Allen, Texas – The Allen Americans announced the team has signed Chad Costello to a contract for the 2021-22 season.
Costello returns to the Americans after spending the last four years in Europe. He totaled 133 points (45g-88a) in 141 games with Iserlohn and Krefeld in the DEL from 2017-20 before putting up 14 points (5g-9a) in 11 games with Stavanger in Norway last season.
Costello won back-to-back titles with the Americans, starting in 2015 with a seven-game series win over the South Carolina Stingrays, the Americans first season in the ECHL. The following year, Costello led the Americans to a second consecutive Kelly Cup championship with a six-game series win over the Wheeling Nailers.
Costello has captured three ECHL Most Valuable Player awards, receiving the honor with Colorado in 2011-12 and with Allen in 2015-16 and 2016-17. He was named Most Valuable Player of the Kelly Cup Playoffs in 2016, and is the only player in League history to win both the regular-season and postseason MVP award.
He led the ECHL in scoring in each of his last three seasons in the league, posting 125 points in 2014-15, 103 points in 2015-16 and 122 points in 2016-17. His 89 assists during the 2016-17 season are the fourth-most in a single season in ECHL history. Costello is one of only three players in league history to record three consecutive seasons of 100 or more points.
The 35-year-old has totaled 489 points (146g-343a) in 309 caerer ECHL games with Allen, Ontario, Colorado, and Texas. Costello ranks 20th in ECHL history with 343 career assists and is 31st with 489 points. His 1.11 assists-per-game average ranks as the third-highest career total in league history while his 1.58 points-per-game average ranks fifth all-time.