By Ryan Stieg
Sports injuries are an interesting thing. Sometimes, they can devastate an athlete, but they can also lead to unexpected opportunities.
That’s been the case for St. Thomas forward Alex Gaffney, who joined the team this year out of the transfer portal, and is now having the best season of his college career. He’s currently tied for seventh nationally in goals with 12 and has been a much-needed veteran spark to a young Tommies squad.
Unlike a lot of guys on the Tommies roster, Gaffney didn’t come from a hockey family. He just was a hard worker from New Jersey who got up early as a kid.
“Both my parents didn’t play,” he said. “I used to get up very early in the mornings when I was two or three and the only thing available was private ice or just hockey lessons. One of those where it’s a full sheet, but there’s four coaches out there and there’s a coach in every corner. One of those types of deals. That’s kind of how it got started, and that was the only thing going on at the time. My mom signed me up for one of those and I had a very good coach when I was young. Then it kind of took off from there. I would go every day and that’s how it started.”
All that early effort helped Gaffney get to Harvard, which provided him with an unique and challenging opportunity.
“I’m so thankful to have gone there,” he said. “It’s a very special place. It’s very cool and it’s different from a lot of colleges. Right away, freshman year, you get put in with random roommates in dorms. I was with five other kids that I’d never met. One was from Ethiopia, and another was from France. The rest were all from British Columbia or the U.S. That was very cool right away and it allows you to get acclimated to the student body. I wouldn’t have met those kids if it wasn’t for that.
“The next thing is you’re in dorms all four years. It’s called houses, but it’s big dorms. I think it’s 300 kids. After your freshman year, you can pick who you live with. So that’s when you usually get to live with your class and guys on the team. We had a common room. My first four years, we were on bunk beds and we had two sets of bunk beds and two separate rooms. That’s the cool part is that you live with your class whereas at St. Thomas, you’ve got freshmen living with juniors and it’s a little different. So you get really close to your class.
“The schooling part is definitely challenging. There’s definitely easier classes you can take and make the workload a lot easier, and that tends to be what a lot of hockey guys and athletes do in general. But it’s still very challenging and very demanding. You’re going to every class and you’re going to lectures and all that. But it’s definitely very doable. Anyone from St. Thomas could do it as long as you put in the work. But it was a very cool experience.”
After a career where he played in rivalry games against Cornell, competed for the Beanpot, won an ECAC championship and played in two NCAA Tournament games, one of which where he scored, Gaffney entered his senior year hoping to close out his career on a high note. Instead, he got a concussion due to a hit during the last game before winter break last season, which took time to heal, and he only played four games the entire season.
In need of a fresh start, Gaffney entered the portal, but he found his choices limited thanks to his lack of playing time last season.
“In reality, I didn’t have many options,” he said. “I only played four games my senior year and the player I was my junior year is not the player that I am right now. I’ve put in a ton of work in all areas of my game. My skating, my IQ, my stickhandling, everything. I’m very disappointed I wasn’t able to showcase much of that in my senior year. When I entered the portal, there’s a lot of names in there like Canadian junior players and I did not have many options. Like barely any. St. Thomas was by far the best option I had. I’m very grateful because they didn’t have to take me on because I’m such a different player than it shows on tape. They didn’t have to take a chance on me. I wasn’t looking for anything, or I wasn’t narrowing down my options. St. Thomas reached out and that was the best thing I had. I’m grateful I chose that.”
Now that he’s played some games in the ECAC and the CCHA, Gaffney said that both conferences are similar in their style of play.
“I think the Big Ten is a lot more skilled and the game is less hitting, and more of a track meet down and forth and odd man rushes down and forth,” he said. “That’s why the games are like 9-6 and high scoring games. I’d say the ECAC and the CCHA are very similar. Just a lot of strong defensive play and tight games. 2-1 games and 3-2 games or 1-0 games. Make one mistake and it could be in the back of your net. So, you need to be able to play in the corners and take hits and scratch and claw and fight every shift. I think they’re very similar in that extent.”
Since joining the Tommies, Gaffney has mostly played on a line with captain Lucas Wahlin and winger Ryan O’Neill and the three of them had built up a good connection on the ice. But for the last few games, UST head coach Rico Blasi has shuffled his lines a bit, so Gaffney has gotten to play with more of his teammates.
“I couldn’t have asked for a better group of guys and coaches that believe in me,” he said. “It was great playing with Wahlin and O’Neill. They’re two unbelievable guys that play to their strengths. They’re both hard on the puck and they never lose a battle. They compete hard. Wahlin is extremely fast, and he has a great shot. Ryan’s vision is through the roof and he’s an unbelievable passer. I wouldn’t be where I am without the guys I played with on the line. At the same time, I’ve played a lot with (Lucas) Van Vliet and (Jake) Braccini and (Josh) Giuliani. Whoever I’m playing with, I think I can do great things. I’m excited and looking forward, who knows who I’ll be with, but I’m ready to keep it going.”
While some players might already be wondering what they’ll be doing after their college careers, Gaffney says that’s not on his mind and that his perspective has changed since his injury last year.
“Just being away from the game for so long really allowed me to appreciate the little things,” he said. “To appreciate being in the locker room and appreciate playing because just like that, you can lose everything. I appreciate the opportunities that I have. I’ve been scratched, I’ve been fourth line, I’ve scored in the NCAA Tournament, I’ve been through everything. Every opportunity I have, I’ve learned to just take it and be grateful and give everything I have and don’t look back. That’s what has helped me a lot this year is just the gratitude and taking this opportunity and running and keeping going and working hard and putting your head down. No matter what you do, be humble and be grateful that you are where you are.
“My goal is to keep playing after, but I’m totally happy if no team says a single word to me during this year. I’m so grateful for the opportunity I have at St. Thomas. That’s all I care about. If my career ended as a Tommie, and I went on to do great things, I’ll be the happiest person. That’s kind of how I look at it. Obviously, the goal is to keep playing, but I’ll worry about that when our season is over.”
Speaking of the Tommies’ season, they’re in a good position in the NPI (NCAA Percentage Index) rankings, and a strong second half could possibly help them get into the NCAA Tournament without having to win the CCHA. Gaffney believes that UST has the team to get there and that he’d love to end his college career with another NCAA berth.
“1000 percent, I think we have what it takes to win the conference,” he said. “It’s going to take consistency, it’s going to take grit, and it’s going to take competing every day. You’ve got to show up to the rink wanting to be the best and believing you’re the best. It’s going to take everybody, and we have the group and I know everybody has bought in to do that. Last weekend was huge up at Northern (Michigan). That sweep was huge. It’s very awesome to roll into the break like that. Yeah, you can rest a little bit over break, but mentally, you’ve got to be thinking about Ferris (State) and those games. We definitely have what it takes. We’ve got to hit the ground running when we get back, and we can definitely win the conference. Once we win the conference, I’ll bet on St. Thomas against any team in this country. So, don’t let us get to the NCAA Tournament because anything can happen.”
Sometimes a terrible injury can lead you to the right spot in life, and Gaffney appears to be exactly where he belongs.