It's a huge step up from midget hockey to the Western Hockey League.
Kind of like traveling from the flat prairie of Waldheim, Sask., to the Himalayas.
The players in the 'Dub are bigger, stronger, faster, and older than Alex Forsberg. They might be a little bit out of his league right now, but give him time. He's just turned 16, and based on what he showed last weekend in his major junior debut against the big and tough Moose Jaw Warriors, it won't be long before Forsberg starts planting his flag in WHL arenas on a regular basis.
"That game was a little bit different for me, a lot of big guys out there compared to my league, they're big and strong and you need to work hard out there to get anything done," said Forsberg.
"I think I played pretty good. Just trying to make quick plays is difficult because of the speed of the game -- it's a lot quicker than midget -- but I think after a week of practicing I'll be up to par."
Forsberg stuck around Prince George all week to practice with the Cougars and will be in the lineup tonight (7 p.m. start) when they host the Vancouver Giants in a two-game series at CN Centre.
The hype about Forsberg began in the year leading up to last April, when the Cougars picked him first overall in the WHL bantam draft. As a 15-year-old midget he finished third in scoring in the Saskatchewan triple-A league with 26 goals and 46 assists for 72 points. He led the Blackhawks in the playoff scoring with seven goals in six games. He admits the pressure of being the No. 1 pick has been difficult to live up to at times.
"I don't really feel that today but in training camp I felt it a bit and didn't have my best camp," said Forsberg. "Hopefully I can be a (an impact player). This is a great organization that keeps getting better and hopefully I can play good for them."
Playing against Moose Jaw on a line with 20-year-old veterans James Dobrowolski and Taylor Stefishen, Forsberg had one good shot on goal off the chest of Warriors goalie Brandon Stone.
"He had some chances and we could see some flashes of the brilliance he shows with his triple-A midget team," said Cougars assistant coach Jason Becker. "He was injured earlier in the year but he's come back strong and had a really good Mac's tournament and it was good to get him up here."
Forsberg missed the seven weeks this season with a separated shoulder and returned to action just in time for the Mac's midget tournament in Calgary. In four tournament games, Forsberg collected seven points as Beardy's finished atop their division with a 3-1 record but failed to qualify for the playoff round. Having played only 12 of 31 league games for the Blackhawks, he already has 15 points, including eight goals.
Coming to Prince George as a midget callup was not nearly as intimidating as it might be for Forsberg, knowing his 17-year-old brother Jesse is well-established as a second-year defenceman for the Cougars. They hadn't played on the same team since Jesse was playing atom hockey.
"It's basically like just back in Waldheim, I stay with him, I'm always with him and he helps me on the ice a lot, giving me some advice," said Alex.
The younger Forsberg will return to Saskatchewan after the second Vancouver game.
