Alex Arnason Tabbed For Alumni Game
September 1, 2009 - North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Topeka Pilots News Release
Topeka, KS, SEPTEMBER 1, 2009: When Alex Arnason was growing up in Blaine, MN, just outside the Twin Cities, he like most kids found their way onto a pond with a hockey stick. "I grew up playing hockey when I was around 4, just skating on the outdoor ponds. Then when I was 5 I started playing organized hockey in Blaine. We weren't really a hockey family. I was big into baseball and my mom felt I needed a sport to play in the winter and that's how I got into hockey." Arnason further recalls, "From then I played all my youth hockey for Blaine before going to a private high school here in MN."
Like most Minnesota high school players, Arnason was watched and scouted by numerous teams. "My senior year of high school I signed a tender with the Lone Star Calvary. We were there for about 2 weeks and the team was being sold and moved to Santa Fe. Obviously all of us were a little weary about moving again but we put our whole life in our cars and set off into the sunset. We had a big caravan going west to Santa Fe and when we got there everything kind of took off from there." Upon arrival in Santa Fe, Arnason and his teammates were pleased to find solid accommodations. "It wasn't a huge hockey city but the support from all the housing families was amazing. Most of them were from the East Coast or Colorado and knew a thing or two about hockey. So it was nice having billet families that understood what we were going through and were very supportive of the team."
Once settled in the Land of Enchantment, the RoadRunners had a reasonably successful campaign on the ice, making the playoffs while Arnason contributed with 6 goals and 14 assists. The quality coaching and comfortable housing brought Arnason back the following season. "Smacky (head coach Scott Langer) was a great guy, a real players coach. He knew what he could throw at us and what he couldn't. He was a great motivator both on and off the ice. He made me into a better player and I value the skills and motivation that he gave me." Arnason's praise went on. "He would/will do anything for any of his players and you can't say that about all juniors coaches nowadays." In his second season, Alex put up 10 goals and 11 assists as the 'Runners narrowly missed the playoffs.
Since moving on from junior hockey, Arnason has been hitting the books. "I am going into my senior year at St. Thomas, a div. 3 school in Minnesota. My sophomore year we made it to the NCAA quarterfinals which was awesome. Other than that, I've just been going to school and trying to graduate. I was voted to be an assistant captain by my teammates this upcoming year which is a great honor." To top it off, he's not chasing one major, he's working on two: Marketing and Business Communication.
The opportunity to wear a RoadRunner jersey one more time was too tempting to pass up. "I am really excited to see all of the guys I played for during my two years in Santa Fe. Some I haven't seen since we left for the summer after the season. I can't wait to see how the team and the organization has progressed since I left and to meet the new guys. It's a great thing the organization is putting on and I am excited to be able to participate."
For the latest information on the Alumni Game and all things RoadRunner, please visit our newly redesigned website at www.topekaroadrunners.com .
North American Hockey League Stories from September 1, 2009
- Bobcats Make Bismarck Native Sedevie Assistant Coach - Bismarck Bobcats
- Alex Arnason Tabbed For Alumni Game - Topeka Pilots
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