Former Canadiens Goaltender Keeps Making A Difference

Former Montreal Canadiens goaltender Jake Allen recently notched his 200th career win and he's still as nice a man as he was when he was just a kid dreaming of making the big league.

Eight years ago, at just 26-years-old, the Fredericton New Brunswick native launched his own non profit organization: Program 34. The aim of the charitable endeavour is quite simple, help disadvantaged kids in his home province.

Every year, Program 34 raises money through its charitable golf tournament and it has also teamed with the NHLPA Goals & Dreams quite often to help youngsters in Fredericton. This time around, his pairing up with the initiative will lead to goalie equipment being donated to minor league players in Fredericton.

Never one to hog the spotlight, the netminder praised the NHLPA program mentioning how easy it makes it for the players to make a difference to markets close to their heart. He praises them for providing him with goalie gear, entire sets of gears for minor hockey programs, just whatever he needs to make the community better.

Allen's stay in Montreal ended last season after Kent Hughes called time on the threesome he had been forming with Samuel Montembeault and Cayden Primeau since the start of the 2023-24 campaign.

Since joining the New Jersey Devils, the netminder has done well, especially this season. So far, he has featured in nine games and has a 5-3-1 record with a 2.58 goals-against average, a .907 save percentage and two shutouts. In his entire stay in Montreal, he could only manage three perfect games, but the defense in New Jersey is quite different from Montreal's blueline corps.

Hindsight is always 20/20 and there are numerous fans who are criticizing Hughes for trading Allen last season, but the truth of the matter is, it had to be done. Primeau's stats last year were much better than what they are this season (2.99 GAA and .910 SP then vs. 4.45 GAA and .844 SP now) and there was interest in the young netminder, making it impossible to waive him. Half a year later, you'd be hard-pressed to find someone who believes the backup would be claimed if waived.

Related: Canadiens: Is Sticking With Primeau A Risk?

Nevertheless, Canadiens fans should be wishing Allen well, if he plays 40 games this season and his team qualifies for the playoffs, the Habs will be getting a second-round pick at the next draft, if not, it will be a third-round one. So far, in 28 games, he has played in nine and is therefore on pace for 26 games only, if Jacob Markstrom stays healthy, it would be very surprising if the pick became a second rounder.

Still, it's hard not to root for Allen who was a great player and teammate throughout his four season season stint in Montreal.

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