Brian Burke Fishing: May Land London Knights Star After All

(Photo by: Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)

He may not have been Brian Burke's first choice, but Jason Allison was a superstar when he played for the London Knights back in the day. Now he is lacing the skates up once again, hoping to stick handle his way back into the new and improved Leafs lineup currently being sculpted by G.M. Brian Burke.

Most folks are giving Allison a snowball's chance in hell of making the team. He's too slow, they advise. He has been away from the game for too long, they say.

Really? Don't tell Jason Allison that.

These so called experts are the same critics who remind us that the Leafs do not employ a top-six forward. Four years ago, at the age of 30, Allison was a top-six forward for the Leafs. He played in 66 games that year and scored 60 points.

But wait. Ironically enough, he missed almost three years of hockey before that season due to a serious neck injury and concussion followed by the lockout year. He returned to the game in style when he produced nearly one point per game for the Leafs, who failed to make the playoffs.

Some will argue that defensively he was a terrible -18 while others will talk about how slow he is. If I'm a Leaf fan, I don't care if it takes him six minutes to skate from one end of the ice to the other end so long as he can still put up all-star numbers. Let's not forget that the Leafs had a poor defense back in 2005-06 compared to what Burke is icing this season.

Allison has size. He has hands. He is tough. He is a former captain of the Boston Bruins and a class act. He is the type of player that Burke loves.

If there is one good reason to give him a tryout, it is because perhaps the worst G.M. in Leafs history, John Ferguson Jr., didn't believe Allison was good enough.

That year, Ferguson Jr. and Paul Maurice assumed that speed was the main ingredient for success and that poor management was an asset.

Today, arguably the best G.M. the Leafs have ever had, Brian Burke, is giving Allison a chance to return to glory.

Burke claims, "He had some personal issues and some major physical issues at that time. He has solved all of those. In my mind he is a guy who might give us a lift and he deserves that opportunity."

Everybody loves a good comeback story and this could be the feel good story of the year for an NHL that is looking more and more ridiculous with its handling of the Coyote's disaster.

At 34, Jason Allison could have another 13 years of good hockey left in him if you ask Chris Chelios. Sorry, I couldn't resist.

Brian Burke may get his London Knight star after all. Not the one he originally had in mind, but one who had 142 points in 56 games for that team in 1993-94. 

All fans of the game should be pulling for Allison in the coming weeks. Not only could he be good for the Toronto Maple Leafs, he could be good for the league as a whole.

Stay tuned.

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