It isn’t often a hockey trade benefits both teams, but a deal between the Okotoks Junior A Oilers and Calgary Mustangs who are currently enraptured in a second round playoff series appears to be an exception to the rule.
During the Christmas break, the Okotoks Oilers shipped rookie forward Jarrett Zentner to the Calgary Mustangs in exchange for Alex Kromm.
While Kromm has been an in your face, point-producing force for his new team, Zentner has also made an impact with the Calgary Mustangs.
After tallying two goals and two assists in 20 games while playing sparingly with the Oilers, Zentner was pleased to learn the Mustangs would be offering him a bigger role.
“I just accepted it. I was told I would get a lot more ice time so I was happy about that,” he said. “So far it’s been awesome here, I’ve loved it.”
After bouncing between the Western Hockey League’s Kootenay Ice and the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL) with the Mustangs during the remainder of the regular season, Zentner finally made an impact come playoff time.
With three goals and five points in a three-game sweep of the Old Grizzlys, the 17-year-old Red Deer native thrived in his first taste of AJHL playoff action.
“The best part of hockey is playoff games,” Zentner raved. “I think that’s what hockey’s about.”
When Zentner was shipped to Calgary in December, the Mustangs were toiling near the bottom of the AJHL’s South Division.
Since then, however, they’ve been among the league’s hottest teams.
“We score goals and our goaltender, Jay Deo, has been really awesome for us,” he said.
Fresh off their first-round victory, Zentner’s former club now stands in the way of him and a berth in the third-round.
Zentner acknowledged the unique circumstances that come with playing your former team. However, he also indicated some extra fire would be in his belly once the puck is dropped.
“It’s definitely weird but I think it’s exciting too. There’s a lot of motivation for me to go out there and play (well),” he said, prior to the Oilers’ victories in the first two games of the series.
Zentner is still prominently involved in the Okotoks community, as he attends high school with some of his former Oiler teammates at Holy Trinity Academy.
However, his friendships and associations will be forgotten when they hit the ice.
“I try not to worry about that stuff (and) just go out there and play,” he said.
Heading into the series as the lower seed, the rangy 6-2, 190-pound forward is hoping his Mustangs can catch the Oilers by surprise.
However, he has no illusions as to who is favoured to come out on top.
“We are underdogs, we know that,” he explained. “I think most of the pressure’s on them so we’re just going to go in there and give it our best.”
