things had gone a little differently for Jake Allen, he might be spending his days challenging the likes of Rory McIlroy for championship titles. But like many a Canadian teen before him, the St. Louis Blues’ top goalie prospect couldn’t resist the pull of the ice over the tee box.
“I used to be a scratch golfer. I’m not anymore, though,” he said. “I do love to golf. When I was in my prime I was 15 or 16 and it has really dropped off since then. I started golf at the same age as hockey. It was right around when I was 6 or 7 and I started playing in tournaments when I was 11 and carried on with that until I was about 16. That’s when hockey took over.” Now Allen, 23, is on the verge of taking over hockey. The 2008 second-round draft choice of the Blues is coming off his first extended time in the National Hockey League last season, when he suited up for St. Louis in 15 games and posted a 9-4 record with a 2.46 goals-against average. Many thought the strong showing, coupled with a good training camp in September, meant Allen would remain in St. Louis. But with veterans Brian Elliott and Jaroslav Halak ahead of him on the depth chart, Allen was assigned to the Wolves. “I just went into St. Louis’ camp planning to do my best,” he said. “I knew the situation and how they had Brian and Jaro still there and I just wanted to give them a run for their money. I felt I did that but the team made the decision to send me to Chicago and I can’t control that, but my attitude doesn’t change. It’s still hockey. Every game is a new chance to get better. I think so far I’ve done that and hopefully at some point I’ll get another chance at the NHL.” For now, though, Allen is still taking in his new surroundings. He spent three seasons (2010-13) playing for the now-defunct Peoria Rivermen and relished the chance to spend his downtime outdoors, which, other than an ice
rink, is where he’d always rather be. Chicago, by contrast, has a decidedly quicker pace than he’s used to. “I’m pretty outdoorsy. I love being outside because I can’t really sit still,” he said. “I have never owned a video game in my life. I don’t like that stuff. When I can get outside fishing and be doing something like that, I always take that opportunity. I try to make the most of the days. It’s different for me in Chicago because it’s such a big city. In Peoria I’d go fishing or hunting, but here I hang out with the boys a bit more. Most of us haven’t really had much of a chance to see Chicago and now we’re getting settled into the season a bit, so we’ll see how that goes.” Allen’s affection for the great wide open was nurtured from an early age. The oldest of three kids, the Fredericton, New Brunswick native speaks fondly of the days when he didn’t have to go far to find his next adventure, even if he’s had to shelve some of his riskier pastimes for the time being. “Being away from home, I definitely miss being around friends and family,” he said. “It’s pretty laid-back where I’m from. It’s a nice little city, nothing crazy. In the winters I used to be able to snowmobile all the time and do that kind of stuff, but I probably won’t be able to do that again until my career is done. I miss it a lot. But someday I can do it again.” While a few things about Allen have certainly changed since he left home, one that hasn’t is his propensity to be in perpetual motion. Excelling in baseball as well as golf and hockey growing up, that natural athletic ability ended up paying off in a big way. Dave Alexander, Allen’s earliest goalie coach (and one of his biggest influences), recalls meeting a much different player almost a decade ago, one who claims he got “stuck” being a goalie because no one else wanted to.
“I’m pretty outdoorsy. I love being outside because I can’t really sit still. [...] When I can get outside fishing and be doing something like that, I always take that opportunity.”