QMJHL: Jake in Progress

McKeen's correspondent Gerald Gosse files the following report on St. John's Fog Devils goaltender Jake Allen after a coming out performance in 2007-08. The 2008 draft prospect has seen his stock rise after a gold medal performance for Team Canada at the IIHF World Under-18 Championship.

Player Profile

Overlooked, passed over, undrafted, no matter how you look at it, Jake Allen's name was not called at the 2006 QMJHL Draft. As a result, he focused on playing for Fredericton in the NB Midget AAA League during the 2006-2007 season. His AAA team went on to win the New Brunswick provincial championship. It is no doubt that the exposure during the 2006-07 campaign helped Allen move a step closer to playing in the QMJHL.

The St. John's Fog Devils organization selected the Fredericton, NB native in the third round, 40th overall, in the 2007 QMJHL draft. The 6-foot-1, 175-pound goaltender came into training camp under the radar, but was impressive from day one, and as a result earned a spot on the Fog Devils roster. It was well known from the beginning of the season that Allen would be the backup goaltender to San Jose Sharks draft pick Timo Pielmeier. The coaching staff, management and fans alike would quickly find out that Allen was capable of playing at the QMJHL level. As the season progressed, he became more and more valuable to the Fog Devils organization.

Numbers Game

The young Fredericton, NB native finished his rookie season (2007-2008) in the QMJHL with 1507 minutes played between the pipes, a 9-12 record (two shutouts), surrendered 79 goals-against, posted a 3.14 goals-against average, a .901 save percentage and faced 800 shots in 30 games. He was named the QMJHL Defensive Player of the Week for the week of 2008-02-25 to 2008-03-02 as a result of a 1-1 record, a 1.14 goals-against average, a .963 save percentage and one shutout. Allen picked up five first-star selections, two second-star selections and one third-star selection during the course of the regular season. He finished the postseason with 128 minutes played between the pipes, a 2-1 record, surrendered eight goals-against, posted a 3.74 goals-against average, a .855 save percentage and faced 55 shots in four games. Allen picked up a third-star selection in the playoffs. An interesting note is that Allen recorded the Fog Devils only two wins against the Acadie-Bathurst Titan in the first round series, as the Fog Devils were eliminated in six games.

Golden Performance

Allen was a surprise addition to Team Canada for the 2008 IIHF World Under-18 Championship. No doubt, his progress during the season was a major factor in him being named to the team, as well as the fact that he was available with the Fog Devils first round exit. He definitely made the most of the opportunity and capped off a solid season and playoff showing, with a dominating Gold Medal winning performance at the 2008 IIHF World Under-18 Championship in Kazan, Russia. He was named the starting goaltender for Team Canada and was outstanding throughout the entire tournament; starting all seven games between the pipes (Note: the backup goaltender was Chris Carrozzi of the Mississauga St. Michael's Majors of the OHL). Allen finished the tournament with a 6-1 record (two shutouts), surrendered 10 goals against, posted a tournament low 1.43 goals-against average and a stellar .948 save percentage. Allen was named the Tournament MVP, Top Goaltender and All-Star Goaltender, and also named Canada's Player of the Game in both games against Russia, a 4-2 loss in the round robin and an 8-0 win in the Championship Game. The tournament gave Allen an opportunity to display not only his talent and ability, but also how he would react in the starter's role and under pressure situations at a high level. His performance at the event will no doubt help improve his ranking heading into the NHL Entry Draft this summer.

Scouting Report

Jake Allen (2008), G, St. John's Fog Devils

Laid back (both on and off the ice) is the best way to describe Jake Allen .. don't let his laid-back demeanour fool you through because his preparation on and off the ice is exceptional .. an extremely focused individual on the task at hand, strong mentally .. during intermissions at Mile One Center, Allen can be spotted outside the Fog Devils dressing room bouncing a ball off the wall (helps to keep him focused/relaxed) .. demonstrated repeatedly that he is ready to battle and compete once he is between the pipes .. prepared for each game as if he was going to be the starter, and as a result, was more than ready when called upon to replace Timo Pielmeier, which he did nine times during the course of the regular season and twice during the playoffs .. definitely confident in his ability and it is clearly evident with his play on the ice (extra jump/bounce on his skates after a big save, positive body language) .. battled hard for teammates and in return they clearly battled for him .. as the season progressed, the Fog Devils seemed to play a better overall game in front of Allen and were more comfortable taking chances offensively .. has proven that setbacks do not bother him, at least not with respect to his play on the ice, as he works twice as hard after a loss or off game .. not an extremely vocal goaltender on or off the ice, but his leadership qualities come through because of the way in which he plays the game .. definitely a team player, as he accepted and excelled with his role on the team .. the 6-foot-1, 175-pound Fredericton, NB native is a butterfly-style goaltender (an athletic goaltender that is both agile and mobile) .. set stance, keeps his glove high, his feet set and his eyes zoned in on the puck, not much movement outside the butterfly .. solid on his skates, has good balance, moves extremely well around his crease and when leaving his crease to play the puck .. loves to play the puck, whether that means leaving his crease to stop the puck for his defensemen or leaving his crease to headman the puck to a teammate to catch the opposition off guard .. like his idle Martin Brodeur of the New Jersey Devils, Allen's puckhandling and playmaking ability are strong points .. demonstrated the ability to do both on a consistent basis .. aggressive playing the puck at times, and made smart decisions more often then not .. focused on the play in both ends of the ice, keen in his puck pursuit in the defensive zone .. solid positionally, displayed quickness moving up and down and post-to-post (lateral) .. smooth movements and recovers extremely well .. square to the shooter more often than not .. exceptional rebound control overall, but sometimes gives up large rebounds, though usually they are kicked well out, not in the scoring areas .. possesses a quick glove hand and is effective with his pads along the ice .. effective in using his blocker as well, plus has shown that he is not afraid to use the pokecheck on occasion .. displayed the ability to read/react/anticipate the play in front of him .. not afraid to challenge shooters (making himself big), but is also comfortable deep in his crease (relying on his quickness) .. does have a tendency to commit (drop down in butterfly) a little early on occasion .. suspect high glove side on occasion .. demonstrated that he is capable of dealing with the physical grid of playing his position .. displayed repeatedly that he is not bothered by traffic, being bumped or screened .. never displayed signs of fatigue on a busy night between the pipes .. a steady, cool, calm and collected individual, whose body language does not change no matter if his team is winning 6-1 or losing 6-1.

Few people can honestly say that they knew who Jake Allen was before this season, but after a solid rookie season and an unbelievable showing in Kazan, Russia at the 2008 IIHF World Under-18 Championship, that is no longer the case. One would assume (this writer included) that Jake Allen will be a part of the team when it relocates to Verdun, QC to start the 2008-2009 season. If not, then it is a safe bet that Allen will catch on with another QMJHL team. One would think that Allen is destined to be a professional hockey player in that he has the ability to play the game and in the off-season, he is an avid golfer - a scratch golfer (zero handicap) nonetheless. Look for Jake Allen to have his name called at the upcoming NHL Entry Draft this summer.