Alex Forsberg has two missions heading into his second Western Hockey League season.
The top pick in the 2010 WHL bantam draft wants to show Hockey Canada they were wrong in not inviting him to the Czech Republic this summer for the 2012 Ivan Hlinka tournament where Canada's under-18 team won its fifth consecutive gold medal.
"It was definitely my goal this summer to get better and show everyone they made a mistake," said Forsberg, a Prince George Cougars centre .
The second goal for Forsberg is to stay healthy for a complete season, something he hasn't done since he was an underage player with the Beardy's Blackhawks in the Saskatchewan Midget Hockey League.
In his first season with the Cougars, the 17-year-old missed 21 games, first with shoulder problems and then with a hip flexor. The shoulder also gave him trouble in his second season with the Blackhawks. The injuries are likely part of the reason Forsberg was overlooked when it came to choosing the under-18 team.
Despite the injuries Forsberg still accumulated 15 goals and 40 points during his rookie season with the Cougars. If Forsberg can stay healthy, the Cougars odds of seeing the post season go up and the product of Waldheim, Sask., could see his prospects of a high selection in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft rise.
Forsberg said his older brother Jesse, who was dealt to the Seattle Thunderbirds this summer, has given him advice on how to deal with the lofty expectations.
Cougars head coach Dean Clark said he expects Forsberg to rise to the challenge after getting his feet wet as a 16 year old and learning how to balance games, practices, school and lengthy bus trips.
"I expect Alex to take a big jump," said Clark. "He's a huge talent and I think he was a little disappointed not to get invited to the under-18 program this year. It's a little bit of a fire for him to show people that he deserved to be there."
The Forsberg brothers spent the summer training and conditioning together at a Saskatoon fitness centre specializing in programs for hockey players.
"I'm excited to see Alex for 72 games and in the playoffs," said Clark.
In his WHL draft year, Forsberg played in 44 games with the Blackhawks as a 14 year old, collecting 26 goals and 72 points. He was limited to 23 games as a 15 year old where he had 16 goals and 35 points.
In 2011 Forsberg played with Team Saskatchewan at the Canada Winter Games in Halifax and suited up for Team West at the under-17 World Challenge in Windsor last Christmas.
Forsberg said he added some muscle to his five-foot-10, 170-pound frame during the summer while dropping a few pounds he had put on due to not being able to ride the bike with the hip flexor.
As for the upcoming season and NHL draft, Forsberg said all he can do is play hard and hope the chips fall his way.
"I'm hoping for a complete opposite of last year, winning a lot, [being] healthy," said Forsberg. "I'm not too sure what it's going to be like but I'm just hoping for the best. I'm expecting there to be a little bit of pressure on me from the coaching staff and fans. I just have to cope with it and play hard every night."
