Allen Adds Skill and Toughness, ECHL Issues With AHL New Start Date, Former Allen Players in Europe and More

 The Allen Americans made two big player announcements this week with the addition of forward Dyson Stevenson and defenseman Turner Ottenbreit. Both players would most likely had AHL deals if not for the pandemic. Stevenson played the entire 2019-20 shortened season in the AHL (Utica Comets) and Ottenbreit spent most of the season with the Iowa Wild. Two more examples of coach Martinson fulfilling his promise to have a more physical team in 2020-21.

Here is the current roster which is comprised of 19 players; 11 forwards, six defensemen and two goalies. As a group they have played 924 games with the Allen Americans and have 417 games of AHL experience. I have included each player's combined point totals from last season including all teams and all leagues.

Forwards

Olivier Archambault - 54 points (18G, 36A), 47 games (ECHL)
Spencer Asuchak - 32 points (7G, 25A), 47 games (ECHL)

Jared Bethune - 18 points (9G, 9A), 27 games (USports)
Corey Durocher - 25 points (9G, 16A), 50 games, (ECHL)
Zane Franklin - 91 points (29G, 62A), 63 games, (WHL) 

Colton Heffley - 18 points (9G, 9A), 37 games (USports, ECHL)
Josh Lammon - 27 points (8G, 19A), 54 games, (ECHL)
Braylon Shmyr - 16 points (7G, 9A), 34 games, (ECHL, EIHL)

Dyson Stevenson - 4 points (2G, 2A), 33 games (AHL)
Jared VanWormer - 37 points, (22G, 15A), 60 games, ECHL, AHL)
Patrick Watling - 34 points, (10G, 24A), 30 games, (USports) 

Defensemen

Ben Carroll - 24 points (4G, 20A), 30 games (USports, ECHL)
Cody Corbett - 12 points (4G, 8A), 48 games, (ECHL, AHL)
Cole Fraser - 8 points (4G, 4A), 36 games, (ECHL)
Nolan Kneen - 40 points (12G, 28A), 61games, (WHL)
Les Lancaster - 28 points (5G, 23A), 43 games, (ECHL, AHL)

Turner Ottenbreit - 13 points (2G, 11A), 47 games (ECHL, AHL)

 

Goalies 

Chris Nell - played for three ECHL teams last season, mostly with Atlanta. In 24 games with the Gladiators, Nell had a GAA of 3.56 and save percentage of .893.

C.J. Motte -  Motte started last season in Austria and ended the season in Great Britain (EIHL). He was statistically the best goalie in the EIHL over the 24 games he played with a GAA of 2.52 and save percentage of .927. 

 

- The number of players signed and announced by ECHL teams varies from a high of 24 (Kansas City) and 23 (Rapid City) to a low of six (Newfoundland) and seven (Tulsa). It is impossible to draw any conclusions from these numbers at this point.

- Here is my ECHL Stats and Information Facebook post from this morning which is a recap of current starting dates for the 2020-21 season by league with some great links for details.

Pandemic and tentative are the two most popular words in every professional hockey league press release talking about the start date of the 2020-21 season. Here are the best case scenarios on start dates by league.

 

SPHL - December 26 is the tentative start date with just five of 10 teams participating. Regular season reduced from 56 to 42 games. Here is the SPHL press release with the details including teams playing and those opting out.  https://www.thesphl.com/sphl-announces-changes-for-2020-2021-season

 

ECHL - Tentatively the split season starts December 11 with 13 teams playing a full 72 game season. Another 11 teams start January 15 playing a 62 game season. Two teams have opted out with more expected.

 

AHL - A tentative February 5 start date was announced just yesterday. AHL President and CEO said this about the new start date, “This gives us the best chance to have a significant season with fans in the building and we will see what happens here in the next two months.”  Here are in-depth details:  https://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/30212221/american-hockey-league-pushes-start-season-back-feb-5

 

NHL - January 1 is still the tentative start date but few think it will stick because of salary and length of season issues between players and owners. Unlike the NBA and NFL who get substantially more television revenue than the NHL, without fans in the stands it is a tough go for NHL teams. Here is an in-depth story on the issues facing the NHL, well worth the read: https://www.pensburgh.com/2020/10/28/21537021/nhl-season-start-2020-nbc-pittsburgh-penguins-next-season

 

 

 

-  Here is another story, "Inside the pandemic-season plans for the AHL, ECHL and SPHL" with some more facts and information. This was written before the AHL changed their tentative start date to February 5 but still some good information:  https://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/30197904/inside-pandemic-season-plans-ahl-echl-sphl     

 

- With the AHL season delayed until February 5 at the earliest, the impact on the ECHL creates many new questions. First, many players who were waiting in hopes of getting AHL deals are now scrambling to find ECHL teams. The 13 ECHL teams that will begin play December 11 have a real advantage in signing these players because the players are anxious to start playing and get a paycheck. I know coach Martinson is getting calls every day. He did caution there is a risk of signing too many of these players because of the chance of losing them when the AHL does begin play.

 

 

 

- Another issue that gets more complicated with the new AHL start date is what happens to the players AHL teams have already signed. Some have been loaned to teams overseas but many others are sitting at home training and waiting. Will players be assigned to ECHL affiliates and if so what are the salary implications. Will players on two way contracts (AHL/ECHL) and one way contracts be assigned? How will players on NHL deals destined for ECHL teams be handled?  It makes sense to have AHL contracted players, especially the younger ones, play and develop in the ECHL rather than not playing. But AHL/NHL budgetary issues may also drive decisions. 

 

 

 

- Another aspect of the pandemic relates to the issues between the US and Canada. You hear about AHL and ECHL teams temporarily relocating for the 2020-21 season. AHL teams in the US with their NHL affiliate in Canada are particularly impacted. The two ECHL franchises in Canada may have to temporarily relocate to the US for the 2020-21 season or suspend play. Seems like nothing is off the table at this point.

 

 

 

-  From what I have heard, training camp for the 13 early starting ECHL teams will be two weeks before the start of the season as is usual. If that is the case the first on ice day would be the day after Thanksgiving, November 27. Not sure if the league or individual teams will require players to arrive early for COVID 19 protocols such as testing or quarantining. 

 

 

 

- With the delayed start in the ECHL and an abundance of players available you wonder if the league might change the normal February 15 date for players to return from overseas to join ECHL teams. Some former Allen Americans are already playing games in Europe. Here are the stats on some of them:

 

Chad Costello - two points (1G, 1A) in three games in Norway

Colton Yellow Horn - seven points (4G, 3A) in five games in Romania

Dante Salituro - seven points (3G, 4A) in eight games in Norway

Daniel Leavens - eight points (3G, 5A) in eight games in Norway

Judd Blackwater - five points (2G, 3A) in five games in Romania

Travis Brown - two points (0G, 2A) in eight games in Norway

Stepan Falkovsky - one point (0G, 1A) in five games in Belarus

 

Yellow Horn and Blackwater are teammates

Leavens and Brown are teammates

 

 

DID YOU KNOW: Dyson Stevenson seems like he has been part of the Allen Americans for a long time but in fact he has played only two full seasons with the Americans. He came to Allen at the tail end of the 2014-15 season and played just five regular season games but was a big part of the playoffs in the Americans first Kelly Cup championship. In 2015-16 and 2016-17 Dyson played the full season for Allen which included their second Kelly Cup in 2016. 

 

If you look at regular season stats since the Americans joined the ECHL, Stevenson is #11 all time in games played (126), #9 in penalty minutes (233) and #19 in points (55).

 

However, if you look at playoff games since Allen joined the ECHL, Dyson is ranked #5 all time in playoff games played (55), #3 in playoff penalty minutes (84) and #10 in playoff points (17) to go along with two Kelly Cup rings. Championship playoff experience that Stevenson brings to the table will be invaluable on the ice and in the locker room.           

 

 

 

 

To the Allen Event Center Rafters: Americans Retire Riley Gill's #30 Jersey

 

Riley Gill

 

The Allen Americans announced yesterday they will retire Riley Gill's #30 jersey in a ceremony at the Americans home game on December 19. Riley will join Gary Steffes (#12) as the only two Allen players who have had their jersey retired by the Americans. It is a deserving honor for one of the best goalies in the history of the ECHL. Riley's time in Allen began in 2014-15 when the Americans joined the ECHL and ended at the beginning of the 2017-18 season when he was injured. In Allen's ECHL history Gill's has played in a total of 175 games, 124 regular season and 51 playoff games. That is 121 more games than any other Allen goalie has played (ECHL only).

-  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 he 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

 

- It is clear Allen's two Kelly Cups in 2015 and 2016 had something in common. A Hall of Fame coach in Steve Martinson, a Hall of Fame goalie in Riley Gill and a Hall of Fame forward in Chad Costello. During those years coach Martinson would talk about how Gill would be at his best in the playoffs. This quote from 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

 

 

- Riley owns almost every Allen goalie record, both regular season and playoffs and several ECHL all time playoff records. Unfortunately his career was cut short when he was injured in his second game of the 2017-18 season on October 21, 2017. That would end up being the last game of his illustrious pro career. 

 

- The retiring of Riley Gill's jersey will be the first of other accolades to come his way in the future. In my view he is a lock to become an ECHL Hall of Famer. It will be difficult to beat his ECHL 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) 

 

- Since 1996-97 when the Kelly Cup was first awarded, Riley Gill is the only goaltender who has won three Kelly Cup titles. His playoff games won record is most impressive. He has 53 playoff wins, the next four in wins have 43, 42, 31 and 27.

 

- In addition to being a great hockey player Riley is the type of guy that excels at everything he tries. He was one of the best golfers in the state of Minnesota when he was in high school and was undoubtedly the best golfer on the Allen Americans. He has been a scratch golfer in the past. He was also the best fisherman on the Americans, something I witnessed many times first hand. 

 

- After hockey, Riley and his wife Angie settled in the DFW area. They live in Melissa with their two sons, Jackson (age 5) and Hudson (age 2). Riley owns his own construction company, Riley Gill's Construction. His dad was a home developer so he grew up around the business and worked construction during the summers. Riley is also able to do some goalie coaching in the area.

Angie and Riley with Jackson (left) and Hudson (right)

 

  

     

Allen Americans Weekly Update - Motte Returns, Roster, Schedule, COVID Impact and More

Recently Allen marked the sixth anniversary of the Americans joining the ECHL along with six other teams (Brampton, Indy, Missouri, Quad City, Tulsa and Wichita) from the folding Central Hockey League. It has been quite a ride for Allen from winning the Kelly Cup their first two years in the ECHL to having the worst record in the league in 2018-19. In 2019-20 the Americans rebounded to be one of the best teams in the ECHL before the season was canceled in March because of COVID 19. Recently the ECHL announced play would begin again on December 11. The upcoming season will not be normal by any means. I am sure most of you have read the ECHL press release but it is worth noting some of the provisions and what they might mean:

- 13 of the 26 ECHL teams are scheduled to begin play December 11 completing a 72 game regular season on June 6, 2021. Allen, along with Florida, Greenville, Indy, Jacksonville, Kansas City, Orlando, Rapid City, South Carolina, Tulsa, Utah, Wheeling and Wichita are on the 72 game plan. 

 

- The remaining teams, with the exception of Atlanta and Norfolk who will not play in 2020-21, will tentatively start their season on January 15, 2021 and play 62 games. Norfolk announced today they were not playing in 2020-21 under the ECHL COVID-19 Voluntary Suspension Policy. Here is a story with the details of why Norfolk isn't playing: https://www.pilotonline.com/sports/norfolk-admirals/vp-sp-norfolk-admirals-20201020-bs3ud7ssbnc4ffa7slbkyllrmu-story.html

 

 - Standings will be based on winning percentage, not points earned. 

 

- It should be noted the plan as laid out in the ECHL/PHPA press release is a best case scenario and subject to whatever jurisdictional rules are in place when play commences for each team. There is little doubt, especially with predictions there will be a fall/winter surge in COVID 19 cases bigger than the surges last spring and again this summer, the rules will change in many places. It is hard to believe more teams won't end up suspending play for the 2020-21 season. 

 

- The biggest issue for each team is how many fans will be allowed in their arena given the city, county and state rules on capacity when play commences. ECHL arena capacities vary from under 5000 to over 17,000 and current local rules on capacity percentage allowed vary dramatically. If you have a 25% capacity rule with a 5000 arena capacity a team would be limited to 1250 fans which is not viable. Here is a breakdown of arena capacities for the 26 ECHL teams:

4794-5800: 8 teams

6200-8700: 12 teams

10200+: 6 teams

The average ECHL attendance per game in 2019-20 varied from 2267 (Wheeling) to 8090 (Fort Wayne). If a team has a low average attendance and/or a big arena the capacity restrictions will not have a big impact. However, teams with a big average attendance and/or small arenas will have big issues with capacity restrictions. Some teams will not be able to accommodate all of their season ticket holders under current restrictions. With some localities limiting indoor activities to as low as 250 and some at no indoor activities at all, you can see there will be problems in some locations if rules don't change. Canada still does not allow Americans to travel to their country without a 14 day quarantine. These border crossing restrictions for non-essential travel, first announced in March, were recently extended until November 21. Another potential problem for the two Canadian ECHL teams if the rules don't change.

 

- The Allen Americans are one of the lucky 13 teams scheduled to begin play in December but it will be anything but normal at the Allen Event Center (AEC). In talking to team President Mike Waddell the capacity will be just over 2100 per game to make sure everyone is socially distanced. If you have season tickets you should have received an email with all of the key information on how your account will be handled for the upcoming season and how seat selection will take place. The process requires action on your part and is much different than in the past for those that have always used paper tickets rather than digital tickets. Here are the details:  https://allenamericans.com/news/press-release/key-information-for-allen-americans-ticket-members/  

- Allen's first part of what is being called a split season entails 10 games (five home, five away) which start on December 12 on the road in Tulsa and end on the road in Kansas City on January 10. The five home games will be all in a row on December 18,19,26,27 and 31. Here is a breakdown of the 10 games which will be against four Mountain Division rivals:

Tulsa - (1 home, 2 away), the Americans were 7-3-0-0 against the Oilers last season

Rapid City - (2 home, 0 away), the Americans were 6-2-0-0 against the Rush last season

Wichita - (1 home, 2 away), the Americans were 8-1-3-0 against the Thunder last season

Kansas City - (0 home, 2 away), the Americans were 4-3-0-0 against the Mavericks last season 

 

 

Here is the current roster which is comprised of 10 forwards, five defensemen and two goalies. For the skaters, I have included each player's combined point totals from last season including all teams and all leagues.

Forwards

Olivier Archambault - 54 points (18G, 36A), 47 games (ECHL)
Spencer Asuchak - 32 points (7G, 25A), 47 games (ECHL)

Jared Bethune - 18 points (9G, 9A), 27 games (USports)
Corey Durocher - 25 points (9G, 16A), 50 games, (ECHL)
Zane Franklin - 91 points (29G, 62A), 63 games, (WHL) 

Colton Heffley - 18 points (9G, 9A), 37 games (USports, ECHL)
Josh Lammon - 27 points (8G, 19A), 54 games, (ECHL)
Braylon Shmyr - 16 points (7G, 9A), 34 games, (ECHL, EIHL)
Jared VanWormer - 37 points, (22G, 15A), 60 games, ECHL, AHL)
Patrick Watling - 34 points, (10G, 24A), 30 games, (USports) 

Defensemen

Ben Carroll - 24 points (4G, 20A), 30 games (USports, ECHL)
Cody Corbett - 12 points (4G, 8A), 48 games, (ECHL, AHL)
Cole Fraser - 8 points (4G, 4A), 36 games, (ECHL)
Nolan Kneen - 40 points (12G, 28A), 61games, (WHL)
Les Lancaster - 28 points (5G, 23A), 43 games, (ECHL, AHL)

 

Goalies 

Chris Nell - played for three ECHL teams last season, mostly with Atlanta. In 24 games with the Gladiators, Nell had a GAA of 3.56 and save percentage of .893.

C.J. Motte -  Allen announced the signing of Motte today. He was signed to play for Coventry in the top league in Great Britain but the league suspended play for the 2020-21 season. Motte finished the 2019-20 season with Coventry after starting the season in Austria and was statistically the best goalie in the EIHL over the 24 games he played with a GAA of 2.52 and save percentage of .927. The year Motte played in Allen (2018-19) he was #7 in the league in minutes played (2457) but #4 in saves (1485). Motte did great work with a .910 save percentage on the worst team in the ECHL. He should enjoy the 2020-21 season much more. Here is the Allen Americans press release on Motte's signing: https://allenamericans.com/news/press-release/goalie-cj-motte-returns-to-allen-after-a-season-in-europe/

 

- It talking to coach Martinson there is still uncertainty on when AHL contracted players will be assigned to Allen and how many. There are many players that were holding out for AHL deals now looking for ECHL deals. Look for a couple of those announcements soon from the Americans. 

-  While the focus is on the schedule and seating, the Allen staff has so many details to work out before games begin. Safety for fans and players will require significant changes for everyone. Flexibility and patience will be necessary by all involved. Clearly the player interactions with fans and the community will have to change. How much of a "bubble" will be employed in where players live, work and play? As someone who covers the team every day, everything from the press box to the locker room to the coach's office will most likely be off limits. Hard to see fans getting close to the players as they enter or leave the ice. 

- Many European leagues have started play but the rules differ a lot. A few examples on attendance limits as reported by eurohockeyclubs.com.

Austria - 1000 maximum

Belarus - 100%

Denmark - 375 maximum

Finland - 40%-60% capacity

Norway - 200 maximum

Poland - No attendance

Sweden - 50 maximum

Great Britain has suspended play for 2020-21 and Germany has delayed their start until at least December at 20% capacity.  

- If you grew up in Minnesota as I did and were a sports fan you never missed the column Sid Hartman wrote for the Minneapolis Star and Tribune. Sid died this week at age 100 after writing his column since 1944, the final one appeared in the paper the day he died (Sunday). After reading Sid's column my entire lifetime he has had more impact on my writing style than anyone else. He was often described as strong on reporting, not on writing. And yes I have a Sid Hartman bobble head next to my Steve Martinson bobble head. 

 

- Sid's loss was a big one for a kid that grew up loving Minnesota sports but then to have legendary NHL broadcaster Doc Emrick announce his retirement was another shocker. Here is a story that captures the career of Emrick and explains why he is so good at his craft:  https://apnews.com/article/sports-nhl-hockey-stanley-cup-finals-mike-emrick-1e48a3179967fc36ee5049a63b0ca202  

 

 

DID YOU KNOW: In Allen's first ECHL season (2014-15) the Americans accumulated 106 points on a record of 48-14-6-4 to win their division over Rapid City and Quad City by a sizeable 25 points. Allen went on to win the Kelly Cup. The 106 regular season points is the franchise record for points in the regular season.

 

 

 

Allen Americans Stats - A Salute to the Ironmen

When you look at ECHL player stats most of the press is devoted to goals, assists, points and penalty minutes.  Today I want to talk about in my opinion one of the more undervalued statistics, players that never miss a game. I call them the Ironmen and they are a special group. With limited rosters and salary cap/budget issues in the ECHL having a player that plays every game in a season is something special and valuable. It means playing with injuries, no AHL call ups and answering the bell each and every game. 

 

To give you an idea of how few Ironmen exist in the ECHL here are the stats from the last two full seasons. In 2017-18 there were 980 players in the ECHL for a least one game. Just 18 or 1.8% played in all 72 games. In 2018-19 there were exactly 1000 players and 27 (2.2%) played in all 72 games. 

 

I thought today would be a good day to honor all of the Ironmen in Allen Americans history. One thing to keep in mind is when the Americans first started in the Central Hockey League (CHL) in 2009-10 they only played 64 games before expanding to 66 games in 2010-11. Since joining the ECHL in 2014-15 the Americans have played 72 games in the regular season except last season. Even though the 2019-20 season was shortened and the Americans played just 62 games before the season was canceled, it was the first time in franchise history no players played in every game. Alex Breton and Jack Sadek played in 61 of 62 games. 

 

Congrats and stick taps to all Allen Americans Ironmen past and present! It is a very exclusive club.

2019-20 - None
2018-19 - Spencer Asuchak 
2017-18 - Joel Chouinard, Casey Pierro-Zabotel
2016-17 - Chad Costello, Joel Chouinard
2015-16 - Chad Costello
2014-15 - Chad Costello, Aaron Gens, Jamie Schaafsma
2013-14 - Spencer Asuchak, Daniel Tetrault, Mike Berube
2012-13 - Jamie Schaafsma, Jason Deitsch
2011-12 - Jason Deitsch
2010-11 - Colton Yellow Horn, David Strathman
2009-10 - Bruce Graham, Christian Gaudet

 

The 2014-15 Ironmen share the all time franchise record for games played in a single season when you combine regular season and playoff games. If you remember, the 2014-15 season was Allen's first in the ECHL. After a grueling 72 game regular season the Americans entered the Kelly Cup playoffs as an underdog. It took 25 games which included come from behind seven game series wins in the Conference Final against Ontario and the Kelly Cup Final against South Carolina for Allen to become champions. All three regular season Ironmen (Costello, Gens, Schaafsma) played in all 25 playoff games to end the season with a championship ring and the all time record of 97 games played. Quite an accomplishment.

 

Undoubtedly the most amazing Ironman story in franchise history belongs to Chad Costello. The future Hall of Famer will always be remembered for leading the ECHL in scoring all three seasons he played in Allen and exceeding 100 points each year. In 2014-15 Chad had 125 points and won the scoring title by 45 points, the largest margin in the history of the ECHL. With all of his offensive prowess his Ironman record in Allen is just as amazing. Chad came to Allen as an unlikely Ironman. As a matter of fact neither Costello or Allen coach Steve Martinson were sure Chad could even play. He came to Allen training camp in September of 2014 on a tryout, without a contract. Injuries in 2013-14 had limited him to just 14 games played and there was concern his career might be over. During training camp Chad assured coach Martinson he was good to go, a contract was signed and the rest is history. Costello ended his three years in Allen with two Kelly Cup championships, three regular season MVP awards (PHPA in 2015, ECHL in 2016 & 2017) and one playoff MVP award (2016). He accomplished all of this while never missing a game, regular season or playoffs in three years. He played hurt a lot and even declined recommended surgery to continue playing. In just three seasons, Chad played in 276 consecutive games (97, 96, 83). The Ironman of all Ironmen! 

  

Allen Americans Roster Update, Archambault Returns, Costello Signs in Norway and More

 The Americans announced their 15th player signing this week and it was the return of Olivier Archambault to Allen for the 2020-21 season. Archambault was under contract with the Iowa Wild last season but spent the entire year with the Americans tallying 54 points (18G, 36A) in 47 games.

 

Here is the current roster with each player's combined totals from last season including all teams and all leagues.

Forwards

Olivier Archambault - 54 points (18G, 36A), 47 games (ECHL)
Spencer Asuchak - 32 points (7G, 25A), 47 games (ECHL)

Jared Bethune - 18 points (9G, 9A), 27 games (USports)
Corey Durocher - 25 points (9G, 16A), 50 games, (ECHL)
Zane Franklin - 91 points (29G, 62A), 63 games, (WHL) 

Colton Heffley - 18 points (9G, 9A), 37 games (USports, ECHL)
Josh Lammon - 27 points (8G, 19A), 54 games, (ECHL)
Braylon Shmyr - 16 points (7G, 9A), 34 games, (ECHL, EIHL)
Jared VanWormer - 37 points, (22G, 15A), 60 games, ECHL, AHL)
Patrick Watling - 34 points, (10G, 24A), 30 games, (USports) 

Defensemen

Ben Carroll - 24 points (4G, 20A), 30 games (USports, ECHL)
Cody Corbett - 12 points (4G, 8A), 48 games, 24 PIMS
Cole Fraser - 8 points (4G, 4A), 36 games, 84 PIMS
Nolan Kneen - 40 points (12G, 28A), 61games, 58 PIMS
Les Lancaster - 28 points (5G, 23A), 43 games, 10 PIMS

 

 

- Here is a breakdown of the announced signings by Allen:

8 - Forwards

10 - Defensemen

0 - Goalies

2 - Veterans

5 - Rookies (fewer than 25 pro games)

3 - New players

12 - Returning players (have played in Allen before)

740 - Total games played for Allen

298 - Total AHL games played

24.93 - Average age

6'1" - Average height

193 - Average weight (lbs)

 

- The still unknown is what players will be assigned to Allen by the Wild. Martinson has consistently said it will be more than in the past. 

 

- Chad Costello has signed with a team in Norway (Stavanger Oilers). The league is scheduled to start this weekend with a maximum capacity of just 200. Chad will be one of the best players in the league for sure. Two other former Allen leading scorers are also connected to this league. Dante Salituro recently signed to play in Narvik which is in the northeast part of Norway. Chad's team is in the southwest, about 1200 miles apart. Alex Lavoie, who led Allen in scoring as a rookie in 2013-14 played in the Norway   league last season but is unsigned for 2020-21.

 

- After playing in Denmark last season, Zach Pochiro has returned to the US and signed with the Fort Wayne Komets.

 

- Coach Martinson shared with those that attended the season ticket holder event this week that there is a possibility that Dyson Stevenson could return to Allen for the 2020-21 season. Dyson spent last season with the AHL Utica Comets so I assume he is waiting to see what is happening in AHL before deciding on where he will play next season.

 

- With the Archambault signing the Americans have just one of their top eight scorers from last season returning for the 2020-21 season. A lot of offense to replace but coach Martinson is confident he will have another great team. 

 

DID YOU KNOW: When he was just 16 years old Olivier Archambault was the #1 overall pick in the 2009 Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) draft. Two years later (2011) the #1 pick was Nathan MacKinnon who went on to be the #1 overall pick in the 2013 NHL draft. The QMJHL draft is a big deal as you can see from this grainy video when Archambault was chosen #1 overall.

   

 

Allen Americans Stats - A Look at Penalty Minutes and Tough Guys

Today I want to take a look at Allen Americans individual stats for penalty minutes (PIMS) and fights. In the process I will make some conclusions on the tough guys that have played in Allen. PIMS are not a good surrogate for tough guys, especially all time PIMS but let's start with the top five players all time and the top five single season PIMS leaders:

 

PIMS Leaders (all-time)

487 - Garrett Clarke (4 seasons)

475 - David Makowski (4 seasons)

377 - Spencer Asuchak (7 seasons)

331 - Bryan Moore (2 seasons)

326 - Trevor Hendrikx (3 seasons)

 

PIMS Leaders (single season)

274 - Derek Mathers (2016-17)

257 - Garrett Klotz (2013-14)

256 - Brett Lyon (2014-15)

223 - Garrett Clarke (2012-13)

218 - Bryan Moore (2017-18)

 

 

Maybe a better way to look at tough guys is how often they drop the gloves. Here is a list of the players with the most fights each season since the start of the Allen Americans franchise.

2019-20:   Cole Fraser (6 fights)
2018-19:   Jake Doty (13 fights)
2017-18:   Josh Thrower (10 fights)
2016-17:   Derek Mathers  (29 fights)
2015-16:   Dyson Stevenson  (16 fights)
2014-15:   Garrett Clarke  (16 fights)
2013-14:   Garrett Klotz  (20 fights)
2012-13:   Garrett Clarke  (12 fights)
2011-12:   Brett Clouthier  (13 fights)
2010-11:   Liam Huculak  (15 fights)
2009-10:   Liam Huculak  (16 fights)

 

- There are plenty of heavyweight fighters not on the lists above because they were not in Allen a full year. Here are a few of them:

Kip Brennan (6'4" 230) - Kip had the tough guy role in the NHL, AHL and spent parts of two seasons with Allen at the end of his career. In 2010-11 Kip played in 31 games for Allen and had 21 points (8G 13A) to go along with 146 PIMS and 10 fights.

Alex Penner (6'4" 240) - With a nickname of "Weapon X" there is little doubt about the enforcer role Penner played in his professional hockey career. Alex played just 20 games (1G, 3A) with Allen in the 2012-13 season and accumulated 88 PIMS before being suspended for the remainder of the season and playoffs after a brawl against the Fort Worth Brahmas on February 23. Allen fans may remember in November of 2018 Steve Martinson signed Penner to a contract for one weekend when the Americans were playing Wichita at home twice for the first time after a previous game resulted in 10 fighting majors. After the ECHL put both teams on notice that any actions the league felt would be detrimental to the league in the weekend games would lead to fines and suspensions the Americans management made the decision to not register Penner's contract. Allen and Wichita split the two games and there were no fights.

Britt Dougherty 6'3" 225) - Britt was on the 2009-10 Allen team and had 10 fights in his first 42 games (1G, 2A) for the Americans before getting hurt in February. His injury led to an early retirement from pro hockey. A pure fighter, there were not many CHL players that wanted to fight Dougherty.

- There are agitators who will fight, there are players that will stick up for their teammates but are not pure fighters and there are players whose primary role is to fight, though in recent times you have to be more than just a fighter. It is a part of the game where it is hard to find consensus on who was the best. If you look at who fought the most, Derek Mather's 29 fights in 2016-17 stands out and his record may never be broken.

 

- When you ask the question who is the best fighter to ever play in Allen, the player most feared by opponents, for me two names rise to the top of the list. From back in the CHL days it would be Alex Penner and more recently it would be Jake Doty. Two guys that wouldn't back down from anyone and players that rarely lost a fight. Allen still owns the ECHL rights to Doty who is under contract with the AHL Ontario Reign. In 53 games with Allen, Doty has 14 points (5G, 9A). 

 

- When it comes to most entertaining fighter it is hard to beat Darryl Bootland. In his career Bootland had over 1400 PIMS in the AHL, over 1400 PIMS in the ECHL and over 400 in the CHL. Bootland was in his 30's when he joined the Americans for two seasons (2012-2014). In 100 games with the Americans the man known as Booter had 30 goals, 45 assists and 280 PIMS. He was part of two CHL championships with the Americans. Here is one of Bootland's fights after he delivered a big check on one of Tulsa's top scorers, Gary Steffes.

 

 

- Without a doubt the most famous fight in Allen history involved a player the rarely fought but could handle himself when he did fight. Judd Blackwater had just two fights in 2010-11 but his two punch knockout on March 2, 2011 went viral on YouTube. 

 

 

DID YOU KNOW: PIMS during the playoffs are always reduced but not as much back in the CHL days. Here are the top five players in PIMS in a single postseason. The top four are from the CHL years:

82 - Mike Salekin (2009-10)

61 - Justin Bowers (2009-10)

60 - Darryl Bootland (2012-13)

56 - Jim McKenzie (2012-13)

55 - Vincent Arseneau (2015-16)
   

Barry the Blogger Channels Doubting Thomas, Debbie Downer and the Half Empty Glass Regarding the 2020-21 ECHL Season

I have been thinking about writing about my thoughts on the upcoming ECHL hockey season for a while now and decided today is the day. If I had to describe this post it would definitely be the glass half empty point of view. After all, with the Dallas Stars in the NHL final, some pro hockey leagues in Europe starting to play, the NFL in full swing with fans in the stands in some cases and high school sports starting, the glass half full may be the more prevalent point of view but that is not mine as it relates to the ECHL and the Allen Americans.

- Here are some of the stories and comments I have seen in the last week or so that gives me pause:

NHL - Commissioner Gary Bettman admitted on Saturday he would not be surprised if the start date for the 2020-21 season slips into later December or even into January.

AHL - I saw a statement where the AHL needs a minimum of 60 days notice before they could start a season as some employees are furloughed and start up will take time. It is pretty clear the AHL will not start its season before the NHL. Another cause for concern is you see more and more NHL/AHL contracted players being loaned to teams in Europe. I am sure these loans include the right to recall the players back at any time but that is not a good sign. I saw where as of Saturday, 110 NHL/AHL contracted players have been loaned to European clubs led by Edmonton with 12 players loaned. 

EIHL - One European league has suspended play for the 2020-21 season. The top pro league in Great Britain is similar to the ECHL in that they cannot survive without fans in the stands. They are also similar to the US in that they have been hit hard by COVID-19 and it is on the upswing. While the US has the highest rate of deaths per million population in North America (617 per million) the Untied Kingdom is #3 in Europe in deaths per million population (615 per million). In the EIHL press release announcing the suspension of the season the league indicated if government guidance and support were to change some teams could revise their plans to return to play. You have started to see players from the EIHL sign with ECHL clubs and more will likely follow. One such player is former Allen goalie C.J. Motte who played for Coventry. Motte finished the 2019-20 season with Coventry after starting the season in Austria and was statistically the best goalie in the EIHL over the 24 games he played.

DEL - The top German league has been delayed from September 18 to November 13 but as of now they haven't released a schedule and the capacity is limited to 20%. Most teams will not survive at 20% capacity so further delays are possible. This is the league that Chad Costello has played in since going to Europe. With the uncertainty in Germany, Chad could sign with Allen or look to the leagues in Europe that will start play earlier. Sweden has already started playing with Finland starting October 1st and Norway starting October 3rd. 

 

ECHL -  Keeping in mind the information above it is hard for me to believe the ECHL will start play on December 4th which is the planning assumption right now. It appears the NHL and AHL will not start until later and you have to assume the ECHL will follow their lead. The ECHL start up is complicated by the fact the league is in 19 states all with different rules on how many people can be in their arenas. You add the two Canadian provinces and it is hard to see how this can work especially with the prediction cases will spike as winter arrives. It is hard to conclude anything other than some teams are not going to make it through this pandemic and changes to the schedule, travel, etc. will be constantly in flux. 

 

Allen Americans -  If things aren't bleak enough conjecturing about the 2020-21 season a recent  announcement hit home. The city of Coralville, Iowa (suburb of Iowa City, home of the University of Iowa) has announced an agreement with the ownership group of the Newfoundland Growlers to bring an ECHL team to their new Xtream Arena for the 2021-22 season. While the ECHL made it clear a franchise has not been approved the expectation is this will happen. There was nothing in the press release indicating the new ECHL team would affiliate with Minnesota but when you consider the Wild's AHL affiliate is in Des Moines, which is a mere 115 miles from Iowa City, it is a natural fit.

 

So there you have my glass half empty, the sky is falling speculation about what might be in store for the ECHL and Allen Americans in 2020-21. A recap of my worst case scenarios:

- COVID-19 stats get worse the next three months

- ECHL delays season even further

- many ECHL teams decide they can't play under current capacity guidelines

- Chad Costello doesn't sign in Allen or Germany but plays elsewhere in Europe

- Minnesota Wild switch ECHL affiliation to a new franchise in Iowa City for the 2021-22 season.  

I would be thrilled to be wrong about each and everyone of these points. Reading the tea leaves is always speculative. Maybe because I am now 73 years old and in that "expendable group" I am seeing this with a jaundiced eye. I hope the glass half full options win out.