- The Allen Americans announced their sixth player for the 2024-25
season yesterday. Defenseman Nolan Orzeck is returning to Allen. Five of the six players announced thus far are returning from last year's team with Brayden Watts the exception. Here
is the current roster with stats from last season:
Goalies
- Marco Costantini - 24 games, 3.19 GAA, .913 save percentage
Defensemen
- Ryan Gagnon - 48 games, 8 points (0G, 8A), 52 PIMS, +5
- Justin Allen - 38 games, 10 points (2G, 8A), 16 PIMS, -2
- Nolan Orzeck - 51 games, 27 points (5G, 22A), 10 PIMS +8 (Allen games only)
Forwards
- Easton Brodzinski - 62 games, 39 points (22G, 17A), 91 PIMS, 0 plus/minus
- Brayden Watts - 62 games, 58 points (14G, 44A) 29 PIMS, -34
- How does Allen rank in the number of players announced thus far. The Americans are in the middle of the pack. Player announcements range from a high of 19 (Fort Wayne) to a low of zero (Kalamazoo}. Here are the numbers for the Mountain Division:
- 12 - Wichita
- 9 - Kansas City
- 7 - Tahoe
- 6 - Allen
- 5 - Rapid City
- 4 - Utah
- 1 - Tulsa
- 1 - Idaho
- The #1 question I get each and every day is when is the affiliation announcement coming. Here is a pretty definitive answer. My sources tell me the Americans will announce their affiliate later this morning. No press conference will be involved.
- The affiliation announcement comes none too soon. Allen is the last of the 29 teams in the ECHL to name an affiliate. ECHL training camp is 64 days away, October 4th is the first day on the ice. Allen will play its lone preseason game at home (community rink) against Tulsa on October 11.
- Allen lost a key player when team captain, Colton Hargrove signed with the Kelly Cup champion Florida Everblades yesterday. Hargrove has been described by opposing coaches in the Mountain Division as the best all around player in the division. A 200 foot player, a great leader and tough as nails. He missed the majority of last season with an injury. In 2022-23 Hargrove scored 39 goals in 64 games and had one stretch where he scored 28 goals in 29 games. His skill and presence will be missed in Allen. Here is an update on where Allen's top players will be playing in 2024-25. It is looking more and more likely Brodzinski will be the only player on this list that will return to Allen for 2024-25.
- Colby McAuley, 63 points - unsigned but likely will play in Europe
- Hank Crone, 55 points - unsigned but will likely sign with another ECHL team
- Blake Murray, 53 points - signed with Atlanta Gladiators
- Kris Myllari, 48 points - unsigned, still deciding if he will play next season
- Easton Brodzinski, 39 points - has re-signed with the Allen Americans
- Bennett MacArthur, 32 points - signed AHL contract (Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins)
- Eric Williams, 31 points - Retired
- Liam Finlay, signed in Scotland (Glasgow Clan)
- Colton Hargrove, signed with Florida Everblades
- Dyson Stevenson is heading to Budapest for the 2024-25 season. He is one of the most popular players to ever play for the Allen Americans. He was a member of both of Allen's Kelly Cup championships (2015, 2016). He is #15 on Allen's all-time most games played list with 222 (regular season and playoffs). Dyson was a great locker room guy who would always stand up for his teammates. In 2015-16 Stevenson led the Americans in fighting majors with 16. With how the ECHL fighting rules have changed, 16 fights today would accrue a total of 10 games worth of suspensions.
Dyson has played in Scotland (Glasgow Clan) the last three seasons where he served as captain, but has signed with a team in Budapest, Hungary. Here is what Dyson had to say when I asked him about the move:
"I am really excited about signing in Budapest. We (Dyson and his wife Taylor) have heard nothing but good things about the city."
"My old coach from Glasgow went over to Budapest and said I was one of the first guys on his list he wanted to bring over and we got a deal done."
"It is obviously going to be a little different with the language barrier but we are excited. I hope to have a great season and stay away from injuries and make a deep playoff run."
- I get many questions about the role Joe Ernst, Vice President of Hockey Operations for Zawyer Sports, plays as it relates to the Allen Americans. Ernst spend 33 years in the ECHL prior to taking his job with Zawyer. Starting as a referee in 1991 and rising to the ECHL Senior Vice President of Hockey Operations before he left for Zawyer Sports. I had a chance to spend a few minutes with Joe after the Allen press conference last week and asked him about his new job. Here is what he had to say:
Q: What does your job entail?
A: I oversee hockey operations for all of the Zawyer managed hockey teams (Jacksonville, Savannah, Atlanta, Allen, Tahoe). I obviously work closely with B.J. Adams. I was responsible for bringing him on along with L.J., Jonny and Kevin. I actually had to help hire four new coaches this summer all within a matter of two months. I am responsible for all of the coaches, assistant coaches, trainers and equipment managers.
Q: What kinds of things do you sign off on?
A: I see all of the player contracts as they come through but the coaches sign all of the players. I talk to each team separately and don't share information between teams. Trades can't take place between the five Zawyer teams. I would say I serve more as a consultant to Allen, trying to help B.J. in anyway I can.
Q: Will you be involved in disciplinary hearings with the ECHL since that was a role you served for so many years?
A: I will stick up for our players if I have to. If it is something major I will be involved as needed. For one or two game suspensions they will go through B.J. and I will get the information from him. It is his team to run.
Q: How are you involved in affiliations?
A: I am the point person for affiliations and they are clearly important, but I tell our coaches you have to build your team so when NHL/AHL contracted players come down, that is the cherry on the top.
DID YOU KNOW? I mentioned above Dyson Stevenson is #15 all-time in games played for the Allen Americans (regular season and playoffs). There are 12 players in franchise history that have played 250+ games in Allen. The number of championships each player won is in parenthesis:
- 610 - Spencer Asuchak (3)
- 347 - Chad Costello (2)
- 308 - Tyler Ludwig (3)
- 295 - Jarret Lukin (1)
- 286 - Gary Steffes (2)
- 277 - Mike Berube (2)
- 271 - Greger Hanson (3)
- 260 - Jamie Schaafsma (3)
- 258 - David Makowski (1)
- 258 - Kris Myllari (0)
- 256 - Brian McMillin (3)
- 254 - Eric Roy (1)
Joe Ernst is a fraud. Everybody running Allen is
ReplyDeleteJoe is a joke …
ReplyDeleteHope the Utah affiliation can help attract players. A new “never been a head coach” coach and questionable ownership must be a turn off to good players. How many players with many points from last year aren’t returning.
ReplyDeleteWhat was noticeable to me during the meet and greet is that nobody, including Adams, talked about his record as a head coach. So here is a quote from a link I found. I already knew he was fired from Erie and why but here's the facts.
ReplyDelete"Adams had spent eight seasons with the Erie Otters of the OHL, with his first season as the assistant coach in Erie before being promoted to head coach on November 11th, 2021. In his first full season as Head Coach of the Otters, he would lead the team to a 21-40-7 record and would not return to Erie for the 2023-24 season."
I don’t understand why you fire Chad - who made the playoffs with a bad affiliate - and bring in Adam’s. How does this improve your team?
DeleteBecause the goal is to destroy the team in Allen, move to a new market. Start over.
DeleteWriting is on the wall.
Nice to see Justin here
DeleteI’ve said it before and I will repeat it again.
ReplyDeleteThe firing of Costello and Gens has alienated a fan base. If anyone really thinks a substantial portion of STH are not frustrated, upset, jaded, angry and think ownership has no idea as to what they are doing - you’re wrong.
You took our money, substantial deposits were paid (75%+) for this upcoming season and then announced coaching changes that would reverberate to a multitude of players not returning, including our captain that lives and works outside of hockey locally …🙄
BJ Adams has little success in the last 4 years as evidenced above and many times in blog posts. Costello was essentially lied to 14 days before he was fired. That’s proven in this blog.
How can fans have any trust in ownership?
Does ownership really understand the game, or is this a “red and shiny apple”?
Allen ownership and those making decisions have alienated a fan base. The decisions made are not ones to improve fiscal results, they have been personal, and in the process, players jade, and fans alienated. Moronic….
Blah blah blah. You’ll still be at the games, you’ll still be cheering. What a coach does in Juniors isn’t all about record. It’s about developing young hockey players. Costello had to be fired, and if men get butt hurt during the course of business in hockey then oh well. There wasn’t many players that should’ve been brought back tbf.
DeleteAllen has never made a profit, in any season, since it was founded 16 years ago. 4 straight championships and still no profit. Multiple ownership groups and same result. One really has to wonder why any smart owner would keep a team in such a place? The common denominator is the City of Allen.
DeleteOh that's hilarious. If it was all about developing young hockey players why was he fired January 8th 2023 instead of letting him "develop young hockey players", for at least the rest of the season? Looks like it's "all about record" to me, and the GM since that's the gist from his statement. Almost 100% of the players announced so far are returning players and if many refuse to come back because of the Costello firing the next couple of months will give a good indication as to how the team will perform this year.
DeleteBack at the games? They have all my money for my tickets, paid in full. They won’t refund and zero resale ability on tickets. Sure I’ll be at the games, but I am a disillusioned fan.
DeleteI find it more than a little amusing that the Stars won't affiliate with the neighborhood Americans, leaving the Americans to affiliate with the Utah Shoulda-Been-The-Yeti, who you'd think would affiliate with their neighborhood Grizzlies.
ReplyDeleteI think it had to do with the original owners and a previous gm going back to the CHL days. Since then, Stars have in a way blacklisted Allen.
DeleteLot of whiners in the comments today. I’m hoping some of these STH don’t renew and their seats open up. I was hoping the increase in price would force some of them out
ReplyDeleteYep! Nothing better than watching a crappy team in an empty rink with overpriced nasty food
DeleteWith a coach fired after a losing record several years ago…. Done nothin since…. Genius hire.
DeleteErnst does not know his job! He is a ref and has his nose up someone’s butt! I hope he he shows his real side. Tommy D needs to put his voice in the Americans side and if we hear him all excited for the opposing team, call him out. I am tired of him and all management 😐
ReplyDeleteKeeping it classy as ever.
ReplyDeleteWe passed classy about two months ago Sport
DeleteHa ha valid
DeleteEven more validation the team is run by Zawyer and Ernst and the Jacks are merely a face with a tax write off.
ReplyDeletePay the IRS or “own” a hockey team, have some fun, and write off the $$ otherwise going to the IRS.
I don’t know much about tax rules and such. How does owning a hockey team equal a “tax write off”?
ReplyDeleteInteresting comment from Ernst regarding hiring of coaches for Zawyer owned teams. At the “BIG” press conference, a fan asked owner “Mother Jack” who decides the hiring and firing of head coaches and she responded “myself and Son Myles Jack are solely responsible “ she stated the “Buck” starts and stops with her and Myles. Never mentioned Anyone else being involved in Hiring of new coach. Already, the mixed messages being given the public lacks credibility and honesty. Does anyone really believe the
ReplyDeleteSincerity of the show the new owners rolled out when they retired Chad Costello’s number? They already knew he was going to be let go after the season. Otherwise do you think he would ever come back for any ceremony celebrating his amazing career and accomplishments after the way he was terminated. Good food for thought.
Not going to rip on the Jacks - nice enough people with zero hockey and business knowledge - but nice people people. Zawyer - Zachery and sawyer - lol! are the turd in this punch bowl. Check out the history of the crown that started this thing. Poorly educated and sucking on the family teet forever. Surrounded himself with some real winners. His big accomplishment is Jacksonville - which is funny since I just moved there earlier this year. Not a hard place to draw 8K a game - even for an unsuccessful team year in year out. Bring in the sawed-off Napoleon referee and presto! you’re big time. What a joke
DeleteAnd btw - the investment in buying the Americans is not a “tax write off”. It provides the owners basis to deduct losses as they happen - assuming they are ACTIVE in the business - not passive. If passive they can only deduct losses each year against passive income. Hence we pick the coaches and make decisions claim. PAL carryovers suck
DeleteAnd my last point - to the idiot claiming the Allen team has never made a profit - I was the tax Partner at MCG on their account with the founders - wanna dance?
DeleteWith todays signing all of the players that are coming back are all from the previous coach. When is Adams going to bring in his own players that he recruited?
ReplyDeleteAnother player that wasn’t recruited by the new coaching staff.
ReplyDelete