Training Camp Day One, Training Camp Roster, Allen Players Shine With Tucson, Coach Adam's Comments, ECHL Affiliation Changes and More

 

 

They are back!

- After a long off season for the Allen Americans it was nice to see the team back on the ice yesterday for the first time since losing to Idaho in the playoffs on April 28. Lot's of unfamiliar faces on the ice. I have cobbled together this list of names which is a combination of players on the ice yesterday, players that didn't practice for various reasons and players at AHL training camp with Tucson. Players I know for sure are on a SPC (standard player contract) are marked with an asterisk. The league the player primarily played in last season is in parenthesis:

Goalies

• Marco Costantini* (ECHL)
  
• Brody Claeys (SPHL)
  
• Reid Cooper (ECHL)
  
• Daniel Davidson (College - MASCAC)
  

Defensemen

• Ayo Adeniye (college - NCAA III)
  
• Ty Farmer* (ECHL)
  
• Ryan Gagnon* (ECHL)
• Andrew Nielsen* (Slovakia)
  
• Nolan Orzeck* (ECHL)
  
• MacKenze Stewart (did not play)
  
• Mike Van Unen* (ECHL)
  
• Quinn Warmuth (college - SUNYAC)
  
• Alex Wilkins (SPHL)
  
• Hudson Wilson* (college - AUS)
  

Forwards

• Spencer Asuchak* (ECHL)
  
• Robbie Baillergeon* (France)
  
• Easton Brodzinski* (ECHL)
• Mark Duarte* (ECHL)
  
• Griffen Fox* (ECHL)
  
• Riley Ginnell* (ECHL)
  
• Liam Gorman* (college - H-East)
  
• Brayden Guy* (ECHL)
  
• James Hardie* (ECHL)
  
• John Kaljian (college - NCHA)
  
• Austen Long (SPHL)
  
• Patriks Marcinkevics (SPHL)
• Dawson McKinney (SPHL)
  
• Dakota Seaman (FPHL)
• Chaz Smedsrud* (ECHL)
• Frank Trazzera (SPHL)
  
• Rylan Van Unen* (college - CCHA)
  
• Brayden Watts* (ECHL)

- The one player that was announced back in July that isn't in camp is defenseman Justin Allen. I heard from coach Adams that Justin has decided to play in Europe this season. 

 

- I don't think it is an overstatement to say the practice was the toughest opening day practice I have seen since covering the Allen Americans. I asked coach Adams what he was trying to accomplish the first few days. Here is what he said, "We want to get going right away, we are not easing into it. We want to see who has it and who doesn't. Back in the day some guys came to training camp to get ready. Nowadays players train all summer, have skating coaches, shooting coaches and strength coaches so there is no need to ease your way into it anymore. For me it is more of let's get after it and we want to establish the identity of our game, play fast, our compete level and overall how we want to play."

 

- It was good news last night as Allen's AHL affiliate, Tucson Roadrunners, played its first preseason game which was on the road against the Henderson Silver Knights and came away with a 6-2 win. Even better, all four Allen players in camp with Tucson played in the game and contributed:

• Mark Duarte (F): one goal, two shots and +1
• Riley Ginnell (F): one assist, two PIMS, two shots and +1
• Nolan Orseck (D): one shot and +1
• Hudson Wilson (D): +1

 The teams play again this afternoon at 3:00 pm Allen time. If you have FloHockey you can watch the game. There are 33 players on the Tucson training camp roster so not sure if any of the guys from Allen will be in the lineup this afternoon  

- In the past Allen players attending AHL camps have typically been sent back to Allen after the first couple of preseason games. You can expect some, if not all of these guys in camp with Allen next week. 

- I asked coach Adams after he spent time with the Utah/Tucson coaching staffs will he adopt any of their systems  and vocabulary in Allen. This was his answer, "Most of the systems are similar but the vernacular not so much. Some of the verbiage is the same, but we have to coach our team with what we have. We don't have a team of NHL/AHL guys. Not to say it is not going to be the same anyways, but we have to worry about what we can do, some things we can't do the way they do them up there."

 

- There are some unique stories among the players at training camp and my goal today is to find a couple of them to share in the next blog post.

 

- I posted this the other day and it struck me if  people haven't adapted to a change made in 2003 it just isn't going to happen. Maybe the ECHL should embrace the name East Coast Hockey League even though it no longer describes the league. After all many leagues have survived with an old name after the league changes. The National Hockey League is no longer just national, the Big 10 doesn't have 10 teams and the Big 12 has 10 teams. The other option is to pick a new name with the same letters like "Every Coast Hockey League" or "Entire Continent Hockey League." It took just one practice for me to hear "the Coast" referenced is conversation. Anyway, here is the reminder post:

It’s time for the never ending annual reminder for all writers, bloggers, reporters, fans, players, coaches etc. What do the letters ECHL stand for? 

 

ABSOLUTELY NOTHING

 

In a change reflective of its nationwide presence the East Coast Hockey League changed its name to simply ECHL on May 19, 2003.

     

DID YOU KNOW: From my ECHL Stats post:

2024-25 NHL/ECHL AFFILIATIONS 

 

- 3 NHL teams don’t have an ECHL affiliate (Carolina, Columbus, Ottawa).

 

- 4 ECHL teams have changed affiliates

Allen: from Ottawa to Utah

Cincinnati: from New York (Rangers) to Toronto

Florida: from Florida to St. Louis

Savannah: from Vegas to Florida 

 

- 2 ECHL expansion teams affiliations

Bloomington: New York (Rangers)

Tahoe: Vegas