Family affair: Three generations of one family share a passion for Huskies’ hockey

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — It’s a staple of those cold, snowy wintery months of Northern B.C.: heading out to the rink.

And it’s that special time for three generations of the Alexander family to come to the ice for a game of hockey with the Huskies.

Months are spent at the North Peace Arena until, in good years, early April. Countless residents congregate week in and week out, whether it be the youth programs, the Senior Flyers, or the Huskies.

Beginning life at the Golden Hawks, the Huskies are currently members of the North West Junior Hockey League. 

The franchise in some form has existed since the mid-1960s. 

For Huskies’ head coach Todd Alexander, the season’s changing to fall means it is time to mentor and mould “young teenage boys into men.”

On one particular night, practice before a game versus the Dawson Creek Kodiaks, he leads his team in drills, practicing stick handling, scrimmage and power-play situations.  

Dressed head-to-toe in all-black attire, he converses with assistants while his eyes watch carefully, studying each play.

Alexander has been the head coach since 2012, following a playing career which took him to stops in Manitoba, Ohio, California and Las Vegas and wrapped up as a member of the Fort St. John Senior Flyers during the Allan Cup run of 2010.  

If that wasn’t enough, Alexander also volunteers with the Trackers program as an assistant. He’s also spent seasons as a scout for his former junior team in Flin Flon. 

He’s had sage advice: his father, Gary, coached the Huskies before him. Todd’s first memories of hockey and being behind the bench were “around three or four years old”.

“[I remember] coming down here to watch dad play with the Flyers,” said Todd. “[Uncle] Rob was down here. The whole family would come down to watch. 

“They had figure skating down here at the time, and mats were set up. We’d run onto and jump on the mats. We’d get in trouble for that.”

Gary grew up in Fort St. John and has been coming to the rink ever since its existence in the early 1970s. 

The elder Alexander grew up in a time where Zambonis were uncommon, and his first job was scraping the ice with a manual scraper during games.

Now 73-years-old, Gary and his brother Rob grew up watching the Flyers, eventually suiting up for the senior squad.

In fact, Gary spent time as a player-coach, finishing a 22-year-career with the team in the early 1990s.  Both he and his brother’s jerseys are high up in the North Peace Arena’s rafters.

Following a stint coaching the Huskies, he gave way to his son Todd, then an assistant coach.

Gary now offers advice to his son and is seen during practice handling stick tapings, measuring blades and sharpening skates. 

In his own words, he can’t “get away” from the game. 

“I coached Todd all the way into juniors,” Gary said. “I even coached [my other son] Matthew up to midget. 

“My dad coached me, so he passed on love of the game too.”

Like a tree, passion for hockey has seeped down to the very roots of the family.

Todd’s uncle Rob assists his brother Gary with the equipment management. Todd’s brother Matthew plays with the town’s 35-plus squad, the Totems. 

Todd’s nephew via his brother David, Grayden – technically Todd’s first cousin once removed – is in his second year with the team serving as the Huskies’ captain.

“It’s a family affair,” said the youngest Alexander in the Husky pack. “Everybody’s around the rink. Whether it’s here or the Pomeroy, I always have a relative around. There’s a lot of hockey talk around the dinner table.”

His grandpa Rob agrees, having been involved in the game “his whole life”.

“We’ve always enjoyed hockey and being around it,” said Rob. “I coached for quite a few years in the minor hockey system, and also ran the Kid’s [Arena] Fieldhouse at one point. It’s just natural to be at the rink.”

Hockey in Canada is a generational passion for some, and this family’s spirit and pride have resonated with other members of the organization.

Ashton Underhill, a third-year forward, says coming to Fort St. John from the junior league on Vancouver Island was an adjustment, but playing for and alongside the Alexander family has made his experience just that: like a family.

Nursing a shoulder injury, he sat in the seats absorbing the energy of his teammates skating around the ice. 

“Coach wants us to know, when we’re done playing hockey, we’ll all be men,” said the 21-year-old native of Whitehorse. “We’re going to grow up in this program. 

“It’s pretty cool having generations of the team involved. It’s awesome.”

As practice wraps up, the incoming playoffs are on the horizon.  Last year, the Huskies fell short of a fifth straight championship, losing to the La Crete Lumber Barons in the finals in five games.

However, Todd’s biggest takeaway is not necessarily championships, but the way he’s able to foster maturity in his players.

He said he couldn’t have “asked for a better teacher” than his dad.

“It’s to turn these boys into men,” said Todd. “I’m a winner and a competitive guy, but at the end of the day when guys leave this program, they are men. You want to make sure they’re better equipped on how to act and take care of themselves.

“So they can be leaders and be better husbands and fathers. Seeing graduates of this program conduct themselves successfully is the championship for me.”

The Huskies open the playoffs on evening of Wednesday, February 5th versus the Fairview Flyers at North Peace Arena.

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