North American Hockey League
Harvard-bound McCrea continues his climb W
By Matt Mackinder
ith a commitment to attend and play hockey at Harvard University already in place, there’s no
question Alec McCrea is holding some pretty good cards.
And as one of the youngest players in the North American Hockey League (NAHL) this season - he turned 17 years old in January - the defenseman from El Cajon is making the most of his opportunity with the Janesville (Wis.) Jets. “Living away from home at a young age is hard, especially not being able to see my parents and friends everyday, but it’s taught me to become independent and helped me mature, which will help me for life dur- ing and after college,” explained McCrea. So, too, is the enhanced competition the 6-foot-2, 200-pounder is facing in the highly regarded Tier II Ju- nior A league. “The level of play in the NAHL is what I expected,”
said McCrea. “It’s an older league filled with veteran players who are more physically mature and experi- enced and that’s allowed me to develop and get used to that part of junior hockey.”
And McCrea more than held his own on the blue
line for the Jets - a team that boasts San Jose Sharks forward Joe Pavelski as part of its ownership group - finishing the regular season with a goal and an assist to go along with a plus-8 rating in 50 games. “It’s been a very good learning experience,” he add- ed. “I’ve learned a lot about how to carry myself, on and off the ice, from both the coaches and the veteran play-
El Cajon’s Alec McCrea, 17, benefitted from competing against older, more experienced players in the NAHL this season. Photo/NAHL
ers on the team and that will definitely help me down the road.” McCrea admits it took some time to adjust to com- peting against bigger, faster, stronger and more skilled players than what he was used to coming out of his 16U AAA year with the San Diego Jr. Gulls, but it only made him work harder to succeed. “Ultimately, it motivated me to focus on my own body and working towards getting it ready for the tough
NAHL.com
grind of the season,” he said. “The first couple months are very taxing on the
body, both mentally and physically, but I learned that having the mindset of being my best everyday helps me even on the days when I don’t feel my best.” McCrea started his hockey career with the San Di-
ego Saints before settling in with the Jr. Gulls. There, Larry Cahn, who coached McCrea during his Bantam AA and 16U AAA seasons, had a major impact on the budding defenseman’s growth as a player. “He’s helped me with all aspects of the game, from
when I played on his teams and from training with him during the summer,” said McCrea. “He helped me de- velop into the player I am today.”
Cahn, now the director of hockey for the Vacaville
Jets and general manager of Vacaville Ice, believes the sky’s the limit for McCrea.
“Alec is a great kid with lots of potential in the sport, and he’s one of those players who understands the value of hard work and determination,” said Cahn. “His motivation and drive have brought him to where he is today, and it’s nice to see all the hours put in to achieving his goals, on and off the ice, pay off for him.” With a season of junior hockey under his belt, Mc- Crea is taking his progress one step at a time in his drive to reach the pinnacle of the sport. “My plan after juniors is to play hockey and get a good college education at Harvard,” explained McCrea. “And when I’m there, I plan to work towards my ulti- mate goal of playing in the NHL.”
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