Utica's Alex Dawes about to add Olympic experience on his hockey résumé

There will be a connection to Utica next month at the Olympic Games in Beijing.

Alex Dawes, a graduate of Thomas R. Proctor High School and Utica College, is set to be the video coach for the United States men’s hockey team at the Olympics. This is Dawes’ first time being on the hockey team’s staff for the Olympics as well as going to China.

“For me, (earning the role) means the world,” the 31-year-old Dawes said Tuesday in a phone interview. “Everything I’ve done to this point means I’ve been honored for what I do on a daily basis with my team. It is a good pat on the back, for sure. It is an honor to work with these guys and be part of something this big.”

The decision to take the role was a “no-brainer,” said Dawes, who is in in his sixth season as Penn State University’s director of hockey operations and ninth overall at the NCAA Division I school. Dawes was an assistant coach with the Penn State’s women's program from 2013 to 2016.

“From a personal standpoint, you don’t have to think for a second. It is an easy yes. It is the logistics of all the other stuff whether it is taking a month off of work or stuff like that,” said Dawes, who also played hockey for Proctor.

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“My brothers both thought (the Olympics role) was awesome. My mom and girlfriend were like ‘wait, you’re going to China?’ They quickly realized what the opportunity was and it didn’t take them long to be supportive. Everyone has been super supportive. The texts and the calls back home have been meaningful to me. It is a nice feeling. I don’t really like the attention, but it is nice to know people are paying attention and see what’s going on.”

In his role with Team USA, Dawes is set to be responsible for scouting reports on opponents, assisting in meetings before and after games to discuss planning and assist with hockey technology.

Team USA’s top coach is former New York Rangers and Boston University head coach David Quinn. Assistants are Minnesota State University-Mankato head coach Mike Hastings, St. Cloud State head coach Brett Larson, Pittsburgh Penguins director of player development Scott Young and USA Hockey national goaltending coach David Lassonde.

“The exciting part is that you get these coaches that all have their way that they want to teach,” Dawes said. “It kind of becomes my role as video coach to be the interpreter for these guys and help the coaches come up with a concise, clear message that they can pass on to the players. I take a lot of pride in that role. I enjoy it. My role becomes to make sure that before the team sees anything that everybody is on the same page.”

Due to COVID-19 concerns, the NHL opted not to let players participate in the Olympics. Other players will be used to fill the roster.

Dawes previously served as the video coach for two United States national teams. He was part of the 2016 U.S. Under-18 women's national team that won gold at the world championships. In 2019, he was with the U.S. men's national junior team, helping the squad to a silver medal in the world championships.

After graduating from Proctor in 2008, Dawes spent a year at the University of Vermont, where he was the Director of Hockey Operations. He then returned home, attending Utica College beginning in 2009 through the 2013 season.

With Utica, Dawes was Director of Hockey Operations and an assistant coach on Gary Heenan's staff for the NCAA Division III program.

“Those four years (with UC) are probably the reason why I am where I am now,” Dawes said. “It made my fall in love with the role and the impact I can have.”

Dawes is set to travel to Los Angeles on Jan. 30 to meet the rest of Team USA. The team is set travel to Beijing a few days later. The team’s first game is scheduled for Feb. 10 against China.

“You’re in an atmosphere that is surrounded with the elite of the elite of what they do,” Dawes said. “To be in that environment … is going to be really cool.”

Ben Birnell is a sports reporter for the Observer-Dispatch. Email Ben Birnell at bbirnell@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Observer-Dispatch: Utica's Alex Dawes headed winter Olympics 2022 men's hockey team staff