Cincinnati Cyclones defenseman Sean Allen doesn't remember who first started calling him "The Sheriff." But it was in the Ontario Junior Hockey League when he started fighting players on the ice.
Allen has come to embrace the role of protecting his teammates by throwing punches. "I've accepted it and I love it," he says.
It doesn’t go unpunished. He leads the team with eight fighting major penalties and 193 penalty minutes.
The minor league hockey player talked to WVXU on the eve of the Kelly Cup start when the Cyclones take on the Ft. Wayne Komets at 7:30 p.m. Friday. Allen predicts his team will "roll them." This is the first of 16 games the Cyclones must win to secure the Kelly Cup.
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Here is Allen in action throwing punches:
Cyclones broadcaster Andrew Mossbrooks says Allen is a fan favorite who brings an injection of adrenaline to the crowd. He says the defenseman is willing to stick up for his teammates and the warrior role he plays is not an easy one. Mossbrooks says the name "The Sheriff" fits.
"Like when a police officer pulls somebody over there's a ticket, there's a price to be paid, and here in this case it's usually a guy getting a couple of punches to the face," says Mossbrooks.
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But just because this is Allen's persona on the ice doesn't mean he's like that in real life. "I honestly think I'm totally different off the ice. I'm always smiling, cracking jokes and laughing," he says. "It's just a different character out there. When I go out on the ice, I think it's time for war. I have no friendly opponents."
Allen remembers one of the games with 10,000-12,000 fans when he got into a fight. "And I just looked around and I was like, wow, all these people just watching me fight. I just wanted to get them going. It was incredible."
