True: Looking forward to being veteran leader
During the WHL offseason, most players return to their hometowns to reunite with family and train in the comforts of their own home. While this typically means staying within the confines of the U.S. or Canada, some players have a longer journey to home. For one T-Bird, this entailed a 12-hour flight overseas to his hometown of Copenhagen, Denmark.
Center Alexander True was selected by the T-Birds in the first round, 48th overall, of the 2014 CHL Import Draft. Adjusting to the North American style of play hasn’t been an issue for True though. Last season, he appeared in 65 games recording 14 goals and 18 assists with 26 penalty minutes in his second season with the T-Birds. True appeared in all 18 games of the T-Birds’ playoff run, tallying six goals and four assists. Even with his impressive six-goal performance in the playoffs, True remains modest when asked what the key for him was in being one of the top scorers during the playoffs for the T-Birds.
“I wish I had the answer for that,” True said. “I feel that I worked hard all year, but it just so happened that I produced better in the playoffs.”
The T-Birds may have come up just short of a title last season, but True has positive memories from the team’s playoff appearance, especially the post-game celebrations.
“The celebration in the locker room after winning each round were my favorite moments,” True said. “It’s something I’ll never forget!”
In addition to playing for the T-Birds over the past two seasons, he’s also played two straight years for Denmark at the World Junior Championship. The opportunity to play for his home country is an experience True will never forget.
“It is always very special to represent your country at the World Junior Championship,” True said. “It is a great honor and something I am very proud of. It’s also a great opportunity to match yourself against the best players in the world. I had a lot of fun competing against Mathew Barzal and Scott Eansor too.”
True faced off against T-Birds teammate Mathew Barzal and Team Canada at the World Junior Championship this year. While True scored a goal in that game, another moment stands out more in True’s mind.
“I remember Barzy shooting at the top corner of the net on the power play while I was on the penalty kill trying to prevent him from scoring,” True said. “It was pretty annoying!”
While it’s a huge honor for True to play for Team Denmark, his main focus is on the T-Birds. He plans to start skating with his former Team Rungsted of Denmark before he returns to the States, along with attending the Danish U20 National Team Summer Camp to prepare for the upcoming season. He’s staying focused on his offseason training by trying to improve on his strength and speed.
“I want to be more explosive on my first few strides on the ice and just get faster overall,” True said.
Since joining the T-Birds in 2014, True has embraced his role as a leader for the team, and is focused on integrating new players to create cohesion.
“It’s important for the veteran guys to help the young guys out in every aspect of the game, both on and off the ice,” True said. “We can get them well-integrated socially and teach them the style of play we have on the ice.”
This past June, the T-Birds selected Sami Moilanen from Finland in the 2016 CHL Import Draft. True offered some helpful advice in regards to his transition to the WHL.
“For some players the transition is easy,” True said. “For others it takes some time to get used to the North American style. So if the transition feels hard at first, I want him to know that things will get easier and the T-Birds are here for him during this transition period.”
True recently turned 19 years old, so he is still eligible to play in the WHL for at least another year. No matter where he may end up in the coming years, his time in Seattle has left him with many fond memories. When asked about his favorite part of playing with the T-Birds, True couldn’t narrow it down to just one.
“Some of my favorite parts are the friendships you get with the guys on the team,” True said. “The competiveness we have on the team and the winning attitude too. And our great fans are always a pleasure to play for.”
With his unyielding team-first mentality and consistent contributions on offense, Alexander True is sure to be another key component for T-Birds success this coming season.