Jason Allison

Jason Paul Allison (born May 29, 1975) is a retired professional centre, most notably for the Boston Bruins of the NHL, for which he briefly served as team captain.

Playing Career
Allison attended Humber Summit Middle School and Emery Collegiate Institute in North York. His brother, Todd Allison also attended the same school. He played AAA Hockey with the Toronto Red Wings Hockey Club.

Allison was drafted 17th overall in the 1993 NHL Entry Draft by the Washington Capitals, after a stellar junior career for the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League.

Allison played parts of two seasons with the Los Angeles Kings where, for a brief time, he teamed with former stars Žigmund Pálffy and Adam Deadmarsh. He has also played for the Boston Bruins, and Washington Capitals. His best season was 2000–01 when he had 95 points. Allison has played 552 games in his career, racking up 154 goals and 331 assists for 485 points. He also has 25 points in 25 career playoff games. Allison missed most of the 2002–03 season and all of the following year because of a neck injury and concussion.

Prior to the 2005–2006 season, Allison signed a one year contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs worth 1.5 million dollars, with bonus incentives for good performance. Allison suffered a hand injury in a game against Montreal, and had to have surgery on his hand, which sidelined him for the remainder of the season. After the 2005–2006 season, Allison became an unrestricted free agent. Toronto chose not to re-sign Allison because new head coach Paul Maurice and GM John Ferguson Jr. did not feel Allison's poor skating abilities and age would be a proper fit for their new, young, fast-paced team.

Allison did not sign with a team for the 2006–07 NHL season or subsequently, despite rumours of multiple contract offers. Due to various injuries and contract issues dating back to 2002, as well as private life issues, Allison has only played in 92 games over the last five NHL seasons. He is now operating a horse farm north of Toronto.

Allison is a point per game player. He is known for his slow and wiley dangles. He loves going into the corners and playing behind the net. He has a knack for taking slow fluttering wrist shots that somehow always go in. Darcy Tucker referred to Allison as a "dictator" when playing on his line, due to his ability to control the play and distribute the puck. According to Allison, one time at the LA Kings training camp, he was the second fastest skater from blue line to blue line.

Reception by Toronto
Allison came as an unexpected signing when he was contracted to the Maple Leafs. John Ferguson, Jr. (JFJ) had often pursued stellar veteran players with a large amount of NHL experience and Jason Allison fit this description. Allison was a point per game player for the most part, so the majority of Maple Leafs fans saw his contract as benevolent. However, extremely early in his career with the Maple Leafs during an overtime shootout loss, Allison purposely skated extremely slowly. After missing his shot, Allison had developed an image of "not trying", and being a slow skater. This performance resonated in the minds of Leaf fans throughout Allison's tenure with the blue and white. Allison's critics adopted a stance suggesting that his slow lazy drooping style of play was a detriment to the Leafs organization.

Awards

 * 1994 – OHL First All-Star Team (with the London Knights)
 * 1994 – OHL MVP
 * 1994 – Canadian Major Junior First All-Star Team
 * 1994 – Canadian Major Junior Player of the Year
 * 2001 – Played in NHL All-Star game