For a new Okotoks Junior A Oiler, the stakes have been raised significantly.
Moving from the lowly Calgary Mustangs to the first-place team will do that as Okotoks acquired 19-year-old forward Alex Kromm on Dec. 29 from the Mustangs in exchange for the rights to Jaret Zentner and future considerations.
The move was a welcome one for Kromm, who spent the last two seasons toiling for the Mustangs/Royals Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL) franchise.
“This is the first winning Junior team I’ve been on so it’s definitely a change in culture for me. It’s fun,” Kromm beamed.
Kromm scored five goals and added 14 assists this season for the Mustangs (16-27-1) who sit second-last in the AJHL’s South Division.
However, since coming to Okotoks, the rejuvenated native of Penticton, BC, has scored three times in two games.
While he doesn’t expect that pace to continue, Kromm said he is happy to bring his gritty style to one of the AJHL’s elite teams.
“I think that they’ve got enough scoring. I’m happy to help out of late, but I think that they brought me in here to add some grit. I’m more of a grinder myself,” he said.
Kromm’s ability to play on any line was a major consideration in acquiring him, Oilers head coach/general manager James Poole explained.
“He can play anywhere from the first line (down). I like his versatility,” he said. “He’s just a complete player, he does a lot of the little things very well. He’s a very gritty player that competes at both ends of the rink and can also contribute offensively, which we’ve seen the last two games.”
Playing in the same division meant Poole was familiar with Kromm and what he can do. In fact, Poole had been targeting the former Mustangs’ forward for quite awhile.
“He’s a player that we’ve liked for some time,” said Poole.
Kromm, who had previously envied the Oilers and their style of play from afar, reciprocated Poole’s sentiments.
After spending two seasons battling with the big, tough Oiler defensive core, the chance to join forces was a great opportunity.
“They’ve got some big d-men so every time you went in the corner, you were getting banged around a bit,” Kromm said of the Oilers. “That’s the thing I noticed the most, they were tougher than other teams in the South.”
Though the trade came as a nice surprise, Kromm pointed out he did not request a move.
However, he was pleased to be sent to a team where his role is clearly outlined – something that wasn’t the case in Calgary.
“I don’t even know what my role really was on the Mustangs, I was a little lost there,” Kromm lamented.
Playing for a better team comes as a double-edged sword, however. The Oilers have approached this season with the goal of claiming the AJHL championship, a remote possibility for the Mustangs.
Kromm shrugged off the notion he would face extra pressure, instead choosing to focus on the potential excitement a long playoff run can bring.
“There’s expectations here to go far, that’s more exciting than anything,” he said.
Perhaps Kromm’s ability to shrug off pressure comes from the strength of his bloodline. The Oilers forward is the son of former Calgary Flame Richard Kromm who was also had a stint as the head coach with the Calgary Hitmen.
His father, Kromm said, was nothing but supportive regarding his son’s move to the Oilers.
Kromm’s grandfather is the late Bobby Kromm, who won an Avco Cup with the Winnipeg Jets in the defunct World Hockey Association. Bobby Kromm also coached the Detroit Red Wings with whom he won the Jack Adams Award as the NHL’s coach of the year.
