Halifax Mooseheads forward Alec Nasreddine learned from a young age that a career in professional hockey wasn't as glamorous as people thought.
“It's hard work,” the 18-year-old striker said. “You are often away from home. This is your dream job, but at the same time it requires a lot of sacrifice.”
Nasreddin learned this from his father, Alain Nasreddin, who had a professional career spanning 15 seasons. He played in the NHL for the Chicago Blackhawks, Montreal Canadiens, New York Islanders and Pittsburgh Penguins, as well as stops in the MHL, AHL and Germany.
When Alec Nasreddin was born in 2007 in Pittsburgh, his playing career was coming to an end. Alain Nasreddin then became a coach, which meant Alec also lived in places like New Jersey and Texas.
Today Nasreddin Sr. is an assistant coach of the NHL club Dallas Stars.
Alec Nasreddin grew up surrounded by professional hockey players. He saw how dedicated they needed to be to succeed, both in terms of training and nutrition.
While his goal is to play in the NHL, his path there won't be the same as his father, who literally had to give up to get there.
Alain Nasreddine spent four seasons in the QMJHL in the early 1990s. He recalls a standout performance in his rookie year for the Drummondville Voltigeurs, where fighting was rampant.
In those days, players often removed their helmets before fighting. Nasreddin, who was 16 at the time, still remembers his 20-year-old opponent's beard, realizing how much older the player was.
“I was like, ‘Oh my God! What did I just do? – Nasreddin said.
The fight went well for the newcomer. Soon he began to fight more often and it became part of his game.
“Back then you just did whatever you had to do to stay in the lineup, stay in the league, earn money and get more playing time… I guess that's how it worked back then unless you scored 50 goals and 150 points,” Nasreddine said.
More severe penalties have radically reduced the number of fights in today's QMJHL so Alec Nasreddin won't have to use his fists to pursue his hockey dream, although he says he loves watching videos of his dad's hockey fights on YouTube.
Looking back, Alain Nasreddine, a defenseman who scored 90 points in four seasons in the QMJHL, said it would have been nice to showcase his hockey talents even more.
“I liked the game itself,” he said. “I didn’t like throwing the gloves away and having to chase guys or try to make a name for myself that way.”
Nasreddine was selected in the sixth round of the 1993 NHL draft by the Florida Panthers.
Alec Nasreddin hasn't played much for the Mooseheads this season. He was healthy for most games.
His limited playmaking opportunities came on the team's fourth line, the control line, where players try to wear down their opponents, give the team a spark and give teammates a chance to catch their breath.
Alec Nasreddin said he respects the coach's decision, but it motivates him to become better.
“Obviously it's not the best feeling and it kind of lit a fire in me to prove everyone wrong, like, I should be on the ice every day,” he said.
When asked what advice his father gave him, Nasreddin said his father told him to focus on getting better. For Nasreddin, this means being the hardest working player in the room and on the ice and never taking a day off.
Alain Nasreddin understands the difficult situation his son is in.
“Everyone wants more ice time,” he said. “Everyone wants to play and no one is going to feel sorry for you, so you have to put your head down…every day you have an opportunity to work on your game and every day you have a chance to improve it, that's what you have to focus on.”
Mooseheads general manager Cam Russell played for the Blackhawks with Alain Nasreddine, where Nasreddine played seven games during the 1998–99 season.
Player Characters
Russell said he has a soft spot for players like Alec Nasreddine, character players who don't get a lot of pats on the back or score goals under the spotlight.
“TThey are very appreciated for everything they do, both by the coaching staff and management,” Russell said.
He said players in Alec Nasreddine's position need to come to the rink, be positive and support their teammates.
“You don't want them moping around the room feeling sorry for themselves, but you also don't want them walking around the room with a big smile on their face, you know, because then you'll look at them like, 'What? Are you glad you’re sitting?” said Russell.
“I say this because I have lived this role myself.”
During his professional career, Russell said he was typically the sixth or seventh defenseman on the roster.
In his efforts to continually expand the Mooseheads lineup, Alec Nasreddin can draw inspiration from his father's career.
“I never stopped believing,” said Alain Nasreddin. “You know, I joined the NHL at the age of 24. And that didn't last long… and then I played in the minors for five years, but I always stayed there. I had chances to go play in Europe, go play in Russia, earn more money, but my dream was to play in the NHL.”
In total, Nasreddine played 74 games in the NHL, compared to 726 games in the AHL. His NHL stats include one goal and four assists, with one goal assisted by hockey legends Sidney Crosby and Mark Recchi.
Nasreddine said that while wrestling helped him get to the NHL, over time it wasn't what kept him there.
“It was still part of who I was,” he said. “But as I got older, I relied on it less and less as I became more of an impact player.”
“Bumps and Bruises”
Alain Nasreddin said that people who get to the NHL have different paths there. Most of them do not immediately go from junior hockey to the NHL. He told his son that his journey will be longer, but he must give everything he has so as not to regret if things don’t work out.
“As he finds out now, you know, there are bumps and bruises along the way,” Alain Nasreddin said. “And, you know, he's facing difficulties now. And this won't be the last time. But he's persistent and I'm proud of him.”
Alec Nasreddin follows this advice.
“He knows I have a long way to go and he’s not lying to me,” Alec Nasreddin said. “He tells me the truth and that’s what I want from him. And yeah, he just tells me to stick with it because, you know, he believes in me. And if he believes in me, then, you know, obviously I should too.”
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