(This story was originally posted on uhwildecats.com)
Growing up as a hockey player in New Hampshire,Alex Gagnewould tell you that playing for the University of New Hampshire men's ice hockey team is a dream come true.
"It obviously means a lot to me. I can remember the first game I saw, I was 10 years old and just seeing the atmosphere, walking around campus a little bit, it was surreal," said Gagne. "Then having the opportunity to play for UNH has been awesome."
Gagne has served as team captain for the last two seasons, making him only the sixth player in UNH men's hockey's 100-year history to serve as a two-year captain.
"It's something that I don't take for granted," Gagne explained. "Every day waking up, youkind of have to pinch yourself that you're one of the captains for UNH, such a storied program. It's something you dream of as a kid, not only playing for UNH but being one of the leaders. It's an unbelievable experience."
He is recognized by his coaches, teammates and peers as a leader, an honor he does not take lightly.
"He is an incredible elite conditioned athlete," said UNH Men's Hockey HeadCoachMike Souza. "We talk about letting no day go by where you waste daytime, and he epitomizes that with what he does for the program on the ice, but also off the ice in terms of his preparations."
Souza describes Gagne as a hardworking athlete with the potential to play at the highest level. Gagne is one of the leading defensemen in Hockey East recognized as a 2023-24 Third-Team All-Star and runner-up for the Hockey East Best Defensive Defenseman Award. He also won UNH's Roger A. LeClerc Most Valuable Player Award and the Rod Langway Best Defenseman Award.
"He represents the program well in so many areas and I am really proud of the young man he's become during his time here," said Souza.
While playing hockey is a special experience in itself, Gagne shared that the UNH community is what has made his time with this program truly meaningful.
Throughout his time at UNH, Gagne hasparticipated in many community initiatives and charitable missions. He currently serves as the community liaison for the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), a position specifically created for him. There he works to maintain the relationship between the community and student-athletes, a role that he shared has been eye-opening.
"It has meant a lot to me realizing that we student-athletes have a platform that we can do a lot with," said Gagne. "I think SAAC is such an under-utilized thing in the sense that some people don't talk about it but it's very useful when it comes to the community."
He has seen how useful it can be firsthand as he helped raise over $400 at SAAC's Hoops for Hunger event for Durham's Cornucopia Food Pantry. Gagne alsoparticipated in SAAC's Bench Out the Stigma event, UNH men's hockey's annual teddy bear toss and helped to coordinate a coat drive through UNH's Basic Needs program.
"The role means a lot, last year our president, Ande Allison, asked me if I wanted to be in this role, and before I was just a member and followed, but to be in a leadership position with SAAC is pretty cool," said Gagne.
One of Gagne's biggest accomplishments this past year was leading UNH men's hockey'sMovember initiative, an annual movement that draws awareness to men's health issues. The men's hockey team vowed to fundraise for prostate cancer research and raised over $10,000 for Mass General Brigham. As a sign of solidarity, each member of the team grew out their hair and shaved it off following a home game at the end of November.
"We were lucky enough to have everyone on the team participate," said Gagne. "It waspretty surreal, after we got all of our heads shaved a gentleman came up to me and mentioned he had prostate cancer and beat it. It was pretty cool, we wanted to raise awareness for not only prostate cancer, but men's mental health, and I think we did just that. Hopefully, it's something we leave behind, and the guys after us will continue this important initiative."
While Gagne has undoubtedly left an impact on the community during his time at UNH, he shared that this community has left its mark on him.
"I've met a lot of wonderful people within the program and outside of the program that just want to see UNH succeed in any way," said Gagne. "Idon't think anyone gets that from another program, or another university, which is why I think UNH is so unique. With that, the impact the community has had on me holds a really big place in my heart."