Kyle Garcia 
With training camp just around the corner, we are previewing each player on the LA Kings roster. Up next: Alex Laferriere!
Alex Laferriere
Birthdate: October 28, 2001
Birthplace: Chatham, New Jersey
Height: 6’0
Weight: 178
Position: Right-wing
Shoots: Right
Draft: 3rd round, 83rd overall, 2020 NHL Entry Draft
2022-2023 season
Laferriere had a phenomenal season at Harvard and climbed up the ranking in the LA Kings prospect pool. On a stacked Harvard team, Laferriere led the team in goals (21), third in assists (21), and second in points (21). His shooting percentage also went up nearly four percent from a season ago (10.3% to 14%) which saw him score seven more goals from his previous season.
After Harvard got eliminated from the Frozen Four tournament, Laferriere decided to turn pro by signing an ATO (amateur tryout) with the Ontario Reign. In his Reign debut, Laferriere played on the fourth line and impressed head coach Marco Sturm with his play and got bumped up to the first line with TJ Tynan and Lias Andersson and stayed there for the next three games. In four games with the Reign, Laferriere recorded one goal and impressed me with his play during his short stint with the Reign. On April 9th, he signed his entry-level contract with the LA Kings.
Going, going, gone! @alaf_14 gets his first!#ReignTrain pic.twitter.com/RJOusVNBNZ
— Ontario Reign (@ontarioreign) April 8, 2023
2023-2024 outlook
We’ve signed forward Alex Laferriere to a three-year entry-level contract through the 2024-25 season.
Read More 📲 https://t.co/VZ1sF86aSM #GoKingsGo pic.twitter.com/mZCqzKVYae
— LA Kings (@LAKings) April 9, 2023
Laferriere has been a prospect that has caught the attention of LA Kings fans and certainly within the organization. There’s a lot to like about his game. He can skate, shoot, pass, has a good hockey IQ, and can win puck battles along the boards. While I think Laferriere is a dark horse candidate to make the LA Kings roster, I expect him to start the year in Ontario as the days go by, and that’s okay. I do think his defensive game will have to improve, but everything else I saw from his short stint with the Reign back in April makes me feel confident his game will translate fine in the AHL for a full season. I expect Laferriere to possibly reach the 20-goal mark this upcoming, and playing alongside Tynan, Alex Turcotte, or Francesco Pinelli, makes the possibility of hitting that 20-goal mark realistic.
Main photo credit: Mike Zitek/Ontario Reign