Before training camp started was the Tom Kurvers’ Prospect Showcase. There, the Chicago Blackhawks‘ prospects got to show their skills in a two-game tournament. Afterward, there was a consensus among fans and coaches alike on who stood out, and that was Nolan Allan. The 20-year-old is a 2021 first-round draft pick who had some wondering, “Wait, where did he come from?” He hasn’t been talked about as much as other defense prospects like Wyatt Kaiser and Kevin Korchinski, but that changes now. He was with the Seattle Thunderbirds last season, and although he was only there for about seven months, the player you see in training camp blossomed from his short tenure there.
To learn more about this exciting and under-the-radar prospect, I spoke with Thunderbirds general manager Bil La Forge to learn more about Allan on and off the ice.
Nolan Allan’s Game Style
When talking with La Forge about Allan, there seemed to be a recurring theme of “silent but loud,” which can be traced back to his draft day. When the Blackhawks drafted him, he was considered a reach at 32nd overall, as his projection was a second or third-round pick. Still, at the time, former vice president of amateur scouting, Mark Kelley, said knowing he was a defenseman with size (6-foot-2, 195 pounds) was attractive and also said: “In time, people are going to understand exactly the direction [in choosing him]” (from ‘Blackhawks prospect breakdown: Nolan Allan’s defensive ability propelled him into the first round,’ The Athletic, 09/15/2021).
Allan might not have been one whose game stood out right away because he isn’t an offensive defenseman; he’s more of a defensive defenseman. However, organizations notice him for all the right reasons, as others may often miss.
I asked La Forge to describe Allan’s game for me, “He doesn’t necessarily jump off the page every night, but he does everything right. So, as a manager or a coach, he’s one of the guys you love because he does everything right. He’s not high maintenance. He’s comfortable filling in any role. He’s a first-round draft pick but not a player we asked to be on the power play last year, and he handled that with class and didn’t wish ill upon others but was excited to see his teammates succeed. I think that one of his strongest qualities is he’s willing and able to do anything you ask of him as a defender. He kills penalties; he’s good enough to play on the power play, but he doesn’t need to play on the power play. He sticks up for his teammates but doesn’t take bad penalties. He’s the kind of guy you want on your team. That’s for sure.”
Allan has a more versatile game, which La Forge clarified. Although he is known for his defense, he mentioned last year that he was working on his two-way game, which showed in Seattle. He only had 16 points in 41 games during the season, but during the Western Hockey League (WHL) playoffs, he had 10 points in 19 games and was a plus-22, which was third-best among Thunderbirds’ defensemen.
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Offense is not his identity, but he’s got it. La Forge explained, “We had other guys that are more offensively inclined, so he accepted what we needed to do to get to the championship, and he handled it. But he’s very capable offensively, he’s very smart, and he skates well. So, when you have those three attributes, you’re going to be able to help with the offensive part of the game. It’s just not what he relies on. Nolan can help out in that direction, but he’s also going to be the one there to win the battle in front of the net, block a shot, or defend the other team’s best player.”
This quote should excite fans because there is much more that Allan could bring to the Blackhawks that wasn’t previously highlighted. It helps tremendously to have a responsible defenseman who can also chip in offensively when needed. He showed that skill during the prospect showcase against the Minnesota Wild, with an impressive assist on Colton Dach’s goal.
Yep, plays like that will do!
Allan’s Thunderbirds’ Journey
You have to go back to the beginning to get a better sense of Allan’s game. He made himself a staple in the WHL and spent four years with the Prince Albert Raiders, where he had a career year in 2021-22 with 41 points in 65 games and was named captain in October 2022. But, he ultimately got traded to the Thunderbirds a month later in what Raiders’ general manager Curtis Hunt described as being given more opportunities to make the team better through draft picks. The trade package was tremendous: the Thunderbirds parted with three players and six draft picks to acquire Allan.
I asked La Forge what was it about Allan that made them pull the trigger on such a big trade, “Nolan, I believe, was the first big piece we acquired last year. He was a guy our scouting and managing staff had identified the year before. He’s a guy we thought just fit and complemented our group. I mean, we had Korch (Kevin Korchinski), we had Jeremy Hanzel, who’s another really offensive defenseman, and we thought we needed a guy that could skate with our group because our group skated so well, but also who may be identified more as a defensive guy that we could use in those situations so that we didn’t have to tax our offensive guys as much with the penalty kill and the heavy defending, and get better matchups.
La Forge continued, “So he’s a guy, like I said, that we identified much earlier, and then when it came time to make the deal, we felt that whatever the cost was, he was going to pay off for us in the end because we felt he was going to be such a good piece for us going forward.”
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It did pay off as the Thunderbirds made it to the Memorial Cup Final, and although they lost, Allan was a big part of their success and helped build their identity. It also shows how much teams value what he brings to the table.
Allan’s Significant Off-Ice Persona
I learned that Allan’s presence off the ice is just as important on the ice. All his teammates rave about “Big Al”, as one of the first things the organization mentioned to me was his positive effect on the team. Of course, I had to ask La Forge what that was:
“He was a guy, I think, his second or third game with us, the coaches put the assistant captain on his jersey, and he wore it pretty consistently throughout the season. He brings a level of maturity to the group on and off the ice. He doesn’t get too high with the highs or low with the lows. He’s had a lot of experience at our level and just the maturity, but also, he’s a fun guy to be around.
He brought some levity to the group, I would say, but also knew when the time was right to have a good time around the room and to joke around, but he was also one of the most serious, professional, mature guys when it was time to get down to business. I think he was just that security blanket for our group, in terms of on and off the ice, you know, ‘This is how we need to prepare,’ ‘This is how we need to relax,’ and when it was time to be joking around, he was doing that. He’s not the loudest guy by any means, but he is someone that speaks softly but carries a loud voice.”
La Forge’s description of Allan reminds me of head coach Luke Richardson, as Patrick Kane described him as “not too up, not too down.” You can see the impact that kind of demeanor has had on the locker room, keeping everyone together even through the Hawks’ bumpy season, which is a great trait that Allan possesses.
The last thing I asked La Forge about Allan is anything fans should know about him. He responded, “I think fans should be very excited. I know as a guy who got to be a part of his journey when he was younger, I’m very excited to watch him in the future and see the heights that he reaches because he is a great hockey player, but he’s a better person. He’s just one of those guys you really hope for and root for going forward because, although he wasn’t here for a long time, he left a lasting mark in our group and our room. You’re never going to have to worry about Al not representing the team or the city well. He’s a quality character and a guy I’m really rooting for and excited to watch going forward.”
Fans are already excited about Allan’s potential and what he brought to the showcase, being a solid defensive presence, some offense, and a fight. He has impressed the coaches so much that Ben Pope from the Chicago-Sun Times thinks there is a chance that he can make the Blackhawks out of camp. Even if he starts with the Rockford IceHogs, I believe he could make his NHL debut this season, especially because he is a left-handed defenseman playing on Chicago’s right side, where they’re missing depth. He looked solid paired with Kevin Korchinski and even with Jarred Tinordi.
Overall, Allan brings many things to Chicago that other prospects don’t. He’s steady, his game is quieter but can bring a loud bang, and his presence demands attention as it carries the best effect. He’s a leader and could be one for the Blackhawks in the future, and his capabilities are what you can’t miss as they make the team instantly better. Kelley was right about Allan back in 2021. The pick might have been shocking at first, but boy, does it make sense now.
