Player Profile: Alex Beaucage

Alex Beaucage was born on July 25, 2001 in Trois-Rivières, Quebec, Canada, but spent the first seven years of his life in Germany with his father Marc while he was playing in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL). The family would then relocate back to the province of Quebec when Beaucage was seven years old. His father started playing in the Ligue Nord-Américaine de Hockey (LNAH) and Alex was able to start playing the game seriously himself. In 2013, Beaucage’s father retired from playing to coach his bantam team and that is where his hockey journey began.

Career Summary

From the beginning, Beaucage was a great hockey player. He played his first year of Bantam (Under 15), was moved up from the AA team to the AAA team, and never looked back. He was typically playing with kids that were older than him and he was still getting points on the board. As a 16 year old, Beaucage was playing with the Trois-Rivières Estacades and was in a league that was meant for eighteen year old players. Here, Beaucage started becoming a dominant player, with 26 points in 37 games. He played only one season with the Trois-Rivières Estacades in 2016-17 before moving on to the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL).

Beaucage’s first season in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) was one of his most successful years in terms of growth and exposure in the game of hockey. He started the year playing for the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies, which is about an eight hour drive from Trois-Rivières. There he played in 56 games and earned 37 points (13 goals and 24 assists) while taking the team to the QMJHL championship and eventually the Canadian Hockey League (CHL)  Memorial Cup Championship. Later, Beaucage was chosen to represent top U17 team Canada Black in the World Hockey Challenge-17.

The second year is where Beaucage really found his game at the junior level. In 68 games, he had 79 points (39 goals and 40 assists) and was a point-per-game player in the 2019 playoffs. During the summer of 2019, the Colorado Avalanche drafted Beaucage in the third round (78th overall). He continued to shine the next two seasons in the QMJHL, racking up 90 points in 77 games before being traded to the Victoriaville Tigres in the midst of a pandemic shortened season. Beaucage played only eight games before the playoffs, where he had 25 points (10 goals and 15 assists) in 16 games and brought home the postseason scoring title.

The transition to pro level hockey has not been so gracious for Beaucage as with previous levels. He played in only 40 of the 68 games for the Colorado Eagles in 2021-22 and never found a consistent spot in the lineup. Unfortunately, Beaucage never hit a stride, getting only 12 points in the regular season. In eight postseason appearances, Beaucage found his feet and netted two goals and three assists.

Type of Player

During Beaucage’s time in the QMJHL, he was your typical power forward. He could create space with not his skating, but his flashy hands. This would help him get to open areas where he would be able to snipe a shot from anywhere in the offensive zone. His quick release was the biggest issue for goalies while in juniors, but unfortunately since he has joined the Eagles, his shot production is about only two per game.

Alex Beaucage's shot > The AHL pic.twitter.com/0TDGbhyVrh

— Nathan Rudolph (@DNVR_Rudo) October 31, 2021

Alex Beaucage PPG 📣 pic.twitter.com/Jl2pRbtgzk

— Meghan Angley (@rightbyroy) May 7, 2022

Beaucage lacks a bit on the defensive side of the puck, but when he is active, he finishes his checks. His physicality in the game is getting better in the last couple of years, especially as he transitions to the pro game. He does not move his feet much on the backcheck, but this could be from the issue that he needs to improve his skating overall. He does not have great top speed or agility on edgework, leading to issues in transition. This has improved a bit since coming to AHL Colorado, but it is his biggest hindrance. 

Conclusion

During an interview this past July, Beaucage said that his game needed to be more complete. He has the capacity to be a third line or second line winger in the NHL if he can clean up his skating. After that, he will be able to get open more to make better shots and receive passes to get into the zone. If he can improve his top speed, it will allow him to play more of a defensive role on the team. As it stands, it all boils down to his skating. His shot is there; his feet just need to catch up.

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Editor’s Note: Brennan Vogt is contributing as a guest columnist for Full Press Hockey this offseason. He recently joined Colorado Hockey Now as contributor and correspondent and is currently the social media manager for Eurolanche, a European-based Avalanche fan group. Brennan’s previous writing experience includes articles for Denver Nose Bleeds.