Allen Wins 5-4, Game Recap, Video Highlights, Martinson Comments, Fastest Two Goals Ever, 20 Point and 30 Point Players, Plus an All Goalie Game Comes to CUTX

 

The Allen Americans beat the Rapid City Rush 5-4 last night, snapping a three-game losing streak and moving into third place in the Mountain Division standings (by points percentage). Allen improved its home record to 11-4-1-0 (.719). That is the second-best home points percentage in the division behind Kansas City (.727), and the fifth-best in the league. To put this home record turnaround in perspective, last season Allen won 7 home games all season and finished with a home record of 7-24-4-1 (.264), the worst in the league by a long shot (2nd-worst was .389). The Americans have won 11 of their last 13 home games.

 

- It wasn't a good start for the Americans. They had a couple of great chances early in the game, but for the 21st time in 39 games, they gave up the first goal.  Allen's record when giving up the first goal is 8-12-1-0 (.404). When the Americans score the first goal, their record is 13-2-3-0 (.806).

 

- Allen scored late in the first-period (18:00) to tie the score 1-1 on Harrison Blaisdell's 12th goal of the season. The Americans took a 2-1 lead at the 6:36 mark of the second period on a goal by Jake Chiasson, who was playing in his first game since being assigned by Belleville on Wednesday.

 

- It looked like Allen would take a 2-1 lead into the second intermission, and they are money when that happens (14-0-1-0), but a defensive breakdown led to a late goal (18:18) and a 2-2 tie score at the second intermission. After two periods, Allen had outshot Rapid City 33-19, had many more grade A chances, but the score was tied.

 

- Allen had a power play 23 seconds into the third period and converted on Danny Katic's 19th goal of the season and seventh power play goal. Katic's goals per game average (.655) would have him tied for the league lead in goals (25) if he had been in Allen all season. He missed 10 games when he was called up to Belleville. Despite missing 10 games, Danny is #6 in the ECHL in goals. 

 

- The Americans took a 4-2 lead at 10:49 of the third period on Hank Crone's 11th goal of the season. It was a goal scorer's goal, roofing the puck from in close. Crone's goal started a one-minute of madness; it was actually 50 seconds of madness. 39 seconds after Crone's goal, Rapid City cut the score to 4-3, and 11 seconds later, Allen had its two-goal lead back. Ty Prefontaine threw the puck in front of the goal, and it ended up in the net to give Allen a 5-3 lead. It looked like Spencer Asuchak deflected the puck into the net and was initially given credit for the goal, but it was changed to an unassisted goal by Prefontaine. Ty has five goals in 13 games since joining the Americans and is now tied with Sedley for the team lead among defensemen.

 

- The drama wasn't over as Rapid City pulled its goalie and scored with 71 seconds remaining in the game to cut the score to 5-4. The Rush scored right after the Americans missed a 2-on-1 empty-net goal. The final drama was an Allen penalty with 9.2 seconds remaining in the game. Allen was able to clear the puck off the faceoff to preserve the win.      

 

- Here are the game recaps from both teams and the video highlights:

• Allen Americans: https://allenamericans.com/news/2026/01/news-americans-beat-the-rush-on-top-gun-night
• Rapid City Rush: https://rapidcityrush.com/news/2026/01/game-recap-rush-fall-one-short-in-back-and-forth-game-with-allen  
• Video Highlights: https://echl.com/videos/rapid-city-rush-vs-allen-americans-jan-30-2026  

 

-  Allen was able to take advantage of its superior special teams last night. Allen has the #4 power play and #5 penalty kill in the league. Rapid City is ranked #29 in power play and penalty kill percentage. Allen was 1-5 on the power play and killed all four of Rapid City's power play opportunities. The Americans haven't given up a power play goal to Rapid City since the first time they played on October 29, and that was an overtime power play goal. Allen has now gone six games without giving up a power-play goal to the Rush. The Americans have killed 24 of 25 chances for a penalty kill percentage of 96%. Allen was 1-5 on the power play last night and in the seven games against Rapid City are 5-28 (17.9%). 

 

- The keys to the game tonight don't change. Get off to a good start, don't play from behind, win the special teams battle, and play better defensively. 

 

- Here is the lineup tonight. Coach Martinson has added some toughness to the lineup. Simmons-Fischer replaces Spitserov on the fourth line. On the blueline, Warmuth and Greco are in; Decker and Costantini are healthy scratches. Parsons gets the start in goal.  

Forwards

67 Crone - 7 Hargrove - 92 McAuley

26 Asuchak - 29 Watts - 18 Blaisdell 

9 Katic- 91 Gildon - 11 Chiasson

19 Maxwell - 14 Gursoy - 6 Simmons-Fischer

 

Defense

86 Anania - 40 Touré

8 Prefontaine - 23 Sedley

2 Warmuth - 3 Greco

 

Goalies

31 Parsons

32 Tendeck (backup) 

 

 

- The game tonight will be a one-referee game again. The same referee as last night, Emile Charron (#43), will call the game. The linesmen will be Will Anderson (#92) and Trent Williams (#48). FYI, I regularly get asked about linesman Daniel Barnes (former Allen player), who was injured at the end of last season and needed surgery and is still recovering. I heard recently that he will be back in the near future.     

 

COACH'S COMMENTS

- You have heard me say many times that Steve Martinson's post-game chat with STM's (season ticket members) can only be appreciated in person. Last night was a classic. Thirty minutes of game analysis, roster news, stories, and humor about the team, life, children, and more, much of which is not appropriate for the blog. Here is some of what Martinson had to say:

"Getting the five goals tonight was nice, but we should have beaten them 6-3. We shot ourselves in the foot a couple of times at the end of the game."

"Hargrove's line was putting on a clinic, but not scoring. They would just miss, or their goalie was coming up with big saves, or they hit the pipe." 

"We are scoring a lot of goals, and that is a good thing, and we are getting scoring from three different lines, but we still need to get better defensively."

"It was great to see Chiasson score in his first game, and Touré was like a spider on the ice."

"We are back on a winning track, and we have a bunch of games at home we have to win." 

"There is a lot of stuff going on behind the scenes right now, and it is all good stuff. I am trying to get players for down the stretch and the playoffs."

"I feel we have enough offense here to make it to the finals in the playoffs; we just have to have better team defense to make it to the finals."  

  

 

OTHER COMMENTS

- The two goals in 10 seconds in the game last night were not the fastest two goals by both teams in Allen history. The Americans are part of the all-time ECHL record for fastest two goals by both teams. On November 10, 2018, playing Kansas City at home, two goals were scored in three seconds. To be fair, these were end-of-game goals. After spotting Kansas City a 4-0 lead, the Americans came back in the third period. Spencer Asuchak scored an extra attacker goal to cut the score to 4-3 with 17 seconds remaining in the game. With the Allen goalie pulled, Kansas City's Mark Cooper scored on the faceoff three seconds later.   

 

- This keeps working, so here we go again. Players averaging a point per game over the last 11 games:

• 18 points (4G, 14A) - Hargrove  
• 16 points (4G, 12A) - Crone   
• 14 points (5G, 9A) - Watts      
• 14 points (3G, 11A) - Sedley     
• 12 points (2G, 10A) - Blaisdell  
• 11 points (9G, 2A) - Katic 

 

- Yesterday, I included the number of players with 20 or more points for each team in the Mountain Division. Allen led the pack with 10. Allen actually has more 20+ point players than any team in the league (see below). Allen has 10 players with 20+ points, but five of the 10 have 30+ points. Here are the numbers of players with 30 or more points for each Mountain Division team:

• 6: Allen
• 4: Kansas City 
• 3: Tahoe
• 3: Wichita 
• 2: Idaho 
• 2: Rapid City
• 2: Utah 
• 0: Tulsa 

 

- Sam Sedley had an assist last night to continue his streak, which has reached nine straight games with a point. Sam also has assists in seven straight home games. Danny Katic has points in eight straight home games.

 

- An all-goalie game will take place before the Allen Americans game on March 14. Like the police vs fire game and college games, Allen Americans ticket holders can come early and watch this unique game, which is part of a two-day event. Here are the details. Thanks to the Schwitzgebels for sharing this: https://www.localprofile.com/lifestyle/goalies-only-a-new-kind-of-hockey-hits-allen-11806136 

 

DID YOU KNOW: Here are the number of players with 20 or more points for each ECHL team. Teams currently in playoff positions (by points percentage) are marked with an asterisk:

 

10: ALN*

9: TAH*

8: KC*, WOR

7: ATL*, FW*, NOR, REA*

6: BLM*, FLA*, SC*, UTA

5: CIN, IDH*, JAX, KAL, MNE*, ORL, RC, TOL*, WIC

4: SAV*, WHL*

3: GVL, IA, TR

2: ADK*, GSO, IND*, TUL

Allen vs Rapid City Series Preview, Tonight's Lineup, Ottawa Assigns Touré and Chiasson, Homestand Point Goal, Division's 20 Point Scorers and .700 Teams

 

 It has been a tough week for the Allen Americans. After two disappointing losses to the Idaho Steelheads on Friday (6-4) and Saturday (6-5 in OT), getting back to Texas turned into a nightmare. There have been many stories over the years about winter storms causing problems getting to games in Idaho and Utah. This time it was the reverse. The weather was good out west, but a disaster in Texas. Sunday flight cancelled, Monday flight cancelled. Tuesday finally headed home, but rather than being nonstop, the routing was Boise-Chicago-Dallas, and the scheduled time had the team arriving at DFW at 11:30 pm. After leaving Chicago and dealing with all the bags upon arriving at DFW, the team didn't return to the CUTX Event Center until early Wednesday morning.

 

- The team was able to get in a practice in Boise on Monday, and after a full practice yesterday, should be ready to go for another three-in-three starting tonight. Allen is 4-1-1-0 against Rapid City this season. Here are some comparison stats between Allen and Rapid City:

• Allen's record is 20-14-4-0 (.579), Rapid City's is 17-18-3-0 (.487). 
• Allen is 6-3-1-0 over the last 10 games, Rapid City is 4-5-1-0.
• Allen is 10-4-1-0 at home, Rapid City is 8-8-2-0 on the road.
• Allen's goal differential is +11 (138-127), Rapid City is -13 (116-129).
• Allen's team plus/minus is +13, Rapid City's is -48.
• Allen's team save percentage is .909, Rapid City's is .909.

 

- Here are more statistical comparisons between the two teams.

• Goals scored average: Allen (3.6) - Rapid City (3.1)
• Goals allowed average: Allen (3.3) - Rapid City (3.4)
• Shots for average: Allen (32.7) - Rapid City (31.5)
• Shots against average: Allen (36.7) - Rapid City (39.0)
• Power play percentage: Allen (20.9%) - Rapid City (13.2%)
• Penalty kill percentage: Allen (84.1%) - Rapid City (73.8%)

 

- Here are some other relevant stats to this series:

• Allen is the #4 ranked team in penalty minutes (550), Rapid City is ranked #22 with 428 minutes.
• Allen has scored first in 47% of games with a record of 13-2-3-0 (.806)
• Rapid City has also scored first in 47% of games with a record of 12-4-2-0 (.722).
• Allen has been involved in 6 overtime games with a record of 0-4 in OT and 2-0 in shootouts. 
• Rapid City has been involved in 8 overtime games with a record of 3-3 in OT and 2-0 in shootouts. 
• Allen is 14-0-1-0 when leading after the 2nd period, Rapid City is 10-1-3-0. 
• Allen is 3-11-1-0 when trailing after the 1st period, Rapid City is 2-13-1-0.
• Conclusions from these stats tell you Allen needs to stay out of the penalty box; the team that scores first has a big advantage, and Allen doesn't play well from behind, but is great with the lead. 

  

- Here are the head-to-head stats for the six games Allen has played against Rapid City this season.  

• Allen has outscored Rapid City 22-15.
• Allen has outshot Rapid City 226-222. 
• Allen is 4-23 (17.4%) on power play, Rapid City is 1-21 (4.8%).
• Allen took 30 penalties for 89 minutes, Rapid City took 30 penalties for 93 minutes.

 

- If you look at all the stats above, the one that stands out is Allen's advantage on special teams. Allen has the #4 ranked power play and #6 ranked penalty kill in the ECHL. Rapid City's power play and penalty kill are both ranked #29. Allen needs to capitalize on this advantage in this series. 

 

- The other key to this series is Allen getting back to playing better team defense. The Americans have lost three straight games, allowing a total of 17 goals (5,6,6) in the three losses. In the six games against Rapid City this season, Allen allowed 2,2,3,7,0,1 goals. No reason the Americans should allow more than three goals per game this weekend.

 

- Players to watch in this series:

• #29 Brayden Watts - 9 points (3G, 6A) in six games against Rapid City. 
• #18 Harrison Blaisdell - 5 goals in six games against Rapid City plus 6 game assist streak.
• #23 Sam Sedley - has at least one point in 8 straight games (12 points). 
• #13 Ryan Wagner - while no player on the Rush team has scored more than 2 goals in the six games against Allen, #13 Ryan Wagner is #4 in the league in points (40). 

 

 - The Allen lineup will have a different look. Brad Morrison has been traded to Bloomington for future considerations. Those futures will be for a specific player, and it won't be at the end of the season. In addition, two NHL contracted players (Djibril Touré & Jake Chiasson) have been assigned from Belleville to Allen by Ottawa. (See details below). Here is Allen's tentative lineup tonight.

 

Forwards

26 Asuchak - 29 Watts - 18 Blaisdell 

67 Crone - 7 Hargrove - 92 McAuley

9 Katic- 91 Gildon - 11 Chiasson

10 Spitserov - 19 Maxwell - 14 Gursoy

 

Defense

86 Anania - 40 Touré

8 Prefontaine - 23 Sedley

21 Decker - 22 Costantini

 

Goalies

32 Costantini

31 Parsons (backup)

 

 

- The game tonight will be a one-referee game. Emile Charron (#43) will call the game. The linesmen will be Will Anderson (#92) and Michael Miggans (#47).    

 

PLAYER PROFILES

- Djibril Touré

 

Djibril Touré

 

Ottawa reassigned defenseman Djbril Touré from Belleville to Allen yesterday. He is 6’7”, 210 pounds, a 22-year-old, right-shot defenseman from Dorval QC. Touré signed a three-year entry-level NHL contract in September 2023. He spent the 2023-24 season in the OHL with Sudbury and Windsor. Last season he split time between Belleville (36 games) and Orlando (24 games). Touré has played in 18 games in Belleville this season with two assists and 40 penalty minutes, which was #2 on the team in penalty minutes per game. Here are some comments from scouting reports:

"Skates incredibly well for someone who stands 6'7", showing the agility few other players have."

"Made a name for himself with a scrap that made him look like Zdeno Chara." 

"Touré is extremely difficult to play against. He is very aggressive physically. He will step up on you at the blueline. He will punish you below the goal line. He makes life difficult for forwards at the crease.

The one comment in many stories about Touré is that he is a big guy who didn't play in the OHL until he was older, he is a late bloomer with tons of potential. Quotes like his growth over the last two years has been remarkable, and he has shown consistent improvement in his game are commonplace.  

 

Here is a video to get to know Touré. The interview with Djibril starts at the 9:30 mark of this podcast:

 

  - Jake Chiasson 

Jake Chiasson

 

Ottawa reassigned forward Jake Chiasson from Belleville to Allen yesterday. He is a 6’2”, 187-pound, 22-year-old, right-shot forward from Abbotsford, B.C. Jake was the fourth round draft choice of the Edmonton Oilers (116 overall) in the 2021 NHL draft. He signed a three-year NHL entry-level contract commencing with the 2023-24 season. He spent his junior career in the WHL with Brandon Wheat Kings. In 174 WHL games, he totaled 111 points (40G, 71A). He spent the majority of his first pro season (2023-24) in the ECHL with Fort Wayne (68 games).

In July of 2024, Chiasson was traded to Ottawa in a multi-player deal. He spent last season (2024-25) splitting time between Belleville (19 games) and Orlando (20 games). He had no points in Belleville and seven (1G, 6A) in Orlando. 

This season, Jake has played in 20 games in Belleville before being assigned to Allen. He had one assist in the 20 games. 

Here is what the Belleville coach had to say about Chiasson when he was acquired: "He is a hockey player, he is a rink rat. He loves the game and knows the game. He is going to be a utility knife. He told me he can play all three forward positions. He knows what his identity is; he's a checker and energy guy. If he plays to his strength, he can be an asset."  

Here is Chiasson's exit interview from last season in Belleville:

 

   

OTHER COMMENTS

 - There are 13 games on the ECHL schedule tonight. Two Mountain Division teams are playing teams outside the division. Kansas City is in Iowa, trying to improve on its league-best winning streak (14 games) and league-best road record (13-1-1-1). Chad Costello and his Greenville Swamp Rabbits are in Utah to take on the Grizzlies. Here are the previews for all 13 games. https://echl.com/news/2026/01/echl-today-jan-30   

 

- Hopefully posting this list will be a good luck charm tonight with lots of scoring. Allen players with 10 or more points in the last 10 games:

• 16 points (4G, 12A) - Hargrove  
• 15 points (3G, 12A) - Crone   
• 14 points (5G, 9A) - Watts      
• 13 points (3G, 10A) - Sedley     
• 11 points (1G, 10A) - Blaisdell  
• 10 points (8G, 2A) - McAuley
• 10 points (8G, 2A) - Katic 

 

- The Allen Americans are in the midst of a seven-game home streak with, trying to erase a three-game losing streak. These seven home games are against teams with point percentages lower than Allen's (.579). The Americans should be favored in every game. Here are the opponents' points percentage: 

• .487 - Rapid City (3 games)
• .405 - Norfolk (3 games)
• .527 - Wichita (1 game)

If Allen is going to compete with the top three teams in the Mountain Division, 10 points should be the minimum goal on this home stand.

 

- Allen's strength in the last couple of months has been its balanced scoring and lots of it. The Americans now have 10 players with 20 or more points: How does that compare with the other Mountain Division teams? Here are the number of 20+ point scorers for each team:

• 10 - Allen
• 9 - Tahoe 
• 8 - Kansas City 
• 5 - Idaho
• 5 - Utah 
• 5 - Wichita 
• 4 - Rapid City 
• 2 - Tulsa   

Allen Loses 5th Straight to Idaho, Game Recaps, Video Highlights, Martinson Comments, Streaks, Stats, Attendance Update and More

 

The good news is Allen managed to earn a point in Idaho last night. The bad news is the Americans lost 6-5 just 20 seconds into overtime. Here is how bad the weekend went for the Americans in Boise:

• Allen lost twice and has still not beaten Idaho this season, 5 straight losses.
• Allen has lost three straight games for the first time since November 21.
• Allen gave up 12 goals in the two games in Idaho.
• Allen had a total of two power play opportunities, went 0-2, and allowed a shorthanded goal.  
• Allen's great penalty kill faltered, with a 50% penalty kill, giving up three goals in six attempts.
• To add insult to injury, the team's flight home was cancelled. They won't leave Boise until Monday afternoon.

 

- Despite the loss, there were some positives out of the game last night. 

• Allen scored five goals.
• Allen scored the first goal of the game. 
• Allen led 1-0 after the first period.
• Allen scored 23 seconds after Idaho took a 2-1 lead in the second period.
• Allen led 3-2 after the second period.
• Allen scored to tie the score 5-5 late in the third period, 19 seconds after Idaho took the lead. 
• Allen earned one point.

 

- Goal scorers for Allen were Spencer Asuchak (9), Hank Crone (10), Michael Gildon (10, 11), and Colby McAuley (14). Colton Hargrove had two assists in the game. Here are the video highlights: https://echl.com/videos/allen-americans-vs-idaho-steelheads-jan-24-2026

 

- Here is the goal-by-goal game recap from both teams:

• Allen Americans - "Americans Earn a Point in OT Loss" - https://allenamericans.com/news/2026/01/americans-earn-a-point-in-ot-loss 
• Idaho Steelheads - "Pearson's OT Goal Lifts Steelheads to 6-5 Win Over Americans" - https://idahosteelheads.com/news/2026/01/pearsons-ot-goal-lifts-steelheads-to-6-5-win-over-americans 

 

- Next up for the Americans are seven straight home games, starting with a 3-in-3 against Rapid City on Friday. Saturday and Sunday. The following week, Norfolk visits the CUTX Event Center on February 4, 6, and 7. This will be a chance for Allen to get back on the winning track.

 

- I had a chance to talk to Coach Martinson this morning. He is spending the day putting video together to use at practice when the team returns, and also videos of penalties that weren't called. Here are some of his thoughts:

"We score plenty of goals to win games. It is hard for a coach to produce more offense, but we have that covered. It is our defensive play that is killing us. There are no excuses for some of the defensive lapses we have."  

"I know we have a core group of guys that can win in the playoffs. I know I have to add some guys to make us stronger, but we also need the guys who are creating offense to be better defensively. And you can't say I will do it in the playoffs, we have to do it now."

"Our defensive play cost us three points this weekend. Guys we are counting on need to be better defensively. If we are going to have success defensively, it has to be led by our established players."

 

OTHER COMMENTS

- Some streaks continued last night:

• Overall Player Streaks 
• Hank Crone - six-game assist streak.
• Harrison Blaisdell - six-game assist streak.
• Sam Sedley - eight-game point streak.

• Road Player Streaks
• Hank Crone - seven-game assist streak.
• Harrison Blaisdell - six-game assist streak.
• Hank Crone - seven-game point streak.

• Home Player Streaks
• Sam Sedley - six-game assist streak.
• Danny Katic - seven-game point streak.
• Colby McAuley - seven-game point streak. 

 

- Allen players with 10 or more points in the last 10 games:

• 16 points (4G, 12A) - Hargrove  
• 15 points (3G, 12A) - Crone   
• 14 points (5G, 9A) - Watts      
• 13 points (3G, 10A) - Sedley     
• 11 points (1G, 10A) - Blaisdell  
• 10 points (8G, 2A) - McAuley
• 10 points (8G, 2A) - Katic 

 

-  Andre Anania led Allen last night with a +3. Here is the updated list of leaders in plus/minus:

• +13 - Sam Sedley
• +11 - Andre Anania
• +8 - Colton Hargrove
• +7 - Ty Prefontaine
• +7 - Danny Katic
• +7 - Michael Gildon 

As a team, Allen's plus/minus is +13. These six players are a combined +53.

 

 

DID YOU KNOW:  Here is the average attendance change from last season to this season for each ECHL team.

Keep in mind the 2025-26 season is only 50% complete, and averages typically go up in the last half of the season. Also, remember that teams that sell out a lot will never show big year-over-year attendance increases

.

The six teams averaging over 7000 per game in 2025-26 are marked with an asterisk:

 

+474: Greenville

+430: Allen

+407: Wichita

+399: Cincinnati*

+378: Orlando

+295: Atlanta

+171: Tahoe

+142: Bloomington

+85: Kansas City

+36: Norfolk

+16: Rapid City

+16: Toledo*

0: Savannah*

-14: Jacksonville*

-24: Maine

-59: Idaho

-136: Adirondack

-152: ECHL Average

-194: Iowa

-194: Wheeling

-284: South Carolina

-309: Worcester

-373: Florida

-486: Trois Rivières

-538: Fort Wayne*

-551: Reading

-552: Tulsa*

-763: Indy

-894: Kalamazoo

-959: Utah

 

  

 

 

Late Christmas Gifts Spell Defeat, Game Recaps, Video Highlights, Martinson Comments, Tonight's Preview and Lineup, ECHL Shorthanded Goal Stats and More

 

Allen lost to Idaho 6-4 last night. To say a slow start cost the Americans a win last night is a big understatement. Idaho scored twice in the first 75 seconds of the game, added a third at the 8:38 mark, and sealed Allen's fate. The Steelheads started the game with an 8-1 shot advantage.

 

- To the Americans' credit, they did fight back and had a realistic shot to win the game. Allen cut the score to 3-2 just 41 seconds into the second period, but surrendered a short-handed goal 36 seconds later to give Idaho its two-goal lead back, 4-2.

 

- Allen wasn't done with the comeback. The Americans scored two goals in less than a minute in the third period (13:39 & 14:29) to tie the score 4-4. Once again, it didn't take long for Idaho to respond. Less than two minutes later (16:25), the Steelheads scored the game-winner. An empty net goal with one second remaining in the game made the final score 6-4. 

 

- Other than the first eight minutes of the game, the Americans outscored Idaho (4-2) and outshot them (34-27). The even-strength puck possession percentages favored Allen in the final two periods:

• 1st period - 50% to 50%  
• 2nd period - 53% to 47% 
• 3rd period - 55% to 45% 

 

- Special teams often are the difference maker, and that was the case last night. There weren't many power plays, but the advantage went to Idaho. The Steelheads were 1-2 on the power play and scored a shorthanded goal on Allen's lone power play opportunity. 

 

- Goal scorers for Allen were Sedley (5), McAuley (13), Hargrove (9), and Prefontaine (4). Blaisdell, Crone, and Watts each had two assists. Here are the video highlights: https://echl.com/videos/allen-americans-vs-idaho-steelheads-jan-23-2026   

 

- Here are the game recaps from both teams with the goal-by-goal descriptions: 

• Allen Americans - "Americans Fall Short in Idaho" - https://allenamericans.com/news/2026/01/americans-fall-short-in-idaho 
• Idaho Steelheads - "Steelheads Stave Off Americans in 6-4 Triumph" - https://idahosteelheads.com/news/2026/01/steelheads-stave-off-americans-in-6-4-triumph 

 

 TONIGHT'S PREVIEW

- It won't take much for Allen to turn things around tonight and come away with a win. They gave up three early goals, a power-play goal, a short-handed goal, and an empty-net goal last night. A better start and winning the special teams battle are all that is needed, plus tightening up on some of the defensive breakdowns.  

 

- The referee tonight will be the same as last night, #47 Ian Rapp. Based on last night, where he for the most part let the players play, you might expect the same tonight. He only called five penalties, and two were coincidental minors for roughing. 

 

- Here is the lineup for tonight. The only change from last night is that Parsons will start in goal: 

Forwards

92 McAuley - 7 Hargrove - 67 Crone

26 Asuchak - 29 Watts - 18 Blaisdell

14 Gursoy - 91 Gildon - 9 Katic

10 Spitserov - 19 Maxwell - 77 Morrison

 

Defense

86 Anania - 22 Costantini 

8 Prefontaine - 23 Sedley

21 Decker - 2 Warmuth

 

Goalies

31 Parsons

32 Tendeck (backup)

 

 

 

STEVE MARTINSON'S COMMENTS

 

"The game was frustrating all the way around. Special teams, a 3-0 start, and weak defensive plays. We gave them four late Christmas gifts in that game."

 

"We had momentum after making the score 3-2 with a power play, and gave up a shorthanded goal."  

 

"We tied the game 4-4 and then gave up a soft goal."

 

"You have to take the positives from the game. We came back to tie the score after falling behind 3-0 and could have won the game."  

 

"I will pull some video of the defensive breakdowns and show the guys. There is no reason we can't win game two tonight."  

 

  

 

OTHER COMMENTS

- Idaho has owned Allen for the last few years. You have to go back to Steve Martison's final year in Allen in 2021-22 to find a winning record against Idaho (6-1-1-0). If you look at the regular season, the Americans have now lost 13 straight games to Idaho:

• 2025-26 - Idaho is 4-0-0-0 against Allen
• 2024-25 - Idaho was 6-0-0-0 against Allen
• 2023-24 - Idaho won its last three games against Allen

 

- Here is Allen's record against Idaho in each of the last five seasons:

• 0-3-1-0: 2025-26 
• 0-6-0-0: 2024-25
• 3-7-1-0: 2023-24
• 0-8-0-0: 2022-23
• 6-1-1-0: 2021-22

 

- Even with the loss last night, the Americans are still solidly in fourth place in the Mountain Division. Here are the standings by points percentage, with points in parentheses:

• .784 - Kansas City (58 points)
• .671 - Idaho (51 points) 
• .603 - Tahoe (47 points)
• .581 - Allen (43 points)
• .500 - Wichita (35 points) 
• .486 - Rapid City (35 points)
• .419 - Utah (31 points)
• .343 - Tulsa (24 points) 

 

- Kansas City has now won 13 straight games and leads the ECHL in points percentage (.784) and points (58). As they have done for the last three seasons, the Mavericks lead the league in road record. Kansas City's road points percentage is .875 (13-1-1-1), which is higher than any home points percentage in the league.

 

- It is another busy night in the ECHL with 13 games on the schedule. After tonight, all but five teams will have completed 50% or more of the season. Here is the ECHL Today with all of the previews: https://echl.com/news/2026/01/echl-today-jan-24  

 

- Last night, Ty Prefontaine scored his fourth goal since joining Allen 11 games ago and was a +3. He has already cracked the top five in plus/minus:

• +13 - Sam Sedley
• +8 - Andre Anania
• +7 - Colton Hargrove
• +6 - Ty Prefontaine
• +6 - Danny Katic

 

- DID YOU KNOW: Here is some info on shorthanded goals:

Shorthanded goals can change momentum in a game. Here are the net shorthanded goals (shorties scored minus allowed) for each ECHL team. Toledo has scored 12 shorthanded goals and allowed none to led the pack. 

 

+12: TOL

+6: ATL, SAV

+5: GSO, KC

+3: TAH, GVL

+2: WOR, FLA, CIN, NOR, REA

+1: WHL, UTA

0: JAX

-1: WIC, TUL, TR

-2: KAL, MNE, FW

-3: BLM, IDH, RC

-4: IA, ALN, ADK

-6: IND, ORL

-7: SC

 

Toledo is on pace for one of the highest shorthanded goal totals in ECHL history. The Walleye have 12 shorthanded goals in half a season. Here are the all-time leaders. Note the last time a team joined this list was 2006-07:

 

24 - Louisiana, 1998-99

22 - South Carolina, 2006-07

22 - Jacksonville, 1995-96

22 - Johnstown, 1992-93

21 - Florida, 2006-07

21 - Fresno, 2006-07

21 - Richmond, 1998-99

 

Allen vs Idaho Series Preview, Tonight's Lineup, CBA Dates, Shootouts Increasing, Mountain Division Shoots A Lot, Allows A Lot and More

 

The Allen Americans left for Boise, Idaho, yesterday for arguably the most important two games of the season thus far. I say that because, thus far, the Americans have not shown they can compete with the top three teams in the Mountain Division, Kansas City, Idaho, and Tahoe. 

Here is Allen's record against the top three this season:

• 0-3-0-0: Kansas City
• 0-2-1-0: Idaho
• 1-2-0-0: Tahoe
• 1-7-1-0: TOTAL

 

- The Americans are much better than when they were swept by Idaho in November. Allen has won 12 of its last 16 games. However, three of the four losses during these 16 games were against Kansas City (1) and Tahoe (2). The Americans must come away from this two-game series with a minimum of two points to demonstrate they can now compete with the top teams.

 

- Here are some comparison stats between Allen and Wichita:

• Allen's record is 20-13-3-0 (.597), Idaho's is 23-11-3-0 (.662). 
• Allen is 7-3-0-0 over the last 10 games, Idaho is 6-4-0-0.
• Allen is 10-9-2-0 on the road, Idaho is 13-7-0-0 at home.
• Allen's goal differential is +14 (129-115), Idaho's is +19 (135-116).
• Allen's team plus/minus is +12, Idaho's is +90.
• Allen's team save percentage is .913, Idaho's is .902.

 

- Here are more statistical comparisons between the two teams.

• Goals scored average: Allen (3.6) - Idaho (3.6)
• Goals allowed average: Allen (3.2) - Idaho (3.1)
• Shots for average: Allen (32.5) - Idaho (35.1)
• Shots against average: Allen (36.7) - Idaho (32.1)
• Power play percentage: Allen (21.2%) - Idaho (17.7%)
• Penalty kill percentage: Allen (85.6%) - Idaho (80.0%

 

- Here are some other relevant stats to this series:

• Allen is the #4 ranked team in penalty minutes (534), Idaho is ranked #2 with 591 minutes.
• Allen has scored first in 47% of games with a record of 13-2-2-0 (.824).
• Idaho has scored first in 51% of games with a record of 15-3-1--0 (.688).
• Allen has been involved in 5 overtime games with a record of 0-3 in OT and 2-0 in shootouts. 
• Idaho has been involved in 7 overtime games with a record of 2-3 in OT and 2-0 in shootouts. 
• Allen is 14-0-0-0 when leading after the 2nd period, Idaho is 14-0-1-0. 
• Allen is 3-10-1-0 when trailing after the 1st period,  Idaho is 4-9-0-0.
• Conclusions from these stats tell you that the team that scores first has a big advantage, and neither team plays well from behind.  

 

- Special teams, as always, will be key against Idaho. Allen has the #4 ranked power play and #5 ranked penalty kill in the league. Idaho is ranked #19 on the power play and #20 on the penalty kill. If the Americans can win the special teams battle, it will go a long way to earning points in this series. The Americans have scored at least one power play goal in 14 of their last 15 games. 

 

- Four players are not with the team in Idaho. Trevor LeDonne and Braidan Simmons-Fischer are still on injured reserve. Goalie Marco Costantini and defenseman Mike Greco stayed home. Quinn Warmuth, who missed the last five games, and Chase Maxwell, who missed the last six games, will be available and are in the lineup tonight. Here is the lineup:

 Forwards

92 McAuley - 7 Hargrove - 67 Crone

26 Asuchak - 29 Watts - 18 Blaisdell

14 Gursoy - 91 Gildon - 9 Katic

10 Spitserov - 19 Maxwell - 77 Morrison

 

Defense

86 Anania - 22 Costantini 

8 Prefontaine - 23 Sedley

21 Decker - 2 Warmuth

 

Goalies

32 Tendeck

31 Parsons (backup)

 

 

- If you are looking for the Allen players to watch in Idaho, look no further than these six players, who are averaging over a point per game in the last 15 games.

• 19 points (13G, 6A) - Katic (1.27) 
• 19 points (7G, 12A) - Watts (1.27)  
• 18 points (5G, 13A) - Hargrove (1.20)   
• 18 points (3G, 15A) - Sedley (1.20)    
• 18 points (3G, 15A) - Crone (1.20) 
• 17 points (9G, 8A) - McAuley (1.13) 

In the three head-to-head games in November, Allen's leaders were Hank Crone (1G, 3A), Michael Gildon (2G, 1A), and Sam Sedley (0G, 2A).

 

- Players to watch for Idaho include #9 Brendon Hoffmann. The 6'3" 223-pound forward leads the league with 21 goals, and #17 Ty Pelton-Byce, who leads Idaho with 15 assists. 

 

- The game tonight will be a one-referee game. The referee will be Ian Rapp (#47). I have no record of Rapp ever refereeing an Allen Americans game.

 

OTHER COMMENTS

- Here are some streaks that could be extended tonight;

• Hank Crone has a four-game assist streak.
• Harrison Blasidell has a four-game assist streak.
• Sam Sedley has a six-game point streak. 
• Hank Crone has a five-game road assist streak 
• Harrison Blaisdell has a four-game road assist streak.

 

- There are 14 games on the ECHL schedule tonight. Feature games between top teams include Atlanta at South Carolina and Tahoe at Kansas City. Here is ECHL Today, with reviews of all 14 games. https://echl.com/news/2026/01/echl-today-jan-23

 

 

- The AHL and the PHPA have ratified their new collective bargaining agreement (CBA). Details have not been made public. The new ECHL/PHPA CBA has not been made public as well. Here are the time frames of the CBAs:

• NHL CBA - effective September 16, 2026, through September 15, 2030 (four years)
• AHL CBA -  ratified January 21, effective through August 31, 2030 (5 years).
• ECHL CBA - ratified on December 30, effective through June 30, 2030 (5 years). 

  

 

- The number of ECHL shootouts has increased substantially over the last three seasons and is on pace to do so again in 2025-26. Many hockey purists describe shootouts as a skills competition, not hockey.

It’s time to look at changing overtime rules to decrease the number of shootouts. Here are the number of ECHL shootouts the last three seasons:

 

110: 2024-25

91: 2023-24

74: 2022-23

 

Possible rule changes:

1. Create an over-and-back rule similar to basketball using the redline to avoid regrouping. Once a team crosses the redline, they cannot go back over it with possession.

2. Extend the length of the overtime period to 10 minutes.

3. Escalating player reduction. Go from 3-on-3 to 2-on-2 after five minutes of overtime.

4. Shot clock/ possession limit - take a shot within a set time, 30-45 seconds.

 

Your thoughts?

 

 

DID YOU KNOW: Here is the ECHL Stats post from today. FYI, Allen is #7 in the league in average shots per game (32.47) and #28 in average shots allowed (36.69). 

 

The Mountain Division has always been elite at generating shots and equally elite at allowing them. Case in point:

 

- Six of the top seven ECHL teams in average shots for are from the Mountain Division (Idaho, Kansas City, Wichita, Utah, Tulsa, Allen).

 

- The bottom five teams in shots allowed are from the Mountain Division (Rapid City, Tahoe, Allen, Tulsa, Wichita).

 

- There is only one Mountain Division team (Kansas City) in the top 19 in average goals allowed. 

 

- The Mountain Division has the #1 team in average goals scored (Tahoe - 3.66) and the #30 team in average goals allowed (Tulsa -3.86).

 

- The Mountain Division has the #1 team in average shots for (Idaho - 35.11) and the #30 team in average shots allowed (Rapid City - 39.23).

  

  

All-Star Game Recap, Riley Gill Enters Hall of Fame, Phil Pritchard - The Keeper of the Stanley Cup and More

 

The ECHL All-Star game last night was one for the ages. If you like seeing lots of goals, it was the game for you. The Stripes team defeated the Stars team 17-12 to blow away the all-time record for combined goals, which was 19. 

 

- There was a lot of entertainment, great stick handling, slick passes, and filthy goals, but for hockey purists, it was a three-quarters speed, defense optional, no backchecking allowed, goalies on their own, pure offense showcase.  

 

- I won't bore you with all of the details, but here are some of the highlights:

• Allen players scored the first five goals in the game: Crone, Sedley, Asuchak (2), McAuley.
• Of the Allen players, Colton Hargrove, captain of the winning Stripes team, led with four points (2G, 2A).
• Brayden Watts was the top Allen scorer on the Stars team with four points (1G, 3A).
• Brannon McManus, the game's MVP, had a hat trick plus two assists for the winning Stripes team.
• Brandon Hawkins was the leading scorer for the Stars team with five points and a hat trick.
• Allen players finished #1 and #2 in the fastest skater skills event. Harrison won with a time of 13.81, and Brad Morrison finished second with a time of 13.81. 
• Danny Katic finished second in the shooting accuracy event with a time of 13.9 seconds.

 

- You can count Coach Martinson in the category of those who found the game boring. He understands an All-Star game is different, but what bothered him was the players not skating. He implored them to skate. He felt so strongly about this after the second period that he put all the cash he had in his wallet ($50) on the table for the player who scored the winning goal. His Stripes team outscored the Stars team 8-1 in the third period to win the game 17-12. 

 

- The Stripes' comeback win might have had more to do with their third-period goalie than Martinson putting up the $50. Goalies never get recognition in these shooting gallery types of games.  However, Will Cranley from the Florida Everblades was beyond outstanding in the third period for the Stripes team.  He stopped 15 of 16 shots, and they were all grade "A" chances, many at point-blank range. Here are the save percentages for the six goalies last night. You can see how extraordinary Cranley's performance was:  

• .938 - Cranley
• .765
• .750
• .696
• .688
• .600

 

- A sold-out crowd watched Riley Gill enter the ECHL Hall of Fame at a luncheon before the All-Star game yesterday. There was a big contingent of Allen fans at the luncheon to honor Riley. His stats speak for themselves, and he excelled in the playoffs. He won three Kelly Cups in four years (2013, 2015, 2016). He is #1 all-time in playoff games (90) and #2 in playoff wins (53). His regular season stats include #6 all-time in wins and #3 in shutouts. When you consider that over 900 goalies have played in the ECHL you can see the extent of his accomplishments. 

Here is a sample of what Riley shared with the audience. He thanked his pro coaches and had a story to tell about each of them, but it was his introspection on his career and love for his family that struck me: 

"It is an incredible honor to stand here today as a member of the ECHL Hall of Fame. I am honored to be here and join such a distinguished group of players, coaches, and builders of the league. It is truly humbling."

"This isn't anything I could have imagined when I first laced up my skates as a young kid in Northfield, Minnesota." 

"I have been lucky enough to live out my dream in a league that taught me so much, not just about hockey, but about life, hard work, and resilience."

"To my wife Angie, you mean more to me than words could ever express. Thank you for being the backbone of our family, taking care of our kids when I was on the road, and being the guidance I needed throughout those tough years."

"Thank you to our three boys, Jackson (10), Hudson (7), and Sutton (11 months). They keep us on our toes with hockey, baseball, football, golf, fishing, and hunting, but we love every minute of it."

"To my parents, Tom and Virginia, it seems like yesterday I was still playing high school hockey in Minnesota. Thank you for the love, support, and sacrifices you made that allowed me to play hockey. I will be forever grateful to you."

"To my brother Brent, thank you for kicking my butt in karate and taekwondo. You made me a tougher man, and I thank you for that."

"For those that don't know my story, my career ended when I was stretchered off the ice with a head injury (2017), and I never put the pads on again. While that was an extremely difficult time in my life, it opened the door to my next chapter. I now run my own Construction Company in the Dallas area, built on the knowledge, work ethic, and experience passed down by my dad, who was a custom home builder back in Minnesota."

"Hockey has given me more than I ever imagined. The ECHL gave me a chance to chase my dreams, win championships, and create friendships that will last forever. Thank you to the ECHL and everyone who has been a part of this journey. I am proud of what I have accomplished and honored to forever be part of this league's history." People ask me all of the time if I miss the game, and the answer is yes, but what I miss most is all of the little things that happened along the way. Thank you! 

 

The Gill Family

  - One of the things I did at the Fan Fest on Sunday was get a photo with the Stanley Cup. I post it here not because of me, but because I took the photo with Phil Pritchard, the famed "Keeper of the Cup." I am sure many of you know his story, but if you don't, check out the videos below the photo. The first is Phil arriving at the CUTX Event Center with the Stanley Cup, greeted by ECHL Commissioner Ryan Crelin. The second video is Paul's history with the Stanley Cup, in his own words, dating back to 1988:

 

 

 

 

   

 

DID YOU KNOW: The ECHL All-Star game last night was one for the record books. A total of 29 goals shattered the all-time record for combined goals, which was 19 set in 2010. Here are the records for the most combined goals in an All-Star game by league:

 

ECHL - 2026

29 goals

17-12

 

AHL - 2015

26 goals

14-12

 

NHL - 2015

29 goals

17-12

 

Award winners from the ECHL All-Star game last night:

 

MVP - Brannon McManus (Adirondack), 3 goals, 2 assists

Fastest Skater - Harrison Blaisdell (Allen), 13.58 seconds

Hardest Shot - Charles Martin (Trois Rivières) 94 MPH

Accuracy Shooting - McManus, 10.5 seconds

 

 

Win Streak Snapped, Game Recap, Unusual Hat Trick, All-Star Weekend and More

 

The Tulsa Oilers snapped the Allen Americans' six-game winning streak last night, with a come-from-behind 5-2 victory. Two empty net goals made the score look more one-sided than it was. The game started just like Friday night, with no scoring in the first period, and Allen scoring the first goal in the second period. Brayden Watts scored his 16th goal of the season to give Allen the lead. Unlike Friday night, Tulsa tied the score at 16:29 of the second period, and the teams went into the intermission tied 1-1.   

 

- When Allen took a 2-1 lead on the power play at the 7:23 mark of the third period on Sam Sedley's fourth goal of the season, it looked like Allen was headed for a win. The Americans have been rock solid when leading in the third period. FYI, Sedley's goal was his 19th power play point, which leads the ECHL.

 

- Tulsa got life, scoring the tying goal on a mistake by Jackson Parsons. He went behind the net to clear the puck, lost it, and could not get back before Tulsa put the puck in the net. A couple of minutes later, a defensive breakdown allowed Tulsa to take the lead. Allen pulled Parsons to try to tie up the game, which resulted in two empty net goals.

 

- It was a disappointing end to Allen's win streak. The official stats show Allen was 1-4 on the power play, but Allen had plenty of missed opportunities. The Americans started the second period with a two-minute power play, added a four-minute power play at 5:35, and another two minutes at 6:36. With all that power play time, including two minutes of 5-on-3, Allen was held scoreless.  In the third period, Allen got another four-minute power play, took a penalty to negate two of the four minutes, but still couldn't score. 

 

- Here are the game recaps:

• Allen Americans - "Americans Six Game Winning Streak Halted" -https://allenamericans.com/news/2026/01/game-recap-americans-six-game-winning-streak-halted 
• Tulsa Oilers - - Cade McNelly Nets 1st, 2nd, 3rd Pro Goals to Power Tulsa Past Americans" - https://tulsaoilers.com/news/2026/01/cade-mcnelly-nets-first-second-and-third-professional-goals-as-his-hat-trick-powers-oilers-past-americans 

 

- Tulsa defenseman Cade McNelly beat Allen single-handedly last night with a hat trick, according to the Tulsa press release recapping the game. Before last night, McNelly had played 58 professional games, all in Tulsa, and had zero goals. He led Tulsa in penalty minutes per game last year and is second this season. He is a tough guy who doesn't score but fights. Before his three goals last night, McNelly had zero points in 24 games, but he has already had six fights this season, four against Allen. He has fought Murray, Morrison, and Simmons-Fischer twice. It is a kick in the butt to get beaten by a player who had never scored a pro goal. It shows you how hard work, some luck, and will over skill can make a difference.   

 

- The Americans bused back to Allen after the game last night and will be busy with All-Star activities and the game today and tomorrow. The official All-Star break is next Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday (20-22). The Americans will not take these days off. Allen will take their three-day break later in the season. Steve Martinson has always had that agreement with the players. They just had a bunch of days off with the Christmas break, plus the strike, so giving the players three days off later in the season when they need to rest makes a lot of sense.  

 

- The Americans will play only two official games between today and their next home game on January 30, when they start a three-game series against Rapid City. Allen visits Idaho for two games next week on Friday and Saturday. It will be a big test for the resurgent Americans, who have won 12 of their last 16 games. Remember, dating back to last season, Allen has lost nine straight games to Idaho. At a minimum, Allen needs to split this two-game series to show they can now compete with the top three teams in the Division (Kansas City, Idaho, Tahoe). Thus far, the top three teams' record against Allen is 8-1-0-0.

 

-  Here is the update of point-per-game scorers over the past 15 games:

• 19 points (13G, 6A) - Katic (1.27) 
• 19 points (7G, 12A) - Watts (1.27)  
• 18 points (5G, 13A) - Hargrove (1.20)   
• 18 points (3G, 15A) - Sedley (1.20)    
• 18 points (3G, 15A) - Crone (1.20) 
• 17 points (9G, 8A) - McAuley (1.13) 

 

 

OTHER COMMENTS

- Allen lost ground to a couple of the Mountain Division leaders last night. Kansas City and Tahoe won while Idaho lost. Here are the updated standings: 

• .771 - Kansas City (54 points)
• .662 - Idaho (49 points 
• .618 - Tahoe (47 points)
• .597 - Allen (43 points)
• .500 - Rapid City (35 points)
• .500 - Wichita (35 points)
• .414 - Utah (29 points)
• .343 - Tulsa (24 points) 

 

- Allen's power play could have scored more last night, but it went 1-4 and improved the power play percentage to 21.2%. The Americans have a power play goal in 14 of the last 15 games. In the last five games, the Americans have scored eight power-play goals. 

 

- The Americans are idle today on a light Sunday ECHL schedule. Only six games are being played this afternoon, one in the Mountain Division (Kansas City at Utah). Here are the previews: https://echl.com/news/2026/01/echl-today-jan-18 

 

- I have never understood why the ECHL schedules regular-season games on the same day as the All-Star game. I will try to get the commissioner's take on the history and reasoning behind this. Here are the games scheduled tomorrow:

• Jacksonville at Orlando
• Greensboro at Reading
• Greenville at Atlanta
• Kalamazoo at Cincinnati

 

- The Hall of Fame Luncheon tomorrow is sold out. I hope to see a lot of Allen fans in attendance to honor Riley Gill as he enters the Hall of Fame. I will have a full report on Tuesday.

 

DID YOU KNOW: Here is the ECHL Stats post from today. I was trying to point out that a lot of top players don't make the All-Star team because there is a player selected from each team. I doubt it will ever happen, but it would be great to have the best players from each conference meet in an All-Star game. I am sure cost would be a major factor in selecting twice as many All-Stars. Anyway, here is how the players originally selected, and the replacement players currently rank by points/save percentage:

Since each ECHL team is represented on the All-Star team, where the selectees rank among all of their peers vary widely. A player could lead his team in points, but be ranked way down the list compared to all the other players. 

 

Here is where the All-Star players are ranked. For example, the top two goalies in save percentage did not make the All-Star team, but the 29th-ranked goalie did. Numbers are repeated on the forwards list because players were tied in points.

 

Goalies - Save percentage

3, 4, 6, 10, 13, 29

  

Defensemen - Points

1, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 15, 17, 23

 

Forwards - Points

1, 3, 3, 8, 8, 12, 12, 15, 17, 25, 33, 42, 58, 70, 70, 79, 121, 121