The Allen Americans lost their first preseason game to the Kansas City Mavericks last night by a score of 3-1. As predicted the players on both teams were ready to hit someone after a week of practice. After the smoke had settled there were 26 penalties called in the game for a total of 110 minutes (Allen 49, Missouri 61). A fracas at the end of the second period resulted in three fighting majors for each team and two game misconducts for each team. Bryan Moore, Mike Gunn and Jonathan Lessard were the players involved for Allen with Gunn and Lessard given game misconducts for secondary altercations.
- Here is the game recap issued by the Allen Americans: https://allenamericans.com/americans-drop-preseason-opener/
- Here is the press release from the Missouri Mavericks: http://kcmavericks.com/news/?article_id=921
- Three of the four goals in the game came on the power play (two by the Mavericks) and each team had a five-on-three power play goal. Allen is always at or near the top of the ECHL in special teams ratings but have spent just one practice on special teams. Coach Steve Martinson said after the game he liked a lot more of what he saw in the game than what he didn't like and the penalty kill was something he indicated as an area that needs improvement. He also mentioned the speed of the team as a strength and talked specifically about Olivier Archambault and Zach Pochiro.
- Something to keep in mind is a lot of players that will be counted on during the season were not in the game. Coach Martinson wants to get everyone some game action but also needs to make roster decisions so that factors into who gets the most ice time.
- If you add Riley Gill, David Makowski, Joel Chouinard, Vincent Arseneau, Casey Pierro-Zabotel and Spencer Asuchak to the lineup (none of them played last night) you are adding a lot of firepower. If all goes as planned you could see all six of these players in the opening night lineup.
- Another comment coach Martinson mentioned after the game was how good Goalie Stephon Williams looked giving up just one goal in 40 minutes of play, stopping 26 of 27 shots including 15 in the first period when Allen was out shot 15-9.
- After the game coach Martinson released the three tryout players that were in training camp, (Max Cook, Charlie Finn & Matt Zenzola). They will head back to their SPHL teams. It is certainly possible you might see one or more of these players back in Allen if the team is shorthanded during the season because of injuries and call ups. The roster is now at 21 players. With San Jose assigning forward Alex Schoenborn to Allen (just announced) and Spencer Asuchak on his way the roster will grow to 23 players.
- You can expect to see some of the players that didn't play last night in the line up tonight. I would expect with only two goalies now in camp and the fact Stephon Williams played 40 minutes last night you will see Riley Gill get most of the playing time tonight. The team is a little short on forwards so you might see one of the defenseman move up to play forward and it is likely one defensman will not play. There are eight defensemen in camp and based on past seasons I would expect coach Martinson to carry eight defensemen when the opening day roster is finalized. Incidentally, the roster is due to the ECHL office next Wednesday (October 11) at 3:00 pm EDT.
OTHER COMMENTS
- If you didn't read this article that was written by Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning news it is a must read for a couple of reasons. The article is about Stars coach, Ken Hitchcock and his approach to coaching. As I read the story I couldn't help but notice the similarities, not all but some, with coach Martinson. It is hard to play for coaches like Hitchcock and Martinson but the results speak for themselves. Coach Martinson has talked in the past about the difference in coaching in the NHL where players have multi year contracts versus in the ECHL where all players are on one year contracts and the contracts are not guaranteed. By the way, Mike Heika has been a big supporter of this blog. He retweets the blog to his Twitter followers virtually every day. It is hard to get publicity for the Allen Americans and to have Mike share the blog each day with his over 22,000 followers who you know are all hockey fans is both noticed and appreciated. Here is Mike's story, "With Shades of Bill Belichick and John Wooden, Ken Hitchcock is trying to build the Stars the right way" https://sportsday.dallasnews.com/dallas-stars/stars/2017/10/05/shades-bill-belichick-john-wooden-ken-hitchcok-trying-build-stars-right-way?f=r
- If you have tickets to pick up today the Americans staff will be at the South Entrance of the Allen Event Center (next to the community rink) starting at 1:00 pm. until 5:00 pm. All season ticket holders can pick up there tickets and if you have tickets for the preseason game tonight you can also pick them up between 1:00 and 5:00.
- I am working on a story about the new bus the Americans will be using this season. It is a fascinating story about the bus, the company that owns the bus and a fond farewell to Big Red. I plan to post the story on Monday. The only thing missing is a name for the new bus. Any suggestions would be appreciated. With the new bus being leased and used for many other purposes there will be no Allen Americans identifier on the bus and the bus is white in color. So all of you creative folks, and I know there are plenty of Allen fans that are creative, give me some suggestions for a name I can use in the blog.
DID YOU KNOW: If you read the Mike Heika story above about Ken Hitchcock you noticed at the end of the story an all-time NHL coaching wins list on which Ken Hitchcock is #4 with 781 wins. Scotty Bowman is #1 (1244 wins), Joel Queneville is #2 (851 wins) and Al Arbour is #3 (782 wins). Did you know Steve Martinson has spent his entire coaching career in AA hockey winning 10 championships in 21 seasons. In those 21 seasons he has won 943 regular season games.
Saturday, October 7, 2017
Friday, October 6, 2017
Preseason Game Details, Bryan Moore Assigned to Allen, All-Star Game Changes, UHL Returns, Mountain Division Experience Stats
The road to the Allen Americans hockey season takes another step forward tonight as the Americans take on Kansas City at 8:00 pm at the Allen Event Center in the first of two preseason games against the Mavericks. The teams will play again tomorrow night (5:30 pm).
- It has been a long time since Allen fans have seen the Americans play at home. Not to bring up any bad memories but it was five months ago, May 9th to be exact. It was an elimination game against the Colorado Eagles. Allen had a 3-2 lead after the second period and surrendered two third period goals including the game winner with 69 seconds remaining in the game. To make matters worse the game winner was scored by former Allen defenseman, Matt Register, who terrorized the Americans all season. The other memorable thing about that game was how the angels, I mean Eagles, who averaged almost 20 penalty minutes per game during the regular season were not called for a single penalty in that game. Sorry for all of the detail, I guess I was having a writing flashback. It is all water under the bridge at this point. To tell you how things change in five months, when Allen takes the ice tonight (depending on lineup) there will only be three or four players that participated in that game on May 9.
- In preseason games you can have up to 20 players so you can expect to see all of the forwards who are healthy in the lineup. You may see one or two defensemen not playing in the game. Most likely the most experienced of the defenseman will sit. You may start to see some line combinations and defensive pairings that give you an idea of coach Steve Martinson's thinking after a week of practice but there will still be plenty of experimentation going on.
- A few players to keep an eye on tonight would be forwards #18 Zach Pochiro who has shown great skill in practice, #44 Olivier Archambault who is a speedy winger and #11 Tyler Coulter who you can count on for a few big hits in the game. On defense keep an eye on #2 Josh Thrower, who coach Martinson called the toughest player in the toughest junior league in Canada (WHL). Josh's older brother Dalton wears #47.
- After spending the last week at practice not being able to hit anybody there will be plenty of Allen players looking for someone to hit tonight.
OTHER COMMENTS
- Bryan Moore, who is under contract with the San Jose Barracuda was assigned to Allen yesterday and as coach Martinson mentioned at Fan Fest he expects Spencer Asuchak to be in Allen sometime early next week. Talk about making a strong team even stronger, these are two key pieces that coach Martinson was not counting on when Spencer signed in Europe and Bryan signed in San Jose. Moore had 27 goals in just 50 games with Allen last season, played both ends of the ice and was second on the team in penalty minutes (140 minutes). Asuchak was third on the team in points (66), is a great defensive player, plays in all situations and is outstanding at faceoffs. Both of these players will see time in the AHL this season but having them in Allen at the start should help the Americans get off to a good start.
- If you are attending the game tonight and are picking up your tickets at the AEC my understanding is they will be at will call until the ticket office closes at 5:30 pm. After 5:30 you will pick up your tickets by the south entrance to the AEC (not the community rink entrance).
- Fans that have full, half or partial season ticket plans can pick up their tickets on Saturday from 1 to 5 PM. The tickets will be inside the south entrance to the AEC. (next to the community rink).
- The ECHL announced a big change to the All-Star game that will take place in Indy on January 15, 2018. Adopting a format similar to the AHL and NHL the All-Star game will feature four teams, one from each division, that will compete in a three-on-three tournament. Here are all of the details: https://www.echl.com/format-revealed-for-2018-ccm-echl-all-star-classic
- You have to put this in the I will believe it when I see it category but apparently there is an attempt underway to bring back the United Hockey League (UHL) for the 2018-19 season. Quad City, Fort Wayne and Kalamazoo all played in the UHL. Here is the press release with a few details: https://www.unitedhockeyleague.com/blog/2017/7/7/uhl-returns-for-2018-2019-season
DID YOU KNOW: One way to look at the experience of a team is how many games the complete roster has played for their team in the past, how many AHL games does the roster have and how many NHL games does the roster have. Not a perfect measure by any means as games played for the team is a measure of how many returning players there are and none of this measures experience in Europe. I thought it would be interesting to compare the Mountain Division teams using games played (GP) for the team, AHL, and NHL with data from eliteprospects.com. These games played are cumulative for the team's roster as it exists today. Some interesting results:
ALLEN
780 GP: Allen Americans
676 GP: AHL
000 GP: NHL
COLORADO
804 GP: Colorado Eagles
565 GP: AHL
180 GP: NHL
IDAHO
757 GP: Idaho Steelheads
745 GP: AHL
3 GP: NHL
RAPID CITY
676 GP: Rapid City Rush
320 GP: AHL
000 GP: NHL
TULSA
675 GP: Tulsa Oilers
106 GP: AHL
000 GP: NHL
UTAH
545 GP: Utah Grizzlies
296 GP: AHL
000 GP: NHL
WICHITA
283 GP: Wichita Thunder
1432 GP: AHL
136 GP: NHL
- It has been a long time since Allen fans have seen the Americans play at home. Not to bring up any bad memories but it was five months ago, May 9th to be exact. It was an elimination game against the Colorado Eagles. Allen had a 3-2 lead after the second period and surrendered two third period goals including the game winner with 69 seconds remaining in the game. To make matters worse the game winner was scored by former Allen defenseman, Matt Register, who terrorized the Americans all season. The other memorable thing about that game was how the angels, I mean Eagles, who averaged almost 20 penalty minutes per game during the regular season were not called for a single penalty in that game. Sorry for all of the detail, I guess I was having a writing flashback. It is all water under the bridge at this point. To tell you how things change in five months, when Allen takes the ice tonight (depending on lineup) there will only be three or four players that participated in that game on May 9.
- In preseason games you can have up to 20 players so you can expect to see all of the forwards who are healthy in the lineup. You may see one or two defensemen not playing in the game. Most likely the most experienced of the defenseman will sit. You may start to see some line combinations and defensive pairings that give you an idea of coach Steve Martinson's thinking after a week of practice but there will still be plenty of experimentation going on.
- A few players to keep an eye on tonight would be forwards #18 Zach Pochiro who has shown great skill in practice, #44 Olivier Archambault who is a speedy winger and #11 Tyler Coulter who you can count on for a few big hits in the game. On defense keep an eye on #2 Josh Thrower, who coach Martinson called the toughest player in the toughest junior league in Canada (WHL). Josh's older brother Dalton wears #47.
- After spending the last week at practice not being able to hit anybody there will be plenty of Allen players looking for someone to hit tonight.
OTHER COMMENTS
- Bryan Moore, who is under contract with the San Jose Barracuda was assigned to Allen yesterday and as coach Martinson mentioned at Fan Fest he expects Spencer Asuchak to be in Allen sometime early next week. Talk about making a strong team even stronger, these are two key pieces that coach Martinson was not counting on when Spencer signed in Europe and Bryan signed in San Jose. Moore had 27 goals in just 50 games with Allen last season, played both ends of the ice and was second on the team in penalty minutes (140 minutes). Asuchak was third on the team in points (66), is a great defensive player, plays in all situations and is outstanding at faceoffs. Both of these players will see time in the AHL this season but having them in Allen at the start should help the Americans get off to a good start.
- If you are attending the game tonight and are picking up your tickets at the AEC my understanding is they will be at will call until the ticket office closes at 5:30 pm. After 5:30 you will pick up your tickets by the south entrance to the AEC (not the community rink entrance).
- Fans that have full, half or partial season ticket plans can pick up their tickets on Saturday from 1 to 5 PM. The tickets will be inside the south entrance to the AEC. (next to the community rink).
- The ECHL announced a big change to the All-Star game that will take place in Indy on January 15, 2018. Adopting a format similar to the AHL and NHL the All-Star game will feature four teams, one from each division, that will compete in a three-on-three tournament. Here are all of the details: https://www.echl.com/format-revealed-for-2018-ccm-echl-all-star-classic
- You have to put this in the I will believe it when I see it category but apparently there is an attempt underway to bring back the United Hockey League (UHL) for the 2018-19 season. Quad City, Fort Wayne and Kalamazoo all played in the UHL. Here is the press release with a few details: https://www.unitedhockeyleague.com/blog/2017/7/7/uhl-returns-for-2018-2019-season
DID YOU KNOW: One way to look at the experience of a team is how many games the complete roster has played for their team in the past, how many AHL games does the roster have and how many NHL games does the roster have. Not a perfect measure by any means as games played for the team is a measure of how many returning players there are and none of this measures experience in Europe. I thought it would be interesting to compare the Mountain Division teams using games played (GP) for the team, AHL, and NHL with data from eliteprospects.com. These games played are cumulative for the team's roster as it exists today. Some interesting results:
ALLEN
780 GP: Allen Americans
676 GP: AHL
000 GP: NHL
COLORADO
804 GP: Colorado Eagles
565 GP: AHL
180 GP: NHL
IDAHO
757 GP: Idaho Steelheads
745 GP: AHL
3 GP: NHL
RAPID CITY
676 GP: Rapid City Rush
320 GP: AHL
000 GP: NHL
TULSA
675 GP: Tulsa Oilers
106 GP: AHL
000 GP: NHL
UTAH
545 GP: Utah Grizzlies
296 GP: AHL
000 GP: NHL
WICHITA
283 GP: Wichita Thunder
1432 GP: AHL
136 GP: NHL
Thursday, October 5, 2017
Training Camp Update, Martinson's Team Assessment, Costello Injury Update, ECHL-TV & More
After five straight days of skating, drills and playing against each other the Allen Americans are more than ready to take on another team which they will do Friday and Saturday against Kansas City. After close to two hour practices the last two days things will change today as coach Steve Martinson concentrates on special teams play. Martinson will divide the team into two groups with one group on the ice at 10:00 and the other at 11:00. It will be a practice that allows work on special teams but will also conserve some energy in preparation for the two preseason games this weekend.
- It is clear that Martinson is more than pleased with this team and this week of practice has only reinforced what he thought he had this summer during his recruitment effort. One thing you sometimes forget as fans is recruiting is not simply finding the best players. What makes Martinson so good as a recruiter is his ability to combine many factors as he puts the jigsaw puzzle together. The obvious factor is the salary cap so finding players at a good value is key but other issues include housing costs and the combination of younger and older players. He has to factor in players whose sole goal is to get called up to the AHL versus players that want to get called up but are happy playing in Allen. Martinson has to think about the right combination of speed, toughness, side wall players, east-west players, north-south players, left shot vs right shot, puck carriers, play makers, grinders and finishers. Martinson often says the key to being a good coach is recruiting the right players. All you have to do is look at the long list of players that had their best years playing for Martinson to realize he has a unique abilty to recognize players that will excel in his system and are not being utilized correctly on other teams.
- Coach Martinson has done several interviews and talked to many fans this week and the message has been consistent. This team is going to be big, fast, skilled, tough and entertaining. He has said this team will be the hardest to play against since he has been in Allen. With all of the positives and bright outlook he often reminds fans things can look good on paper but you never know what you have until you start playing games. It is looking great on paper but it remains to be seen how the team comes together once the games begin. Fans will get that chance this weekend. There are still tickets available for both preseason games. Call 972-912-1000 for tickets.
OTHER COMMENTS
- Many have been asking if there is anything new relating to Chad Costello and his injury. His wife, Ashley shared this with me this morning to pass along to all of his fans, "Chad met with the knee specialist yesterday and his surgery is scheduled for Monday. The time frame for recovery is unknown until they get in there. It could be five weeks to a few months. Of course Chad is saying it will only be a few weeks. As you know he is so stubborn in playing through injuries he still thinks he is going to try and play on Friday. He said he is missing coach Martinson's old injury stories."
It is good to know Chad still has his sense of humor and there is little doubt he will come back stronger than ever.
- If you track player movement on websites like eliteprospects.com this time of year it is hard to keep up because there are so many with all of the training camps in progress. Here a few related to former Allen players.
Spencer Asuchak - He was released from his contract in Slovakia and flew to Canada yesterday
Greger Hanson - He was assigned to the Utah Grizzlies (ECHL) by the San Diego Gulls (AHL)
Matt Willows - Matt was assigned by the Leigh Valley Phantoms (AHL) to Reading (ECHL)
Alex Krushelnyski - Alex was also assigned by Leigh Valley to Reading
Jake Marchment - Jake was assigned by San Antonio (AHL) to Colorado (ECHL)
Garrett Klotz - Garrett was traded from the Norfolk Admirals to the Quad City Mallards
Harrison Ruopp - Harrison has signed to play senior hockey at home rather then play pro hockey
J.P. LaFontaine - I heard J.P. is not playing pro hockey this season at least at this point
- For those of you that buy one of the ECHL-TV packages the early bird specials are now available. This pricing is good through October 22.
$199.99 - All access for the regular season
$44.99 - Monthly all access package
$149.99 - Single team package for all games (72 games)
$99.99 - Single team away package (36 games)
- As of yesterday the San Jose Barracuda's roster showed two goalies, 16 forwards and eight defensemen. This number includes players that are injured. What does this mean for Allen? San Jose does not have a lot of extra players on the roster so any injuries as the season gets going will impact the Americans. Players that were going to be assigned to Allen may not get assigned and players in Allen may be sent to San Jose.
DID YOU KNOW: Today is the sixth day of training camp and in just six more days the opening day rosters are due in the league office (October 11th). However, once the opening day roster is submitted changes can be made at any time. The best example of this was in 2014-15 when four critical players were added to the roster in the week after the final roster was submitted. Justin Baker, Spencer Asuchak, Jack Combs & Greger Hanson.
- It is clear that Martinson is more than pleased with this team and this week of practice has only reinforced what he thought he had this summer during his recruitment effort. One thing you sometimes forget as fans is recruiting is not simply finding the best players. What makes Martinson so good as a recruiter is his ability to combine many factors as he puts the jigsaw puzzle together. The obvious factor is the salary cap so finding players at a good value is key but other issues include housing costs and the combination of younger and older players. He has to factor in players whose sole goal is to get called up to the AHL versus players that want to get called up but are happy playing in Allen. Martinson has to think about the right combination of speed, toughness, side wall players, east-west players, north-south players, left shot vs right shot, puck carriers, play makers, grinders and finishers. Martinson often says the key to being a good coach is recruiting the right players. All you have to do is look at the long list of players that had their best years playing for Martinson to realize he has a unique abilty to recognize players that will excel in his system and are not being utilized correctly on other teams.
- Coach Martinson has done several interviews and talked to many fans this week and the message has been consistent. This team is going to be big, fast, skilled, tough and entertaining. He has said this team will be the hardest to play against since he has been in Allen. With all of the positives and bright outlook he often reminds fans things can look good on paper but you never know what you have until you start playing games. It is looking great on paper but it remains to be seen how the team comes together once the games begin. Fans will get that chance this weekend. There are still tickets available for both preseason games. Call 972-912-1000 for tickets.
OTHER COMMENTS
- Many have been asking if there is anything new relating to Chad Costello and his injury. His wife, Ashley shared this with me this morning to pass along to all of his fans, "Chad met with the knee specialist yesterday and his surgery is scheduled for Monday. The time frame for recovery is unknown until they get in there. It could be five weeks to a few months. Of course Chad is saying it will only be a few weeks. As you know he is so stubborn in playing through injuries he still thinks he is going to try and play on Friday. He said he is missing coach Martinson's old injury stories."
It is good to know Chad still has his sense of humor and there is little doubt he will come back stronger than ever.
- If you track player movement on websites like eliteprospects.com this time of year it is hard to keep up because there are so many with all of the training camps in progress. Here a few related to former Allen players.
Spencer Asuchak - He was released from his contract in Slovakia and flew to Canada yesterday
Greger Hanson - He was assigned to the Utah Grizzlies (ECHL) by the San Diego Gulls (AHL)
Matt Willows - Matt was assigned by the Leigh Valley Phantoms (AHL) to Reading (ECHL)
Alex Krushelnyski - Alex was also assigned by Leigh Valley to Reading
Jake Marchment - Jake was assigned by San Antonio (AHL) to Colorado (ECHL)
Garrett Klotz - Garrett was traded from the Norfolk Admirals to the Quad City Mallards
Harrison Ruopp - Harrison has signed to play senior hockey at home rather then play pro hockey
J.P. LaFontaine - I heard J.P. is not playing pro hockey this season at least at this point
- For those of you that buy one of the ECHL-TV packages the early bird specials are now available. This pricing is good through October 22.
$199.99 - All access for the regular season
$44.99 - Monthly all access package
$149.99 - Single team package for all games (72 games)
$99.99 - Single team away package (36 games)
- As of yesterday the San Jose Barracuda's roster showed two goalies, 16 forwards and eight defensemen. This number includes players that are injured. What does this mean for Allen? San Jose does not have a lot of extra players on the roster so any injuries as the season gets going will impact the Americans. Players that were going to be assigned to Allen may not get assigned and players in Allen may be sent to San Jose.
DID YOU KNOW: Today is the sixth day of training camp and in just six more days the opening day rosters are due in the league office (October 11th). However, once the opening day roster is submitted changes can be made at any time. The best example of this was in 2014-15 when four critical players were added to the roster in the week after the final roster was submitted. Justin Baker, Spencer Asuchak, Jack Combs & Greger Hanson.
Wednesday, October 4, 2017
Goalie Stephon Williams Assigned to Allen, Practice Update, Video on Rule Changes & Areas of Emphasis
Another player is on the way to Allen's training camp as the San Jose
Barracuda assigned goalie Stephon Williams to the Americans yesterday.
Williams is a Fairbanks, Alaska native and a fourth round pick of the
New York Islanders in the 2013 NHL draft. He played his college hockey
at the University of Minnesota (Mankato) where he was part of two league
(WCHA) championships. This will be Stephon's third professional season.
Including five games at the end of his college eligibility in 2014-15
he has played in 59 games for the Bridgeport Sound Tigers (AHL) and 15
games for the Missouri Mavericks (ECHL). Williams played against Allen
three times last season when he was assigned to Missouri. Allen won two
of the games (3-1 & 3-2) and Missouri won the third 3-2 in overtime.
Here are the details on Williams courtesy of hockeydb:
Drafted by New York Islanders
 |
| Stephon Williams |
Stephon Williams
Goalie -- shoots L
Born Apr 28 1993 -- Fairbanks, AK
[24 yrs. ago]
Height 6.03 -- Weight 196
Born Apr 28 1993 -- Fairbanks, AK
[24 yrs. ago]
Height 6.03 -- Weight 196
-
round 4 #106 overall 2013 NHL Entry Draft
Season Team Lge GP Min GAA W L T Pct ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2010-11 Sioux Falls Stampede USHL 35 2042 2.59 20 7 6 .909 2011-12 Waterloo Black Hawks USHL 19 1054 2.79 10 6 2 .896 2011-12 Sioux Falls Stampede USHL 21 1113 2.70 6 9 2 .913 2012-13 Minnesota State U - Manka WCHA 35 2043 2.00 21 12 2 .924 2013-14 Minnesota State U - Manka WCHA 12 594 3.23 5 6 0 .862 2014-15 Minnesota State U - Manka WCHA 35 1999 1.65 25 6 3 .925 2014-15 Bridgeport Sound Tigers AHL 5 255 2.12 3 1 0 .936 2015-16 Bridgeport Sound Tigers AHL 29 1605 2.77 15 13 1 .899 2015-16 Missouri Mavericks ECHL 7 412 2.91 2 3 2 .892 2016-17 Bridgeport Sound Tigers AHL 24 1265 3.08 6 13 0 .891 2016-17 Missouri Mavericks ECHL 8 424 2.69 3 4 0 .916
- Willams could be at practice as early as today as he was flying to DFW last night. He would make four goalies in camp. Makes you wonder if one of the two tryout goalies will be released.
- As for practice yesterday it was the first opportunity to see Peter MacArthur on the ice. It was obvious after watching just one practice what a skilled player he is. Listed by Adirondack last season as 5' 10" and 180 pounds he is not a big guy by any stretch. More in the mold of Chad Costello. I mentioned yesterday the possibility MacArthur might wear jersey #16 (Arseneau) but that jersey would look like a dress on Peter given the size discrepancy between the two men. My reporting says Arseneau stays with #16 and Peter will wear #14.
- It was more of the same at practice yesterday with a lot of skating and not much instruction. The practice was almost two hours long though the team did take a break at the midpoint to redo the ice. You could notice many of the drills had players in tighter spaces where decisions had to be made quicker than the drills the first day. Expect more of the same today and then a lighter practice tomorrow. Many have asked who will be on the lines for the weekend preseason games. It appears to me coach Steve Martinson is trying to approach these first few days of practice by not establishing set lines and mixing it up so everyone gets to play with a lot of different guys. Tomorrow when the team starts working on special teams you may get a better idea of where all of the players fit in.
- If you have been following NHL and AHL training camps you may have seen some rule changes and areas of emphasis for the upcoming season. Because the ECHL is a development league for the AHL & NHL the ECHL tries to follow the lead of the NHL on changes. Here is the video put out by the NHL going through changes and areas of emphasis. The first rule change is there will be no time out allowed for the defensive team following an icing. The ECHL has already implemented this rule so no change here. The second rule change is related to high sticking the puck and the location of the faceoff. I assume the ECHL will be adopting this new interpretation. The third NHL rule change relates to coach's challenge and that will obviously not be adopted by the ECHL as they are just starting to experiment with instant replay in some preseason games. The part of this video that will have the biggest impact on the ECHL is a stricter enforcement of the slashing rule. Coach Martinson has been advocating for this for a long time. The Americans lose players every year with broken fingers as a result of slashes and an injury of this type can be 4-6 weeks on the injured reserve. This video has several examples of what will be called a slash this season that may have been let go in the past. This isn't a rule change but an emphasis of an existing rule. It may cause some defensemen in particular to change how they play. I know coach Martinson welcomes this change. Another area that will be more strictly enforced this season is on faceoffs, specifically the markings inside the faceoff circle. In the past, players were allowed to have their skates over or touching the ice markings. That won't be allowed this season. This will definitely impact the centers on the team and their approach to faceoffs. Finally, a couple of equipment reminders in the video including the prohibition of tucking the jersey into the pants (ala Greger Hanson) so the top of the padding is exposed. There is also a reminder on visors. So take a look at this video as is does a great job of going through all of the rule changes and areas of emphasis. If you attend the preseason games this weekend pay attention if the linesmen are enforcing the area of emphasis on faceoffs and the referee is calling more slashing penalties. I am assuming ECHL officials will be working the games.
DID YOU KNOW: One save that newly assigned Allen goalie Stephon Williams is known for is from his USHL days back in 2012 when he was playing for the Waterloo Black Hawks. It is known as the 'bare hand" save.
Tuesday, October 3, 2017
Training Camp Update, Who's Who, Costello Injured, Preseason Games and Gulati Visit
It was a site to see at the Allen Event Center community rink yesterday with a full squad of players (22) and coach Steve Martinson on the ice for the first "real" practice of training camp. The only player not at practice was Peter MacArthur who had not arrived in Allen. He should be at practice today.
- With the probability of additional players being assigned to Allen by San Jose and the likelihood Spencer Asuchak will soon return the players are certainly aware of the competition for roster spots on this team. With coach Martinson on the ice barking out commands it was a serious practice with the guys working hard through numerous skating drills. Would expect more of the same today. Practices are at 10:00 am each day this week (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday) so stop by if you get the chance and take a look at what is shaping up as a very good team.
- I get asked about what numbers players are wearing all of the time. All of the returning players from last season are wearing the same numbers with the exception of Tanner Eberle who has switched from #22 to #77. Jonathan Lessard is wearing his familiar #91 and Casey Pierro-Zabotel is wearing #17. You can see all of the assigned numbers and the up to date roster by visiting the "Team" heading on the Allen Americans website (http://allenamericans.com/roster/).
- Chad Costello was injured in his game on Sunday and he will be out of action for a while. Chad was an ironman in Allen as he never missed a game in three seasons, a feat as amazing as his three 100 points seasons. He played in 276 consecutive games with the Americans if you count regular season and playoffs. He seemed indestructible while playing through all kinds of injuries. I had a chance to check in with Chad's wife, Ashley, who shared that Chad will see a knee specialist on Wednesday and they will have more details after that. All they know at this point is surgery will be needed. I know all Allen fans wish Chad a full and speedy recovery.
- I am still carrying around the "Texas on Ice" book which is the history of professional hockey in Texas for the 50 years between 1942-1992. Tom Pease, who has been an off ice official for over 45 years, including for the Dallas Black Hawks and Dallas Freeze was at practice yesterday and knew most of the old-timers pictured in the book. The book brought back some memories for Tom and he started telling me some stories about former players that he is friends with. Tom is still active and will be a goal judge for the Dallas Stars this season, working half of the home games.
- I was asked at the Fan Fest on Saturday if I could talk about trades that involve future considerations and exactly what that means. My understanding is future considerations can be almost anything the two teams agree to from a specific player to be named later, to cash to a mere promise of an undefined favor in the future. When the future consideration is a player, the futures can take many different forms. It can be a specific player agreed to at the time of the trade but announced at a later date, it could be a choice of several specified players or it could be where a certain number of players are protected and then the team with the futures gets their pick of the unprotected players. The bottom line is futures are whatever the two teams decide. They are often confirmed by an email between the two teams and in some cases are just a verbal agreement.
- The are still tickets available for the preseason games this weekend. The game on Friday night has been changed to an 8:00 pm start time from 8:45 pm. The Saturday night game is at 5:45 pm. Come on out and see the new Allen Americans team in action for the first time. It should be a good time in the cozy confines of the community rink. Call 972-912-1000 for tickets.
- I was asked if I knew when Jack Gulati will be visiting Allen again. I reached out to Jack and he shared with me he will be in Allen for opening night (October 21) and also the Sunday game on October 22 and looks forward to meeting and greeting the fans. Jack said when he bought the team he would visit on a regular basis and he has certainly lived up to that promise. Make sure to thank him for all he has done when you see him opening night.
DID YOU KNOW: This info from the new book "Texas on Ice" - In the 50 years before Texas got its own NHL team the state was home to five professional leagues and 13 franchises featuring 1011 players. Only nine percent of the players were American while 88 percent came from Canada. The other three percent came from 11 different countries; Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Poland, Austria, Czechoslovakia, England, Italy, Lebanon and Yugoslavia.
- With the probability of additional players being assigned to Allen by San Jose and the likelihood Spencer Asuchak will soon return the players are certainly aware of the competition for roster spots on this team. With coach Martinson on the ice barking out commands it was a serious practice with the guys working hard through numerous skating drills. Would expect more of the same today. Practices are at 10:00 am each day this week (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday) so stop by if you get the chance and take a look at what is shaping up as a very good team.
- I get asked about what numbers players are wearing all of the time. All of the returning players from last season are wearing the same numbers with the exception of Tanner Eberle who has switched from #22 to #77. Jonathan Lessard is wearing his familiar #91 and Casey Pierro-Zabotel is wearing #17. You can see all of the assigned numbers and the up to date roster by visiting the "Team" heading on the Allen Americans website (http://allenamericans.com/roster/).
- Chad Costello was injured in his game on Sunday and he will be out of action for a while. Chad was an ironman in Allen as he never missed a game in three seasons, a feat as amazing as his three 100 points seasons. He played in 276 consecutive games with the Americans if you count regular season and playoffs. He seemed indestructible while playing through all kinds of injuries. I had a chance to check in with Chad's wife, Ashley, who shared that Chad will see a knee specialist on Wednesday and they will have more details after that. All they know at this point is surgery will be needed. I know all Allen fans wish Chad a full and speedy recovery.
- I am still carrying around the "Texas on Ice" book which is the history of professional hockey in Texas for the 50 years between 1942-1992. Tom Pease, who has been an off ice official for over 45 years, including for the Dallas Black Hawks and Dallas Freeze was at practice yesterday and knew most of the old-timers pictured in the book. The book brought back some memories for Tom and he started telling me some stories about former players that he is friends with. Tom is still active and will be a goal judge for the Dallas Stars this season, working half of the home games.
- I was asked at the Fan Fest on Saturday if I could talk about trades that involve future considerations and exactly what that means. My understanding is future considerations can be almost anything the two teams agree to from a specific player to be named later, to cash to a mere promise of an undefined favor in the future. When the future consideration is a player, the futures can take many different forms. It can be a specific player agreed to at the time of the trade but announced at a later date, it could be a choice of several specified players or it could be where a certain number of players are protected and then the team with the futures gets their pick of the unprotected players. The bottom line is futures are whatever the two teams decide. They are often confirmed by an email between the two teams and in some cases are just a verbal agreement.
- The are still tickets available for the preseason games this weekend. The game on Friday night has been changed to an 8:00 pm start time from 8:45 pm. The Saturday night game is at 5:45 pm. Come on out and see the new Allen Americans team in action for the first time. It should be a good time in the cozy confines of the community rink. Call 972-912-1000 for tickets.
- I was asked if I knew when Jack Gulati will be visiting Allen again. I reached out to Jack and he shared with me he will be in Allen for opening night (October 21) and also the Sunday game on October 22 and looks forward to meeting and greeting the fans. Jack said when he bought the team he would visit on a regular basis and he has certainly lived up to that promise. Make sure to thank him for all he has done when you see him opening night.
DID YOU KNOW: This info from the new book "Texas on Ice" - In the 50 years before Texas got its own NHL team the state was home to five professional leagues and 13 franchises featuring 1011 players. Only nine percent of the players were American while 88 percent came from Canada. The other three percent came from 11 different countries; Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Poland, Austria, Czechoslovakia, England, Italy, Lebanon and Yugoslavia.
Monday, October 2, 2017
Training Camp Update, Meet Game Host Kayla McLain, Question of the Day, Trevor Ludwig Update
The second day on the ice for the Allen Americans early Sunday morning was somewhat similar to day one. It consisted of no more than a couple of warmup drills and a long scrimmage with the players divided into two teams. It must be the power of the red jerseys as the red team won the three on three tournament on Saturday and the scrimmage on Sunday.
- After coach Steve Martinson learned six players were returning from San Jose and he would have virtually a full team at practice this morning (Monday) he opted to let the players practice by themselves and have some fun with the red vs white scrimmage. Remember, typically the first practice in the past has been on Monday so there will be ample time to prepare for the preseason game on Friday. Don't get me wrong, the players were having a fun scrimmage Sunday morning but Martinson was in his favorite spot by the Zamboni doors taking it all in and I am sure the players were well aware he was observing what was happening on the ice. As he said to me, "You can learn a lot by watching how players perform when it is just a fun scrimmage."
- Martinson has often said it is difficult to have a lot of practice days in a row so having these first two days be more fun will help the rest of the week. The plan is to do a lot of skating drills the next three days combined with working a little on the system fundamentals each day. Thursday will be a lighter practice with the emphasis in special teams.
- Fans are invited to attend all practices which begin at 10:00 am and take place in the community rink. Here are all of the details in a press release issued by the team last night. The release still shows the preseason game on Friday starting at 8:45 pm. Coach Martinson mentioned when he addressed the fans at Fan Fest on Saturday he was going to try and get that time changed to an earlier start time. It may be too late with all of the logistics involved but stay tuned. https://allenamericans.com/americans-announce-training-camp-schedule/
- Here is the current updated Allen roster:
Goalies
Riley Gill
Charlie Finn (tryout)
Matt Zenola (tryout)
Defensemen
Joel Chouinard
Mike Gunn
Miles Liberati
David Makowski (assigned by San Jose)
Jaynen Rissling
Eric Roy
Dalton Thrower
Josh Thrower
Forwards
Olivier Archambault
Vincent Arseneau
Mathieu Aubin
Marcus Basara
Max Cook (tryout)
Tyler Coulter
Tanner Eberle
Zach Hall
Jonathan Lessard
Peter MacArthur
Casey Pierro-Zabotel
Zach Pochiro
- A reader of the blog who is also a coach and couldn't be at the Fan Fest on Saturday wanted to ask coach Martinson if he changes his forecheck if he has a lead in the third period. I posed that question to Martinson and this was his answer, "Normally you get a little more conservative with a lead in the third period and might go from a two man forecheck to just one. One of the things I tell players when I am recruiting them is that we are not going to sit back in the third period with a lead, we are going to keep on the gas pedal. Points get guys noticed. Chad Costello got all those points here and ended up getting a big payday in Europe. We may lose a game because we don't get too conservative in the third period with a lead but we will win a lot of games because we have guys that want to play in Allen that enjoy that style of play. They know we are not going to sit back. The players like to win and they like to score."
- After several years without an "In Game Host" the Americans just hired one and introduced Kayla McLain at the Fan Fest on Saturday. Kayla is originally from southern California and is a 2014 graduate from TCU with a degree in Sports Broadcasting and Journalism. You may recognize Kayla if you attend Frisco Rough Riders games as she is the Game Day Host for them. She has done a lot of work for TCU including being their football stadium host and conducting post game interviews at TCU football, volleyball and baseball games. She has done work for the Dallas Stars and Dallas Cowboys and interned at Fox Sports Southwest where she co-hosted a 30 minute women's sports special which aired nationally. Kayla's Twitter handle is @KkayRae so give her a follow if you are on Twitter. Welcome to the Allen Americans Kayla and look forward to seeing you in your new favorite color, Rock the Red.
DID YOU KNOW: It is always fun to keep track of former Allen Americans players after their playing days are over. Trevor Ludwig is a big part of Allen Americans history having played four years for the team and being part of three championships. After a year with the Missouri Mavericks and a year with the Orlando Solar Bears his playing days are now behind him. Trevor, Holly and their two young children are living back in the DFW area. Trevor recently started a pool and spa service company called Ludwig's Pool Service. I was talking to an Allen fan at the Fan Fest on Saturday and he shared with me he had struggled servicing his pool for over a year and hired Trevor. In just a couple of weeks Trevor had the pool looking great. It was a very nice unsolicited testimonial for Trevor. If you have need for a pool service give Trevor a call (817-368-0017).
- After coach Steve Martinson learned six players were returning from San Jose and he would have virtually a full team at practice this morning (Monday) he opted to let the players practice by themselves and have some fun with the red vs white scrimmage. Remember, typically the first practice in the past has been on Monday so there will be ample time to prepare for the preseason game on Friday. Don't get me wrong, the players were having a fun scrimmage Sunday morning but Martinson was in his favorite spot by the Zamboni doors taking it all in and I am sure the players were well aware he was observing what was happening on the ice. As he said to me, "You can learn a lot by watching how players perform when it is just a fun scrimmage."
- Martinson has often said it is difficult to have a lot of practice days in a row so having these first two days be more fun will help the rest of the week. The plan is to do a lot of skating drills the next three days combined with working a little on the system fundamentals each day. Thursday will be a lighter practice with the emphasis in special teams.
- Fans are invited to attend all practices which begin at 10:00 am and take place in the community rink. Here are all of the details in a press release issued by the team last night. The release still shows the preseason game on Friday starting at 8:45 pm. Coach Martinson mentioned when he addressed the fans at Fan Fest on Saturday he was going to try and get that time changed to an earlier start time. It may be too late with all of the logistics involved but stay tuned. https://allenamericans.com/americans-announce-training-camp-schedule/
- Here is the current updated Allen roster:
Goalies
Riley Gill
Charlie Finn (tryout)
Matt Zenola (tryout)
Defensemen
Joel Chouinard
Mike Gunn
Miles Liberati
David Makowski (assigned by San Jose)
Jaynen Rissling
Eric Roy
Dalton Thrower
Josh Thrower
Forwards
Olivier Archambault
Vincent Arseneau
Mathieu Aubin
Marcus Basara
Max Cook (tryout)
Tyler Coulter
Tanner Eberle
Zach Hall
Jonathan Lessard
Peter MacArthur
Casey Pierro-Zabotel
Zach Pochiro
- A reader of the blog who is also a coach and couldn't be at the Fan Fest on Saturday wanted to ask coach Martinson if he changes his forecheck if he has a lead in the third period. I posed that question to Martinson and this was his answer, "Normally you get a little more conservative with a lead in the third period and might go from a two man forecheck to just one. One of the things I tell players when I am recruiting them is that we are not going to sit back in the third period with a lead, we are going to keep on the gas pedal. Points get guys noticed. Chad Costello got all those points here and ended up getting a big payday in Europe. We may lose a game because we don't get too conservative in the third period with a lead but we will win a lot of games because we have guys that want to play in Allen that enjoy that style of play. They know we are not going to sit back. The players like to win and they like to score."
- After several years without an "In Game Host" the Americans just hired one and introduced Kayla McLain at the Fan Fest on Saturday. Kayla is originally from southern California and is a 2014 graduate from TCU with a degree in Sports Broadcasting and Journalism. You may recognize Kayla if you attend Frisco Rough Riders games as she is the Game Day Host for them. She has done a lot of work for TCU including being their football stadium host and conducting post game interviews at TCU football, volleyball and baseball games. She has done work for the Dallas Stars and Dallas Cowboys and interned at Fox Sports Southwest where she co-hosted a 30 minute women's sports special which aired nationally. Kayla's Twitter handle is @KkayRae so give her a follow if you are on Twitter. Welcome to the Allen Americans Kayla and look forward to seeing you in your new favorite color, Rock the Red.
 |
| Allen Americans In Game Host Kayla McLain |
DID YOU KNOW: It is always fun to keep track of former Allen Americans players after their playing days are over. Trevor Ludwig is a big part of Allen Americans history having played four years for the team and being part of three championships. After a year with the Missouri Mavericks and a year with the Orlando Solar Bears his playing days are now behind him. Trevor, Holly and their two young children are living back in the DFW area. Trevor recently started a pool and spa service company called Ludwig's Pool Service. I was talking to an Allen fan at the Fan Fest on Saturday and he shared with me he had struggled servicing his pool for over a year and hired Trevor. In just a couple of weeks Trevor had the pool looking great. It was a very nice unsolicited testimonial for Trevor. If you have need for a pool service give Trevor a call (817-368-0017).
Sunday, October 1, 2017
3 on 3 Tourney Results, Martinson's Comments, Asuchak Returning, Six Players Coming From San Jose, Two New Signings
It was a busy day yesterday if you are a fan of the Allen Americans with a lot of activity and news to talk about. The day started with a three on three tournament at the North Dallas Pond Hockey Training Center on their 100' x 42' ice rink (the AEC ice surface is 200' x 85'). The round robin tournament between Team Chouinard, Team Pierro-Zabotel and Team Aubin was a lot of fun to watch and it was great to see so many familiar faces who were anxious to see some hockey and take a look at the 2017-18 Allen Americans roster.
- This practice was just for fun and the players seems to be really enjoying themselves. For the record the winner of the mini-tournament on the mini-ice was Team Aubin. The winning team was captain Mathieu Aubin, Mike Gunn, Jonathan Lessard, Zach Pochiro and goalie Riley Gill.
- After the three on three tourney there was supposed to be a shootout contest where all of the skaters have a shootout attempt and everyone that scores advances to the next round. That process continues until one winner survives. After the first round of shootouts nobody scored as the goalies stopped all 13 skaters. Coach Steve Martinson declared the three goalies the winners of the shootout contest and they got to split the pot.
- There were some new faces on the ice for the Americans. It was the first chance for the fans to see Mathieu Aubin (#9), Dalton Thrower (#47), Zach Pochiro (#18) and Tyler Coulter (#11).
- There were also three tryout players participating yesterday. Goalies Charlie Finn and Matt Zenzola along with forward Max Cook.
- One returning player with a new number is Tanner Eberle who has traded in #22 and will wear #77 this season. Per Tanner he is just trying to changes things up so went with #77.
STEVE MARTINSON'S FAN FEST COMMENTS
- After the activities at the pond hockey facility fans had just enough time to grab lunch and head over the the Allen Event Center to hear coach Martinson give his "state of the team" address and answer any questions the fans might have. It was a standing room only crowd and they weren't disappointed as coach Martinson was his usual open, honest and entertaining self. Here is a sampling of what Martinson had to say:
- One player that is in camp that we are just announcing today is Tyler Coulter. He is a rookie from the Western Hockey League (WHL) that had 30 goals, 63 points and 100 penalty minutes last season. After I did a deal with his agent I asked Tyler how he would describe his style of play and he said, "I like to be a defensman's worst nightmare." I saw several of his fights on YouTube and noticed each time it was because he ran somebody. He looks like a smaller version of Vincent Arseneau.
- We are also announcing today the signing of Peter MacArthur. He led Adirondack in scoring last season (24 goals 39 assists) and was also captain of the team. He has played in 190 AHL games and has also played in Europe. Everyone I talked to had great things to say about Peter. He is always in great shape, is a team first player and should do very well in our system. MacArthur is 32 but I think he will have a big year for us.
- Everyone can carry the puck but this year we have four or five guys that are very high level puck carriers and with injuries and call ups it can be a problem if you don't have enough of those type of players. We have some guys that go north and south up and down the wing and arrive in the corners with speed and toughness like Arseneau, Eberle and Lessard but we also have guys like Hall, Pochiro and MacArthur that go east and west and can slow things down, carry the puck from side to side and make plays.
- I like our mix of skill, size, speed and physical play which are all key components of success in the ECHL. I am really excited to see this group all together later in training camp when we get guys back from San Jose.
- Spencer Asuchak is flying back from Slovakia to Canada on Wednesday. I am waiting to see if San Jose is going to sign him. One way or another Asuchak will be here and my guess is it would be sometime after next weekend. That will be a big addition that we were not expecting. Going to Europe is enticing because they pay more and it is tax free money. Europe is not for everyone. I went once and am never going back. It works for some players but not others. It didn't work for me!
- It is great having Arseneau back. We didn't announce his return to Allen earlier to give him an opportunity to sign an AHL deal. Vince missed so many game last season I knew it would be virtually impossible for him to get an AHL deal.
- I moved Kyle Neuber because we are so tough. Josh Thrower was the toughest guy in the WHL last year which is the toughest junior league in the world. His brother (Dalton) is tough, Rissling is 6' 4" and 215 and doesn't have an ounce of fat and he is tough. Obviously we have Vince, Lessard, Eberle, Gunn and a lot of other guys that have plenty of toughness. So on paper I think we will have the hardest team to play against since I have been in Allen.
- I was in San Jose earlier this week and our guys looked good but they got shellacked 6-0 Thursday in their first preseason game. The goalie we are supposed to get (Stephon Williams) only gave up one goal in that game. He is an experienced goalie that played well against us last year when he was in Kansas City. When they asked me my opinion I told them I would prefer a guy with experience in pro hockey rather than a first year guy. With first year guys you never know. Williams should do a good job for us.
- I traded a few guys over the summer and one I would like to talk about is Dyson Stevenson. There are a lot of things related to that trade that I am not going to talk about. I am hoping Dyson can get a bigger role in Wichita.
- Aaron Gens is still dealing with medical issues but has clearance to go on the ice and help out and that is what he will be doing. Where that goes from here they are not sure at this time. There is nothing worse for a hockey player than to be injured and not being able to participate. I remind players it is part of playing but it is miserable to sit out.
- We will practice in the community rink Monday thru Thursday at 10:00 am and fans are invited to attend. I am going to try and get the preseason game on Friday switched to an earlier time than 8:45 pm. I just found out it was scheduled at 8:45 and that is too late. On Monday I will see if we can get whoever is scheduled for the ice earlier would be willing to switch times with us.
- I have had player/assistants in the past and part of my thinking with Casey was he has moved around a lot and with a family that isn't easy. I know that first hand because I did that. We are going to start a program to help married players with families as they have a unique situation and I want to do some things that will make it easier to keep them. With Casey one of things I wanted to do was help him with his future and maybe he won't have to move around so much. To be a player/assistant you have to know your stuff and Casey is a smart player. He did a great job mentoring the younger players when he was here before. He is a big part of the penalty kill and will help me coaching in that area.
- We went to a meeting in Reading a couple of weeks ago where Jack Gulati brought in all the key employees and we had a meeting with the league about sales and marketing ideas. I have never been involved in a meeting like that and it was really good. Jack has owned many businesses and I think he said one time he has never owned a business for less than five years. He is using a lot of his prior business experience in how he runs his hockey teams. We are being run differently than anything I have ever seen which is exciting to me. It has been really nice having the ownership change.
OTHER COMMENTS
- Late last night I heard from coach Martinson after he had a chance to talk to San Jose following the Barracuda's second preseason (they won 2-1 in OT). The five Allen tryout players (Olivier Archambault, Vincent Arseneau, Marcus Basara, Jaynen Rissling, Josh Thrower) have been released and are heading back to Allen. In additon, David Makowski, who is a San Jose contracted player, has been assigned to Allen and will be joining the Americans.
- With the six players returning from San Jose and the arrival of Peter MacArthur by the time practice rolls around on Monday there should be 23 players in training camp.
- Here is the press release issued by the Americans on the signing of Peter MacArthur and Tyler Coulter. https://allenamericans.com/americans-add-key-piece-puzzle-signing-peter-macarthur/
DID YOU KNOW: Adding MacArthur and Coulter to the roster raised the average age from 25.11 to 25.25. MacArthur will be the oldest skater on the team at 32 and Coulter will be the youngest at 21, just a few months younger than Josh Thrower.
- This practice was just for fun and the players seems to be really enjoying themselves. For the record the winner of the mini-tournament on the mini-ice was Team Aubin. The winning team was captain Mathieu Aubin, Mike Gunn, Jonathan Lessard, Zach Pochiro and goalie Riley Gill.
- After the three on three tourney there was supposed to be a shootout contest where all of the skaters have a shootout attempt and everyone that scores advances to the next round. That process continues until one winner survives. After the first round of shootouts nobody scored as the goalies stopped all 13 skaters. Coach Steve Martinson declared the three goalies the winners of the shootout contest and they got to split the pot.
- There were some new faces on the ice for the Americans. It was the first chance for the fans to see Mathieu Aubin (#9), Dalton Thrower (#47), Zach Pochiro (#18) and Tyler Coulter (#11).
- There were also three tryout players participating yesterday. Goalies Charlie Finn and Matt Zenzola along with forward Max Cook.
- One returning player with a new number is Tanner Eberle who has traded in #22 and will wear #77 this season. Per Tanner he is just trying to changes things up so went with #77.
STEVE MARTINSON'S FAN FEST COMMENTS
- After the activities at the pond hockey facility fans had just enough time to grab lunch and head over the the Allen Event Center to hear coach Martinson give his "state of the team" address and answer any questions the fans might have. It was a standing room only crowd and they weren't disappointed as coach Martinson was his usual open, honest and entertaining self. Here is a sampling of what Martinson had to say:
- One player that is in camp that we are just announcing today is Tyler Coulter. He is a rookie from the Western Hockey League (WHL) that had 30 goals, 63 points and 100 penalty minutes last season. After I did a deal with his agent I asked Tyler how he would describe his style of play and he said, "I like to be a defensman's worst nightmare." I saw several of his fights on YouTube and noticed each time it was because he ran somebody. He looks like a smaller version of Vincent Arseneau.
- We are also announcing today the signing of Peter MacArthur. He led Adirondack in scoring last season (24 goals 39 assists) and was also captain of the team. He has played in 190 AHL games and has also played in Europe. Everyone I talked to had great things to say about Peter. He is always in great shape, is a team first player and should do very well in our system. MacArthur is 32 but I think he will have a big year for us.
- Everyone can carry the puck but this year we have four or five guys that are very high level puck carriers and with injuries and call ups it can be a problem if you don't have enough of those type of players. We have some guys that go north and south up and down the wing and arrive in the corners with speed and toughness like Arseneau, Eberle and Lessard but we also have guys like Hall, Pochiro and MacArthur that go east and west and can slow things down, carry the puck from side to side and make plays.
- I like our mix of skill, size, speed and physical play which are all key components of success in the ECHL. I am really excited to see this group all together later in training camp when we get guys back from San Jose.
- Spencer Asuchak is flying back from Slovakia to Canada on Wednesday. I am waiting to see if San Jose is going to sign him. One way or another Asuchak will be here and my guess is it would be sometime after next weekend. That will be a big addition that we were not expecting. Going to Europe is enticing because they pay more and it is tax free money. Europe is not for everyone. I went once and am never going back. It works for some players but not others. It didn't work for me!
- It is great having Arseneau back. We didn't announce his return to Allen earlier to give him an opportunity to sign an AHL deal. Vince missed so many game last season I knew it would be virtually impossible for him to get an AHL deal.
- I moved Kyle Neuber because we are so tough. Josh Thrower was the toughest guy in the WHL last year which is the toughest junior league in the world. His brother (Dalton) is tough, Rissling is 6' 4" and 215 and doesn't have an ounce of fat and he is tough. Obviously we have Vince, Lessard, Eberle, Gunn and a lot of other guys that have plenty of toughness. So on paper I think we will have the hardest team to play against since I have been in Allen.
- I was in San Jose earlier this week and our guys looked good but they got shellacked 6-0 Thursday in their first preseason game. The goalie we are supposed to get (Stephon Williams) only gave up one goal in that game. He is an experienced goalie that played well against us last year when he was in Kansas City. When they asked me my opinion I told them I would prefer a guy with experience in pro hockey rather than a first year guy. With first year guys you never know. Williams should do a good job for us.
- I traded a few guys over the summer and one I would like to talk about is Dyson Stevenson. There are a lot of things related to that trade that I am not going to talk about. I am hoping Dyson can get a bigger role in Wichita.
- Aaron Gens is still dealing with medical issues but has clearance to go on the ice and help out and that is what he will be doing. Where that goes from here they are not sure at this time. There is nothing worse for a hockey player than to be injured and not being able to participate. I remind players it is part of playing but it is miserable to sit out.
- We will practice in the community rink Monday thru Thursday at 10:00 am and fans are invited to attend. I am going to try and get the preseason game on Friday switched to an earlier time than 8:45 pm. I just found out it was scheduled at 8:45 and that is too late. On Monday I will see if we can get whoever is scheduled for the ice earlier would be willing to switch times with us.
- I have had player/assistants in the past and part of my thinking with Casey was he has moved around a lot and with a family that isn't easy. I know that first hand because I did that. We are going to start a program to help married players with families as they have a unique situation and I want to do some things that will make it easier to keep them. With Casey one of things I wanted to do was help him with his future and maybe he won't have to move around so much. To be a player/assistant you have to know your stuff and Casey is a smart player. He did a great job mentoring the younger players when he was here before. He is a big part of the penalty kill and will help me coaching in that area.
- We went to a meeting in Reading a couple of weeks ago where Jack Gulati brought in all the key employees and we had a meeting with the league about sales and marketing ideas. I have never been involved in a meeting like that and it was really good. Jack has owned many businesses and I think he said one time he has never owned a business for less than five years. He is using a lot of his prior business experience in how he runs his hockey teams. We are being run differently than anything I have ever seen which is exciting to me. It has been really nice having the ownership change.
OTHER COMMENTS
- Late last night I heard from coach Martinson after he had a chance to talk to San Jose following the Barracuda's second preseason (they won 2-1 in OT). The five Allen tryout players (Olivier Archambault, Vincent Arseneau, Marcus Basara, Jaynen Rissling, Josh Thrower) have been released and are heading back to Allen. In additon, David Makowski, who is a San Jose contracted player, has been assigned to Allen and will be joining the Americans.
- With the six players returning from San Jose and the arrival of Peter MacArthur by the time practice rolls around on Monday there should be 23 players in training camp.
- Here is the press release issued by the Americans on the signing of Peter MacArthur and Tyler Coulter. https://allenamericans.com/americans-add-key-piece-puzzle-signing-peter-macarthur/
DID YOU KNOW: Adding MacArthur and Coulter to the roster raised the average age from 25.11 to 25.25. MacArthur will be the oldest skater on the team at 32 and Coulter will be the youngest at 21, just a few months younger than Josh Thrower.
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