal you may never see jerseys going for the minimum bid in the future. Check out the details on how to sign up and bid here: https://one.bidpal.net/goamericans/welcome 


- Congratulations to Kandy Steinfurth who is the winner of two premium level loge seats for today's game against Tulsa.  Thanks to all who entered the drawing and stay tuned for more free tickets in tomorrow's blog. 


DID YOU KNOW: Allen was shutout last night 2-0 while out shooting Tulsa 45-29. Did you know the last time Allen was shutout 2-0 it was also against Tulsa at the BOK Center in a similar game to last night. On January 26, 2016 Allen out shot Tulsa 43-25 and lost the game 2-0. The #1 star of the game was Tulsa goalie Kevin Carr and the #3 star of the game was Allen goalie Joel Rumpel. Ironiclly, Allen could see both of these goalies this week. Carr plays for Utah and could be in goal on Wednesday when the Grizzlies visit Allen. Rumpel is now with Wichita and will probably be in goal in the home and home series with Wichita on Friday & Saturday.  

Allen Loses to Tulsa 4-3, Game Recap, Brett Bergman Story, Jersey Auction Bargains, Free Tickets & More

The Allen Americans lost to the Tulsa Oilers last night 4-3 before a crowd of 4585 at the BOK Center. The loss was the first regular season regulation loss for the Americans in 20 games dating back to February 19 of last season. In the game preview yesterday I talked about the team that scored first would win the game and the team that won the special teams battle would win the game. Turns out Tulsa accomplished both last night. The Oilers tallied the first goal of the game before two minutes had elapsed. On special teams Allen did manage a power play goal going 1-6 on the night but gave up two shorthanded goals (both on breakaways) which proved to be the difference in the game. Tulsa added a power play goal (1-3) to the two shorthanded goals for a clear win on special teams. It was the first home win for the Oilers after losing their prior two home games.

- Goal scorers for Allen were Spencer Asuchak (1), Peter MacArthur (1) and Zach Pochiro (6). You can check out all of the video highlights at ECHL Rewind. Here is the link: https://www.echl.com/


- Here is the press release issued by the Allen Americans with a game recap: https://allenamericans.com/americans-fall-oilers-4-3-regulation/


- Here is a game recap from the Tulsa World complete with post game comments from Oiler coach Rob Murray: http://www.tulsaworld.com/sportsextra/oilers/oilers-defeat-allen---for-first-home-victory-of/article_ae72d4d8-1a3d-5b66-98b1-dd371a10b6b4.html


- The best thing about losing a road game is when you can come back and play the same team again the next night. Allen has that chance tonight as they will be right back at the BOK Center for a 7:05 pm puck drop. The keys to the game remain the same, the Americans need to get off to a better start and they need to be much better on special teams.


- After the game coach Steve Martinson's comments to me were all about special teams and they went like this, "Special teams let us down. Two shorthanded breakaway goals were the difference in the game. The power play needs some work."  Martinson was short and to the point. Look for a different outcome tonight. 


- Officials scheduled for the game are referee Sean MacFarlane (#4) and linesmen Micheal Houle (#49) and Addison Brush (#80).


THE STORY OF BRETT BERGMAN

- Allen fans may recognize interim athletic trainer Brett Bergman from seeing her at practice or during games or from the video that has played about her story during intermissions. I first met Brett back in April. Not in person but through her boyfriend, Tom Manning, Director of Game Operations for the Americans. Tom would share with me what was happening with Brett after she was diagnosed with breast cancer last January. Every time I stopped by the Americans front office I would ask Tom for an update and sometime in April he mentioned Brett was chronicling her journey on Facebook in an effort to help and educate other women. I went home and watched all of the videos Brett had posted which I found to be a combination of open, honest, raw, heartbreaking, uplifting, sad, inspirational, emotional and compelling all at the same time. I have been keeping up with Brett through her Facebook videos ever since. There has even some humor mixed in with the down times, especially the video of Tom cutting Brett's hair when it started to fallout back in July.


- I finally got to meet Brett in person at training camp earlier this month as she was helping out as the interim trainer for the Americans. A bright light with a positive attitude and always thinking about others. Brett gets her last chemo treatment on Monday and then will begin preparing to head back to school to finish her degree.


- Allen captain Joel Chouinard  said it best, "Considering what Brett is going through it is very impressive how she is always in a good mood and she never complains about anything. Looking at her go about her day makes you put things in perspective."


- Here is a video that explains in more detail Brett's story, in her own words, in an interview with the Americans game host, Kayla McLain. You can also check out "Brett Bergman's Cancer Crusade" on Facebook to see the video journal entries she has posted about her journey.

OTHER COMMENTS

- There has been no official announcement by the Americans but coach Martinson has mentioned that he would have four alternate captains this season and two more were unveiled last night. David Makowski and Spencer Asuchak wore the "A" the first four games of the season. Last night Vincent Arseneau  and Peter MacArthur were wearing the "A". Martinson has said he will use the four alternate captains interchangeably. Congrats to all!


- Coach Martinson told Tommy Daniels during his pregame interview last night that Stephon Williams will be recalled to San Jose on Sunday. The plan is to have Williams start tonight and then Jeremy Brodeur will get his first start in Allen Sunday afternoon.


- Don't forget the online auction for the Halloween specialty jerseys the Americans will wear on Sunday is currently underway. If you always get priced out of buying jerseys at the live auctions this may be a chance to pick one up at the minimum bid of $249. As of this morning there were still 13 jerseys with no bid. Check out the details on how to sign up and bid here: https://one.bidpal.net/goamericans/welcome


- As a reminder I have a pair of loge tickets (second level) for the game tomorrow (Sunday) at 4:05 pm.  I will have a drawing for the tickets this afternoon, notify the winner and leave the tickets at will call. If you are interested let me know by email (janssenfamily@msn.com). All I need is your name. The tickets are in the end of the rink where the Zamboni enters the ice. Good luck!


- Casey Pierro-Zabotel had two assists last night and now has 12 points (3 goals 9 assists) in five games to lead the ECHL in scoring. Zach Pochiro scored a goal, his sixth, leads the ECHL in goals and is tied for second in points with nine.


- With the loss last night by the Americans and the fifth straight win by Colorado, Allen is now five points out of first place in the Mountain Division. Colorado plays in Rapid City tonight. Here are the current Mountain Division standings with games played in parentheses:

12 points - Colorado (6 games)
10 points - Wichita (5 games)
7 points - Allen (5 games)
6 points - Utah (7 games)
6 points - Idaho (6 games)
5 points - Tulsa (6 games)
0 points - Rapid City (5 games)


DID YOU KNOW: Allen has scored 25 goals and allowed 16 over the first five games. Their goal differential of +9 is second best in the ECHL trailing only Colorado who is +12. How important is a positive goal differential? Over the past five NHL season only 6 of 80 (7.5%) playoff teams were  even or minus in goal differential.

Allen vs Tulsa Game Preview, Allen Signs Forward Connor Reilly, Barracuda Swing into Texas, Free Tickets

The Allen Americans head to Tulsa this morning where they will play the Oilers tonight. Tulsa is the only destination where the Americans travel on game day as it is just a four hour bus trip from Allen. Two new players will be with the team as goalie Jeremy Brodeur signed on Wednesday and forward Connor Reilly signed yesterday. Coincidentally both players are twins. If you didn't have a chance to read the post about Brodeur here is the link: http://allenamericansblog.blogspot.com/2017/10/allen-signs-goalie-jeremy-brodeur.html



Here is the post from late last night about Connor Reilly:

Connor Reilly

The Allen Americans have signed rookie forward Connor Reilly to a contract. Reilly arrives in Allen after finishing a five year career (he redshirted his freshman year after an injury) at the University of Minnesota (2012-2017) where he served as an alternate captain for the Golden Gophers in his final two seasons. He posted 56 points (24 goals 32 assists) in 129 games for Minnesota.

- The 6'0" 185 pound forward hails from Chanhassen, Minnesota and comes from a big hockey playing family. His dad (Mike), twin brother (Ryan), younger brother (Mike) and younger sister Caitlin have all played hockey for the University of Minnesota. His older sister (Shannon) played hockey for Ohio State. Brother Mike is currently with the Minnesota Wild organization and has 51 NHL games to his credit along with 103 games with the Iowa Wild.

-  Highlights of Connor's collegiate career include being part of five straight conference championships as well as one conference tournament title. He helped Minnesota to four NCAA tournament berths including a national championship appearance in 2014. Connor was a four time Academic All-Big Ten player.

- Connor was captain of his high school team and as a senior had 63 points (22 goals 41 assists) in just 25 games. After high school (2010-11) he played one year of junior hockey in the USHL for the Sioux Falls Rampage where he had 39 points (14 goals 25 assists in 60 games. In 2011-12 he played junior A hockey for the Penticton Vees in the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL) and his team had a historic season. The Vees set a North American record with 42 consecutive wins and finished the regular season with a record of 54-4-0-2. Penticton finished the season with an overall record of  74-10-2. The Vees won the BCHL championship and went on to win the Canadian Junior A national championship (RBC Cup). Connor finished the season with 86 points (35 goals 51 assists) in 54 games.


- Here is a story from 2014 about the Reilly brothers making hockey history at the University of Minnesota and what life was like growing up in the hockey crazy Reilly household. http://www.startribune.com/reilly-brothers-make-gophers-hockey-history/247698521/


- I had a chance to speak to coach Martinson about the signing of Connor Reilly and he said with seven games in the next ten days and just nine forwards available he needed to add some depth up front. Martinson had heard from a couple of ex-players including J.P. LaFontaine about Connor. He has arrived in Allen and will travel to Tulsa with the team Friday morning.


- What does Connor like to do when he is not at the rink? Being from the land of 10,000 lakes he enjoys water sports. He also enjoys golf and playing the acoustic guitar.


GAME PREVIEW

- The game tonight will be the first of 13 times (7 home 6 away) the Americans will play Tulsa this season. They will play each other tonight and Saturday in Tulsa and then in Allen Sunday afternoon.
  
- Allen has fared well against Tulsa since joining the ECHL with a record of 28-14-1-3 which includes a record when playing in Tulsa of 13-7-1-3.

- Here is a match up between Allen and Tulsa:

                                     ALLEN                                TULSA

Team Record               3-0-1-0 (7 points)                   1-3-0-1 (3 points)
Division Ranking         3rd - Mountain                        6th - Central
Conference Ranking   3rd - Western                         10th - Western
League Ranking         4th                                           20th
Last Game                  4-3 loss (Orlando)                   3-1 Loss (Wichita)
Goals For                    22                                           15
Goals Against             12                                           18
Power Play                 13.0% (3/23)                           10.0% (3/30)
Penalty Kill                 95.8% (1/24)                            83.3% (4/24)
Leading Scorer          Pierro-Zabotel  (3-7-10)           Bleackley (3-3-6)
Most PIM's                 Moore (21)                               Sampair (10)


-  Here is how Allen and Tulsa rank in the ECHL in some statistical categories:

Penalty Minutes Per Game: Allen 2nd (32.00) - Tulsa 26th (11.80)
Goals Scored Per Game: Allen 1st (5.50) - Tulsa 18th (3.00)
Goals Allowed Per Game: Allen 10th (3.00) - Tulsa 17th (3.60)
Shots For Per Game: Allen 12th (34.50) - Tulsa 5th (34.05)
Shots Against Per Game: Allen 12th (33.33) - Tulsa 6th (37.00) 
Power Play Percentage: Allen 15th (13.0%) - Tulsa 19th (10.0%)
Penalty Kill Percentage: Allen 3rd (95.8%) - Tulsa 16th (83.3%)


- Special teams should play a big role in the game tonight if either team can score on the power play. Both teams have struggled thus far but Allen was 2-7 (28.6%) in their last game while Tulsa was 0-8. One way to measure overall special teams play is by combining power play and penalty kill percentages with anything over 105% being excellent and anything under 100% considered poor. In this stat Allen has a big advantage with a combined percentage of 108.8% compared to Tulsa's 93.3%.


- It is a tough part of the schedule for both teams having to play three games against each other in less than 48 hours but that is just part of the tough schedule. Tulsa played Wichita Wednesday night so they are in the midst of four games in five days. Allen will play seven games in the next 10 days. Welcome to life in the ECHL.


- Coach Martinson never announces who will start in goal but a good guess would be Stephon Williams gets the start tonight. With three games in three days you can expect newly signed goalie Jeremy Brodeur will get his first start on Saturday or Sunday.


- Allen's record when scoring the first goal almost makes them unbeatable. Last season they were 40-2-2-1 when scoring first. Tulsa was 18-13-2-0. So far this season the Americans are 2-0 when scoring first while the Oilers are 1-1. Bottom line is whoever scores the first goal tonight will more likely than not win the game.


- Allen will certainly be missing some key players this weekend with Riley Gill injured, David Makowski starting his four game suspension, Bryan Moore and Oliver Archambault with San Jose and Mathieu Aubin and Miles Liberati on 21 day injure reserve. The saying "next man up" definitely applies this weekend.  


- Officials scheduled for the game are referee Alex Normandin (#26) and linesmen Micheal Houle (#49) and Addison Brush (#80).



OTHER COMMENTS:

- The San Jose Barracuda are on a Texas swing this weekend playing the San Antonio Rampage tonight and Texas Stars Saturday night. I know some Allen fans are making the trip south to support the Barracuda, Bryan Moore and Olivier Archambault.


- Allen has a chance to make up some ground this weekend against the two 5-0 teams (Colorado & Wichita) ahead of them in the standings. Wichita plays only one game this weekend as they visit Kansas City Saturday. Colorado plays Rapid City at home tonight and in Rapid City on Saturday.


- The Allen Americans announced this week that they have entered into a new two year partnership with Globe Life where the company's logo will be on the front of Allen's jerseys. Here are the details: https://allenamericans.com/allen-americans-globe-life-accident-insurance-company-announce-two-year-partnership/


- Don't forget the on line auction for the Halloween specialty jerseys the Americans will wear on Sunday is currently underway. If you always get priced out of buying jerseys at the live auctions this may be a chance to pick one up at the minimum bid of $249. Check out the details on how to sign up and bid here: https://one.bidpal.net/goamericans/welcome


- I have a pair of loge tickets (second level) for the game on Sunday (October 29) at 4:05 PM.  I will have a drawing for the tickets tomorrow (Saturday) afternoon, notify the winner and leave the tickets at will call. If you are interested let me know by email (janssenfamily@msn.com). All I need is your name. The tickets are in the end of the rink where the Zamboni enters the ice. Good luck!



DID YOU KNOW: Connor Reilly has a connection to several other players that have "Rocked the Red" in Allen. When Connor played for Sioux Falls (USHL) in 2010-11 his teammates included Bryan Moore, Stephon Williams and Daniel Doremus. At the University of Minnesota Conner and Mike Brodzinski were teammates for three seasons.








 

Allen Americans Sign Forward Connor Reilly

Connor Reilly

The Allen Americans have signed rookie forward Connor Reilly to a contract. Reilly arrives in Allen after finishing a five year career (he redshirted his freshman year after an injury) at the University of Minnesota (2012-2017) where he served as an alternate captain for the Golden Gophers in his final two seasons. He posted 56 points (24 goals 32 assists) in 129 games for Minnesota.

- The 6'0" 185 pound forward hails from Chanhassen, Minnesota and comes from a big hockey playing family. His dad (Mike), twin brother (Ryan), younger brother (Mike) and younger sister Caitlin have all played hockey for the University of Minnesota. His older sister (Shannon) played hockey for Ohio State. Brother Mike is currently with the Minnesota Wild organization and has 51 NHL games to his credit along with 103 games with the Iowa Wild.

-  Highlights of Connor's collegiate career include being part of five straight conference championships as well as one conference tournament title. He helped Minnesota to four NCAA tournament berths including a national championship appearance in 2014. Connor was a four time Academic All-Big Ten player.

Connor Reilly

- Connor was captain of his high school team and as a senior had 63 points (22 goals 41 assists) in just 25 games. In 2011-12 he played junior A hockey for the Penticton Vees in the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL) and his team had a historic season. The Vees set a North American record with 42 consecutive wins and finished the regular season with a record of 54-4-0-2. Penticton finished the season with an overall record of  74-10-2. The Vees won the BCHL championship and went on to win the Canadian Junior A national championship (RBC Cup). Connor finished the season with 86 points (35 goals 51 assists) in 54 games.


- Here is a story from 2014 about the Reilly brothers making hockey history at the University of Minnesota and what life was like growing up in the hockey crazy Reilly household. http://www.startribune.com/reilly-brothers-make-gophers-hockey-history/247698521/


- I had a chance to speak to coach Martinson about the signing of Connor Reilly and he said with seven games in the next ten days and just nine forwards available he needed to add some depth up front. Martinson had heard from a couple of ex-players including J.P. LaFontaine about Connor. He has arrived in Allen and will travel to Tulsa with the team Friday morning.


- What does Connor like to do when he is not at the rink? Being from the land of 10,000 lakes he enjoys water sports. He also enjoys golf and playing the acoustic guitar.





 

Allen Signs Goalie Jeremy Brodeur, Makowski Suspension Details, Bid on Specialty Jersey Now & More

The big news from the Allen Americans yesterday was the signing of goalie Jeremy Brodeur who was loaned to Allen from the Evansville Thunderbolts of the SPHL. Jeremy is in his rookie season as a professional having finished his junior career last season with the Oshawa Generals of the Ontario Hockey League. Here is the press release issued by the Allen Americans: https://allenamericans.com/americans-sign-goalie-brodeur/


- Being the son of Martin Brodeur, the winningest goalie in NHL history, and playing the same position as his dad has to be unique. Jeremy has an older brother (Anthony) who is also a goalie and he has a twin brother (William) who plays forward. Here is an interview when the boys were much younger (2013) that gives you some insight about being the sons of Martin Brodeur and also explains why Jeremy started out playing forward and then became a goalie. http://thehockeyguys.net/exclusive-interview-with-the-brodeur-boys-william-brodeur-and-anthony-brodeur-sit-down-with-the-hockey-guys/

Here is a highlight video:

- The signing of Jeremy Brodeur probably means Riley Gill will be out a while after the scary incident at the game against Orlando on Saturday. When you get driven into the goal post and hit the back of your head as happened to Gill in that game, discretion is the better part of valor. I am sure Riley and his medical team will be cautious as to when he returns to action. In the meantime it is a great opportunity for Brodeur to get some ECHL playing time and you never know what the future will hold.


- The Allen Americans will have their last practice today before departing to Tulsa tomorrow (Friday) morning for the first of three games in a row against the Oilers. Friday and Saturday they play in Tulsa and then return to Allen for game three on Sunday afternoon. Unless there is a roster change today the team will leave for Tulsa with just nine forwards, six defensemen and two goalies.


- I have had many questions about the four game suspension to David Makowski asking everything from what happened to what are his appeal rights. What happened was a collision between Makowski and an Orlando player in the first period which resulted in the Orlando player getting injured. The ECHL saw the play as an illegal check to the head thus the suspension. Others including coach Martinson saw the play differently and as he told me yesterday, "Not only did the Orlando player change direction, he also lowered his head prior to contact. Makowski never changed direction. The Orlando player skated right into Makowski's shoulder. In my opinion it is a non-suspendable collision."  It certainly is not unusual for the league and any team to draw different conclusions when reviewing the same play put it is clear the league has almost total control of the outcome.

The question about appeal rights is much more straight forward and the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) does not give players the right to tell their side of the story to the decision makers either before or after a decision is made. Here is the exact language from the CBA. "The Commissioner shall have the right in the exercise of his absolute discretion to discipline players for violations of the rules. Fines up to and including $1000 or suspensions up to and including 20 games shall be based on such investigation as the Commissioner deems appropriate and the fine and/or penalty imposed shall not be reviewable by any court or arbitrator or be the subject of a grievance. For suspensions ranging from 5 to 20 games the Commissioner shall brief the Executive Director of the PHPA. Suspensions by the Commissioner shall be in general accord with prior decisions for like conduct." For suspensions that exceed 20 games the Commissioner must hold a hearing."

A new CBA will have to be negotiated prior to the start of next season so if the PHPA wanted to change the way fines and suspensions are adjudicated to include more player input prior to a decision being made, the CBA negotiations would be the vehicle to approach that issue.


 - The Allen Americans will be wearing a Halloween specialty jersey on Sunday and the jerseys will be auctioned in a new and exciting way. The Americans have a new specialty jersey auction partner as all auctions will be done through BidPal. This will allow fans anywhere in the world to bid on the jerseys. The way this will work is you can start bidding on the jerseys the Monday prior to the game where the specialty jersey will be worn. The auction will end at the second intermission of the game the players wear the specialty jersey. The Halloween jerseys are already posted on BidPal so you can signup and bid right now. Here is the link: https://one.bidpal.net/goamericans/welcome

-  Colorado and Wichita continued their torrid start to the season last night. Colorado defeated Worcester 5-1 and Wichita beat Tulsa 3-1. The Eagles and the Thunder are both 5-0 and lead the ECHL (along with Florida) with 10 points. The Americans are in third place in the Mountain Division with seven points. Allen has the opportunity to earn an additional six points this weekend.




DID YOU KNOW:  With Jeremy Brodeur signing with Allen it inspired me to look back on Martin Brodeur's NHL records which include most wins (691), saves (28,928), shutouts (125) and games played (1266). He also had two goals and 45 assists in his career. Some of the quotes you see about Brodeur are most insightful.

"Some of his records are Gretzky-like".....former coach John MacLean
"His net gets smaller when the game gets bigger".....Jamir Jagr
"There is Marty after the second period, having a Sprite and half a bagel, working on a shutout and he is talking and joking with the guys in the room. Then he will go out an stop ten shots in the third. There is just this calmness about him. Maybe it is because he still thinks of hockey as a game.".....teammate Sheldon Souray
"I just don't get nervous at a hockey rink".....Martin Brodeur
"He probably read and tracked the puck and saw the game before it happened better than I think any goalie. I think he knew where the puck was going to be before any of the shooters did.".....goalie Cory Schneider      

Makowski Suspended, Halloween Specialty Jersey, Whose From My Hometown, Americans Website

If there is one thing you learn when covering a hockey team it is the roster can go from feast to famine in what seems like a flash. It was only about a week ago the Allen Americans had a full roster of 22 players and finding ice time for everyone was the issue. As of this morning the team will be playing shorthanded this weekend in Tulsa. How does that happen so quickly? Two players to 21 day injured reserve (Mathieu Aubin & Miles Liberati), two players sent to San Jose (Bryan Moore & Olivier Archambault), Riley Gill injured and then what I am sure is a big surprise to many fans, David Makowski getting suspended four games yesterday.


- Here is the press release issued by the ECHL that covers several suspensions including the four games given to Makowski. https://www.echl.com/echl-announces-fines-suspensions-70

The rule cited in the press release (Rule 28) says in part, The Commissioner may at his discretion, investigate any incident that occurs in a game and assess additional fines and/or suspensions whether or not such offense has been penalized by the referee. If an investigation is requested by a club/team it must be initiated by 12:00 pm local time on the day following the completion of the game in which the incident occurred.

So apparently Orlando submitted a request to the league to have a play reviewed, that was not called a penalty in the game, and the Commissioner made the decision a suspension was appropriate.

Late last night I had a chance to ask Allen coach Steve Martinson about the Makowski suspension and he said, "I don't agree with the suspension and I am awaiting an explanation. Not only did the Orlando player change direction, he also lowered his head prior to contact. Makowski never changed direction. The Orlando player skated right into Makowski's shoulder. In my opinion it is a non-suspendable collision.


- The Allen Americans will be wearing a Halloween specialty jersey on Sunday and the jerseys will be auctioned in a new and exciting way. No more live auctions, the auction will be electronic and you don't have to be at the game to participate. Details coming soon from the Allen Americans.

 


- The ECHL released the schedule for their new initiative called ECHL.TV Showcase where you can watch 14 games on select Friday nights free on Facebook. All 27 ECHL teams will be seen in action through this platform. Allen has already had its turn as they were the first ever on Facebook Live from Rapid City on October 13. Check out the schedule because this is an opportunity to see your favorite former Allen player on their new team, take a look at some teams in the Eastern Conference that you never get to see in Allen or just watch some great match ups between top teams. Here are the details with the complete schedule. https://www.echl.com/schedule-announced-echl-tv-showcase-game-facebook-live


- I hear from fans all of the time about what they are doing to help the team sell more tickets from posting on social media to inviting friends and family to join them at a game to inviting groups they belong to to come to a game to donating tickets to vets and talking to those they meet in the community about the team. Another way you can help the team is visiting the team's website (allenamericans.com) for news and information and encourage others to do the same. Increased traffic to the website creates more value to to the sponsors that support the Allen Americans website. I visit several times each day when writing the blog to see the latest news releases, check for roster updates, look at the schedule, read about upcoming promotions and much more.


- The amount of information contained in hockey data bases like HockeyDB and Elite Prospects is enormous. One of the things you can do in Elite Prospects is search information by hometown. After practice yesterday I asked some of the players what they consider their hometown (often different than where they were born) so I could look at the hockey player history of their hometown. Information provided includes an alphabetic list of every player in the data base from that location, the players drafted by the NHL, those that played in the NHL and the most clicked players being the most researched players. Here are a few of examples.

Miles Liberati - Miles is from small community named Cheswick about 15 miles northeast of Pittsburgh. The population in just over 1700. There are only eight players listed in the data base born in Cheswick. Of those eight players two were drafted by the NHL, Miles in the seventh round in 2013 and a guy by the name of Chuck Chiatto who was drafted in the 12th round in 1983. Chiatto never played pro hockey. Who is the most clicked player from Cheswick. It is no contest as Miles is #1 with 14,104 clicks, the player with the second most clicks has 552.


Spencer Asuchak & Casey Pierro-Zabotel - Spencer and Casey hail from Kamloops, British Columbia and grew up in the same part of town. The population is just over 90,000. There are 428 players from Kamloops in the data base. There are 20 that were drafted by the NHL including Casey who was drafted by Pittsburgh in the third round in 2007. There have been 11 players from Kamloops play in the NHL the most famous being Mark Recchi who played 22 years and had 1652 NHL games. Casey has the edge in the number of clicks with 43,328 compared to 19,564 for Spencer.


Vincent Arseneau - Sometimes one man stands alone and that is the case with Arseneau. He was born in Les Iles-de-la-Madeleine, Quebec. Known in English as the Magdalen Islands, a group of islands that form an archipelago in the gulf of Saint Lawrence. With a small population and a five hours ferry ride or airplane flight to get anywhere it is difficult for a young hockey player. Vincent left home and stayed with a billet family to play hockey when he was only 12 years old. Arseneau is the only player in the data base that lists Les Iles-De-La-Madeleine as their birthplace.


DID YOU KNOW: There are 225 players in the elite prospects data base born in Minnetonka, Minnesota, where Stave Martinson was born. Only three of the 225 made it to the NHL. It addition to Martinson the other two are Jack Hillen (New York Islanders & Washington Capitals from 2007-2015) and Dave Snuggerud (Buffalo Sabres, San Jose Sharks, Philadelphia Flyers from 1989-1993).

First Two Weeks in Review, Individual & Team Stats, Players Tribune Story & Geography of Allen's Roster

The Allen Americans are preparing for the third weekend of the season when they will play the Tulsa Oilers three times in a span of less than 48 hours. They play Friday and Saturday in Tulsa and Sunday in Allen.

Thought today would be a good time to recap the first two weekends of the season. Allen opened on the road in week one and beat Rapid City twice by scores of 8-3 and 5-3. This past weekend the Americans were at home and beat Orlando 6-2 on Saturday and then lost to the Solar Bears 4-3 in overtime on Sunday. All in all it has been a good start for Allen capturing seven of eight points in their first four games. Their 3-0-1-0 record is only good enough for third place in the Mountain Division as both Colorado and Wichita have started with 4-0 records.


- As a reminder, last season Allen started with a 3-1 record and then went 1-6 over the next seven games and the roster changes started.


- The Americans good start has included a lot of offensive firepower as they lead the ECHL in total goals (22) and also in average goals per game (5.50). Here is how they rank in some other statistical categories:

Goal differential - 1st (+10)
Average PIMS per game - 1st (32.00)
Power play - 15th (13.0%)
Penalty kill - 5th (95.8%)
Shorthanded goals - 1st (3)
Ave. goals against - 11th (3.00)
Ave shots for per game - 11th (34.50)
Ave shots against per game - 15th (32.50)
Shooting percentage - 1st (15.9%)
Save percentage - 10th (.908)


- Overall you would have to rate the start of the season very high but as coach Martinson has said there is still plenty of room for improvement. The team will have three days this week working on everything from conditioning to systems to special teams to three on three overtime strategy. 



INDIVIDUAL STAT LEADERS


- Below are the team leaders in various statistical categories after four games with the league rank in parentheses:

Points:
10 - Casey Pierro-Zabotel (1st)
8 -   Zach Pochiro (2nd)
7 -  Olivier Archambault (6th)

Goals:
5 - Zach Pochiro (1st)
3 - Casey Pierro-Zabotel (8th)
3 - Jonathan Lessard (8th)

Assists:
7 - Casey Pierro-Zabotel (1st)
5 - Olivier Archambault (2nd)
3 -  Eric Roy (29th)
3 -  Zach Pochiro (29th)

Plus/Minus:
+11 - Casey Pierro-Zabotel (1st)
+8 -   Zach Pochiro (2nd)
+7 -  Olivier Archambault (3rd)

Penalty Minutes:
21 - Bryan Moore (10th)
19 - Tanner Eberle (12th)
17 - Josh Thrower (17th)

Shots On Goal:
18 - Zach Pochiro (9th)
17 - David Makowski (10th)
14 - Jonathan Lessard (32nd)


If you can draw any conclusion from the individual stats it would be the need for more offense from up and down the line up. Pierro-Zabotel, Pochiro and Archambault (currently with San Jose) have 41% of the team's points and 42% of the team's assists. Throw in Lessard's three goals and these four players have 60% of the team's goals. Look for more balanced scoring against Tulsa.


OTHER COMMENTS

- I recently wrote in the blog about a website called "The Players Tribune" (theplayerstribune.com) that Allen captain Joel Chouinard told me about. The website publishes first-person stories from athletes, providing unique insight into the daily sports conversation. These stories cover a lot more than just playing the sport. Here is a recent article from retired NHL player Shawn Thornton. Thornton was a tough guy/enforcer with over 400 fights in his hockey career including 182 in the NHL. The title of this article is "The Real Fighters" but it has nothing to do with fighting on the ice. It will bring a tear to your eye and highlights how many players contribute to the community through hospital visits, school visits and participation in charitable events. Take the time to read this story if you haven't read it already: https://www.theplayerstribune.com/shawn-thornton-parkinsons/


- It is always interesting to look at the geographical makeup of the Allen Americans roster each season. If you go back to the first season (2009-10) there were 35 players that played at least one game for the Americans. Canadians were the vast majority as 26 players were from Canada with the other nine from the US. By 2014-15 the roster was 23 Canadian, 18 US and one Sweden. Here is the breakdown of the 22 players on the Allen roster this season. A geographical dispersed group for sure.

Canada - 13 Players
5 - Quebec
4 - British Columbia
2 - Saskatchewan
1 - Alberta
1 - Ontario

United States - 9 players
2 - Missouri
1 - Minnesota
1 - New York
1 - North Dakota
1 - North Carolina
1 - Michigan
1 - Pennsylvania
1 - Alaska  


DID YOU KNOW:  Some Allen players come from huge metropolitan areas like Edmonton (Jaynen Rissling), Montreal (Joel Chouinard), St. Louis (David Makowski), Las Vegas (Zach Pochiro) and Charlotte (Bryan Moore). Alex Schoenborn comes from the fourth largest city in North Dakota (Minot) but the population is only just over 40,000. When you talk small towns the prize goes to Eric Roy (Beauval, Saskatchewan). The 2016 census for Beauval, which is in northern Saskatchewan, shows a population of 640 and includes five residents over 100 years old.

Orlando Tops Allen 4-3 in OT, Game Recap, Gill Injury Update, Martinson Comments, Photos & More

The Allen Americans literally traded goals with Orlando all game long yesterday before a sparse crowd of 2853 at the Allen Event Center (AEC). Unfortunately the Solar Bears started and ended the scoring taking a 4-3 overtime win from the Americans. Former Allen forward, Chris Crane, led the charge for Orlando scoring two of their four goals against his old mates.

- From the first goal of the game on a breakaway to out shooting Allen 5-0 in the overtime period the Solar Bears always had the Americans trying to fight back. To their credit the Americans did fight back from 1-0, 2-1 and 3-2 deficits but could never get a go ahead goal. The good news is Allen got three of four points this weekend and still has not lost a regular season game in regulation in the last 20 games.


- Goal scorers for Allen were Alex Schoenborn (2), Casey Pierro-Zabotel (3) and David Makowski (2). You can check out all of the goals on ECHL Rewind video highlights: https://www.echl.com/


- Here is the press release issued by the Allen Americans with a game recap and post game quotes from Casey Pierro-Zabotel and goalie Stephon Williams: https://allenamericans.com/americans-pick-three-four-points-weekend-orlando/


- Here is the game recap from the Orlando Solar Bears: http://orlandosolarbearshockey.com/news/gamerecap-20171022/ 


STEVE MARTINSON'S POST GAME COMMENTS

- Riley Gill is okay, the back of his head, where he got driven into the goal post, is obviously real sore and bruised. We will know in the next couple of days if he starts to feel better and will be back quickly or will be out longer. 

- It is frustrating the way we lost that game tonight in overtime. Orlando was much more patient than we were. Every time we got possession of the puck we skated down and tried to beat guys one on one even though there wasn't a good play. We should have curled back which is what they did and it created more scoring chances for them.

- The guy that scored the game winning goal pulled out of the zone and wheeled around until he got picked up by a forward one on one. We had two defensemen on the ice at the time but they stayed with the player they were covering rather than collapsing to help. It is a tough way to end the weekend but Orlando just played better in overtime than we did. They played smarter and had the better chances.

- We still have to get some guys up to speed and in top shape. You could see at times during the game when we didn't have the burst we needed. I think we forced the puck down low a little bit too much when we could have used the points and just got traffic in front of the net. That worked for us several times on Saturday. At times the forwards tried to do too much and didn't use the points.

- On the play where Zach Hall was called for interference for playing the puck while still in the penalty box the rule states you must have both skates on the playing surface before you can play the puck.

- We had too many men on the ice called twice tonight and that ended up costing us. On one of them a defenseman was coming off the ice not even at half speed and the defensmen coming on the ice played the puck. The second one, two wingers went for one winger coming off the ice. Both of those were tough penalties to take but it is hard to break things down to individual plays costing us the game. We had close to 40 shots with plenty of opportunities to score more goals.

- I thought the team worked hard, there weren't any situations where we didn't back check.

- We will take the day off tomorrow and then we will get back up on the horse Tuesday morning and get ready for three games against Tulsa next weekend.



OTHER COMMENTS

- Allen has had at least 30 shots on goal in all four of their games and is averaging 34.5 shots per game. Last season Allen was ranked #21 in the ECHL in average shots per game. A 34.5 average last season would have had them ranked #4. The Americans continue to lead the ECHL in average goals per game at 5.50.


- Allen has earned seven of eight points in their first four games but that is no better than third place in the tough Mountain Division. There are three teams at the top of the ECHL standings with perfect 4-0 records and two of them (Colorado & Wichita) are in the Mountain Division. The third team with a 4-0 record is Florida.


- Bryan Moore and Olivier Archambault were both in the lineup for the San Jose Barracuda yesterday in a low scoring affair with Cleveland. There was just 1.1 seconds left in overtime when defenseman Mike Brodzinski scored the first goal of the game to give the Barracuda a 1-0 win over the Monsters. It was a great time for Brodzinski, who played 23 games in Allen last season, to score his first AHL goal. The only number in the boxscore for Moore and Archambault other than zero was four penalty minutes for Moore. San Jose's next game is Friday in San Antonio.


- Both Casey Pierro-Zabotel and Eric Roy have at least one point in all four Allen games thus far. Pierro-Zabotel has 10 points (3 goals 7 assists) and leads the ECHL in scoring. Roy has four points (1 goal 3 assists) and is tied for fifth in scoring by defensemen.


- Rapid City lost twice to Wichita this weekend and is now one of two teams (Atlanta the other) that is 0-4 and has yet to earn their first points of the season. Things won't get any better for Daniel Tetrault and the Rush next weekend as they have a home and home series with the league leading Colorado Eagles.


FAVORITE PHOTOS

- It is great to have photographer Lauren Lyssy back with the Americans after missing last season. Here are a few of my favorites from the game on Sunday:

Group effort!

Meet you at In-N-Out Burger after the game

I swear I had both skates on the ice before I touched that puck

Zabby with league leading point #10 and goal #3

DID YOU KNOW: In the "Year in Review" section of the 2016-17 ECHL Guide and Record Book you can find the league's best players in many categories. I was struck when reading through this section how many players that played in Allen last season and are playing in Allen this season are listed. You look at this list and you know why Steve Martinson has such a good team each and every year. Check this out:

Scoring - The top two names on the list are Chad Costello (122 points) and Casey Pierro-Zabotel (88 points).

Assists - Costello #1 with 89 assists, Pierro-Zabotel #3 with 64

Power Play Goals - Greger Hanson tied for #2 (14 PP goals) and Spencer Asuchak #4 (13)

Penalty Minutes - #1 Derek Mathers (274 minutes)

Shorthanded Goals - Tied for #1 Vincent Arseneau (4 shorthanded goals) and he played in only 24 games last season.

 Joel Chouinard  #1 in plus/minus (+47) and tied for #9 in points for a defenseman (44)

Riley Gill  #1 in save percentage (.935),  #2 in GAA (2.22), #2 in wins (32), tied for #1 in shutouts (7) and tied for shootout save percentage (100%).

David Makowski  #6 in points by a defenseman (50), second in power play goals by a defenseman (8) and #4 in goals by a defensman (16). Remember, David accomplished all this while playing in just 42 of 72 games. 

Eric Roy was #5 in shooting percentage by a defenseman (14.1%) and #4 in game winning goals by a defenseman.

Finally, the 2016-17 first team all-stars included Chad Costello, Casey Pierro-Zabotel, David Makowski and Riley Gill.














 

Allen Beats Orlando 6-2, Game Recap, Gill Injured, Martinson Comments, Rematch Today, Attendance & More

The Allen Americans beat the Orlando Solar Bears last night by a score of 6-2 but the topic of conversation after the game was the health of Riley Gill who was carried off the ice in a neck brace and backboard after being crashed into by two players with 6:11 remaining in the game. The good news is the trip to the hospital ended up being precautionary, Riley did not have to spend the night in the hospital and his wife, Angie reports, "He is doing really good." That is the best news from the game as the incident looked really scary when it happened.


- As for the game itself, Allen had a strong first period holding the Solar Bears to just three shots on goal while tallying 12 of their own but the Americans could not finish on several excellent opportunities and the game was scoreless at the first intermission. Two Allen goals early in the second period was all the Americans needed as they had leads of 2-0, 4-1 and the final of 6-2.


- Special teams continue to be the tale of two stories. The penalty kill was perfect killing off nine Orlando power play opportunities including two long 5-on-3 power plays. The penalty kill unit has given up just one goal (1-18) over the first three games for a 94.4% penalty kill percentage. They not only kill penalties but they have scored three shorthanded goals including two last night.

As for the power play the results have been just the opposite of the penalty kill even though Allen did manage one power play goal last night. The Americans were 1-7 against the Solar Bears and over the first three games are now 1-16 for a power play percentage of 6.3%. You know things are  completely "bass-ackwards" when after three games the Allen power play unit has one goal and the penalty kill unit has three shorthanded goals.


- For those that were concerned Allen would have trouble replacing all of the scoring that did not return this season the team has answered that question over the first three games. The Americans lead the ECHL in scoring and their 6.33 goals per game average is a full goal over Wheeling who is in second place averaging 5.33 goals per game.


- Goal scorers for Allen were Zach Pochiro (4 & 5), Tanner Eberle (1), Jonathan Lessard (3), Casey Pierro-Zabotel (2) and David Makowski (1). Pochiro and Makowski had the shorthanded goals and Lessard got the power play goal.


- Here is the press release issued by the Americans with some player quotes: https://allenamericans.com/americans-explode-6-2-win-orlando/


- Here is the game recap issued by the Orlando Solar Bears: http://orlandosolarbearshockey.com/news/gamerecap-20171021/


- The rematch between Allen and Orlando is this afternoon with a 4:05 pm puck drop. Allen will attempt to keep a streak alive that started way back on February 19. That is the last time the Americans lost a regular season game in regulation. Their record since then is 18-0-1-0.


- Special teams will continue to be a key to the game and and this afternoon will certainly be a hard fought game. After the game last night you can expect the Americans will be very hard to play against today. Both teams have struggled on the power play. Allen's power play percentage is 6.3% (1-16) but Orlando's is even worse at 0.0% (0-15).


- Maybe the most telling stat between these two teams is goals for and against. Allen is averaging 6.3 goals per game while allowing 2.7. Orlando is averaging 3.5 goals per game while allowing 5.0.


-The officials for the game this afternoon are the same as last night. The referee is Kenny Anderson (#16) and the linesmen are Brian Bull (#95) and Aaron Schacht (#31).


OTHER COMMENTS

- I had the chance to talk briefly with coach Martinson after the game and as you might imagine his main concern was the health of Riley Gill as he was getting updates from the team doctor, the hospital and Riley's wife, Angie.

Martinson did mentioned how well the penalty kill unit is performing even though there was a breakdown on the first Orlando goal which was technically even strength but was scored just four seconds after a penalty expired. He also talked about the power play but felt it is just a matter of time before it comes together. After having Chad Costello quarterbacking the power play the last three years it will take some time but Martinson didn't sound worried at all. He has had a top three ranked power play unit all five years he has coached in Allen.

As I left coach Martinson's office shortly after 11:00 pm he was all alone, everyone had left and general manager Martinson was working on lining up an EBUG (emergency back up goalie) for the game this afternoon. Welcome to the world of AA hockey.


- Both as a team and individually the Americans are off to a great start with three straight wins. Here are some stats from echl.com The team leads the league in goals (19), goal differential (+11), goals per game average (6.33), penalty minutes average per game (34), and shorthanded goals (3). Individually Casey Pierro-Zabotel leads the ECHL in points (9), assists (7) and plus/minus (+12). Zach Pochiro is tied for second in points (8), first in goals (5) and second in plus/minus (+11).


- The Americans have certainly played well over their first three games and will only get better. When you consider Vincent Arseneau and Peter MacArthur were missing last weekend and Bryan Moore and Olivier Archambault (currently with San Jose) are missing this weekend the depth on this team is off the charts.


- Bryan Moore was in the lineup for the Barracuda yesterday as they lost to Cleveland 4-1. Bryan had a strong game as he was not on the ice for any of the Cleveland four goals, he had two shots on goal and a two minute penalty. Olivier Archambault did not play as he was a healthy scratch. San Jose plays Cleveland again today (5:00 pm EDT).  


- The team store opening seemed to be a big hit with fans. It is great to have it back in its original location, in an actual store front, with access from outside the building. I went by between each period and it was SRO. Fans seemed to like the new merchandise and I know there is more on the way.


DID YOU KNOW: Have to admit when I saw the official attendance last night (4871) I was disappointed. When there is a lot of time to sell the home opener and it is on a Saturday night and you see the effort given by all involved from the front office staff to the players to the fans you have high expectations. Things won't get any better today as the Americans go up against a Dallas Cowboys game that starts at 3:05 pm CDT. Here is the Allen home opener attendance over the past six years with the day of week in parentheses:

2017-18:   4871   (Saturday)
2016-17:   5062   (Saturday)
2015-16:   4745   (Friday)
2014-15:   5006   (Friday)
2013-14:   4911   (Sunday)
2012-13:   4853   (Saturday)

Moore & Archambault Promoted to Barracuda, Allen's AHL Experience, Americans Home Openers Revisited

It is finally here, it is game day, it is home opener and the long drought between games at the Allen Event Center (AEC) is over. You are correct if it seems to you like it has taken forever for this day to arrive. To be precise it has been 165 days since the Allen Americans played a game at the AEC, a consequence of the second round loss in the playoffs last season. The number of days between games in 2015 was 124 and in 2016 was 128 when Allen won back to back Kelly Cups.


- Two players that will not be in the lineup tonight are Bryan Moore and Olivier Archambault who have joined the San Jose Barracuda. The terminology to describe these promotions are different because Moore is under contract with San Jose and Archambault is a free agent. That is why if you look at the transactions it says Moore was recalled by San Jose and Archambault was loaned to San Jose. The Barracuda are just starting a five game road trip so Bryan and Olivier flew to Cleveland to meet the team. The Barracuda play the Monsters today (1:00 pm EDT) and tomorrow (5:00 pm EDT). Why are these teams playing at 1:00 pm on a Saturday? The Monsters play at Quicken Loans Arena which is also home to Lebron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers who play the Orlando Magic at home tonight (7:00 pm). It will be one of those quick conversions from hockey to basketball. I read that the plan is for the Barracuda players to attend the Cavaliers game. Being from the basketball hotbed of North Carolina I am sure Moore is a basketball fan. Not so sure about Archambault who hails from Quebec.


- Here is the press release issued by the Barracuda regarding Moore and Archambault.  http://www.sjbarracuda.com/news/detail/barracuda-recall-moore-sign-archambault-to-pto


- By the way the next two stops on the Barracuda road trip are in Texas. They play the San Antonio Rampage next Friday (Oct. 27) and the Texas Stars on Saturday (Oct. 28). If you like hockey road trips you could catch a couple of games with Allen's AHL affiliate and support Moore and Archambault if they are still with the team.


- I would expect just like last week in Rapid City, both Riley Gill and Stephon Williams will get a game this weekend. 


- I mentioned in the game preview (you can read it in yesterday's blog) that Orlando has much more AHL experience on their roster than Allen (1557 games vs 793 games). I decided to take a look behind the numbers in more detail. First of all Orlando has a much bigger roster according to echl.com as they have 26 players compared to Allen's 22. Second, Darryl Bootland (382 AHL games) and Sean Zimmerman (274 AHL games) account for 42% of the Solar Bears AHL experience and they are on the 21 day injured reserve so they will not play this weekend. In Allen's case there are only 18 players available this weekend with Aubin and Liberati on IR and Moore and Archambault with San Jose. Here is the AHL experience for the 18 players expected to be on the ice tonight for Allen.

204 games - Joel Chouinard
190 - Peter MacArthur
58 - Stephon Williams
54 - Spencer Asuchak
31 - Vincent Arseneau
30 - Alex Schoenborn
17 - Casey Pierro-Zabotel
11 - Tanner Eberle
10 - Eric Roy
9 - Dalton Thrower
7 - David Makowski
6 - Riley Gill
5 - Jaynen Rissling
5 - Zach Pochiro
0 - Mike Gunn
0 - Jonathan Lessard
0 -Zach Hall
0 - Josh Thrower



- The officials for the game tonight are referee Kenny Anderson (#16) and linesmen Brian Bull (#95) and Aaron Schacht (#31). Kenny Anderson will be starting his fourth season as a full time referee for the ECHL. He is also a referee for the AHL. Anderson is from Elk River, Minnesota and was selected to referee the ECHL all-star game last season. He has also worked the USHL Clark Cup finals and the SPHL Presidents Cup finals.


- The Allen Americans team store is back in its original location and is stocked and ready to go. The store will open at 3:00 pm this afternoon so arrive early and check it out.


- I saw a reminder put out by the AEC on their bag policy that remains the same as last season. All bags must be 14" x 14" x 6" or smaller.



DID YOU KNOW: When you consider how good the Allen Americans have been since their inception their home opener record is a mediocre 4-5.  No matter when you started following the Americans these home opener games from the last nine years will bring back some memories. 

2009-10 -  Allen started on the road the first season because the Allen Event Center was not completed. The Americans played their first seven games in franchise history on the road. They returned to Allen after those first seven games 5-1-0-1. The home opener was memorable even though the Americans laid an egg, losing to Corpus Christi by a score of 4-1. Two of the goal scorers for Corpus were Chad Costello and future NHLer Ryan Garbutt. That game is mostly remembered for a melee that broke out after the game was over that ended up with 72 penalty minutes being called. A crowd of 5808 witnessed the first home game in team history. 

2010-11 - Allen opened at home against Texas, scored three goals (Alexandre Quesnel, Dustin Donaghy, Judd Blackwater) in the first four minutes of the game and coasted to a 5-2 win. Similar to the year before there were 66 minutes worth of penalties called at the 18:29 mark of the third period including four fighting majors and four game misconducts. Allen got the last laugh as Erik Adams scored an unassisted, shorthanded, empty net goal with under a minute remaining to seal the victory for the Americans. 

2011-12 - Allen's home opener was against Tulsa and the Americans got beat 4-1. Jim McKenzie scored the Americans only goal with just over a minute left in the game. Most notable in that game was a Gordie Howe hat trick by Tulsa's Gary Steffes who had a goal, an assist and a fight with Allen's Scott Langdon.

2012-13 - Allen's home opener was against Arizona and they shut out Sundogs 4-0. Scott Howes had two goals in the game. The other goal scorers were Adam Pineault and Darryl Bootland. Steve Silverthorn was in goal and the backup was a rookie by the name of Aaron Dell. Dell would play sparingly the first few weeks of the season but eventually take over the starting role and lead the Americans to their first championship.

2013-14 -The home opener was an exciting game but the Americans lost to Wichita 4-3 in a shootout. Ironically the two teams had played the season opener the night before in Wichita and Allen had won by an identical score of 4-3 in a shootout. The home opener was a Sunday afternoon game and Allen took a 2-0 lead into the third period only to allow the Thunder to score three unanswered goals to take a 3-2 lead. Tyler Ludwig got the equalizer with less that three minutes remaining n the game. The game would go to a shootout and Allen could manage just one goal (Kale Kerbashain) in seven rounds before Wichita got the game winner.

2014-15 - The worst home opener ever for Allen as they got beat by Tulsa 9-6. Greger Hanson was the lone bright spot for Allen with a whopping 11 shots on goal, four points and a hat trick. Aaron Dell was in goal for the Americans and gave up seven of the nine goals. It was Dell's only regulation loss in the 12 games he played for Allen that season. By the end of January he was in the AHL on his way to the NHL.

2015-16 - Another home opener loss as the Quad City Mallards came to the Allen Event Center and beat the Americans 2-1. Allen's lone goal was scored by Garrett Clarke with assists going to Justin Courtnall and goalie Joel Rumpel. You didn't see those three in the boxscore very often let alone on the same play.

2016-17 - It was a home opener win as Allen beat Missouri 6-3. Kale Kerbashain had two goals and Riley Gill was peppered with 47 shots. 

2017-18 -  After two big wins on the road in Rapid City the Americans opened at home against Orlando and beat the Solar Bears 6-2. Zach Pochiro had two goals, David Makowski and Casey Pierro-Zabotel each had three points (1G 2A). This game will always be remembered as the game with less than seven minutes remaining goalie Riley Gill was injured and would be out for the season.