I am sure many of you had this happen sometime during your schooling where your teacher handed out an assignment which started out with "read this entire document" before you start and then complete the instructions. This would be a timed exercise so speed and accuracy were both important. The instructions included all kinds of things you had to write on the page but the very last sentence/instruction said ignore all of the prior instructions, write your name on the top of the page and turn in the assignment. Needless to say the majority of the class and almost all of the boys immediately started writing all of the things on the paper that were in the instructions and only when they got to the last instruction at the bottom of the page did they figure out all they had to do was write their name on the top of the page and turn in the paper.
- I share this story because yesterday I included the following in the blog:
Another player added to the Allen roster over the weekend according to a press release from his Federal Hockey League team is Dalton Jay, the leading scorer for the Port Huron Prowlers with 104 points (43G, 61A) this season. Here is the press release: https://www.phprowlers.com/news/dalton-jay-called-up-to-echl-team
If you clicked on this press release and read it all the way to the end you would have noticed the final four words were; "Oh yeah... April Fools ;). So no Dalton Jay on the Allen roster.
- The other player I mentioned yesterday, Jack Sadek, really is with the Americans. Sadek was drafted by the Minnesota Wild in the seventh round of the 2015 NHL draft and just completed his senior year at the University of Minnesota. A local product, Jack is from Lakeville, Minnesota which is just south of Minneapolis. His team won the prestigious state high school hockey tournament when he was a senior. The 6'2" 200 pound right shot defenseman played in 94 straight games to end his collegiate career including every contest of his junior and senior seasons. This season he led all defensemen on his team in points (18) and assists (14). He finished second in blocked shots (57). In his four year career at Minnesota, Jack recorded 43 points (10G, 33A) in 125 games and helped the Gophers win two straight Big Ten regular season championships. Sadek comes from a sports family. His dad and grandfather both played football at the University of Minnesota and his sister played hockey at Ohio State. Here is a video interview from two months ago that will familiarize you with Sadek. When he mentions his cousin played at the University of Minnesota, his cousin is New York Rangers defenseman Brady Skjei.
- Jack Sadek and Nick Boka are in the same situation. They are Minnesota Wild late round 2015 draft choices who have just completed their collegiate careers. They are both right shot defensemen who signed ATO's (amateur tryouts) with the Iowa Wild and were then asked to come to Allen. They are in Allen to show what they can do at the pro level in hopes of getting signed to a contract by Iowa for next season. Boka has made an immediate impact in his first two games with two assists and a plus/minus of +6. Sadek will have just the two games in Wichita this weekend to show what he can do. If Sadek and/or Boka sign with Iowa they could spend time in Allen next season.
- Super fan Mary Betz asked me to share the following information about a watch party she is hosting on Friday. Here is Mary's message:
Having hockey withdrawals? Miss your hockey family? You have one more chance this Friday for an unofficial watch party in the back room at Kelly's. Come join in and help cheer on the RED as they battle to stay out of last place. Puck drops at 7:05 pm. Hope to see you there.
- Kansas City beat Tulsa 4-3 last night to tighten up the race for the top spot in the Mountain Division. With three games remaining Tulsa has 86 points and Idaho has 85 points. Both teams play three games in three days (Friday, Saturday, Sunday) and it looks like it will come down to the games on Sunday. Tulsa has the better schedule with all three of their games at home against teams with lower winning percentages than the Oilers. Idaho plays Utah all three games and two of the games are on the road. Utah's record against Idaho this season is 7-3-2-0.
If you look at the first tie breaker (wins minus shootout wins) Tulsa has 39 and Idaho has 37. Anything could still happen but the schedules, stats and tiebreaker all favor Tulsa. Here are the remaining games for both teams.
Tulsa - Kalamazoo (H), Kalamazoo (H), Wichita (H)
Idaho - Utah (H), Utah (A), Utah (A)
- The other three divisions have already crowned their regular season champion. Here they are with current points in parentheses.
Newfoundland - North Division (92 points)
Florida - South Division (102 points)
Cincinnati - Central Division (106 points)
If Cincinnati gets one point in their last three games or if Florida loses a point the Cyclones will be the ECHL regular season champions and take home the Brabham Cup.
- There are six games in the ECHL tonight with only one Mountain Division team in action as Wichita hosts Kalamazoo. The game I will be tracking is Greenville at Norfolk. If Norfolk wins that game, Allen will go into the weekend with a four point lead over the Swamp Rabbits. The Americans magic number will be one point to avoid having the worst record in the league.
DID YOU KNOW: I have written many times about how the last four Kelly Cup champions were tough, physical, high penalty minute teams because that style seems to work in seven games series where the more physical team wears down their opponent. The contrast between divisions this season is dramatic. There are 13 teams in the ECHL with over 1000 penalty minutes. In the Mountain Division five of seven teams have over 1000 penalty minutes and the two teams that don't have 1000 PIMS have 945 and 935. You contrast that with the North Division where none of the seven teams have 1000 penalty minutes. The four teams with the fewest penalty minutes (672, 685, 760, 787) in the ECHL all come from the North Division. The North Division champion, Newfoundland is ranked #25 in penalty minutes (760).
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