Although too young to remember his first time seeing the Rangers play at The Garden, the second time was unforgettable. Most memorable was the chanting of "Guy" every time Lefleur touched the puck or came on the ice. In an instant, Alex had his first hockey hero and felt the magic of the game.

While a fan of hockey and the New York Rangers, Alex had little interest in playing organized sports while growing up. He bought his first pair of rollerblades and taught himself to skate at the tender age of 21. After a few years he had enough confidence in his skating to attempt rollerhockey. Two to three times a week after work, Alex would put himself through drills to practice passing, shooting, using speed, and skating backwards. He played a few games with neighborhood kids, some of whom played for their high schools, which helped in building Alex's confidence. Still, the thought of playing ice hockey was kept at a far distance because he had very little experience playing rollerhockey.

Then one day while skimming though NEXT magazine, Alex came upon an ad for an organization of gay ice hockey players. Even though his only experience on ice was skating in circles at the local rink's public session, Alex was determined to find out more about the organization. He called the NYCGHA and attended the next general meeting, where Alex learned that there were players of all skill levels. Within a month he was geared up and ready to go.

Today, Alex is a proud member of the NYC Gay Hockey Association. He likes to think back to that night in The Garden, hearing the crowd roar "Guy" and watching Lefleur raise his arms in appreciation. Making everyone in the audience feel the magic -- the magic that is Hockey.