Jackson Allan has established himself as an elite matchup centerman and faceoff ace over his first two years in the Battlefords. (Martin Martinson/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Martin Martinson

Veteran difference-maker

Jackson Allan ready to lead North Stars’ next wave

May 17, 2024 | 3:57 PM

Boasting quick hands, quick feet, and a motor that never quits, there are few players who can jet up-and-down ice, and inspire their teammates to give it their all at both ends of the rink, like North Stars’ forward Jackson Allan.

A third-round selection by the Battlefords back in the 2019 Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL) Bantam Draft, #35 overall, it wouldn’t take long for the product of Davidson, SK., to make the jump, and make an impact while donning the North Stars’ black and silver.

Just four years later, in the fall of 2022, Allan would make the North Stars out of camp as an 18-year-old on a team with championship aspirations. Quickly ascending his way up the depth chart, the tireless two-way worker carved his niche as a top-six center on the team, cutting his teeth in the junior ranks alongside 40-goal scorer Steven Kesslering and Brad Blake on the Battlefords’ run to the SJHL championship and a silver medal on the national stage at the Centennial Cup.

“I’ve had a lot of experience the last two years that I’m fortunate for,” Allan said reflecting on a whirlwind first couple seasons of junior, which included another run to the league semi-finals this past year. “Not a lot of guys get all that experience, so I think it goes a long way to have a guy whose kind of been through it all and knows what it takes to win.”

North Stars’ forward, Jackson Allan brings spark and heart to the North Stars’ lineup every time over the boards. (Martin Martinson/battlefordsNOW Staff)

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Leading North Stars’ rookies in scoring, and finishing seventh overall amongst all freshmen with 31 points (nine goals, 22 assists) in 48 games his first season, Allan then added another seven points (two goals, five assists) in 13 playoff games on the team’s run to the Canterra Seeds Cup, scoring three points in the closeout win against Weyburn in the opening round, and adding what would serve as the game-winner in Game 2 of the finals against Flin Flon.

Allan’s heart and hustle – playing well beyond his 5-foot-7, 158-pound frame – earned him North Stars’ Rookie of the Year honours at the team’s year-end awards banquet and set the table for an even bigger sophomore year with the club in 2023-24.

Upon his return last fall, Allan started the season as the first 19-year-old to be named an assistant captain under the leadership of head coach, Brayden Klimosko, dating back to the three-time SJHL Coach of the Year’s start with the team in the fall of 2018.

Embracing the role wholeheartedly, Allan’s game continued to propel forward, setting new career highs across the board in his second year with the North Stars, with 16 goals and 23 assists for 39 points in 52 games, while playing much of the year flanked by Riley Girod and Rylan Williams as the team’s go-to checking unit against the opposition’s best.

Perhaps best articulating Allan’s impact beyond the numbers was North Stars’ assistant coach, Garry Childerhose, speaking postgame about the pivot’s value last year, after he scored a big goal against the rival Bombers in Flin Flon.

“’Jacks’ is a huge competitor for us; he’s not the biggest guy in the league, but he’s got a huge heart and he plays like one of the big guys,” Childerhose said. “He goes to the dirty areas, he’s first on pucks and winning stick battles, and winning those body-positioning battles.”

That leadership – which was showcased as a natural trait early in his career, serving as captain of his Moose Jaw Warriors U18 AAA team prior to making the jump to junior – is something North Stars’ head coach, Brayden Klimosko said makes him an invaluable piece for the tone he sets for the team.

“Jackson is going to be a big part of our leadership group next year,” Klimosko said. “He’s just such a professional, he expects lots from the rest of his guys and lots from himself, so we’re really excited to have someone like that on board to really lead the way for our young kids coming in next year.”

Allan said as he now works to prepare for a big 20-year-old season ahead this fall, he’s looking forward to the opportunity to take another step yet as a player and leader on the team.

“I’m super excited, I think it’s an opportunity to show the city what our young guys have been building up to, and take more initiative,” Allan said. “You come into the league, and this is kind of what you build up for, you want to be the guys that are leading the charge on the team and make the city proud. I think that’s the best part about coming into this year.”

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Martin.Martinson@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @MartyMartyPxP1