It’s a short season inside the WHL’s Regina Bubble where an Okotoks goalie is making up for lost time.
Staying ready and making the most of a prolonged off-season have paved the way for Winnipeg ICE netminder Gage Alexander to breakthrough in his second full season with the Western Hockey League outfit.
“Last year was kind of a development year for me personally and I knew I had to come in this year and show that I’m ready to be a starter in this league,” said Alexander, the ICE’s seventh-round pick in 2017. “I knew our team was going to be good this year so that definitely helps in the mindset of just coming to the rink every day and just working hard and having a good attitude, just being a good teammate every day goes a long way.
“And personally, I trained pretty hard this long off-season.”
The extended off-season which saw the WHL sidelined for the better part of a calendar year amid the pandemic afforded its athletes ample time to work on their craft.
Alexander made sure to take advantage of that rare commodity in the junior game.
“I knew we were going to have a season at some point so I just stayed ready for that day to come,” he said. “I spent most of my off-season in Winnipeg training with my goalie coach from last year (Dan Ferguson) and the personal trainer I had in Winnipeg with the team so I definitely utilized the team with that.
“There was a lot of good Western Hockey League players out in Winnipeg so I got to train with those guys too, that helped me personally coming into this season, getting shots off from guys like Seth Jarvis and Tristen Robins to push myself and skating with the pro guys out in Winnipeg a couple times too.”
On the last line of defence with veterans Liam Hughes and Jesse Makaj getting most of the starts, Alexander saw action in just seven games in 2019-20 as the youngster in goal.
The situation has evolved significantly one year later with Alexander sharing the crease with fellow Okotoks Bow Mark Oilers alum Daniel Hauser, a 2004-born shotstopper from Chestermere, along with veteran Carl Stankowski.
“I had seen Howie play a couple times thanks to the Bow Mark program there, he’s an awesome kid, I’ve seen him play for a couple years now at camps and he’s developed really well,” Alexander said. “Carl, he’s a really experienced 20-year-old goalie, played in every situation, he’s been through the highs and lows of junior hockey and that’s a guy I look up to.
“All three of us have a really good relationship and push each other every day.”
Through six games, the 6-foot-7 netminder has posted four wins, a 2.17 goals against average and .924 save percentage while picking up his first career shutout in a 31-save performance against the Prince Albert Raiders earlier this month.
“Honestly it’s just my confidence and being more comfortable out there with my size and utilizing it to my advantage,” he said. “It’s a hard jump from (U18 AAA) to major junior.”
Alexander has followed a similar development path from the Okotoks Bow Mark Oilers to the ICE organization, one shared by the likes of defenceman Anson McMaster, Hauser and captain Peyton Krebs who played one season with the CFR Bisons before the catchment zone was split and the Okotoks organization was founded.
“Peyton is an unreal player, he’s a great captain and he brings so much to the team on the ice and off the ice,” Alexander said. “He pushes everyone hard on the ice and makes everyone a better person, having that guy in the locker-room every day definitely helps.
“I played with Dru (Krebs) for two years in Okotoks and hadn’t had the opportunity before last year to play with Peyton, but all the Krebs brothers are pretty much the same, they work hard, they’re awesome guys and you always want a guy like that on your team.”
Winnipeg sits second in the East Division, featuring the WHL’s Saskatchewan and Manitoba teams, with a 10-4 record on the heels of a strong 2020 campaign.
After some tough seasons and a relocation from Cranbrook to Winnipeg, it’s a team very much on the rise.
“Our team is looking really good this year, we’ve had a lot of injuries, but there’s guys stepping up in certain roles and playing huge minutes for us and lots of guys getting different opportunities this year,” he said. “We have lots of good young guys coming up, Conor Geekie and Zach Benson have been huge for us this year, playing lots and getting lots of development and getting a feel for this league before everything kicks in next year.
“Every team isn’t taking it for granted, you’ve only got 24 games to show your stuff, there’s lots of people watching so every game you’ve got to go out and battle hard, compete and go day by day with this process.”
