Note: This profile was written before the OMHA Championships and OHL Cup.

A career between the pipes may very well have seemed predestined for Dryden Allen, given that he’s the son of a goaltender and is named after the Montreal Canadiens netminding great.
 
Instead, the 15-year-old defenceman for the Southern Tier Admirals in the OMHA's South-Central AAA Hockey League is carving out a different path.
 
“My dad obviously put me in hockey and inspired me to be a hockey player,” Allen said of his father, Andrew, a pro scout for the Seattle Kraken. “But I like to inspire my game after Adam Fox.”
 
Like the New York Rangers star, Allen describes himself as “a strong skating, mobile defenceman that plays with a lot of hockey IQ. I play a 200-foot game, I like to be physical as much as I can, and I'm a leader on and off the ice for my team.”

That skillset has helped Allen put up two goals and 24 assists in 36 games for the Admirals this season, earning him notice ahead of the 2023 Ontario Hockey League draft. 
 
The Niagara Falls, Ont., native also helped Ontario win gold at the recent Canada Winter Games, part of the wild final which required 28 minutes of 3-on-3 overtime before it was settled.
 
Ontario rallied from a 2-0 deficit with a pair of third-period goals.
 
“To be able to come back and win it … was just unbelievable,” Allen said. “But I think that's a really good lesson to take into my [SCTA] playoffs. There are going to be ups and downs and you just have to ride them.”

Such perspective is one element Admirals head coach Kevin Rosebrugh appreciates about his defenceman. 
 
He believes Allen is ahead of the pack in his maturity around the game, too.
 
“He hates to lose, and he's got a good edge to him, but he's also one of our leaders on our team,” said Rosebrugh. “He understands the things that need to happen to have success and he goes about his business very professionally for a kid his age.”
 
“He is a new age defenceman, but he also has the ability to still defend well,” the coach added. “He's just such an excellent skater. His edge work is very fluid and smooth, his skating is just effortless.”
 
Allen rejoined the Admirals in the middle of their playoff fight and while someone in his spot could be distracted by the looming next steps, he’s not looking too far forward.
 
“My focus right now is doing anything and everything I can to help my Southern Tier team do well and succeed in OMHA’s and hopefully OHL Cup,” said Allen. “For me right now I think the rest will fall into place.” 

Ryan Galati is a student in the Sport Journalism post-grad program at Centennial College. Follow him on Twitter @RyanGalati1