Allison, Tory, 7-footer out at Maine> Two hockey players change decision

University of Maine senior All-Americans Blair Allison and Jeff Tory, who announced last week they were returning to Maine and spurning a Canadian national team offer, have changed their minds and are going to the Canadian national team camp beginning Sunday in Calgary.

“It’s probably going to look like we’re bailing on Maine, that we have no loyalty and we don’t care about Maine. It’s not like that,” Allison said. “We both would have been happy returning to Maine.

“But this was too good of an opportunity to pass up. We couldn’t say no,” continued Allison. “We didn’t want to look back in 10 or 20 years and regret it. This is a chance to represent our country, see the world and play better competition.”

Allison and Tory said the NCAA sanction preventing the UMaine hockey team from playing in the NCAA tournament this season didn’t affect their decisions.

“It would have been nice if we could but it wasn’t a factor. There’s still pride in playing hockey at Maine,” said Allison. “We got to play in one national championship game [1994-95] and a lot of players have never had that opportunity.”

UMaine interim hockey coach Greg Cronin said playing for a national title was one of the recruiting edges they had on the Canadian national team and “we’ve lost that edge.”

“What we’re seeing right now is the fallout from the NCAA sanctions. We’ve lost five players and four were All-American candidates,” said Cronin who was also referring to defenseman Brett Clark (Western Hockey League) and and center Tim Lovell (UMass transfer).

UMaine is appealing the NCAA ruling on the postseason ban which is one of numerous penalties the school received from the NCAA on July 31. The team was also banned from last year’s NCAA tourney as it received self-imposed sanctions from UMaine.

Tory said he changed his mind after finding out more about the Canadian national team and the program over the weekend.

“It’ll be a good experience to see how we fit in with those types of quality players and that type of hockey,” said Tory. “We know what to expect at Maine because we’ve been through it before. This will be different.”

They have been asked by Cronin to decide one way or another by next Wednesday.

“After three or four days, we’ll know what it’s like and that will allow us to make the right decision,” said Tory. “It’s almost like a recruiting trip.”

The 24-year-old Allison and 23-year-old Tory are free agents and Allison said they would also gain more exposure playing for the Canadian national team.

The Canadian national team will play a varied schedule including AHL, IHL and European elite division teams.

“If things don’t pan out [for a pro career] in North America, there are a lot more doors open in Europe now and the money over there is getting a lot higher,” said Allison. “And the NHL has scouts in Europe.”

Cronin said the two fell victim to “strongarm” recruiting tactics employed by Canadian national team administrators that included having Edmonton Oilers General Manager Glen Sather and Marc Crawford, coach of the Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche, convince them to try out.

Sather is currently acting as the head coach for Team Canada in the World Cup Tournament and Crawford is one of his assistants along with Andy Murray, who will be the head coach of the national team.

Allison acknowledged that he talked to Sather and Murray over the weekend and that Tory conversed with Sather, Murray and Crawford.

“They told us the NHL would look more highly upon us for playing with the national team because it would be a higher level of hockey,” said Allison.

Allison said he and Tory have not been guaranteed a spot on the team “but we were told that if we played up to our potential, we’d make it.”

Cronin said the Canadian national team has been very aggressive recruiting college players.

“I don’t feel betrayed because they’ve been great ambassadors for the hockey program at Maine. I’m just disappointed and I honestly feel helpless,” said Cronin.

“Recruiting against the Canadian national team is a very difficult battle to win. They have Glen Sather and Marc Crawford and a stipend package worth $25,000. We don’t have the resources to entice them to stay. Grant [assistant Standbrook] and I have used every piece of recruiting strategy to retain them. I feel like we lost the war in the last hour.”

Tory and Allison can both return to play at Maine next season as long as they reject the stipend that will be offered to them at the conclusion of the season, according to Cronin.

Cronin said the Canadian national team may give them a better shot at a pro hockey career but it would be a shame if they don’t finish their degrees soon.