Prep hockey: WHS standout to get a sneak peak at junior hockey

WASILLA — As one of the top prep hockey talents in the Mat-Su Valley, Adam Friese appears to be destined for the next level.

This weekend, the Wasilla High School senior will get a sneak peak at what could be waiting for him.

The Wasilla standout will be added to the roster of the Alaska Avalanche Junior A hockey squad, Avs head coach and general manager Jamie Smith said earlier this week.

“I’m very excited,” Friese said on Monday. “It’ll be an eye-opener to see what I have to do to get ready for that level.”

Friese will suit up for Alaska’s three-game series against the Kenai River Brown Bears at the Soldotna Sports Center. The series starts Friday at 7 p.m., and concludes with the rubber match Sunday at 3 p.m.

Friese also plays for the Avalanche AAA Midget squad, a team that includes several of the top players in the area who are younger than 18 years old.

Smith said the addition of Friese to the roster is made possible by USA Hockey’s player affiliation rule.

Thanks to the rule, a Junior A team can affiliate up to six players from the midget team and add those players to the roster of the junior squad at any time before Jan. 31. The affiliated players also do not count against a team’s roster limit.

“That’s one of the big reasons we started the U-18 team,” Smith said. “We can roll some guys in and out of our lineup.”

The addition of Friese to the roster for the weekend will not effect the player’s eligibility to play high school hockey either. The Alaska School Activities Association, the governing body of Alaska high school sports, allows prep hockey players to play on other teams — such as a junior team or youth squad — during the holiday breaks.

Smith said the ability to add affiliated players to the roster provides a tremendous advantage for both the team and the franchise.

“It gives the player a taste of Junior A hockey, and as a staff, we can see if the kid can play,” Smith said.

Friese, a standout for the Warriors since his freshman season, said he has not decided what he wants to do after he graduates from WHS in May. He does know that he wants to play hockey at the Junior A level, and likes the idea of skating in front of a home crowd as a member of the Alaska Avalanche.

“Since Jamie is offering this here, I kind of feel like this is where I need to be headed,” Friese said. “They’re great coaches for sure. They’re doing everything to help me get as far in hockey as I can.”

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