Getting To Know: Alex Iafallo
A deeper dive into the Kings top-line winger
by Jack Jablonski @Jabs_13 / LAKings.com
Alex Iafallo is again, another success story of someone who took the long road to make his dreams come true. Here's how… Iafallo grew up in Eden, New York, 30 minutes south of Buffalo and the Canadian border; which is exactly where his journey started.
As a 17-year-old, Iafallo garnered the attention of the USHL (United States Hockey League) when the left winger averaged just shy of a point per game with the U18 AAA Buffalo Regals. So much so that, that year the Fargo Force drafted Iafallo in the second round of the 2011 USHL Draft. From there, Iafallo made the team the following year and continued to turn heads with his play. In his two years with the Force, Iafallo racked up 95 points (45-50=95) in 127 games, including averaging over a point per game in the playoffs.
Iafallo's standout play in Fargo earned him a scholarship to the University of Minnesota-Duluth the following year. Consistently, Iafallo continued to impact the game and produce. As a freshman, Iafallo was named to all-conference (NCHC) freshman team, putting up 22 points (11-11=22) in 36 games. For the next three years, Iafallo helped lead Bulldogs to the NCAA Tournament, including a National Championship appearance in 2017 as a senior playing alongside the older brother of current Kings defenseman Mikey Anderson, Joey Anderson. That year, Iafallo also lead his conference, the NCHC in scoring, something his current teammate, Trevor Moore had done two years prior. In total, Iafallo recorded 121 points (48-73=121) in 157 games for Minnesota-Duluth.
Following his run to the National Championship, Iafallo signed with the Los Angeles Kings as an undrafted free agent on April 19, 2017. "There's a lot of great organizations out there," Iafallo told NHL.com on Jan. 10, 2018. "This one was the best for me. They're really pushing on development. I'm a development kind of guy. I felt like everything was in a good spot."
Even more impressive, Iafallo made the Kings roster out of training camp for the 2017-18 season and quickly cemented himself on the top line alongside Anze Kopitar. Just three games into his NHL career, Iafallo recorded his first assist on a goal by Dustin Brown against the Calgary Flames. One month later, Iafallo picked up his first career NHL goal on a beautiful assist by who other that Anze Kopitar against the Nashville Predators.
From undrafted to the top line, Alex Iafallo has again shown that there are many paths to the NHL Now, in his three-plus seasons with the Kings, Iafallo has recorded 121 points (48-73=121) in 251 games. Iafallo is currently in his final year of his two-year, $4,850,000 contract with the Kings and is set to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.