Former Bronco Allison To Make His NHL Debut With Philadelphia

It's not something you think about when you're lugging your seven year and his equipment bag to a 6am practice, in the middle of winter, in the dark.

But the culmination of the dream to make it to the top of his sport happens tonight for one former Western Michigan Bronco, when forward Wade Allison makes his NHL debut with the Philadelphia Flyers in Pittsburgh against the Penguins.

Allison, a second round draft pick of the Flyers, was called up from Lehigh of the AHL, and will wear #57. (The first player to wear that number for the storied franchise.)

It'll be a bit of a baptism of fire, as any Philadelphia-Pittsburgh match-up is, shall we say, spirited. They have their fair share of fights, even a donneybrook or two at times, as anyone who has watched hockey on NBC knows.

But it's a good place to start for Allison, as the game is on the road, and away from the Philly faithful, who can be hard on anyone. (They threw snowballs at Santa Claus.)  But if Allison plays well, he can help the Flyers, as they are six points out of a playoff spot in their division. Boston is fourth with 50 points, with the New York Rangers in fifth with 46 points and Philadelphia sixth with 44. Only the top four team in each division this year make the playoffs to chase after Lord Stanley's Cup.

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You also have to think that Allison's former Bronco teammate, Mattias Samuelson, the top pick of the Buffalo Sabres should be getting a call up soon, but Buffalo is such a mess, that it's difficult to predict what will happen with the Sabres.