This is the second week of this series analyzing former NHL players’ careers and what happened to them. Jason Allison is a name you’d remember if you were a Boston Bruins fan in the late 1990s. This week’s article is Analyzing Jason Allison’s career.
Allison had his best statistical years with the Bruins. He also served as team captain for a short while after Ray Bourque was traded to the Colorado Avalanche.
So why was Allison shipped out of Boston and what exactly happened to him after he left?
Revisiting Jason Allison’s Career
Jason Allison’s Career with the London Knights
Born May 29, 1975, in North York, Ontario Allison grew up in the Toronto neighborhood of Emery. In an article written by Tim Lambrinos for the Emery Village Voice, it is stated that Allison would often be seen carrying his hockey bag while walking with his grandfather to the Habitant arena in Emery. Allison played some minor hockey for the Humberview Huskies prior to playing U16AAA for the North York Rangers.
While playing for the Rangers in 1990-91 Allison lit the lamp 53 times and added 41 assists for 94 points in 63 games. His season in the GTHL opened the eyes of some OHL scouts as he would play his first of four seasons with the London Knights the following year.
The 6’3 center had an extraordinary career with the London Knights. Over his OHL career, he piled up a massive 325 points in 202 games. His best single season with the Knights was in 1993-94 where he put up 55 goals and 87 assists for 142 points in just 56 games played.
In 1993-94 Allison won the Red Tilson award (OHL Most Outstanding Player), the Eddie Powers Memorial Trophy (Top Scorer), and the William Hanley Trophy (Most Sportsmanlike).
U20 World Junior Championships
The Canadian represented his country at the World Junior Championships in 1994 and 1995. Allison won back-to-back gold medals with Team Canada during the gold rush of five straight tournament wins for Canada.
The North York native racked up points in his two tournaments with team Canada. His 24 points place him sixth all-time for Canadian players.
NHL Draft, Portland Pirates, Washington Capitals
In the 1993 NHL entry draft, Allison was drafted in the first round, 17th overall by the Washington Capitals. The promising young playmaker dressed in just two games for the Capitals in 1993-94 notching one assist.
In the 1994-95 season Allison played 15 games for the London Knights, eight games for the Portland Pirates in the American Hockey League, and 12 games for the Washington Capitals.
By 1995-96 Allison was a full-time professional however, he split the season between the Pirates and Capitals. He put up a respectable 69 points in 57 games with Portland and just 3 assists in 19 games for Washington.
Becoming a Bruin
The 1996-97 season was the most important for Allison’s path to stardom. For the first time in Jason Allison’s career, he would spend the entire season playing in the NHL. That was not the only important thing that happened to him during the season.
After putting up 22 points in 53 games with the Capitals, Allison was part of a blockbuster trade. On March 1, 1997, the Boston Bruins traded veterans Adam Oates, Rick Tocchet, and Goalie Bill Ranford for Jason Allison, Anson Carter, and goaltender Jim Carey (not the actor) who had won the Vezina trophy the season prior. Upon Allison’s arrival in Boston, he started seeing more ice time and also started seeing his name on the score sheet more frequently. He finished the season with 12 points in 19 games for the Bruins.
Being a Bruins Fan Favourite
Over the course of the next four seasons of Jason Allison’s career, he would become a fan favourite in Boston. Forming dynamic chemistry with young dangler Sergei Samsonov, the duo would produce career-high numbers when playing on the same line. Dimitri Khristich was the other winger on the line until Bill Guerin came to the Bruins in 2000-01.
Playing in his first entire season with the Bruins Allison posted impressive results. Posting 83 points in 80 games the center consistently demonstrated his scoring and playmaking abilities.
While missing significant time in the 1999-2000 season due to injury, Allison rebounded with career highs in the 2000-01 campaign. He would score 36 goals and 59 assists for 95 points that season.
The Bruins had no captain to enter the 2000-01 season. Long-time captain Ray Bourque had been dealt to the Colorado Avalanche at the deadline the season prior. On November 8, 2000, head coach Mike Keenan would name Allison the Bruins’ 16th captain in franchise history.
Trade to Los Angeles Kings
The next stop on Jason Allison’s career was with the Los Angeles Kings. Bruins fans were not happy with their star forward being shipped out of town. Bruins management was not willing to pay Allison the money he was asking for. In turn, the Bruins brass traded Allison’s rights to the Kings receiving Glen Murray and Jozef Stumpel in return.
The skilled playmaker would post 74 points in 73 games in his first season in Los Angeles. Injuries would begin to derail Allison’s career the following season. Limited to what would be his last 26 games with the Kings, Allison still put up 28 points.
Jason Allison’s Career Ends in Toronto
Jason Allison wouldn’t play during the 2004-05 lockout. Coming out of the lockout he found himself wearing a Toronto Maple Leafs jersey. After signing a one-year contract with Toronto the center scored 60 points in 66 games for Leafs in 2005-06.
Despite maintaining his near point per game average the Leafs opted not to re-sign Allison for the following season. Head coach at the time, Paul Maurice, didn’t think Allison’s game fit the Leafs’ style. This was quite an unceremonious end to a very skilled hockey player’s career.
Allison would leave the game quietly. He would attempt to make a comeback by signing a professional tryout with Toronto in 2009. However, Toronto’s head coach opted to go with a younger and faster roster.
The 6’3″ playmaker would leave us with this memorable fight during his comeback attempt where he would rip Philadelphia Flyer, Darrell Powe’s helmet in half.
Closing Remarks
While looking back on Jason Allison’s career he was underappreciated. In 552 NHL games played he scored 154 goals, and 331 assists for 485 career points. He appeared in the 2001 NHL All-Star Game. It’s somewhat a shame that there hasn’t been any acknowledgement of Allison from the Bruins franchise since he retired. It worked out in Boston’s favour that they traded him simply for the fact of the injuries that he dealt with shortly after.
Today, according to Allison’s LinkedIn profile, he holds a position with the LA Kings as Management Consultant. He is also the CEO of Don Kee Productions, a production and finance company that specializes in hard-hitting dramas for TV and Feature.
All stats from this article were found on www.eliteprospects.com
Main Photo:
Embed from Getty Images
