Meadow Lake local and captain of the U15 NorthWest Stars, Kash Alger-East lines up for a faceoff versus Saskatoon this season. (Martin Martinson/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Martin Martinson

On the Ice

Meadow Lake’s Alger-East shines for NorthWest Stars

Oct 20, 2022 | 3:00 PM

There’s a familiar name near the top of the Saskatchewan U15 AA scoring charts for hockey fans in the Battlefords and Meadow Lake.

U15 NorthWest Stars captain Kash Alger-East sits second in SAAHL scoring with 20 points through six games this season, including a team-high 10 goals and 10 assists.

A Meadow Lake product, Alger-East is now in his fourth year playing out of the Battlefords, his second home for the winter months since his rookie year of U13 Bantam with the Battlefords Barons.

Now in the infancy of his second season with the NorthWest Stars, Alger-East has only continued to build on where he left off last year. As a league standout in his first year of U15 AA, when he scored 40 points in 31 games as a 13-year-old to finish second in team scoring.

“It’s given me a lot of confidence and ability to really play my game,” he said of returning to the team this year, knowing more of what to expect. “Last year there was a bit of an adjustment to the physicality.”

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Kash Alger-East is among the most physical players on the NorthWest Stars roster, in addition to the skill he brings to the lineup. (Martin Martinson/battlefordsNOW Staff)

Taking pride in his game at both ends of the ice, Alger-East has been an impact player for his team in all three zones, while helping set a physical tone as well, as indicated by his 18 penalty minutes and the edge he brings on a nightly basis.

It’s that physical nature that saw the 14-year-old sidelined in just the second game of the season, after dishing out what was deemed to be a hit-from-behind in the opening game of the year, though it’s something he called ‘a learning experience.’

As much as the points are what grabs the eye, it is those intangibles and being a good teammate and leader that Alger-East prides himself on most.

“I like to set everyone else up as well as myself and help them score goals too, and I’m a 200-foot player,” he said when asked to describe his own style of play. “Not all my points are just from me either, everyone’s been contributing, and it’s been good to see.”

Head coach of the NorthWest Stars Kim Kramer said Alger-East plays a big part in setting the tone for the team.

“He’s obviously a very skilled player, and not only does he bring the offense, but he’s good in our end and I would classify him as a 200-foot centre,” Kramer said. “He’s an extremely smart player, and his hockey IQ has him in the right spots all the time.”

As captain of the Stars this year, Kramer said his leadership shows each day by setting a strong example for his teammates on the ice and off.

“His play and practice habits speak for themselves,” Kramer said. “Kash always brings a good work ethic and attitude on the ice and in the dressing room, so he’s just an all-around good kid to have around.”

Alger-East and his NorthWest Stars teammates will return to action this Saturday, Oct. 22 in Melville to play the Melville Millionaires’ U15 AA team.

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Martin.Martinson@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @MartyMartyPxP1