BY MATT MACKINDER
Clarkston News Staff Writer

After a roller-coaster junior hockey career that saw him play in two leagues and in four towns, Clarkston native Alex Frye will continue that ride this fall at NCAA Division I University of Alaska Anchorage.
Frye, a forward who turns 21 on July 27, played for the United States Hockey League’s Chicago Steel in 2015-16, followed by time with the North American Hockey League’s Topeka Roadrunners, Philadelphia Rebels and Jamestown Rebels. He also captained the Rebels in 2018-19.
“Alex comes in after a long and tested junior career, bringing a wealth of experience and leadership to our team,” said UAA head coach Matt Curley. “An all-around player, he is both responsible on the defensive side of the puck while possessing the ability to make plays on the offensive side. An extremely hard worker, he is the type of player we are excited to have in our locker room.”
Last year in Jamestown, N.Y., Frye posted 30 goals and 56 points in 60 games for the Rebels.
“Alex has been a complete pleasure to coach,” said Rebels head coach Joe Coombs, who also had Frye in Philadelphia. “A great kid that we, as an organization, could not be happier for. We have been saying all along that someone will be getting a top-notch player and UAA is getting exactly that. Best part is, Alex has a 200-foot game and is ahead of the curve.”
Frye said committing to the Seawolves, who play in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association, was always a goal of his.
“When I was offered a spot to play at UAA, there was a sense of relief, but now I have a feeling that hockey can take me further than just college hockey,” he said. “The life up here (in Alaska) is much different than living in Michigan. For instance, during the month of June, we get around 20 hours of daylight and in December, closer to five.”
In the classroom, Frye will be majoring in Criminal Justice.
Originally born in Oklahoma when his father, Tom, was playing minor-league hockey for the Oklahoma City Blazers, Frye said that’s where he caught the hockey bug.
“My dad was the one who mainly introduced me to hockey because he was always playing, but at a very young age, I determined that it was my own goal to play hockey and not just his,” said Frye. “I spent the first 13 years of my life there and then we moved to Clarkston. I spent a couple years going to school in Clarkston before leaving for juniors at 17.”
Frye, who attended Orchard Lake St. Mary’s, Sashabaw Middle School and Clarkston Junior High, played lacrosse for Clarkston in junior high but had to stop after that because hockey was more year-round at that point, he said.