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Steve Martinson, Allen Americans

Steve Martinson, Allen Americans

Thursday, September 22nd

Steve Martinson, who joined the Allen Americans in 2012-13 as head coach and general manager, has led the Americans to four league titles, capturing Central Hockey League championships in 2013 and 2014 before winning the Kelly Cup title in 2015 and 2016. He is one of just four coaches in ECHL history to win multiple Kelly Cup titles. Prior to Allen, Martinson coached the Chicago Express in their only season in the ECHL.

A native of Minnetonka, Minnesota, he played professionally for 12 years spanning from 1981-96, at several different levels. Martinson played in 50 games in the National Hockey League, for parts of four seasons with the Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens and Minnesota North Stars.

Martinson began his coaching career in 1996 with the San Diego Gulls of the WCHL, where he coached for nine seasons and over 600 games, winning five championships. During his ECHL expansion season in 2003-04 with San Diego, his club set an ECHL record for most points by an expansion team with 100 points. Following San Diego, he spent three seasons in Rockford of the United Hockey League, where he won a championship with the IceHogs in 2006-07. In his 22 years of coaching, Martinson has failed to reach the postseason only once. He enters the 2018-19 season fifth in ECHL history with 373 regular-season wins, tied for seventh with 648 games coached, third with 92 postseason games coached and tied for third with 49 postseason wins.

Martinson was a tough, gritty player during his playing days, racking up more than 3,000 penalty minutes over his 14-year career. He holds the single season American Hockey League mark for most major penalties in a season with 49, in 1985-86. Off the ice, Martinson earned his Business Management degree in 1981, from St Cloud State University. Martinson and his wife, Michelle, reside in Illinois in the offseason along with their two children, Logan and Lily.

Coaching Record		Reg. Season				Playoffs
Season	Team	Gms	W	L	T	Gms	W	L
1995-96	San Diego (WCHL)	58	49	7	2	9	6	3
1996-97	San Diego (WCHL)	64	50	12	2	8	7	1
1997-98	San Diego (WCHL)	64	53	10	1	13	11	2
1998-99	San Diego (WCHL)	71	45	19	7	12	7	5
1999-00	San Diego (WCHL)	70	46	16	6	9	4	5
2000-01	San Diego (WCHL)	72	50	17	5	13	10	3
2001-02	San Diego (WCHL)	72	47	22	3	7	4	3
2002-03	San Diego (WCHL)	72	45	22	7	12	8	4
2003-04	San Diego Gulls (ECHL)	72	49	13	10	3	0	3
2004-05	Rockford (UHL)	80	46	25	9	11	7	6
2005-06	Rockford (UHL)	76	48	19	9	9	4	5
2006-07	Rockford (UHL)	76	48	21	7	17	12	5
2007-08	Elmira Jackals (ECHL)	72	41	24	7	6	2	4
2008-09	Elmira Jackals (ECHL)	72	39	26	7	11	4	7
2009-10	Elmira Jackals (ECHL)	72	37	26	9	5	2	3
2011-12	Chicago Express (ECHL)	72	34	26	12	---	---	---
2012-13	Allen (CHL)	66	39	18	9	19	12	7
2013-14	Allen (CHL)	66	39	22	5	17	12	5
2014-15	Allen Americans (ECHL)	72	48	14	10	25	16	9
2015-16	Allen Americans (ECHL)	72	41	24	7	24	16	8
2016-17	Allen Americans (ECHL)	72	49	17	6	11	6	5
2017-18	Allen Americans (ECHL)	72	35	29	8	7	3	4
	ECHL Totals	648	373	199	76	92	49	43