It's Getaway Day, Travel Roster, Bibeau in NHL COVID Protocol, Allen ECHL Shutout Deep Dive, ECHL Defensemen Stats Leaders and More

 

It is getaway day for the Allen Americans as they head to Utah for yet another three games in three days weekend. The team left early this morning and will practice when they arrive in Utah. Like me, I am sure many of you the Americans look for those cheaper flights which means the first flight out in the morning or last flight at night. When you are traveling with a group of up to 25 on road trips, saving a few bucks on each ticket adds up. 

- The Americans won't be shorthanded on this road trip but don't have a full squad either. Spencer Asuchak and Nolan Kneen will remain on loan to Charlotte for the weekend. In addition. Allen has a new goalie (Chase Perry) who just arrived in Allen yesterday afternoon and the Americans have a couple of players returning from injury. It will definitely be a challenge for the Americans taking on the Mountain Division's #1 team (Utah) on the road.  

Here is the travel roster which totals 19 players, two goalies, six defensemen and 11 forwards:

Goalies

#35 - Hayden Lavigne 

# ?? - Chase Perry

Defensemen:

#3 - Darian Skeoch

#4 - Kris Myllari

#7 - Eric Roy

#15 - Andrew Jarvis

#20 - Ben Carroll

#23 - Ben Owen

 

Forwards

#5 - Gavin Gould

#10 - Jackson Leppard

#11 - Branden Troock

#13 - Chad Costello 

#17 - Chad Butcher 

#18 - J.D. Dudek

#19 - Jared Bethune 

#21 - Jack Combs

#22 - Zach Hall

#41 - Tyler Poulsen 

#49 - Dawson Butt

- Antoine Bibeau is on the NHL COVID protocol list. On the Seattle Kraken injury report yesterday it states he is expected to be out until at least January 20. Based on that date, Bibeau must have tested positive the day after he was the backup for the Kraken. Assuming he will get paid his NHL salary while in quarantine it will be a big difference from his salary in the AHL/ECHL. According to the Cap Friendly website Bibeau's NHL salary is $750,000 and his minor league salary is $125,000. 

- I had a chance to touch base with Spencer Asuchak after the Checkers practice yesterday. He had a good first game on Tuesday and thinks he will be in the lineup again tonight when the team plays at home against Springfield. Charlotte's head coach, Geordie Kinnear had this to say after the game on Tuesday, "I am proud of the guys that came up and it was their first time playing for us. They stepped in and did a good job for us." Though he will be missed in Utah, this is a great opportunity for Asuchak in Charlotte.

- After the 8-0 shutout in Tulsa on Sunday I did some research on Allen's ECHL shutouts thinking 8-0 was the biggest ever. Turned out it wasn't as the Americans had a 9-0 shutout in 2016. Since I looked at every shutout since Allen joined the ECHL in 2014, rather than discard the info I decided to include it in the blog today. More stats than you are probably interested in but it now will be saved in the blog for future reference: Here are all shutouts since Allen joined the ECHL, whether it was at home (H) or away (A), the opposing team and the winning goalie:

2021-22 (1)

• 8-0 (A) Tulsa, Hayden Lavigne

2020-21 (7)

• 4-0 (H) Rapid City, Jake Paterson
• 1-0 (H) Tulsa, Frank Marotte
• 3-0 (H) Utah, Hayden Hawkey
• 2-0 (A) Tulsa, Justin Kapelmaster
• 3-0 (H) Tulsa, Justin Kapelmaster
• 3-0 (A) Kansas City, Jake Paterson
• 5-0 (A) Tulsa, Jake Paterson

2019-20 (5)

• 1-0 (A) Tulsa, Andrew Shortridge
• 4-0 (H) Tulsa, Dereck Baribeau
• 4-0 (A) Rapid City, Dereck Baribeau
• 8-0 (H) Kansas City, Andrew Shortridge
• 5-0 (H) Norfolk, Zach Sawchenko

2018-19 (4)

• 2-0 (A) Wichita, Kyle Hayton
• 5-0 (A) Tulsa, C.J. Motte
• 2-0 (A) Tulsa, C.J. Motte
• 4-0 (A) Wichita, C.J. Motte

2017-18 (0)

• None

2016-17 (9)

• 7-0 (H) Wichita, Riley Gill
• 6-0 (H) Indy, Riley Gill
• 9-0 (A) Wichita, Jamie Murray
• 5-0 (A) Wichita, Riley Gill
• 6-0 (H) Idaho, Riley Gill
• 3-0 (A) Wichita, Riley Gill
• 1-0 (A), Kansas City, Riley Gill
• 1-0 (A) Tulsa, Riley Gill
• 4-0 (H) Kansas City, Jamie Murray

2015-16 (4)

• 1-0 (A) Wichita, Joel Rumpel
• 2-0 (H) Utah, Joel Rumpel
• 4-0 (A) Idaho, Riley Gill
• 3-0 (A) Wichita, Riley Gill

2014-15 (2)

• 6-0 (H) Brampton, Aaron Dell
• 6-0 (A) Kansas City, Riley Gill

- Some things to note from the above stats:

• 19 of the 32 shutouts were on the road
• 18 of the 32 shutouts (56%) came against Tulsa (10) and Wichita (8)
• 14 different goalies represented in the 32 shutouts
  
• In 2016-17 Riley Gill had back to back 1-0 shutouts in the road. One was in OT.
• Riley Gill's seven shutouts in 2016-17 is tied for #4 all-time.  
• Only Riley Gill with 10 shutouts had more than three of the 32 shutouts

 

OTHER COMMENTS

- The Kansas City Mavericks lost their captain yesterday. Lane Scheidl left the team and signed in Norway. He must have signed for multiple years and/or a ton of money since his team is in seventh place in a 10 team league and the regular season ends in early March.

 

- I know I beat this drum a lot but you have to wonder when the ECHL will decide the standings for 2021-22 will be determined by points percentage rather than points as they did last season when all teams didn't play the same number of games. Have to believe it is just a matter of time.

 

- Newfoundland starts a road trip through the Mountain Division with the first stop in Kansas City tomorrow (Friday). It will be the Growlers first game since  December 31 and second game since December 12. Newfoundland will play twice in Kansas City followed by one game in Tulsa and Wichita before completing the road trip with three games in Allen (January 28, 29, 30).

 

DID YOU KNOW: Here is the ECHL stats post for the day. There are so many stats that prove the best team for any offensive defensemen to play for is the Allen Americans. Last season Les Lancaster had a historic season with twice as many goals (26) as any other defensemen in the ECHL and finished fifth in overall scoring with 64 points. Last season Lancaster and Matt Register finished #1 and #2 in points for defensemen. Alex Breton was #1 in 2019-20, David Makowski was #2 (Register was #1) in 2017-18 and led the league in points per game (1.19) in 2016-17. Lancaster and Breton were back to back Defenseman of the Year, Register won it three times and was runner-up last season. Makowski finished second to Register in 2017 and 2018. The style of play that coach Steve Martinson plays should have any offensive defenseman looking to leave college for the ECHL put Allen #1 as the place play to develop and showcase their talent. 

 Here is the ECHL Stats post for the day:

In the last 15 seasons, just one defenseman has led the ECHL in assists. In the shortened 2019-20 season, defenseman Alex Breton tied his Allen Americans teammate (forward Tyler Sheehy) with 44 assists to lead the league. 

 

Here are the ECHL defensemen that currently lead their team in assists:

Tim Davison, Atlanta

Will Graber, Fort Wayne

Mike Lee, Indy

Patrick Holway, South Carolina

Olivier Galipeau, Trois Rivières

Duggie Lagrone, Tulsa

Luke Martin, Utah

 

A defenseman has never led the ECHL in points. Two defensemen currently lead their team in points:

Will Graber, Fort Wayne

Charle-Edouard D’Astous, Utah