Graduation: Alex Serraglio
June 17, 2024 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Tri-City Americans News Release
A little help from family, and a local minor hockey legend, helped set Alex Serraglio on his path to the Western Hockey League.
Helping teach him to skate as a child was Serraglio's cousin, Derek Serraglio, on a small outdoor rink in Langley, B.C. Of course, there was the man affectionately known as "Coach Doug".
"If you ask any player from Langley, I can almost guarantee you they learned how to skate from Coach Doug," he said. "He's a legend around here. Being out on that mini rink, those are some of my earliest memories of hockey. It's funny to look back on it because now I go out there and help coach."
His love for skating and hockey came even before those memories on the outdoor rink, saying his parents love to tell the story of a two-or-three-year-old Alex begging his parents to let him on the ice while his sister was out for her skating practice.
Not even the classic early-morning practices could deter his love for the game early on.
"It seemed like I fell in love with hockey and skating before I was even on the ice," he said. "I naturally gravitated toward it. I don't remember having a single bad memory about hockey growing up. I loved the early morning practices and never wanted to get off the ice."
As he progressed through minor hockey, Serraglio's summer coach told him he should try out at Delta Hockey Academy and join the Canadian Sport School Hockey League ranks for his first year of U15.
After playing for Delta's U15 Varsity team in 2016-17, he joined the U15 Prep team the following year. He said the jump from the Varsity team to the Prep team is larger than people might expect.
"It's quite a big jump, there's a lot of eyes on you," he explained. "You can feel the intensity at your games and at tournaments because everyone knows there are so many scouts watching for the WHL Draft."
While he served as his team's captain in the 2017-18 season, Serraglio didn't see his name listed among the 225 players who were selected in the 2018 WHL Prospects Draft.
He admits going undrafted caught him by surprise.
"I talked to a few teams throughout the season, did some interviews and that sort of thing," he said. "With the way the year went, and the teams that I talked to, I thought that I was going to get drafted. I was a bit surprised not to get drafted, but I guess I can say now that it didn't end up changing the trajectory of my career."
After attending Seattle Thunderbirds training camp as a 15-year-old, Serraglio elected to go from Delta Hockey Academy to Yale Hockey Academy in Abbotsford for the 2018-19 season. He said the proximity to his home in Langley, along with the opportunity to play at the U18 level, were the driving forces behind his decision to make the switch.
After seven points in his first year with Yale U18, Serraglio's point total more than tripled to 22 (5-17-22) in 2019-20. He says that's when WHL teams started to take notice, but his path nearly took him to another organization.
"It was around Christmas time that season that I was listed by Tri-City," he recalled. "But not long before that we had a tournament and my coach pulled me aside to tell me that the Calgary Hitmen were there to scout me and were considering putting me on their 50-man list. I played that day and didn't have a great game, was maybe feeling the pressure a bit, and nothing came out of it. The next day we had two games and I think I played well, and on my way home from the rink my coach called me and told me that Bob Tory was going to call me and tell me that the Americans were putting me on their protected list."
Serraglio said he entered the 2019-20 season with a chip on his shoulder, going undrafted and not being on a junior team's protected list at the beginning of the year.
The hard work in the first half of that season led up to that phone call from the Americans general manager.
"I guess it was kind of like getting that feeling I never got on draft day," he said. "It was a pretty special moment, getting that phone call. I've got a smile on my face right now just thinking about it. I was really excited and then I had to go home and google where Tri-City was."
He admits he knew practically nothing about the organization prior to receiving the good news. The plan was for him come down for a week late in the season to see the arena, but the pandemic denied him the opportunity.
When the WHL was given the green light to resume game action, Serraglio was able to make his first trip to the Tri-Cities for an abbreviated training camp in early 2021. A few days into camp he officially put pen to paper and signed a Scholarship and Development Agreement with the Americans, setting forth his path in the WHL. As with a lot of young players making the adjustment to a much higher level of competition, it wasn't always smooth sailing during that shortened season.
"I remember during that season I got scratched for a sixth or seventh game in a row, and Connor Bouchard came over and asking me how I was doing," he said. "He really taught me a lot about what it meant to be in this league. We had some really good 20-year-olds in my first few years who all helped me a lot as I was learning how to be a player."
The lessons were taken in stride as Serraglio returned in the fall of 2021 determined to prove himself and did just that by dressing in 67 games that season.
Serraglio mentioned one of the strangest aspects of the shortened season was not having any theme nights or jerseys that junior hockey is known for.
He made sure that his first Teddy Bear Toss night was memorable, claiming unique bragging rights with his first WHL goal being the coveted Teddy Bear Toss goal on December 4, 2021.
"I remember standing in the tunnel before the game and Parker Bell looked at me and said 'Serge, I think you got it tonight," he recalled. "I took a pass from Dragicevic and the puck might have had a bounce or two, but it found the back of the net. That was a pretty special moment, to get my first career goal like that. It's something I'll never forget."
He finished the season with one goal and 10 assists.
As much as Serraglio was enjoying his first true WHL experience as a player, the team struggled to a 19-43-6-0 record during the 2021-22 season.
He says fighting through a difficult season presents the opportunity to learn how you react in those situations.
"Everything is a lot easier when you're winning," he said. "You also learn a lot about yourself and how you handle navigating through adversity. Losing is never fun but I think it was a good learning experience as a young player. The year afterwards we came back and had a really solid year."
Tri-City rebounded nicely in 2022-23, going from 19 wins to 34 and securing a playoff berth against the Prince George Cougars.
Serraglio says the opportunity to play in the playoffs is something that will always stand out to him when he reflects on his WHL career.
"It was just something else," he said. "I remember sitting in the room before the first game and it's quiet because everyone is just getting focused. Their rink was so loud, and people were banging on the glass right behind the bench. It was a rush of adrenaline and passion going through you. It's unfortunate our playoffs got cut short, but it was so much fun to be a part of."
With three seasons gone in a flash, Serraglio was now preparing for his final year in the WHL as he made his way back last fall.
His experience on the Americans blue line had become invaluable to a club that was littered with young players last season, making it clear that he was the top choice to serve as the team's captain.
It was something he leaned into and took with pride, even if he didn't officially have the title until the regular season started.
"It seemed like I was the only older player around during training camp," he said. "Greenway was in Toronto, Bell was in Calgary, Sloan was in Edmonton and Peters was in Edmonton, so I made sure that I was always talking to the younger guys that were here. I really didn't know I was going to be captain until Stu announced it to the team in the locker room. That was a really special moment and something that I'm going to cherish forever."
While he took pride in the honor, he says it was hearing from the fans of the team that really hit home how special it is to bear the 'C' on your jersey.
"I remember after the home opener and signing autographs, everyone was congratulating me and telling me how much I deserved it," he said. "It was nice to see how much it meant to all these people in the community."
As the season began and all of the Americans players who were at pro camps returned, the unfortunate reality set in that one of the four 20-year-old players on the roster had to be moved to get down to the CHL-imposed limit of three.
Having played with Parker Bell and Tyson Greenway for the past three seasons, Serraglio said it was difficult to stomach when it was announced Greenway had been traded to the Calgary Hitmen.
"That was a hard day," he said. "It sucks seeing one of your best friends get traded. We were texting each other throughout that day and he was saying he was pretty sure he was getting traded. After the game that night he came into the room and told us he was going to Calgary. It was pretty emotional for everyone. He was a presence in the room, and everyone loved him."
He said he and Greenway are still close and talk almost every day.
The Americans 2023-24 season was a strange one. After a strong start to the year, with a record of 13-8-1-1 through 23 games, the Americans struggled to string consistent efforts together the rest of the way and finished with a 23-42-2-1 record.
It wasn't quite the final WHL season Serraglio had in mind.
"Being an older guy, you see your time in the league winding down and you want to cherish every moment," he said. "It's a little harder to enjoy those moments when you're losing, but you still want to leave an impression on the younger guys and help show them what it takes to be a player in this league."
As the season progressed to the final weekend, the Americans hosted their team awards following the last home game of the year.
It was an event that featured family and friends for all players in attendance to enjoy the moment, and a final send off to the graduating 20-year-olds from the fans in attendance.
"You look for the little things to find enjoyment in," he said. "Pete being hurt really sucked, but him being able to dress for that final home game and get a few shifts in was really cool. I was happy I got to play with him for his last WHL shift. When that game is over you sort of get the chance to reflect on everything you've gone through over the past few years. It was a special night."
A constant figure in Serraglio's time in the Tri-Cities over the past few years has been Lukas Dragicevic. Not only have the two been defense partners for most games during Dragicevic's time in the WHL, but they've also lived together.
Having a front row seat to watching Dragicevic go from high WHL draft pick to signed NHL prospect has been something Serraglio is extremely proud of.
"After that first year he moved in with me so I could never really get away from him," he joked. "I'm happy to call him a best friend for life. I'm not surprised at all to see what he's accomplished in hockey. He's someone that works so hard and deserves everything he's getting."
Serraglio spent four years with the same billet, Dale Gergely, and says he'll forever appreciate how he was welcomed into his family.
As he prepares for the next chapter of his life, and taking advantage of his WHL Education Package, Serraglio says he'll take every chance he gets to watch Americans games in person.
He also believes the future of the team is in good hands with the players who are returning for the 2024-25 season.
"There's a lot of guys there who are ready to take that next step," he said. "Those young guys have winner mindsets, and I don't think there's any concern there. I know they'll do a great job."
As Serraglio reflects on what four years with the Tri-City Americans meant to him, he says it's the fans who make it such a special place to spend your junior career.
"Those fans, I can't thank them enough for making my years in Tri-City so enjoyable," he said. "Whether it was at community events or just seeing them in passing, they were always so kind to me. They made me feel so welcomed and so loved."
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