Training Camp Update, Players Return from Tucson, Crnkovic Assigned to Allen, Meet Two Tryout Players and NHL/AHL Assigning Players to ECHL

 

Tomorrow morning I leave for one of my two pheasant hunting trips (October & December) each season with my best friend and hunting buddy of over 60 years. It is a long trek driving from Allen to Minneapolis (925 miles) to meet my hunting buddy and then another 625 miles to northwest North Dakota to our hunting camp for a week of pheasant hunting. As we both approach 80, we cherish these trips even more. It will be even more special this year since my friend, Dave, has a new family/hunting dog, a black lab named Bear, who he has been training everyday to get him ready for his first hunt. I will try and most a couple of training camp blogs during the trip and will also post to Twitter (X) and Facebook.

 

- Here is the latest from Allen's training camp. Yesterday the team had a workout in the morning and practiced at 4:30 pm. The team hasn't had a day off yet and won't until next Sunday. 

 

- The Americans got three of the four players that attended Tucson's training camp back Saturday night and they were on the ice yesterday, Nolan Orzeck, Riley Ginnell and Hudson Wilson. The fourth player, Mark Duarte, is still in Tucson. If you watched the Roadrunners preseason game against Henderson on Friday you saw Duarte crash into the boards after he scored his goal and get injured. Nobody had an estimate as to when Duarte will return to Allen.

 

- In addition to three Allen players returning from Tucson, Kyle Crnkovic was assigned to the Americans by the Roadrunners. He was under contract with the San Diego Gulls last season but spent most of the year assigned to the Gulls ECHL affiliate, Tulsa. Kyle led the Oilers in points tallying 54 (20G, 34A) in 60 games. The 5'7" 170 pound, left shot forward will be a big addition to the Americans. He is another one of the long history of Allen players from the WHL. Kyle won a WHL championship with the Seattle Thunderbirds in 2022-23. Here is a scouting from Crnkovic's junior days that describes what he brings to the table.  https://neutralzone.com/nhl-scouting-reports/kyle-crnkovic-2/   

 

- Here is an intro video when Kyle was playing for the WHL Seattle Thunderbirds where you can hear him say how he pronounces his name and a little about him:

  

- While a lot of focus is on the Allen players that are already signed for 2024-25 I set out to find interesting backgrounds on the tryout players trying to make the team. It has always been difficult to make the team as a tryout player, but certainly not impossible. After talking to two of the tryout players it makes me hope they defy the odds and make the team:

 

- Mackenzie Stewart - Mackenzie was born deaf and under went multiple surgeries as a youngster that helped restore his hearing to 80-85 percent. Because of his hearing health he didn't start playing hockey until he was 12, but was drafted by the Vancouver Canucks in the seventh round of the 2014 NHL draft. Here is the back story about Mackenzie: https://kwings.com/news/2018/01/born-deaf-but-drawn-to-hockeys-calling

Mackenzie had a decent pro career as a tough, stay at home defenseman who could skate and make the first pass out of the defensive zone. He played in 134 ECHL games and 10 AHL games before retiring. He has been involved in hockey since he retired in 2019-20 both coaching and starting his own skills development company. I asked Stewart why he decided to try and get back into playing pro hockey after all of these years and how he got hooked up with the Allen Americans. Here is what he had to say:

"I have been running camps and doing skill development the last five years and also coaching. In that capacity you have a birds eye view of things and see the game a little differently. We have a lot of kids back home that play in the WHL and even some of the bantam kids egg me on a little bit about whether I till got it and could I play professionally. A friend of mine plays in college and his coach knows B.J and was asking if he new any top stay at home defenseman and threw my name in the hat. When B.J. called I first wasn't sure how to react because I haven't played in so long. But the more I thought about it I wanted to go out there and see what it is like and whether I still have it in me."

Stewart is still only 29 years old and a big guy at 6'3" 240 pounds. If Adams is looking for a player that will clear in front of the net, is tough to get off the puck and will drop the gloves to protect his teammates, Stewart might be the guy.

Mackenze Stewart

 

  - Quinn Warmuth - Why I talk to Quinn was two fold. In researching his background I found a get to know you type video from his amateur days in which he mentioned he was an only child and it made me wonder how he first got involved in hockey. Secondly, he is one of the few rookie tryout players in training camp that has not signed with a SPHL club for 2024-25. Warmuth is a 6'4" 205 pound right shot defenseman who finished his collegiate career at Division III SUNY- Oswego last season. Here is how he answered my two questions:

Q: How did you get involved in hockey?

A: Nobody in my family is involved in hockey. I was taking swimming lessons at the local rec center and my mom walked me over to the ice center to get a snack. I looked at the skaters on the ice and told my mom I would like to give that a try. I started in snow plow classes when I was four. My parents didn't know what we were doing. I ended up playing in a house league and I just loved it and I have been playing ever since. Nobody in my family has ever touched the ice.

Q: I noticed you are not signed elsewhere like the SPHL. What is your plan if you don't make the team in Allen?

A: I came to Allen on a tryout looking for an opportunity and that is all that I wanted. Thankfully coach Adams gave me that opportunity. Right now my complete focus is on making this roster and doing everything I can by showing up everyday looking to win the day. Right now that is were my focus is at. I am looking to do everything I can that is going to get me in the lineup and keep me on the roster. If that means dropping the gloves I am willing to do that. Fortunately there are a lot of guys in camp with experience in that and if they are willing to teach me I an willing to learn.

Here is that get to know you video from 2018 with Quinn that I mentioned above:

OTHER COMMENTS

- I had a chance to talk to coach Adams after practice. He is pleased with the first three days of practice. I asked him if he expected to make any cuts before the preseason game on Friday. It is possible but depends on how the next couple of days go with injuries etc. I also asked Adams if he knows when Tucson will assign a goalie to Allen. He has still not heard a date.

- Many of you will remember Kyle Nueber who was part of Allen's 2016 Kelly Cup team. Neuber just re-signed with the Florida Everblades. for the seventh season. Kyle is the answer to this trivia question which very few people would know. Who is the one player in the history of the ECHL that has his name on the Kelly Cup (as a player) four times. The answer is Kyle Neuber. The tough guy, who is now 35, has played sparingly in the four playoffs when his team won the Kelly Cup. A total of just 14 games, but he has four rings. FYI, ECHL Hall of Fame goalie, Nick Vitucci, also won four championships as a player, but his were in the Riley Cup era. Of the handful of players that have their name engraved on the Kelly Cup three times, two won championships in Allen, Riley Gill and Matt Register.  

 

- Two Allen players from the past are off to great starts in Europe. They both play in Germany's second level league (DEL2). Matt Marcinew has 10 points (6G, 4A) in just six games. Josh Winquist has 12 points (5G, 7A) in 10 games.

 

DID YOU KNOW: Here is the ECHL Stats post from today about NHL/AHL contracted players being sent to the ECHL.

It’s only the beginning, but NHL/AHL teams have started assigning players to their ECHL affiliates. Here is the number of NHL/AHL contracted players assigned thus far by team (according to ECHL transactions).

 

10 - Kansas City

8 - Wheeling

7 - South Carolina

5 - Adirondack

5 - Toledo

4 - Indy

4 - Reading

4 - Rapid City

3 - Tulsa

2 - Iowa

2 - Bloomington

1 - Worcester

1 - Allen

1 - Tahoe

 

- The Toronto Marlies have 39 players in training camp. It looks like their affiliate, Cincinnati, is poised to lead the ECHL in players assigned.