Alex Steeves dug into the playbook of New England Patriots legendary quarterback Tom Brady this past offseason.
A strict diet and a rigorous workout schedule that included on- and off-ice activities helped pave the way for a terrific third and final season of junior hockey with the Dubuque Fighting Saints.
"This summer I went on the Tom Brady diet," said Steeves. "My goal was to get a little bit leaner and faster, but to increase my muscle at the same time."
"I worked out at Edinger’s Edge (in Hooksett, N.H.) with Clint Edinger. He’s huge for hockey development and strength. He’s really good at what he does. I skated with him and my brothers," said Steeves, a Bedford, N.H., resident.
Steeves wanted to be sure he was focused on improving certain skill-sets and not just working out for the sake of going through the motions. His on-ice routine emphasized improving his goal-scoring ability and his skating.
"The focal point there was to focus on scoring goals. I tried to get into uncomfortable situations and just shoot pucks. When you train to score goals, it becomes habit and translates to games. I did some power skating and skills with Ken Hodge. That was really good for my puck skills, skating and agility," Steeves explained.
"This summer, he grew and worked hard. He’s dedicated to getting better and works very hard at his craft," added Dubuque general manager Kalle Larsson.
All that work over the summer has paid off for Steeves, who has more than doubled his goal scoring and points from a year ago. The Notre Dame commit has 14 goals and 24 assists through 37 games. He notched just six goals and 12 helpers all of last season.
"I’ve had a good first half. I’ve crossed off some goals I had in mind in terms of offensive production. I feel like I’ve really been playing my game and producing at a good rate," said Steeves, who is in his third season in the USHL, despite still being one of the younger players in the league.
"Alex is a skilled player who wants to make a difference every time he’s on the ice during a game," Larsson added.
In addition to excelling for the Fighting Saints, his strong play earned him an invite to the USHL NHL Top Prospects Game and to play for USA Hockey at the World Junior A Challenge.
Steeves, who played for the New Hampshire Junior Monarchs organization prior to heading to the USHL, has maintained his strong play in his own end despite his newfound scoring prowess.
"The rest of my game has also been good in terms of penalty killing and play in the ‘D’ zone. All around I think I’ve had a pretty good year," said Steeves.
"This year he has taken a big step in terms of offensive production," Larsson concurred. "Last season he was a reliable two-way forward for us with a primary role as a defensive forward and penalty-kill guy. While he still is a key ‘PK’ guy for us, his offense has really kicked in and he’s relied on to provide primary offense for our club."
While his skating has improved thanks to those summer workouts, it’s an area of his game that still needs to get better if he’s going to truly make the leap to the next level. According to Steeves, it’s less speed and more the ability to be strong on his skates. Nonetheless, as every hockey player will say, you can never be satisfied with your skating.
"My game could use some more stability on my skates. You don’t want to get knocked off the puck easily. Trying to get a little bit stronger on my skates and my straightaway speed. I’m happy with how my speed has gotten better this year, but I still think I can get quicker," Steeves explained.
Larsson, who is familiar with Steeves and his family since his days as a scout for Sioux City, echoed similar sentiments.
"I would say skating is the one element he has to improve on the most to have similar success at higher levels, but even now I think his skating is better than people might think," said Larsson, who played collegiately at Division 3 Lawrence (Wis.) University.
"He gets to the right spots at the right time, and to me, that’s often the most important thing," Larsson continued.
After the conclusion of this season, Steeves will transition to the college game, where he’ll join his older brother, Matthew, at Notre Dame. Steeves also has a younger brother, Ben, who is a standout for the Manchester Juniors Monarchs 16-U. Hockey was in the bloodlines for the Steeves brothers. Their father skated in the WHL for a season before playing Canadian college hockey at the University of Manitoba. But it’s his mother who Steeves credits for her dedication to bringing him to all these games and practices through the years.
"Family has been huge. Hockey is crazy with travel. The amount of hours my mom spent driving my brothers and I from rink to rink has been a lot. She’s completely selfless and is a role model for me," said Steeves.
Steeves said he’s leaned on his father for advice on the ice, but said the best piece of advice might come from between the ears.
"He knows the game and is good for my training. He helps me on the mental side of the sport. Control what you can control. My parents have been huge and have opened up so many paths for me," Steeves said.
Being able to attend a world-class university with a prestigious sports program was a no-brainer for Steeves. Having the opportunity to experience all of that with his older brother added to the intrigue.
"When I was choosing Notre Dame, my brother was already committed there. I wanted to make the decision for myself and didn’t want to go there just because he was going there. It played into the decision," said Steeves.
Steeves said there were a myriad of reasons as to why Notre Dame was perfect fit for him as a student-athlete.
"I felt Notre Dame was going to help me fulfill my potential. The hockey speaks for itself. As a serious student, I wanted to go to a school with good academics, and Notre Dame has a really good reputation as a prestigious school," Steeves said.
"I wanted to go to a school where there are other big things happening. I’m a big football fan and I like the idea of going to a school with big football program and going to those games. Everything at Notre Dame is done to a gold standard, and I just fell in love with everything there."
Steeves never made a USA Hockey Player Development Camp until Select 17s. Being drafted always seemed like an afterthought until this season. He’s tried to maintain a level head while remembering what his ultimate ambition is in hockey.
"I’d be lying if I said it’s something I don’t think about. It’s my biggest goal going into this year. The draft is in June. It’s not right now. If I’m going to achieve that end goal, I need to outwork everyone at the rink and stay true to my game. I just need to keep doing the things that have gotten me noticed so far," said Steeves.
Going out on top and winning a championship in his final season in the USHL is also a high priority.
"It’s my last year of junior so I want to go out with a bang. With Dubuque, I want to go as far as we can in the playoffs and hopefully win a Clark Cup."
