Kerfoot Excited to Join Coyotes' Culture, 'Happy to be Part of it'

Alex Kerfoot knows a thing or two about winning.

After all, he has played with All-Stars like Nathan MacKinnon, Miko Rantanen, Gabriel Landeskog, Auston Matthews, John Tavares, and Mitch Marner, and he's also appeared in the playoffs in each of his six seasons in the league.

Now, he's bringing that pedigree to the desert.

Kerfoot signed a two-year contract with the Coyotes on July 1, which was the first-ever time he hit the free agent market. His arrival is part of an impressive offseason haul from General Manager Bill Armstrong, joining Sean Durzi, Jason Zucker, Matt Dumba, Nick Bjugstad, Troy Stecher, and Logan Cooley as the newest members of the team.

He said his decision to sign in Arizona came down to several factors, but it was a Zoom call with Armstrong, head coach André Tourigny, and other staff that cemented his belief that he'd be a good fit in The Valley.

Now he's looking forward to getting his start with the team.

"I just came away really impressed with where they're headed, what their mindset is at right now, and I think with what they're doing and where they envision the team going, it was a group that I wanted to be a part of," Kerfoot said.

"Having played against them the last few years, they're a tough team to play against, they're competitive, they're fast, and I just felt like I could fit in with where I'm at. I was looking for a place where I thought that the fit was really good, and of the teams that I was talking to, I felt most comfortable with them.

"I felt like the fit was a big thing for me, and for the group, and everything else is an added bonus."

It was a whirlwind July for the 28-year-old, who married his longtime girlfriend, Marissa, in Kelowna, British Columbia just weeks after inking his deal with the Coyotes. As training camp rapidly approaches, however, Kerfoot's focus will shift to his new surroundings in Arizona, and how he can gel with his new teammates.

He spent the last four seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs, notching 40 goals and 94 assists in 285 games. His best statistical season came just two seasons ago, when he recorded 51 points, and he currently owns the league's ninth-longest active games-played streak, at 263.

Kerfoot's first two years in the NHL were spent with the Colorado Avalanche, where he put up over 40 points each season. He'll now play an active role within the Coyotes' forward group, and he said the time spent with some of the league's most elite talent over the last six seasons is something that can pay dividends in The Valley.

Case in point: The Avalanche finished with the worst-overall record in 2016-17, and when he joined the very next season, the team earned its first playoff berth in four seasons.

Kerfoot finished fifth on that Avalanche team with 43 points.

"I think that what I learned from being around that Colorado group is that you're really never that far out of it," he said. "Nate (MacKinnon) took his game to another level, and all of a sudden we made the playoffs, and a couple years later they were the best team in the league.

"I think that if you have the right culture, you bring the right guys in, and have the right attitude amongst the guys who are on the ice, it can be done."

Kerfoot was

part of a blockbuster trade in 2019

, sending him and Tyson Barrie to the Leafs in exchange for Nazem Kadri and Calle Rosen. That set the stage for the next four years of his career, in which he spent playing alongside more of the league's best players.

His experience in Toronto taught him that there are multiple ways to contribute to a winning culture, and the time spent with Matthews, who he considers a "close friend," has been great for his development.

"Just being around some of those top guys, you learn what it takes on a day-to-day basis," Kerfoot said. "There were guys like that in Colorado as well. There's guys like that in Toronto who have done it in different ways, and I think that the habits and the attitude that they bring to the rink every day is special."

Kerfoot's arrival in Arizona will complement an established up-and-coming core of forwards in Arizona, many of whom are coming off career seasons. Those names include Clayton Keller (86 points, Masterton finalist), Nick Schmaltz (58 points), Matias Maccelli (49 points, 4th in Calder voting), Lawson Crouse (45 points), and Barrett Hayton (43 points).

That, coupled with a beefed-up blue line that includes core players J.J. Moser and Juuso Valimaki, gives Kerfoot plenty of reason for optimism heading into the 2023-24 season.

"It just feels like they're in a different spot now. It feels like they're trying to take the next step," he said. "Being part of that change and helping grow the culture is fun to be a part of. Things are trending really well for this group, and I'm happy to be part of it."

Though training camp doesn't kick off until next month, Kerfoot said he's excited to arrive in Arizona to start building that chemistry with his teammates. His takeaways from the first six seasons in the league will be a big part of how the team moves forward, and he's got the credentials to make an impact.

He can't wait to get going.

"It's going to be fun, and I'm just hoping for us to be playing competitive hockey games all the way through the season," Kerfoot said. "You can't really say much right now in the beginning of August -- we have to do it when we step on the ice. But I think that we're ready to go and we're ready to prove to people that we can compete."