His smile was worth 1,000 words.

It was a smile that came after BGSU sophomore Alex Foster accepted a two-year contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs to play on their farm team, the Toronto Marlies.

A smile that represented the culmination of a life-long dream

“He made that call and he just had this smile that I think is going to be on his face for the next 10 years,” said Foster’s sister, Genevieve Foster.

Just four days after Foster played his last game for the BGSU hockey team on March 4, he accepted Toronto’s offer to play professional hockey, foregoing two more years of eligibility at BG. After ending the season with a team-high 51 points (11 goals, 40 assists), the first Falcon to have a 50-plus season in seven years, Foster felt it was the right time to move to the next level.

“This is a kid’s dream, just playing professional hockey,” he said. “Everything kind of fell into place this year and I feel like I made the right decision.”

While many kids dream of playing a professional sport, not many have the kind of role models that Foster did. His dad, Dwight Foster, played in the NHL for ten years along with his uncle. His brother plays for the Air Force Academy.

“He gave me advice, but in the end he made sure he left the decision solely up to me,” Foster said of his father.

Foster’s classmate and line mate at BG, Jonathon Matsumoto, said he knew there would be a void in the team next year after Foster finished second in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association in scoring with 38 points in 28 games, led the league with 28 assists, and was named to the CCHA’s second team.

“Alex had a phenomenal year and with that comes interest from NHL teams,” Matsumoto said. “It was pretty expected that Alex would not return for the following year.”

Foster has played four games with the Marlies so far, scoring one goal. He’s just starting to get settled in and getting to know his teammates.

“It’s been a transition, but so far so good,” he said. “The most challenging thing has been leaving my friends and teammates in BG, especially the sophomores.”

The transition was a little easier due to the fact that both his parents are Canadian and his grandparents live 45 minutes from Toronto. Also, the Canton, Mich. native has been living on his own since before college, as he played in the United States Hockey League in South Dakota and Illinois.

“Some people find it shocking that I’ve been out of the house, basically living on my own since I was 16, 17, but that’s the normal thing in hockey,” Foster said.

While his hockey genes probably played a role in getting him where he is today, BG coach Scott Paluch said it was also his work ethic and attitude.

“He’s an energy guy who never stops working hard,” Paluch said. “And he’s also a player who possesses tremendous skills and I think that’s what landed him on the path to pro hockey, the combination of the two.”

Foster’s sister Genevieve, a student at BG, agrees.

“I would describe Al as a person everyone loves to be around,” she said. “He draws people in and everyone wants to be around him because of his positive energy and that carries over to hockey.”

In his two years at BG, Foster accumulated a 3.72 GPA while majoring in business administration. He plans on continuing his education, probably by taking summer classes.

“I plan on finishing school, even if it takes me five years to finish two years of college,” he said.

Another goal for his future is working his way “up the system” and playing in the NHL.

“I think he’ll make it for sure,” Paluch said. “I don’t think there’s any question he’ll have his day in the National Hockey League. He has the complete package.”

And that complete package is still wearing one big smile.