Growing up as a fan of the Vancouver Canucks, 2024 draft pick Parker Alcos was ecstatic when he heard his name called by his hometown club in the sixth round of the 2024 NHL Entry Draft.
Two months before having his name called by the Canucks at the draft, Alcos was in Rogers Arena cheering for his hometown Canucks in a playoff game against the Nashville Predators.
“One of my friends and I saved up and splurged this year to go to a playoff game against the Nashville Predators,” said Alcos. “I feel like that was a huge highlight of my career; watching the Canucks being able to be in the playoff atmosphere at Rogers Arena.”
Alcos said the only people more excited for him to be drafted by the Canucks were his parents, who started screaming with joy when they saw his name come up next to the Canucks as they watched the NHL draft from home.
“The Canucks have been my team ever since I can remember,” said Alcos. “We would just put on the games and watch them with family and friends. It was definitely a dream come true to be able to play with and be in the same dressing room with guys like Quinn Hughes and all the other top Canucks players at training camp. I watched them all while growing up, and now to be in the same arena with them is really cool.”
Born in Port Moody, the right-shot defenceman went undrafted in the WHL draft but played for the Edmonton Oil Kings of the WHL as a 16-year-old, playing in 12 games.
Alcos played in 67 games as a 17-year-old last year and is now in his third year in the WHL. One area where Alcos has improved is his dedication away from the rink. When he made the jump to the WHL, he had to begin forming habits away from the rink and began prioritizing his gym time, diet, and rest.
Developing those habits away from the rink has been given a significant boost since he was drafted by the Canucks. Alcos approached Canucks training camp with a sponge mentality and wanted to ask questions to the pros and coaches with the goal of learning what he could do to improve his game on the ice with his work away from the rink.
Another important piece of maturing as a player and learning about pro habits has been the relationship between Alcos and Canucks’ development coach Mike Komisarek. The two often speak on the phone and Komisarek has made it out to watch Alcos play games and be able to have some face-to-face conversations.
“It's been super beneficial to me, being able to take information and knowledge from an NHL player [Komisarek] who's played in the league for many years on different teams, and organizations. Just seeing his point of view of the game and seeing how he thinks the game helps me recognize things that I can take into my play to make my game better. He’s also helped me take a wider view of hockey and realize it's about more than just the game on the ice,” said Alcos.
“In my rookie season, I was just trying to find out what worked for me and what works best for me, and what I can do every day or every time before a game, whether it's on the road or at home. I feel like I've pretty much locked down my routine. From meetings, to what I eat and drink and all that stuff. I’ve found consistency in that, and only worry about the game, and not what I'm doing beforehand.”
Komisarek has been impressed by Alcos’ eagerness to learn about being a pro. He likes how competitive Alcos is and how he has adopted such a disciplined approach to his daily life away from the rink.
“In our last conversation, he was even planning out his workouts with what was available to him at the hotel’s gym,” said Komisarek.
When talking about Alcos’ game on the ice, Komisarek immediately mentioned the 6’3” defenceman’s mobility and how he is a player who takes pride in locking down the opposition’s top players.
“When he is shoulder to shoulder with a top player in the WHL, he’s got such a strong stride and mobility that he doesn’t need much of a cushion. He’s got such great tools and there’s a smoothness and efficiency in his skating – having that helps him in all aspects of his game.”
Alcos believes the biggest asset to a game is his ability to transition the puck through the neutral zone off possession changes. Whether it’s chasing down a dump-in from the opposition or winning the puck in a board battle and quickly looking up ice, Alcos takes pride in being able to quickly turn the puck up ice and be able to take care of the play in his own zone and swiftly create odd-man rushes for his teammates.
Being mobile and breaking the puck out has always been a part of the game that Alcos feels confident in, and he is growing his confidence with every game played in the WHL. Alcos wants to continue improving his positioning in the defensive zone and believes he’s made significant improvements to his defensive play this season.
“I've been working on angling with my body and then finishing with the stick and going through the hands, and I feel like this year, it has been a big jump in my stick play,” said Alcos.
The next step is beginning to put up more points in the WHL. Alcos is currently averaging over 20 minutes a game and is typically used in a matchup role where he takes on the opposition's top players. He is looking to continue being a reliable defender but does want to see a jump in his offensive production in the next step of his junior career.
“My point production and the offensive side of my game is probably the biggest area where I can improve,” said Alcos. “I feel like with my skating, I can defend well and get opportunities for offence, but I just need to find a way to produce more and help our team out that way.”
