Mark Messier once said about Wayne Gretzky, "He never put anybody ahead of himself, and he has the ability to make people feel comfortable around him."

Similar praise has been heralded to new Harvard captain Trevor Allman by his teammates as they start out the 1999-00 season with a new coach and a fresh outlook.

Allman, a 5'10, 180-pound. center from London, Ontario, grew up like all good Canadian boys did--learning to skate at the age of two and learning to admire Gretzky.

"He[Gretzky] led by example, and did so with the utmost class," Allman said.

The same applies to Allman's philosophy of being a captain. As a defensive standout who plays anywhere from the first line to the penalty kill, Allman's collegiate career has been marked by a reputation for toughness which has resulted in a steady increase in offensive production.

Last season, he scored six goals and had ten assists in 30 games, all personal bests. But Allman knows his role is not to be the leading goal-scorer.

"We all have roles to fill to be successful," Allman said. "Individual players may have to sacrifice certain titles and duties for us to achieve as a team, and I take great pride in my role, be it offensively or defensively. Our main objective is to win."

If that doesn't sound Gretzky-esque, what does?