S64 Class - Gabriel McAllister

[Enorama 1,980]

Gabriel McAllister - Class of S64

 

Position: LW
Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois, USA
Height: 5'10"
Weight: 170 lbs
Jersey Number: 21 
Drafted: S56 1st Overall, Seattle Bears
Username: @CowboyinAmerica

 

Gabriel McAllister literally defined the word dominant during his time in the VHL. Even if his all-time stat totals weren't impressive (they are, we'll touch on that later), his trophy case alone tells you how much he stood head and shoulders above everyone else during the McAllister era. McAllister kicked things off with a Christian Stolzschweiger Trophy for the best rookie of S56 and he never looked back. All told, he won League MVP and Best Two-Way Forward thrice apiece, Playoff MVP, Most Points, Most Outstanding Player, and the Continental Cup twice each. Tack on his career totals of 397 goals, 826 points, 68 game-winning goals, and 2079 hits (good for 7th, 17th, 19th, and 22nd, respectively) and you get the idea of the way McAllister dominated his opposition during his VHL career.

 

Career Awards

S56 Christian Stolzchweiger Trophy (Top Rookie)
S58 Scott Boulet Trophy (Best 2-Way Forward)
S59 Daisuke Kanou Trophy (Playoff MVP)
S59 Continental Cup
S60 Scotty Campbell Trophy (League MVP)
S60 Brett Slobodzian Trophy (Most Outstanding Player)
S60 Mike Szatkowski Trophy (Most Points)
S60 Kevin Brooks Trophy (Most Goals)
S61 Scotty Campbell Trophy (League MVP)
S61 Daisuke Kanou Trophy (Playoff MVP)
S61 Scott Boulet Trophy (Best 2-Way Forward)
S61 Continental Cup
S63 Scotty Campbell Trophy (League MVP)
S63 Brett Slobodzian Trophy (Most Outstanding Player)
S63 Mike Szatkowski Trophy (Most Points)
S63 Scott Boulet Trophy (Best 2-Way Forward)

 

S56

Regular Season
56 (SEA) | 72 | 43G - 46A - 89P | -13 | 588SHT | 8GWG

Right off the bat, McAllister made it known that he was a force to be reckoned with. On an overall weak Seattle team, he eclipsed the point-per-game mark and count 89 total points across a season that ended far too soon, as the Bears didn't even crack the wild card round of the playoffs. Interestingly enough, his shot total of 588 would stand as the second highest of his career, perhaps marking how McAllister was the only viable offensive option on Seattle in S56.

 

S57

Regular Season
57 (SEA) | 72 | 47G - 46A - 93P | +19 | 540SHT | 7GWG

For the second year in a row, McAllister made his best attempt to carry a floundering Bears roster, posting a 4 point and 32 plus-minus differential from the year prior, but it was to no avail, as Seattle once again failed to even make the wild card round of the playoffs. S57 was one of only two seasons in which McAllister did not win any personal awards.

 

S58

Regular Season
58 (SEA) | 72 | 51G - 56A - 107P | +45 | 448SHT | 11GWG
Playoffs
58 (SEA) | 13 | 10G - 5A - 15P | +5 | 68SHT | 2GWG

S58 marked the shift in McAllister's career from the bottom of the standings to playing with a competitive roster. He broke the 50 goal and 100 point thresholds for the first time while simultaneously posting the lowest shot total in his career. Come playoff time, Seattle earned a bye past the wild card round before beating the Legion in a 7-game semi final and faced off against the Riga Reign in the finals. Despite the best efforts of McAllister, the Bears finished just short of the Cup, losing the finals 4 games to 2.

 

S59

Regular Season
59 (SEA) | 72 | 39G - 41A - 80P | +28 | 460SHT | 6GWG
Playoffs
59 (SEA) | 16 | 11G - 17A - 28P | +17 | 122SHT | 2GWG

McAllister and the rest of the Bears took a step back in S59, with the winger scoring the lowest point total he would have in his career and the team barely squeaking into the wild card round of the playoffs. Once there, however, the story changed. McAllister put the team on his back and after posting 28 points in 16 playoff games, he and the rest of the Bears enjoyed lifting the Continental Cup after beating the Reign in the wild card round, the Legion in the semi finals, and the Titans in a closely fought final series. Of course, McAllister was named Playoff MVP.

 

S60

Regular Season
60 (SEA) | 72 | 61G - 59A - 120P | +57 | 508SHT | 11GWG
Playoffs
60 (SEA) | 6 | 3G - 6A - 9P | +5 | 40SHT | 0GWG

S60 saw McAllister smashing the 50 goal threshold once again, posting a staggering 61 goals and 120 total regular season points. His point totals combined with his plus-minus of +57 really get across how he and the Bears saw amazing success throughout the regular season. However, the story changes once playoffs roll around. Despite McAllister potting 9 points in 6 games, the Bears bowed out in the semi finals to the underdog Titans, who would go on to win the Continental Cup. On a personal level, McAllister brought home four separate pieces of hardware in the off-season, padding his resume for a future berth in the Hall of Fame.

 

S61

Regular Season
61 (DAV) | 72 | 50G - 49A - 99P | +38 | 573SHT | 10GWG
Playoffs
61 (DAV) | 14 | 12G - 11A - 23P | +0 | 115SHT | 2GWG

In the off-season between S60 and S61, Seattle GM Blake Campbell shocked the hockey world by sending not only Gabriel McAllister, but also forward Otto Axelsson and bluechip defense prospect Mats Johnsson to the HC Davos Dynamo in exchange for the fourth overall pick. Reactions were largely in the same vein: "WTF?". McAllister on his own was debated to have more value than the pick involved, never mind the addition of other assets on the side of the Bears. No matter how he got there, McAllister continued his tear through the league once with Davos. While he finished just shy of 100 points, he still potted 50 goals and put the Dynamo in a solid playoff position. After two closely contended series with the Titans and Wranglers, McAllister and the Dynamo brought home the Continental Cup, with McAllister once again earning himself the nod for Playoff MVP after a 23 point playoffs.

 

S62

Regular Season
62 (DAV) | 72 | 51G - 48A - 99P | +47 | 461SHT | 10GWG
Playoffs
62 (DAV) | 7 | 6G - 7A - 13P | +6 | 67SHT | 2GWG

The S62 regular season was nothing special, by McAllister standards, wherein the winger scored 50+ goals and just shy of 100 points en route to the playoffs. Once there, however, McAllister and the Dynamo were upset in the 7-game semi final by the Quebec Meute. For just the second time in his career, McAllister was sent home in the off-season without any personal or team hardware to his name.

 

S63

Regular Season
63 (SEA) | 72 | 55G - 84A - 139P | +65 | 653SHT | 5GWG
Playoffs
63 (SEA) | 6 | 2G - 2A - 4P | +0 | 54SHT | 1GWG

Perhaps realizing his folly, Seattle GM Blake Campbell made the effort required to bring McAllister back to the state of Washington for the last year of his career. Once again, he had Otto Axelsson stapled to his side, but this time Mats Johnsson was not a part of the deal and the buying team had to send an additional 4th round pick. As if to show his gratitude for being "brought home" as it were, McAllister took it upon himself to absolutely throttle the VHL in S63. 139 points and 84 assists both marked career highs and proved that the power forward wasn't done just yet. In an unfortunate end to his career, McAllister and the Bears were dispatched in a 6-game semi final that saw the Calgary Wranglers move on to the Cup final. Personally, McAllister still took home four trophies at the VHL Awards in the off-season, including Most Outstanding and League MVP.

 

Career Totals

Regular Season
Totals | 576 | 397G - 429A - 826P | 286 | 4231SHT | 68GWG
Playoffs
Totals | 62 | 44G - 48A - 92P | 33 | 466SHT | 9GWG

After 14 personal awards, just shy of 400 goals, and a pair of Continental Cups, Gabriel McAllister cemented himself as one of the premiere power forwards to have ever played the game. His talent was recognized league-wide, as evidenced by his shoo-in 13/13 vote to get in to the VHL Hall of Fame as a part of the S64 induction class.

 

Edited May 22, 2019 by Enorama