WHL NOTEBOOK: Allan focuses on steady improvement

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This article was published 16/10/2024 (624 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Spokane Chiefs defenceman Kaden Allan is improving steadily in his rookie year in the Western Hockey League, which might be bad news for 21 other teams.

The 16-year-old blue-liner from Hamiota, who already has a six-foot-two, 182-pound frame, is set to make his WHL debut at Westoba Place tonight when the Chiefs visit the Brandon Wheat Kings at 7 p.m.

“I think every game you get more confident and better and better,” Allan said. “Just practising with the guys, you definitely learn and know your role and what you need to do to play.”

Allan has had a lot of change in his life since the under-15 AAA captain of the Yellowhead Chiefs had 25 goals and 24 assists in 34 games during the 2022-23 season. He said it was a good launching point for his career.

“I always had great coaches and great teammates to help me,” Allan said. “Craig Geekie helped me a lot. He’s a good D coach.”

In May 2023, Allan was drafted 24th overall by Spokane and played five pre-season games with Spokane a year ago before returning back to Manitoba for his 15-year-old season.

But instead of going back to Yellowhead, he decided to play U18 prep at the Rink Hockey Academy in the Canadian Sport School Hockey League.

Allan said the decision to go to rink based solely on his development.

“You can skate and work out every single day and have long road trips on the bus so it seemed like a good fit for me,” Allan said. As it turned out, there was a side benefit. Moving from Hamiota, which has a population of 1,234 in the entire municipality, to Winnipeg and its population of 820,000, meant he had to make a major transition off the ice.

“That was a part of me wanting to go there, was to get used to the city,” Allan said. He played 30 regular season prep games at the Rink Hockey Academy, scoring six times and adding 18 assists and two penalty minutes.

“It was good,” Allan said. “I had lots of fun. It was nice to be in Winnipeg too.”

He was also part of the Manitoba team last October that struck gold at the WHL Cup for the first time on a team that included fellow Westman residents Jaxon Jacobson of Brandon, defencemen Carson Carels of Cypress River and Nolan Saunderson of Carberry.

Allan was called up after Rink’s season ended, and made his regular season debut on March 22, 2023 in a 3-1 loss to the host Seattle Thunderbirds at the accesso ShoWare Center.

He ended up spending a month with the club.

“It was really good,” Allan said. “It makes you understand and know what you need to do to play there. When you get into games, you know what it’s like.”

Allan was also a provincial-level pitcher, but like other hurlers from the area such as Nolan Chastko, he made the tough decision to leave baseball behind during the summer as he focused on hockey.

He knew his first chance to earn a full-time job with Spokane was coming at training camp, and he wanted to be ready. “Being 16, you have expectations for yourself,” Allan said. “You already know from last year about what you need to do, so I thought I did what I needed to do and tried to get it done.”

There wasn’t one magic moment when he was told he made the club, but instead they reassured him all along that he wasn’t going anywhere.

But he still had a major transition on the ice as he dealt with a new class of player in major junior.

“Everyone is a lot bigger and a lot stronger,” Allan said. “The speed of it is a lot quicker.”

He has been in the lineup for six of Spokane’s nine games — the Chiefs were in action in Moose Jaw against the Warriors last night in a game that ended after deadline — and earned his first WHL point with an assist on a goal by Rasmus Ekström during a 4-1 victory over the Tri-City Americans on Sept. 28.

Spokane, which is located 375 kilometres southeast of Kelowna, B.C., has a metro population of about 450,000 people. He said the entire team has made him feel welcome and helped him along the way.

“It’s good,” Allan said. “Everyone is super friendly there. It makes it pretty easy to make it feel like home.”

Still, he usually speaks with his parents every night.

He doesn’t have a vehicle in Spokane, and since he billets about 20 minutes from the rink, he counts on a teammate, overage defenceman Brayden Crampton of Chilliwack, B.C., to ferry him around.

Another transition comes with the school books. Balancing academics while living what’s essentially a pro hockey lifestyle can be a challenge.

“It’s definitely tough, especially with being on the road a lot,” Allan said. “You just have to make time in your day and use the study halls you have effectively.”

Spokane kicked off its swing through the East Division on Oct. 9 in Prince Albert and finishes up on Friday in Swift Current. But tonight’s game will be especially meaningful for the rookie.

He’s not sure how many people will be in attendance, saying he still has buddies texting him that they’re driving in for the game. He hasn’t played in Westoba Place since he was a youngster in minor hockey, but he’s certainly been in the building.

“I grew up watching the Wheat Kings so it will be pretty surreal playing against them,” Allan said. “It will definitely weird to think about, but you have to take it in and then treat it like another game.”

It will be another adventure in his second consecutive year of massive change. He said his goals are simple as he navigates his way through the WHL.

“I definitely want to improve my game, and get as much better as I can,” Allan said. “Hopefully I can help the team win and get as far as we can.”

THIS AND THAT

• QUIZ — Can you remember any of the five deals Brandon has made with Spokane in the last 15 years?

• WEEKLY AWARDS — The player of the week is 19-year-old Vancouver Giants defenceman Mazden Leslie of Lloydminster, Alta., who led his team with a goal and five assists in three road games.

The goaltender of the week is 20-year-old Medicine Hat Tigers netminder Harrison Meneghin of South Surrey, B.C., a Tampa Bay Lightning prospect who picked up his first two wins with the Tigers, including a 6-1 victory over Brandon on Friday. He posted a 0.50 goals-against average, a .978 save percentage and a shutout.

The rookie of the week is 18-year-old Moose Jaw Warriors goaltender Josh Banini of Edmonton, who earned his first WHL win in his first start for the Warriors by stopping 48 of 50 shots in a 4-2 victory.

• SIN BIN — Incredibly, there has still only been one suspension all season.

• TRADE RECAP — No deals have been made since last Wednesday, when Kelowna traded 17-year-old Czech defenceman Max Psenicka to the Portland Winterhawks for a conditional fifth-round pick in 2025 and a conditional third-round pick in 2026.

• ALUMNI GLANCE — Jackson DeSouza signed with Lillehammer in Norway, where he has three assists and 12 penalty minutes in nine games. The Colorado product was acquired from the Kelowna Rockets on Nov. 30, 2023 in a one-for-one deal involving another overage defender, Kayden Sadhra-Kang. DeSouza had two goals, three assists and 51 penalty minutes in 38 games with Brandon. During his five-year WHL career, the big defenceman ended up with 10 goals, 38 assists, 212 penalty minutes and a plus-minus of 4 in 189 games.

• BIRTHDAY BOYS — Former Wheat Kings born this week include Rick Blight (Oct. 17, 1955, deceased), Mark Franks (Oct. 12, 1972), Nick Jones (Oct. 15, 2004), Jason Little (Oct. 12, 1973), Kelly McCrimmon (Oct. 13, 1960), Paul More (Oct. 10, 1965), Ryan Pilon (Oct. 10, 1996), Kevin Pozzo (Oct. 11, 1974), Mickey Wilson (Oct. 14, 1949).

• THE WEEK AHEAD — As their home stand begins, Brandon plays Spokane tonight and the Seattle Thunderbirds on Friday. Both games start at 7.

• ANSWER — While the deal Brandon made with Spokane on Jan. 21, 1991 was the most impactful in history — the Wheat Kings traded goalie Trevor Kidd and defenceman Bart Cote to the Chiefs as they went on to win the Memorial Cup for the rights to prospect Marty Murray, sniper Bobby House and goaltender Don Blishen — they have made a handful more in the last decade and a half.

— Sept. 24, 2021 — Brandon sends a second-round pick in 2021 for forward Ben Thornton.

— Nov. 5, 2015 — Brandon sends a conditional 11th-round pick in 2016 for forward Luke Harrison.

— Jan. 5, 2015 — Brandon sends a conditional fifth-round pick in 2015 for defenceman Reid Gow.

— Jan. 10, 2013 — Brandon sends forward Alessio Bertaggia for forward Marek Kalus, forward Rhett Gardner, a third-round pick in 2013 and a fifth-round pick in 2013.

— Nov. 1, 2011 — Brandon sends forward Carter Proft for a fifth-round pick in 2012 or 2013.