Alex Laferriere, forward for the Los Angeles Kings, is off to a good start after being placed on the top line for the beginning of the 2024-25 season.
The young forward began to blossom last season after being recalled from the Ontario Reign of the American Hockey League (AHL). He has since impressed the coaching staff that they saw something in him to promote him to the top line.
He has not disappointed so far.
Kings’ Laferriere Living the Dream
Los Angeles drafted Laferriere with the 83rd pick in the 2020 NHL Draft. After spending two seasons with Harvard University, he made his pro debut with the Reign in the 2022-23 season, scoring one goal in four games. After a good training camp, he made the Kings roster and immediately made an impact. He signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Kings on April 9, 2023, and made his NHL debut on October 11, 2023, in a 5-2 loss against the Colorado Avalanche, but recorded four shots. He would score his first NHL goal in a 4-2 loss against the Boston Bruins on October 21, 2023. He would spend most of his rookie season in the bottom six while he developed and adjusted his game to the NHL level.
His hustle, hard work, and performance in his rookie season earned him on the top line this season with captain Anze Kopitar and sniper Adrian Kempe. He completes the line by doing the hard work and getting in front of the net while Kopitar plays the role of playmaker, and Kempe scores the goals. He does the dirty work and goes in the areas most players would not go, but he also has a scoring touch to add to that style of play. This season, he has two goals and one assist for three points in three games. It is early in the season, but he shows he can be a vital part of this team by doing some of everything on the ice. His three points have him tied for second in team scoring.
Laferriere is not an elite scorer but is successful because he works hard and does the little things well.
Every team needs him to be successful. He plays physically and scores garbage goals, which helps teams win Stanley Cups. In a few short years, he had adjusted from college hockey to playing on the top line of a Stanley Cup contender.
He has the tools to help this team be competitive this season and a player that could play a big role down the stretch.
He is proving that a player does not have to be picked first overall to be a successful NHL player.
PHOTO: Sergei Belski/USA TODAY Sports
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