Goaltender Allen becomes first ex-Whoopee player to reach NHL

Goaltender Allen becomes first ex-Whoopee player to reach NHL April 13, 2002

By Phillip Ramati
Telegraph Staff Writer

Considering the way his first season as a pro has gone, former Whoopee goaltender Andrew Allen probably couldn't have guessed he would be the first player ever to go from Macon to the NHL.

Allen joined his fifth team this season, but was one move he was definitely glad to make when he was promoted from Jackson in the ECHL to the Florida Panthers to replace injured goalie Roberto Luongo on Wednesday.

"It's a dream come true; that about sums it up," Allen said in a phone interview Thursday night. "I was surprised. Now that I'm here, I'm pretty excited. It's a great experience to be here. It's definitely something to build upon for next year.

"To be honest with you, I'm nervous, but it's a nervous excitement. I'm like a kid in a candy store. ... But I'd get nervous before games in Macon, too. It's my natural reaction."

Allen didn't know if he would appear in Florida's final two games of the season. The Panthers, at 22-43-10-5, aren't battling for a playoff spot, so it's possible that Allen could see some action.

"They told me to be ready," Allen said. "It's a possibility. (Panthers goalie) Trevor Kidd's groin is a little sore, so maybe."

The Panthers weren't sure before Friday's game if he would play or not, but the organization is high on Allen, regardless.

"He has tremendous size and is a very skilled goaltender," said Panthers goaltending consultant Ian Clark. "This is an opportunity to give him some experience at the NHL level. ... It's an opportunity to have us look at his technical skills, and it's also an opportunity for him to come in and have a feel for the NHL. It's not a do-or-die situation for Andrew Allen, but it's an excellent opportunity for him to come in and show what he's made of."

Even if he doesn't get a minute with the Panthers, it's been a pretty wild season for Allen. He started the year replacing an injured goaltender in Hershey of the American Hockey League, even though the Panthers had assigned him to Macon.

When he finally got here, he performed solidly in net backing up all-star Chris Madden. Allen was 7-5-3 with a 2.95 goals-against average and saved 90 percent of his shots.

Allen was called up to Utah for a three-week stretch in the middle of the season but didn't get much ice time with the Grizzlies. When he returned to Macon, Allen was rusty and struggled in his return.

Whoopee coach Gord Dineen dealt Allen and defenseman Doug Schueller to Jackson near the trade deadline in order to let Allen play regularly while trying to get an effective back-up for Macon.

"We didn't know what to think about the trade, both Doug and I," Allen said. "We had a long time to think about it while driving to Pensacola to meet up with the team. We both enjoyed Macon, we enjoyed our coach and our teammates. But we took it as a new beginning and a chance to get more ice time."

Allen made the most of his new opportunity. Allen played well enough for the Bandits to help the team reach the playoffs and earned himself another trip to Utah. This time, he got the chance to play in four straight games.

In his first game back with the Bandits, Allen set an ECHL record with 78 saves in 82 chances as his Jackson team beat Louisiana 5-4 in three overtimes during the second-longest game in league history.

Though the Bandits are set to face Mississippi in the next round of the playoffs without Allen for the first two games, the Jackson coach gave Allen his blessing when the news of the call-up came.

"He said to me, 'You never know. This could be a once-in-a-lifetime chance,'" Allen said. "(Jackson) has a veteran goalie in Mike Tamburro, who is very capable."

Even after he was traded, Allen kept up with the Whoopee, following the team's struggles at the end of the season.

"I checked the box scores every day," Allen said. "I felt real bad when I saw them losing those games. I was looking forward to maybe meeting Macon in the division finals. It was disappointing because I really liked the guys in Macon."

Allen said he also got a congratulatory call from Dineen about reaching the NHL.

"It shows how classy he is, that he keeps up with guys even after they're traded," Allen said.

The Ontario native is still trying to take it all in.

"I never thought I'd play for five teams in a year," he said. "It's been a very good experience. I got to see quite a bit of the United States. I've gotten to play at three different levels. It's a great learning experience. Coming out of college where I saw the same faces for four years, it took some adjustment."