A Name to Watch: Alex Gagne’s Role in the Team’s Future
By Taylor Kittle
Dec 15, 2025
There’s a moment every first-year professional athlete faces: the realization that talent alone isn’t enough. Speed changes, skill changes, and expectations change. For Colorado Eagles rookie defenseman Alex Gagne, that moment hasn’t been a setback. It’s become fuel.
Gagne arrived in Colorado fresh from college hockey, stepping into his first pro season with the Eagles, and into a league where mistakes get magnified, shifts get shorter, and details matter more than ever.
“Everybody in their first year pro encounters ups and downs. These are mistakes I can learn from,” Gagne said. “But what I credit my transition from college to pro to is the older guys we have on this team. Whether it’s practice, an off day, or on the road, they’re always talking hockey to me—giving me tips, showing me what it means to be a pro on and off the ice.”
Among those voices, one has meant the most: veteran defenseman Keaton Middleton. Middleton has stepped up to become, what appears to be, a wise figure for Gagne.
“I’ve said it before, Keaton Middleton has been unbelievable for me. Just playing with him, kind of showing me the ropes. He’s an incredible player and an incredible person. It’s been awesome so far.”
For Gagne, the game itself isn’t the only adjustment. Home sits more than 2,500 miles away in New Hampshire. He came to Colorado with no family nearby and no familiar faces waiting. But he also found out quickly that “alone” isn’t a word that applies in the Eagles locker room.
“When you go that far from home by yourself, it’s definitely a change of scenery… but these guys have made me feel so welcome from day one. Whether it’s coming into the room, making jokes, having laughs, going out for dinners on the road—just bonding. Not just them getting to know me, but me getting to know them too. It’s been awesome so far.”
The chemistry off the ice mirrors the confidence building on it. Gagne has carved out an identity early—one built not on flash, but on grit and reliability.
“I’d describe myself as a hard-nosed, stay-at-home defenseman who likes to defend, likes to block shots, likes to close plays fast.”
Just in the first part of the season, Gagne has put up impressive numbers as a rookie defenseman. With one goal, five assists, and six points, this rookie continues to prove his ability.
“I use my feet, my stick, and I can be aggressive in the corners, whatever it may be. And I’m trying to add a little offense—not going end-to-end, but making sure those pucks get through to the net, and having a good first, simple breakout pass.”
If Gagne keeps playing that way, fans won’t just remember his rookie season — they’ll remember when it began.
But before this season becomes a chapter in a larger career, he wants Eagles fans to know something a little more personal. Something that surprises everyone back home.
“I’ve lived on the East Coast my whole life, with snow everywhere… and I’ve never gone skiing. Never once. With mountains this close, I know people look at me like I have seven heads when I say that.”
For now, though, the rookie is focused on skating for a different reason: defending his crease, earning the trust of his teammates, and becoming the kind of player Colorado can rely on when it matters most.
