FEATURE STORY: JAKE ALLEN
GOBI DESERT
Jake Allen:
“ The Risk Manager”
Sitting in a Tim Horton’ s on the exhibition grounds, Murray Allen looks like most other men his age in the coffee shop. He’ s eighty-three now, retired from a thirty-five-year career as an insurance adjuster. A paper cup of coffee sits between his hands on the table, and he turns it idly from time to time. He’ s wearing a St. Louis Blues hat, bright blue against the brown winter coats in the shop. Allen, who goes by“ Murph,” is quick to take a jab at the stereotypical scene.
“ We have a group that comes here every morning, and [ we ] call it the Tim Horton Old Farts,” said Allen, a wry smile creeping across his face.“ We talk hockey and talk about Jake, but not long. Then we solve all the problems [ of ] the world after that.”
Jake is Murph’ s grandson and he is the reason for the St. Louis Blues hat. Drafted in the second round( 34th overall) in the 2008 NHL draft, Jake Allen first broke into the NHL for a fifteen-game stint in the 2012-2013 season before being promoted to the team’ s roster full time in the 2014-2015 season.
Murph remembers taking his first“ real” job working for Trans Canada Airlines slinging luggage. Eight years in, he decided to move on.
“ I found that there was no future. I got a chance to go work with a firm on a part-time basis, and then it turned into full time,” said Murph.“ I didn’ t have any qualms about leaving.”
Allen constantly frames his decisions this way, as calculated risks, not gambles. In less regulated times, he is quick to point out, getting into the insurance business was relatively easy.
“ You had to take courses, and you had to write an exam to get your license. It’ s a little more difficult today. I worked for eleven years for a firm called Allen, Bennett and Dunphy, no relation.”
After a decade spent working for someone else, the elder Allen looked around once again and realized that he wasn’ t where he wanted to be. He determined to change that so he started
Capital Adjustment. And his calculating mind was there again, adding up the risk.
“ I was probably better acquainted with the insurance agents than my two bosses were. I knew that I would get the business from them. And outside firms, when they wanted something done [ at Allen, Bennett and Dunphy ], I knew I would get some of that,” said Murph.“ I don’ t think I was too nervous. Young enough to be stupid.”
Jake’ s life mapped itself out differently than his grandfather’ s as he followed his athletic talent into a career. Some genetic gift seems to be present, although to hear Murph tell it, that’ s been building over the last couple of generations.
“ I was mostly a single [ s ] or doubles hitter,” said Murph, who played baseball for the Marysville Royals and Blacks Harbour Brunswicks, in addition to playing hockey and golf( a sport he introduced Jake to).“ One night I hit one real good to right field. [ The umpire ] hollered‘ One plank fair!’ A number of years later when I was watching my son play, he hit two home runs. Somebody from my era was sitting with me and he said‘ Boy, Murph, just like the old man, huh?’ and I said,‘ Look, he just had one more home run tonight than I had my whole career!’”
We like to imagine embarking on a career in sports as a dramatic moment, all clenched teeth and determination with a stirring soundtrack. But the way young athletes move through the ranks is more subtle than that. For Jake, leaving home at seventeen to play junior hockey was a way to continue doing what he loved.
“ When you leave at that young an age, I don’ t think you’ re thinking too far ahead. You’ re just enjoying the game so much that it’ s the next step. I didn’ t know it was going to take me to the NHL,” said the younger Allen.
After playing junior hockey in Newfoundland, Jake was selected to play in the World Under-18 Tournament in 2008, winning gold with Team Canada and taking the tournament MVP and >
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