The Province
September 6, 2002
By Terry Bell

Rev up the Zambonis, the Canucks hit the ice today.

Forty-five wannabe Canucks start their six-day Prospect Camp this morning at Burnaby 8-Rinks.

Truth is, for most of them the chances of making the Canucks this season rate right up there with Sheila Copps winning American Idol.

Bryan Allen, however, is an exception.

Allen, the club's first round pick (fourth overall) in the 1998 June draft could end up filling the void left by departed free agent defencemen Scott Lachance and Jason Strudwick.

Another potential top-six defenceman, Bryan Helmer, remains unsigned.

Barring a preseason trade, the Canucks have a Help Wanted sign hanging on their blueline.

"I don't think you can put any more pressure on yourself than what there should be," said Allen, 22, when asked about his potential role in filling the hole.

"I'm not putting too much expectation on things right now. We've got prospects camp right now and I have to deal with that.

"It [the Lachance and Strudwicks defections] did create a bit of an opportunity. But you can't hope someone leaving would create an opportunity for yourself. You have to create your own opportunities."

This might be a make or break year for 6-foot-4, 225-pound Allen. Of the 27 players picked in the first round of that '98 draft, 11 are now solid NHLers. Four more are knocking at the door. A half dozen or so have been busts.

Allen isn't in the bust category yet but there's a point where patience must turn into production. He had seven goals and 25 points in 68 games with AHL Manitoba last year after a 5-20-25-in-78 campaign with the Canucks' Kansas City IHL farm team in 2000-01.

He had six games with the Canucks two years ago and 11 last season.

"Each individual is different," said Allen when asked Thursday about his development to date. "You could wish things had been different but that's the way it goes. I'm not disappointed or frustrated about anything."

This is Allen's fifth camp. This, he thinks, is his best chance to make the team and stick.

"Every year you have to come thinking you can make the team and it's no different this year," he said. "I think last year was a good year. Obviously, the minors isn't where you want to be but I played with Zenith [Komarniski] and we played against the top line every game. That was a new challenge and a big leap."

Still, Allen had to watch as players like Helmer and Justin Kurtz were called up ahead of him. "They're totally different players and after they got the opportunity they played well," he said.

A keen observer is Ed Jovanovski, the Canuck all-star who played alongside Lachance all last year.

"He's [Allen] played pro hockey a couple of years now, he's growing into his body and it'll pay off for him," said Jovanovski.

Besides Allen, veteran centres Harold Druken and Jeff Farkas, forward Herbie Vasiljevs and defencemen Nolan Baumgartner, Jaroslav Obsut and Kevin Grimes, a 1997 first round (26th overall) draft pick by Colorado, will be at the camp.



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