Just when Bryan Allen was feeling at the top of his game, the Vancouver Canucks lost theirs and decided veterans, rather than young first round picks, would help revive the team. Now, Allen is biding time playing his game with the AHL's Manitoba Moose and waiting for the NHL team to give him another chance.

After missing most of his first professional season due to a knee injury, Allen honed his skills with Vancouver's affiliate in Kansas City last season. He went to the Vancouver camp this year eager to earn a regular shift, which he did, but the Canucks got off to a slow start.

Allen spent most of his seven games in Vancouver this year watching games from the bench, getting short and irregular stints on the ice.

"To be up there and play six or seven minutes is not enough, you lose your game," Allen said. "You can only learn so much by watching them play. You have to play yourself to truly learn the game."

Allen understands Vancouver's decision to send him down to its new affiliate in Manitoba, but that doesn't mean he is happy about it.

"It was a tough start for everyone. It certainly wasn't the way we wanted to start, especially after the way we finished last season in the playoffs," Allen said. "The team wasn't doing well and you got to go with the top guys when things are tough and hope they will pull you through. That was their decision. I'm down here right now and working hard to prove I can go back up."

Ice time never has been a problem for Allen who was a first-round pick (4th overall) by the Canucks in the 1998 NHL entry draft. In his first season of junior hockey with the Oshawa Generals, Allen was on the team that won the OHL championship and made a run for the Memorial Cup.

The big defenseman was named an OHL All-Star despite appearing in just 37 games. Allen injured his knee during the 1999-2000 Vancouver training camp and missed almost all of the season. He ended up with one goal and two points in nine games with Syracuse of the AHL that season. Vancouver moved its affiliation to Kansas City for the 2000-2001 season and Allen enjoyed his first full season as a professional.

Allen led all Kansas City rookies with five goals and 25 points in 75 games with the Blades. He also got his first taste of the NHL, making his debut Feb. 26, 2001 in Vancouver's 5-2 victory over the Minnesota Wild. In all, Allen played in six regular-season games with the Canucks last year and made it to the Stanley Cup playoffs in two quarterfinal games against the eventual champion Colorado Avalanche.

"Playing a full year last season was great. I was getting a lot of ice time and you can't replace that," he said. "You develop a flow, a rhythm. There is such a big learning curve when you first come into pro hockey. You have to learn a lot of new things and adjust to them. Besides that, you are playing against some really good hockey players. It is as much a mental game as it is physical."

Playing the physical game has never been a problem for Allen, 6-foot-4 and 210 pounds.

"My size and strength are definitely an attribute to my game and an upside others in my position are envious of," Allen said. "You can't learn size and it isn't something you can work on. I'm fortunate to have it."

The Kingston, Ontario, native has added attitude to his resume.

"Everyone has to play with some sort of edge. Hockey is an exciting and emotional game and those feelings can take over," Allen said. "Because I'm a bigger player, I have to have an attitude on -- 'Don't mess with me or my guys'. Whatever it takes to help my teammates and whatever it takes to win, I'll do."

Allen knows he is a work-in-progress with the Canucks, but he is confident he has made a lasting impression on the NHL

"It is tough to see what the future will bring. Hopefully, I will get a chance and hopefully, they have a plan for me," he said. "You can never start guessing because as soon as you do, you lose focus and forget where you are. If you stay focused and play hard, things will go the way they should."



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