By Avery Williamson
Growing up in Eagle River, just 15 miles outside of Anchorage, Seawolf Hockey has always been an integral part of Brandon Lajoie’s life. Today, he proudly wears the Seawolf logo on his chest, representing his hometown university team.
As a first-generation hockey player, Brandon didn’t have a specific role model to follow. Instead his hockey journey “just kind of happened.”
“I saw an NHL game on the TV one day and told my parents that’s what I wanted to do,” he said. “They figured out how to get me on skates and playing and then it just took off from there.”
Although Eagle River may not have a large number of hockey players, it certainly doesn’t lack talent. Brandon had the privilege of being coached by Seawolf Hockey Hall-of-Famer Pete McEnaney and former USHL and WCHA player Reid McDonald. “Those coaches did a lot for me,” he said. “It was just a unique experience.”
After graduating from high school, Brandon joined the NAHL in 2018, playing three seasons with the Kenai Brown Bears before finishing his junior hockey career with the St. Cloud Norsemen.
When he learned that Seawolf Hockey was reinstated, Brandon knew that was the right place for him. “I was ready to come home,” he said. “I had got to see a lot of different places being able to travel but I always had that itch of missing home. It just felt right.”
Now finishing his third season with UAA, Brandon says the best part of being a Seawolf is “wearing the logo” and “playing in front of friends and family.”
Another unique aspect of playing for his hometown team is that Brandon now shares the ice with some of his former high school rivals. “I got to play against these guys that are on the team now, like Porter, Max and Tanner,” Brandon said. “We had a little rivalry before we all got to become teammates, which is pretty cool.”
As for his pre-game routine, Brandon doesn’t lean into superstitions. “I like to get myself into the right mindset by just calming down,” he said. “A lot of the guys like to get rowdy, but I like to find a quiet space to clear my head.”
