Recruiting Update, Tommy Daniels Interviews Asuchak and Costello, DASH Auctions, Riley Gill Construction, Players Fund and Revisiting the 2015 Championship

It has been a couple of weeks since the last blog and there are a few things on the list to share, especially for those of you that are not active on social media. Here goes:

- I had a chance to touch base with coach Martinson this week and all I can say is he can't wait for signing day to arrive which at this point isn't until June 16. There has been some speculation the date may get moved up but at this point it doesn't look like that will happen. There are some exciting names on Martinson's recruiting list and he is also working closely with the Wild organization on their recruitment process for depth players for Iowa. With Martinson's reputation, style of play and history of moving players to the next level along with the team's success in the shortened 2019-20 season it has been a good recruitment season thus far with a lot of players and agents contacting Martinson.


- Hopefully you have had a chance to see the interviews Tommy Daniels has been doing recently. It is a great way to stay connected to the team. Tommy has plans to do these interviews frequently over the summer with interviews of many players from the past. He uses Zoom so the interviews are easy to record and he will be able to video chat with former players from the comfort of their own home during these trying times. Here are a couple of Tommy's latest interviews if you haven't had a chance to see them, Chad Costello and Spencer Asuchak:

- The Americans recently changed the online auction company they use for selling merchandise. DASH auctions which is based in Plano will now handle the auctions for the Americans. Here is the press release with all of the details. https://allenamericans.com/americans-announce-partnership-with-planos-dash-auction/


- The best thing about the new DASH platform is you can use your phone, tablet or computer to access and make bids. Easy to use for sure. You can even access the Dash site from the Allen Americans website (allenamericans.com). Just look for the button that says "Click for Live Auctions" on the top right side of the home page. The first auction item is a fundraiser and is a unique experience of a one on one conversation with coach and general manager Steve Martinson. You can to get some good inside information while contributing to a charitable cause. This would be a fun and informative experience and with Steve Martinson if you ask the question you will get an honest answer. Just three days left to bid on this experience. Current bid is $100.


- There are also some autographed jerseys up for auction on the new DASH site. The popular military jersey (Josh Lammon & Ben Carroll) and the red game jerseys complete with fighting strap (Jared VanWormer & Colton Heffley) are up for auction. A chance to pick up a game worn jersey for as little as $250.


- Riley Gill, who won two Kelly Cups in Allen to go along with a third when he played for Reading and will one day be in the ECHL Hall of Fame has recently establish his own construction company. Riley grew up in the construction business as his dad owned a construction business in Minnesota for over 40 years. Riley spent the summers helping his dad build custom homes from the ground up. He has been doing full bathroom remodels, fences, custom cabinets and kitchen jobs. If you need a fence replaced or repaired, want to remodel a room in your house or need some custom cabinets, give Riley a call for a free estimate. It is always great to support former players. Riley's phone number is 507-581-1300. If any Allen fans hire Riley I will throw in one of the Riley Gill locker replicas the team handed out a few years ago.

- One of the questions I had after the shortened ECHL season was how would the league handle team records that were set in 2019-20. Several fewest type records were broken. An example is fewest goals in a season. South Carolina allowed 147 goals in 2019-20 which broke the all time record for fewest goals allowed in one season however they only played 62 games. According to Joe Babik, Director of Communication for the ECHL any "fewest" records will most likely not be added to the record book.


- Wendy Ellis, who is the Marketing Director for Fairview Town Center and a big supporter of the Allen Americans team asked me to share this info about the player fund that has been established in a joint effort of the ECHL and PHPA. I checked this morning and the fund has raised $286,020 of the $750,000 goal. Here is Wendy's story:

Support The ECHL Player Relief Fund

In these very strange times, it is important for everyone to understand that we are all in this together. Many folks are struggling to pay rent, put food on the table, to pay bills after a very abrupt end to life as we knew it. This is very true for our Allen Americans players too.


These players had two days notice that they would have no additional income. Many players have wives and children to support and they all still have bills to pay. They are now facing no income as well as a much more difficult job market and the cancellation of their primary off-season income in the form of hockey camps, training, clinics and lessons.


Because the ECHL has very strict rules about helping individual players or players from only one team, the ECHL Player Relief Fund is the only way to assist players. So, I am asking the Allen hockey family to step up! Here’s how you can help our boys:


· If you are able, donate to the @ECHL Player Relief Fund at https://secure.everyaction.com/zvs3RV0RpECCgn2ZJ8G1iQ2 


· Share this link on your social media channels and with friends that are part of the Allen hockey family. Let’s spread the word.


· If you have jerseys, memorabilia such as autographed pucks, sticks, photos, shirts, etc. or experiences such as restaurant gift cards, retail gift certificates, etc. that you would be willing to donate to an auction to raise money for the ECHL Player Relief Fund, please contact Wendy Ellis at wdkeck@hotmail.com. Fans in Toledo were able to put together an auction of more than 120 item.


· Participate in the upcoming Allen Americans Zoom Virtual Auctions, which will benefit the Player Relief Fund as well as the local Allen Public Safety Recovery Fund. https://web.dashapp.io/item/5e9db45e685f4c275058e65a



Let’s show our boys that we are all in this together and that the Allen hockey family cares about the players!
 

DID YOU KNOW: It seems like the season has been over forever but did you know back in 2015 when Allen won their first Kelly Cup, on this date (4/25/15) the Americans were waiting for the second round to start. Allen defeated Tulsa 4-1 in the first round, winning the series on April 21. They had to wait until May 1 for the second round to start against Rapid City. Allen beat Rapid City 4-2 in the division final. In the conference final Allen fell behind 3-1 before a big comeback to beat Ontario in seven games. The Kelly cup finals against South Carolina was also exciting. The first three games were in Allen and the Stingrays won two of them. The Americans traveled to South Carolina (by Big Red) and won game four in double overtime (Vincent Arseneau) and game five in overtime (Greger Hanson). South Carolina won game six to tie the series 3-3 and send the series back to Allen for game seven. The Americans blew out South Carolina 6-1 in game seven to claim their first Kelly Cup. Here is a video recap of game seven and the celebration that followed:

 

Allen Americans Update, Awards Keep Rolling In, ECHL Commissioner Interview, 4/14/2015 Revisited and More

I had a great conversation with Tommy Daniels yesterday, just chatting about the Allen Americans. It seemed as if there wasn't any part of the team that we didn't cover. I typically head over to the Allen Event Center a couple of times a week during the off season to get caught up on the goings on, talking to coach Martinson and the front office. Not the case now as I am staying close to home and the Americans staff is working from home. The conversation with Tommy did inspire me to sit down this morning and write a blog. For those of you that follow every social media post and press release from the ECHL and the Allen Americans there may not be much news but here is an update.


- Steve Martinson won the ECHL General Manager of the Year Award yesterday. This is a fairly new award that was first given in 2016 and acknowledges the role of a GM which is different than a head coach. One of the big differences in this award from the other individual awards is only the ECHL coaches get to vote for General Manager of the Year.

If there is a single stat that describes what General Manager Martinson accomplished this season it is the number of games lost by players he signed for Allen spending time in the AHL. That total is just shy of 300 games. That is the equivalent of five top players missing from Allen's lineup every night of the season.

Here is a story written by Mark Monroe of the Toledo Blade about Martinson being named GM of the year. Martinson played in Toldeo in his first pro season (1981-82):  http://www4.toledoblade.com/sports/walleye/2020/04/13/Former-Goaldigger-Martinson-named-ECHL-GM-of-the-year/stories/20200413097


- Here is an interview Martinson did with Tommy Daniel's on his GM of the Year Award:

- It has been a great week for individual recognition for the Allen Americans hockey team:

Steve Martinson - In addition to winning the GM of the Year award, Martinson finished second in the Coach of the Year voting.

Tyler Sheehy - Tyler was selected to the All-Rookie Team, All ECHL first team, won the Rookie of the Year award and finished second in the MVP voting.

Alex Breton - Alex was selected to the All ECHL first team and won the Defenseman of the Year award.


- If you haven't seen them here are Tommy Daniel's interviews with Tyler Sheehy after he was named Rookie of the Year and Alex Breton after he was named Defenseman of the Year:

- While it would be great to see Breton and Sheehy back in Allen next season it is hard for me to see that happening. They are both young players looking to move up after having outstanding seasons. They were both under contract with Iowa but were not given a chance to show what they could do at the AHL level. I assume they will both be looking for one way AHL contracts for the 2020-21 season. In my opinion there will be AHL teams willing to give them such a contract. From everything I have heard both publicly and privately Breton is also looking at playing in Europe.


- Another player that will not return is Stepan Falkovsky who is back home in Belarus and will not return to North America next season. When you consider Breton was #1 (55 points) in the ECHL in defensemen scoring and Falkovsky was #4 (41 points), losing these two players will leave a big offensive hole that will have to be filled. When you consider 96 of Allen's 216 points from defensemen this season, which is 44.4%, came from Breton and Falkovsky, they will be a big loss.


- Falkovsky led all ECHL defensemen in goals (15), power play goals (8), shorthanded goals (2) and shooting percentage (17%).


- One thing coach Martinson has been very clear about as he starts the recruiting process for next season is he wants a team with more toughness. Players with skill and toughness are hard to come by but that is an area of focus. Allen finished 18th in the league in average penalty minutes per game, 15th in major penalties, 14th in 10 minute misconducts and 23rd in game misconducts. Despite their great record in 2019-20 there were too many times when a player needed to step up and nobody did.


- I periodically get asked about the length of Steve Martinson's contract. He has one year left on his current contract. It is hard for me to believe an owner would not want to extend Martinson's contract after a season where is was voted by his peers as the general manager of the year and finished second in the coach of the year voting.


- Matt Harding from The Sin Bin interviewed ECHL Commissioner Ryan Crelin recently on a variety of topics centered around the cancelled season. Toward the end of the interview they cover topics like the new overtime and replay rules, the schedule of 2020-21, changing the date to sign players for next season, etc. Take a listen: https://thesinbin.net/hockey-talk-podcast-episode-15-echl-commissioner-ryan-crelin/


- Every season there is talk about who will win the Brabham Cup as the ECHL's regular season champion. Here is the story behind the name which is also a history of the ECHL. A great read:  https://www.echl.com/en/news/2020/4/remembering-henry-brabham



DID YOU KNOW: Five years ago today Allen was playing Tulsa in the opening round of the Kelly Cup playoffs at home. They were up 1-0 in the series and this is what happened in game two, which could have been a critical game in the series. Allen went on to win the series and their first Kelly Cup. Here is that game recap and a couple of great photos from Lauren Lyssy and Kimberly Sauer. I am sure many of you will remember this game.

It was a great "celly" to finish a great comeback OT win - photo by Lauren Lyssy

Last night at the Allen Event Center a crowd of 3883 got to see one of the most dramatic come from behind victories in Allen history as the Americans defeated the Tulsa Oilers 5-4 in overtime to take a 2-0 series lead. The series now switches to Tulsa for games three and four on Friday and Saturday night.

How dramatic was the win? Other than the come from behind overtime win in the seventh game of the 2012-2013 championship game the comeback last night was the best ever. There were many lessons learned last night for the players and the fans. Here is a list:

- Don't ever give up on this very skilled team. With the score 3-0 after the first period some of the Allen faithful were having doubts with comments like the penalties cost us this game and this is too big of a hole to dig out of. After Tulsa made the score 4-0 midway through the second period the text messages started rolling in with comments like we are done, they don't have the jump like last night and I think they thought this series was going to be easy.

- This team has so much offensive fire power they never give up on themselves. When Spencer Asuchak finally got the first goal for Allen with less than five minutes left in the second period it was game on from that point. When Konrad Abeltshauser cut the lead to 4-2 less than two minutes later on a power play goal it was obvious Allen would be flying in the third period. 

- The third period and overtime were as dominating a performance as you will see. Goals were 3-0 Allen only because Tulsa goalie Kevin Carr made some outstanding saves. Shots on goal were 29-7 in third period and overtime and for the entire game were 56-30. 

- What is going make Allen tough to play against in the playoffs is depth. Scoring can come from all three lines and all of the defensive pairings. 

- The Americans came back to win the game but that won't happen every night with a 4-0 deficit. There were a lot of mistakes by the veteran players on the team that allowed Tulsa to take the big lead. This will have to be cleaned up going forward.

- There is nothing in sport more exciting than watching a hockey game like the one last night. It was not a huge crowd but there was plenty of noise and the AEC kept getting louder and louder with each comeback goal. Even the fans that are always quiet and reserved were going nuts by the end of that game.

- Sudden death overtime goals are always great but the one last night was extra special. The most important part of the play was made by a guy that got no credit in the box score. Justin Baker blocked a shot in front of Joel Rumpel which created an odd man rush for the Americans. A pretty tic tac toe pass from Konrad Abeltshauser to Dyson Stevenson  to Greger Hanson who put the puck in the net with his league leading tenth game winning goal this year.

 Abeltshauser to Stevenson to Hanson for the game winner - photo by scenebykimberly.com

Imaginary End to the Regular Season, Steve Martisnon's Recruiting Toolkit, Sheehy and Breton Honored, Relief Fund, Overtime Stats and More

It is the last day of the regular season and in the normal course of things the Allen Americans would be preparing to take on the Tulsa Oilers at home in the regular season finale. In my imagination the Americans would have already clinched the division title and the top seed in the Western Conference. Tulsa on the other hand needs a win to to edge out Rapid City for the final playoff spot. Allen wins my imaginary regular season final game 4-2 but it is a close game that is not decided until Tyler Sheehy scores an empty net goal with 24 seconds remaining in the game. The goal is Tyler's 30th of the season combined with an assist which gives him 84 points on the season and the ECHL scoring championship.


- Tomorrow (April 6) the playoff rosters would have been due and Allen's first playoff game would have been at home, probably this Friday. Most exciting is the AHL regular season would have concluded on Saturday (April 11) and Zach Sawchenko, Gabe Gagne, Jake Doty would be back in Allen with the hope Les Lancaster, Matt Register, Turner Ottenbreit or Mitch McLain could also join the team at some point. So much for woulda, coulda, shoulda. It reminds me of the saying that says, since most of us live in the past a description of the present sounds like the future to us. It's time for me to move on.


- If there is an advantage to the ECHL shortened season it is more time to recruit. Players can't be signed for the 2020-21 season until June 16 but recruiting is already in full swing. Coach Martinson is well on his way to executing his recruitment plan. 


What is Steve Martinson's secret to recruiting? Have as many tools in your recruiting tool kit as possible. With the salary cap, competing based on salary is not the key to success as a player can always find a team willing to pay $50 or $100 more per week. The key to getting the best players is having other reasons to have them want to play for your team.


-  In his eight seasons in Allen, Martinson has won four championships. In his 24 years as a coach he has won 10 championships. If a player signs in Allen there is a good chance they will get many additional weeks of pay if Allen makes a deep playoff run. That means a couple of extra months of lodging and playoff bonuses. This can total $10,000 - $15,000 more in compensation for a player over a team that does not make the playoffs.


- Here are some of the many tools Steve Martinson uses when making a pitch to players.


- You will play an upbeat, aggressive offensive system in Allen that is also dedicated to defensive hockey. Points you score in the ECHL won't keep you in the American Hockey League (AHL) but points will get you noticed. You have to be able to play without the puck and you have to understand the game and that is what we will help you with in Allen. With our system you will have plenty of opportunity to get points. We won't handcuff you in the third period with a lead. We will take less risks but we will keep our foot on the gas. If you want to play in a system where you can score a lot of points come to Allen.


- You will play in a great facility in the Allen Event Center which is surrounded by shopping and restaurants.


- You will play for a team that has a history of moving players to the AHL. In 2019-20, Allen had 15 players play games in Allen and the AHL. Our goal is to see you progress in your hockey career.


- While playing in the Dallas Metroplex you have access to whatever interests you may have including the Stars, Cowboys, Mavericks and Rangers. Playing where you have a major international airport makes it easier for you and your friends and family to travel in and out of DFW and for players to get to AHL cities quickly if called up.


- You will live in a place where you can play golf year around. Average high temperature during the hockey season is 79 in October, 66 in November, 57 in December, 55 in January, 61 in February, 69 in March, 77 in April and 84 in May. It is a great place to live whether your are single or married.


- If you like to fish there are plenty of opportunities within 30 minutes of your apartment. Fishing is great.


- You will be helped with whatever your post hockey career interests are through our intern program and you will be able to develop business contacts while you are still playing that will be useful after you retire. The DFW metroplex is a great place to build a post career network.


- There is a great fan base that supports the team and the players.


- Because Steve Martinson has been around minor pro hockey for so long he has a real advantage when it comes to recruiting. But even with the contacts he has developed over the years he spends many hours going over data to determine who to recruit. He has a couple of techniques that he uses to find those diamonds in the rough, players who have underperformed but will thrive in his system and players that have not been used in the right way on their current teams. It is no coincidence that each year there are players that come in and have a career year in Allen. Whether it is young guys or experienced players, they thrive in the Martinson system.


- Another issue the coach needs to be aware of is the veteran status of each player as the number of veterans on the team is limited to just four. A veteran is defined as a player with more than 260 regular season professional games. These are coveted spots that need to be used wisely.


Here is my opinion of how Martinson will approach recruitment for next season.


- Coach Martinson will have a base of corp players returning. The exodus to Europe may be impacted by the issues around COVID 19. Will that dampen the desire of players that want to go to Europe?Could some players that have been in Europe want to return to North America. You can bet Martinson will be checking.


- Players that are ready to sign immediately will be the top priority. Those that wait run the risk of other players being signed and a slot not being available or money not being available when they are ready to sign.


- Coach Martinson will strive to get as many players signed as quickly as possible. A good goal would be to have two lines, four defensemen and a goalie signed by June 30. That may be a bit ambitious but it is a good goal. A maximum of eight qualifying offers for players from last season must be given by June 30. 


- With the average salary being about $680 per week ($13,300 divided by 20 players) finding good rookie players that make less than the average is critical as is getting as many contracted players as possible assigned by Iowa because they only cost $525 against the salary cap. By doing this you have money available to sign top end guys.


- If Martinson finds a good player at the right price they will get signed right away.


- With just four veteran slots available the decision on veterans will be a difficult one. As a reminder Alex Guptill and Olivier Archambault will be veterans for the first time next season.


- In my opinion Steve Martinson will once again recruit a team that will compete hard, be physical and be difficult to play against. The team will be tough but also skillful. He recruits guys that understand you must work hard, be in great shape, follow the system, be a team guy and finish checks. He builds his teams to have depth rather than a few super stars. You could argue the 2019-20 team was not as tough as past teams but remember he recruited Jake Doty, Turner Ottenbreit and Josh Atkinson who played a total of 20 games in Allen this season. They would have added skill and toughness to the mix. Based on their average penalty minutes per game these three would have added over 500 penalty minutes and a ton of toughness. When you consider the Americans finished with 745 penalty minutes in this shortened season you can see the difference.


- UPDATE: Here is an interview that Tommy Daniels just posted where he gets Coach Martinson's take on recruiting:

OTHER COMMENTS

- It was a big week for awards as Tyler Sheehy was selected to the ECHL All Rookie Team and the All-ECHL First Team. Joining Sheehy on the All-ECHL First Team is teammate Alex Breton. Here are interviews Tommy Daniels did with both players about their awards and the shortened season.

- Hopefully this is just the beginning of the awards for the Americans. Tyler Sheehy (Rookie of the Year), Alex Breton (Defenseman of the Year) and Steve Martinson (Coach of the Year) are all in contention with a good chance of winning based on their accomplishments. Sheehy led all rookies in scoring by 15 points (70 vs 55), Breton led all defensemen in scoring by nine points (55 vs 46) and Steve Martinson had one of the biggest turnarounds in ECHL history.


- I posted on my ECHL Stats page some info on the new seven minute overtime rule implemented in 2019-20. Here are more details comparing the seven minute overtime in 2019-20 to the five minute overtime in 2018-19:

The number of overtime games were about the same in 2019-20 (20.3%) and 2018-19 (20.6%).
The percentage of games ending in overtime was 77.8% in 2019-20 compared to 61.0% in 2018-19.
The percentage of games going to a shootout was 22.2% in 2019-20 compared to 39% in 2018-19.
25 games ended between the five and seven minute mark of overtime.

It is very clear the addition of two minutes of overtime had the desired effect of having more games decided in 3-on-3 overtime.


- The Allen Americans were a bit of an outlier from the ECHL in their overtime stats. Here are the Allen percentages:

33.9% of Allen's games (21) went to overtime
85.7% of games were ended in overtime with a record of 12-6
14.3% of games went to a shootout with a record 1-2


- I am sure most of you have seen the news release that the Professional Hockey Players' Association (PHPA) and ECHL developed a campaign to assist ECHL players and their families suffering financial hardship following the sudden and unexpected cancellation of the 2019-20 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. If you are interested in contributing to this fund here is the link; https://secure.everyaction.com/zvs3RV0RpECCgn2ZJ8G1iQ2


- Steve Martinson finished the shortened season with with 40 wins which makes his career total 1043 wins. He ranks #2 on the all-time win list. He is now 201 wins behind #1, Scotty Bowman.


DID YOU KNOW: The last time Allen played on this day (April 5th) was in 2017. The team was getting ready to head into the playoffs with arguably the strongest team ever after Steve Martinson acquired Wade MacLeod, Tyler Barnes and Alex Krushelnyski at the trade deadline. That team was #2 in goals scored (294) and #2 in goals allowed (203) in the ECHL. On April 5th the Americans were playing Wichita in the final home game of the season. Allen won 7-0 with the goals being scored by Wade MacLeod (2), Mike Brodzinski (2), Chad Costello, Greger Hanson and Tyler Barnes. Allen went on to lose to the eventual Kelly Cup champion, Colorado Eagles, in the second round and missed out on a third straight Kelly Cup.