Episode 84 Andrew Allen of the Seattle Kraken
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Andrew Allen, recently hired as a pro scout for the Seattle Kraken, spent four seasons as a goaltending development coach with the Chicago Blackhawks and four more with the Buffalo Sabres, where he worked with Carter Hutton, Robin Lehner, and Linus Ullmark. A recurring theme in Allen's coaching philosophy is avoiding making goalies overly dependent on their coach — a principle he carried from the AHL and ECHL into NHL development roles and continues to apply through his private camps at Goaltenders by Andrew Allen.
- Avoid creating dependency: Allen stresses that goaltending coaches should develop goalies who can self-diagnose and perform without constant coach input.
- Allen's coaching career began with Japan's National Team before advancing through four seasons each with the Chicago Blackhawks and Buffalo Sabres organizations.
- His professional playing career spanned five years in the AHL and ECHL, including a training camp with Roberto Luongo and the Florida Panthers.
- Allen now applies NHL-level lessons back to grassroots hockey through youth coaching and private camps run through Goaltenders by Andrew Allen.
- Transitioning from coaching to pro scouting, Allen brings a goaltender-specific lens to evaluating talent for the Seattle Kraken.
This week’s feature interview for the InGoal Radio Podcast is with recently hired Seattle Kraken pro scout Andrew Allen, but Premium Members can hear the full interview with the former Chicago Blackhawks and Buffalo Sabre goaltending coach now. In addition to discussing his new role scouting goalies for the NHL’s newest franchise, Allen shares stories and advice from a career that started at a training camp with Roberto Luongo and the Florida Panthers and included five years in the American Hockey League and ECHL before a transition to coaching that started with Japan’s National Team. Allen touches on experiences and lessons from four seasons as the Blackhawks development coach, including the importance of not making goalies overly dependent on him, as well as from his time working with Carter Hutton, Robin Lehner and last weeks guest, Linus Ullmark, during four seasons with the Sabres. Perhaps best of all, Allen relates those lessons and his experiences and opinions on the ongoing evolution of a position he is so clearly passionate about — you can’t miss it in this interview — back to goalies of all ages and skill levels through his continued work at youth hockey levels and in private camps he runs through Goaltenders by Andrew Allen.
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