Allard grows, develops in rookie campaign

Cameron Allard may have gotten a taste of the Western Hockey League last season, but the Brandon Wheat King has discovered there are a lot of ways for a young defenceman to lose his appetite in his rookie season.

The six-foot-three, 196-pound blue-liner from Yorkton, Sask., said the level of players he has faced in major junior has been a revelation.

“Everyone is super skilled,” Allard said. “You can be playing a fourth line and there are still unbelievable players. There isn’t really a bad player in this league. Then you have the top-end guys, and some are going to the NHL next year, and it’s a whole different beast.

“It’s like you’re playing an NHL player pretty much so it’s definitely more difficult but once you adapt into learning how to defend against these kinds of players, it makes it seem likes the next level gets closer and closer every day.”

The Wheat Kings were swept out of the playoffs by the Calgary Hitmen, falling 4-2 in Game 4 to end their season.

Allard, who turned 18 in January, nearly made the club at 16 but was ultimately reassigned to the Saskatchewan Male AAA Hockey League’s Estevan Bears. After a slow start, he put up 36 points in 44 games.

He also suited up in 13 regular season WHL games — all after Christmas — and three playoff games with the Wheat Kings.

While that helped, he said being a full-time major junior player is a revelation.

“It’s definitely a lot different than last year when I was a call-up,” Allard said. “I’ve been billeting for a couple of years so I know what that’s like but it’s just the grind, the late-night bus rides, getting home at 4 in the morning and then playing … at 6 that night is a whole different animal.

“Doing that 68 times a year makes that even more crazy but I love it and I think all the guys love it. Everyone has a love for the sport and that’s what makes the league so special.”

Allard graduated last year but is taking university courses this season to stay sharp scholastically.

Players usually talk about some combination of the size, strength, speed, skill and smarts of players at the major junior level, and Allard doesn’t hesitate when asked if there are elements on that list that stand out for him.

“I’d say the speed, and the size comes along with the speed,” Allard said. “Guys are moving faster and they’re bigger so it seems like there is a lot less time on the ice and then the others are just extra add-ons that every player has. There are lots of smart players in this league, lots of skilled players in this league, but the biggest are the size and the speed.”

Allard is a member of the team’s draft class of 2023, joining his current teammates Jaxon Jacobson (fifth), Gio Pantelas (19th), Nigel Boehm (28th) and Ryan Boyce (94th). The difference is that Allard was selected in the eighth round, 160th overall, making him an absolute steal for the club.

Brandon head coach and general manager Marty Murray said the rookie blue-liner has built on his experience and blossomed on a pairing with Nigel Boehm.

“He got a taste and got his feet wet last year,” Murray said. “I think his biggest asset is breaking pucks out and making plays. He’s turned into a pretty solid defenceman, and that pairing in particular has done a real nice job.”

After posting a pair of assists in the 13 games last season, Allard contributed seven goals, 14 assists, 29 penalty minutes and a plus-minus of +12.

“I’m happy about it,” Allard said of his season. “I had goals at the start of the year and some got reached and some didn’t, but overall I’m happy with how I developed throughout the year. One of the goals was to feel like I was getting better every day, every time I was on the ice, and I think I achieved that.”

There was also some external validation for that belief. The right-shooting defenceman was listed as a player to watch on Central Scouting’s initial rankings and was listed as 190th among North American skater in the mid-terms.

“I definitely gained a lot of confidence throughout the year, and around Christmas it really flipped into being ‘OK, I can try things, I don’t need to be simple, I can try new things,’ and I think it’s worked out well for me,” Allard said.

“Obviously I’ve put some pucks in the net. Once I found my confidence, that’s when my game really boosted.”

The challenge in the offensive end is simply getting the puck to the net. In a new era of the game where forwards usually embrace the defensive structure at the top of their zone, blasting the puck through a maze of shot blockers isn’t easy.

“It’s really hard,” Allard said. “With the size of guys, it seems like shin pads get a lot bigger and they get a lot closer as you get the puck and hold it for a couple of seconds. I think that’s one of the strengths of my game is finding lanes to shoot pucks through. It is tough but I think that’s one of the things I can do well.”

While Allard is a smooth puck carrier who doesn’t mind having it on his stick, which is not common for rookie defencemen in the WHL, he said it’s been a work in progress. Still, when Brandon drafted him, he was viewed as a two-way player who had that ability in his game.

“I think I’ve developed the offensive side of my game a lot,” Allard said. “I know in U18 AAA I was considered more of a defensive defenceman than an offensive guy and I think now I’ve shifted that into kind of a two-way defenceman who can make an impact in both ends.

“Overall, in the league you have to be able to do everything and I think I’ve adapted well into that.”

ICINGS: The goaltender of the week is 17-year-old Calgary Hitmen netminder Eric Tu from White Rock, B.C., who went 2-0 with a 1.50 goals-against average and .955 save percentage in Virden to complete their four-game sweep of the Wheat Kings.

The player of the week is 20-year-old Edmonton Oil Kings forward Miroslav Holinka of Zlin, Czechia, who had six goals and two assists in four games last week as his team’s series with the Saskatoon Blades heads to Game 7. He is a Toronto Maple Leafs prospect.

The rookie of the week is 19-year-old Kelowna Rockets forward Vojtech Cihar of Chomutov, Czechia who had one goal and three assists in the final two games of a sweep of the Kamloops Blazers. He is a Los Angeles Kings prospect.

» This feature was prepared in advance in case a playoff game went into overtime and finished after deadline. Beginning tomorrow, The Brandon Sun will profile Wheat Kings who are graduating from the WHL.

pbergson@brandonsun.com