Not much new to report from Allen practice yesterday. There are some bumps and bruises but it looks like everyone will be available for the weekend. There was plenty of time spent on drills to reinforce getting pucks in deep and avoiding turnovers in the neutral zone. Coach Martinson said after the win on Saturday (despite being out shot 42-26) the team needed to be in better shape. Martinson lived up to those comments with plenty of skating without the puck at the end of practice.
- After practice today the team will have a guest speaker talk about "Hockey & Nutrition" which should be informative. You read a lot about pro athletes turning to more of a plant based diet to improve performance. The current roster has everything from big time meat eaters to vegan diets. Rumor has it lunch will be soup, salad and a baked potato bar.
- Here is a recap of the last week from Tommy Daniels: https://allenamericans.com/allen-americans-weekly-18/
- If you don't frequent the Allen Americans website (allenamericans.com) I encourage you to visit each day to see what is new. There is a concerted effort by everyone on the staff to provide more content on the website. The Allen Americans Weekly (linked above) is from the website but new stories are also posted about Spencer Asuchak's visit to Allen City Hall and the Captains of the Ice Angels. The website is a great place to see all of the latest content in one place.
- Another place you will see more content is on YouTube. The Allen Americans have their own channel (allenamericans) and if you don't know how to find it just Google "Allen Americans YouTube Channel" and you will see all of the videos. There have been 11 videos added just in the last week including player interviews, Martinson interviews, game highlights and marketing videos. Make sure to hit the subscribe button. Just like the website, the YouTube Channel is a great place to see all the latest videos in one place. If you scroll to the bottom of the channel you can see the all-time favorites. If you are wondering what is the #1 all-time here it is:
- After practice I have been asking players about their jersey number, their nickname and what advice their father gave them when they were starting out playing organized hockey that they still remember today. Here are the latest:
Shawn O'Donnell #92 - I picked the #92 last year because nobody had it so I just stuck with it this year. There is nothing behind it other than it is a number not many people wear. Odie has been the most common nickname I have had but sometimes people also call me Donny. My dad played hockey and he always said get your speed up, take lots of shots, have fun and enjoy the game. It is funny he gives me the same kind of pointers when I talk to him today.
Jake Paterson #35 - I grew up in Mississauga, Ontario and our local junior team was the Mississauga IceDogs. They had a really good goalie by the name of David Shantz and he wore #57, so growing up I always wore #57. When I got to Toledo I don't think we were allowed to pick a high number so I went with #35. It worked for me then so hopefully #35 will work for me in Allen. My nickname has always been Patty or Patter and that is what the guys call me here. The biggest thing my dad always told me was to work hard, in hockey and just in life in general. I try to bring that to the rink everyday.
- Former Allen forward Jack Combs is headed to Wichita to play for the Thunder. It hasn't been on transactions but Jack retweeted a tweet from a friend that said, "Shoutout to Jack Combs as he heads to Wichita to tear up the ECHL, those goalies don't stand a chance."
Jack spent 32 games with Allen in 2014-15 and the goalies really didn't have a chance as he had 56 points (22G, 32A) in those 32 games. What remains to be seen is whether Jack has made a season long commitment to Wichita or will be make the jump to Europe in a couple of months.
DID YOU KNOW: The Allen Americans have a combined PP% and PK% of 100.9%. If you add together PP% and PK% and it exceeds 105% it is considered exceptional. It is early in the season so these numbers will come down but here are the teams off to the best start:
120.0% - South Carolina Stingrays
119.9% - Indy Fuel
118.3% - Newfoundland Growlers
118.2% - Worcester Railers
115.7% - Atlanta Gladiators
115.6% - Rapid City Rush
115.5% - Utah Grizzlies
119.9% - Indy Fuel
118.3% - Newfoundland Growlers
118.2% - Worcester Railers
115.7% - Atlanta Gladiators
115.6% - Rapid City Rush
115.5% - Utah Grizzlies
I have to differ with you on the Allen Americans website. I find several issues with it.
ReplyDelete1. Not up to date on player/team info
2. On photos at bottom, 2 of the 3 players aren't playing for us at this time
3. In general, if I want information it comes from Elite Prospects, ECHL transaction page or your blog. 99% of the time that information is out before the Allen Americans website is updated...sometimes by days.
We need a goalie..
ReplyDelete