Americans Year in Review-Part 2
ALLEN, Texas (Part 2 of 2) – The Allen Americans had a great inaugural season in the Central Hockey League, finishing with a 42-17-5 record in the regular season and two wins shy of winning the Ray Miron Presidents’ Cup. Here’s a look back at the second half of Americans first season:
Jan. 25, 2010 – Allen signs agitator Mike Salekin. The defenseman racked up 71 penalty minutes in 25 regular season games for the Americans while earning a +5 rating.
Jan. 27, 2010 – The AHL’s Abbotsford Heat call up forward Justin Bowers, as he becomes the first forward in club history to make an appearance in the AHL. He played two games for the Heat before sustaining a lower body injury that sent him back to the CHL.
Feb. 12, 2010 – Rookie Tobias Whelan recorded Allen’s first Gordie Howe hat trick against Amarillo when he fought Chris Cloud, grabbed a goal and notched three assists in the 6-5 victory.
Feb. 13, 2010 – Chris Whitley becomes Allen’s third player to make the trip up to the AHL when the Texas Stars recall the backstop.
Feb. 23, 2010 – Allen clinches their first-ever playoff berth when they defeat Rio Grande Valley in overtime 5-4. Defenseman Jordie Benn scored the game-winning goal. Allen became the second team in the CHL to earn a post-season spot.
Feb. 25, 2010 – Netminder Chris Whitley makes his second trip to the AHL when the Lake Erie Monsters call him up. Whitley won his first AHL game 6-5 in a shootout Feb. 28, making 37 saves.
Feb. 26, 2010 – The Americans host “Pink in the Rink” in an effort to raise awareness about breast cancer. The players wore pink specialty jerseys and sold them in a live auction after the game to raise money for Susan G. Komen for the Cure.
March 5, 2010 – The Texas Stars assign their first player ever to the Americans when they send Tyler Shelast to Allen. The forward had two goals and an assist in five games with the Americans before being recalled.
March 10, 2010 – The CHL announces the winners of the Best of the Best poll. The Americans walked away with four awards: best city, best logo, best overall uniform and best host hotel (The Courtyard Marriott). Allen finished in the top three in seven other categories, including best overall player (Justin Bowers), best defensive defenseman (Chris Kaufman), most underrated player (Bruce Graham), best player on face-offs (Graham), best training and equipment staff, best cheerleading/dance team and best arena concessions.
March 16, 2010 – The league announces the finalists for the CHL Awards. Bruce Graham was in the running for CHL Most Valuable Player, while Chris Whitley was a finalist for Most Outstanding Goaltender and Rookie of the Year.
March 17, 2010 – Forward Bruce Graham registers his ninth game-winning goal in a 5-2 win over Missouri at home. The CHL All-Star ended the season tied with Laredo’s Darryl Smith and Odessa’s Jeff Pierce for the most game-clinching tallies in the CHL. He led the Americans in points during the regular season with 79 (31g-48a=79).
March 20, 2010 – Netminder Chris Whitley finishes the season with the most wins out of any goaltender in the CHL with 31, while forwards Bruce Graham and Christian Gaudet play in their sixty-fourth game to become the only Americans to play in every regular season contest. Also, Brandon Straub becomes the first defenseman in club history to go to the AHL, when the Houston Aeros recall him.
March 23, 2010 – Nino Musitelli is named Oakley CHL Player of the Week for the period ending March 20. He finished with nine points (5g-4a=9) and a +2 plus/minus rating in his team’s 2-1-0 week.
March 26, 2010 – Game 1 vs. Laredo – Forward Liam Huculak lights the lamp first for Allen to register the club’s first playoff goal at 4:34 of the opening frame. The club lost the game 4-3 but recovered from the deficit and won the series in seven games.
April 1, 2010 – Game 4 @ Laredo – Captain Jarret Lukin scores the first shorthanded goal in the playoffs in franchise history at 1:05 of the first period. The forward also assisted on Mike Salekin’s shorthanded tally April 9.
April 7, 2010 – Game 7 vs. Laredo – Allen wins its first playoff series in seven games in a 4-1 routing of the Laredo Bucks at the Allen Event Center. Tobias Whelan notched the game-winning goal, and veteran defenseman Erik Adams played in his fiftieth career playoff game.
April 21, 2010 – Game 7 @ Odessa – The Americans clinch their spot in the Ray Miron Presidents’ Cup Finals after a decisive 4-2 victory over the Odessa Jackalopes at the Ector County Coliseum. The Jacks finished the season 12 points ahead of Allen. Nino Musitelli scored the game winner with 44 seconds left in the second period. The Americans became the first expansion team to clinch a spot in the finals after the merger of the Central Hockey League with the Western Professional Hockey League in May of 2001. The win gave Allen the Southern Conference Champions crown.
April 23, 2010 – Game 1 @ Rapid City – After scoring the game’s first four goals, the Americans started the finals with a 4-1 win over the Rapid City Rush. Nine players had points in a team effort that put Allen up 1-0 in the series.
April 28, 2010 – Game 3 vs. Rapid City – After teammate Justin Bowers opened the game with two goals, Colton Yellow Horn led the Americans with his first professional hat trick to a 5-2 win over the Rush in Game 3.
April 30, 2010 – Game 4 vs. Rapid City – Netminder Chris Whitley broke three playoff records in the Americans 4-2 loss. The backstop owns the records for most appearances by a goaltender (20), most minutes (1205:31) and the most saves (636) in a single postseason.
May 1, 2010 – Game 5 vs. Rapid City – The Americans play in front of 6,003 fans, the largest crowd at the Allen Event Center. The club gave away free red Americans T-shirts to the first 5,000 people in the building to “red out” the rink at the final home game of the inaugural year.
May 4, 2010 – Game 6 @ Rapid City – The Americans incredible inaugural season comes to a close when Allen loses 4-3 in double overtime. The team won 10 games and two series in its first postseason.
May 12, 2010 – Congressman Sam Johnson recognizes the Americans for a “stellar” inaugural season nationally on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives. The congressman participated in the ceremonial puck drop prior to a 5-2 win over the Mississippi RiverKings March 5.
Photo: The record-setting crowd of 6,003 watch the Americans in their last home game of the inaugural season at the Allen Event Center May 1, 2010. Photo by Amy Gutierrez.
