Alex Iafallo
American forward who scored his first NHL hat trick in overtime.
Alexander Iafallo (born December 21, 1993) is an American professional ice hockey forward for the Winnipeg Jets of the National Hockey League (NHL). He previously played for the Los Angeles Kings, with whom he began his NHL career as an undrafted free agent out of the University of Minnesota Duluth.
Iafallo grew up in Eden, New York, where his father Tom—a restaurant owner and coach—built a roller rink in the backyard for him and his sister Julianna, a former professional player for the Buffalo Beauts of the National Women's Hockey League. He started skating at age four but, at his parents’ request, waited a year before joining the local mite travel team. In youth hockey, he played for the Buffalo Regals 18U team and helped the Western Region scholastic team win a gold medal at the 2010 Empire State Games. As the Regals’ top scorer in the 2010–11 Tier 1 AAA season, he led them toward a national championship before moving on to junior hockey with the Fargo Force of the United States Hockey League (USHL).
At the University of Minnesota Duluth, Iafallo played 33 games as a freshman and earned a spot on the NCHC All-Rookie Team. As a senior in 2016–17, he led the team with 21 goals, 30 assists, and 51 points, was named a First Team All-American, and was MVP of the NCHC All-Tournament Team. Over four seasons with the Bulldogs, he totaled 121 points in 152 games. He signed a two-year, entry-level contract with the Los Angeles Kings as a free agent on April 19, 2017.
Iafallo made the Kings’ opening night roster for the 2017–18 season after impressing in training camp. He debuted on October 5, 2017, in a 2–0 win over the Philadelphia Flyers, and scored his first NHL goal on November 5, 2017, in his 14th career game, against the Nashville Predators—erasing a three-goal deficit before the Predators won 4–3 in overtime. He finished that season with nine goals and scored 15 the following season. On January 30, 2020, he recorded his first career hat trick in a 3–2 win over the Arizona Coyotes. That season, he became the third player in NHL history to score within the first 25 seconds of overtime multiple times in one season, and he netted 17 goals before the COVID-19 shutdown ended his push for a 20-goal, 50-point campaign.
On April 12, 2021, Iafallo signed a four-year, $16 million contract extension with the Kings.
Quick Facts
- Height
- 6 ft 0 in
- Weight
- 185 lb
- Born
- 21 December 1993
- Birthplace
- Eden, New York, U.S.
- Position
- Forward
- Shoots
- Left
- League
- NHL
- Team
- Winnipeg Jets
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Iafallo grew up in Eden, New York, the son of restaurant owner and coach Tom Iafallo and nurse Barb Iafallo. He began skating at age four but was held back from joining the local mite travel team for a year at his parents' request. His father built a roller rink in their backyard for Iafallo and his sister Julianna, who also became a professional hockey player with the Buffalo Beauts of the National Women's Hockey League. Iafallo played junior hockey for the Buffalo Regals 18U team and helped the Western Region men's scholastic team win a gold medal at the 2010 Empire State Games. He then played for the Fargo Force in the USHL before attending the University of Minnesota Duluth, where he was named to the NCHC All-Rookie Team as a freshman and later earned First Team All-American honors and NCHC All-Tournament Team MVP as a senior. Undrafted, he signed a two-year entry-level contract with the Los Angeles Kings on April 19, 2017. He made the Kings' opening night roster for the 2017–18 season and scored his first NHL goal on November 5, 2017. On January 30, 2020, he recorded his first career hat trick in a 3–2 win over the Arizona Coyotes. He served as an alternate captain for the Kings on multiple occasions during the 2021–22 season. On June 27, 2023, Iafallo was traded to the Winnipeg Jets alongside Rasmus Kupari, Gabriel Vilardi, and a 2024 second-round draft pick in exchange for Pierre-Luc Dubois.
Reader's Guide
Iafallo's career is notable for his path as an undrafted free agent who became a regular NHL forward. He scored 9 goals in his rookie season and 15 the following year. In the 2019–20 season, he scored 17 goals and was on pace for his first 20-goal, 50-point season before the NHL season was suspended due to COVID-19. He became the third player in NHL history to score within the opening 25 seconds of an overtime period multiple times in a single season. On April 12, 2021, he signed a four-year, $16 million contract extension with the Kings. He finished the shortened 56-game season with 13 goals in 55 games. Iafallo wore a letter on his jersey for the first time on May 7, 2021, serving as an alternate captain after Dustin Brown was ruled out for the rest of the season with an injury. He again served as an alternate captain in the 2021–22 season on two occasions, temporarily wearing an 'A' after injuries to Drew Doughty. In the 2022–23 season, Iafallo missed 23 games due to a lower body injury but still finished with 14 goals and 36 points in 59 games. He scored his first playoff overtime goal on April 17, 2023, in Game 1 of the Kings' first-round series against the Edmonton Oilers. His trade to the Winnipeg Jets in June 2023 was part of a multi-player deal that sent Pierre-Luc Dubois to Los Angeles.
Did You Know?
- Iafallo's sister Julianna played professional hockey for the Buffalo Beauts in the National Women's Hockey League.
- Iafallo scored his first NHL hat trick on January 30, 2020, in a 3–2 win over the Arizona Coyotes.
- He was traded to the Winnipeg Jets on June 27, 2023, as part of a deal involving Pierre-Luc Dubois.
More in Winnipeg Jets Players 1-24
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced