Jefferies Ready to Pick Up Where He Left Off
Sep 14, 2024By Rachel Luscher / New York Islanders
It’s been more than four years since Alex Jefferies was drafted 121st overall at the virtual 2020 NHL Draft. A pandemic and an NCAA career limited Jefferies’ time in New York Islanders training facilities, but the 22-year-old is on Long Island for the second time ever for Isles Rookie Camp, ready to make an impression and sharpen his skills.
“Great guys and a great room here,” Jefferies said. “It's been cool to meet everyone and just kind of get to know everyone and learn from all the coaches.”
The 6’0,” 200-pound forward is on the heels of a solid four years with the Merrimack Warriors, where he proved himself as a playmaker and a reliable goal scorer.
Jefferies racked up 97 points (41g, 56a) through 105 career games with the Warriors and rounded out his senior year with 23 points through 22 games. An injury sidelined him for the first two months of last season, but battled back and finished the season as a top scorer – tied for the team lead of 13 goals.
“Getting injured early in the year kind of put a damper on the senior year, faced some adversity,” Jefferies said. “But once I got back, I felt good. Had a great year and looking forward to getting better.”
The Warriors were eliminated in the opening round of the Hockey East tournament, but it allowed the left winger to ink an amateur tryout agreement (ATO) with the Bridgeport Islanders on Mar. 20. He recorded seven points (4g, 3a) in 12 games in his first taste at the pro level, which caught the eye of the Bridgeport coaching staff. Bridgeport Head Coach Rick Kowalsky intends for Jefferies to build on the skill he showcased at the end of last season.
“We saw enough of him last year to see his skill,” Kowalsky said. “I think [rookie camp] will be really good for him. He's going to have to adjust to the pace and understand that. He's going to have to do more to get pucks back and check.”
As Jefferies looks ahead to his first full season of pro hockey, he felt as though the 12 games under his belt in Bridgeport gave him an idea of what to anticipate this season.
“It definitely helped me a lot, I got to see what the pro life is like and experience what it takes each day,” Jefferies said. “Got a feel for what the practices are like and [what the] days are like, and it was great to get in a few games to get my feet wet. I feel like I can come back and get better than that.”
When Jefferies arrived in Bridgeport in March, he was reunited with a familiar NCAA foe in Marshall Warren, who played NCAA hockey for Boston College and joined him in Bridgeport for two games at the end of last season.
The two vividly remember facing off against each other – and are mutually thrilled to be playing on the same team.
“He's a great player, he has a good shot,” Warren said of Jefferies. “He works hard, so it was cool to play against him in college and then to be in the same organization and be on the same path, it’s awesome.”
“Yeah, I loved playing against him. Well actually, hated it,” Jefferies said with a laugh. “We had some good battles. He's a great player, too, I definitely remember him well. Good to be his teammate now instead of playing against him.”
The NCAA rivalry melted away as Jefferies and Warren got to know each other better over the summer, when they spent three weeks living together.
“He’s a great guy,” Warren said. “We played a lot of pool, and we like to play cards sometimes, little things like that.”
Jefferies largely spent the summer training in his home state of Massachusetts, getting stronger and sharpening his skills as he gears up for his first year as a pro.
“I'm excited to see what he can do with it at this level,” Kowalsky said. “When I say at this level, I think that [in the] American Hockey League, he showed he can make plays. But now want to see him against NHL defensemen and forwards and see how his game translates.”