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Nolan Allan has worn the maple leaf before, but this time will be a special one.
The Davidson-born defenceman was named to Canada’s team for the 2023 world junior hockey championship. He has previously played — and won gold — for Canada at the world under-18 tournament.
“It’s super-surreal. It’s always an honour representing your country and this is a tournament that every kid grows up watching, so I’m super-thrilled to be here,” Allan, 19, told the Green Zone on Friday.
“This is probably the biggest Hockey Canada tournament there is. It’s super-special to be able to spend Christmas here and fulfil that dream.”
Canada is to open the tournament Monday against Czechia. The 2023 event is being played in Moncton and Halifax.
Allan is one of two Saskatchewan-born players to make the team this time around. He is joined by Saskatoon product Kevin Korchinski, who is a defenceman — and Allan’s teammate — with the Seattle Thunderbirds.
Regina Pats forward Connor Bedard was the only player from a Saskatchewan-based WHL team to make Team Canada.
“Cutdown day is the most nerve-wracking. Other days, you just kind of play your game and do the things you do out on the ice,” Allan said. “It was kind of weird. The guys who did get cut got a knock at the door. You didn’t want a knock on the door but you wanted one later on. It was a different experience.
“The coach came around and knocked on me and my roommate’s door — Olen Zellweger — and Zellweger is a returning guy, but he let me know I made the team. It’s just relief and excitement — excited to get going and super-happy and excited to get the tournament underway.”
Allan said the first person he called was his brother, followed by his parents.
“Those are pretty special and important people in my life so those are the first ones I talked to,” Allan said.
Now that the selection camp is over, Allan is able to take a bit of a breath after what has been a busy month or so for the former Prince Albert Raiders captain. Allan was traded from the Raiders to the Thunderbirds on Nov. 16.
“It’s been a whirlwind, getting traded from Prince Albert and moving to Seattle and getting settled in with the team there and then off to (selection) camp like two weeks later. It’s a little bit of a whirlwind but it has been going by fast and I’ve been enjoying it,” Allan said.
“I played a good portion of four years (in Prince Albert) so it was tough saying goodbye to some of the guys on the team and coaching staff and billets, but on the other end it is super-exciting to be able to join a team like Seattle and have a good chance at making a run for the championship this year.
“It’s a huge compliment knowing a team wants you and you’re going to be a big piece of hopefully a Memorial Cup team. It’s a huge honour.”
But for now, Allan will look to help the Canadians repeat as gold medallists at world juniors.
With the talent on the team such as Bedard, who is expected to be the first overall pick in the 2023 NHL draft, and the players sent back from their NHL teams — Dylan Guenther (Arizona Coyotes), Brandt Clark (Los Angeles Kings) and Shane Wright (Seattle Kraken) — Allan feels Canada has the talent to do it.
“It’s unreal. We’ve got a couple studs here who are going to go high in the draft and getting the NHL guys back, we’ve got a pretty good group here. We’ve got some high expectations,” Allan said.
“It’s crazy watching some of the moves these guys pull off. When they are coming down on you, you are just hoping you don’t get embarrassed. It’s crazy the amount of skill we have here and the way they work together makes it even better.
“Instead of watching it on Boxing Day this year, you get to be playing in it, so it’s super-special and I can’t wait to get these pre-tournament games going and get into the swing of things.”
