Americans announce protected list

Dallas/Allen, Texas – The Allen Americans, ECHL affiliate of Ottawa Senators (NHL), announced the team’s protected list for the 2023-2024 season.

The Americans protected 27 players with 22 of the 27 having skated in one or more games last season. The list includes the following players.

Forwards: Hank Crone, Aidan Brown, Chad Butcher, Jakov Novak, Colby McAuley, Justin Young, Spencer Asuchak, Colton Hargrove, Grant Hebert, Liam Finlay, Stefan Fournier, Jack Combs, Mikael Robidoux, Stephen Baylis, JD Dudek, and Jared Bethune.

Defensemen: Dalton Skelly, Eric Williams, Kris Myllari, Ryan Gagnon, Ty Farmer, Ben Carroll, Jake Kearley, Nick Albano, and Colton Saucerman

Goalies: Chase Perry and Luke Peressini.

Teams are allowed to protect as many players as they wish provided the players protected meet the guidelines as defined in the Collective Bargaining Agreement between the ECHL and the Professional Hockey Players’ Association which state that teams shall retain the rights to each player that:

1. Signed an SPC in 2022-23 with the Member, and has not been traded or released, OR
2. Signed an SPC in 2022-23, and was recalled to the NHL/AHL or IIHF team, and has not been traded or released, OR
3. Had received a Qualifying Offer last summer for the current Season, DID NOT sign an SPC, and has not been traded or released, OR
4. Has been suspended by the Member or League, and has not been traded or released, OR
5. Signed an SPC on or after the first day of the 2022-23 Regular Season, then subsequently signed an NHL/AHL contract, and has not been traded or released, OR
6. Has executed the ECHL Retirement Form and has not been traded or released.

Protected lists may exceed 20 players and players that signed AHL/NHL deals prior to the 2022-23 season can’t be listed.

The ECHL also announced that teams must complete all Future Consideration trades by 3 p.m. ET on June 20 and that teams must submit their Season-Ending Roster by 3 p.m. ET on June 22.

Season-ending rosters may include up to 20 players and cannot include any players who did not sign an ECHL contract in 2022-23.