LA Kings 2020 third-round pick Alex Laferriere earned two team honors with the Des Moines Buccaneers of the USHL this past season.
For those LA Kings fans who aren’t too knowledgeable about Alex Laferriere, there are a few things you should learn about the team’s third-round selection in the 2020 NHL draft. First, Alex grew up playing hockey in Chatham, New Jersey, a small town in the northern part of the state.
Alex was able to get his freshman and sophomore year of playing time at Chatham High School playing for the Cougars at Mennen Arena in Morristown, New Jersey. After his sophomore season playing public-school hockey, Laferriere and many of his peers felt it was within his best interest to take his noticeable talents to the next level of play.
For 2018-2019, he left Chatham High School and began a short one-season career with Kent School while simultaneously starting up his other career in the USHL as a Des Moines Buccaneer.
Upon his arrival in Iowa, Laferriere made quite the first impression on the coaching staff by putting together an incredibly respectable 45 points in 42 games for his rookie season in the USHL. If NHL scouts weren’t all over Laferriere prior to his first season with the Bucs, they definitely had their eyes open now.
MVP and Offensive Player of the Year
This past season has been undoubtedly challenging with COVID-19 protocols finagling their way into every part of the logistical sports planning world. With COVID restrictions still playing a big factor in the sports industry this past season, Laferriere was unable to suit up in Harvard’s crimson-red sweater for the first time.
This past season, the Ivy League schools took it upon themselves to cancel all of their athletic programs for the remainder of the year to prevent any potential outbreaks on any of their campuses. In response to this tough news, the LA Kings third-round pick was able to view it as a way to physically and mentally bring his game over to one team instead of two.
In the past three seasons for the Buccaneers, Laferriere made substantial improvements in his game since his first 2018-19 season in Des Moines. So much of an improvement that Laferriere was given an “A” on his jersey at the start of this past season to properly, and officially, represent the leadership role he displays every game for his fellow Bucs teammates.
Bucs Forward, @HarvardMHockey commit, and @LAKings Draft Pick @alaf_14 is the recipient of the 2020-2021 Most Valuable Player Award. Laferriere finished the season with 26 goals and 24 assists for a total of 50 points averaging 1.02 points per game. Congratulations Alex! pic.twitter.com/hF7lDam3nY
— Des Moines Buccaneers (@bucshockey) May 18, 2021
It seemed fairly evident that the letter on his jersey served as a good omen. Laferriere went on to have the biggest breakout year of his career, putting up just over a point per game with 50 points in 49 games played in the 2020-21 season.
Even more impressive than his steady point-per-game ratio, Laferriere’s performance this past season was eye-opening enough for the team to elect him not only the “Most Valuable Player” but also the “Offensive Player of the Year” award with the attention he’s drawn.
Alex has shown nothing but rising potential to the LA Kings organization since they put faith in him. He’s notably proven his worth as a key piece to the franchise’s developing young prospect pool.