By: Brendan Price

Fresh off an impressive rookie campaign, forward Alexandre Bedard was eager to come back to Northern Colorado for an encore.

“I love playing for the Eagles because it is a great organization that makes me feel at home and pushes me to be the best hockey player I can,” remarked Bedard.

The talented center broke onto the scene for the Eagles in 2021-22; he paced all NoCo rookies in goals (14) and finished with 27 points (14-13-27) in 47 games. The Saint-Augustin de Desmaures product didn’t just chip in offensively though. He played in 50 of the team’s 55 games, anchoring the checking line with discipline down the middle.

Playing in 50 games is no easy feat; it’s all the more impressive considering it was Bedard’s first junior hockey season and first season in the US.

"He has a strong motor and work ethic. [Along] with his skill set, that makes it tough for opponents to contain on a game by game basis. We saw Bedard get stronger and grow everyday at the junior hockey level,” he noted.

As a rookie, Bedard never went more than six games without a point and potted 13 of his 14 goals against stingy Mountain Division goaltending.

"Our staff is excited to get more time with him along with seeing what he can accomplish in his second season,” he continued.

Scoring aside, his all-around game was omnipresent throughout the season. In 47 regular season games, Bedard committed just three penalties and won 52% of faceoffs.

“As coaches, that's what you hope for as players develop during the season. Not every player develops at the same rate, but he was consistent and was playing his best hockey down the stretch," Haddon finished.

The center looks to avoid the sophomore slump, both as an individual and for the team, as a whole.

“I want a really good season that will achieve my goal of playing college hockey and I want to win our division and go to Nationals,” declared Bedard.

With the offseason drawing to a close, Bedard can’t wait to get started.

“I look forward to getting back to work with the boys and [trying] to win a championship,” he finished.

Entering their 10th season of existence, the Eagles have graduated over 100 players to college commitments in the United States (NCAA) and Canada (U-Sports), as well as professional contracts abroad. Eagles’ alumni dot the hockey landscape; playing in the Southern Professional Hockey League (SPHL), Poland and Sweden.

If you are a player that is interested in joining the Eagles organization for the upcoming 2022-2023 season, please email Coach Haddon at haddon@northerncoloradoeagles.com.