Conor Allen on his New York Rangers NHL Debut

via hockeysfuture.com

I recently heard that an alum of my high school had made his NHL debut with the New York Rangers. Knowing the academic rigor of my alma mater I was immediately impressed by this player’s ability to balance academics and still manage to play and practice hockey at a degree to which he was able to make it to the professional level. I contacted said player Conor Allen who graduated the Latin School of Chicago in 2008 and he was nice enough to answer a few of my questions about his career thus far and what he hopes to achieve in the future.

After high school Allen played defense for the U-Mass Amherst Minutemen and has signed an entry-level contract with the New York Rangers. After his debut December 29th in a game against the Tampa Bay Lightning he played a total of 43 minutes 19 seconds throughout 3 NHL games. Pretty impressive! While he is currently assigned to New York’s AHL affiliate the Hartford Wolf Pack he hopes to one day become a full-time NHL defenseman.

Me: When did you decide that playing hockey would become your career rather than just an extracurricular?

Allen: Hockey has been a big part of my life since I was very young. I always dreamed of playing in the NHL and being a pro athlete. However, the chances of making [it] to the NHL are very slim and it seemed kind of far fetched to think that I would actually make it one day. But as I got older and was moving up the ranks it started to look like a possibility. I had a few coaches when I was playing junior hockey in the NAHL and USHL, right after high school, tell me that they thought I would play in the NHL one day if I kept developing my game. So, when I was 18 I opted to take a year off after high school and pursue hockey and at the very least do my best to play Division 1 college hockey. Which I did, starting in 2010 at UMass-Amherst. While I was at UMass the idea of playing pro started turning into a real opportunity. I was being heavily scouted by many NHL teams once I started playing at UMass. This eventually led to me signing with the Rangers last spring.

Me: Was it difficult to concentrate on hockey at a rigorous small private high school whose focus is not athletics?

Allen: While Latin’s main focus is undoubtedly academics, I do think the school stressed the idea of being well-rounded students and people. Which, for me, meant to be a student-athlete. So while it wasn’t always easy to manage the workload and hockey (and a social life), for the most part I felt that Latin supported my athletic goals.

Me: How did your time with the U-Mass-Amherst Minutemen prepare you for your time spent in the AHL and for your NHL debut?

Allen: Playing D1 hockey in one of the best conferences in the country, Hockey East, is great way to prepare for pro hockey. Playing against some of the best college-aged hockey players from all over the world every weekend forces you to develop your skills individually and as a team. Also, the coaching staffs at UMass, especially the coaches that recruited me, really helped develop my game and get me ready for pro hockey.

Me: How is playing an AHL game different from playing an NHL game?

Allen: I think there are a few reasons:
1. The AHL is a lot more physical league.
2. The NHL is a little more controlled.
3. Every time I go up a league, whether it be from junior to college, or college to pro, the passing gets much better and more efficient. This is no different when jumping from the AHL to the NHL; the passing is much more crisp in the NHL.
4. Nothing compares to the atmosphere of a packed NHL arena.

Me: What was the biggest perk of playing in the NHL?

Allen: The food and travel.

Me: What are your goals for the future?

Allen: To be a full-time NHL player.

I wish Conor all the best and look forward to keeping an eye out for him on the ice!