Thank You, Thank You, Thank You - The Turnaround Season

 The Allen Americans’ season came to an end at home a week ago, with a 5-3 loss to Kansas City before the second-largest crowd of the season, 6146. It wasn’t the ending Allen Americans fans were hoping for. The series was a lot closer than the 4-0 sweep might indicate.

- Here are a few things to remember about the 2025-26 season:

• Steve Martinson returned to Allen and engineered an immediate turnaround. From a last-place 43 points in the division in 2024-25, Allen finished in second place under Coach Martinson in 2025-26 with 92 points. The 49-point turnaround is the fourth largest in the 38-year history of the ECHL. 
• Allen finished the regular season on a 12-game point streak (11-0-1-0). The Americans beat Kansas City 2-1 in overtime in the last game of the season to pass Idaho for second place and earned home ice advantage for the first round of the playoffs, which they won, beating Idaho 4-1.
• Allen lost in the Division finals to the #1 team in the league, Kansas City. Another way to express this is that only four of the 30 ECHL teams advanced further in the playoffs than the Americans. Kansas City is now playing in the Conference Finals and is still unbeaten (9-0-0). 
• Coach Martinson is set up much better for 2026-27. Having the #1 offense in the ECHL will pay big dividends in recruiting, as will the improved help expected to come from the affiliation with Ottawa/Belleville.

- The blog will take a short offseason break, but the blog never really sleeps. I will continue posting on an as-needed basis whenever there is news to report. I interviewed Coach Martinson this morning about the just-completed season, and General Manager Martinson about the 2026-27 season. I will get that posted in the next couple of days.    

- There are so many people to thank for helping make this blog possible. Writing about the team almost every day throughout the season is a major undertaking, and it truly takes a village. Over the years, more and more readers have contributed with story ideas, information, questions, and words of encouragement. . It is hard to put into words how much I appreciate everyone, whether you read the blog every day or are a casual fan who occasionally stops by to read my daily musings. I have had the pleasure of meeting many of you over the years, and your support through personal conversations, blog comments, social media, message boards, emails, and texts has been both inspiring and deeply rewarding. Thank you to all of the readers for your support and for being such a big part of the blog. 

- Since Steve Martinson first came to Allen in 2012, he has been an invaluable part of this blog through his honesty, accessibility, and trust. Fans who attend his post-game chats after every game can attest to this. Martinson is always willing to take a call, answer a question, or provide background or perspective at almost any time of the day. The working relationship we have built over the years has grown into something far more meaningful, and I will always appreciate the respect, confidence, and countless conversations we have shared along the way.  

 

- I always feel welcome in the coach's office after practices and games. A chance to talk in-depth to all of the coaches in addition to Martinson;  assistant coaches Matt Register and Jason Deitsch, and goalie coach Chris Johansen. They have all helped me and educated me, and I thank them for that.    

 

- Thanks to head athletic trainer Jordan Dutton and head equipment manager Matt Miletich for always taking the time to give me updates at practice and responding to my numerous text messages. Thanks also to the players who have never said no to a single request I have made of them for a chat, an interview, or a question. 

 

- A special thanks to team president Jonny Mydra and the entire front office staff for their support throughout the season. Jonny always reaches out with information, helping publicize the blog and making himself available whenever needed. Whether it is early in the morning when I am writing the blog or late at night when I am planning the blog. It is nice to know the president of the team supports and reads the blog and lets me know it is appreciated.  

 

- As almost everyone knows, the blog is a labor of love for me, not a business. Tommy Daniels deserves the credit or blame for the blog, as he encouraged me to write about the team because I attended so many practices. Tommy has been a great help over the years. The only reason for the blog's existence is to share stats and information about the Allen Americans with an insider's perspective. Providing information that is hard to get elsewhere. From a meager start in 2012, the blog has reached over five million page views, and the number of blogs published is approaching 3000. The blog reaches people all over the US and Canada, as well as the hockey hotbeds in Europe. It proves fans of the Allen Americans are all over the world.

DID YOU KNOW: I always end the last blog of the season with this list. Lots of memories, good and bad, when you look at the games on this list. If you consider that only one team has the pleasure of winning the last game of the season each year, Allen fans are fortunate to have had that experience four times, and they all happened at home. Here is the date of the last game played in each season of the Allen Americans franchise, along with the results.

• May 4, 2010: 4-3 loss at Rapid City in the CHL Presidents' Cup finals
• May 8, 2011: 5-3 loss at Bossier-Shreveport in the CHL Berry Conference finals
• April 10, 2012: 4-2 loss at Texas Brahmas in the CHL Berry Conference semi-finals 
• May 11, 2013: 4-3 OT home win over Wichita in the CHL Presidents' Cup finals
• May 10, 2014: 5-2 home win over Denver in the CHL Presidents' Cup finals
• June 14, 2015: 6-1 home win over South Carolina in the Kelly Cup finals
• June 9, 2016: 4-2  home win over Wheeling Nailers in the Kelly Cup finals 
• May 9, 2017: 4-3  home loss to Colorado, Mountain Division finals
• April 25, 2018: 4-1 loss at Idaho, Mountain Division semi-finals
• April 6, 2019: 4-1 loss at Wichita, out of playoffs
• March 7, 2020: 4-2 home loss to Tulsa, no playoffs, season canceled
• June 22, 2021: 3-2 OT loss at Fort Wayne, Western Conference finals
• April 30, 2022: 6-3 home loss to Rapid City, Mountain Division semi-finals
• May 14, 2023: 6-0 loss at Idaho, Mountain Division finals
• April 28, 2024: 5-3 home loss to Idaho, Mountain Division semi-finals 
• April 12, 2025: 7-2 home loss to Tulsa, out of playoffs
• May 16, 2026: 5-3 home loss to Kansas City, Mountain Division finals

 

If you add it all together, here are the outcomes: 

• 4 - Championships
• 1 - lost in the Championship finals
• 2 - lost in the Conference finals
• 3 - lost in Division finals
• 4 - lost in the first round 
• 2 - out of playoffs 
• 1 - no playoffs  

Different Perspectives Today - Allen vs Kansas City

 

The blog this morning is unique from a few perspectives:

• First and foremost it is the first blog since hearing a good friend and Allen Americans super fan Ed Bohnemann passed away yesterday. For a lot of years, Ed and I were the eyes and ears for each other as to what was happening at practice. Since we were both retired we made practice quite frequently and if one of us missed the other would share what they saw in a text message. Ed was an early riser like me and became a fact checker for the blog, which I very much appreciated. Ed and his wife Sheri did a lot to help players and maintained many friendships long after they left the Americans. Ed will be missed. 
• This blog is also unique because I am writing it on my IPad in Washington, DC. Our 3 1/2 year old granddaughter (our only grandchild) has her first dance recital today, performing in a local festival. We weren’t going to miss that despite the playoff schedule.
• Today is also unique because the game tonight is and end of the season elimination game, win or go home.
• I decided to make this blog even more unique, by asking ChatGPT to help write the story. Here is what I got.

The season is hanging by a skate lace for the Allen Americans tonight. Down 3-0 in the best-of-seven series against the ECHL’s regular-season juggernaut, Kansas City Mavericks, who are now the only undefeated playoff team (7-0). Allen faces the hockey equivalent of trying to climb Mt. Everest in flip-flops (AI humor, not mine). 

The good news? History says game four is often the toughest one to win for a team holding a 3-0 lead. Case in point, the other two 3-0 teams in the playoffs (Florida & Fort Wayne) lost game four last night. The bad news? Kansas City hasn’t exactly looked interested in history lessons the postseason.

Allen nearly stole the first two games in Kansas City, falling 2-1 and 1-0 in two tight checking grinders. The came game three at home, when the Americans finally rediscovered their high-powered offense and scored four goals —- only to discover their defense had apparently taken the night off and left no forwarding address in a 7-4 loss. 

- As Coach Martinson said after the game on Wednesday,  “We just have to get the first one,” Tonight is the perfect opportunity in game four. Last night the two other 3-0 teams lost. South Carolina beat Florida 3-1 and Toledo beat Fort Wayne 3-2 in overtime. Kansas City is the only remaking undefeated team. 

- Allen had a great start on Wednesday scoring 26 seconds after the opening puck drop. It didn’t work in Allen’s favor but the alternate is even worse. Kansas City is 5-0 in the playoffs when they score first, but then again they are 2-0 when they give up the first goal. It is clear against a team like Kansas City playing from behind is a losing proposition. 

- The most important key tonight is improving team defense. It will be a long night if the Americans surrender odd man rushes and breakaways anywhere close to Wednesday. You have to believe that will not happen again. 

OTHER COMMENTS

- There are three games on the schedule tonight, and all three could end up with teams advancing to the Conference Finals. Maine leads Wheeling 3-2, Fort Wayne leads Toledo 3-1, and Kansas City leads Allen 3-0. The teams trailing in the series are all at home. Here is the ECHL Today with the previews. https://echl.com/news/2026/05/echl-today-may-16

- What are the historical odds of Allen winning tonight in their situation (down 3-0, game 4, at home)? Based on NHL data it is 38%. Another positive is Allen hasn’t lost four straight games since November. 

- There has been 58 playoff games thus far and they have resulted in four hat tricks. In the odd stats of the day, Allen has been involved in three of them. Danny Katic scored the first one against Idaho. On Wednesday, Allen gave up two hat tricks (Bobo Carpenter & Luke Loheit). 

- I have seen numerous comments on the blog that the Allen Americans have been sold or are for sale. I do talk to the Americans leadership on a regular basis and to Myles Jack periodically and neither of these  rumors are true. You never know what might happen in the future, but this are bad rumors.

DID YOU KNOW: No matter what happens in the series with Kansas City, Coach Martinson will end the playoffs as ECHL #1 all-time (tied) in playoff appearance, #2 all-time in playoff games coached, #2 all-time in playoff wins. He is one of a eight coaches in the 38 year history of the ECHL to have won multiple championships. 

Martinson’s four straight professional championships in 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 has rarely been accomplished. NHL legendary coaches like Toe Blake, Scotty Bowman and Al Arbour have done it.

I would argue it is much tougher in minor league hockey with one year contracts, low salary cap, lots of turnover and constant call ups to the AHL. plus his final two championships came immediately after Allen moved into the ECHL

Got to run or going to be late for the dance recital. I apologize for any errors from not proofreading.

A Deep Dive On the Allen Americans 2026-27 Schedule

 

The ECHL just released the schedule for the 2026-27 season. I thought it would be a good time to do the annual "deep dive" on the Americans' schedule. It is probably more information than you would ever want to know about the schedule, especially in the middle of the playoffs. Still, it will give you many different views of what coach Martinson and the team will be dealing with next season. Here is the ECHL press release with the 2026-27 schedule: https://echl.com/news/2026/05/echl-releases-2026-27-schedule

 

- Let me start by talking about the start of the 2026-27 season. I mentioned the other day that the CUTX Event Center will host three major stages of the 2026 League of Legends World Championships. League of Legends is the largest esport in the World (multi-player video game). The actual tournament, according to the CUTX Event Center calendar, is in three different stages through the semifinals, running from October 23 to November 8. 

Basically, the Allen Americans have been kicked out of the CUTX Event Center for six weeks for this esports event. The building took away Allen's practice ice and any chance for home games. Having no home games until the latter part of November was untenable, so the team exercised a clause in its lease with the City of Allen that allows the team to schedule two games at alternate venues. It is not ideal, but it does get Allen two "home " games early in the season.

The Americans will play two games at the Comerica Center in Frisco. It is a 6000 seat arena that is home to the Texas Legends (NBA G League) and is the Dallas Stars' practice facility. The two games at Comerica Center will be on Thursday, October 29th (School Day Game) and  Friday, October 30. Comerica will also host the second half of Allen's training camp.

In talking to Allen Leadership, they noted they were not happy about how they were kicked out of their home arena and practice facility for such an extended period of time. They also told me these games at Comerica Center might open the door for more games there in the future.

 

- Here is a breakdown of Allen's 72 games by opponent:

• 13 games - Rapid City (6 home, 7 away)
• 11 games - Wichita (5 home, 6 away)
• 9 games - Idaho (5 home, 4 away)
• 9 games - Tulsa (3 home, 6 away)
• 7 games - Tahoe (4 home, 3 away)
• 6 games - Kansas City (4 home, 2 away)
• 6 games - New Mexico (3 home, 3 away)
• 3 games - Fort Wayne (3 home, 0 away)
• 3 games - Savannah (3 home, 0 away)
• 3 games - Worcester (0 home, 3 away)
• 2 games - Indy (0 home, 2 away)    

 

- Here is a breakdown by month:

• October - 6 games (2 home at Comerica, 4 away)
• November - 13 games (2 home, 11 away)
• December - 12 games (9 home, 3 away) 
• January - 13 games (10 home, 3 away) 
• February - 12 games (7 home, 5 away)
• March - 11 games (5 home, 6 away)
• April - 5 games (3 home, 2 away) 

 

- Here is a breakdown of the 36-game home schedule by day of the week with the change from 2025-26 in parentheses: 

• 11 games - Saturday (-1)
• 12 games - Friday (+2)
• 5 games - Thursday (4 school games plus NYE) 
• 3 games - Wednesday (-4)
• 4 games - Sunday (-1) 
• 1 game - Tuesday  
• 0 games - Monday

- Friday, Saturday, School Days, and NYE are all high attendance dates. These days represent 78% of the home dates.  

 

 

 

- Allen will have 36 games against teams that didn't make the playoffs in 2025-26 (Rapid City, Wichita, Tulsa, and Worcester) and 30 games against teams that made the playoffs (Idaho, Tahoe, Kansas City, Fort Wayne, Savannah, and Indy). The other six games are against the new franchise, New Mexico.

 

 

 

 

-  Four games in five days is really brutal, especially if travel is involved. In 2026-27, the Americans will play four games in five days three times. The good news is these are spread out over the season, two of them are at home, and only one on the road is four games in Rapid City:

• November 25, 27, 28 29 - All four games are in Rapid City. The day off (26th) is Thanksgiving.
• February 16, 18, 19, 20 - Tulsa (H), New Mexico (H), New Mexico (H), New Mexico (H) 
• March 17, 19, 20, 21 - Kansas City (H), Wichita (H), Wichita (H), Wichita (H)

 

- One of the many things the team looks at when the schedule comes out is how many times they have to play three games back to back to back. Three games in three days is stressful, especially if there is travel involved. Players are more prone to injuries in these situations. All of the four games in five days listed above include three games in three days. Here are the other three games in three days. A break for Allen, as there are only four of them, and three of them are at home. The one that requires travel is the last three games of the season against Wichita, and both teams will travel. 

 

• November 13, 14, 15 - Kansas City (H), Tulsa (H), Tulsa (H)
• December 3, 4, 5 -  Kansas City (H), Tahoe (H), Tahoe (H)
• January 8, 9, 10 - Idaho (H), Idaho (H), Idaho (H)
• April 9, 10, 11 - Wichita (H), Wichita (A), Wichita (A) 

 

 

- The easiest part of the schedule from a travel perspective will be from December 12 to January 21. The Americans will be at home for six straight weeks, with one exception. A one-day trip to Tulsa the day after Christmas. 

 

 

 

- The toughest road schedule is at the start of the season, from October 17 to November 29. Here is the schedule. Travel to Tulsa, then to Idaho, and then back to Tulsa. Then back to Allen for two games at Comerica Center. Then back on the road to New Mexico, Kansas City, Tulsa, and Wichita. Two games at home against Kansas City and then back on the road for four games against Rapid City. When December 1st arrives, the Americans will have played 14 road games and four home games, with just two of the home games at CUTX Event Center. 

 

 

- Here is the Allen Americans press release with more details on the 2026-27 schedule:  https://allenamericans.com/news/2026/05/americans-announce-2026-2027-schedule

  

DID YOU KNOW: During the 2015-16 season, the Allen Americans were scheduled to travel 30,000 miles to their 36 road games, with 22,000 miles being on the bus. They flew on the 8,000-mile round trip to Alaska. 

Offense Awakens, Defense Collapses as Allen Falls into 3-0 Hole, Game Recap, Video Highlights, Martinson Comments and More

 

After two low-scoring losses in Kansas City (2-1 & 1-0), the Allen Americans finally found their offense last night, but their defense disappeared in a costly 7-4 loss that pushed the Americans to the brink of elimination.  

 

- Allen stunned the home crowd just 26 seconds after the opening puck drop when Hank Crone carried the puck into the offensive zone, dropped a perfect pass to Colton Hargrove, who buried the puck from his favorite spot at the top of the circle. 

 

- Allen had a chance to add to its lead midway through the first period on a four-minute power play, but the defensive woes that would plague the Americans throughout the game began. A minute into the power play, Kansas City scored a shorthanded goal to tie the score 1-1. Allen did not convert on the long power play, and the first period ended with the score tied 1-1.

 

- Allen started the second period on a carryover power play from the first period and scored 39 seconds into the period. Sam Sedley scored the goal from the blue line. It was Allen's first and only power play goal of the playoffs. The Americans are now 1-9 (11.1%) on the power play in the series. Sedley's goal at 0:39 started a flurry of goals. Kansas City tied the score at 2-2 at 1:41. Allen took a 3-2 lead just 26 seconds later, at 1:57, on a goal by Maxim Barbashev.

 

- Allen's 3-2 lead was not safe, as Kansas City added two goals 28 seconds apart later in the second period (10:53 & 11:51) to take a 4-3 lead, which was the score going into the second intermission. Allen trailed 4-3 after the second period, a dangerous position against a Kansas City team that entered the night 38-0-1-0 when leading after the second period (regular season and playoffs combined).

 

- Trailing 4-3 six minutes into the third period, Allen appeared to seize control after killing off a lengthy 5-on-3 disadvantage and tying the game 4-4 just 12 seconds after the penalties expired. Ty Prefontaine trailed a 2-on-1 Allen rush and put in a rebound. Momentum completely shifted to the Americans, and a comeback win seemed within reach.  Instead, disaster struck again. Allen turned the puck over in their defensive zone, and Kansas City scored to take a 5-4 lead.  The game-winning goal was scored exactly 30 seconds after the Prefontaine goal. The Mavericks scored two more goals, one on a breakaway and one into an empty net, to make the final score 7-4.   

 

- Allen's margin for error has officially disappeared. Lose Saturday, and it is golf/fishing season!

 

- Here are the video highlights and the game recap from the Allen Americans:

• Video highlights: https://echl.com/videos/kansas-city-mavericks-vs-allen-americans-may-13-2026-game-3
• Game Recap: https://allenamericans.com/news/2026/05/game-recap-americans-on-the-brink-after-7-4-loss  

 

COACH'S COMMENTS

As you know, Coach Martinson talks to season ticket holders after every game, win or lose. Two things were clear from his comments last night. It was the worst game of the series against Kansas City, with defensive mistakes that were off the charts. Second, if the players are as angry about the loss as the coach and as committed to keeping this series going as the coach, they will be fine on Saturday. Here are Martinson's comments last night:

"We didn't score enough goals to win this game. The back breaker was killing the 5-on-3 power play and scoring a goal right away, and then we passed the puck right to them in the slot, and they responded right away with the eventual game-winner."

"We gave up four breakaways, and they are a good team and made us pay. We haven't given up that many breakaways in a month, let alone in one game."

"It was a bad night to have a bad defensive game."

"Part of the problem with the power play that led to the shorthanded goal is that we forced the puck instead of putting it in deep. We have to move for each other. We were standing still instead of moving our feet, and that led to the turnover and shorthanded goal."

"We had plenty of power plays. Yes, I didn't like some of the calls and non-calls, but we didn't lose that game because of the officiating; we beat ourselves."

"We don't have everyone playing their best hockey right now, and this is the time of year you have to be playing well. We have some players we are counting on not scoring and not playing good defense. That is a bad recipe for winning."

"I am not going to bullshit anybody. If we play like that again in this series, the season is over."

"We have a great opportunity to have a great story, but it will take a lot better work effort than tonight."

"I thought we outplayed them in the two losses in Kansas City, but we didn't outplay them tonight. We need to get more guys in the fight. It was painful to watch that meltdown in the third period."

"We dug ourselves a hole, and we just have to get the first game. Then we have another game at home, and then we can get back to Kansas City, and they have to play in their practice rink. We just need to get the first one Saturday."

 

OTHER COMMENTS

 - Florida beat South Carolina 7-3 last night to take a 3-0 lead in the series. They play game four tomorrow (Friday). Maine beat Wheeling 5-3 last night to take a 3-2 lead in that series. Games six and seven will be in Wheeling on Saturday and Monday. Toledo at Fort Wayne is the only game on the schedule tonight. Fort Wayne leads the series 2-0. These teams will play three games in the next three days. Here is the ECHL Today with all of the details: https://echl.com/news/2026/05/echl-today-may-14

 

- What are the odds facing Allen down 3-0 in the series?

• About a 2% chance to come all the ways back to win the series.
• 35% to 45% chance of winning game four
• 15% to 20% chance of forcing a game six
• 5% to 8% chance of forcing a game seven

Historically, teams trailing 3-0 play their best game in game four, because of the urgency and desperation.  

 

 

- Five players still in the playoffs are averaging more than 1.35 points per game:

• 1.86 - Austin Magera, Fort Wayne
• 1.60 - Matthew Brown, Fort Wayne
• 1.43 - William Dufour, Fort Wayne 
• 1.43 - Anthony Romano, Florida
• 1.38 - Danny Katic, Allen

 

- Of the eight teams remaining in the playoffs, two have power play percentages above 30%, and two have penalty kill percentages of 90% or more. Notice the same two teams are on both lists:

• Power Play Percentages
• 31.3% - Fort Wayne
• 30.4% - Florida

• Penalty Kill Percentages
• 94.7% - Florida
• 90.0% - Fort Wayne 

  

DID YOU KNOW: The two best ECHL teams during the regular season were Kansas City (115 points) and Florida (108 points). They are the only playoff teams that are still undefeated with identical records of 7-0. They lead their Division Finals series 3-0 and can advance to the Conference Finals this weekend.

 

- Florida has scored 30 goals (4.29 average) and allowed 9 (1.29 average) for a goal differential of +21.

- Kansas City has scored 27 goals (3.86 average) and allowed 10 (1.43 average) for a goal differential of +17. 

 

The four #1 seeds rank:

Florida is #1 in goals scored and #1 in goals allowed.

Kansas City is #2 in goals scored and #2 (tied) in goals allowed.

Fort Wayne is #3 in goals scored and #2 (tied) in goals allowed.

Wheeling is #7 in goals scored and #4 in goals allowed. FYI, Wheeling is trailing #2 seed Maine 3-2 in their series.

 

It is looking more and more like the Kelly Cup Finals will be between two #1 seeds. The finalists could very well be the top two teams from the regular season (Kansas City vs Florida).

Duarte Out, Offense Struggling, Time for Line Changes - Tonight's Preview and Lineup, Keys to the Game, Division Finals Update and More

 

The Allen Americans are at home tonight, facing the reality every playoff team hopes to avoid: a must-win game three against the top team in the league. Historically, teams falling behind 3-0 in best-of-seven series rarely survive. Everyone in the CUTX Event Center understands tonight isn't technically an elimination game, but emotionally and practically, it feels very close.

 

  - Despite trailing the series 2-0, Allen can point to just how razor-thin the losses in Kansas City really were. The Americans lost 2-1 and 1-0 in two games dominated by defense, great goalie play, special teams, and missed opportunities.

 

- Allen entered the playoffs with the highest scoring offense in the league, but Kansas City's structured defensive game has slowed the Americans to a crawl. Still, the scoring drought cannot be blamed entirely on the Mavericks' defense. Allen has struggled to generate second chances, generate traffic around the net, and produce on the power play. Allen was 0-for-4 in Kansas City while the Mavericks capitalized on two of eight opportunities.  

 

- To make tonight's challenge even tougher, Kansas City got another player assigned by Coachella Valley. Forward Jakov Novak is familiar to Allen fans. He played briefly for the Americans in 2022-23 after he finished his collegiate career. He had 12 points (7G, 5A) in 14 games for Allen. Last season, he won the Kelly Cup with Trois Riviéres. This season, he has spent most of the time in the AHL with Coachella Valley, playing in 37 games, tallying 12 points (5G, 7A).

 

- Allen has lost one of its top players, Mark Duarte, for tonight, and he is doubtful for the weekend. With Duarte out and Coach Martinson looking for an offensive spark, you can see the forward lines are shuffled tonight, hoping to reignite some lines that have a history of carrying the team in the past. Here is the lineup:

Forwards

67 Crone - 7 Hargrove - 92 McAuley

9 Katic - 91 Gildon - 44 Dubois

26 Asuchak - 29 Watts -18 Blaisdell 

11 Barbashev- 76 Kidney - 55 Hookey

 

Defense

8 Prefontaine - 23 Sedley

86 Anania - 40 Toure

21 Decker - 22 Costantini

 

Goalies

31 Parsons

33 Costantini (backup)

- Here are the combined stats after the first two games of this series:

• Goals - Allen 1, Kansas City 3
• Shots - Allen 52, Kansas City 56
• Power Play - Allen 0-4, Kansas City 2-8
• PIMS - Allen 15 penalties 78 minutes, Kansas City 10 penalties for 60 minutes  
• Scored First - Allen 0, Kansas City 2
• Save Percentage - Allen .946, Kansas City .981 

 

- Keys to the game:

• Allen has to score the first goal. They haven't done it in the last five playoff games. So far in the division finals (10 games), the team that scored first has won them all.
• Allen has to win the special teams battle. The Americans have taken some costly penalties that have led to critical goals in the two losses. Kansas City has had twice as many power plays as Allen.  The Americans need to stay out of the penalty box and score a power play goal tonight.
• Allen has been trying a lot of east-west passing coming through the neutral zone with lots of turnovers. Going more north-south and getting the puck behind the defensemen if there isn't a play to be made could jump-start the offense.

 

- Here is another take on keys to the game from Maurice Fitzgerald, Americans' broadcast color analyst:

"Copy and paste the first period of game one against Idaho, when the Americans came out hitting everything that moved and played that physical, uptempo, Steve Martinson brand of hockey that has gotten the team to this point. If they do this, they can disrupt Kansas City's gameplay, which then opens up Allen's offensive creativity and allows the Americans to dictate the flow of the game."

"Go at the net hard all night long. Make it uncomfortable for the netminder when the play is regularly in the paint. We saw in the first two games how plays down in the paint were the difference makers. If Allen can keep up the pressure down low, it can open things up top for the points to rip more shots."

"Mind the retaliation in the after-the-whistle scrums. Recognize that the referees are, more often than not, going to ignore the initial infraction and call the retaliation. Allen needs to not take the bait and stay focused on the play within the whistles."  

 

OTHER COMMENTS

- The Division Finals are moving right along. Three of the #1 seeds (Florida, Kansas City, Fort Wayne) have 2-0 leads and will play three more games by Sunday. These three teams could advance to the Conference Finals by Sunday. The fourth #1 seed, Wheeling, is tied 2-2 with Maine. The final three games of that series are tonight, Sunday, and Monday. 

 

- There are three games on the schedule tonight. Kansas City at Allen, Wheeling at Maine, and Florida at South Carolina. Here is the ECHL Today with the previews: https://echl.com/news/2026/05/echl-today-may-13 

 

- Despite the Allen scoring drought, several Americans players are still on the ECHL leaderboard:

• Danny Katic
• #1 goals (6)
• #2 PP goals (3) 
• #3 points (13)
• #3 PP points (5)
• #3 Shooting% (40.0%)

• Brayden Watts
• #1 PP Assist (4) 
• #6 points (9) 

• Jackson Parsons
• #3 Save % (.963)
• #4 GAA (1.11)

 

- Here are the number of veterans on the rosters of the eight teams remaining in the playoffs:

• 4 veterans - Allen, Florida, Fort Wayne
• 3 veterans - Maine 
• 2 veterans - Kansas City
• 1 veteran - South Carolina, Toledo, Wheeling

 

- Kansas City is the only team remaining in the playoffs that still has playoff-eligible players in the AHL. The other seven teams are at their maximum 25-player rosters.  

DID YOU KNOW: This week is the anniversary of two very big days in the Allen Americans franchise history:

 

- On May 11, 2013, Allen won its first championship with a 4-3 overtime win against Wichita. Never get tired of this video celebrating that season. A fun watch, whether you were following the team at that time or you are a recent Allen fan.

 

 

 

 

- On May 10, 2014, Allen won its second championship with a 5-2 win over Denver. 

 

 

Records, Rings, Awards and Respect - Matt Register Retires

 

MATT REGISTER RETIRES

 

After a long professional career, Matt Register shared these heartfelt thoughts with me today:

First, I just want to say thank you.

It's hard to put into words what hockey has meant to me. I never imagined how much this game would shape my life. Hockey became more than just a sport to me; it became part of who I am. It taught me how to work hard, how to overcome adversity, and how to keep going even when things got tough. Hockey has given me lifelong friendships, unforgettable memories, and lessons I will carry forever. 

To my coaches - thank you for believing in me, even during the moments I doubted myself. Thank you for pushing me to work harder and become a better player and person, both on and off the ice, and for giving me every opportunity to live out my dream.

To my teammates - some of my greatest memories in life came from standing beside you in that locker room and battling together every game. Every laugh in the locker room and every unforgettable moment we shared together were what made my career so special. There's nothing like being part of a hockey family.

To my Mom and Dad - I want to thank the two people who made this journey possible from the very beginning. Thank you for every early morning practice, every late-night drive home, every tournament weekend, and every sacrifice you made so I could play the game I love. You spent countless hours in cold rinks, cheered me on through wins and losses, and never stopped believing in me, even when I doubted myself. I wouldn't be standing here without you.

Hockey has given me some of the best years of my life, and I will always be grateful for every second I got to spend on the ice. As hard as it is to walk away. I know hockey will always be a part of me. The game may end, but the lessons, memories, and love for it never will.

This isn't goodbye, it is just the start of a new chapter.

 

- Here is my salute to Matt's career:

Stick taps to long-time ECHL defenseman Matt Register, who has retired. A lock for the ECHL Hall of Fame, Matt has played in the ECHL since 2012-13, except for one season. In 2021-22, he went to Europe (EIHL) and won a championship. He has played for ECHL teams in Ontario, Allen, Colorado, Toledo, and Idaho. Here are some of Register’s ECHL accomplishments:

 

2016 Kelly Cup champion (Allen)

2017 Kelly Cup champion (Colorado)

2018 Kelly Cup champion (Colorado)

2019 Kelly Cup runner-up (Toledo)

2023 Kelly Cup runner-up (Idaho)

2017 Kelly Cup Playoff MVP

2014 ECHL Defenseman of the Year

2017 ECHL Defenseman of the Year

2018 ECHL Defenseman of the Year

Nine-Time All-Star

 

 

How dominant has Register been since 2012-13? If you combine regular-season and playoff stats, he leads in all categories by a wide margin. Since 2012-13, among defensemen, here are his stats with the distance between him and #2:

 

#1 in games played (843), 247 more games than #2

#1 in points (668), 371 more points than #2

#1 in goals (147), 72 more goals than #2

#1 in assists (521), 280 more assists than #2

 

- Register dominates stats among defensemen, but he also leads ALL players in points and assists since 2012-13 (regular season and playoffs combined)

 

- Register has transitioned into coaching and is the Assistant Coach for the Allen Americans.

 

Two Explosive Offenses, One Lonely Goal, Allen in a Deep Hole as the Americans Return Home - The Details

 

The Allen Americans dug themselves an even deeper hole with a 1-0 shutout loss in Kansas City yesterday. Was it great defense, Allen gave up one goal, or poor offense, Allen was shutout? My assessment is that it was a combination of the two, along with three goal/no goal reviews, all going against the Americans. I won't dwell on the referees' involvement in the outcome of the game, but based on all of the messages and videos I received from fans during and after the game, it was clear to them. The Allen goal disallowed for goalie interference, the Mavericks' goal not called goalie interference, and the Allen goal ruling the puck did not cross the goal line were all wrong. Thanks to the great overhead replays provided by Kansas City, while the referees took a long time to review the video, everyone else seemed to have a conclusion on the right call long before the officials. On one of the reviews, they brought in both linesmen (one at a time) before ruling against Allen. The crease became hockey's version of a crime scene investigation, and Allen fans learned over and over again that seeing the puck in the net and having a goal are apparently two different things. The only thing under heavier pressure than the goalies was the video review system.  Let's move on!

 

- It was a game of inches, whistles, and one power-play goal in Kansas City yesterday. For the second straight game, two teams noted for lighting up the scoreboard found themselves trapped in a playoff defensive chess match. The 0-0 deadlock lasted until midway through the third period before Kansas City finally broke through with a power-play goal. One goal was all the Mavericks needed to send the Americans to a frustrating 1-0 loss and a 2-0 series deficit. 

 

- Here is what the stats say:

• Allen gave up the first goal for the fifth straight game. That is a death wish against Kansas City. The Mavericks were 40-2-2-0 (.932) when scoring first during the regular season and are a perfect 5-0-0 in the playoffs.
• The only goal was scored on the power play. Kansas City was 1-4 on the power play, and Allen was 0-3. Special teams were the difference in both games. The power play percentages after the two games in Kansas City are 0% for the Americans and 25% for the Mavericks.
• Allen's defense was outstanding in Kansas City. Giving up three goals in two games should be automatic wins for the best offense in the ECHL. Scoring a total of one goal in back-to-back games is the fewest all season. Props to Kansas City, which had the #2 defense in the ECHL during the regular season, allowing 2.21 goals per game and the #1 playoff defense, allowing 1.00 goals per game. With that said, the expectations from the Allen offense are much higher than what it has produced thus far. 
• Jackson Parsons took both the losses in Kansas City despite being Allen's best player both nights. He gave up three goals in two games. Two of the goals were power-play goals, and on one of them, he was interfered with. Parsons' save percentages in the two losses were .933 and .962. 

 

- The good news for Americans is the series finally shifts to Allen, where energy, matchups, and a loud crowd can quickly change momentum in a playoff series that has been razor-thin through two games. Despite being down 2-0 and the odds heavily stacked against them (see DID YOU KNOW below), the Americans can point to how close the games have been. One bounce, one reviewed goal, or one special-teams break could have completely flipped this series. The Americans return home knowing game three will decide whether this becomes a long series or a long summer. 

 

OTHER COMMENTS

- There have been 49 playoff games played thus far, and nine of them have been shutouts. It just shows how tight playoff hockey becomes when 18.4% of games result in a shutout. During the regular season, there were 1080 games, and 125 shutouts. That is a shutout percentage of 8.6%, less than half the rate in the playoffs.  

 

- Despite the Americans being shutout last night, Danny Katic still leads the playoffs in goals (6) and is #2 in points (11). He has one of the two hat tricks so far. The other was by Anthony Romano (Florida).

 

- There is only one game on the schedule tonight. Wheeling is in Maine for game three of their series. Wheeling leads 2-0. Here is the ECHL Today with the preview as well as the schedule for all of the other series: https://echl.com/news/2026/05/echl-today-may-11 

 

 

 

DID YOU KNOW: The four #1 seeds in the Kelly Cup playoffs have a combined record of 23-1-1 and could all advance to the Conference Finals. They are unbeaten in the Division Finals (7-0).

Here are the current playoff records of the #1 seeds. The odds of the 2-0 teams winning the Division Finals series is 88%. The odds for the 1-0 team is 75%.

 

Division Finals

2-0-0: Florida

2-0-0: Kansas City

2-0-0: Wheeling

1-0-0: Fort Wayne

 

Overall Playoff Record

6-0-0: Florida

6-0-0: Kansas City

6-0-1: Wheeling

5-1-0: Fort Wayne

 

 

Despite the odds heavily favoring all four #1 seeds making the final four, ECHL history says they won’t. Going back 15 years, all four #1 seeds have never made the final four. Here is how many of the #1 seeds made it recently:

 

3 - 2025 (South Carolina missed)

3 - 2024 (Greenville missed)

2 - 2023 (South Carolina & Cincinnati missed)

3 - 2022 (Reading missed)

 

Which #1 seed won’t advance in 2026, or will they defy the odds and all four make the Conference Finals?

 

Late Goal Leads to Defeat, Game Recap, Video Highlights, Martinson Comments, Today's Preview, AHL Affiliates in Playoffs and More

 

 Two of the ECHL's most dangerous offenses spent most of the night locked in a tense defensive struggle, but in the end, the Allen Americans came away on the wrong side of a heartbreaking 2-1 loss to the Kansas City Mavericks in game one of the Mountain Division Finals last night.

 

- Despite the firepower on both benches, neither team could solve the opposing goaltender in a scoreless first period. The turning point came after the horn sounded to end the opening frame. Allen was given a roughing penalty, which gave the Mavericks a power play to begin the second period. The Mavericks capitalized at the 1:31 mark. It was the only goal of the second period. Not a good sign for Allen, trailing 1-0 after the second period. Kansas City's record (regular season and playoffs) when leading after the second period is 24-1-0-0.

 

- The Americans battled back and finally broke through at 4:15 of the third period on Danny Katic's league-leading sixth goal and 11th point of the playoffs to tie the score 1-1. It was a typical Katic goal right at the net on a wrap-around. Allen generated chances late in the period, but Kansas City delivered the final blow with 78 seconds remaining, turning a tense playoff atmosphere into a celebration for the home crowd. 

 

- Allen had one last desperate chance with an offensive zone faceoff with .5 seconds remaining, which turned into a post-game melee of pushing and shoving. When order was finally restored, officials handed out 11 misconduct penalties, six to Allen and five to Kansas City, adding even more intensity to a series that already feels heated. With emotions clearly carrying over, Game two this afternoon at 4:05 pm should have plenty of edge from the opening puck drop.   

 

- Here are the video highlights, which show the goals and the many great saves by both goalies, plus the game recap from the Allen Americans:

• Video highlights: https://echl.com/videos/allen-americans-vs-kansas-city-mavericks-may-9-2026-game-1 
• Allen Americans recap: https://allenamericans.com/news/2026/05/game-recap-americans-fall-short-in-2-1-loss-in-game-1

 

- I had a chance to check in with Coach Martinson early this morning as he was putting together video clips to use in the pregame meetings today. Here is what he had to say:

"The difference in the game was they had four power plays to our one. 

"We had an even strength puck possession advantage in every period, and it was the biggest in the third period."

 "We were the more physical team, and that will have an effect over the course of the series." 

 

- It will get really difficult to win this series if the Americans lose this afternoon and fall behind 2-0. Here are some keys to the game:

• Allen has given up the first goal in its last four games. The Americans can't afford to do that against the Mavericks. 
• Allen lost the special teams battle last night, giving up a power play goal (1-4) while going 0-1 on the power play. The Americans took five minor penalties in the game, two of which were for after-the-whistle roughing penalties, including one that led to the Mavericks' power play goal. After the whistle scrums have hurt the Americans in the playoffs. You never know how the referees will hand out penalties after these scrums, so play physical between the whistles, not after the whistle.
• Allen had plenty of great scoring chances, but could not finish. They need more time and space to get the puck in the net, with net front presence. 
• Kansas City has alternated goalies in the playoffs, so look for former Allen goalie Dylan Wells to get the start this afternoon if the alternating continues. Wells has a better GAA, (0.90 vs 1.34) and save percentage (.962 vs .938), than the goalie that played last night.   
• The 4th line (Asuchak, Dubois, Barbashev) created havoc with their physicality and spent a lot of time in the offensive zone. The 3rd line (Blasidell, Kidney, Hookey) created a lot of opportunities. For Allen to be successful, these lines need to turn all of the hard work into some goals. 
• Parsons was great in goal last night. I assume he will start in goal again this afternoon. Allen will need another performance today like last night.

 

- Here is the lineup for this afternoon. It is the same as last night, but as usual with Coach Martinson, don't be surprised if he makes some adjustments during the game: 

Forwards

92 McAuley - 7 Hargrove - 27 Duarte

29 Watts - 91 Gildon - 9 Katic

18 Blaisdell - 76 Kidney - 55 Hookey

26 Asuchak - 44 Dubois - 11 Barbashev

 

Defense

8 Prefontaine - 23 Sedley

86 Anania - 40 Toure

21 Decker - 22 Costantini

 

Goalies

31 Parsons

33 Costantini (backup)

 

OTHER COMMENTS

- The #1 seeds continued their playoff dominance last night, winning three more games. The four #1 seeds now have a combined playoff record of 21-1-1. Here is the breakdown:

• 6-0-0 - Florida
• 5-0-0 - Kansas City
• 6-0-1 - Wheeling
• 4-1-0 - Fort Wayne

 

- The Americans did get a break last night. Coachella Valley beat Ontario 3-2 in double overtime to upset the #1 seed in the best-of-five series. They now advance to the Pacific Division finals against Colorado. That best-of-five series will start on Wednesday (13th) with games on the 15th, 17th, 20th, and 22nd. The bottom line is that the Kansas City playoff-eligible players in Coachella Valley may not return during the series with Allen.

 

- There are two games on the schedule today. In addition to Allen at Kansas City, Toledo is at Fort Wayne for game one of the Central Division finals. Here is the ECHL Today with the previews: https://echl.com/news/2026/05/echl-today-may-10  

 

-  Here are the eight teams remaining in the Kelly Cup playoffs, showing which NHL and AHL affiliates are still involved in the playoffs:

• Allen - none
• Florida - AHL (Springfield)
• Fort Wayne - none
• Kansas City - AHL (Coachella Valley)
• Maine - none
• South Carolina - none
• Toledo - AHL (Grand Rapids)
• Wheeling - AHL (Wilkes-Barre/Scranton) 

  

DID YOU KNOW: The 2026 Kelly Cup playoffs are down to eight teams. Here is the last year that each team made the final four (Conference Finals) of a 16-team playoff:

 

2025 - Florida (lost in conference finals)

2025 - Kansas City (lost in conference finals)

2025 - Toledo (lost in championship finals)

2018 - Fort Wayne (lost in conference finals)

2017 - South Carolina (lost in championship finals)

2016 - Allen (won Kelly Cup)

2016 - Wheeling (lost in championship finals)

Never - Maine

 

This excludes 2021, when only 14 teams played in the regular season, eight made the playoffs, there were only three rounds to the championship, the first round was called the conference semifinals, and the playoffs were all best-of-five series.

Let's Go!, Allen vs Kansas City Series Preview, Importance of Winning Game One, 2026-27 Schedule Release, Baby on Board, #1 Seeds Record and More

 

The day has finally arrived! Talking to coaches, players, and fans, everyone is past ready to get this party started with game one of the Mountain Division finals tonight in Kansas City. Allen's last game was April 28, and Kansas City's was April 30, so both teams are well rested. 

 

- The Americans didn't practice yesterday, and left by bus (sleeper) for Kansas City early in the morning for a leisurely 475-mile trip. They stopped in Joplin, MO, for a late lunch and arrived at the hotel around 5:00 pm. The team will have a pregame skate this morning as the final preparation for the series.

 

- Allen was 3-4-0-0 against Kansas City during the regular season. The Americans lost the first four games and won the last three, including back-to-back wins in Kansas City at the end of February.  

 

- Allen has the best record in the league since the end of  March at 15-1-1-0 and defeated Idaho 4-1 in the first round of the playoffs. Kansas City is right there with Allen. The Mavericks' record is 15-2-1-1 and they defeated Tahoe 4-0 in the first round of the playoffs.

 

- During the regular season, Allen had the #1 offense in the league, averaging 3.72 goals per game. Kansas City was right behind, ranked #3, averaging 3.54 goals per game. On defense. Kansas City was #2, allowing an average of 2.21 goals per game. Allen was ranked #13, allowing 2.90 goals per game. 

 

- Rather than going through all of the regular-season stats, let's take a look at how these teams have done in the playoffs:

Goal Differential

+12 - Kansas City

+6 - Allen

 

 

Power Play %

28.6% - Allen

22.2% - Kansas City

 

 

Penalty Kill %

82.4% - Kansas City

75.0% - Allen

 

 

Goals Scored Average

4.25 - Kansas City

4.00 - Allen 

 

 

Goals Allowed Average

1.25 - Kansas City

2.80 - Allen 

 

 

Plus/Minus

+55 - Kansas City 

+24 - Allen 

 

 

Team Save %

.945 - Kansas City

.908 - Allen

 

 

Team Shooting Percentage

14.3% - Kansas City 

12.5% - Allen 

 

 

Penalty Minutes (Average)

19.00 - Kansas City

17.20 - Allen 

  

- It is a small playoff sample size, but relevant all the same. Neither team has lost when scoring first, leading after the first period, or leading after the second period. Good starts and playing with the lead will be imperative in this series.

 

 

- Allen has all 25 players on the playoff roster on the trip and available to play. Kansas City will be missing ECHL MVP and defenseman Marcus Crawford tonight, who will serve the third game of a three-game suspension. The Mavericks have been saving four roster spots for playoff-eligible players in the AHL. They got one of those players back yesterday. Defenseman Zach Uens split time between Kansas City (32 games, +28) and Coachella Valley (21 games) this season. He did not play in the AHL playoffs.

 

 Kansas City's AHL affiliate, Coachella Valley, is playing tonight in Ontario in game five of a best-of-five series. If they lose, Kansas City will get three more players sent back. If Coachella Valley pulls an upset tonight (Ontario is the #1 seed), the next round is also a best-of-five series. 

    

 

- I won't have the lineup until this afternoon and will update here when I get it, so you can check back later. At practice on Thursday, Martinson had Riley Kidney centering Harrison Blaisdell and Landen Hookey. Kidney will be playing his first game in Allen. The 23-year-old was the second-round draft choice of the Montreal Canadiens in the 2021 NHL draft. He had over 100 points in his last two seasons in juniors (QMJHL) and has played in 132 AHL games (39 points, 11G, 28A). He has been a pass-first playmaker with great vision and high hockey IQ. Keep an eye on this line with speed and skill. It should be fun to watch in this series.

 

UPDATE

Allen’s lineup tonight against Kansas City. Healthy scratches are Crone, Sillinger, LeDonne, Warmuth, Mirwald.

 

Forwards

92 McAuley - 7 Hargrove - 27 Duarte

29 Watts - 91 Gildon - 9 Katic

18 Blaisdell - 76 Kidney - 55 Hookey

26 Asuchak - 44 Dubois - 11 Barbashev

 

Defense

8 Prefontaine - 23 Sedley

86 Anania - 40 Toure

21 Decker - 22 Costantini

 

Goalies

31 Parsons

33 Costantini (backup)

 

 

- Allen and Kansas City are two high-powered offenses with a lot of point scorers. Here are the playoff stats:

• Kansas City has five players tied for the lead in points with five. Seven players averaged 1.00 to 1.25 points per game in the first round of the playoffs.
• Danny Katic leads the league in playoff points with ten. He is averaging 2.00 points per game and 1.00 goals per game.
• Brayden Watts is #3 in the league in points (9) and is averaging 1.80 points per game. 
• Allen has five players averaging 1.00 or more points per game. In addition to Katic and Watts, Hargrove, McAuley, and Sedley averaged a point per game in the first round.  

 

- Here is the Americans Weekly with even more stats and information to help get you ready for what should be a great series: https://allenamericans.com/news/2026/05/news-americans-weekly

 

 

OTHER COMMENTS

- Congratulations to Spencer and Cass Asuchak, who have announced they are expecting their first child. Baby Asuchak is due in October. 

 

- Three of four division finals series will be in action tonight:

• #2 Allen at #1 Kansas City  - Game 1 (Game 2 is tomorrow)
• #2 South Carolina at #1 Florida - Everblades lead the series 1-0 (Game 3 is Wednesday)
• #2 Maine at #1 Wheeling - Nailers lead the series 1-0 (Game 3 is Monday)

• #2 Toledo at #1 Fort Wayne play game one tomorrow (Sunday).  

Here is the ECHL Today with the previews: https://echl.com/news/2026/05/echl-today-may-9 

 

- How important is winning game one tonight for the Americans?

• The ECHL MVP will return to the lineup Sunday.
• If Coachella Valley loses tonight, Kansas City could add three players from the AHL, possibly by the Sunday afternoon game.
• Home teams that win game one of a best-of-seven series go on to win the series about 75% of the time.

 

- The two best teams in the ECHL when scoring first during the regular season were Allen and Kansas City. They were almost unbeatable when scoring first. Their combined record was 70-4-6-0 for a points percentage of .913. 

 

- I have heard the intention is to release the 2026-27 schedule on Thursday (14th), but that has not been confirmed yet. What is known is that the Allen schedule will be front-loaded with road games. The CUTX Event Center will host three major stages of the 2026 League of Legends World Championships. League of Legends is the largest esport in the World (multi-player video game). The actual tournament, according to the CUTX Event Center calendar, is in three different stages through the semifinals, running from October 23 to November 8.  But you can be sure the event center will be tied up before and after the tournament. The tournament finals will be held at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. All of the games are streamlined live, and at their peak can reach close to seven million worldwide viewers.  

 

- Coach Martinson has always preferred more road games early in the season. It gives the team a chance to bond and also avoids conflicts with Texas high school football games. He will definitely get his wish next season. 

 

DID YOU KNOW: Kelly Cup Division Finals began last night and the #1 seeds continue to roll, going 2-0. Florida and Wheeling won. The combined playoff record of the four #1 seeds is now 18-1-1. 

 

5-0-0: Florida

4-0-0: Kansas City

5-0-1: Wheeling

4-1-0: Fort Wayne

   

A Bunch of "This N That" While Waiting for Round Two of the Playoffs to Begin

 

Not much new to report, but with so many days off between Allen beating Idaho 4-1 in the first round of the playoffs and the beginning of the Division Finals against Kansas City next Saturday (May 9), I thought I would recap some old info and share some random information. Here goes: 

 

- Here is the schedule for the series with Kansas City:

 

 

 

- It was announced two days ago that the Mavericks will play games six and seven, if necessary, in their community rink with no spectators allowed. Most of you know the Kansas City arena is a twin of the Allen facility, so the community rinks hold around 300 in the limited bleachers. This is the Mavericks' statement to fans.

"Please know that this situation has been as difficult for the organization as it is for our supporters. However, adhering to strict occupancy limitations at the alternate venue (community rink), there is no fair or equitable way to accommodate the demand of our loyal fan base, so no fans will be allowed at the games. We recognize the disappointment and frustration this may cause and sincerely regret that we are unable to provide access to all who wish to attend.”

Seems to me they could find a fair way to let a few hundred season ticket holders attend using a drawing or some other criteria, but opted to have no fans attend.  Welcome to ECHL playoff hockey scheduling. FYI, had Tahoe won the series against Kansas City, Allen would have had some scheduling problems in the Division Finals. However, Allen was exploring options such as NYTEX and Comerica Center, as I am told by their leadership that playing without their home fans was "never a solution we were going to accept."

 

- Four of the eight teams that will advance to the Division Finals have already been determined, and the higher seeds advanced: 

• #1 Florida defeated #4 Savannah 4-0
• #1 Kansas City defeated #4 Tahoe 4-0
• #1 Wheeling defeated #4 Reading 4-1
• #2 Allen defeated #3 Idaho 4-1

 

- In the four series yet to be decided, the higher seeds are leading: 

• #1 Fort Wayne leads #4 Indy 3-1
• #2 Toledo leads #3 Bloomington 3-2
• #2 South Carolina leads #3 Atlanta 3-2
• #2 Maine leads #3 Adirondack 3-2

I looked back at the last 10 Kelly Cup playoffs, and there has never been a time when there wasn't at least one upset in the first round of the playoffs. In 2025, and 2024 there were three upsets each season. It sure looks favorable for all of the higher seeds to advance. 

 

 

- Here are some impressive team stats from the first round of the playoffs

 

• Wheeling gave up 4 goals in 5 games against Reading for a 0.80  goals per game average.
• Kansas City scored 17 goals (4.25 average) and allowed five goals (1.25 average) in its sweep of Tahoe for a goal differential of +12.
• Florida took only 20 penalty minutes in its sweep of Savannah, by far the lowest PIMS in the first round. The other team that swept (Kansas City) took 76 penalty minutes. Florida is the only playoff team with a 100% penalty kill percentage.
• Fort Wayne had the #2 penalty kill percentage in the regular season (24.7%) and is #1 in the playoffs (31.6%).

 

- Here are some impressive individual stats from the first round:

 

• Taylor Gauthier, Wheeling, leads all goalies with a 0.74 GAA and .979 save percentage. There have been six shutouts in the playoffs thus far, Gauthier has three of them.
• Danny Katic has the only playoff hat trick thus far and is the points leader with 10 (5G, 5A).
• Lucas Sowder, (KC), and Jade Miller (IDH) lead with a shooting percentage of 75% (3 goals on 4 shots).
• Connor Moore, South Carolina, leads all defensemen, averaging an assist per game (5 games, 5 assists).
• Charlie Combs, South Carolina, brother of former Allen player Jack Combs, leads the playoffs in goals (6) and has a goal in all 5 games played. 
• Sam Sedley is tied for the point lead among defensemen with 5 (1G, 4A). His lone goal was a short-handed goal (an empty-net goal).
• Cam Johnson, ECHL Goalie of the Year, played in all four games in Florida's sweep of Savannah with a GAA of 1.00 and a .963 save percentage.  

 

- Some stats don't change from the regular season. Even though Allen beat Idaho 4-1, the goal differentials by period are similar to the regular season: negative in the first period, positive in the second and third. Here are Allen's playoff goal differentials stats:

• -3: First period (3 goals scored, 6 allowed)
• +2: Second period (7 goals scored, 5 allowed)
• +6: Third period: (9 goals scored, 3 allowed) 

 

 

 

- One of the best things about the long layoff between games is time for all of the bumps, bruises, and worse to heal. Every member of the Allen playoff roster has been on the ice this week. Will have to see toward the end of the week if any players will be unavailable for the trip to Kansas City for games one and two.

 

 

- The Allen Americans' practices will get a little more intense this week after some days off sprinkled with "fun" practices until today. One practice was a player's only game with lunch provided by Coach Martinson to the winners. Another day was a practice completely run by the players with no coaches on the ice. The players had to decide the drills, timing, etc.

 

 

 

- Kansas City has only 21 of the 25 maximum players allowed on the playoff roster. They have saved four playoff spots for five playoff-eligible players playing in the AHL playoffs for the Mavericks' affiliate, Coachella Valley. They are the #4 seed and in the midst of a best-of-five series against the #1 seed in the division, Ontario. The first two games were in Ontario, and they split. The next two games are in Coachella Valley on Tuesday (5th) and Thursday (7th). If the series goes to a fifth game, it will be in Ontario on the 9th. The Mavericks could add four additional players to their roster depending on how Coachella Valley fares in the playoffs. 

 

 

 

- What is known for sure is that Kansas City will be missing ECHL MVP Marcus Crawford for game one on Saturday. Crawford was suspended for three games for a game misconduct, elbowing penalty in the Tahoe series. Because Kansas City swept Tahoe, Crawford still has one game of his suspension to serve, which will be served on Saturday against Allen. 

 

 

 

DID YOU KNOW: This was my ECHL Stats post from yesterday. The numbers may have changed a bit after the games last night, but this makes the point:

 

The trend from the regular season continues in the playoffs. The Western Conference equals offense, and the Eastern Conference equals defense. Thus far in the playoffs, the top four teams on offense (average goals scored) are from the Western Conference. Four of the top six teams on defense (average goals allowed) are from the Eastern Conference:

 

Goals Scored Average

4.25 - Kansas City

4.00 - Allen

3.75 - Fort Wayne

3.60 - Toledo

 

Goals Allowed Average

1.00 - Wheeling

1.00 - Florida

1.25 - Kansas City

2.25 - Fort Wayne

2.40 - South Carolina

2.50 - Maine 

 

During the regular season, the top six teams in average goals scored were from the Western Conference. Four of the top five in average goals allowed were from the Eastern Conference.