Alex Forbes never achieved that childhood aspiration, but it certainly wasn’t for lack of trying. The Glasgow Clan forward grew up in the village of Mosstowie, just outside Elgin, where he learned to skate and play.
Choosing to focus on ice hockey rather than football, his talents quickly became evident to a wider and wider audience. Impressive at tryouts, Forbes was offered the opportunity to move to Cornwall, Ontario, Canada, to join the OHA Mavericks training program. As a hockey-loving 14-year-old from the north of Scotland, it was a dream. The only downside was that he would have to do it alone.
“One day my best friend asked me to go watch him play hockey and my interest took off from there,” he recalls. “I started skating in public, then playing hockey the following year at the local recreational rink. It was a good club. We won the Scottish Championship one year in the under-12s and there was a very positive culture there, which helps when you’re starting out.
“Then one time I was about to go to a tournament in Hull and there was a guy from school in Canada who spotted me and came over to tell me and my dad. We went there and I liked it, so I went.
“My family stayed in Elgin, so I went alone when I was 14. I was kind of thrown in at the deep end. My parents came to drop me off on Friday, left on Sunday, and school started on Monday. It was a bit of a whirlwind.
The first few months were understandably difficult, but Forbes held on for four years. The long-term goal, like everyone’s, was to play in the National Hockey League and even though he didn’t make it, he doesn’t regret sacrificing so much while trying.
“I loved it in Canada because it was something totally different from here,” he adds. “At first, it was a culture shock living in a college dorm with everything on site, including the school. And the skating rink was five minutes away. They brought children from all over the world to participate. A few from the UK now play in the British league and one of the Canadians, Drake Batherson, has reached the NHL. It was also my dream but so few players achieve it. But I have no regrets.
The striker’s progress has not gone unnoticed. Call-ups to the British Under-18 and then Under-20 teams followed, as did a move to Utah to play for the Ogden Mustangs where he remained for three seasons, meeting his wife, Kennedy, in the process.
“Ogden was incredible. There was a good group of Brits there who made it easier for me. I loved it there. I stayed with a host family for two seasons and I’m still in contact with them now. They are like a second family to me.
His involvement in Great Britain also proved fruitful. “We went to Estonia for the Under-20 World Championships and won every match to take the gold medal. Also part of this team was Jordan Cownie, who is also part of the Clan.
Faced with the choice between going to college or becoming a professional immediately, Forbes opted for the latter. He is regularly present in the British EIHL. [Elite Ice Hockey League] since then, a season with Milton Keynes Lightning followed by five with Coventry Blaze before committing to the Clans revolution this summer. At 27, he believes his best days in hockey are still ahead of him.
“So far I’m enjoying it, it’s been a good change of scenery,” he says. “It’s been really fun for me and my wife to explore the city and it’s nice to be back home and living in Scotland. There have been a lot of changes at the club over the summer with new owners, a new manager and lots of new players, so it’s a fresh start for everyone. This means everyone is on the same page.
“I feel like I’ve progressed every year in my career with experience. The older you get and the more you progress, the more tips and tricks you acquire. I’d like to think I still have a lot to offer on the ice.
The oddity of the schedule sees his former Blaze teammates travel north to Braehead Arena this weekend. But all friendships will be temporarily put on hold when play begins, with the Clan eager for a home win to kick off their season.
“It will be weird to play against some of the guys I spent the last five seasons with,” he adds. “It will be interesting to face them. But when you’re on the ice, you just have to treat everyone like the enemy and it won’t be any different.
