A conversation with Canucks prospect Parker Alcos, Port Moody’s next NHL hopeful

Only three players from Port Moody have played NHL games: Kent Johnson, a young budding forward with 130 NHL games under his belt; Lucas Johansen (drafted 2016); and Jeff McLean (drafted 1991), both of whom had brief stints with the Washington Capitals and San Jose Sharks, respectively.

Hopefully, Parker Alcos can be added to that list in due time.

The Vancouver Canucks called the 2006-born defender’s name this past weekend in Vegas, when the club selected him in the sixth round at 162nd overall.

Alcos, 17, has been a rising standout in the area for some time now. He played his U15 career at Burnaby Winter Club before transitioning to and winning a championship with the Vancouver NE Chiefs U18 AAA in 2021-22 as a 15-year-old.

Despite going undrafted in his WHL draft season, likely due to his undersized frame at the time, the right-shot defender was invited as an undrafted free agent to the Edmonton Oil Kings camp for a shot at walking on the team as an invitee.

“Parker showed up to our camp and just continued to improve on the progression we had seen the season prior,” said Michael Chan, Director of Scouting for the Edmonton Oil Kings, in a 2023 interview. “His skating ability and instincts immediately stood out amongst the crowd. When paired with his noticeable physical growth, our coaching staff and scouting staff felt they were watching a player who had the potential to be a mainstay on our d-core moving forward.”

While he didn’t “walk on”, the Oil Kings were inticed enough to assign his rights to the CSSHL U18 league, where he led his team’s defensive corps with 16 assists through 27 games with the Northern Alberta Xtreme U18 Prep. He was called up midway through that season, and the rest is history.

Fresh off his official rookie year in the WHL, Alcos finished with the 11th-highest point total (15) amongst U18 defenders league-wide.

He didn’t make it to Vegas to hear his name called in person but instead enjoyed the news at home with his family. Just hours later, he made the short drive to attend his first NHL development camp.

“Yeah, it’s obviously a dream come true,” Alcos, who grew up an avid Canucks fan, told CanucksArmy. “Watching them [the Canucks] play growing up and it just still – I’m still amazed that it happened.”

This year’s camp, run with a 10-to-24 coaches-to-skater ratio, focuses deeply on close interaction and personal growth. As a result, the hands-on experience, both on and off the ice, gained this year will be unparalleled.

So far, Parker has been focused on keeping things simple and soaking in as much information as he can before prepping for his first NHL training camp.

“Just trying to soak in as much information as I can and add it to my own game to make me a better overall player,” Alcos said. “It’s been a blast. Ever since I got here all the staff and players have treated me like one of their own. And it’s been a great time.”

Touted as a smooth-skating, right-shot defender, Alcos told us he models his game after John Marino, a sixth-round NHL draft pick himself, who was recently dealt to the Utah Hockey Club.

“I kind of admire his game and want to be like him,” Alcos said.

At 6’3, and a right-shot option, there is a lot to be intrigued with in terms of his long-term projection. Immediately following the selection, Canucks Scouting Director Todd Harvey had high praise.

“He is a really, really good skater,” Harvey told Canucks.com. “He is mobile and he can really move pucks. He’s light and has a lot of growth left. We are happy that he was there for us, and our people really liked him. I think next year he’s going to have a big year with Edmonton but like I said, he’s got a lot of growth left in his game,” said Harvey.

For now, the Port Moody native focuses on his duties at Development Camp as he acclimates himself to his new system and future teammates.