Today, Utah Hockey Club announced they have reached a one-year affiliation agreement with the Allen Americans of the ECHL.
“The Americans are a first-class organization with a passionate fan base and a reputation of winning,” said John Ferguson, assistant general manager for Utah Hockey Club and general manager for Utah’s AHL affiliate, the Tucson Roadrunners. “We look forward to working with Americans Ownership, Myles and La Sonjia Jack, this season.”
Competing in the Mountain Division of the Western Conference, the Americans are entering their 11th season in the ECHL and play home games at Credit Union of Texas Event Center in Allen, Texas. The franchise was founded in 2009 and began play in the Central Hockey League (CHL) where they played for five seasons, winning the Ray Miron President’s Cup in 2013 and 2014. The Americans joined the ECHL prior to the 2014-15 season and immediately won consecutive ECHL Kelly Cups in 2015 and 2016. They have only missed the ECHL playoffs in one season and have won three division championships.
The ECHL is a professional developmental league for the American Hockey League and the National Hockey League. The league began in 1988-89 with five teams in three states and now spans coast-to-coast, with 29 teams playing in 22 states and provinces. There have been more than 750 former ECHL players who have gone on to play in the NHL after playing in the ECHL.
The Utah Grizzlies, an affiliate of the Colorado Avalanche, also compete in the ECHL and currently reside in the same division with the Americans, who they will host for their home opener at the Maverik Center on Friday, November 1. The Americans will play the Grizzlies a total of eight times during the 2024-25 campaign.
