Lacroix lights up Steel

Christmas arrived early for Kevin Lacroix.

In his first game back home with the Fort McMurray Oil Barons, the St. Albert minor hockey product scored two stellar goals in Sunday’s 5-2 win over the Steel at Performance Arena.

“It was very exciting. I had a lot of family and friends in the stands and to perform like that and get a big win too is great,” a smiling Lacroix told the Gazette. “Coming in I could barely sleep actually. I was very pumped for this game and it just seemed like I was firing on all cylinders today.”

The Alberta Junior Hockey League rookie opened the scoring at 7:39 with a wicked shot off the wing that beat Steel netminder Rhys Hadfield on the top far corner.

“It was a two-on-one and I got the puck and I didn’t see a pass. I was using a new stick from yesterday [5-4 shootout win in Lloydminster] so I decided to take the shot. It hit the post and went in,” said the Paul Kane High School grad.

In period two, Lacroix capitalized on a glaring defensive error by the Steel to make it 4-0. The breakaway goal was the play of the game.

“It was a lucky bounce from the D-man. I got in, and since deking hasn’t worked out for me for the last few times, I decided to shoot and I got lucky; it hit the post and went in.”

The night before in Lloydminster with the new stick, Lacroix scored once and set up another goal.

“It’s just a regular stick but obviously it’s working for me and I will be using it until it breaks.”

In team scoring Lacroix is the second-highest rookie point producer with 21 in 32 games. Three of his 14 goals were game winners.

“It’s been great so far. It’s a great league and I feel I’m fitting in real well,” said the 18-year-old left-winger. “I went through a slump for a little bit but I’ve started to catch on now and I’m gaining more confidence with the puck. When things are going good you’ve got to ride it and set expectations for yourself and keep working hard.”

Keeping his spot in the lineup has been a work in progress.

“The travelling is pretty tough, especially in Fort McMurray being away from everybody but you deal with that,” he said. “The speed of the game is definitely different too but I’m adjusting well and hopefully I can keep adjusting.”

Last season he developed into a junior-calibre player while playing for the midget AAA Raiders.

“I definitely learned a lot in the D zone. I wasn’t too great in the D zone before but I really took a lot of D zone opportunities out of that and really applied myself this year. I’m still working on my D zone but last year really helped me a lot,” said Lacroix, who scored six goals and had nine helpers in 29 games with the Raiders.

His big break came when the Oil Barons invited the game MVP in the 2009 midget AA provincial final for the championship-winning Crusaders to their spring camp. He returned to St. Albert and made the midget AAA roster, which led to another tryout with Fort McMurray.

The Oil Barons have cornered the market on St. Albert talent. Defencemen Colton Parayko (2-6-8 in 26 games) and Kyle Scaber (1-7-8 in 26 games) and goalie Davis Jones (8-2, 2.26 GAA, .912 save percentage) have contributed to the Oil Barons’ second-place 28-11-1 record in the north. Parayko is 17 and Scaber and Jones are 18-year-olds.

“Up there you don’t feel lonely at all. You can actually relate to someone,” said Lacroix, teammates with Scaber and Jones on the midget AA provincial-champion Crusaders. “It just so happened those guys are my best friends right now and they were before so it’s great to have them on the team and to actually have someone to hang out with.

“All the guys are great too. You get to know one another for the rest of your life, so it’s good.”

Another thrill of a lifetime for Lacroix was playing in the Northern Classic, Canada’s first outdoor junior hockey game Nov. 26. It broke the AJHL’s attendance record of 4,400 as 5,726 fans watched the Oil Barons double the Drayton Valley Thunder 4-2.

“It was unbelievable. We had a great fan base there, plus there was a concert [by The Trews] too. It was incredible and just a great experience.”