- When I talked to Steve Martinson this morning he shared that the goalie he just acquired (see below) will arrive this afternoon and will accompany the team to Utah. He expects Spencer Asuchak and Nolan Kneen will be in Charlotte for the weekend. Chad Butcher and Zach Hall will be on the trip to Utah so the Americans will not be playing shorthanded. Martinson is still looking at college players that may turn pro depending on what happens in the Canadian college leagues regarding COVID restrictions. Finally, Martinson talked about how well Hayden Lavigne has been playing and how he has earned the chance to play more games. Martinson is very confident going to Utah with Lavigne as the #1 goalie.
With the ECHL All-Star game in the rear view mirror the second half of the ECHL season kicks off on Friday. I say second half of the season more figuratively than literally because just three teams (Atlanta, Rapid City, Utah) have played 36 games (50%). With all of the postponed and rescheduled games the number of games played varies by division. Here is the range of games played in the four divisions:
North Division: 22 (Newfoundland) to 30 (Maine)
South Division: 31 (Greenville) to 36 (Atlanta)
Central Division: 32 (Toledo, Kalamazoo, Wheeling) to 35 (Iowa)
Mountain Division: 30 (Allen) to 36 (Utah, Rapid City)
There will be 86 days remaining in the season when ECHL action resumes on Friday. It is hard to see how all teams, especially in the North Division where every team except Maine has played fewer than 30 games, will play a full schedule of 72 games. Newfoundland will have to play 50 games in 86 days and that assumes no more COVID issues going forward.
- The halfway point of the season means it is time for jersey reversal. Starting with the games on Friday, ECHL teams will switch and start wearing their
white jerseys at home and their dark jerseys on the road. It will
remain this way through the end of the regular season and throughout the
playoffs. Because teams have a lot of special jerseys this rule will be broken for some games but it is the general rule.
- If you tracked the Charlotte Checkers game last night you saw some familiar faces in the lineup. Spencer Asuchak, Nolan Kneen and Ryan Lohin were in the lineup as the Checkers lost to Springfield 4-2 in a game that wasn't decided until Springfield scored an empty net goals with 20 seconds remaining. Lohin scored the first goal of the game. Asuchak and Kneen didn't factor in the scoring but were even on plus/minus, they weren't on the ice for any of Springfield's goals. The other player on the Charlotte roster that has seen time in Allen, Luke Henman, is sidelined with an injury and is considered day to day. The Checkers next game is tomorrow night at home in a rematch against Springfield.
- With Antoine Bibeau in Seattle (NHL) and Frank Marotte in San Diego (AHL) Steve Martinson has claimed goalie Chase Perry off the waiver wire from Florida. Perry is 6'3" 190 pounds and was the fifth round draft choice of the Detroit Red Wings in the 2014 NHL draft. Perry played college hockey at Colorado College (2014-15) and RPI (2016-19). He is in his third year as a pro with most of his time spent in the SPHL. He has just three games played this season (SPHL), with a save percentage of .939.
Scouting reports before Perry was drafted by the Red Wings list his strengths as:
- Moves cleanly
- Confident
- Great size and athleticism
- Great instincts
- Strong Skater
- Controlled lateral movement
In Perry's pro career he has played 48 games in the SPHL with a GAA of 2.61 and a .904 save percentage. He has played two games in the ECHL (Orlando) with a 2.63 GAA and .905 save percentage. Allen goalie coach, Chris Johansen, has done a great job working with young goalies and I am sure he will do the same with Perry as long as he is in Allen.
- Four ECHL rookies are tied for the league lead in assists. Two of them will be in action against each other in Utah. Allen's Gavin Gould and Utah's Luke Martin have 18 assists. In addition to being tied for the lead in assists, Gould is tied for #2 in rookie points with 27.
DID YOU KNOW: In Allen Americans franchise history just four players have had three season with 20+ goals. Two of them have a chance to make it four seasons of 20+ goals. Here are the four Allen players with three seasons of 20+ goals:
- Chad Costello - 41 (2014-15), 24 (2015-16), 33 (2016-17)
- Gary Steffes - 44 (2014-15), 22 (2015-16), 21 (2016-17)
- Spencer Asuchak - 21 (2013-14), 26 (2016-17), 21 (2020-210
- Bruce Graham - 31 (2009-10), 34 (2010-11), 26 (2011-12)
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