When taking a look today at 6’3”- 200 pound Bears’ center, Jay Beagle, one probably would not guess that he would have been considered average size at any point in his life. However, that was exactly the case for Beagle even into his late teens.

“I was always a pretty small guy growing up,” remembers Beagle. “Even when I was 17 or 18 years old, I was only 5’7” or so.”

Without any offers coming from any of the “major” Canadian Junior Hockey Leagues, Beagle played his junior hockey in the less prestigious Alberta Junior Hockey League. While toiling for the Calgary Royals in the AJHL, despite putting up respectable numbers, Beagle was never selected in the NHL draft.

“I really don’t know why I wasn’t drafted. Maybe it was the road I took. You don’t see many guys get drafted out of the Alberta Junior Hockey League, but it’s starting to get more popular now.”

The next stop on Beagle’s odyssey to the pros was Anchorage, Alaska, where he enlisted to play college hockey with the University of Alaska-Anchorage Seawolves. Although Anchorage is not geographically very close to Calgary, being more than 2,000 miles away, it provided just the type of surroundings he prefers.

“I went up there to check it out and it was just an unbelievable place; it’s my kind of place, very ‘outdoorsy’,” said Beagle. “Actually, even though Anchorage gets a lot of snow, their winters are not that bad compared to Fairbanks. I liked what the coaches said to me, and all of the guys I met there were unbelievable. I committed only three days after I got home from my visit.”   

After his sophomore season at UAA, Beagle decided to turn pro, appearing in eight games with the Idaho Steelheads of the East Coast Hockey League. The Steelheads, with Beagle skating along in 18 playoff contests, eventually went on capture the ECHL’s crown jewel, the Kelly Cup.

“I really didn’t have much choice but to turn pro. I was struggling in school just to make the grades to stay eligible; to travel that much and to play hockey, it’s difficult.

“The coach in Idaho, Derek Laxdal (a junior teammate of former Bear, Ron Hextall), scouted me when I was in college. He wanted me for his team and I was very fortunate to win the Kelly Cup.”

As Boyd Kane once, "There aren’t many teams playing into late May", and that definitely proved to be a plus as playing into late May with the Steelheads allowed Beagle a platform to display his talents, and fortunately for Bears fans, a representative of the Washington Capitals was on hand to bear witness.

“Steve Richmond (Washington’s director of player development), came to watch me play in Las Vegas in the playoffs,” Beagle said. “He told me to come to the summer developmental camp, and that if I played well, anything could happen and I could fit in.”

Richmond’s words of encouragement meant a lot to Beagle, who made the most of the opportunity to take the next step in his career progression.

“His talk with me allowed me to go in with a positive mindset, trying to turn some heads and show them that I could play. Sure enough, Doug Yingst and Bruce Boudreau talked to me quite a bit during the camp and week or so after that, I signed with Bears and it’s been great ever since.”

On March 26, 2008, late in Beagle’s inaugural season in Chocolatetown, the Washington Capitals inked him to an NHL contract. Being signed to an NHL deal during the course of the season is not a common occurrence, and the timing of his deal caught Beagle a little off guard.

“I was surprised when my agent came to me for the first time and said they were interested in signing me. Then it became an ongoing thing, but he kept filling me in on what was happening. I was having a great year, and statistically that’s the best year that I’ve had as a pro. I stepped in right away and Bruce and Woody made me feel real comfortable with the role that I was playing.”

Last February Beagle realized his longtime dream of suiting up in the NHL, taking 15 shifts and registering three shots on goal against the New York Rangers.

“I got to make my NHL debut in Madison Square Garden, and there’s no better place to do that. It was such an experience,” Beagle recalled. “There are so many things going through your body and mind. You are so excited that you start playing mind games with yourself and you can’t even sleep, or do your normal rituals, like take a pre-game nap.”

Beagle went on to play an additional two games with the Caps before being assigned to the Bears for the duration of the regular season, but the Calgarian returned to the Caps lineup during the Stanley Cup Playoffs, seeing action in the final four games of the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals series against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

“To this day, that’s the craziest atmosphere that I’ve ever experienced. There is no better experience to continue the learning process. To get to play in the NHL playoffs against the eventual champions, you can’t ask for much more than that. You learn so much and see what it takes to make that next step, and the work ethic it takes to stay there.”

Returning to Hershey for the Calder Cup Finals after Washington was eliminated, Beagle was forced to adjust his game, but went on to play a pivotal role in Hershey’s eventual capturing of the Calder Cup.

“Coming back down is a little bit of an adjustment; you have to downshift a little, but it’s not really that noticeable. I came back with a lot more confidence, and I played the puck a lot better down low. That led to me playing bigger roles, like playing in the last minute of the games.”

Although any hockey player’s ultimate quest is to become a full-time player in the NHL, Beagle fully realizes how fortunate he is to play in Hershey while awaiting his turn.

“The Giant Center is a first-class facility with a great atmosphere, and the fans show how much they love the game. You can’t ask for a better place to play in the AHL; it’s very much like playing in an NHL environment.”