BLOG: Stalock enjoying off-season in Da Beauty League

EDMONTON, AB - It comes as no surprise that Minnesota, also known as the 'State of Hockey', hosts the 'official summer league for Da Beauties.'
When the ice sheets in North America melt, Da Beauty League brings pro and amateur players from the Minnesota area together for fun yet competitive games of pick-up puck. Oilers goaltender Alex Stalock is serving as net-protector for team Bic this off-season, a squad featuring Vancouver Canucks sniper Brock Boeser, Carolina Hurricanes centre Derek Stepan and Detroit Red Wings defender Nick Leddy.
Stalock did not get between the pipes for the entirety of the 2020-21 NHL season but appears to be returning to form with his summer team, making some eye-popping stops along the way. The Saint Paul product joined Oilers Now on Thursday to discuss Da Beauty League's rise to prominence as well as his expectations for the 2021-22 campaign in Oil Country.

"The first year, they weren't sure how it was going to go. Jerseys were always changing and name bars were getting written on with Sharpies, but it was fun and it was a good way to get back into really ramping it up before guys head up for camp. It turned out to be almost like a softball league where if we go out and play, fans would come. Kids would wait outside the gates, guys would sign autographs on the way in and it was just a really cool experience."
Da Beauty League has become a spectacle for fans and a great source of exercise for all the players involved. Team Bic concluded the regular season with a 3-6-0 record but Stalock expects the intensity of matches to elevate when the playoffs begin as clubs battle for the John Scott Cup.
"I think you're going to start seeing the 11-10, 12-10 scores go away," Stalock, who owns a 61-49-18 career NHL record, said. "Guys start to ramp it up here for these playoffs, which is kind of funny. You'll start seeing 4-3 games and guys blocking shots. They're still having fun, don't get me wrong, but guys want to win."
Fun and fans are the two main themes of Da Beauty League but for Stalock, it's also an opportunity to get ready for the upcoming NHL schedule. Last season, the nine-year veteran was diagnosed with myocarditis after testing positive for COVID-19. Stalock took some time to recover and was eventually waived by the Minnesota Wild then claimed by the Oilers.

"It's been pretty wild," Stalock, reflecting on the eventful year and a half, said. "Any time something with the heart gets involved, you get pretty scared. We had to take it slow. Right away, their thought here in Minnesota was maybe I'd fly through (waivers). I hadn't played a game since the (NHL) Bubble, I had a medical condition that no one really knew was going on and we were trying to keep it quiet to protect my privacy."
After travelling to Edmonton and undergoing a 14-day quarantine, Stalock was cleared to practice with the Oilers and get acquainted with his new teammates. With the familiarity of the city and organization, in addition to the summer stint in Da Beauty League, Stalock hopes he can hold down the blue paint for the Orange & Blue after the challenging circumstances he experienced.
"I don't want to call it a fresh start but I want to turn the page on what's happened this last calendar year," he said. "I can just kind of wipe that away and hopefully be fully recovered from it and not have any lingering issues. At the end of the day, your health is the most important thing."