Three summers ago, Nathan Alalouf was on the verge of being on the outside looking in at rep hockey. Last week, he was more than holding his own with the top up-and-coming goaltenders in B.C. and Alberta.
The 16-year-old Greater Vancouver Canadians product is fresh off a strong showing at the U17 Pacific Region camp which serves as part of the selection process Team Pacific's entry in the 2013 World U17 Challenge, slated for Dec. 28 to Jan. 4 in Quebec.
The camp featured 68 prospects from the two provinces, including eight goalies.
Nathan won't know until November if he has cracked the 22-player final roster, but he did play well enough to get the attention of the Saskatoon Blades. The Western Hockey League club added him to its protection list, which means an invite to main training camp at the end of the month.
Nathan's workload at the tryouts included a morning practice with "Team Grey" followed by a game in the afternoon where he shared crease duties with Edmonton's Jordan Papirny.
"It was a real good experience," said the soon-to-be Grade 11 student. "It was fast paced hockey with all that talent and showed you what level you have to be at.
"You definitely felt a little bit of pressure, but then you would clam down and play your game."
Nathan's camp invite came after a solid rookie season in the B.C. Major Midget Hockey League with the Canadians.
He cracked the regional squad as a 15-year-old, a feat no one would have predicted two years earlier.
Having played four years at the rep level in South Delta Minor Hockey, Nathan attended Bantam rep evaluations where he struggled from the outset.
He soon learned he did not make the A1 squad and his status on the A2 roster remained in doubt upon further evaluation, which is the typical process for "bubble" players.
"I didn't have a great tryout and was on the verge of being cut," recalled Nathan. "I had never played house hockey in my life.
"It was between me and another kid on whether I would stay on the 'B' team or not.
"It was a real eye opening experience."
Fortunately, South Delta Minor goaltender coach Jack O'Halloran saw Nathan's potential and began working with him.
He secured his spot on the A2 team and hasn't look back since."
"Jack deserves a lot of credit," added Nathan. "He helped me get my confidence back where it needed to be."
Nathan also received interest from B.C. Hockey League clubs and will attend the Nanaimo Clippers' camp first before heading to Saskatoon.
Then he will begin to weigh his options for the coming season that also could include another year with the Greater Vancouver Canadians.
