Sunday Read: Talking Family, Routines and NHL Success with Steeves 

SAINT PAUL –– Alex Steeves sat in his stall at Canada Life Centre on Wednesday. It was his birthday; he turned 26 and just finished practice with the Boston Bruins.

Last year, he celebrated his birthday in Toronto. Steeves was playing for the Marlies at Coca-Cola Coliseum against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. Unbeknownst to the forward, his mom had flown in for the occasion. She brought a sign to warmups that read, “Surprise! Happy 25th birthday, Alex. No. 46, number one fan.”

“It was really special, and I had a really good night,” Steeves said. “I had a goal and a couple assists. That was my birthday – playing hockey. Like most birthdays.”

Life looks a bit different now. Steeves has since signed a one-year deal with Boston in July, started the season in Providence and battled his way into the NHL lineup. And then the production hit; Steeves has eight points (six goals, two assists) through 16 games with the B’s.

“I think the obvious answer is I am where I’ve kind of obsessed over getting to for the last 10 or so years, and that’s in the NHL, which is something that I am extremely grateful for and don’t take for granted at all,” Steeves said. “A year ago today, I was the same hungry player as I am today. Now I am just in a different spot, and the show goes on.”

Steeves was recalled from the AHL at the beginning of November due to injuries in the Bruins’ forward group. But, even as the team has continued to get healthy, Steeves has remained. On Thursday in Winnipeg, he skated on the first line with Morgan Geekie and Elias Lindholm.

“A little bit of everything. It seems like he’s always leading us in hits and scoring goals,” Geekie said of Steeves. “He’s all over the ice. It’s huge. He kind of brings something on both ends of the rink. He’s physical on the forecheck and gets pucks back.”

Boston went on to beat the Jets 6-3 that night, and there was an entourage of Steeves’ supporters in the crowd to enjoy the win.

Steeves’ dad, Glen, grew up in Winnipeg; his grandfather was a teacher there. Glen went to the University of Manitoba, where he met Steeves’ mom. While Steeves spent the first six years of his life in Minnesota before moving to New Hampshire, his allegiances lay with the Jets for the majority of his childhood because his grandfather was a big fan.​

“I’ve watched a lot of Bruins vs. Jets games growing up on NESN,” Steeves said.

Accordingly, Thursday’s matchup carried a little extra meaning. Steeves’ parents made the drive from Minnesota to Winnipeg – with the family Jack Russel, named ‘Hatty,’ short for hat trick – to attend. They drove back the following day to catch Sunday’s contest between the Bruins and Wild, too. The Steeves family’s home base is now Minnesota.

​“It is kind of a crazy road trip in that regard, back-to-back family things,” Steeves said. “Over a long season, it’s really refreshing and kind of just good resets here and there.”

Sunday will mark Steeves’ first time playing at Grand Casino Arena as an NHLer – and it was not an easy journey. He played three seasons of NCAA hockey at the University of Notre Dame (2018-2021) before signing as an undrafted free agent with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Steeves was in the Maple Leafs’ organization for four years – mostly in the AHL – before coming to Boston, where he was left off the opening-night roster.

“I still don’t feel like I own a spot. I feel like I’m renting it every day and trying to earn it, which I think is a good thing,” Steeves said.​

“In the past, I feel like I’ve put the NHL on a bit of a pedestal, and I still have that regard for it as something that is so hard to stick around. But at the same time, I am there for a reason, and it’s just an opportunity to help the team win a game in the best way I can. That is kind of what I’m thinking about.”

Andrew Peeke has had a front-row view of Steeves’ evolution through the years. The two were teammates at the University of Notre Dame for one season. Peeke was the captain of the squad during Steeves’ freshman campaign.

“He’s the same person. It’s funny, his older brother, I played with him for two years at Notre Dame, and he was well-liked around the room and an awesome guy to have,” Peeke said. “When his younger brother was coming in, there were high expectations to live up to the Steeves name. But he was awesome. He fit in right away, worked hard, put his head down as a freshman and had a great personality, too.”

Steeves’ success with the Bruins now is not exactly a surprise to Peeke.

“He played good minutes for us and scored a lot of timely goals for us in college. The scoring was always there,” Peeke said. “And obviously, when you turn pro, you have to fight and claw your way through to get to the NHL – whether that’s being more physical, scoring goals, everyone kind of has different roles. To see him be able to play both, it speaks a lot to the type of player [he is].”

​Steeves has put in time behind the scenes to build his confidence and NHL readiness. Head coach Marco Sturm – who has been able to use Steeves up and down the lineup, in different situations – has taken note of his pure love for the game.

“I think he’s a hockey nerd,” Sturm said. “He knows what’s going on. He follows hockey; he knows all the players. He’s got a pretty good understanding in general about the league and the game.”

Steeves agreed with his coach’s assessment; he doesn’t turn his hockey mind off very often, he said. It is partially because he wants to be the best version of himself, in sport and in life.

​“I’m really the same way with kind of everything, even when I was in school – I just want to do really well, and I don’t want to leave a stone unturned with my preparation,” Steeves said. “Maybe it is insecurity or just how I am, but I don’t feel like I am the most naturally talented person ever. Everyone works hard in the NHL, but there’s also so many here who are just so gifted and talented on the ice. For me, I feel like I am not that. I think I am a good goalscorer, but I’ve worked at that.”

Part of that preparation is mental for Steeves. He consistently does visualization practices and breath work to get his mind ready for the demands of the NHL. He also watches a lot of video.

​“Various things to kind of ramp myself up for a game. To me, it’s just having a routine that tells your body and mind that it’s time to perform,” Steeves said. “Like most guys, I think guys are always looking for an edge in something that’s going to help them perform.”

It has been working for Steeves as of late. Those details have gotten him to where he is with the Bruins. While a lot changed ahead of Steeves’ 26th birthday, he is committed to remaining grounded in his same process.

“I’m not thinking about playing a different way or anything like that,” Steeves said. “Just trusting who I am and being thankful for the opportunity. Good things will follow.”