Dec. 20, 2005

Two former Yale men's hockey players, Jeff Hamilton '01 and Keith Allain '80, have made the news this holiday season.

Hamilton, who has primarily been an American Hockey League star since leaving New Haven, got another shot at the big time and has cashed in with three points in two games for the New York Islanders.

Hamilton, who began the season in Europe but came back to sign with AHL Bridgeport (coached by Dave Baseggio '89), was called up to the island on Dec. 17 and tallied the game's first goal in a 5-4 win over visiting Colorado. Last night in a game against Toronto, Hamilton dished out two assists in a one-goal loss to the Leafs.

"Jeff has waited five or six years to have this opportunity and he is taking advantage of it," said Yale head coach Tim Taylor. "The `new' NHL is perfect for players like Jeff with his skill set and pension for offensive production. People love to watch the type of hockey that he plays."

Hamilton was averaging better than a goal a game in the AHL this season before getting the call from the injury-plagued Islanders. It was his second call from that NHL club, he skated in one game at the Nassau Coliseum during the 2003-04 campaign.

Allain, coach Taylor's first standout goalie at Yale, was just named assistant coach for the 2006 U.S. Olympic Team that will compete in Italy this February.

The former Bulldog netminder, who is currently the goalie coach for the St. Louis Blues of the NHL, was a coach for the 2005 U.S. National Team at the world championships.

Allain joined St. Louis in 1998, and under his guidance Blues netminders gave up the fewest goals in the NHL in 1999-2000, claiming the William M. Jennings Trophy. That season the Blues captured the President's Trophy for the best regular-season record in the league. His professional coaching experience includes serving as a scout for the NHL's Nashville Predators in 1997-98 and a four-year stint (1993-94 through 1996-97 seasons) as an assistant coach for the Washington Capitals.

Allain's extensive international coaching career includes serving as an assistant coach for the United States team that captured the championship of the inaugural World Cup of Hockey 1996 while registering a 6-1-0 overall mark. He returned to the World Cup of Hockey with the U.S. in 2004 as goaltending coach. Allain was also an assistant coach for the 1992 U.S. Olympic Men's Ice Hockey Team, which placed fourth in Albertville, France with a 5-2-1 record. His involvement with USA Hockey includes guiding the U.S. as head coach at the 2001 and 2002 IIHF World Junior Championships.

"Keith is a great young coach who has worked his way up the ranks," said Taylor. "This will be a great experience for him and one that is well deserved."