Avs sign Wasilla standout

WASILLA — Matthew Friese has hoped he would be a part of the future plans of the Alaska Avalanche.

But as it turns out, for Friese, the future is now.

Earlier this week, Alaska signed the Wasilla High School junior and Friese is now a full-time member of the Avalanche Junior A hockey squad.

“It feels awesome. It’s going to be a whole different ball game,” Friese said Thursday afternoon. “It’s going to be fun. I’m excited.”

Friese, a Wasilla High standout, was all set to start his third season as a member of the Warriors varsity hockey team, continue skating with the Junior Avalanche AAA midget program and hopefully grab playing time as a Junior A affiliate. But Friese impressed Alaska president Jamie Smith and head coach Dave Boitz enough to prompt the Avalanche to sign the 16-year-old prospect.

“He’s a very high-end elite player for his age,” Boitz said. “He has a tremendous amount of potential, no question.”

With the Avalanche missing several key players due to injury, Alaska put Friese in the lineup against the Kenai River Brown Bears last week.

Smith said the play of Friese in his first Junior A game proved to the Alaska staff that the young skater was ready, despite his age.

“He played really well last weekend,” Smith said. “He’s ready. We figured it was time to make a move.”

Smith said Friese undoubtedly has the speed and skill to compete at the Junior A level, but the Avs wanted to ensure Friese has the strength and toughens to succeed.

“Physically, he handled the game,” Smith said. “We don’t want to put him in a situation where he’s not going to be success.”

In addition to the physical tools, Smith said Friese also has the mentality to compete at this level as a 16-year-old.

“Normally I don’t really feel comfortable with a 16-year-old in the locker room. There are 20-year-olds in there,” Smith said. “But the older kids respect him.”

Another key is balancing the rigors of playing junior hockey with his academics, but judging by Friese’s character, Smith is confident Friese can handle the added responsibility.

“He’s pretty grounded,” Smith said. “He understands the fact that a lot of people are pulling for him.”

Filling in for an injured Alex Young, Friese skated on the Avs top line with forwards Tyler Currier and Kyle Pilcher for two periods during the game against Kenai River.

“Here’s a kid, a rookie who’s never been with a junior hockey team, and he comes in and competes. He’s gritty and didn’t back down,” Smith said. “It was just impressive.”

Friese said he felt good about his first Junior A action.

“It was very nerve wracking when I first went out there,” Friese said. “After the first period I calmed right down and played all right after that.”

Friese also has the benefit of joining his older brother Adam on the squad.

“It’s a perfect situation for him, having his big brother on the team,” Boitz said.

Adam, a 2008 graduate of Wasilla, skated as an affiliate player with the Avs last season, posting four goals and four assists in 15 games.

Affiliate players can play a set amount of games without taking up an official spot on the roster.

Now Adam Friese is among Alaska’s top forwards.

Not only is Matthew Friese now the youngest player on the Avalanche roster, but he is one of only a few 16-year-olds in the North American Hockey League.

Aside from the United States National Team Developmental Program which includes several of the top 16- and 17-year-olds in the country, Friese is now one of only eight 16-year-olds playing for the NAHL’s 18 other teams.

“It’s a big benefit for him. You take a look across the teams in the league and there’s not many ‘92’s,” Smith said referring to 1992, Friese’s birth year. “For him to get this opportunity will raise a lot of eyebrows when it comes to Division I colleges.

“The opportunity for him getting into a Division I situation is enhanced tremendously,”

Three of those eight 16-year-olds have already declared their early commitments to Division I programs. Mahoning Valley defenseman Michael Gunn has committed to Michigan State for the 2010 season, Mahoning Valley forward Alex Lippincott has committed to Ohio State for the 2010 season and Wenatchee goalie Mac Carruth is slated to go to Minnesota-Duluth in 2010.

Smith feels Friese also has the potential of landing with a college program early.

“We would love to see him get an opportunity to sign now for a couple years down the road,” Smith said.

Smith said college coaches are often eager to sign the young elite prospects early.

“They don’t want to miss on a kid like him,” Smith said.

Although the signing of Friese is big for the Avalanche, it’s also a big loss for the Wasilla hockey program.

“I called my coach yesterday and he’s happy for me,” Friese said. “I loved playing for my coach, with my linemates, but this is something I’ve got to take.”

Smith said if anything, it’s a testament to the coaching Friese has received in the Valley.

“This is a feather in the cap for a lot of people involved in the development of Matthew,” Smith said. “Everybody should stand up and feel pretty proud.”

Friese selected in USHL Future’s Draft

To add to what is already a memorable week, Friese was also selected in the United States Hockey League Futures Draft on Tuesday.

The Tri-City Storm grabbed Friese in the firth round with the 47th overall pick.

Friese said a member of the Tri-City coaching staff called Avalanche director of hockey operations Keith Morris and said they were interested in drafting him, so Friese knew it was a possibility he would be selected.

“It wasn’t a total mind-blower, but it wasn’t something I was positive would happen,” Friese said. “I wasn’t really sure what would happen.”

Tri-City’s selection of Friese does not guarantee that the Wasilla native will skate for the USHL squad, but Tri-City now owns USHL the rights to Friese.

Friese said he has already spoken with the Tri-City coaching staff, and is not sure what his future will be with the USHL franchise. All he knows is he is eager to have a successful season with the Avalanche.

“This year for sure I’m with the Avs, next season I’m not sure,” Friese said.

Friese was one of 10 NAHL players selected the 11-round draft.

Contact Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.