Steve Martinson Goes In-depth on the Allen Roster, The Team He is Trying to Build, Affiliation, and His "All-In" Defense

 

 The Allen Americans announced their ninth player for the 2025-26 roster on Tuesday with the addition of forward Brayden Watts, who led the team in scoring last season. Here is Allen's current roster.

Goalies

• #33 Marco Costantini

Defensemen

• #22 Anthony Costantini
• #43 Matt Register
• #44 Kevin Spinozzi 

Forwards

• #26 Spencer Asuchak
• #11 Thomas Caron 
• #7 Colton Hargrove
• #77 Brad Morrison 
• #92 Brayden Watts 

 

- With a big part of Allen's core group now announced, I had a chance to talk to Steve Martinson about how he sees all these pieces fitting together and the strengths of each player. Martinson is building a roster that can compete, regardless of how much help comes from NHL/AHL contracted players (even though I expect some assistance to be forthcoming). Just looking at the experience level of the nine players above says a lot about this group. They have a total of 2199 games of ECHL experience; no other team in the league is close. In addition, six of the nine have more than 20 games played in the AHL, led by Hargrove's 259. 

 

- Coach Martinson wanted to share with Allen Americans fans what he is trying to build, how the players he has signed fit into the system, with a few other tidbits along the way.  The player order is the order the players were announced. The first quote is from the press release when the player was first announced. 

Asuchak  

• Spencer gives our power-play not only net front expertise, but instant face-off puck possession, while finishing every hitting opportunity. 
• Normally, your centers are your puck dispersers. Asuchak is a different guy. He is a power center. We will be able to utilize his strengths by putting him with one of our puck-carrying/play-making wingers.
• Veteran spots are valuable, and with Spencer, you have a guy who is at the top of the chart in power play, net front, and faceoffs. 
• There are times I don't have him kill penalties because I need him for the next faceoff. He will win the faceoff, we will send the puck down the ice, and he will come off until the next faceoff. 

 

Hargrove

• Colton is the best overall forward that I’ve watched in years. He scores, makes plays, but also battles shifts in and out. He does it all. 
• When I watched Hargrove play for Allen in 2022-23. I thought he was the best overall player in the league. If I give him the right guys to play with, he can be a 100-point guy in our system. 
• I was looking for our core guys to be players who play a greasy game. Hargrove plays hard at both ends of the ice, and that is why he is a great leader. 

 

Costantini

• Marco has proven that he can be a top goalie in this league. He backstopped an OHL championship team in junior hockey (Hamilton Bulldogs). 
• I don't know a lot about Marco other than looking at his record and knowing he played great during his time in Allen. Our goalie coach, Chris Johansen, likes his game and thinks he has the ability to be a top goalie in the league. 

 

Costantini 

• Anthony has AHL experience and increases our team speed on defense, which is one of our top priorities.
• He is a real steady defenseman who I think will put up more offensive numbers in our system. When I talked to the folks in Ottawa/Belleville they liked him. 
• I want to have at least two left-right defensive pairings in the lineup. Anthony, being a right shot, will help us because we can hinge both directions. I noticed more NHL teams doing that in the playoffs. 

 

Caron

•  Thomas is a true power forward; he scores, makes plays, and hits like a truck. He is just one of the signed players who guarantees that we have the guys that can play the heavy offensive style that our fans expect and love to watch.  
• You can't just have your hitters be at the bottom of the lineup. You have to have the top guys that play against the top players on the other team, be hard to play against, and that is what we have in Caron.
• Caron's wife was born in Dallas, so they have ties to the area. She is the daughter of Mike Keane, who played in over 1100 NHL games and won three Stanley Cups, including with the Dallas Stars in 1999.   

 

Morrison

• Brad led the team in points per game last season, and if he had that pace all season, he would have been one of the ECHL’s top scorers. He’s a fast and skilled puck carrier. His junior playoff scoring tells you what he’s capable of doing. 
• I think Morrison has a ton of upside. I don't think anyone has seen the type of numbers he is capable of putting up at our level.    

 

Register

• Matt is the Brent Burns of the ECHL. He led the league in scoring for Defensemen, while with the Steelheads, and was also Idaho’s top plus/minus player three years running.  With Idaho, he had 173 points while being nearly a +100.  Last year, his plus/minus was +24, for a non-playoff team, which is literally unheard of. Reggie will be a player-coach for us until he’s ready to retire, and then will seamlessly step behind our bench.
• If you want to play an offensive-type game, you can't do it with all of the offense coming from the forwards. Nobody is better at creating offense from the point than Register. With the defensemen we already have signed and those we still have coming, we will have plenty of offense from the point. 
•  Reggie has soft hands along with the skill and vision to find guys at the side of the net.

 

Spinozzi

• Kevin gives us the one-two punch that Matt Register and Les Lancaster had a few years ago. He has a bomb from the point but is also tough and can play a hard game against the league’s top players. These two give us proven scoring that will be a lot of fun to watch.
• Playing in our offensive style system, I expect Spinozzi to put up offensive numbers like he did when he played in Wheeling and in Europe. In Wheeling, he led all ECHL defensemen in goals (17) and only played in 44 games, because he spent time in the AHL.
• I am not bringing him in to play the tough guy role, but he is tough and difficult to play against. If he does drop the gloves, he knows what he is doing.   

 

Watts

• Brayden is the type of puck carrier that can really flourish in our system. I believe he will commit to our all-out offense and all-in defense mentality. This is going to be Brayden's year to establish himself as one of the top players in the league. 
• He is a playmaker who can also score. He led his team in assists the last two seasons and in the last four seasons finished #1, #3, #2, and #3 in points on his team.
• His offense is a big plus for the style we want to play, as he is an excellent puck carrier. The key to his success will be on the defensive side of the puck. Look for him to play a more defensive and greasier game. I am counting on that from Brayden.     

 

OTHER  MARTINSON QUOTES  

"In a perfect world, we will have a great puck carrier on every line."  

 "To be successful in having defensemen jump up in the play, you have to have forwards that can go east and west and can pull up and find the late guy. Hargrove, Watts, and Morrison are some of the top guys that have that skill, and we will have others as well."   

"The team this season is being modeled more like our heyday teams in that we have a lot of top players signing with us. The difference is that a lot of our top guys have AHL experience and can skate."

"Where do we go from here? We still have some guys to announce. We have some physical guys coming, we have guys from last year, and players I get from working through an affiliation. I have said before and will say again, the training camp will be very competitive."

"I am not there yet, but everything is being put in place to announce an affiliation, hopefully in the next few days."

"We want to be hitters, and then whatever happens will happen. We will have a lot of players that are not necessarily fighters, but hit. Then we will have guys that hit and fight."    

 

- I asked Martinson to explain exactly what he means by all-out offense and all in defense, because he used to say all-out offense and all-out defense. These are some of the things that go on that fans may not understand. Here is what he had to say:

"It is easy to be all-out offense; players are very good at that. What has been challenging with some of the teams I have had is defense. By redefining it as all-in defense, I acknowledge some players are better at it than others, but everyone has to buy in. When we are coming back, we are coming back full speed, and that is an easy thing to see."

"The other big key to all-in defense is reading the play. Good hockey IQ is the ability to pay attention and quickly make decisions based on observation. Players have to read percentages of what is going to happen. That includes the location of the puck battle, who is in the battle, and where are the other players. Using all of that information and quickly determining the risk/reward. Some players are always on the offensive side of a puck battle because if they gain possession of the puck, they are in a good position to create a scoring chance, but if they lose the puck, they are in a bad position that can lead to an odd-man rush. My all-in defensive mentality is making sure our positioning is right for how the play is developing. That is the big difference in giving up odd-man rushes. In my last year in Allen, we gave up a league-leading 20 shorthanded goals when we had our best offensive players on the power play. That was more than any year of my coaching career. The reason that happened is that too many of those players were always on the offensive side of things. Some players want to score and take risks without thinking about the score of the game. We always want to score, but you have to do it within a system. All it means is not cheating to score. Hockey IQ is knowing when to take the risk to be on the offensive side of the puck. Reading and reacting quickly is key."

"With players that make better decisions, you allow them to make mistakes because they don't make as many. A step further is that players who have good offensive numbers are allowed to be a bit more offensive in their decision-making because they make plays. It is the guys who don't make a lot of plays and make bad decisions defensively that get a shorter leash. How do you get a longer leash? You make more good decisions than you make bad decisions."

   

Allen Americans Sign Defensemen Matt Register and Kevin Spinozzi - Player Profiles

 

The Allen Americans helped shore up a defense that was last in the ECHL in 2024-25 (allowed 4.23 goals per game) with the addition of defensemen Matt Register and Kevin Spinozzi.

 

 MATT REGISTER

Matt Register

 Matt Register does not need an introduction to Allen fans, as he started his pro career with the Americans back in the CHL days (2011-12). He returned to the ECHL Americans in 2015-16 and again in 2019-20, and 2020-21. With the announcement today that Matt will return to Allen as a player/assistant coach and then become the assistant coach when he retires as a player, it is a full-circle moment. It has been quite a journey from 2010 to 2025. Matt is arguably the best defenseman in the history of the league.

 

- Here is what Steve Martinson had to say about Matt: "Reggie is the Brent Burns of the ECHL. He leads the league defensemen in scoring, but was also Idaho's top plus/minus player the last three years. In three years in Idaho, he amassed 173 points and was +97. Reggie will be a player-coach for us until he is ready to retire, and then he will seamlessly step behind the bench."  

 

 - It is hard to know where to start when describing Matt Register's career thus far. The best is just listing them out in no particular order. Here goes:

• Three-time Kelly Cup Champion 
• Three-time ECHL Defenseman of the Year 
• Only defenseman to ever be named Kelly Cup Playoff MVP
• Played one year in Europe and won a championship
• In his last seven ECHL seasons, starting with last season, he has finished 1st, 2nd, 1st, 1st, 5th, 1st, and 2nd in assists among all ECHL defensemen
• In his last seven ECHL seasons, starting with last season, he has finished 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 2nd, 4th, 1st, and 1st in points among all ECHL defensemen
• Ranked #2 all-time in the history of the ECHL in games played by a defenseman (683).
• Ranked #2 all-time in assists by a defenseman (431)
• Ranked #3 all-time in points by a defenseman (547)
• Selected as an ECHL All-Star eight times

Maybe the best thing about having Register back in Allen is that the Americans will not have to face him. He has been a thorn in Allen's side wherever he has played. 

 

KEVIN SPINOZZI

Kevin Spinozzi with his Dad, longtime coach, Frank Spinozzi 

 

 - Kevin Spinozzi joins the Americans after playing the last four seasons in France. His dad (Frank) is a long-time hockey coach who moved to France in 2010-11 to coach professional hockey. Kevin, who is from the Montreal area, was 14 at the time and played U-18 in France for one year before returning to Canada to play youth hockey.

 

- Spinozzi is a 29-year-old, 6'2", 214-pound, left-shot defenseman who will be starting his ninth professional season with the Allen Americans. He is a defense first style of player that also has skill and grit. Here are some of his stats:

• In 140 games in France he had 118 points (56G, 62A)
• In 150 ECHL games with Wheeling, Toledo, and Rapid City, he tallied 79 points (27G, 52A)
• He played his junior hockey in the OHL (Soo Greyhounds & Sarnia Sting) and was the captain in Sarnia in his last junior season (2016-17).
• In 275 OHL games, he totaled 113 points (28G, 85A) and 297 penalty minutes.     

 

- Spinozzi will fit right into a Steve Martinson system, as you can tell by his quote, "Kevin has a bomb from the point, but is also tough and can play a hard game against the league's top players."  

 

- Here is a video from 10 years ago, when Kevin was playing junior hockey in Sarnia and was about to go to the Arizona Coyotes development camp. He also mentions his dad is a hockey coach. According to Elite Prospects, Frank Spinozzi's coaching career goes back to 1991-92. He has coached professional hockey in France since 2010-11. Even though this video is from 10 years ago, it will give you a good idea of what Allen is getting with Kevin. 

  

OTHER COMMENTS

 - If you have an interest in catching the 3ICE highlights, the tournament last night is the one for Allen fans to look up. You can find the highlights at NHL.com. Here are the former Allen players on the rosters from the tournament last night:

• 3ICE Dallas - Jeremy Brodeur, Colton Hargrove 
• 3ICE Minnesota -  Hank Crone, Matt Register 
• 3ICE NY/NJ - Jack Combs, Brayden Watts 
• 3ICE Buffalo - Dalton Skelly

The results:

• Game 1 - Buffalo beat Dallas 6-3
• Game 2 - NY/NJ beat Minnesota 5-4
• Consolation -  Dallas beat Minnesota 5-2
• Championship -  NY/NJ beat Buffalo 4-0 (Brayden Watts scored two goals)

You will see goals from Crone, Watts, Register and Combs if you watch the highlights from all four games.

 

DID YOU KNOW: ECHL Stats post from today:

ECHL definitions:

 

VETERAN: 260+ pro games played at the start of the season.

 

ROOKIE: Fewer than 25 pro games played at start of season.

 

Only regular-season games count, and only from these 11 leagues:

 

NHL

AHL

ECHL

CHL (defunct)

 

Top league in these countries

Czech Republic (Czech Extraliga)

Finland (Liiga)

Germany (DEL)

Russia (KHL)

Slovakia (Slovak Extraliga)

Sweden (SHL)

Switzerland (NL)

  

 

 

Steve Martinson's Recruitment Update Q & A and Allen Signs Power Forward Thomas Caron - Player Profile

 

Thomas Caron

 

The Allen Americans just announced the fifth player for the 2025-26 season.  Power forward Thomas Caron is a 6'2'' and 216-pound left-shot forward who fits the mold of a Steve Martinson team. He can skate, he can hit, he has skill, and he won't hesitate to drop the gloves if necessary. Caron grew up in Candiac, Quebec (a suburb of Montreal) and played his junior hockey for the Quebec Ramparts of the QMJHL. Here are some facts about Caron:

• First professional contract was with the AHL Manitoba Moose in 2021. He was under contract with Manitoba through 2024, but spent the majority of the time in the ECHL.
• In 55 AHL games with Manitoba, he had 10 points (5G, 5A) and 50 PIMS.
• He attended the Montreal Canadiens training camp in 2021.
• He was the team captain of the Quebec Ramparts during his final junior season.
• He led the QMJHL in penalty minutes in 2019-20.
• In 93 ECHL games, he has tallied 52 points (17G, 35A). 
• He played in Idaho for 31 games last season before he left to play in the top league in Finland. In his 31 games in Idaho, he had 26 points (8G, 18A) and 42 PIMS. 
• He will be wearing #11 in Allen 

Here is how Coach Martinson described Caron when I was talking to him about overall recruitment last night. "Caron is the perfect power forward. I am not sure why he is not under contract with an AHL team, but it is good for us. He can skate, he can hit, he has skill, and he is tough to play against. I look at Caron as our top power forward going into the season, but we have several of them."

 

- Here is a great highlight video that shows all facets of Caron's game.

  

- Here is an interview from last season when Caron was in Idaho. It is long (28 minutes), but you will get to know him in his own words. You will hear his thoughts about growing up in hockey-crazed Montreal, his junior career, and playing for NHL Hall of Famer, Patrick Roy:

 

- Here is what Martinson had to say about the overall recruitment process thus far:

Q: Where are you at, and how are things going with recruitment?

A:  We are probably 80% - 85% done with recruiting. We have a full team, and I think we have some really good established/veteran players. There is going to be competition up and down the lineup as we have a good mix of skill and physicality. 

We have a combination of some top players coming back from last year, and some top players coming in. We have some puck carriers we haven't announced yet, some from last season, and some that are coming in. We are adding some offensive defensemen who are very good. 

We are going to have that Allen Americans attitude team that fans have known in the past. 

 

Q: Your championship teams always had great power plays. Are you factoring that into the recruitment process?

A: I think we already have the guys signed to have a top power play. My goal is to have a 25% power play. I know we are going to have a very physical team, and that will create more power play opportunities for both teams. We will be strong from the point, have great net presence, and be very skilled on one timers from the faceoff circle. Hargrove led the ECHL in power play goals in 2022-23, and Asuchak led the team in power play goals last season. Some of the defensemen we haven't announced are great from the point.

It is critical to have an excellent power play with the physical and skilled team we will have. With that type of team, we will get plenty of power play opportunities. The bottom line is we have some of the best power play guys in the league already signed.

 

Q: Allen was the worst team in the league last season, allowing 4.32 goals per game, when over half of the ECHL teams allowed fewer than 3.00 goals per game. Will the team you have recruited be better defensively?

A: That stat from last season is a non-factor, because our team will be nothing like the team from last season. I am anticipating some of the top offensive players from last season coming back, but anybody else will have to make the team in training camp. Even though I have a dozen players from last season signed, those guys will be competing for just a few spots.

 

Q: How are you going to approach announcing players? It was pretty much one player per week the last couple of years. Caron is your third player announced this week.

A: Over the next couple of weeks, we will be announcing some of the top players already signed. That way, fans won't be wondering what I have put together. I know in the past we have trickled out the announcements. This year, we are trying to go from a last-place team to a powerhouse, and we don't want the fans wondering how we are going to do that. 

 

Q: Any update on an affiliation?

A: I am working hard on an affiliation. Dialogue is ongoing with a couple NHL teams. I am well aware of the importance of getting an affiliate agreement as soon as possible. Top-end young players are all looking to go to AHL training camps, and without an affiliate agreement (at least verbal) and training camp slots in hand, it makes recruiting more difficult. It is frustrating as I try to overcome some of the obstacles and decisions made related to affiliations in the recent past. 

 

-  Here is the current Allen roster for 2025-26:

Goalies

• Marco Costantini

Defensemen

• Anthony Costantini

Forwards

• #26 Spencer Asuchak
• #11 Thomas Caron 
• #17 Colton Hargrove 

 

 

DID YOU KNOW: When I was talking to Coach Martinson last night, Michelle, who runs the Americans Team Store, shared that the store just received some new merchandise, Golf Polos, which you can order online. Here is the link: https://shop.allenamericans.com/ 

 

 

Two Player Announcements Today, ECHL Player Announcement Stats, Affiliation Update, 3ICE, Skeoch Retires, Snowden Selected Head Coach, Rule Changes

 

There's not much to report this week, so this will be a brief blog post. The most important news is that the Allen Americans will make another player announcement today. As a matter of fact, they will be announcing two players sometime this afternoon. 

 

- It may seem like Allen is slow in announcing players, but the fact is, 17 ECHL teams have announced two or fewer players as of this morning. Five teams have made no player announcements, six teams have announced one player, and six teams have announced two players (including Allen's Asuchak and Hargrove). Here are the teams that have announced the most players:

• 10 - Trois Riviéres
• 8 - Fort Wayne
• 8 - Utah
• 7 - Florida

 

- Nothing new to report on an affiliation for the upcoming season. Dialogue is ongoing, and Coach Martinson is well aware of the importance of getting an affiliate agreement as soon as possible. Top-end young players are all looking to go to AHL training camps, and without an affiliate agreement (at least verbal) and training camp slots in hand, it makes recruiting more difficult.

 

-  After a year's hiatus, 3ICE is back with a distinct Allen Americans flavor. Half of the eight teams have current or former Americans. 

• 3ICE Dallas - Jeremy Brodeur, Colton Hargrove 
• 3ICE Minnesota -  Hank Crone, Matt Register 
• 3ICE NY/NJ - Jack Combs, Brayden Watts 
• 3ICE Buffalo - Dalton Skelly

The 3ICE  regular season is only four weeks long and starts tomorrow. There is one tournament per week on July 17, July 23, July 31, and August 6 (7:00 pm EDT). The top four teams play for the championship (Patrick Cup) on August 14.

All of the 3ICE tournaments (games) will be played in Fort Lauderdale, FL.

There are two ways to watch the games. They will be carried live on FanDuel Sports Network and will be replayed on NHL Network the following day. 

If you want to take in a 3ICE tournament in person, the one on July 23 is perfect. Only four of the eight teams play each week, and on July 23, the four teams with Allen connection will play. 

• Game 1: Dallas vs Buffalo
• Game 2: Minnesota vs NY/NJ
• Game 3: Consolation Game (losers of games 1 & 2)
• Game 4: Championship Game (winners of games 1 & 2)

3ICE has been good to Allen Americans players. In year one (2022), Chad Costello won the championship and was voted the league MVP. In year two (2023), Hank Crone did the same. Between winning weekly tournaments, the championship, the MVP, and other awards, both Chad and Hank won a considerable amount of money by ECHL standards. I would assume the monetary rewards are scaled back in this new version of 3ICE.

 

- Darian Skeoch, who played in Allen in 2020-21 and 2021-22, has announced his retirement. He was Adirondack's captain last season. Darian led the Americans in penalty minutes in 2021-22. He is only 28 years old. Here is the statement Skeoch put out if you haven't seen it:

 

 

-  Congrats are in order for John and Janelle Snowden. John played in Allen briefly in 2013-14, and was just selected as the head coach for the AHL Lehigh Valley Phantoms. John is the first former Allen player to become a head coach at the AHL level. I had a chance to interview John and Janelle the day they were moving to Allen back in 2013, and it was definitely a hectic day for them, but they were very gracious with their time. After John retired in 2014, he moved to Orlando with the intent of becoming a PGA teaching pro. However, while in Orlando, he was recruited to be an assistant coach for the Orlando Solar Bears, and that started his coaching career. He went on to become the head coach for the Newfoundland Growlers where he won the Kelly Cup in 2019, an assistant coach for the AHL Toronto Marlies (AHL), and Lehigh Valley Phantoms before being named the Phantoms' head coach two days ago.

For those who remember John or have followed his career, here is the story I wrote back in 2013. One of the things he told me was his opinion that he was a better golfer than hockey player. http://allenamericansblog.blogspot.com/2013/08/player-introduction-20-questions-with.html     

Here is the press release on John's promotion to head coach: https://www.phantomshockey.com/john-snowden-named-phantoms-head-coach/   

 

- I have heard rumors that the ECHL Board of Governors made several rule changes for the 2025-26 season at their recent BOG meeting in Orlando, and one of them relates to fighting. Not sure when the ECHL will issue a press release on all the rule changes for 2025-26, but it should be soon.

 

- I have seen several questions in the blog comments section about Matt Register. Even though Matt is playing 3ICE, I have heard from a couple of sources that he is interested in becoming an assistant coach, so he might be pursuing coaching opportunities before he decides to play another season. FYI, Register will be 36 in September.

 

- DID YOU KNOW: Here is my ECHL Stats post for today on teams with the most 20+ goal scorers in 2024-25. How has Allen fared with 20+ goal scorers? Here are Allen's 20+ goal scorers over the last four seasons:

• 2024-25: Mark Duarte 
• 2023-24: Colby McAuley, Easton Brodzinski, Blake Murray 
• 2022-23: Hank Crone, Colton Hargrove, Jack Combs, Liam Finlay (all had 30+ goals)
• 2021-22: Spencer Asuchak, Chad Costello, Branden Troock, Jack Combs, Jackson Leppard 

 

ECHL teams with the most 20+ goal scorers in 2024-25: 

 

6: South Carolina

5: *Toledo*, Wichita

4: *Kansas City*, Tahoe, *Trois Rivières*

3: *Florida*, Idaho, Jacksonville, Norfolk, Orlando, Rapid City, Wheeling

 

*The Kelly Cup final four teams are all on this list.

 

 

FYI, here is the same post from one year ago. Notice how many teams are on both lists. It is very clear that the top playoff teams have more depth in high-end goal scorers.

 

ECHL teams with the most 20+ goal scorers in 2023-24: 

 

6: *Kansas City, *Toledo

5: Idaho

4: *Florida, Fort Wayne, Jacksonville, Orlando

 

*Made the Kelly Cup final four

    

   

          

Allen Announces Two Players Today, Qualified List, Affiliation News, CBA Thoughts, Players to Europe and More

 

The day has finally arrived for the official start of naming Allen Americans players for the 2025-26 season. If you remember back to Steve Martinson's first stint in Allen, he always made the first player announcement of the season a big one, and he won't disappoint today. Somewhere around 11:00 am, look for the team to make the announcement of not one, but two players.

 

- Yesterday, the ECHL released the list of players who have been given qualifying offers. A maximum of eight players can be given qualifying offers. It is a way to retain the rights to players who have not signed a contract. The Americans qualified two players, the fewest in the league. See the breakdown of qualified offers for each ECHL team in the "Did You Know" section at the bottom of the blog. Here are some things to remember about qualifying offers:

• Players who have already signed a contract do not have to be qualified.
• Veterans are typically not qualified because they can become free agents even if they are qualified.
• Nick Isaacson is signed to play in Europe (Scotland), so he was qualified to retain his ECHL rights if he returns during the season.
• Mark Duarte was qualified because he is pursuing an AHL contract and is not ready to sign an ECHL contract. 

 

-  If you look at Allen's season-ending roster, there are three possibilities for each player. They have already been signed, are now free agents, or were qualified. Here is the season-ending roster:

• Goalie (1)
• Luke Richardson

• Defensemen (8)
• JC Brassard
• Cole Fraser
• Kenny Johnson
• Artem Kulakov
• Trevor LeDonne 
• Mike Van Unen
• Quinn Warmuth
• Hudson Wilson

• Forwards (11)
• Spencer Asuchak
• Harrison Blaisdell 
• Mark Duarte 
• Michael Gildon
• Nick Isaacson 
• Noah Kane
• Ayden MacDonald 
• Brad Morrison
• Reid Perepeluk 
• Brayden Watts 
• Jared Westcott

My assumption is that the majority of the players on this list have signed with Allen and just a handful are now free agents. I say that because Martinson has only coached a couple of the players on the list. He will want to see for himself if they fit into his system, if they show up to training camp in shape, are good teammates, and can play at both ends of the ice. My guess is the Allen training camp will be as big and as competitive as it has ever been. There are not many players on the list above guaranteed to make the opening day roster.  

 

- There is some news to report on the affiliation front. The President of the NHL Utah Mammoth hockey club (Chris Armstrong) held a press conference the other day after the conclusion of the team's development camp. The last question of the 17-minute press conference was:

Q: Last year you guys signed a one-year contract with the Allen Americans to be your ECHL affiliate. Is that a team you want to be affiliated with again?

A: I don't anticipate that changing for us; it has been a good working relationship with Allen, and we are in talks with them to continue. I think with the recent news about the Grizzlies (being sold) and speculation around us, we haven't had time to consider anything else. What is working in Allen, and I think that is probably what we will continue to do.

Here is the Armstrong press conference, which is a good listen about Utah's roster and player development. Great background information if Allen affiliates with them. FYI, the Allen question is the last 40 seconds of the 17 minute press conference:

  

 

- It is interesting that two of the NHL teams without an ECHL affiliate are Utah and Ottawa, Allen's recent affiliates. I can almost guarantee Steve Martinson has been in contact with both teams about a possible affiliation with Allen for 2025-26. With Martinson at the helm and Zawyer no longer involved, it will be fascinating to see how this works out. One thing is for sure, Allen does not want to be the only ECHL team without an NHL affiliate and have to operate as an independent team. Getting slots in NHL/AHL training camps is a critical part of the recruitment process in attracting young players, so finding an affiliate soon is critical.  

 

- I have heard nothing recently about progress in agreeing to a new CBA (collective bargaining agreement). The last I heard was that the two sides are not close on some key issues, especially the salary cap. At this point, the teams are operating under the provisions of the expired CBA. Neither the PHPA nor the ECHL has said anything publicly about the negotiations, but it appears they are at a stalemate.  

 

- Allen has only lost one player to Europe (Isaacson), but the ECHL total players signing in Europe has now surpassed 60. It is getting close to reporting time for many of the leagues in Europe, so the pace may quicken. 

 

- DID YOU KNOW: Here is a breakdown of the ECHL players that received qualifying offers. To start, here is the ECHL press release if you haven't seen it: https://echl.com/news/2025/07/echl-announces-players-with-qualifying-offers

Here is the ECHL Stats post from today:

The ECHL qualified offers list was issued yesterday, and a lot fewer players were given qualifying offers than one year ago. 

 

Last season (2024-25), 18 of 27 ECHL teams qualified the maximum of eight players, and the total number of players qualified was 194.

 

This season (2025-26), there were two additional teams (BLM & TAH) issuing qualifying offers. Just 10 of 29 teams issued the maximum of eight qualifying offers, and the total was only 179. Seems like the lack of a CBA did not affect player signings, so teams didn’t have to qualify as many players.

 

Here is the breakdown of qualifying offers by team.

8 - CIN, GVL, IND, KAL, KC, REA, TR, TUL, WHL, WIC

7 - BLM, IA, NOR, ORL, SAV, UTA, WOR

6 - ADK, FLA, MNE

5 - FW, IDH, JAX, SC

4 - TAH

3 - ATL, RC

2 - ALN 

Allen's Season-Ending Roster, No CBA Yet, Players Heading to Europe, ECHL Summer Meeting, Affiliation Update and More

 

It is a busy time of year if you are an ECHL and Allen Americans fan, with a lot happening. Future considerations trades (last Friday), season-ending rosters yesterday, the first day to sign players (today), and players leaving for Europe. The PHPA had its annual meeting in Orlando last week, and the ECHL is meeting in Orlando this week. There is no CBA, and the Utah Grizzlies ownership announced the team is for sale. Here is my take on these items, plus more:

 

- Future Considerations - 20 ECHL teams traded 41 players to satisfy future considerations trades. Several players got traded more than once in this process. Allen lost two players, Liam Gorman to Maine and Tyler Burnie to Orlando. Gorman was to complete the trade for Ayden MacDonald (3/18/25), and Burnie was to complete the trade for Ryan Mashie (11/17/24). Allen was owed a player from Norfolk, but coach Martinson opted not to take any of the players offered. 

 

- Season-ending rosters had to be submitted yesterday. A maximum of 20 players can be included, and it is a way for teams to retain the rights to players from now until qualifying offers (8 maximum) are due on July 7. Here are the rosters for every ECHL team: https://echl.com/news/2025/06/echl-announces-season-ending-rosters

 

- Here is Allen's list:

• Goalie (1)
• Luke Richardson

 

• Defensemen (8)
• JC Brassard
• Cole Fraser
• Kenny Johnson
• Artem Kulakov
• Trevor LeDonne 
• Mike Van Unen
• Quinn Warmuth
• Hudson Wilson

 

• Forwards (11)
• Spencer Asuchak
• Harrison Blaisdell 
• Mark Duarte 
• Michael Gildon
• Nick Isaacson 
• Noah Kane
• Ayden MacDonald 
• Brad Morrison
• Reid Perepeluk 
• Brayden Watts 
• Jared Westcott

 It should be clear Martinson is not trying to sign all of these players on this list. It does buy him some time to figure out who he wants back, to go with the new players he is recruiting. Any players not signed by July 7 or given one of the eight qualifying offers will become free agents

 

 - Players omitted from the season-ending roster who are now free agents:

• Brian Chambers
• Colin Jacobs 
• Dylan Myskiw
• Kamerin Nault
• Jay Powell 

 

 - If you look at all of the season-ending rosters, there are some familiar names to Allen Americans fans that are now free agents. Here are just a few of them. Franklin is signed in Europe, but the rest are true free agents:

• Colton Hargrove
• Marco Costantini
• Gavin Gould
• Zane Franklin
• Dalton Skelly 

 

- Signing players/CBA - Today is the first day players can sign contracts for the 2025-26 season. However, nobody knows what the salary cap will be since there is no collective bargaining agreement (CBA) in place. The last CBA started in 2018 and was extended two years because of COVID-19, so a new CBA is being negotiated after seven seasons. It is hard for general managers/coaches to recruit without knowing how much the salary cap will be and what other provisions may be changed, such as the veteran rules. While contracts could be signed with language to provide for salary cap increases once the salary cap is known, coaches may delay a few days, hoping the salary cap figures will be known soon. 

 

- Players to Europe - The Americans have only lost one player to Europe, Nick Isaackson has signed in Scotland with the Dundee Stars (EIHL). Since the ECHL regular season ended, 41 players have signed in Europe. Kansas City lost its top two goal scorers, Borchardt and Giroux. Borchardt led the ECHL in goals (40) and only played in 58 games. Tulsa lost its #1 scorer (Farren), as did Fort Wayne (Jack Dugan). Fort Wayne also lost its all-star defenseman Kyle Mathew. These are just a few examples of the ECHL losing top talent to Europe. The unanswered question is whether the new CBA, the first in seven years, will close the gap with Europe or continue to widen it. The ECHL salary cap over the last seven years didn't come close to keeping up with inflation. In 2018, the salary cap was $13,000; this past season, it was $14,600. That is less than a two percent (1.75%) increase per year over the last seven seasons. If the new CBA doesn't have a decent salary cap increase, you will see even more top players head to Europe, and the quality of play in the ECHL will continue to decline.  

 

- The ECHL summer meetings take place in Orlando this week and always produce new information. The Board of Governors (BOG) meets before the general meeting and could be discussing existing and new franchises, rule changes, and, of course, the status of the CBA. The winners of the 21 different team awards will be announced on Wednesday. Allen is nominated for four of the 21 awards, so should come home with some hardware.

 

- You have probably seen by now that the Utah Grizzlies announced yesterday that the organization has begun a formal process to explore the potential sale of the team, a path that could ultimately lead to the relocation of the franchise. With the NHL Utah Mammoth relocating to the area last season, there was some thought that the Mammoth would eventually buy the Grizzlies. It appears that is not going to happen. There are questions about the Mammoth bringing in an AHL franchise to Salt Lake City. Lots of moving parts between ECHL and AHL teams to see how this all plays out. Here is the press release from the Grizzlies on the sale of the team: https://utahgrizzlies.com/news/2025/06/utah-grizzlies-ownership-begins-exploration-of-sale-and-potential-relocation  

 

- Team president. Jonny Mydra, sent an email to all Patriots Club Members (season ticket holders) last week providing updates on what next season will look like and the activities that are planned. If you are a season ticket holder and did not get this email, Jonny would like you to email him directly and let him know you are not on his mailing list. His email address is JM@AllenAmericans.com.

 

- Nothing new to report regarding Allen finding an affiliation for next season. I have heard the same rumor as many of you that the Utah Grizzlies will have a primary affiliation with the Colorado Avalanche/Eagles and a secondary affiliation with Utah/Tucson. While the ECHL limits teams to one formal affiliation, teams can work informally with other NHL teams. Now that the ECHL is getting closer to the same number of teams as the NHL and AHL, the ECHL BOG should rethink the secondary affiliation option, or at least limit the number of players the secondary affiliate can send to the ECHL. Bottom line is,  Allen still doesn't have an affiliate for next season. 

 

- I posted this on my ECHL Stats page the other day, and wanted it to tie into the Allen Americans:

 

The ECHL had 15 players score more than 30 goals in 2022-23, 14 in 2023-24, but just four in 2024-25. Here is the 2024-25 list:

 

40 - Cade Borchardt, Kansas City

37 - Brandon Hawkins, Toledo

33 - Simon Pinard, Tahoe

32 - Devon Paliani, Savannah 

 

• Allen's leading goal scorer in 2024-25 was Mark Duarte with 23 goals.
• In 2023-24, Allen's leading goal scorer was Colby McAyley with 25 goals.
• In 2022-23, the ECHL had 15 players with more than 30 goals, four of whom played for the Allen Americans.
• 49 goals - Hank Crone 
• 39 goals - Colton Hargrove
• 36 goals - Jack Combs
• 33 goals - Liam Finlay

 

 

- If you have been tracking the new ECHL franchise in Rio Rancho, NM, that will begin play in 2026-27, you might have seen the three finalists for the team name, the Cutthroats, the Goatheads, and the Tarantula Hawks. Here is the press release with the details. https://echl.com/news/2025/06/new-mexico-pro-hockey-announces-finalists-for-name-the-team-contest 

 

 

 

DID YOU KNOW: Spencer Asuchak plans on returning to Allen for his 13th season with the Americans in 2025-26 after the season he had in 2024-25. After all, he was the only player on the stage when Steve Martinson was introduced as the new coach.  Last season, Asuchak was #3 on the team in goals (18) and led the team in power play goals with seven. He also led the league in faceoff percentage, the last stats I saw. Spencer is Allen's all-time leader in games played (568) and goals (173). 

 

Here are Allen's #1 and #2 all-time. It has a familiar ring:

 

• Points  
• #1 Chad Costello - 422
• #2 Spencer Asuchak - 421

 

• Goals
• #1 Spencer Ashchak - 173
• #2 Chad Costello - 124

 

• Assists
• #1 Chad Costello - 298
• #2 Spencer Asuchak - 248

 

• Games Played
• #1 Spencer Asuchak - 568
• #2 Chad Costello - 284

    

A Trip Down Memory Lane - 10 Years Ago Today

 

Not much new is happening with the Allen Americans, so I thought today would be a perfect day to take a trip down memory lane, and it is quite the memory. It was 10 years ago today, June 14, 2015, Allen won its first Kelly Cup, in the Americans' first season in the ECHL. Here is what I wrote after that win 10 years ago. Enjoy!

 

2015 Kelly Cup Champions

 

It wasn't as dramatic as 2013 when Todd Robinson scored an overtime goal in game seven to win the first CHL championship for Allen but it may have been a more important game seven for the Allen Americans. They won the ECHL Kelly Cup in their inaugural season in the league last night in a winner-takes-all game against the South Carolina Stingrays. In a game that was atypical of the finals, Allen scored early and often and beat the Stingrays 6-1 before an announced crowd of 6125, which must be the number the Americans have to post to please the Fire Marshall, because by all reports, the attendance was much higher than that.

There were certainly some skeptics when the seven Central Hockey League (CHL) teams were absorbed by the ECHL just before the start of the season, and very few people thought the eventual Kelly Cup winner would come out of the Central Division. The Allen victory last night was in a way for all of the teams in the Central Division.

I have so many thoughts about the game and the series, not sure where to start, so I will do what comes easiest, and that is random thinking and writing, so here goes. 

- The South Carolina Stingrays should be congratulated on a historic season. You never want to get blown out in a championship final, but the game last night should not diminish one bit the phenomenal success the Stingrays had this season. They set records that will stand for many years to come. Congrats to the players, coaches, and entire franchise. Spencer Carbery is a young coach (33) who Steve Martinson voted as ECHL coach of the year. Look for him to be coaching at a higher level in the near future.

- Steve Martinson always says in big games, your best players have to be your best players, and that sure happened in game seven. ECHL scoring champion Chad Costello (125 points) and ECHL leading goal scorer Gary Steffes (44 goals) figured in all six Allen goals. Costello got the first and third goals for Allen, along with an assist. Steffes scored the fourth goal for Allen, which was the goal that chased ECHL MVP goalie Jeff Jakaitis from the game after just 26 minutes. Steffes also had two assists for a total of three points. Add in the stellar play of goalie Riley Gill, assists by Jamie Schaafsma on both Costello goals, and the veterans really stepped up in game seven. 

- There was plenty of help from some of the new guys as Vincent Arseneau had two goals and Chris Crane, who played with great energy throughout the series, had a goal and two assists. For the record, the six goal scorers for Allen were in order, Costello (8), Arseneau (6), Costello (9), Steffes (13), Crane (10), Arseneau (7). 

- Congratulations to Greger Hanson, who was selected as the playoff MVP as he led Allen in scoring with 29 points (12 goals 17 assists) and had three game-winning goals. Having to wear a full-face mask seems to be a lucky charm, as both Greger and Brian McMillin in 2013 won the playoff MVP award after having teeth knocked out and wearing a mask/cage during the playoffs.

- One of the best pictures of the night was one where all of the fans who attended the game from the old CHL teams gathered for a picture on the ice. To see Missouri, Wichita, and Tulsa fans in their team jerseys and the friendships between the fans was nice to see. Don't get me wrong, some of the best comments on social media went something like this, "Congrats, Allen, for the great win tonight and bringing home the Kelly Cup. I was cheering for you as you did the Central Division proud. Now I am going back to disliking you and hope you don't win again."

- One of the most enjoyable parts of watching the team win a championship is the reaction of their families and friends. The tears of joy, celebrations, and pictures are very special and are memories that will be cherished forever.

- Many players go through their entire professional career without winning a championship, and winning just one is an amazing accomplishment, but to win three in a row rarely happens, especially with the same team. Just four players have been in Allen for all three championships and a special stick tap to them. Congrats to Trevor Ludwig, Tyler Ludwig, Brian McMillin and Jamie Schaafsma. 

- Here are some quotes from near and far about the game and the championship:

"In this series, I didn't think we played our best game. It didn't surprise me tonight we scored six goals. We don't need a lot of scoring chances to score, so it was just good timing.".....Steve Martinson

"We talked about wanting to play more of our game. We got caught playing a little too safe. It was awesome that we got back into our game with puck control, scoring chances, and offense.".....Chad Costello

"It's pretty special to win my second Kelly Cup, especially in a tight series like this in seven games. It was a mental and physical battle the whole playoff series.".....Riley Gill

"I am in disbelief and shock as there are not many other adjectives to describe that game. We completely failed to execute for some reason in every facet of the game. That is a tough pill to swallow in game seven of the championship. It is not what you want to see."..... South Carolina coach Spencer Carbery

"This was a really special team and I love those guys. We have been through so much and for the first time since I quit playing I wanted to be part of the group. I wanted to be in the room.".....Spencer Carbery

"Every game in this series has been low scoring and close and to have this in game seven. I can't believe it.".....Chad Costello

"We played our puck possession game, our defense held the puck more and were able to pull guys out of position. It is the way we play and I thought it was our best game of the season.".....Steve Martinson

"This is awesome. A three peat for Allen is incredible. A sold out barn tonight, it was so loud with the best crowd of the year. It was just great.".....Riley Gill

"Win one in the CHL, solid. Win two in a row in the CHL, impressive. Join ECHL and win third in a row in the first season, priceless. Congrats Allen! #proudCHLer." .....long time CHL goalie Tim Boron

"Congrats on the win boys! #partytimenow #3peat #enjoy".....Jonathan Lessard

"Still don't like them that much but huge congrats to the Allen Americans for winning the Kelly Cup. What an accomplishment!".....Sebastien Thinel, long time Odessa and Missouri player

"Congrats to the Allen Americans on the Kelly Cup #3peat #RockYourRed".....Alex Lavoie

"This has turned into the Riley Gill show, Allen goalie is really stellar.".....Scott Eisberg, Sports Director for WCIV-TV channel 4, the ABC affiliate in Charleston who was at the AEC to cover game seven.

"Congrats to the Americans on the ECHL championship! #3peat #champions #welldeserved #Americans".....Mike Berube

"South Carolina won 23 games in a row, beat teams in the playoffs that earned 96, 105 and 107 points  and didn't win the championship. It is really hard to win, folks.".....Jason Guarente who covers the Reading Royals for the Reading Eagle

"I've always said I've had the same team for 19 years now. Just different names on the front and back. But it has been the same team.".....Steve Martinson

"Coaching and talent go a long way, regardless of your league - as the Allen Americans prove on an annual basis.".....Rick Gosselin, Dallas Morning News

"It took just one season for Allen to conquer a new league.".....Ryan Gerbosi, Dallas Morning News

- Steve Martinson has said numerous times that the affiliation this year with San Jose and Worcester was the best he has ever had. It was nice to see all of the messages coming from the teams and the fans in San Jose and Worcester. The late-season additions from Worcester (Crane, Rumpel, Schwartz, Arseneau, Abeltshauser) shows the strength of the affiliation. Saw where someone had pointed out 14 of the 22 goals Allen scored in the final series with South Carolina were scored by players that spent time in Worcester during the season.

- What can you say about the record of Steve Martinson. He has now won nine championships in 19 years as a head coach and in three years as the Allen coach has never lost a playoff series (10-0) or a game when his team could be eliminated (8-0). He is out of fingers for championship rings as he has two as a player in addition to the nine as a coach. He is the best recruiter in the business and has a way to get players to play to their potential which is a deadly combination. It isn't easy playing for him as he is old school for sure but if you want a coach that has developed a winning formula, play for Steve Martinson. It is impossible for me to understand why the team ownership has not extended his contract and given him a long-term deal. He obviously deserves it, but it is also in the best interest of the team and team ownership. C'MON MAN! GIT-R-DONE!

- If I know Steve Martinson and I do, he has already taken calls and made calls to agents and players to start the recruitment process for next season. There are so many reasons to play in Allen, as the recruiting tool kit is overflowing with tools, but you can add ECHL champion as another recruiting tool. It will be a good summer of recruiting for coach Martinson. 

- With the official attendance last night of 6125 for the 95th playoff game and 1103 games overall, the season comes to an end with a new ECHL attendance record of almost five million. To be exact, the attendance was 4,979,066. 

 

 

 - Here is the highlight video from that game 10 years ago today.

DID YOU KNOW: It has been quite a path for Steve Martinson, Chad Costello, and Spencer Carbery since 2015. All are outstanding coaches.

Steve Martinson - After winning a fourth straight championship in 2016, followed by finishing #2 in the league in 2016-17, #14 in 2017-18, #26 in 2018-19, #3 in 2019-20, #2 in 2020-21, and #10 in 2021-22 his contract was not renewed. Martinson has returned to the helm in Allen for 2025-26.

 

Chad Costello - After a stellar pro career, Costello moved directly from the Allen locker room to the coach's office in 2022-23. He finished #13 in the league in his first season and #18 in his second season. Costello made the playoffs both of his seasons in Allen, but was let go after 2023-24. He was hired as the associate coach in Rapid City last December and was named head coach and general manager for the Greenville Swamp Rabbits 10 days ago.

 

Spencer Carbery - Since losing the Kelly Cup to Allen in 2015, Carbery's coaching career has skyrocketed. Here are some of his stops. FYI. he became the head coach in South Carolina in 2011-12 and won the ECHL Coach of the Year (John Brophy Award) in 2013-14:

• 2016-17: Head coach, OHL (Saginaw)
• 2017-18: Assistant coach, AHL (Providence) 
• 2018-19: Head coach, AHL (Hershey)
• 2021-22: Assistant coach, NHL (Toronto)
• 2023-24: Head coach, NHL (Washington)

Carbery won the 2024-25 Jack Adams award as the NHL Coach of the Year. Despite all of his success, Carbery has never won a championship as a head coach.  

 

Allen Update, Trois Riviéres Wins, Coaching Selections, Zawyer vs Spire, Allen Players on Kelly Cup, Critical Dates, Martinson's 1st Year Stats, Office Renovations

 

The ECHL season ended last night as Trois Riviéres beat Toledo 4-1 to win the Kelly Cup. The game was much closer than the final score. Toledo outshot the Lions 49-25, including 38-15 in the first two periods, but were stymied by the best defense and goalie in the playoffs. The score was 2-1 until the Lions scored two late empty net goals. Here is the recap from this morning's ECHL Stats post:

Stick taps to the Trois Rivières Lions. who last night became the 19th different team and the second from Canada to win the ECHL championship (Kelly/Riley Cup). 

 

• Toledo has lost three of the last six Kelly Cup finals.

• Trois Rivières allowed just 34 goals in 21 playoff games, an average of 1.62 goals per game. Yes, defense wins championships.

• Trois Rivières scored first in 19 of 21 playoff games (91%).

• Trois Rivières outscored opponents in the third period 27-10 for a goal differential of +17. No other playoff team had a third-period goal differential greater than +5.

 

- In addition to stopping 48 of 49 shots in the clinching game last night, playoff MVP, goalie Luke Cavallin, led the playoffs in the following categories:

 

#1 in GAA - 1.53

#1 in save percentage - .948

#1 in wins - 15

#1 in minutes played - 1218 (294 more than any other goalie)

#1 in saves - 562 (147 more than any other goalie)

 

 

- Trois Rivières defeated Toledo in five games to keep the one-sided Kelly/Riley Cup Finals series intact. The 4-1 series win was the 17th time the finals were won 4-1. Here is a breakdown of all of the championship finals.

4-0: 5 times

4-1: 17 times

4-2: 8 times

4-3: 5 times (1999 game 7 went 2OT)

3-1: Once (2021, when only 14 teams played and eight made the playoffs)

 

 

 

- The other big news last week was the naming of coaches for three ECHL teams. Here is my ECHL Stats post with the details. 

If you are a long-time fan of AA hockey in the west (ECHL & CHL), congrats to three all-timers who were selected as ECHL head coaches in the last two days. All were great leaders as players and have their numbers retired.

 

Chad Costello: Greenville Swamp Rabbits

492 games (375 ECHL, 117 CHL)

3-time ECHL MVP (1 Colorado, 2 Allen)

3-timetime ECHL scoring leader (Allen)

2-time Kelly Cup Champion (Allen)

#13 retired by the Allen Americans 

 

Scott Burt: Greensboro Gargoyles

586 ECHL games

3-time Kelly Cup Champion (2 Idaho, 1 Alaska)

#12 retired by the Idaho Steelheads

 

Riley Weselowski: Cincinnati Cyclones

720 games (446 ECHL, 274 CHL)

1 CHL championship (Rapid City)

#6 retired by the Rapid City Rush

- For Chad Costello, it was a fitting end to a hectic year that saw him let go by the Allen Americans on May 30, 2024, hired as an associate coach in Rapid City on December 12, 2024, and selected as the head coach and general manager coach in Greenville on June 4, 2025. That is a lot to handle in a year for Chad, Ashley, and their four young children. Chad has landed with one of the best franchises in the ECHL, working for a first-class organization. Spire Sports and Entertainment, which owns ECHL franchises in Trois-Riviéres, Rapid City Greenville, an FPHL franchise (Athens Rock Lobsters), plus has a huge presence in NASCAR.

 

Greenville has a very strong relationship with its NHL/AHL affiliate (Los Angeles Kings, Ontario Reign), which means Costello will get a lot of support and many NHL/AHL contracted players assigned. As a comparison, last season, Allen had 151 games played by players assigned by Utah/Tucson. Greenville had 432 games played by players assigned by Los Angeles/Ontario. 

 

 

- If you haven't read the press release issued by Greenville when Costello was announced, make sure to read it, and if you have read it, read it again. It says a lot about the Spire Organization, the Greenville Swamp Rabbits, and Chad Costello's coaching philosophy. https://swamprabbits.com/news/2025/06/chad-costello-named-head-coachgm-of-the-swamp-rabbits 

- This is a little inside baseball, or should I say inside hockey, but it is pretty well known that there is no love lost between Spire Sports and Zawyer Sports. Two organizations that have a big presence in the ECHL and other sports. Allen certainly had a short and strained relationship with Zawyer. When Zawyer (Joe Ernst) fired Chad Costello, Spire hired him in Rapid City as an associate coach, and then last week in Greenville as the head coach and general manager. When Spire recently let Rapid City coach Scott Burt go (did not renew his contract), Zawyer (Joe Ernst) immediately hired him for their new franchise in Greensboro. It will be interesting to follow these two organizations' success on the ice. Spires' Trois Rivréres, Greenville, and Rapid City versus Zawyer's Jacksonville, Savannah, and Greensboro. I do know one thing: Chad Costello will be successful in Greenville. 

 

 

 - With the Kelly Cup playoffs in the books, here are some facts on Allen Americans players with their names engraved on the Kelly Cup.

• One former player (Jakov Novak - 2022-23) was on the Trois-Rivières championship team. 
• Kyle Neuber (2015-17) is the only player to have his name engraved on the Kelly Cup four times. He won his first championship in Allen (2016) before winning three straight in Florida (2022, 2023, 2024). The odd stat is Kyle played a total of 17 games in the four championships.
• Of the nine individuals who have their name engraved on the Kelly Cup three times, two played for the Allen Americans. Riley Gill won championships in Reading (2013) and Allen (2015, 2016). Matt Register won Championships in Allen (2016) and Colorado (2017, 2018).

- Nine players, plus coach Steve Martinson, have their names engraved on the Kelly Cup as part of Allen's bask-to-back championships in 2015 and 2016. Talk about a who's who of Allen Americans hockey!

• Steve Martinson
• Vincent Arseneau
• Spencer Asuchak
  
• Chad Costello
• Aaron Gens
  
• Riley Gill
• Greger Hanson
• Joel Rumpel
• Gary Steffes
• Dyson Stevenson
• Casey Pierro-Zabotel 

 

 

- Now let the 2025-26 ECHL season get underway with the first critical date this afternoon at 3:00 pm EDT. Teams must submit their protected lists today. I would assume the complete list will be published by the ECHL tomorrow. In talking to Coach Martinson, his plan is to protect every eligible player. By my count, that should be 27 players (2 goalies, 9 defensemen, 16 forwards). There is no downside to protecting everyone at this point. It gives Martinson more time to figure out the players he wants back, and it helps out when settling future consideration trades where Allen owes other ECHL teams a player.

 

 

- The next critical date is June 20th, which is the date Martinson has to satisfy future consideration trades. How future trades are structured tells me that nothing of significance will come from this process, either losing or gaining players.

 

 

- On June 22, the season-ending roster is due. This list is limited to no more than 20 players and will give everyone the first inkling of who Martinson wants back for 2025-26. Any players not on the list become free agents. Typically, veterans are not on the season-ending roster because they can become free agents in August even if they are included on the list. 

 

 

- Martinson is working overtime trying to line up an affiliate for next season. With so many NHL teams sticking with their ECHL affiliates from last season, there are not a lot of opportunities. Martinson is well aware of the importance of having an affiliate identified as recruitment picks up this month. The first day to sign players for 2025-26 is only 15 days away (June 23).

 

 

- The Allen Americans' front office is currently undergoing its first complete renovation since the franchise was established in 2009, thanks to team owner Myles Jack, who is behind the upgrades. I can vouch that 16-year-old carpeting is badly in need of replacement. There are also plans for some changes in the locker room.      

 

 

DID YOU KNOW: Steve Martinson has a history of putting together good teams very quickly. That is the expectation in Allen for 2025-26. Here is Martinson's record for the first year he coached each of these teams:

 

*San Diego, 1995-96: 49-7-2 (.862)

Rockford, 2004-05: 46-29-5 (.631)

Elmira, 2007-08: 41-24-7 (.618)

*Allen, 2012-13: 39-18-9 (.659)

Athens, 2024-25: 43-13-3 (.720)   

 

You add all these together, and the total is 218-91-26 (.690). 

*won the championship.