Victoria Times Colonist
February 26, 2001

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- The wait is finally over for big Bryan Allen and the Canucks.

Allen, the Canucks injury-plagued first round pick (fourth overall) in the 1998 June draft, got the call that every kid dreams of. Allen, 21, will make his long-anticipated NHL debut tonight when the Canucks play the Wild in Minnesota.

"It's exciting,'' said the 6-foot-4, 230-pound Allen, who got the news Saturday night from Kansas City Blades coach Stan Smyl. "It was definitely a surprise. I hadn't thought about it. It took me back a bit.''

Allen looked fresh Sunday, considering he'd played back to back games with the Blades on Friday and Saturday before flying here through a snowstorm early Sunday morning.

"It's a great opportunity for Bryan,'' said Canucks coach Marc Crawford. "He's a big piece of what the future of this club will look like. Down the road when we don't have some of our older defenceman he'll be one of the prime group.''

That's fine with Allen, who is finally getting to play a full season after two injury-ravaged years. A shoulder injury and operations on both knees combined to limit him to just 49 games over the last two seasons.



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