Allen Americans forward Nino Musitelli handles the puck in an October 2010 game against the Texas Brahmas. Allen announced on Thursday that Musitelli had been granted a trade to the Dayton Gems. (Photo Credit: John O'Neill)

In a bit of a surprising move, the Allen Americans announced on Thursday that they had traded forward Nino Musitelli to the Dayton Gems in exchange for future considerations.

The Americans say that Musitelli requested the trade, citing personal reasons for the request.  The club agreed to this request, although it was almost certainly not in their plans, considering what a popular person Musitelli is with the fans and his teammates alike.

The team’s press release has a quote from head coach Dwight Mullins about the transaction and a few additional details:

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Allen, Texas – The Allen Americans trade Forward Nino Musitelli today, to the Dayton Gems for future considerations. Musitelli played two seasons in Allen, and was an important part of the early success of the Americans.

“This was a tough move for us”, said Head Coach and GM Dwight Mullins. “Considering what a popular guy Nino is not only in our locker room, but with the Allen Americans fan base”.

This move comes strictly by the request of the player. Who cited personal reasons for his trade request. Mullins followed with, “We would like to wish Nino the best in Dayton and thank him for his hard work and dedication while with the Americans”. You can hear an interview with Nino Musitelli and Americans Broadcaster Tommy Daniels at www.allenamericans.podbean.com

The Allen Americans sent goaltender Chris Whitley to the Wichita Thunder on Thursday in a 3-for-1 deal. (Photo Credit: John O'Neill)

In a surprising move on Thursday, the Allen Americans traded all-star goaltender Chris Whitley to the Wichita Thunder in exchange for three players.

The deal was a surprising one, as Whitley has been a fixture between the pipes for Allen through both of their seasons.  But it appears that the Americans may be in line to receive a top-notch goaltending prospect next season, and the deal allows them to add some needed pieces for next season.

Here is the release from the Americans:

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Allen, TX –
The Allen Americans have made a significant move today in the direction of the their hockey club, dealing goaltender Chris Whitley to the Wichita Thunder in exchange for 3 key additions. Kory Scorin, a big 6-3, 220 pound ‘stay at home’ Defenseman from Winnipeg, Manitoba, who gives the Americans that big body in front of the net. Steve Kaunisto, an exciting young Defenseman with an offensive upside, bringing youth to the D Core. Also adding gritty Forward,
Troy Shwab, who at 5’9, plays much like that of someone 6’2 and is not afraid to dig in the corners. With a nice scoring touch, Shwab was 6th in points last year on the Thunder, tallying 19 goals and 36 assists.

“Chris has played a big part in our organization from the start, he was a huge piece of our team that first year, getting us to the Finals, said Head Coach and GM Dwight Mullins. He added, “This move also stems from indications that we are getting a top affiliate goalie prospect. Our organization has always placed a high priority on
development and opportunity to advance, and when you have affiliation and you are being assigned players, you have to make room for these types of moves. Chris has been great in the community and we appreciate all he has done on and off the ice for our organization.”

Allen adds 3 key pieces to what they hope will be another championship run. You can’t argue with success. In just two seasons, the Allen Americans have established themselves as one of the top franchises in minor league hockey, and one of the hot destinations of free agent minor league hockey players.

Weslosky came to the Steelheads in December after opening the year in the Victoria Salmon Kings training camp.  The 22-year-old made 20 appearances in net for Idaho and had a 7-6-3 record with a .910 save percentage and 2.64 goals-against average.

Weslosky was a 4^th-round draft pick of the NHL’s New York Islanders in 2006.

The solid play of fellow rookie netminder Adrien LeMay, assigned to Idaho last week by the AHL’s Texas Stars, may have given this deal the momentum in needed to take place.  LeMay started two games for the Steelheads over the weekend, winning both and turning aside 55 of the 60 shots he faced.

LeMay should be the Steelheads’ starting goaltender for now, and he will be backed up by Dennis Cook, the remaining goalie on the Idaho roster.

The Steelheads’ next game is Wednesday in Boise, where they will face off against the Las Vegas Wranglers in a three-game series.

Matt Case

The Idaho Steelheads completed a trade today, receiving defenseman Matt Case from the Gwinnett Gladiators to complete an earlier trade for John-Scott Dickson.

Case, 24, is a rookie out of Ferris State.  His numbers are pretty low this season – in 38 games with the Gladiators, he has posted one goal, two assists, and 14 penalty minutes – but he’s still a first-year player.

Here is the official press release from the Steelheads:

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(Boise, ID) – Head coach and director of hockey operations Hardy Sauter announced Tuesday that the Idaho Steelheads have received defenseman Matt Case from the Gwinnett Gladiators to complete an earlier trade for John-Scott Dickson.

Case, 24, is a rookie out of Ferris State. In 38 games with the Gladiators, Case had one goal, two assists, and 14 penalty minutes.

The Minnesota native recorded 47 points in 144 career games at Ferris State, twice earning the school’s Competitive Blue Line award as the team’s top competitor. In his final season at FSU, Case produced a career-high 17 points (four goals, 13 assists) in 40 games. After concluding his college season, Case played two games with the Norfolk Admirals before signing with Gwinnett in the offseason.

Case will practice with the team Wednesday morning and is expected to be in the lineup that night when the Steelheads host the Utah Grizzlies.

Caffaro, 26, appeared in two games with Idaho, registering seven penalty minutes. He split last season between the ECHL (Wheeling) and American Hockey League (Wilkes-Barre/Scranton).

The Missouri Mavericks have sent defenseman Chris Mifflen to Allen for future considerations.  The Mavericks were in a spot where they needed to reduce the number of defensemen they had on their roster, and the Americans learned today they would be without the services of Brandon Straub for at least a week and a half.  This move will help out both teams with their issues, and give Mifflen an opportunity.

Mifflen is still considered a rookie in the league, though he did play a pair of games with Missouri in last season’s playoffs.

Here are Chris Mifflen’s junior and collegiate stats, in addition to his brief stint with the Mavs:

Here is the information from Allen:

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In preparation for this weekend’s season opener, Americans Head Coach and General Manager Dwight Mullins announced several roster moves, including the completion of a trade with the Mississippi Riverkings.

Forwards Chris Myhro, Aaron McGill, and Rob Short, along with goaltender Ryan Fitzsimmons, have been been released by the club, while foward Matt Miller has been traded to Mississippi.

Myhro, 25, from Mound West Tonka, Minnesota, was a plus-1, with two penalty minutes in two preseason games for the Americans.

McGill, a 21 year old from Salem, Oregon, played on Friday night, registering 17 penalty minutes.

Short, 21, scored the first goal of the preseason for the Americans on a wrist shot from the wing Friday night at NYTEX Sports Centre. Friday night’s game was the only appearance of the preseason for Short.

In goal, Fitzsimmons saw action in half of Friday night’s affair at NYTEX.

The move to trade Miller to Mississippi was part of the completion of Allen’s trade to acquire defenseman David Simoes. The ‘Kings Front Office identified Miller as a player of interest to complete the trade, after Tyler Woodisse opted to play overseas for 2010-11.

“It was a little bittersweet for us, because Matt was somebody who came in here and over the course of the last few days has started to make a great impression,” Mullins said. “But at the same time, it’s also a great opportunity for Matt to solidify something for himself this season. Right now we are just trying to make the correct decisions, get to our group as quickly as we can, and put a game plan in place for the weekend.”

The Allen Americans obtained the rights to David Simoes today in a trade with the Mississippi RiverKings. In exhange, they sent the rights to Tyler Wooddisse to Mississippi. (Photo Credit: John Coffin)

The Allen Americans made a move they feel will strengthen their blue line for the 2010-2011 season, sending the rights to defenseman Tyler Wooddisse to Mississippi in exchange for the rights to defenseman David Simoes.

Here is the press release from Allen, which has some good quotes from Coach Mullins, as well as info on Simoes and Wooddisse:

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ALLEN, Texas – The Allen Americans acquired the rights to former Mississippi defenseman David Simoes for the 2010-11 season in exchange for Tyler Wooddisse’s rights.

“David is a solid individual. He will be a great guy in our locker room and community,” Americans Head Coach and General Manager Dwight Mullins said. “As a player, he brings an unbelievable amount of grit and attitude that is hard to play against. Like Britt Dougherty, he is sure to be a fan favorite.”

Simoes hails from Vanderhoof, British Columbia. The 25-year-old has three CHL seasons under his belt after playing for New Mexico, Youngstown and Mississippi. He had 15 points (2g-13a=15) in 58 games last year while racking up 171 penalty minutes.

In his three professional seasons, the five-foot-10-inch, 205-pound blueliner has spent 601 minutes in the sin bin over the course of 177 games. Simoes played Junior A hockey in the British Columbia Hockey League for five years before a brief stint at the South Alberta Institute of Technology prior to his professional career.

“[My wife and I] are very excited to be coming to Allen. After playing there last year, it seemed like a great city. I know the organization is top notch, and I’ve heard great things about Coach Mully and Coach Macker,” Simoes said Tuesday.

Simoes pointed to the returning players’ desire to win the Ray Miron Presidents’ Cup as the primary factor for wanting to be in Allen. “The main reason that we’re excited is from reading the other players’ quotes about coming back to win. We want to win a championship.”

The Americans sent defenseman Tyler Wooddisse’s rights to Mississippi in the trade.

“It’s always difficult in a situation like this because in order to get a player of value, you have to give up value,” Mullins said. “Tyler contributed a lot to the success we had last year, and it was a touch decision to make this move. But in return, we are getting a player that we felt we needed to have to continue to move forward.”

Wooddisse had 34 points (11g-23a=34) in 62 games during the regular season. He had seven assists in the Americans’ 20-game playoff run.

Individual tickets go on sale Sept. 3, but season tickets and partial plans for Allen’s second season are on sale now. Ticket prices start as low as $9 per game. As always, there is free parking at every game. For more information, call 972-912-1000.

The Americans made three trades on Monday, including one for the rights to Ryan Garbutt, shown above playing for Corpus Christi against the Allen Americans on January 29, 2010. (Photo Credit: John O'Neill)

The Allen Americans had a busy day today, completing some trades for “future considerations” that were made earlier this season.  One of these deals gave them the rights to rookie all-star forward Ryan Garbutt.  Earlier in the season, the Americans swapped Kurtis Dulle to the Corpus Christi IceRays for future considerations.  The acquisition of Garbutt’s rights complete that transaction.

In addition to Garbutt’s rights, the Americans also acquired the rights to Andrew Davis from the Rio Grande Killer Bees.  In November, Allen sent defensman Jason Seerey to the Bees.

The Americans did lose a player from their roster today, though, to complete a future considerations deal on their part.  Last offseason, the Americans got veteran defenseman Erik Adams from the Colorado Eagles.  Today they sent defensman George Bradley’s rights to Colorado to complete the trade.

Here is the press release from the Americans:

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ALLEN, Texas – The Allen Americans completed three trades today to wrap up the 2009-10 season that included acquiring the rights of rookie sensation Ryan Garbutt from the Corpus Christi IceRays.

Earlier in the season, Allen traded All-Star defenseman Kurtis Dulle to Corpus Christi in exchange for future considerations. Allen acquiring Garbutt’s rights completes the transaction.

Garbutt recently finished his first professional season leading all rookies in scoring with 50 points in 64 games. He also led first-years in goals, netting 22, and in the plus/minus category, going +24. The gritty forward also racked up 204 penalty minutes. He tied Americans forward Tobias Whelan for most shorthanded goals among rookies with three and led first-years in game-winning goals with four.

The Winnipeg native is pleased to have the opportunity to play for the Southern Conference Champions. “I had a lot of fun in Texas. It’s nice to have that option,” Garbutt said today. “Obviously Allen has a good franchise. They established themselves this year and had a good run in the finals. I’m sure they’ll be looking to win it next year.”

He was selected to the All-Rookie Team and finished second in voting for CHL Rookie of the Year. In the annual “Best of the Best” poll, Garbutt’s peers voted him best rookie. Prior to that, the 24-year-old played four seasons at Brown University.

“We’re excited to be able to add a player of his caliber to our roster,” Allen Head Coach and General Manager Dwight Mullins said Monday afternoon.

The Americans also completed trades with the Colorado Eagles and Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees. The Americans sent George Bradley’s rights to Colorado and the club received the rights of Andrew Davis from Rio Grande Valley.

Last offseason, the Americans received veteran Erik Adams from the Eagles. Adams finished the year with 17 points in 40 games with a +3 plus/minus rating. Before the 2009-10 season, the veteran had racked up 387 career games. With this experience, the defenseman helped guide Allen to uncharted depths in the club’s inaugural season as it won its first Southern Conference Championship. Bradley played in six games for the Americans at the end of the regular season.

In return for sending defenseman Jason Seerey to Rio Grande Vally in November, the Americans receive the rights to Andrew Davis. Davis played four seasons for Concordia University before launching his professional career in 2005 with the Memphis Riverkings. His career consists of 238 games with the majority being in the CHL. In 2009-10, he played 41 games for the Missouri Mavericks before being traded to the Killer Bees. He had 19 points in 62 games last year.

The defenseman was born June 11, 1981 and hails from Nepean, Ontario. He stands at six-foot-two and clocks in at 195 pounds.

The Allen Americans traded goaltender Charlie Effinger to the Missouri Mavericks on Monday, completing the trade made last year for former defenseman Sean Perkins. (Photo Credit: John O'Neill)

On Monday, the Allen Americans shipped goalie Charlie Effinger to the Missouri Mavericks to complete the trade they made at the end of last year to bring in defenseman Sean Perkins.  The Americans waived Perkins at the end of last month, but still needed to complete the trade with the Mavs.  Although I wasn’t surprised to hear that Effinger was traded to another team (Chris Whitley has certainly cemented himself as the Americans #1 netminder), I was a bit surprised to hear that it was to complete a “future considerations” deal that Allen had previously made.  Effinger has twice been called up to the AHL, and has played strongly for Allen when called upon.  Missouri certainly ended up with a great player coming back their way.

Allen also signed a goaltender to backup Whitley now that Effinger is gone.  David McKee will join the Americans in time for their Thursday night game against the Tulsa Oilers, and will surely be on the bench if needed.  McKee, a native of Irving, TX, is the first native Texan on the Americans’ roster. He had a solid collegiate career at Cornell, and went on to play in the ECHL and AHL. McKee’s stats are at the bottom of this article, but here is Allen’s press release about the day’s transactions:

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ALLEN, Texas – The Allen Americans announced that the club traded goalie Charlie Effinger to Missouri and signed netminder David McKee today.

Earlier this season, Missouri sent defenseman Sean Perkins to Allen in exchange for future considerations. The Effinger trade today completed the earlier transaction.

Effinger had an 8-3-1 record with the Americans, posting two shutouts. He was the first player in club history to be sent up to the American Hockey League. The Texas Stars, the Dallas Stars’ AHL affiliate, called up Effinger Oct. 30 and Nov. 25.

McKee is the first native Texan on the Americans with the hometown of Irving. The 6-foot-1 goaltender attended Cornell University, where he played 102 games over three seasons. From 2006-2009, the 26-year-old played in the ECHL for the Augusta Lynx, Phoenix Roadrunners and the Bakersfield Condors with two stints in the AHL.