Only three coaches in professional hockey history have reached 1,000 wins.
Steve Martinson is now one of them. The Allen Americans bench boss joined Scotty Bowman and John Brophy on that short list over the weekend.
A 3-2 victory over the Tulsa Oilers also made Martinson the first coach born in the United States to reach 1,000 wins.
Martinson is in his 23rd year of coaching. His resume includes 10 championships (4 with the Americans) and he's only missed the playoffs one time.
"I like what I do," said Martinson when asked about his longevity and success in hockey, adding, "Winning championships is the ultimate reward but we also want to develop players and you like seeing players improve their game and you like seeing players move up (to higher levels in hockey)."
The Americans return to action on March 12 when they host the Oilers again in Allen.
