The Allen Americans announced the signing of two players on Thursday: forwards Anthony Rinaldi and Mathieu De St. Phalle. Here is the Allen Americans press release if you haven't seen it: https://allenamericans.com/news/2026/07/americans-add-two-key-players-up-front.
Here is a little more in-depth information on both players:
PLAYER PROFILE - MATHIEU DE ST. PHALLE
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| Mathieu De St. Phalle |
Mathieu is a 26-year-old, 5''10", 175-pound, right-shot forward who was born in Glencoe, Illinois, but moved around in his pursuit of hockey. He lived in Greenwich, CT, until he was 12, then moved to Michigan for three years with his mom, and finally to Chicago, all before he started his USHL career. He played his junior hockey in the USHL (Sioux City, Omaha, Chicago), where he totaled 138 points (49G, 89A) in 169 games. In his final year in the USHL (2019-20) with the Chicago Steel, he had 60 points (30G, 30A) in 49 games. That led the USHL in points in a season cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic.
De St. Phalle played his college hockey at the University of Wisconsin from 2020-21 to 2023-24. He played in 141 games at Wisconsin and totaled 87 points (36G, 51A). He led the Badgers in points in 2021-22 and led the team in goals in 2022-23. As a freshman, he was a member of Wisconsin's Big 10 championship team.
Since starting his pro career on an ATO with AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton after finishing his collegiate career, Mathieu has played 25 AHL games for the Penguins, scoring four goals. He has played 117 ECHL games, all with Wheeling, tallying 92 points (32G, 60A). As a rookie in 2024-25, he led Wheeling in assists (35), points (55), and game-winning goals (5).
When you look at scouting reports and other quotes about Mathieu, you see the same things over and over again, which include some version of the following:
- Active in the offensive zone and can find holes in the defense and make them pay.
- Can be used in all situations and is an active penalty killer.
- Relentless consistency and attention to detail.
- Does the little things right all the time.
- A small, shifty player who can make plays and has a high motor.
Other fun facts
- His college major was in personal finance
- His dad, Jacques, played one season for the University of Wisconsin after three seasons at RPI and was a member of the Badgers' 1983 NCAA championship team.
- Big Ted Lasso fan.
This video is a great introduction to the player his teammates call Matty.
If you watched the video above, you heard Mathieu's last name mentioned many times, and most were consistent. Here is a video from way back of him saying his name so there will be no confusion. Phonetically, Phalle is "fal," which rhymes with "pal," but you can check it out for yourself.
PLAYER PROFILE - ANTHONY RINALDI
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| Anthony Rinaldi |
Anthony is a 30-year-old, 6'0", 190-pound, right-shot forward who was born in the Montreal area. He is yet another example of playing in a lot of places to pursue his hockey dreams. He played AAA youth hockey at home for a couple of years and then went to Connecticut to play high school hockey for two years (2012-2014). His junior hockey career started in British Columbia (BCHL) for one season (2014-15) and then one season (2015-16) in Ontario (OJHL). He was #3 in OJHL scoring with 73 points (38G, 35A) in 52 games. He was #2 in goals and #2 in game-winning goals (8).
He took another step the following season (2016-17), as he committed to play NCAA college hockey at Union College. He played four years at Union, totaling 84 points (40G, 44A) in 140 games. As a senior at Union, he led the team in all offensive categories, never missed a game, and was named to the ECAC Hockey All-Academic Team. His college major was Managerial Economics.
Anthony's journey as a pro has been far and wide. ECHL stops in Kansas City and Greenville, followed by three years in Europe. His three years in Europe were with three different teams in three different leagues. He started in France in 2022-23, moved to Scotland (EIHL) in 2023-24, and to Germany in 2024-25. His best season in Europe was in Germany, where he totaled 50 points (24G, 26A) in 39 games.
Rinadi returned to North America last season, joining the Greensboro Gargoyles in their inaugural ECHL season. He totaled 26 points (12G, 14A) in 56 games for the last-place Gargoyles. Late in the season, he was traded to South Carolina, where he tallied nine points (5G, 4A) in eight games.
Allen fans may remember his first three games after being traded to South Carolina were against the Americans when they visited the Stingrays. In game one, he scored the first goal 3:38 after puck drop, on his first shot as a Stingray, added an assist, and was named the #2 star of the game. In game two, he bettered himself, scoring the first goal 3:14 after the opening puck drop, added another goal in the second period, and assisted on a goal in the third period. Once again, he was selected as the #2 star of the game. I am sure he made a good impression on Coach Martinson with back-to-back wins in his first two games in South Carolina with 5 points (3G, 2A).
His career ECHL totals are 152 games played, 83 points (39G, 44A), and 38 penalty minutes.
When you look at scouting and other reports on Anthony, here are some of the comments:
- He plays with a lot of pace, energy, and speed.
- He brings a lot of speed and skill to our lineup.
- He is good on the flank on the power play.
- He is a high-end, skilled right-shot forward.
Fun Facts
- Anthony has a younger brother, Andrew (28), who followed in Anthony's footsteps playing high school hockey in the US and on to Division I hockey at RIT.
- His nickname is Rhino.
- He is a big soccer fan.
- His favorite sports teams include Bill/Dolphins, Manchester City/PSG/Barcelona, Toronto Raptors/Blue Jays.
Here is a get-to-know-you interview with Anthony from last year when he signed with Greensboro.
OTHER COMMENTS
- It was long rumored, but finally announced that Danny Katic will be playing in Europe in 2026-27. He will be playing for HC Plzen in the Czech Republic.
- The ECHL has not officially awarded Houston a franchise, and it is not listed on the ECHL list of future markets approved.
- The arena must actually be funded and built. Like many minor league hockey projects, the timeline depends on financing, land acquisition, and league approval. Reporting on the project stated a purchase agreement on the land is expected by the end of 2026.
- 2028-29 is an ownership target, not a league commitment. The phrase used in reports is "as early as 2028-29," meaning that season is an optimistic goal rather than a guaranteed start date.
- Arena proposal: Appears credible, but still in the planning stage.
- ECHL franchise: Plausible, but not yet approved.
- 2028-29 debut: Possible if everything stays on schedule, but there are still several major milestones to clear before it becomes official.
- I have no inside information on what will happen in Houston, but feel confident the Allen Americans are not the team being referred to in the press release that says, "The contract for the team that will be here ends right at the same time we are going to be done with our arena, which turns out to be perfect."
- Here is the ECHL Stats post from yesterday, which shows just how good the Allen Americans were last season when scoring first:
