Update From Allen Americans Coach and General Manager Chad Costello Plus a Recap of My Trip to Brazil

 I had a chance to spend some time with Chad Costello this week, getting an update after being gone for a while. Some of you have asked about our trip. This is more than you want to know so skip ahead if you are not interested.

Nancy and I just returned from a two week nature trip to the Pantanal Region of Brazil. The Pantanal is the largest tropical wetland in the world at over 75,000 square miles. The majority of this ecosystem lies within Brazil's borders but it also has parts in Bolivia and Paraguay. While the Amazon is more famous, the Pantanal is home to the greatest wildlife concentrations on the South American continent. In addition to seeing 255 bird species (yes we kept track as there were several serious birders in our group of nine), we also saw over 40 different mammals/snakes including the Giant Anteater, Ocelots, Tapirs, Giant River Otters, Anacondas, Caiman, Capybara and the highlight of the trip, 17 sightings of the third largest cat in the world, the elusive Jaguar. If you are a nature lover I would highly recommend at trip to the Pantanal! 

I wrote a story for our Heritage Ranch (where I live) fishing club newsletter about encounters with fish on the trip. The fishing club was hoping it was about me fishing, but this is the best I could do. I will post some other photos from the trip when the photographers (not me) put an album together.

1. Swimming With Fish - Spring fed rivers in the southern Pantanal make for a watery wonderland of gorgeous vegetation and water that is completely clear. We snorkeled on three such rivers, riding the river current for up to one hour with the fresh water fish. You are not allowed to touch bottom to maintain the clarity of the water. It was 48 degrees air temperature when we entered the water early in the morning but the water temp was a constant 72 degrees so very comfortable with the wet suits. Here is a school of Dorado:
   

2. Fishing With Friends - Though I did not wet a line myself we did go fishing with five giant river otters one morning. The giant river otter is a carnivorous mammal that can reach six feet in length and weigh up to 50 pounds. We followed a family of five for over a half mile as they paid no attention to our boat. They were totally focused on fishing. When one of the otters caught a fish the other four waited patiently while it was eaten from head to tail. No sharing, all the spoils went to the otter that caught the fish.
3. 
   
4. 
   

  

   3. Eating Fish - As you might imagine we had a lot of opportunity to eat fish on the trip. The two served most frequently.

• Pintado filets which is a catfish that is very firm, close to the consistency of very tender pork or chicken. The Pintado is a shovel-nosed catfish iconic of the Pantanal and a common feature on regional menus. We were told by our guide that fisherman from all over the world come to the Pantanal to fish for big Pintado.

• Fried ribs of Paku was served everywhere and was delicious. Paku have square molars that look surprisingly human. These are perfectly adapted for eating fruits and nuts which drop into the waters of the Pantanal. Their diet makes for a great sweet tasting fish. The meat just slides off the rib bones.
  

 

- Enough about my trip, here are some of the subjects I covered with coach Costello:

 

3ICE - It is old news by now but I wanted to ask Chad about his experience in the inaugural season of the 3-on-3 professional hockey league. It could not have gone better for Chad and his team (Team Trottier aka Blue Team). In addition to winning two of the eight regular season tournaments, Team Trottier won the playoffs and the first Patrick Cup. And the cherry on top was Chad being selected as the league MVP. In addition to a big payday (north of $140,000) which is nice, Chad told me 3ICE was one of the best hockey experiences of his long career. Here are a few of his quotes:

 

"What 3ICE is building and doing is very professional. It is easy to be skeptical of something brand new but I was sold right away when I saw the hockey and how good it was, the pace of play and how real it was and obviously the pay helps with the product. It was an honor to play 3ICE and I only have good things to say about what they have accomplished and where they are going."

 

"Hanging out with Bryan Trottier and my teammates was amazing. I think we were the tightest knit group in 3ICE."

 

"A side benefit for me playing 3ICE as a new coach in Allen was the networking and recruiting. Especially coach Trottier, but all of the coaches were more than willing to talk to me and share their ideas. I have already signed defenseman Colton Saucerman from 3ICE and there are more to come."

 

When I asked Chad if he did anything special with his "summer job" bonanza he said, I was gone for 10 weekends so the one splurge was to buy Ashley a new vehicle to replace the 12 year old one she was driving."

 

 

THE ROSTER - While recruiting never stops when you are an ECHL general manager, Costello for the most part has his team put together for 2022-23. Only 12 players have been announced, but there are many more waiting in the wings for the official announcement. Here are the 12 announced players:

 

Goalies 

• Luke Peressini

Defensemen

• Nick Albano
• Jared Bathune (D/F)
  
• Lord-Anthony Grissom 
• Kris Myllari
• Colton Saucerman 
   

Forwards

 

• Jackson Leppard
• Zach Pochiro 
• Hank Crone
• Marcel Godbout
• Justin Young
• Stephen Baylis

 

Costello really likes the roster he has put together and it will be a team that can play any style which is particularly important in the Mountain Division. Even though character, speed and skill are critical, Chad will have a team that competes hard, is tough to play against and if the opponents want to mix it up, the Americans will have plenty of grit and toughness. When Allen won its first Kelly Cup (2015) the Americans led the ECHL in goals per game (4.06) and penalty minutes per game (22.83). They had a lot of leaders in the locker room. It may sound cliche but Chad is putting together a team the will be able to play fast or tough, defensively or offensively, depending on the team they are playing against. I have heard Chad mention several times the NHL Tampa Bay Lightning as the type of team he wants and that includes good goaltending.   

AFFILIATION - Chad is really excited about the affiliation agreement Allen recently signed with the Ottawa/Belleville Senators. Costello had to recruit all summer as if he wasn't going to have an affiliation and wasn't going to get AHL players assigned. The fact of the matter is in the end there was more than one NHL team wanting to affiliate with the Americans. Here are some of Costello's thoughts on what the affiliation will mean for Allen:

"I look forward to learning from our affiliate. I have talked a lot to Belleville coach Troy Mann and will attend the AHL training camp the first week in October."

"I don't know yet which players will be assigned from Belleville, but we will get a goalie to team with Luke Peressini and I expect we will also get some skaters. I should know more about who and how many players will be assigned to Allen after spending time at Belleville's training camp."

"I did give thought to the downside of having an affiliate in Canada but in the end this was the best fit for our team. Belleville is only a couple of hours from Toronto and there are a half dozen nonstop flights between Toronto and Dallas daily."

"We will have a lot of players going to AHL training camps. Most will go to Belleville's camp but we will also have players attending other camps." 

 

COACHES - There were seven skaters that played in both of Allen's Kelly Cup championship playoffs in 2015 and 2016. At least four of them will be part of the 2022-23 Allen team with the announcement that Chad Costello has selected Aaron Gens as his assistant coach and Gary Steffes as the Mental Performance and Player Development Coach. The fourth player from those Kelly Cup championships will be Spencer Asuchak (unannounced but a foregone conclusion), who will be playing in his 10th season for the Americans. The other three are Greger Hansen, who is retired and living in Arizona, Vincent Arseneau, who is playing in the AHL (Abbotsford) and Dyson Stevenson who according to eliteprospects.com is still unsigned for 2022-23. That means it is still possible Stevenson could be the fifth player from those back to back Kelly Cup teams with Allen in 2022-23. 

Aaron Gens role will be just like a full time assistant coach with the exception he will not travel to the road games. He will still run practices for players that don't travel on road trips. Gens has been coaching youth hockey and won a state championship this past season. In addition to bringing the perspective of a defenseman, Gens will be the video coach for the Americans.

Steffes now lives in Florida so he will visit Allen periodically to carry out his new role. For anyone that has had the opportunity to talk to or hear Gary, he is made for the role he has been given with the team.    

TRAINING CAMP - Costello is spending a lot of energy making sure he has a team that becomes cohesive as quickly as possible. It will be difficult with close to half of the team participating in AHL training camps. There will be team building activities, the locker room has been updated and looks great with some player friendly changes incorporated. By the time Allen's lone preseason game roles around (October 12th against Tulsa) most if not all of the players attending AHL camps will be back.

 

DID YOU KNOW: Chad Costello has made it clear the expectation of winning in Allen hasn't changed and just making the playoffs, which may be the definition of success for many franchises, is not the goal for the Americans. How has Allen fared in the playoffs? It is clear deep playoff runs are part of Allen's DNA.

• 4 Championships -  2013, 2014, 2015, 2016
• 1 Finals Loss - 2010
• 3 Conference Finals Losses - 2011, 2012, 2021
• 1 Division Finals Loss - 2017
• 2 Division Semi-Finals Losses - 2018, 2022
• 1 Out of Playoffs - 2019 
• No Playoffs - 2020 
  

  

The Hall of Fame is Calling - Time for the Allen Americans to Nominate Riley Gill and Chad Costello

 I am about to embark on a nature trip to the Pantanal Region of South America with my blog proofreader, aka my lovely wife. The Pantanal is the largest wetland in the world at over 75,000 square miles. The majority of this ecosystem lies within Brazil's borders but it also has parts in Bolivia and Paraguay. While the Amazon is more famous, the Pantanal is home to the greatest wildlife concentrations on the South American continent. In addition to the many bird species we will see on this adventure, we will hopefully see everything from the Giant Anteater, Ocelots, Tapirs, Pumas, River Otters, Anacondas, Caiman, Capybara and hopefully the elusive Jaguar.

 

- Since I will be mostly off the grid until early September, I will likely miss some important announcements regarding the Allen Americans. I expect by the time I return Allen's new affiliation will be announced, the Americans new assistant coach will be announced and several key players, both new and returning will be announced. Will be some very exciting news over the next three weeks. 

 

- I will also miss the 3ICE playoffs on Saturday. Chad Costello's team (Team Trottier/Blue Team) is the second seed and Jack Combs' team (Team LeClair/Black Team) is the third seed. That means they will play each other in the opening round (one game) in Las Vegas with the winner advancing to the championship finals and a chance to win $137,000 (each player). It is guaranteed either Jack or Chad will be playing for $137,000 on Saturday. 

 

- For the last blog before I head to South American I wanted to share my thoughts on the ECHL Hall of Fame process, which is currently in its annual nomination process. I am not sure what, if any, plans the Allen Americans have to submit nominations for 2023 but here is my take: 

 

- The Allen Americans won back to back Kelly Cup championships in 2015 and 2016 with two players that are locks to be in the ECHL Hall of Fame. A while back I contacted the ECHL to find out the process for selection to the ECHL Hall of Fame. Here is that process. 

 "We send out nomination forms to each team on August 1st of each year and the nominations are due into the league office by the Tuesday after Labor Day. At some point in late September or early October, the Hall of Fame Committee will have its initial meeting to discuss the candidates that have been nominated. Often times it takes two meetings to finalize the induction class."

"Only members of the selection committee, the Board of Governors, teams or persons affiliated with the ECHL may submit official nominations, which must be made in writing to the league office. Fans are encouraged to contact their team to propose names for nomination.    

 

- I have read accounts of ECHL teams long quest to get players into the Hall of Fame. It often takes several years of submitting a nomination before success, after all it is a subjective process and it is an exclusive club. 

- I think it is time for the Allen Americans to start the trek to the Hall of Fame for Riley Gill and Chad Costello. Gill's last ECHL game was in 2017 so it is clear he is done playing. Unfortunately his career was cut short when he was injured in his second game of the season on October 21, 2017. That would end up being the last game of his illustrious career.

 

- While Costello just retired to become coach and general manager of the Americans, he is still playing at a high level of pro hockey as evidenced by the fact he is one of four finalists for the 3ICE MVP. Some may say his Hall of Fame nomination should wait, but I say his ECHL stats are so compelling he should also be nominated this year.   

 

- Here is my case for the Gill and Costello

RILEY GILL

-  Riley was always good for Allen in the regular season, winning Goalie of the Year, leading the league in save percentage and leading the league in shutouts. Gill had two 30 wins seasons during his time in Allen. With all of his success during the regular season, Gill was made for playoff hockey. During his career he was in three Kelly Cup finals and won all three. For his first Kelly Cup (2013) with Reading he started the season in the SPHL and didn't join the Royals until the end of February. He went on to lead Reading to the Kelly Cup with a playoff GAA of 1.91 and save percentage of .930. His record was 13-3-1 and included four shutouts with two of the shutouts in the finals. For his effort he was named Kelly Cup playoff MVP.

 

Riley Gill - only goalie in ECHL history with 3 Kelly Cups

 

- This quote from coach Steve Martinson captures what Riley brought to the Americans. "It's nice to know you have a veteran back there who can step up when you need him, he gives you peace of mind." In 2015 Gill won game seven in the Western Conference finals over Ontario and game seven in the Kelly Cup finals over South Carolina.  

Action Shot - photo by Dianne Webster

 

- Gill owns almost every Allen goalie record, both regular season and playoffs and several ECHL all time playoff records. Here are the ECHL career goalie records that Riley ranks #1 all time:

90 - most playoff game appearances: Allen (51), Reading (20), Kalamazoo (19).

5094 - most playoff minutes played: Allen (2771), Reading (1274), Kalamazoo (1049)

53 - most playoff wins: Allen (30), Reading (14), Kalamazoo (9)

11 - most wins in Kelly Cup finals: Allen (7), Reading (4) 

 

CHAD COSTELLO

- Some (including Chad) may feel it is too soon for a Hall of Fame nomination since he just retired and is still playing pro hockey (3ICE) and could very well continue playing next summer. Chad told me the Americans should focus on Riley Gill's nomination. With that said, here are just a few of the reasons Costello is already Hall of Fame worthy:

 

- In August of 2018 the ECHL came out with the 30 greatest players in ECHL history. Chad was ranked #9 which was way too low in my opinion but quite an honor all the same. He is the only player in the top 10 not already in the ECHL Hall of Fame.

 

- In the history of the ECHL a player has won the scoring title by more than 20 points just six times. Three of the six are owned by Chad Costello. The other three happened in the 1990's. In 2014-15 Costello scored 125 points and won the scoring title by 45 points, the largest margin in ECHL history. He won the scoring title by 34 points in 2016-17 and 23 points in 2015-16.

 

- Costello has won the ECHL MVP award three times, the only player in history to win it more than once. He won back to back in 2016-17 and 2015-16. His third MVP was with Colorado in 2011-12.  

 

- Chad won back to back Kelly Cups with Allen in 2015 and 2016. In 2016 he became the only player in ECHL history to win both the regular season and post season MVP awards.

Chad Costello - 2016 league and playoff  MVP

 

 - The bottom line is Chad Costello is a lock for the ECHL Hall of Fame and if compared to his peers is the greatest player in the history of the league in my opinion. To have one Hall of Fame player on a roster is unusual, to have two as Allen did on its back to back Kelly Cups is quite an honor for the Americans. I know it won't happen but it would be great to see Riley Gill and Chad Costello got into the ECHL Hall of Fame together.

 

 - If you have an opinion on the Hall of Fame nominations I point you to the guidance from the ECHL on the nomination process, "Fans are encouraged to contact their team to propose names for nomination."

 

Allen Americans Weekly Update - Team Adds Two Players, Trade Kneen, Costello and Combs Reach #ICE Playoffs, Affiliation and Assistant Coach Close and More

 

The Allen Americans announced two more players for the 2022-23 roster yesterday with the addition of forwards Justin Young and Alex Aleardi. Young returns to the Americans for his rookie season after joining Allen for seven games at the conclusion of his collegiate career last season. Aleardi was acquired from Florida in a trade that sent defenseman Nolan Kneen to the Everblades. More on Young and Aleardi later.

 

- Here is the current announced Allen roster which is now at 10 players.. Remember, many more players are signed but not announced.

Goalies - None

Defensemen - 

• Nick Albano
• Lord-Anthony Grissom  
   

Forwards

• Jackson Leppard
• Jared Bethune (F/D)
• Zach Pochiro 
• Hank Crone
• Marcel Godbout
• Justin Young
• Alex Aleardi
  

- No changes on the status of the seven players qualified by Allen. 

• Ben Carroll - signed in Denmark
  
• Kris Myllari - unsigned
  
• Darian Skeoch - rights traded to Savannah
  
• Jake Kearley - unsigned
  
• Chad Butcher - signed in Northern Ireland
  
• Colby McAuley - signed in Northern Ireland
  
• J.D.Dudek - unsigned

 

-  Justin Young was one of several players I wrote about a month ago:

The third group of players from last season you have to assume are already signed include the following list. If they are not signed they are free agents and can sign with any ECHL team. My guess is they will be back with the Americans:

• Spencer Asuchak
• Jack Combs
• Nolan Kneen
• Luke Peressini
• Justin Young

Young signed with Allen last April after finishing his collegiate career at American International College. He played in 12 games for Allen (7 regular season and 5 playoff) and tallied two assists. He was primarily used in a defensive role, often playing against the opponents top line. As Chad Costello said in the press release on Young's signing, "He came in last season and made an immediate impact. With his great speed, we expect him to have an even bigger role this season." 

Young is a rookie but he is 24 and has plenty of experience with his four year junior and college career and he has been a scorer. Over his 167 games in junior hockey (AJHL) he had 157 points (66G, 91A) and last season at American International he was second on the team in scoring with 31 points (12G, 19A) in 36 games and led all forwards with a plus/minus of +18. You can also look for Young to have a key role on the penalty kill.

Here is the press release from the Americans with more info on Justin Young:  https://allenamericans.com/media/americans-bring-back-rookie-forward-justin-young/

 

-  The Kneen for Aleardi trade is interesting from a couple of different perspectives. The fact that Aleardi was even available is a head scratcher. He was a key member of the Florida Everblades Kelly Cup championship team last season. He was the second leading goal scorer on the team in the regular season with 31 goals in 61 games. His .51 goals per game led the team. Aleardi had 26 even strength goals which was second in the entire league. He had another eight goals in the playoffs which was also second on the team. There is no doubt Aleardi will be an impact player for the Americans. 

This trade raised two questions in my mind. Why was he traded and is there any chance he will forego Allen and sign in Europe? I bring up Europe because prior to last season, Aleardi had spent five seasons in Europe (2015-2021). I am sure coach Costello had this all figured out before he made the trade and made the call to go ahead.

 

- The loss of Kneen in the trade with Florida has the Americans with just two announced defensemen and several of you have raised a concern about shoring up the blue line. Between players Costello has recruited from 3ICE, a highly recruited college player and unsigned players from last season, he is comfortable where he is at with defensemen.

 

- In talking to general manager Costello this week it is clear good news is quickly approaching regarding an affiliation, an assistant coach and the mix of rookies and veterans that will be part of the 2022-23 Allen team. From my perspective everything is falling into place better than expected. The 2022-23 Allen team is shaping up to be a fast, skilled, hard working team, but as in the past will have plenty of toughness and grit as well.

 

- If you haven't been following 3ICE,  the regular season concluded last Saturday in Nashville and now it is on to the playoffs which take place in Las Vegas on August 20. The top four teams in the league qualify for the playoffs. Chad Costello's team (Team Trottier/Blue Team) is the second seed and Jack Combs' team (Team LeClair/Black Team) is the third seed. That means they will play each other in the opening round (one game) in Las Vegas with the winner advancing to the championship finals and a chance to win $137,000 (each player). It is guaranteed either Jack or Chad will be playing for $137,000 on the 20th. From what I understand the playoffs will be broadcast live on regular TV on CBS. (Channel 11 in Dallas).  

 

- Today is the last day to vote for the 3ICE awards. Chad Costello is up for the league MVP. It is quite an honor to be one of the four players in the league nominated for the MVP award which will be announced in Las Vegas. If you haven't voted go to  3ice.com/vote  and vote with every email address you can (one vote per email address).  

 

 

DID YOU KNOW: Here are the ECHL teams with the most and fewest fighting majors last season (2021-22). Seems like neither extreme spells success. Allen was ranked #7 with 38 fighting majors.

 

Most

50 - Iowa*

50 - Norfolk*

45 - Wheeling

 

Fewest

12 - Tulsa

19 - Worcester*

19 - Kalamazoo*

 

*Did not make playoffs

 

FYI, Kelly Cup champion, Florida, had 30 fighting majors and runner up, Toledo, had 27 fighting majors. 

Allen Americans Weekly Update

 

A quick update on all things Allen Americans:

 

- Here is the current announced Allen roster. Remember, many more players are signed but not announced. I will update this list at 11:30 when Allen will announce two more players. Per coach Costello, these will be new players to the roster, not returning players. UPDATE: Allen adds Marcel Godbout and Lord-Anthony Grissom.

Goalies - None

Defensemen - 

• Nick Albano
• Nolan Kneen
• Lord-Anthony Grissom - Won SPHL championship with Peoria in 2021-22 after finishing his collegiate career at Aurora University where he was team captain for two seasons. At 6'4 and 250 pounds he will be an imposing presence on the ice. He was also on the NCAA All-Academic team in college. 
   

Forwards

• Jackson Leppard
• Jared Bethune (F/D)
• Zach Pochiro 
• Hank Crone
• Marcel Godbout - Won SPHL championship with Peoria in 2021-22 while scoring 61 points (33G, 28A) in 50 games. Selected as SPHL Rookie of the Year.
  

- Status on seven players qualified by Allen. 

• Ben Carroll - signed in Denmark
  
• Kris Myllari - unsigned
  
• Darian Skeoch - rights traded to Savannah
  
• Jake Kearley - unsigned
  
• Chad Butcher - signed in Northern Ireland
  
• Colby McAuley - signed in Northern Ireland
  
• J.D.Dudek - unsigned

- I have had some questions about the Darian Skeoch trade. My understanding is the Henderson Silver Knights (AHL) wanted to sign him to a two way AHL/ECHL contract but only if Allen would trade his rights, so if he was sent to the ECHL it would be to their ECHL affiliate (Savannah Ghost Pirates). Coach Costello wasn't going to stand in the way of a player getting an AHL deal. His exact quote to me, "I didn't want to lose Skeoch, but doing the right thing for the players is more important to me." The good news is Costello was able to negotiate fair value for trading Skeoch's rights. 

- I know I say this every week but in talking to Costello it is clear he is very close on two big ticket items he has been working on since he was named coach and general manager. Signing an assistant coach and an affiliation agreement. 

 

- Matt Register has signed with Idaho after playing in Europe last season and winning a championship. Since Matt first played in the ECHL in 2012-13 he has 19 more goals (91) than any other defenseman, 90 more assists (283). He will be adding to his Hall of Fame career in 2022-23 with the Steelheads. An ECHL career which includes three Kelly Cups and three Defenseman of the Year awards. 

 

- 3ICE (3-on-3 pro hockey) is down to the final regular season tournament this Saturday in Nashville. The top four teams after this weekend will go to the championship tournament in Las Vegas on August 20, with a chance to make some serious coin ($100,000+). Costello's team (Team Trottier) will be in the championship tournament no matter how they do in Nashville. Jack Combs' team still has a chance but will need a good result in Nashville. Here are the current standings. Teams can earn a maximum of six points if they win the tournament in Nashville.

• 26 points - Team Mullen
• 15 points - Team Trottier (Chad Costello)
• 10 points - Team Murphy
• 10 points - Team Carbonneau
• 8 points - Team LeClair (Jack Combs)
• 1 point - Team Fuhr. 

 

- Combs is tied for fourth in the league with 16 goals in 14 games. Costello has 12 goals and 12 assists in 12 games. He is one of only two players in the league averaging a goal and an assist per game. 

 

 

DID YOU KNOW: How much has goal scoring changed in the ECHL? In the 34 year history of league, 50 goals in a single season have been scored 42 times. All but two of them were prior to 2000. Here are the two exceptions:

 

2008-09: Kevin Baker, Florida Everblades (57 goals)

2000-01: Andrew Williamson, Toledo Storm (52 goals)

 

The most goals scored in the last 10 ECHL seasons is 44 which was accomplished twice. Gary Steffes (Allen) scored 44 goals in 2014-15 and Mickey Lang (Orlando & Fort Wayne) scored 44 goals in 2013-14.