Former Latrobe ice hockey player Alex Singley is working to advancing his career in hockey. He was drafted into the NAHL this past August, to play for the Johnstown Tomahawks. “I tried out for the team and after a long process of selecting and cutting players, I made the team,” said SIngley.

The NAHL is the oldest and one of the largest USA hockey sanctioned junior circuits, made up of twenty two teams representing major hockey markets. The North American Hockey League gives sixteen to twenty year old players a chance to move up to being collegiate players and hopefully getting to the professional level.

He has been playing hockey for twelve years and at only sixteen years old he is one of the youngest rookies in the league. The team practices every morning from about nine thirty to eleven. After practices, they go over video footage from previous games, and then go to the gym to workout again. He then will either go back to the rink or focus on academics.

He has online school seven days a week for three to four hours taking basically the same classes that he would be taking here at Latrobe. “Stat and English are probably my hardest classes,” said Singley. “It is very different and pretty difficult without a teacher helping me through problems and stuff but, it is super nice to just go to school whenever and wherever I want,” said Singley. Alex has figured out a pretty solid schedule when it comes to everything that he is involved in. “At the beginning of the year it was kind of difficult for me to balance practices, games, and appearances,” said Singley.

Alex has huge support coming from his family. “My family is a huge part of my success,” said Alex.  Especially his brother and his father. “My father and brother have been like coach figures for me,” said Singley. His family is behind him one hundred percent in the choices that he makes to better himself for the future. His brother also played hockey when he was younger. “My brother is always extremely supportive of me and is always trying to help, it is nice to hear from a more experienced player whenever I need him,” said Singley. He looks up to SIdney Crosby, one of the best hockey players known by the NHL. Alex said on behalf of Sidney Crosby, “he is an unbelievable hockey player, and I love the fact that he is a very humble person.”

In the future he hopes to play hockey at a d1 college to continue his career. He hopes to commit within the next two years, but he says, “I’m a very young player in the league and still have plenty of time to figure that out.” Even though the Tomahawks lost their home opener, they still look forward to the rest of the season.