The Ottawa Senators and their AHL affiliate in Belleville announced on Wednesday that they’ll once again partner with the ECHL’s Allen Americans for the coming season.
“We’re proud to once again team up with the Allen Americans as our ECHL affiliate for the 2025-26 season,” Belleville GM Matt Turek said in a league press release. “Having a solid affiliate will be significantly beneficial to both clubs and provide a clear pathway to the NHL. We have the utmost trust in the leadership of head coach Steve Martinson and his staff, and we’re confident they’ll provide the right atmosphere for Senators players to continue to grow.”
The agreement marks the third time in four years that Ottawa and Belleville have turned to Allen as their ECHL partner. The Senators didn't have an ECHL affiliation last season, but partnered with the Americans in the two seasons before that when several young Senators flowed through the Allen, Texas pipeline.
That includes goalie Leevi Merilainen who suited up in Allen before playing 14 games with Ottawa — 12 of them last season, where he went 8-3-1 with a 1.99 goals-against average.
Defenseman Donavan Sebrango also moved between Allen and the NHL, where he debuted with his hometown Senators last season.
The Americans are entering their 17th season in pro hockey and already have four championships since their founding. They’ve previously partnered with NHL clubs like the Dallas Stars, Colorado Avalanche, San Jose Sharks, Minnesota Wild, Seattle Kraken, and Utah Mammoth, in addition to Ottawa.
“This affiliation has so much potential for the Americans,” Martinson said. "Having many conversations with Matt Turek and Sean McCauley (Ottawa's Manager of Hockey Operations), we know that they like the same style of play as we do in Allen. It’s great to be able to work in concert to add elite players to our roster.”
The Americans are fixin' to fire up the new season on October 18th, when they'll host the Wichita Thunder.
By Steve Warne
This article was first published at THN.com/Ottawa
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