ECHL: Allen Americans Sign Pair of Canadians

The Allen Americans have announced that they have signed 6’1 defenseman Andre Anania and 5’10 forward Orca Wiesblatt.

Andre Anania’s Career

Andre Anania started his junior career in the OJHL with the Stouffville Spirit in the 2019-20 season. He played in 52 games, where he had 14 goals and eight assists for 22 points with 84 penalty minutes. Anania then went to the OHL, where he played for the Sudbury Wolves, but did not play in the 2020-21 season after the OHL season was cancelled due to COVID. In 180 OHL games, he registered 21 goals and 66 assists for 87 points with 189 penalty minutes and a +73.

After completing his junior career, Anania signed with the ECHL’s Savannah Ghost Pirates for the 2024-25 season. In 51 games, he registered four goals and seven assists for 11 points with 40 penalty minutes and a -12.

Andre Anania is a physical defenseman who is willing to sacrifice his body a bit to lay hits. Anania may not be the biggest player, but he is very feisty on the ice and is not afraid to drop the gloves. He also has a lot of speed, helping him get up and down the ice, and is able to drive the net, ultimately creating scoring chances. As Anania gets more comfortable playing in the ECHL, he should start to find his offensive game more, allowing him to find himself on the scoresheet more often.

Orca Wiesblatt’s Career

Orca Wiesblatt started his junior career in the AJHL playing for the Brooks Bandits. In 55 AJHL games, Wiesblatt registered ten goals and 16 assists for 26 points with 107 penalty minutes. He then went to the WHL, where he played for the Calgary Hitmen for four seasons. In 138 games with the Hitmen, Wiesblatt had 27 goals and 52 assists for 79 points with 106 penalty minutes and a +11. During his four seasons in the WHL, Wiesblatt played one game in the HJHL with the High River Flyers, where he had one assist. He also played in the MJHL with the Portage Terriers, where he had six goals and nine assists for 15 points with 42 penalty minutes in 16 games.

After his junior career, Wiesblatt did not play in the 2021-22 or 2022-23 seasons before joining the Pensacola Ice Flyers in the SPHL. He had four penalty minutes and a -1 in four games with the Ice Flyers. Wiesblatt then spent the 2024-25 season in the FPHL with the Athens Rock Lobsters. He played in 37 games with the Rock Lobsters, where he had 17 goals and 25 assists for 42 points with 37 penalty minutes and a +22.

Orca Wiesblatt is a smaller forward with a lot of skill. Wiesblatt has quite a bit of speed, allowing him to squeeze between and around opposing players. He is also able to get behind the defense quite a bit, creating breakaways and odd-man rushes for his team. The 2025-26 season will be Wiesblatt’s first season in the ECHL, so it may take him some time to adjust to playing in the ECHL, but he could be a pretty good forward for the Allen Americans.