Allison Bringing More Than Positive Vibes To Phantoms

ALLENTOWN, Pa. - There's no doubt about it.

Wade Allison has brought a new, positive energy to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms (5-11-5) upon his return to game action in the AHL this past weekend, and it couldn't have come at a more crucial point in the team's season.

"He's one of the most positive guys I have ever played with. He brings lots of energy," Phantoms' assistant captain Garrett Wilson said of Allison, adding, "You can tell he wants to win and guys guys feed off that, seeing how hard he's battling out there. And it carries over to the other lines. So injecting him in the lineup was huge for us. He really brought it for us."

While he might be a source of comedic relief and a guy who keeps it light in the locker room, make no mistake that Allison looks to lead by example on the ice as well.

"When it's go time, it's go time," Allison said. "You have to love what you do, and I do, you know, there's nothing I'd rather be doing. So have fun, enjoy what you do, love it, and when it's time to work... work. It's not that hard," he added with a half-hearted laugh.

The Phantoms' early-season struggles continued all the way through the opening quarter of the season, as they entered Saturday's game against the Cleveland Monsters on a season-high, eight-game winless skid.

"We're trying, we got a good team here," Allison said of the team's early-season struggles, explaining, "Every once in awhile morale gets a little low when you're when you're fighting it. And so I just tried to come back, bring some positive energy, work hard and do the right things."

The return of Allison - along with defenseman Cam York - sparked the Phantoms' attack and paid big dividends almost immediately as the two combined for the team's opening goal early in the first period, with both assisting on Gerry Mayhew's eighth of the season.

Allison finished the game with the one assist to go along with a game-high five shots on goal.

"Yes, he's a goofy kid, but he's a smart hockey player," Laperriere said of Allison, mentioning his time being coached by Andy Murray, who Laperriere himself was coached by in his NHL playing days in Los Angeles. "He's very detailed as a player, more than people give him credit for because he has the long hair and he's goofy and everything. He's a smart hockey player."

Allison was right back at it on Sunday afternoon against Hartford, again playing a noticeable game with another team-high five shots on goal. Although he didn't record a point on the stat sheet in Sunday's win, Allison opened the shootout with a goal that set the tone in the skills competition for the extra standings point.

All in all, he was just happy to be back playing hockey again.

"It's incredible. I needed this. This is so good for my mental health," Allison told InsideAHLHockey.com after Saturday night's game. "I'm so happy to be back out there battling with the boys. It brought a big smile to my face."

How long Allison will remain with the Phantoms likely depends on how quickly he can get back into "game shape".

If this past weekend was any indication, it's possible it could be a very short stint. A four-game western road swing that begins after the holiday break on Dec 29 in Seattle could be a realistic target for Allison's return to the Flyers, if everything goes to plan and the his play in the AHL over the next few games continues to trend upward.

Said Allison of what he learned in his first taste of the NHL with the Flyers last season, "Just how good everybody is. There's not one single bad player out there. Everybody's incredible at what they do, and you get nothing for free. For everything you get, you have to earn yourself - you have to beat somebody else one on one. And so it was really good for me. It's really helped my game."

It shouldn't take more than a handful of consecutive strong games from Allison at the AHL level before the Flyers come calling, if injuries don't play a role in speeding up that process.