Camp To Camp Series – Alex Laferriere

Between now and training camp, we’ll share the stories of several young prospects, who attended development camp in the summer and are approaching training camp in the fall with a variety of goals. First up is forward Alex Laferriere, perhaps the most NHL-ready forward in attendance. Coming off two productive collegiate seasons at Harvard, Laferriere has four games of AHL experience under his belt and is preparing to begin his professional career in the fall.

After an outstanding 2022-23 season with Harvard University, Alex Laferriere felt it was time to take the next step in his career by turning pro.

General Manager Rob Blake and the Kings Hockey Operations staff agreed, as Laferriere signed his two-year, entry-level contract with just weeks remaining in last year’s AHL and NHL seasons. Coming off of a 42-point (21-21-42) season in 34 games with the Crimson, Laferriere was a stand-out in his collegiate conference, earning Second Team All-Ivy League honors.

Harvard’s leading goalscorer officially closed the collegiate chapter of his hockey career when he made his AHL debut on March 31st, against the Coachella Valley Firebirds. In total, the 2020 third-round draft pick appeared in four games for the Reign and notably scored his first career professional goal against Abbotsford. Following his short stint with the Reign, Laferriere joined the Kings as a black ace, participating in the Kings’ practices throughout the first round of the playoffs.

Gaining experience at both the AHL and NHL last season was both invaluable and eye-opening for Laferriere.

“I learned a lot of stuff,” he admitted. “It was definitely a fast couple of months, everything was changing for me. Once I got out to LA, everyone was so welcoming and everything and then it was playoff time. So, everyone’s focused on one thing – winning. It was pretty special to be around them and for them to accept me into it was pretty special, too.”

As the cliche goes, every league further up the chain is a step and second quicker than the previous one. Something like that…you get the point.

As Senior Director of Player Personnel Glen Murray put it, “Sometimes it takes a few years for the guys to understand how hard it is to be a pro and how the offseason workouts should be harder than when you come in here to play……[Laferriere] gets that.”

Laferriere himself reflected on that transition as well.

It’s a transition he’ll need to become familiar with as he works his way through the development process, because a rookie season as a professional is a hard one. College teams play 30-40 game and he’ll be expected to play in 72-82 at either the AHL or NHL levels. All coming against firmer competition. A big jump for any prospect.

“In my brief experience from college to the pros last season, I think just the size, speed and competitiveness of everyone on the ice stood out to me,” Laferriere said. “Seeing how strong everyone is, what kind of work in the offseason I needed to do was great and also, just being around the Kings during playoffs to see their kind of mentality of wanting to win really stopped out. I think just taking that into the summer and building on that moving forward.”

Laferriere had only been to one prior Kings Development Camp before last week’s showcase as he, like many, fell victim to the COVID-impacted 2020-21 season. As a multitude of Kings Player Development staffers unprovokingly brought up in their sessions with the media, there is often a jump from the prospects first camp to their second, mainly due to familiarity.

Laferriere, without question, was one player who took a massive step forward in this year’s development camp and credited the experience as a leading factor.

“I think the main thing is that last summer was my first development and I’d never really met the any of the guys, so I definitely came in here a little nervous and kind of out of my element,” he reflected. “Coming back this year, I’m one of the older guys because a lot of those older guys [from last year] aren’t here this year. I’ve just been trying to be a role model that the younger guys who just got drafted and stuff can be shown the ropes. Helping show where everything is and stuff like that. Obviously, you get more confident because I’ve done it before.”

Forward Alex Laferriere talks with the media following Day Three of Development Camp. pic.twitter.com/bFQfLzGet1

— LA Kings PR (@LAKingsPR) July 9, 2023

With the way that the Kings prospect pool has aged, professional North America hockey experience was not a common trait among camp goers in this year’s development camp. Maturely, Laferriere very much took it upon himself to be a leader.

“If you look at last year’s camp, there were a lot of guys with pro experience from Ontario and even the Kings and I think this year, there’s only a couple of guys. It’s Chromie, Sammy [Helenius] and Clarkie. I’ve only played four games, but I think that’s more than everybody else has had and I learned so much in my time here last season about being a responsible pro. I’ve just tried to be guidance to the younger guys.”

Knowledge in hand and in mind, Laferriere’s 2023 Development Camp was a good showing filled with physicality, aggressiveness, playmaking with and without the puck, to go along with plenty of high danger scoring chances. All things you’d want to see.

Following the conclusion of camp, Murray touched on Laferriere, noting the differences he saw, with a focus on his end goal this season being higher than most in attendance. He’s coming to main camp in the call as a pro and he’s got to be ready for the challenge.

“He’s finished college hockey now, he came here at the end of the year, joined the Reign and played four games and he was pretty impressive,” Murray said. “I think he understands now that okay, ‘I get it’ and has really pushed himself off the ice during the offseason if he wants to keep up with the Kopitar’s and those guys. He’s had a great four or five days, but there’s lot of the summer left until rookie camp.”

Laferriere, like every prospect in the Kings organization has had one-on-one time with the player development staff and has a clear target on where he’s aiming to improve.

As he mentioned, the size and speed ramps up at the professional level. That’s a focal point of his over the next couple of months.

“I think I can continue to work on my speed,” he said. “Getting to skate with the Kings at the end of the year, I saw how fast those guys are and they kind of never went off their lines. So, I think that’s kind of the main thing I’m working on right now is just being able to keep my foot on the gas for a long period of time while moving top speed.”

Last year’s professional experience has stuck with Laferriere so much so that his focus on speed this summer goes back to seeing Kings star Kevin Fiala skate firsthand during a practice.

“[Fiala] was one of the guys I watched like my whole life and the first couple of days I practiced [with the Kings], Fiala wasn’t there because he was injured. Then, the first day and I skated with him I was just kind of mind blown with how fast he was and how possessed the puck with such control at such pace.”

Not a bad guy to watch.

Having looked up to and watched players like Fiala and Kopitar up growing up, Laferriere has a chance to compete for an NHL roster spot this season alongside those veterans if he continues to do what’s asked of him by the player development staff, coaching staff in rookie camp, training camp and so on.

While there aren’t many, roster spots are open for competition and he’s certainly taking the mindset of trying to claim one.

“I mean, obviously, some big moves have happened, but I’m hoping to make the [Kings], so I think with just everybody watching, I’m trying to go out there and do all I can and kind of show everyone what I’m capable of. I hope to leave a good impression on them.”

No question Laferriere did that during the Kings’ development camp, which is a positive step one. With a lot happening before we get to Opening Night on October 11th, Laferriere continues to make the right steps forward. Next up, the 2023 NHL Rookie Faceoff in Las Vegas later this summer.