During the 1988–89 ECHL season, Allen played slightly under fourteen minutes as a goaltender for the Carolina Thunderbirds, giving up 3 goals on 10 shots.
Allen joined the Johnstown Chiefs as an assistant to head coach Nick Fotiu prior to the 1996–97 ECHL season.
Allen assumed the duties as head coach for the remainder of the season, where the team showed improvement by going 17–21–2 (.450) over the last 40 games.
Allen then left the ECHL to take an assistant coach's position with the San Antonio Rampage in the American Hockey League (AHL).
Allen then accepted assistant coach positions in Omaha, Lowell, and Quad City after leaving the Rampage.
Following the Florida Panthers affiliate switch to the Portland Pirates, Allen began the season in an assistant role for 2015–16.
On January 1, 2016, Allen was announced as the Pirates' head coach mid-season, as Tom Rowe accepted a promotion within the Panthers' organization.