From Harvard to high-scorer: Kings' Alex Laferriere acing his begin to season

At first blush, hockey and Harvard seem to go collectively about in addition to a concussion and a Nobel Prize. But that dichotomy is what drew Kings proper wing Alex Laferriere to the college on his option to the NHL.

“You’re sort of arrange for all times,” stated Laferriere who, at three weeks previous his twenty third birthday, is simply starting that life. “If you happen to get damage and you may by no means play hockey once more, with the ability to have a Harvard diploma is one thing that I feel is fairly enticing.”

Laferriere isn’t there but. A psychology main, he nonetheless has 4 courses to complete earlier than he can earn his diploma. Within the meantime, the hockey a part of his life plan is understanding fairly properly: Laferriere is tied for the crew lead with 9 objectives and ranks third with 15 factors for the Kings (10-6-3), who’re second within the Pacific Division practically 1 / 4 of the way in which into the season.

Learn extra: Adrian Kempe scores twice to help power Kings to victory over Red Wings

That manufacturing has are available a season that has seen him cut up time between a ahead line centered by Quinton Byfield and the highest crew’s line, the place he has performed with captain Anze Kopitar and winger Adrian Kempe. As a rookie, Laferriere stated his focus was on studying what it took to play within the NHL. This season he’s making use of these classes.

“I might say confidence is the primary factor,” he stated. “Final 12 months was extra targeted on sticking within the NHL and sort of proving that I belonged. This 12 months I wish to be one of many guys that they give the impression of being to in conditions the place we’d like objectives, the place they’ll belief me on the ice.”

Laferriere is a speedy, versatile and savvy proper winger with a robust forecheck and a misleading shot. However his most necessary asset could be his excessive hockey IQ, which could be anticipated from a man who performed two seasons at Harvard.

The varsity has been affiliated with greater than 160 Nobel Prize winners, by far essentially the most of any U.S. school or college. However it’s additionally despatched 43 gamers to the NHL; that doesn’t precisely make it a hockey manufacturing facility however it in all probability qualifies it to be referred to as a hockey workshop.

“There’s quite a lot of nice college students which can be additionally nice athletes,” stated Ted Donato, a former Harvard coach and briefly a Kings’ winger who has coached the Crimson since 2004. “We’ve had youngsters that say ‘Hey, you understand what? I can do each issues at a very excessive stage. Why shouldn’t I exploit my hockey abilities to have a possibility to go to a spot like Harvard?’ “

That mixture of smarts and expertise is definitely what led Laferriere, one among New England’s high prep gamers as a highschool senior, to change his allegiance from West Level, the place he had initially dedicated, to Harvard.

“My dad went to Boston Faculty; he additionally went to Princeton,” Laferriere stated of his father Rob, a standout hockey participant at each colleges who’s now head dealer at BlueMar Capital, a hedge-fund supervisor. “So rising up my dream college was Harvard as a result of it had the lecturers of Princeton and the hockey of BC.”

That dream lasted simply two school seasons earlier than Laferriere realized his different dream, which was signing an expert contract. He made his debut with the Ontario Reign in March 2023 and 10 days later signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Kings, who had chosen him within the third spherical of the 2020 draft.

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He performed his first NHL sport the next October, marking the milestone by squaring off with Colorado’s Logan O’Connor and wrestling him to the ice, profitable his first battle 4 video games earlier than he scored his first purpose. He completed his rookie 12 months by scoring his final purpose within the first interval of the Kings’ season-ending playoff loss to the Edmonton Oilers.

“He had an incredible season final 12 months so his begin to [this] season hasn’t shocked me,” Kings coach Jim Hiller stated. “He is an effective, strong participant that’s good in quite a lot of totally different areas.”

And when he stops being that, he has one thing to fall again on.

“Whether or not or not you’ll be able to play skilled hockey, you’ve got a Harvard diploma to make use of,” Laferriere stated.

Speak about an influence play.

This story initially appeared in Los Angeles Times.