On a team with stars like Anze Kopitar, Adrian Kempe, and Kevin Fiala, the name Alex Laferriere may not be well known among NHL fan bases, but Kings’ head coach Jim Hiller would probably say it should be.
“He’s going to be a really important player for us in the playoffs because he going to bring physicality and he started that tonight,” said Hiller, following LA’s 5-4 win against Colorado on April 12th.
The 23-year-old native of Chatham, New Jersey has shown an ability to mix it up since his NHL debut on October 11th, 2023, when he dropped the gloves against the Avs’ Logan O’Connor.
First time I’ve seen a family celebrate a guy fighting in his NHL debut like Alex Laferriere’s family pic.twitter.com/j6i0aHfQLs
— CJ Fogler 🫡 (@cjzero) October 12, 2023
While Laferriere is certainly no enforcer, he never shies away from contact. His 124 hits are good for third on the team behind Tanner Jeannot (211) and rookie Samuel Helenius, who has already made an impressive 145 hits in just 49 games played.
Offensively, Laferriere has made it a habit to improve on his numbers every year, even going back to his college hockey days at Harvard. In his first season with the Crimson in 2021-22, Laferriere recorded 31 points (14 G 17 A) and was the ECAC (Eastern College Athletic Conference) Hockey Rookie of the Year. Laferriere had an even better sophomore year when he struck for 42 points (21 G 21 A) and helped lead Harvard to the NCAA hockey tournament.
At the NHL level, Laferriere is showing the same knack for consistent improvement. He had 23 points for the Kings (12 G 11 A) in 81 games in his first season but has come close to doubling that output in 76 games this year. Laferriere has 19 goals and 23 assists heading into LA’s final regular season game against Calgary on April 16th. Should he score against the Flames, it would give the Kings six 20+ goal scorers, a testament to LA’s scoring depth.
All in all, Alex Laferriere has emerged as a key component for the LA Kings this season. With the injured Tanner Jeannot still listed as week-to-week, the Kings will need Laferriere to continue to ramp up his physical play. His mix of grit and offensive upside will be needed if the Kings intend on finally vanquishing the Edmonton Oilers in the first round of the playoffs.
Read the full article here
