Editing Jason Allison (section)

==NHL career==
In 1994, Allison signed a four-year entry-level contract with the Capitals with an additional option year.<ref name="mckee"/> He struggled to break into the Capitals lineup and was demoted to team's [[American Hockey League]] affiliate, the [[Portland Pirates]]. In 1996, the Capitals sent him on a course to improve his skating.<ref name="si">{{cite magazine |url=https://vault.si.com/vault/1998/05/04/inside-the-nhl |title=Inside the NHL |last=Kennedy |first=Kostya |magazine=Sports Illustrated |date=May 4, 1998 |access-date=November 8, 2022}}</ref> He never met the Capitals' expectations<ref name="si"/><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/sports/1996/10/31/bad-for-allison-is-good-enough-for-capitals/febed412-b690-47d5-92b4-f328d438849a/ |title='Bad' For Allison is Good Enough for Capitals |last=Alex |first=Racheal |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=October 31, 1996 |access-date=November 8, 2022}}</ref> and on March 1, 1997, was part of a major trade with the [[Boston Bruins]]. Allison, [[Anson Carter]], [[Jim Carey (ice hockey)|Jim Carey]], a [[1997 NHL Entry Draft|1997 third-round draft choice]] and a conditional [[1998 NHL Entry Draft|1998 second-round draft choice]] were traded to the Bruins for [[Adam Oates]], [[Rick Tocchet]] and [[Bill Ranford]]. Oates, one of the NHL's superstars, had requested a trade if the Bruins did not commit to getting more talent.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://apnews.com/article/2d0221218ab42103ccd8640c4691ca36 |title=Bruins deal disgrunted Oates and two others in blockbuster deal |work=Associated Press |date=March 1, 1997 |access-date=November 8, 2022}}</ref> Allison saw a resurgence with the Bruins, putting up a then career-high 83 points in the [[1997–1998 NHL season|1997–98 season]], the ninth highest total in the league.<ref name="si"/> Allison led the Bruins in points three times (1997–98, [[1998–99 NHL season|1998–99]] and [[2000–01 NHL season|2000–01]]).<ref name="espn"/> In the 2000–01 season, Allison was named captain of the team, the first since the departure of [[Ray Bourque]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/bruins-name-allison-captain-1.230995 |title=Bruins name Allison captain |work=CBC Sports |date=November 8, 2000 |access-date=November 13, 2022}}</ref> His 2000–01 season was his best when he had a career-high 95 points, good for fifth in the league. He also played in the [[2001 National Hockey League All-Star Game|2001 All-Star Game]].<ref name="espn"/> However, Allison's time with the Bruins came to an abrupt end when contract negotiations following the 2001 year reached an impasse. The Bruins traded Allison, now a fan favourite in Boston, to the [[Los Angeles Kings]] with [[Mikko Eloranta]] for [[Jozef Stumpel]] and [[Glen Murray (ice hockey)|Glen Murray]] on October 25, 2001. Upon his arrival in Los Angeles, Allison signed a three-year $20-million contract.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/hockey/fans-angry-as-bruins-deal-allison/article763889/ |title=Fans angry as Bruins deal Allison |work=The Globe and Mail |date=October 25, 2001 |access-date=November 8, 2022}}</ref> 

Allison joined the Kings, filling the need for a number one center who could play with [[Žigmund Pálffy]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2001-oct-25-sp-61433-story.html |title=Allison a King Centerpiece |last=Crowne |first=Jerry |work=Los Angeles Times |date=October 25, 2001 |access-date=November 8, 2022 |url-access=subscription}}</ref> However, Allison suffered a stream of injuries, including major ones to the knee<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/jason-allison-sidelined-2-3-months-1.355281 |title=Jason Allison sidelined 2-3 months |work=CBC Sports |date=October 31, 2002 |access-date=November 8, 2022}}</ref> and neck<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2003-feb-14-sp-kingrep14-story.html |title=Bad Neck Keeps Allison Sidelined |work=Los Angeles Times |last=Crowne |first=Jerry |date=February 14, 2003 |access-date=November 8, 2022}}</ref> and one of many Kings players that suffered a [[concussion]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2003-mar-05-sp-duxkingrep5-story.html |title=Allison Not Sure When He Can Play |work=Los Angeles Times |last1=Crowne |first1=Jerry |last2=White |first2=Lonnie |date=March 5, 2003 |access-date=November 8, 2022 |url-access=subscription}}</ref> He missed most of the [[2002–03 NHL season|2002–03 season]] and all of the [[2003–04 NHL season|following season]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/jason-allison-joins-leafs-1.545055 |title=Jason Allison joins Leafs |work=CBC Sports |date=August 5, 2005 |access-date=November 8, 2022}}</ref> The 2004–05 season was cancelled by a [[2004–05 NHL lockout|labour dispute]]<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.si.com/nhl/2014/09/15/2004-nhl-lockout-look-back-at-dark-day |title=The 2004 NHL lockout: A light look back at a dark day (9/16/04) |magazine=Sports Illustrated |date=September 15, 2014 |access-date=November 8, 2022}}</ref> and Allison did not receive a qualifying offer from the Kings in 2004 allowing him to become an [[unrestricted free agent]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.espn.com/nhl/story?id=1832324&src=desktop&rand=ref~%7B%22ref%22%3A%22 |title=Kings cut ties with C Allison and RW Deadmarsh |work=ESPN |date=June 30, 2004 |access-date=November 8, 2022}}</ref>  Prior to the [[2005–06 NHL season|2005–06 season]], Allison signed a one-year contract with the [[Toronto Maple Leafs]] worth $1.5 million, with bonus incentives for good performance.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Hockey/NHL/Toronto/2005/10/17/1266166-sun.html | archive-url = https://archive.today/20120716111128/http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Hockey/NHL/Toronto/2005/10/17/1266166-sun.html | url-status = usurped | archive-date = July 16, 2012 | publisher = [[Canoe.ca]] | date = November 12, 2006 | access-date = January 2, 2010 | title = Allison emerging as a leader }}</ref> Allison suffered a hand injury in a game against the [[Montreal Canadiens]], and had to have surgery on his hand, which sidelined him for the remainder of the season. In the 66 games he played in before the injury, he scored 17 goals and had 60 points for the Maple Leafs.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.espn.com/nhl/news/story?id=2390131 |title=Leafs' Allison out for season after hand surgery |work=ESPN |date=March 30, 2006 |access-date=November 8, 2022}}</ref>

After the 2005–06 season, Allison became an [[unrestricted free agent]]. Toronto chose not to re-sign Allison because GM [[John Ferguson, Jr.]] did not feel his skating was good enough.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cp24.com/mobile/jason-allison-begins-longshot-attempt-for-second-nhl-comeback-with-leafs-1.434306?cache=yesclipId10406200text/html;charset=utf-80404 |title=Jason Allison begins longshot attempt for second NHL comeback with Leafs |work=CP24 |agency=The Canadian Press |last=Stevens |first=Neil |date=September 14, 2009 |access-date=November 8, 2022}}</ref> Allison subsequently did not sign with a team for the [[2006–07 NHL season]], as he wanted to be near his family and no situation arose where he could.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://thehockeynews.com/news/veteran-centre-jason-allison-ready-for-a-return-to-nhl-after-one-year-absence |title=Veteran Centre Jason Allison Ready for a Return to NHL After One-Year Absence |work=The Hockey News |agency=The Canadian Press |date=June 29, 2007 |access-date=November 8, 2022}}</ref>

===2009 attempted comeback===
On August 28, 2009, Allison received an invitation to the Toronto Maple Leafs' September 2009 training camp, and trained with them through the beginning of the preseason. Allison had not played professionally since 2005–06; in explaining the invitation, [[Brian Burke (ice hockey)|Brian Burke]], the [[general manager]] of the Maple Leafs, said: "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."<ref>{{cite web|first = Mike |last=Ulmer | title = Ulmer Catches Up With Burke | website = [[National Hockey League]]  | url =  http://mapleleafs.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=490631 | date = September 1, 2009 | access-date = January 2, 2010}}</ref>

In an interview after his first exhibition game back, Allison was as confident as ever. "I didn't contribute much, but that's to be expected, I'm just shaking the cobwebs off. I fully anticipate regaining my previous form as a point-per-game player."

Allison's bid to make the team on a tryout ended up falling short. The training camp invite yielded a memorable moment, when Allison fought with the [[Philadelphia Flyers]]' [[Darroll Powe]] during an exhibition game and ripped his helmet in half with his bare hands.<ref>{{cite news | first = Greg | last = Wyshynski | title = For Next Trick, Jason Allison will rip phone book in half | work = [[Yahoo! Sports]] | date = September 20, 2009 | access-date = September 20, 2009 | url = https://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/puck_daddy/post/Video-For-next-trick-Jason-Allison-will-rip-ph?urn=nhl,190676 | archive-date = September 25, 2009 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090925015830/http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/puck_daddy/post/Video-For-next-trick-Jason-Allison-will-rip-ph?urn=nhl,190676 | url-status = dead }}</ref> It was not enough, however, and by September 28, Maple Leafs head coach [[Ron Wilson (ice hockey b. 1955)|Ron Wilson]] confessed that Allison was "out of the plans."<ref>{{cite web | title = Leafs Lose Final Preseason Game | publisher = [[The Sports Network]] | date = September 28, 2009 | access-date = September 28, 2009 | url = http://tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=292925 | archive-date = October 1, 2009 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20091001091505/http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=292925 | url-status = dead }}</ref>