Photo Credit: Dave Dudich The Allen Americans [https://thehockeynews.com/echl/latest-news/americans-make-big-splash-with-two-signings-on-defense], along with Head Coach and General Manager Steve Martinson, announced the signing of forward Brayden Watts, who returns for his sophomore season with the Americans. Martinson believes Watts will play a key role for the team while establishing himself as one of the better players in the ECHL [https://thehockeynews.com/echl/]. “Brayden (Watts) is the type of puck carrier that can really flourish in our system,” Martinson said in a news release. “I believe he will commit to our all-out offense and all-in defense team mentality. This is going to be Brayden’s year to establish himself as one of the top players in the league.” Watts led the Americans in scoring last season with 53 points in 68 games and was the lone Americans All Star last year. The Bakersfield, California, native will be a six-year pro in October. He started his career with the Wichita Thunder [https://thehockeynews.com/echl/latest-news/wichita-re-signs-somerville]in 2020-21, scoring 30 points in 62 games. The 5-foot-11, 172-pound left-shot forward followed that up with a 46-point season in 2021-22. He then tallied 63 points in 50 games in 2022-23, improving his numbers each year. “I’m super excited to be a part of the solution to bringing a championship back to our fans and the city of Allen,” Watts stated. “I haven't been this excited to get things going since my first year in the league. Coach Martinson and the leaders of the team will continue to all work together to achieve our ultimate goal, bringing another championship to the Americans. See you guys soon!” Before turning pro, Watts spent five seasons in the WHL [https://thehockeynews.com/whl/], recording 161 points (68-93-161) over a span of 315 games. Watts joins Colton Hargrove, Spencer Asuchak, Thomas Caron, Brad Morrison, Matt Register, Kevin Spinozzi, Anthony Costantini, and Marco Costantini as announced players on the Americans 2025-2026 roster.
