Allen Update, Trois Riviéres Wins, Coaching Selections, Zawyer vs Spire, Allen Players on Kelly Cup, Critical Dates, Martinson's 1st Year Stats, Office Renovations

 

The ECHL season ended last night as Trois Riviéres beat Toledo 4-1 to win the Kelly Cup. The game was much closer than the final score. Toledo outshot the Lions 49-25, including 38-15 in the first two periods, but were stymied by the best defense and goalie in the playoffs. The score was 2-1 until the Lions scored two late empty net goals. Here is the recap from this morning's ECHL Stats post:

Stick taps to the Trois Rivières Lions. who last night became the 19th different team and the second from Canada to win the ECHL championship (Kelly/Riley Cup). 

 

• Toledo has lost three of the last six Kelly Cup finals.

• Trois Rivières allowed just 34 goals in 21 playoff games, an average of 1.62 goals per game. Yes, defense wins championships.

• Trois Rivières scored first in 19 of 21 playoff games (91%).

• Trois Rivières outscored opponents in the third period 27-10 for a goal differential of +17. No other playoff team had a third-period goal differential greater than +5.

 

- In addition to stopping 48 of 49 shots in the clinching game last night, playoff MVP, goalie Luke Cavallin, led the playoffs in the following categories:

 

#1 in GAA - 1.53

#1 in save percentage - .948

#1 in wins - 15

#1 in minutes played - 1218 (294 more than any other goalie)

#1 in saves - 562 (147 more than any other goalie)

 

 

- Trois Rivières defeated Toledo in five games to keep the one-sided Kelly/Riley Cup Finals series intact. The 4-1 series win was the 17th time the finals were won 4-1. Here is a breakdown of all of the championship finals.

4-0: 5 times

4-1: 17 times

4-2: 8 times

4-3: 5 times (1999 game 7 went 2OT)

3-1: Once (2021, when only 14 teams played and eight made the playoffs)

 

 

 

- The other big news last week was the naming of coaches for three ECHL teams. Here is my ECHL Stats post with the details. 

If you are a long-time fan of AA hockey in the west (ECHL & CHL), congrats to three all-timers who were selected as ECHL head coaches in the last two days. All were great leaders as players and have their numbers retired.

 

Chad Costello: Greenville Swamp Rabbits

492 games (375 ECHL, 117 CHL)

3-time ECHL MVP (1 Colorado, 2 Allen)

3-timetime ECHL scoring leader (Allen)

2-time Kelly Cup Champion (Allen)

#13 retired by the Allen Americans 

 

Scott Burt: Greensboro Gargoyles

586 ECHL games

3-time Kelly Cup Champion (2 Idaho, 1 Alaska)

#12 retired by the Idaho Steelheads

 

Riley Weselowski: Cincinnati Cyclones

720 games (446 ECHL, 274 CHL)

1 CHL championship (Rapid City)

#6 retired by the Rapid City Rush

- For Chad Costello, it was a fitting end to a hectic year that saw him let go by the Allen Americans on May 30, 2024, hired as an associate coach in Rapid City on December 12, 2024, and selected as the head coach and general manager coach in Greenville on June 4, 2025. That is a lot to handle in a year for Chad, Ashley, and their four young children. Chad has landed with one of the best franchises in the ECHL, working for a first-class organization. Spire Sports and Entertainment, which owns ECHL franchises in Trois-Riviéres, Rapid City Greenville, an FPHL franchise (Athens Rock Lobsters), plus has a huge presence in NASCAR.

 

Greenville has a very strong relationship with its NHL/AHL affiliate (Los Angeles Kings, Ontario Reign), which means Costello will get a lot of support and many NHL/AHL contracted players assigned. As a comparison, last season, Allen had 151 games played by players assigned by Utah/Tucson. Greenville had 432 games played by players assigned by Los Angeles/Ontario. 

 

 

- If you haven't read the press release issued by Greenville when Costello was announced, make sure to read it, and if you have read it, read it again. It says a lot about the Spire Organization, the Greenville Swamp Rabbits, and Chad Costello's coaching philosophy. https://swamprabbits.com/news/2025/06/chad-costello-named-head-coachgm-of-the-swamp-rabbits 

- This is a little inside baseball, or should I say inside hockey, but it is pretty well known that there is no love lost between Spire Sports and Zawyer Sports. Two organizations that have a big presence in the ECHL and other sports. Allen certainly had a short and strained relationship with Zawyer. When Zawyer (Joe Ernst) fired Chad Costello, Spire hired him in Rapid City as an associate coach, and then last week in Greenville as the head coach and general manager. When Spire recently let Rapid City coach Scott Burt go (did not renew his contract), Zawyer (Joe Ernst) immediately hired him for their new franchise in Greensboro. It will be interesting to follow these two organizations' success on the ice. Spires' Trois Rivréres, Greenville, and Rapid City versus Zawyer's Jacksonville, Savannah, and Greensboro. I do know one thing: Chad Costello will be successful in Greenville. 

 

 

 - With the Kelly Cup playoffs in the books, here are some facts on Allen Americans players with their names engraved on the Kelly Cup.

• One former player (Jakov Novak - 2022-23) was on the Trois-Rivières championship team. 
• Kyle Neuber (2015-17) is the only player to have his name engraved on the Kelly Cup four times. He won his first championship in Allen (2016) before winning three straight in Florida (2022, 2023, 2024). The odd stat is Kyle played a total of 17 games in the four championships.
• Of the nine individuals who have their name engraved on the Kelly Cup three times, two played for the Allen Americans. Riley Gill won championships in Reading (2013) and Allen (2015, 2016). Matt Register won Championships in Allen (2016) and Colorado (2017, 2018).

- Nine players, plus coach Steve Martinson, have their names engraved on the Kelly Cup as part of Allen's bask-to-back championships in 2015 and 2016. Talk about a who's who of Allen Americans hockey!

• Steve Martinson
• Vincent Arseneau
• Spencer Asuchak
  
• Chad Costello
• Aaron Gens
  
• Riley Gill
• Greger Hanson
• Joel Rumpel
• Gary Steffes
• Dyson Stevenson
• Casey Pierro-Zabotel 

 

 

- Now let the 2025-26 ECHL season get underway with the first critical date this afternoon at 3:00 pm EDT. Teams must submit their protected lists today. I would assume the complete list will be published by the ECHL tomorrow. In talking to Coach Martinson, his plan is to protect every eligible player. By my count, that should be 27 players (2 goalies, 9 defensemen, 16 forwards). There is no downside to protecting everyone at this point. It gives Martinson more time to figure out the players he wants back, and it helps out when settling future consideration trades where Allen owes other ECHL teams a player.

 

 

- The next critical date is June 20th, which is the date Martinson has to satisfy future consideration trades. How future trades are structured tells me that nothing of significance will come from this process, either losing or gaining players.

 

 

- On June 22, the season-ending roster is due. This list is limited to no more than 20 players and will give everyone the first inkling of who Martinson wants back for 2025-26. Any players not on the list become free agents. Typically, veterans are not on the season-ending roster because they can become free agents in August even if they are included on the list. 

 

 

- Martinson is working overtime trying to line up an affiliate for next season. With so many NHL teams sticking with their ECHL affiliates from last season, there are not a lot of opportunities. Martinson is well aware of the importance of having an affiliate identified as recruitment picks up this month. The first day to sign players for 2025-26 is only 15 days away (June 23).

 

 

- The Allen Americans' front office is currently undergoing its first complete renovation since the franchise was established in 2009, thanks to team owner Myles Jack, who is behind the upgrades. I can vouch that 16-year-old carpeting is badly in need of replacement. There are also plans for some changes in the locker room.      

 

 

DID YOU KNOW: Steve Martinson has a history of putting together good teams very quickly. That is the expectation in Allen for 2025-26. Here is Martinson's record for the first year he coached each of these teams:

 

*San Diego, 1995-96: 49-7-2 (.862)

Rockford, 2004-05: 46-29-5 (.631)

Elmira, 2007-08: 41-24-7 (.618)

*Allen, 2012-13: 39-18-9 (.659)

Athens, 2024-25: 43-13-3 (.720)   

 

You add all these together, and the total is 218-91-26 (.690). 

*won the championship.

Martinson Update, Kelly Cup Finals Preview, Chad Costello Update, All-Star Game and Stats Show Championships Finals Tend to be One-Sided

 

We are headed out very early tomorrow morning to the Washington, D.C., area to visit our son, daughter-in-law, and our one and only grandchild. Our granddaughter is two and a half, and FaceTime is great, but air hugs and kisses aren't enough. Those of you lucky enough to have your families living close by make me envious.

 

- I don't have much Allen Americans news to share, however, there are a few ECHL topics to cover and some stats from my ECHL Stats page. Here goes.

 

- I did have a chance to check in with Steve Martinson, and he continues to talk to players and pursue an affiliation for next season. He is working on the protected list due in the league office on June 8 (3:00 pm EDT). Since there is no limit on the number of players on the protected list, Martinson could choose to put everyone who qualifies on the list. It will be the first indication of Martinson's thought process for next season. I would guess everyone eligible will be on the list, even though some players will not be returning. 

Players coming off AHL deals are highly sought after, but the time for recruiting them will be later in the summer. These top offensive players are not interested in talking to ECHL teams now, because they are pursuing AHL deals. After the NHL draft (June 27-28), things will start to clarify for these players coming off of AHL deals. Recruiting will pick up a lot in July.

 

- The Kelly Cup Finals are all set with Trois-Rivières representing the Eastern Conference and Toledo representing the Western Conference. I had Florida and Kansas City making the finals for a repeat of the 2024 finals, but both lost in the Conference Finals. Here is some info I put together for my ECHL Stats page:

Kelly Cup Championship Finals team comparison. 

 

- Trios Rivières joined the ECHL in 2021-22 and has never advanced beyond the first round of the playoffs.

 

- Toledo last won the ECHL championship in 1994 as the Toledo Storm when the Riley Cup was awarded to the championship team. Toledo lost in the Kelly Cup Finals in 2019 and 2022.

 

Here is a stat comparison of the two finalists. The first number is the playoff stat. Any stats in parentheses are the regular season stats: 

 

Record

12-3 - Toledo

12-4 - Trois Rivières 

 

Ave. Goals Scored

3.60 - Toledo (3.25)

2.88 - Trois Rivières (3.49)

 

Ave. Goals Allowed

1.63 - Trois Rivières (2.58)

2.60 - Toledo (2.69)

 

Power Play Percentage

20.4% - Toledo (25.1%)

16.5% - Trois Rivières (24.5%)

 

Penalty Kill Percentage

79.6% - Trois Rivières (83.5%)

77.8% - Toledo (82.7%)

 

Record When Scoring 1st

8-0 - Toledo

12-2 - Trois Rivières 

 

Team Save Percentage

.944 - Trois Rivières (.916)

.905 - Toledo (.906)

 

Team Shooting Percentage

12.3% - Toledo (9.9%)

10.5% - Trois Rivières (12.3%)

 

Average Attendance

8115 - Toledo (8037)

2941 - Trois Rivières (2567)

 

Toledo has home ice advantage in this 2-3-2 series, which begins Saturday night in Toledo.

 

 

 

- When it comes to playoff time, most ECHL teams play one goalie the majority of the time. Not the case with Toledo, which has two goalies splitting playoff games, while Trois Rivières has one goalie who has played every minute.

 

Here are the goalie playoff stats for the two teams in the Kelly Cup Finals:

 

TROIS RIVIÈRES

Luke Cavallin

15 games (920 minutes)

1.57 GAA

.944

 

TOLEDO

Jan Bednar

8 games (477 minutes)

2.52 GAA

.908

 

Carter Gylander

7 games (440 minutes)

2.59 GAA

.902

 

If the finals go seven games, the teams will play the seven games in 13 days. Which team has the goaltending advantage? The one with better stats or the one that splits the workload?

 

 

 

- I am sure most of you saw the Rapid City Rush announcement on Tuesday that the team is not renewing coach Scott Burt's contract and has begun a search for a new coach. Rapid City is owned by Spire Sports and Entertainment. Spire also owns the Greenville Swamp Rabbits and Trois-Rivières Lions in the ECHL, and the Athens Rock Lobsters in the FPHL. While Trois Riviéres is in the Kelly Cup finals, Spire is in the process of filling not one, but three coaching vacancies. In addition to Rapid City, the Greenville coach was fired at the beginning of May, and the Athens job is vacant because Steve Martinson signed with the Allen Americans. 

Chad Costello signed with Spire in December to serve as Rapid City's associate coach when head coach Scott Burt took a medical leave of absence. The Rush didn't make the playoffs, but Costello helped turn the Rush's season around, improving from a .375 point percentage to .493. Costello's accomplishments included the following team streaks, all top five in the league for the season:

 

• #3 winning streak (11 games)
• #3 home winning streak (8 games)
• #4 points streak (13 games)
• #3 home point streak (12 games)

You have to assume Costello is in the catbird seat for one of the Spire coaching vacancies. I would exclude the Athens job because Chad would be looking for an ECHL coaching position. In my opinion, he could end up in Greenville or Rapid City, depending on the best fit for Spire and Chad. It would be great to have him part of the Mountain Division, but Greenville has one of the strongest affiliations in the league with the Los Angeles Kings and Ontario Reign. The Swamp Rabbits had 10+ NHL/AHL contracted players assigned during much of last season. The downside to Greenville is that the South Division is the toughest in the league. The #1, #2, and #6 teams in the league (by points) in 2024-25 were in the South Division.

 

 

 

- I have had a couple of questions about the ECHL All-Star game, which the Allen Americans will be hosting on January 19, 2026. Nothing has been issued by the team on the details. It seems each year the host team makes some changes to the event. It is wait and see at this point.

 

 

DID YOU KNOW: 18 different teams have won ECHL championships, with nine teams (including Allen) winning multiple times. The championship finals have been one-sided more often than not. Here are the all-time final series results:

 

4-0: 5 times

4-1: 16 times

4-2: 8 times

4-3: 5 times (1999 game 7 went 2 overtimes)

3-1: (2021 with 14 teams playing)    

Updates: Kelly Cup Playoffs, Steve Martinson, Brett Ferguson, CBA, Schedule, All-time Hat Tricks, Division Alignment and More

My list of blog topics to cover has gotten long enough to finally sit down and write them out. Here they go in no particular order:  

- The Kelly Cup playoffs are moving right along, and the two I predicted would be in the finals (Florida & Kansas City) are both trailing in the Conference Finals:

• Kansas City is in real trouble in the Western Conference Finals, trailing Toledo 3-1. The Mavericks lost 4-1 last night in Toledo and will have to win game five (also in Toledo) Saturday night to avoid elimination. Kansas City was #2 in scoring during the regular season  (3.56 goals per game), but has scored 0, 1, and 3 goals in the three losses to the Walleye. 
• In the Eastern Conference Finals, Florida dropped the first two games at home against Trois-Rivières by scores of 1-0 and 2-1 to dig themselves a big hole. In game three (on the road), the Everblades were losing 2-0 after the second period. Florida turned it around in the third period, outshooting the Lions 21-3 and scoring four goals in less than 15 minutes to win the game 4-2. Games #4 and #5 are tonight and Saturday in Trois-Rivières.
• Despite trailing 2-1 in the series, Florida has outshot the Lions by a wide margin. The series total is 105-44, and three games were 41-18, 32-14, and 32-12. The Everblades will have to win one of the two games this weekend to get the series back to Florida.
• Colton Hargrove has been the best player for Florida during the playoffs. He leads the team in points (11), goals (6), points per game (.92), and game-winning goals (2). 
• Toledo's win at home last night was the first home win of the conference finals. Home teams are now 1-6.  

- The playoff attendance for the final four teams varies widely. Here are the playoff averages:

• 8045 - Toledo
• 6080 - Florida
• 3719 - Kansas City
• 2731 - Trois Riviéres
  

 

- I am sure most of you have seen the Myles Jack/Steve Martinson press conference from last week by now, but if you haven't, here is the video: 

- I had a chance to catch up with Coach Martinson earlier this week, or I should say General Manager Martinson. He was in Athens, wrapping up things with the Rock Lobsters, but spending the majority of his day making phone calls, as recruiting is already underway even though players can't be signed until a month from today (June 23). He is also working on finding an affiliation. Martinson inherited a tough situation when it comes to an affiliation. If you watch the video above, he addresses in some detail the history of affiliations in Allen. The bottom line is that he will have to build a team that can excel and be competitive in the playoffs without having a bunch of NHL/AHL contracted players. Toledo is likely to be in the Kelly Cup Finals (leading Kansas City 3-1) and has had only one or two contract players (other than goalies) all season. It means Allen will have a roster of more experienced players looking to win a championship, rather than moving up to the AHL to go along with some high-end rookies/younger players looking to move up.

 

- I get asked about Brett Ferguson's status with the team all of the time. I can officially say, after talking to team President Jonny Mydra this morning, that Brett will not be returning next season. He was offered the opportunity to return as the assistant coach, but did not accept that offer. Brett was well-liked by management, players, and fans. Everyone will be pulling for him wherever he lands. Personally, it was a real pleasure working with him, and he will be missed. 

 

- A new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) is currently being negotiated between the ECHL and PHPA (Professional Hockey Players Association). It will be essential for coaches/general managers to know what is in the new CBA as recruiting progresses. Salary-related numbers, including salary cap, minimum, and maximum salaries for players and rookies, are a must. There is always a chance changes could be made to the veteran rules and/or which European leagues count toward veteran status. It will be hard to make decisions without knowing what is in the new CBA. Stay tuned!

 

- The Kelly Cup playoffs could go as long as June 11, but that doesn't change the critical dates coming up in June:

June 8 - The Protected list is due. This is an unlimited number of players. Teams typically protect every player who meets the qualifications. Here are the main qualifications:

1. Signed in 2024-25 and has not been traded or released.

2. Signed in 2024-25, and was recalled to the NHL/AHL and has not been traded or released.

3. Received a qualifying offer last summer for the 2024-25 season, but DID NOT sign, and has not been traded or released. 

 

June 20 - Future considerations trade deadline. I am going from memory, but I recall Allen will both lose and gain players in this process. None of these is for a specific player. Teams will choose from a list of players; the number and terms were decided at the time of the trade.

 

June 22 - Season-ending rosters due. Season-ending rosters may include up to 20 players and cannot include any players who did not sign an ECHL contract with the team in 2024-25. 

 

June 23 - First day to sign contracts for the 2025-26 season. There will be informal agreements with players before June 23, but contracts can't be signed before June 23.  

 

 

- I will do a deep dive on the 2024-25 Allen schedule later in the summer. Here is the schedule broken down by how many times the Americans play each team, showing home (H) and away (A) games:

 

• 15 - Tulsa (7H, 8A)
• 10 - Utah (5H, 5A)
• 10 - Wichita (5H, 5A)
• 9 - Rapid City (6H, 3A)
• 7 - Idaho (2H, 5A)
• 7 - Kansas City (3H, 4A)
• 5 - Tahoe (2H, 3A)
• 3 - Greensboro (3H)
• 3 - Norfolk (3H)
• 3 - South Carolina (3A)
• 1 - All-star game (1H)

 

- Here are the numbers of home games by day of the week. A couple more Friday/Saturday games than last season:

• 1 - Monday (All-Star game on MLK day)
• 9 - Wednesday 
• 1 - Thursday
• 12 - Friday
• 12 - Saturday
• 2 - Sunday

 
 

- I don't think the promotion schedule is out yet, but here are the dates for two of the popular promotions:

• Star Wars Night - Saturday, November 15, against Tulsa
• Top Gun Night - Friday, January 30, against Rapid City.   

 

 

- I did some work on hat tricks by Allen players for a friend, and it took quite a while, so I thought I would share the information. Here are the hat tricks by season since Allen joined the ECHL. Some great memories on this list. The 2022-23 season stands out as a special year for hat tricks:

 

• 2024-25
• Brodzinski
• Watts
• Asuchak

• 2023-24
• Marcinew
• Brodzinski
• McAuley

• 2022-23
• Crone (3)
• Hargrove (2)
• Finlay (2)
• Novak 

• 2021-22
• Troock (2)
• Costello
• Gould
• Winquist
• Henman

• 2020-21
• Mychan
• Lancaster

• 2019-20
• Topping
• Gagne
• Guptill
  

• 2018-19
• Breton
• Steffes
• Doty
• Pochiro
• Shmyr

• 2017-18
• Arseneau
• Steffes
• Guptill

• 2016-17
• Moore (2)
• Hanson

• 2015-16
• Costello
• Stevenson
• Crane

• 2014-15
• Combs (2)
• Costello
• Hanson
• Follmer
• Abeltshauser 

 

DID YOU KNOW: Here are a couple of my recent ECHL Stats posts you might find interesting:

 

- In the 20 years between 1995 and 2015, there were no repeat champions in the ECHL. Since 2015, there have been 3 repeat champions. These three teams have won seven of the last nine Kelly Cups. Florida is still alive for a 4th straight Kelly Cup in 2025.

 

Florida: 2024, 2023, 2022

Colorado: 2018, 2017

Allen: 2015, 2016

 

 

- The ECHL announced a week ago that the 2025-26 season opens with eight games on Friday, October 17. Formed in 1988-89 with five teams in four states, the ECHL has grown into a coast-to-coast league that will have 30 teams in 23 states and one Canadian province playing 1,080 games (72 games each) from Oct. 17, 2025 to April 12, 2026. 

 

All 29 teams from last season have returned, and the only change is the addition of the expansion team called the Greensboro (NC) Gargoyles to the Eastern Conference, North Division. The Eastern Conference will have an eight-team North Division and a seven-team South Division, while the Western Conference will have an eight-team Mountain Division and a seven-team Central Division.

 

Here is the team breakdown by Conference and Division:

 

Eastern Conference

North Division - 8 teams

Adirondack

Greensboro

Maine

Norfolk

Reading 

 

Trois Rivières

Wheeling

Worcester

South Division - 7 teams

Atlanta

Florida

Greenville

Jacksonville

Orlando

Savannah

South Carolina 

 

Western Conference

Central Division - 7 teams

Bloomington

Cincinnati

Fort Wayne

Indy

Iowa

Kalamazoo

Toledo 

 

Mountain Division - 8 teams

Allen

Idaho

Kansas City

Rapid City

Tahoe

Tulsa

Utah

Wichita

 

 

Steve Martinson Press Conference Highlights, ECHL Schedule Release is Today, June Critical Dates, Kelly Cup Final Four and Retired Allen Players Living in DFW Area

 

A crowd of 75-100 attended yesterday's press conference to reintroduce Steve Martinson as the coach and general manager of the Allen Americans. The crowd included many long-time fans, some new fans, long-time sponsors, and some relatively new sponsors. Some in the audience shared that they had dropped their season tickets and, when they heard Steve Martinson was returning, had now renewed them. 

 

The press conference was vintage Steve Martinson. He was open, honest and humorous, telling stories from the past. He made it very clear what his expectations are for the 2025-26 season, covering everything from style of play, the players he has already started recruiting and his approach to affiliations. Here are some of the highlights from the press conference. I was told ACTV will be posting a video of the entire press conference on their YouTube channel in the next day or so. I guarantee the full version will be much more entertaining than this recap!

 

MARTINSON COMMENTS

"One nice thing about Barry's blog is you can follow the team pretty closely and I continued to do that after I left the team. My wife told me a couple of times, Steve you have to give it up and stop following the team. That is hard when you spend 10 years in Allen and then walk away. We put a lot of blood, sweat, and tears into this place, so I kept track of the team, and it is great to be back."

"We are excited, but there is a lot of work to do. I told Myles hard work is something I never shied away from. I had three meetings with Myles and spent more time with him face to face than I did in five years with previous ownership."

"Myles is the type of owner that will do anything he can for the players and his primary goal is to win. That wasn't always the case in the past."

"Myles represents a unique ownership. You don't get a young ex-NFL player who played at the highest level as an owner of a team at this level. We have a situation where he wants to do whatever he can to help the team win." 

"I was part-owner of the San Diego Gulls, so I understand wanting to entertain and also not to lose money. What we want to do is win and entertain fans while we are doing it. I know what sells tickets. You have to win, and you have to play physical. We want to be skilled, we want to be fast and we want to be hard to play against. I assure you, all those things are coming back, and it will be fun getting it done, but it will be a lot of hard work."

"We have a great fan base, a great arena, a practice rink, fabulous apartments with brand new furniture, and a major international airport. Everything you need to succeed, whether players want to win, move up, or develop."

"We want to create an environment that makes it fun to come to the rink. It is not a job, it is doing something that you love. The key is getting the right group of guys."

"Nothing against the guys that were with the team last season. There were just too many of the same type of guys. We need a higher-end skill level at the top, and we need some hard guys on the third and fourth line. We are probably not going to carry as many players. The money is going to be spent more to get the top-end talent and make sure we have the right depth. These are all the things I talked to Myles about. It is so refreshing to talk to an owner about these things, rather than whether we can buy skates and sticks?"

"I am working on getting the right affiliation. I am not afraid to ask potential affiliates for what I need and expect. I am not looking to get a job with the affiliate like a younger coach who wants to move to the AHL. It won't be easy. I am already working hard to see what I can do."

"Regardless of what happens with an affiliation, I will still get some training camp spots to be able to get those top guys. We will have to spend our money wisely to make sure we are getting the right players and that they are complete players. If you can't finish your checks, you'd better be one of the league's leading scorers."

"I have agents calling me and players calling wanting to come back. We are going to turn this thing around, and not in two or three years, but we will turn it around this summer. We will get right back up on the horse and get to work."

"Our team will be all out offense, but will also be all out defense. I always tell players the best way to get noticed is with offense. That will get you to the AHL, but how you play without the puck will keep you in the AHL. I also tell players I am recruiting to look up our teams from the past and notice how many players had their best career years in Allen."

"I expect we will have four veterans on the team, even though most ECHL teams have fewer vets. One way to compensate for an affiliation that doesn't send a lot of players is to have veterans who want to stay and win championships."

"Last season in the Federal League (FPHL) reinforced to me how important it is to have your core group really buy in. When that happens, it makes coming to the rink and dealing with the players a lot of fun. It reinforced to me that where I have had success, it was because of that core group."  

"As far as my staff, I am talking to a player about becoming a player/assistant, I will be talking to potential affiliates to see if they have a coach they want to bring in to help cement the affiliation. Jason Deitsch, who was the captain on our first championship team and helped me out in the past, will be helping out. Jason is a fireman in McKinney and a great leader. We will have a goalie coach and a skating coach, so lots of help in developing our players."

"We will have lunch with the coach and post-game press conferences with the season ticket holders. I will do my part to acknowledge our season ticket holders." 

 

MYLES JACK COMMENTS

"It is a new day in Allen, and we are looking to win. My goal is to restore greatness in this organization and bring back the good times. It all starts with bringing back Steve Martinson, and I am looking forward to doing big things this year and moving forward."  

"I zeroed in on Marty very early in the process. During the season, I was getting a lot of input from you guys and was doing my homework, just trying to get the best thing for this organization. Once the season ended, I took a trip to Athens to watch his team play. A big thing for me was talking to the players after the game. They had just lost, and their season was over. They were thankful for how Marty had pushed them and gotten the best out of them. You could tell they wanted him to stay there, but I was there to steal their coach."

"The Martinsons are a great family and great people. You can tell how dedicated Steve is. When we were still negotiating his contract, he was already sending me things about the league and already working as if he were the coach."    

 

OTHER COMMENTS

- Martinson will spend most of the summer recruiting from his home in Rockford, IL. He has a lot on his plate for the next few weeks. In addition to all of the time devoted to securing an affiliation, he has to get familiar with the Allen roster from last season. That will entail watching a lot of video. Here are the key dates Martinson must deal with:

• June 8 - Protected list due
• June 20: Future consideration trade deadline (Allen has several with some going both directions).
• June 22:  Season-ending rosters due
• June 23: 1st day to sign contracts for 2025-26 season.  

- The ECHL schedule will be released today (1:00 pm). The Americans will issue a press release and post it to their social media accounts. The rumors I have heard are that the team will open on the road, and the home opener will be against a very good team, so Allen will have a good measuring stick of where it stands. Remember, Allen opened at home last season against Kansas City and lost 4-0 and 9-0.

 

- The #2 (Florida), #3 (Kansas City), #4 (Toledo) and #5 (Trois Rivières) regular season teams by points have reached the Kelly Cup final four (Conference Finals), which starts tonight.

Conspicuously missing from the final four is the #1 team, South Carolina, who was was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs. The Stingrays fell victim to not one but two curses. 

 

The Brabham Cup Curse- The last time the regular season champion (Brabham Cup) won the Kelly Cup was 2014 (Alaska). 

 

50+ wins curse - South Carolina won 52 games this season. The last time a team had 50 or more wins in the regular season went on to win the Kelly Cup was in 2008 (Cincinnati).

 

Is the moral of the story to be very good in the regular season, but not great?

 

 

- On a personal note, the blog post on Monday, "He's Back!! - Steve Martinson Returns to the Allen Americans" turned out to be a big milestone. My very first blog post was in 2012 when Steve Martinson first arrived in Allen. The views of the blog on Monday passed the 3,000,000 mark for unique page views. Some real symmetry in that milestone. 

 

 

DID YOU KNOW: At the press conference yesterday, Steve Martinson talked about the number of players who decided to make DFW their home after they retired. This list is off the top of my head so I am sure I am missing some. It is an impressive list of players who have started businesses, worked at various hockey-related jobs, and/or found employment in the area. 

 

• Erik Adams
• Mathieu Aubin
• Daniel Barnes
• Joel Chouinard
• Chad Costello
• Jason Deitsch
  
• Nolan Descoteaux
• Aaron Gens
• Riley Gill
• Trevor Ludwig
• Tyler Ludwig
• David Makowski
  

 

 

He's Back!! - Steve Martinson Returns to the Allen Americans

 

 

Steve Martinson, Myles Jack, Michelle Martinson

Team owner Myles Jack and the Allen Americans just announced that Steve Martinson, a familiar face, has signed a three-year deal as coach and general manager. Martinson spent 10 seasons in Allen from 2012 to 2022, including winning four straight championships (2013, 2014, 2015, 2016). He has won a total of 10 championships in his coaching career in four different leagues (WCHL, UHL, CHL, ECHL). Martinson won championships in his first year of coaching (San Diego), his first year in Allen, and the first year the Americans joined the ECHL. He knows how to build a competitive team quickly. This past season, Martinson coached a first-year franchise in the FPHL (Athens Rock Lobsters) and was selected as the Coach of the Year.

 

- In addition to Steve Martinson, Allen fans will be reunited with Michelle Martinson, who will manage the Americans Team Store, just as she did when the Martinsons were in Allen before. Michelle managed the Team Store in Athens this past season.

 

- When Martinson left Allen after the 2021-22 season, he had 1123 wins as a professional coach. Scotty Bowman is the only North American coach with more wins (1244). If you add his 43 wins in the FPHL this season, his total is now 1166 wins as a pro coach.  

- Here is the Allen Americans' regular season record since the 2012-13 season, when Martinson first arrived in Allen, through last season. The three numbers following the year are points, rank, and point percentage. Games played are 72 unless otherwise noted:

• 2012-13: 87 points, #1, .659  (66 games)
• 2013-14: 83 points, #3, .629  (66 games)
• 2014-15: 106 points, #2, .736
• 2015-16: 89 points, #5, .628
• 2016-17: 104 points, #2, .722 
• 2017-18: 78 points, #14, .542
• 2018-19: 56 points, #26, .389
• 2019-20: 88 points, #3, .710 (62 games)
• 2020-21: 94 points, #1, .653
• 2021-22: 79 points, #10, .549
  
• 2022-23: 77 points, #12, .535
• 2023-24: 70 points, #18, .486  
• 2024-25: 43 points, #29, .299

 

- If you look at the regular season stats above, and think about each season, a few things stand out:

• Steve Martinson finished in the top five in the league in points in seven of his 10 seasons.
• Allen has declined in points every season since 2020-21. 
• In addition to winning four championships, Martinson lost to the eventual Kelly Cup winner in 2016-17 (Colorado) and 2020-21 (Fort Wayne).
• Martinson's playoff record in Allen is 70-45 (.607).
• Martinson has played 20 playoff series as the coach in Allen and won 16 of them.
  

 

-  Having a team capable of winning the Kelly Cup and winning one are two different things. There is a reason in the 37 year history of the ECHL, which has had close to 200 coaches, only eight, including Steve Martinson, have won more than one championship. What team owner Myles Jack has tasked Steve Martinson to do is "get back to winning."

 

- It is ironic Martinson was the reigning ECHL General Manager of the Year when his contract was not renewed after the 2021-22 season. What is Steve Martinson's secret to recruiting? Have as many tools in your recruiting tool kit as possible. With the salary cap, competing based on salary is not the key to success, as a player can always find a team willing to pay $50 or $100 more per week. The key to getting the best players is having other reasons to have them want to play for your team. Here are some of the many tools Steve Martinson uses when making a pitch to players.

- Allen has won four championships and missed the playoffs just twice in franchise history. You can count on additional weeks of pay from the playoffs. This can total  $15,000 or more in compensation over a team that does not make the playoffs. The culture in Allen is not merely to make the playoffs, but to make a deep run in the playoffs.

- You will play an upbeat, aggressive offensive system in Allen that is also dedicated to defensive hockey. Points you score in the ECHL won't keep you in the American Hockey League (AHL), but points will get you noticed. You have to be able to play without the puck, and you have to understand the game and that is what we will help you with in Allen. With our system, you will have plenty of opportunities to get points. We won't handcuff you in the third period with a lead. We will take less risk, but we will keep our foot on the gas. If you want to play in a system where you can score a lot of points, come to Allen.

- You will play for a great organization, and you will play in a great facility in the CUTX Event Center, which is surrounded by shopping and restaurants.  


- Playing in the Dallas Metroplex, you have access to whatever interests you may have, including the Stars, Cowboys, Mavericks, and Rangers. Playing where you have a major international airport makes it easier for you and your friends and family to travel in and out of DFW and for players to get to AHL cities quickly if called up.

- You can play golf year-round. The average high temperature during the hockey season is 79 in October, 66 in November, 57 in December, 55 in January, 61 in February, 69 in March, 77 in April, and 84 in May. It is a great place to live, whether you're single or married.

- If you like to fish, there are plenty of opportunities within fifteen minutes of your apartment. Fishing is great.

- We will help with whatever your post-hockey career interests are through our intern program.  

- There is a great fan base that supports the team and the players.



- Because Steve Martinson has been around minor pro hockey for so long, he has a real advantage when it comes to recruiting. Even with the contacts he has developed over the years, he spends many hours going over data to determine who to recruit. He has a couple of techniques that he uses to find those diamonds in the rough, players who have underperformed, but will thrive in his system, and players who have not been used in the right way on their current teams. It is no coincidence that each year, several players come in and have career years in Allen.   
 


- One thing is certain: Steve Martinson will have the same type of team as he has always had. They will compete hard, be physical, and be difficult to play against. The team will be tough but also skillful. He recruits guys who understand you must work hard, be in great shape, follow the system, be a team guy, and finish checks. I am sure you have heard him say many times that his team is the same every year; the only thing that changes is the names on the back of the jerseys.

 

- I had the chance to talk to Martinson after he was selected, and here is what he had to say about returning to Allen:

"We are fortunate to have an owner in Myles Jack, who is now 100% in control of the team and understands from his NFL experience what it takes to win. He wants to do everything he can to do things right. He wants the players to have a good experience and have a good place to play. He understands the importance of having the right culture. He will provide the resources needed to win."

"My top priority is securing an affiliate that will help the team. You have to prove yourself as a place where teams can send their players for development."

( FYI, Allen lost three affiliations in three seasons, San Jose twice, and Minnesota. San Jose pulled their players midseason. None of these were related to the affiliates being displeased with the development of players. All were related to off-ice financial issues.)

"I am not afraid to ask potential affiliates for what I need and expect. I am not looking to get a job with the affiliate like some of the younger coaches around the league. I have already contacted all of the AHL teams, letting them know I will be coaching in Allen and am looking for an affiliate. I know the teams that don't have an affiliate, but there could be some that are unhappy with their ECHL affiliate and might be looking for a change. It won't be easy, but it is my top priority right now. Having an affiliate identified and AHL training camp slots available is key to recruiting.

"I have made it clear to the AHL teams I contacted that Allen has a new owner who is committed to bringing back a winning environment, great apartments, practice rink, upgraded equipment in our training room, and a goalie coach."

"I will start talking to players from last season this week, but I still need to watch the video on them before I start that process."

"I have already started reaching out to players who are coming off AHL contracts and have a list of veterans or players who will be coming veterans."

"When I am recruiting players, I tell them to look at hockeydb on my rosters from the past, and you will see many of them had their best statistical season playing for me, because of our high offense style of play.  

- One thing is certain: the 2025-26 Allen Americans team will be exciting and entertaining. A combination of a high-powered offensive team that will be hard to play against. Just making the playoffs will not be considered a success. Myles Jack will provide the resources to have a winning team and it will be up to Steve Martinson to make it happen. 

 

Welcome back Steve and Michelle!       

 

Here is the press release issued by the Allen Americans: https://allenamericans.com/news/2025/05/steve-martinson-returns-to-the-americans    

 

 

My Trip to Malta and Italy, Allen Americans Update, Status of Coach Search, Recruitment Tool Kit, Playoff Update, New ECHL Franchise, Draft Schedule and More

 

Nancy and I just returned from our almost three week trip to Italy with our good friends from Minnesota, Dave and Lin Carter. Dave, Lin and myself went to high school together (Bloomington, MN High School class of 1965). Dave and I have been hunting together since we were 15 (going on 63 years) and will make it 64 years this fall. I often get asked about our trips so please indulge me with the following which is way too long, but something I wanted to share along with a photo:

We had a wonderful trip starting in Malta, traveling to Sicily and then up the Adriatic Sea on the eastern coast of Italy ending our trip in Venice. It is such a history lesson when you visit Europe and learn about countries that date back to thousands of years BC and visit so many spectacular churches that were built 1000-2000 years ago. While many have been destroyed and rebuilt over the centuries, some have not.

Maybe the most impactful to me as veteran when visit European countries is the significant role so many of them played in World War II. That was the case with Malta and Sicily. We visited the Lacaris War Rooms in Valletta, Malta which are an underground complex of tunnels and chambers that housed the War headquarters and where the invasion of Sicily was planned.  We heard Malta was the most bombed country in the war if you factor in the size of the country (roughly the size of Rhode Island). Over two years, Malta suffered 3000 bombing raids with 6700 bombs. I found this description of the role Malta and Sicily played in the war, which makes the point.

At a critical moment in the Second World War, thousands of American, British and Canadian troops dashed ashore after a massive naval bombardment of enemy positions.

Hours before, American and British airborne troops had landed by glider and parachute to seize key locations behind enemy coastal defenses.

Specially-trained units climbed cliffs to knock out artillery batteries.

For months, Allied bombers had pounded strategic targets, disrupting ports and roads.

A deception exercise had kept Hitler uncertain about when and where the Allied blow would fall.

You probably think this is about Operation Overlord, the Allied invasion of northern France (Normandy) on 6 June 1944.

In fact it’s the story of the start of Operation Husky — the invasion of Sicily and the beginning of the Italian campaign – almost 12 months earlier than the Normandy invasion

D-Day in Normandy is rightly remembered as a turning point in the war. But it would have been impossible without the lessons the Allies learned in Sicily the previous summer. 

Operation Husky, which Dwight Eisenhower planned in Malta and included Generals Omar Bradley and George Patton, who are much more known for battles later in the war.

How big was Operation Husky? 

On July 10, 1943, the Allies (American, British, Canadian) launched Operation Husky before sunrise, a massive amphibious assault on the southern shores of Sicily. For the next three days it involved more than 3,000 ships landing over 150,000 troops, 7000 vehicles and 300 tanks covered by more than 4,000 aircraft. It took 38 days for the allied troops to take Sicily from the German/Italian troops. There were an estimated 23,000 allied causalities and 6000 killed. 

 

 - We had such a good time stopping at many ports as we headed north ending up in Venice. If there is one photo to represent our trip it would have to be a gondola ride on the grand canal in Venice:

 

 

 

- While I was in Italy I was able to keep up with the happenings related to the Allen Americans. I was able to communicate with all involved via text and also read all of the comments (over 200) on the blog. I want to share my thoughts on the many issues that I have seen raised since the end of the season.

 

Q: What is the financial situation of the team? 

A: The team has never been on a more solid footing than right now. Owner Myles Jack has consolidated his ownership, now has the fianl say on everything and no other outside consultants are involved. Despite the Americans having the worst record in the league (16-45-8-3) including the second worst home record in league history (7-24-4-1), average attendance this season was an all time record 4573. Yes, the team provided free tickets to some games for college students, teachers, first responders, etc., but it was nothing like in the past when 1000's of free tickets were given to local retailers to hand out to customers. 

If you don't like the attendance numbers comparison, revenue this season was also the highest in team history. The top two revenue producing games in team history happened this season. #1 was Star Wars night and #2 was Wizard night. How has this been possible? There has been much more emphasis the last couple of seasons on group sales and corporate sales where wins and losses are not the driving factor. I saw some figures during the season on group sales and Allen was way ahead of prior years.

 

Q: What are the plans going forward?

A: If you have heard Myles Jack talk about the upcoming season his singular focus is having a winning team. He will provide the resources to help make that happen. From housing to the locker room, to the front office to the season ticket holder experience, after talking to Myles at length, he will provide more resources to each component. Here is a reminder of what he said to the season ticket holders after the last game of the season:

"Allowing the fans to understand the direction this organization is going is my first priority. It has been hectic this year with all of the consultants, but at the end of the day the blame falls on me, not on the team, and not on the front office or anyone else."

"Me as an owner, learning and progressing through this experience, my job is to put the correct people in position and allow them to do their jobs to the fullest capacity. That is what I am looking forward to doing this off season."

"The people that have endured this season deserve to see the good side as well. I am a fan and enjoy coming to the games and watching the entire arena turn red. Holding up trophies and having fun is what this is all about."

"This time next year we are talking playoffs, that is the pressure I am putting on myself. If we achieve that the credit will all go to the team. I am just putting the right pieces together to make sure we get to where we need to get."

"In am little 29 years of life I understand money is a byproduct of doing good things. It you give people what they want, give them a reason to come out, you earn it. I played football where you go out there and do what you are supposed to do and you get paid. All that is to say you can't get to the "yellow brick road" until you do the work, put all of the pieces together and allow people to do what they need to do."

 "I feel around here there have been too many hands in the pot. I am cutting that out and allowing everybody to do their job. My job is to literally give people resources to be great and let them be great."

 

Q: What is the latest on hiring a new coach?   

A: If you have spoken to or listened to Myles Jack you know he is well aware of the urgency in naming a new coach as soon as possible. Here is my take on the process.

• Myles wanted to and did meet with his finalists for the job in person which took some time.
• As of today nobody has been signed as the coach or assistant/associate coach. Once Myles comes to a verbal agreement it takes some time to put it in writing with all of the legal details, get the contract reviewed and signed. There is always a potential for issues in this process.
  
• As soon as there is a signed contract I expect there will be an announcement. A formal press conference might come later. There are no specific dates, but the announcement will be soon.
• All the speculation on who will be the next coach is just that, speculation.
  

 

- Allen has a big advantage when it comes to recruiting players. Here is a partial list of the recruiting pitch:

• You will play in a great facility which is surrounded by shopping and restaurants.  

• You will stay in first class housing with new furnishings and televisions (last season). 

• While playing in the DFW Metroplex you have access to whatever interests you may have including the Stars, Cowboys, Mavericks and Rangers. Playing where you have a major international airport makes it easier for you and your friends and family to travel in and out of DFW and for players to get to AHL cities quickly if called up.

• You will live in a place where you can play golf year around. Average high temperature during the hockey season is 79 in October, 66 in November, 57 in December, 55 in January, 61 in February, 69 in March, 77 in April and 84 in May. It is a great place to live whether your are single or married. 

• If you like to fish, there is great fishing all over the area. 

• The winning culture the Allen Americans are noted for will be back no matter who is signed as the new coach. You add that to Myles Jack's experience as a NFL player and his upgrading equipment in the locker room to help with recovery and also upgrading some player equipment. Myles wants to make the locker room more like an NHL locker room which will give the new coach a major recruiting advantage. 

 

-  It will be an exciting time in Allen once again and fans should expect an immediate turnaround in 2025-26. The regular season points have declined in each of the last four seasons seasons reaching an all time low of 43 in 2024-25. If Allen earns 80 points next season, an increase of 37 points, it would be the highest point total since 2020-21. A stretch goal for sure, but a realistic one, given the caliber of coach that will be hired. 

 

OTHER COMMENTS

- The Kelly Cup playoffs are down to the final eight (Division Finals). Once again the regular season champions (South Carolina) fell victim to the Brabham Cup curse. The Stingrays fell to Orlando 4-3 in the first round, removing what I thought was a big obstacle to a Florida "fourpeat." Florida won its opening round 4-0 vs Jacksonville and is ahead of Orlando 2-0 in the Division Finals. 

- Former Allen captain, Colton Hargrove, has scored a goal in four straight games for Florida and leads the team in goals. Hargrove has a shooting percentage of 23.5%.

 

- Florida goalie Cam Johnson, who has been the Everblade's goalie for their three championships has just tied Riley Gill for the most career playoff wins at 53. Johnson will have a chance to break Riley's record when Florida plays in Orlando tomorrow night. 

 

- Another former Allen American having a great playoff is Grant Hebert, who plays for Norfolk. Grant leads Norfolk in points with nine, averaging 1.29 points per game. Norfolk's #3 in points is yet another former Allen American, Hank Crone who has six points. Norfolk leads the playoffs in average goals allowed (1.57). They are tied 1-1 in the Division Finals against Trois Riviéres.

 

- The ECHL announced last week that a new franchise will join the ECHL in 2026-27. The franchise will be in Rio Rancho, New Mexico, a northern suburb of Albuquerque. The team will be owned and operated by REV Entertainment who had brief relationship with the Allen Americans along with Zawyer. Rio Rancho was the home of the New Mexico Scorpions from 2006-2009 and they played in the Central Hockey League.They ceased operations in 2009, one season before the Allen franchise joined the CHL in 2009-10. Here is the press release announcing the new franchise: https://echl.com/news/2025/05/expansion-membership-approved-for-new-mexico 

- The draft ECHL schedule has been sent out for teams to review. This is an opportunity for teams to try and make changes to the schedule based on what will make the schedule better from a front office perspective and also hockey travel and game related issues. Can't always fix the problems, but can try.

 

- Allen's home record was 7-29 this season, so the record by jersey was bad no matter which jersey the Americans wore. Last season Allen had the best record when wearing the "Texas" jersey and "Red" jersey  with a 7-3 record for both. No surprise the worst record last season was when the team wore a specialty jersey (2-7). This season Allen again had the best record when wearing the "Texas" jersey (1-3) and the worst record when wearing a specialty jersey (1-5). 

 

DID YOU KNOW: Here is my ECHL Stats post about the playoffs:

Some ECHL playoff teams have great offenses and some have great defenses. Some fall in the middle. Which style will win the Kelly Cup? Here are the average goals scored, average goals allowed and goal differential for the eight teams remaining in the playoffs:

 

Average goals scored

5.50 - Tahoe

4.33 - Fort Wayne

4.33 - Toledo

3.67 - Florida

3.60 - Trois Rivières

3.22 - Orlando

3.17 - Norfolk

2.83 - Kansas City

 

Average goals allowed

1.33 - Norfolk

1.40 - Trois Rivières

1.83 - Kansas City

2.00 - Florida

2.00 - Tahoe

3.22 - Fort Wayne

3.33 - Orlando

3.33 - Toledo 

 

Goal differential (Ave. goals scored minus goals allowed)

+3.50: Tahoe

+2.20: Trois Rivières

+1:84: Norfolk

+1.67: Florida

+1.11: Fort Wayne

+1.00: Kansas City

+1.00: Toledo

-0.11: Orlando