By Mike Gurnis
Former Chatham forward Alex Laferriere was selected in the third round with the 83rd pick of the 2020 NHL Draft on Wednesday afternoon.
Laferriere, a Harvard commit, was a standout as a sophomore during Chatham's run to the Public C final in 2017-18. He then transferred to the Kent School, a prep school in Connecticut, where he played his junior year, before starring for the USHL's Des Moines Buccaneers this past winter.
"What a great day for Alex and his family," Chatham coach Brendon Herr said. "As a former member of the Chatham High School team- the coaching staff, along with the hockey comunity in Chatham could not be more proud of his accomplishments, especially today as he is living out his dream of making into the NHL. Alex was a big part of our program at Chatham and was part of a team that made the state championships at Prudential Center."
"This day is well-deserved for Alex as he is one of the hardest-working players at his game and continues to excel at every level he plays at. We wish Alex all the best in this next chapter of his career."
A 6'0", 179lb right wing, Laferriere had a big season in the USHL this past year, as he amassed 45 points in 42 games, which was a team-high for the Des Moines Buccaneers. Those 45 points included 19 goals and 26 assists during a COVID-19 pandemic-shortened season.
According to the EliteProspects.com NHL Draft guide, Laferriere is a "dangerous player off the rush" who "gains the line and creates room for himself to make plays." He's a true "dual-threat scorer and likes to play a real power game, even at a modest 6-feet-even and 179 pounds. Think a scoring forward with some grit, not the second coming of Cam Neely."
He was ranked 61st among North American skaters in NHL Central Scouting's final draft rankings in April.
In his high school career at Chatham, he burst onto the scene as a freshman with eight goals and seven assists, before totaling 11 goals and 13 assists during his sophomore campaign. He performed well in the state tournament in his sophomore season, which included a 2-goal, 2-assist performance against Wall in the Public C semifinals which punched the team's ticket to Prudential Center, where it fell 3-0 to Summit in the final.
While in New Jersey, he also starred for the New Jersey Colonials 13U and 14U AAA teams, before joining the North Jersey Avalanche 15U and 16U AAA squads.
As of now, he is slated to kick off his collegiate career this winter for Harvard University.
