A Conversation with Americans Head Coach Dwight Mullins

ALLEN, Texas – In recognition of the success of the Allen Americans this season overall and especially in the Central Hockey League’s Berry Conference, Head Coach Dwight Mullins was rewarded by being named as one of the co-coaches of this year’s CHL All-Star team.
 

Nominations were determined by the teams that had the highest winning percentage prior to December 24th, where Allen then sat at 18-4-1 and are currently 23-6-1. The All Star game is scheduled for January 12th, with the team comprised of players from the Berry and Turner Conferences set to take on the Rapid City Rush in Rapid City, South Dakota.
 
When asked about the Americans success this season, Mullins didn’t hesitate to attribute it to the players’ efforts on the ice.
 
“If you’re team’s not playing well, it doesn’t matter how good of a coach you are, so it’s a credit to the guys, that’s for sure,” Mullins said.
 
“We have good team speed; I think we have a solid corps of defensemen that are very mobile,” Mullins added. “We have a deep lineup up front with skilled forwards. If we play hard and compete, we give ourselves a chance to win. If we want to play a soft game, we can get ourselves into trouble.” 
 
Obviously, the coach was referencing last Saturday night’s loss to the Colorado Eagles, 11-6. It was the Americans’ worst loss in franchise history and ironically, it was also the lowest the Americans scored in the weekend’s three contests. The Americans bounced back the following night with another shellacking of the Tulsa Oilers 8-4, generating an impressive total of 24 goals across the three games.
 
The All-Star event marks the first time that Mullins will be at the helm of an All-Star team and he’s excited to be involved.
 
“It’s going to be a fun and a great environment and I think that Rapid City is a premiere organization in our league; they do everything first class,” Mullins stated.
 
Mullins is also looking forward to working with his All-Star co-coach Scott Hillman, Head Coach of the Missouri Mavericks who led the Turner Conference as of December 24th. The Allen coach has a great deal of respect for his fellow coach and being a student of hockey, looks forward to gaining further knowledge from another coach’s perspective on the game.
 
“I’m very excited to get to know Scott Hillman a little better and work with him,” Mullins said. “I have a lot of respect for what he’s done in Missouri over the last two years. They’ve done a really good job of solidifying that franchise and he’s got a great team that’s had a lot of success in the first two years, so I’m looking forward to getting to know him better and learn some things from him maybe that I can take away from it.”
 
Mullins beamed with pride when asked about two of his players making the All-Star roster.
 
“I’m really proud; it’s sometimes difficult because you’re proud of your guys like you are of your kids and you feel like you should have three or four there. I think it’s a great representation for our organization as a whole, so we’re excited about that.”
 
Forward Bruce Graham and rookie defenseman David Strathman have been nominated to the All-Star team as representatives for the Americans. This is the second year in a row that Graham has gotten the call, but it was recently announced that he will be unable to attend due to personal reasons. Colton Yellow Horn has been named the alternative and will represent the team in his place.
 
Mullins summed up the All-Star event up well for all involved.
“Overall I think the weekend and the experience of being there will be a lot of fun.”
 
The CHL All Star game is scheduled for Wednesday, January 12th and will take place at the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center in Rapid City, South Dakota.
 
Contact the author at maurice.fitzgerald@prohockeynews.com
Contact the photographer at chip.crail@prohockeynews.com