The Vancouver Sun
September 8, 2001
By Iain MacIntyre

Today Bryan Allen skates with the Vancouver Canucks' rookies, but he is not like them.

Allen is not a typical 21-year-old rookie. He was the fourth player chosen in the 1998 draft and had the National Hockey League made as an 18-year-old. He showed in last year's playoffs that he is ready.

Allen is not a typical 21-year-old rookie. A contractual dispute sent him back to junior in 1998 and injuries limited him to just 49 games over the next two years. He has had only 11/2 seasons of developmental time; a 21-year-old going on 19.

No, Bryan Allen is not typical, but then neither are the Canucks. The towering defenceman may not be the most significant addition to the lineup this season; he may be the only one.

Vacant Canuck jobs are harder to find in Vancouver than vacant hospital beds.

Allen, healthy now for more than a year, is happy not to worry about the latter.

"I don't know how many years it has been since I was healthy, but it feels really good," Allen said this week after skating with teammates to prepare for the opening this weekend of the Canucks' training camp in Burnaby. "It was such a good feeling to look at the end of last year and think that I'd played the full season.

"I don't think I ever thought I was fragile. I tried to be optimistic. I'm tall and lanky and was trying to grow into my body. I was just more susceptible to injuries, and I outgrew that."

Allen has filled out his 6'4" frame to 228 pounds. Too young to have anniversaries for marriage or the birth of children, Allen's most meaningful anniversary arrives in October. It will be two years since his last surgery.

In less than the two preceding years, Allen had two operations on his left knee and another on his left shoulder for hockey injuries, and also broke his foot in an accident at his home in Kingston, Ont.

Robbed of development time at a critical stage of his career, Allen has played only eight NHL games, including his impressive two-game playoff cameo last April against the Colorado Avalanche.

The three players drafted ahead of him in 1998, Vince Lecavalier, David Legwand and Brad Stuart, have combined for 560 NHL games with Tampa Bay, Nashville and San Jose.

"I'm only happy for those guys," Allen said. "They came from the same draft. You look at how they're doing, and it's good to be around them [in the draft].

"It has been a real trying first three years. It has been tough. I had injuries you can't do anything about. I dealt with a lot of adversity my first year or two. I learned a lot about my body and how to deal with things. I think I've gained some experience. Everyone develops in certain stages. Even if I'd never been injured, I might not have benefited. You just don't know."

What Allen does know is he hasn't felt this strong since his mid-teens. Besides his stints with Vancouver, Allen played 75 times last season with minor-league Kansas City and missed only one game due to a sore groin.

He had 25 points with the Blades. Everyone knew he could hit and move well for a big defenceman, but he was especially impressive against the Avalanche with his accurate passing and play under pressure.

The Canucks could have all seven defencemen from last season coming back -- Brent Sopel remains a restricted free agent -- but there is still room for Allen if coach Marc Crawford chooses to start with eight blueliners.

"It's hard to base yourself on two playoff games," Allen said. "It's a little different story trying to play a full season. I've tried to prepare myself mentally and physically to make this team. I'm healthy; that's the main thing."



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