Jason Allison
Born (1975-05-29) May 29, 1975
North York, Ontario, Canada
Height 6 ft 3 in (191 cm)
Weight 215 lb (98 kg; 15 st 5 lb)
Position Centre
Shot Right
Played for Washington Capitals
Boston Bruins
Los Angeles Kings
Toronto Maple Leafs
NHL Draft 17th overall, 1993
Washington Capitals
Playing career 1993–2006
Medal record
Representing  Canada
Ice hockey
World Junior Championships
Gold medal – first place1994 Ostrava
Gold medal – first place1995 Alberta

Jason Paul Allison (born May 29, 1975) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre who played 552 games in the National Hockey League (NHL). Allison was born in North York, Ontario, but grew up in Toronto, Ontario. His most productive seasons were with the Boston Bruins, where he briefly served as team captain. He also played for the Washington Capitals, Los Angeles Kings and Toronto Maple Leafs. A very successful junior hockey player with the London Knights, he won two gold medals as part of the men's junior national team in 1994 and 1995 and was the Ontario Hockey League's 1994 winner of the Red Tilson Trophy as the league's most outstanding player. In the NHL, he was top ten in points twice and played in the All-Star Game once. His career was derailed by injuries and a labour dispute. Allison's final game was played against the Montreal Canadiens in March 2006 which he was injured. He attempted a comeback in 2009, but ultimately failed.

Junior hockey

Allison attended Daystrom Elementary Public School, Humber Summit Middle School and Emery Collegiate Secondary School in the Weston Road and Finch Avenue area of Toronto and Westview Centennial Secondary School in Toronto, Ontario.[1] As a youth, he played in the 1989 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with the Toronto Red Wings minor ice hockey team.[2]

From 1991 to 1994, Allison played with the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), with his best year coming in 1993–94 when he scored 142 points in 56 games and won the Eddie Power Trophy as the league's leading scorer, the OHL's Most Gentlemanly Player and the Red Tilson Trophy as the league's most outstanding player.[1][3] Allison was drafted 17th overall in the 1993 NHL Entry Draft by the Washington Capitals as a result. He played for the men's junior national team in both the 1994 and 1995 championships winning gold medals both times.[1][4]

NHL career

In 1994, Allison signed a four-year entry-level contract with the Capitals with an additional option year.[3] He struggled to break into the Capitals lineup and was demoted to team's American Hockey League affiliate, the Portland Pirates. In 1996, the Capitals sent him on a course to improve his skating.[5] He never met the Capitals' expectations[5][6] and on March 1, 1997, was part of a major trade with the Boston Bruins. Allison, Anson Carter, Jim Carey, a 1997 third-round draft choice and a conditional 1998 second-round draft choice were traded to the Bruins for Adam Oates, Rick Tocchet and Bill Ranford. Oates, one of the NHL's superstars, had requested a trade if the Bruins did not commit to getting more talent.[7] Allison saw a resurgence with the Bruins, putting up a then career-high 83 points in the 1997–98 season, the ninth highest total in the league.[5] Allison led the Bruins in points three times (1997–98, 1998–99 and 2000–01).[4] In the 2000–01 season, Allison was named captain of the team, the first since the departure of Ray Bourque.[8] His 2000–01 season was his best when he had a career-high 95 points, good for fifth in the league. He also played in the 2001 All-Star Game.[4] However, Allison's time with the Bruins came to an abrupt end when contract negotiations following the 2001 year reached an impasse. The Bruins traded Allison, now a fan favourite in Boston, to the Los Angeles Kings with Mikko Eloranta for Jozef Stumpel and Glen Murray on October 25, 2001. Upon his arrival in Los Angeles, Allison signed a three-year $20-million contract.[9]

Allison joined the Kings, filling the need for a number one center who could play with Žigmund Pálffy.[10] However, Allison suffered a stream of injuries, including major ones to the knee[11] and neck[12] and one of many Kings players that suffered a concussion.[13] He missed most of the 2002–03 season and all of the following season.[14] The 2004–05 season was cancelled by a labour dispute[15] and Allison did not receive a qualifying offer from the Kings in 2004 allowing him to become an unrestricted free agent.[16] Prior to the 2005–06 season, Allison signed a one-year contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs worth $1.5 million, with bonus incentives for good performance.[17] Allison suffered a hand injury in a game against the Montreal Canadiens, and had to have surgery on his hand, which sidelined him for the remainder of the season. In the 66 games he played in before the injury, he scored 17 goals and had 60 points for the Maple Leafs.[18]

After the 2005–06 season, Allison became an unrestricted free agent. Toronto chose not to re-sign Allison because GM John Ferguson, Jr. did not feel his skating was good enough.[19] Allison subsequently did not sign with a team for the 2006–07 NHL season, as he wanted to be near his family and no situation arose where he could.[20]

2009 attempted comeback

On August 28, 2009, Allison received an invitation to the Toronto Maple Leafs' September 2009 training camp, and trained with them through the beginning of the preseason. Allison had not played professionally since 2005–06; in explaining the invitation, Brian Burke, the general manager of the Maple Leafs, said: "He had some personal issues and some major physical issues at that time. He has solved all of those. In my mind, he is a guy who might give us a lift and he deserves that opportunity."[21]

In an interview after his first exhibition game back, Allison was as confident as ever. "I didn't contribute much, but that's to be expected, I'm just shaking the cobwebs off. I fully anticipate regaining my previous form as a point-per-game player."

Allison's bid to make the team on a tryout ended up falling short. The training camp invite yielded a memorable moment, when Allison fought with the Philadelphia Flyers' Darroll Powe during an exhibition game and ripped his helmet in half with his bare hands.[22] It was not enough, however, and by September 28, Maple Leafs head coach Ron Wilson confessed that Allison was "out of the plans."[23]

Personal life

In retirement Allison operated a horse farm north of Toronto.[24] He bought Reef Island on Lake Joseph in Ontario in 2004.[25] Variety and Deadline in 2018 reported that Allison and his company Don Kee Productions were one of fourteen executive producers on the film Arkansas.[26][27]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GPGAPtsPIM GPGAPtsPIM
1991–92 London Knights OHL 6511193015 70000
1992–93 London Knights OHL 66427611850 12713208
1993–94 London Knights OHL 56558714268 52131513
1993–94 Washington Capitals NHL 20110 —————
1994–95 London Knights OHL 1515213643 —————
1994–95 Portland Pirates AHL 85492 738112
1994–95 Washington Capitals NHL 122136 —————
1995–96 Portland Pirates AHL 5728416942 61679
1995–96 Washington Capitals NHL 190332 —————
1996–97 Washington Capitals NHL 535172225 —————
1996–97 Boston Bruins NHL 1939129 —————
1997–98 Boston Bruins NHL 8133508360 62684
1998–99 Boston Bruins NHL 8223537668 1229116
1999–00 Boston Bruins NHL 3710182820 —————
2000–01 Boston Bruins NHL 8236599585 —————
2001–02 Los Angeles Kings NHL 7319557468 73364
2002–03 Los Angeles Kings NHL 266222820 —————
2005–06 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 6617436076 —————
NHL totals 552154331485441 257182514

International

Year Team Event GPGAPtsPIM
1994 Canada WJC 73692
1995 Canada WJC 7312156
Junior totals 14618248

Awards and honours

Award Year
OHL
CHL First All-Star Team 1994
CHL Player of the Year 1994
CHL Top Scorer Award 1994
OHL First All-Star Team 1994
Red Tilson Trophy 1994
Eddie Powers Trophy 1994
William Hanley Trophy 1994
NHL
All-Star Game 2001

References

  1. 1 2 3 Lambrinos, Tim (February 2018). "An Emery street for a great NHLer". Emery Village Voice. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
  2. ↑ "Pee-Wee players who have reached NHL or WHA" (PDF). Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament. 2018. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 6, 2019. Retrieved January 29, 2019.
  3. 1 2 McKee, Sandra (April 5, 1994). "Capitals sign Allison, their top pick in 1993". Retrieved November 8, 2022.
  4. 1 2 3 "Allison signs one-year deal". ESPN. August 5, 2005. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
  5. 1 2 3 Kennedy, Kostya (May 4, 1998). "Inside the NHL". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
  6. ↑ Alex, Racheal (October 31, 1996). "'Bad' For Allison is Good Enough for Capitals". The Washington Post. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
  7. ↑ "Bruins deal disgrunted Oates and two others in blockbuster deal". Associated Press. March 1, 1997. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
  8. ↑ "Bruins name Allison captain". CBC Sports. November 8, 2000. Retrieved November 13, 2022.
  9. ↑ "Fans angry as Bruins deal Allison". The Globe and Mail. October 25, 2001. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
  10. ↑ Crowne, Jerry (October 25, 2001). "Allison a King Centerpiece". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
  11. ↑ "Jason Allison sidelined 2-3 months". CBC Sports. October 31, 2002. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
  12. ↑ Crowne, Jerry (February 14, 2003). "Bad Neck Keeps Allison Sidelined". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
  13. ↑ Crowne, Jerry; White, Lonnie (March 5, 2003). "Allison Not Sure When He Can Play". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
  14. ↑ "Jason Allison joins Leafs". CBC Sports. August 5, 2005. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
  15. ↑ "The 2004 NHL lockout: A light look back at a dark day (9/16/04)". Sports Illustrated. September 15, 2014. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
  16. ↑ "Kings cut ties with C Allison and RW Deadmarsh". ESPN. June 30, 2004. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
  17. ↑ "Allison emerging as a leader". Canoe.ca. November 12, 2006. Archived from the original on May 3, 2014. Retrieved January 2, 2010.
  18. ↑ "Leafs' Allison out for season after hand surgery". ESPN. March 30, 2006. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
  19. ↑ Stevens, Neil (September 14, 2009). "Jason Allison begins longshot attempt for second NHL comeback with Leafs". CP24. The Canadian Press. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
  20. ↑ "Veteran Centre Jason Allison Ready for a Return to NHL After One-Year Absence". The Hockey News. The Canadian Press. June 29, 2007. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
  21. ↑ Ulmer, Mike (September 1, 2009). "Ulmer Catches Up With Burke". National Hockey League. Retrieved January 2, 2010.
  22. ↑ Wyshynski, Greg (September 20, 2009). "For Next Trick, Jason Allison will rip phone book in half". Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved September 20, 2009.
  23. ↑ "Leafs Lose Final Preseason Game". The Sports Network. September 28, 2009. Archived from the original on October 1, 2009. Retrieved September 28, 2009.
  24. ↑ Dupont, Kevin Paul (September 6, 2008). "Cap will be fit for Kings". Boston.com. Retrieved September 6, 2008.
  25. ↑ Cannella, Stephen (May 17, 2004). "It's All Mine Jason Allison's Summer Place: His Own Isle in Ontario". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
  26. ↑ McNary, Dave (November 2, 2018). "John Malkovich, Michael K. Williams, Vivica Fox Join 'Arkansas'". Variety.
  27. ↑ N'Duka, Amanda (October 18, 2018). "Vince Vaughn, Liam Hemsworth & Clark Duke To Star In 'Arkansas'". Deadline.
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