By / Wes Gilbertson
Torrie Jung is optimistic the next time he fills his suitcase, it’ll be for a return trip.
Having seen his name cross the Western Hockey League trade wire twice already, Jung, who attended training camp with the Kelowna Rockets and also made a brief pit-stop in Lethbridge with the Hurricanes, hopes he’s found a permanent home as a member of the Edmonton Oil Kings.
“That was the first trade of my life and the second trade of my life — all in the same week,” Jung said. “I think this is going to be a good fit for me. Hopefully, I’m not going anywhere now.”
The Oil Kings welcomed Jung at the tail-end of a miserable eight-day stretch in mid-October, when the club was shelled for 26 goals against in four straight losses.
He wasted no time endearing himself to his new teammates. Jung kicked aside all but two of the 29 shots he faced in a 4-2 victory over the Swift Current Broncos, then kept the Oil Kings in the game against the Prince Albert Raiders, although he couldn’t close the deal in a 4-3 shootout loss.
“It couldn’t have gone much better,” he admitted.
Jung joins Dalyn Flette, who was nursing a foot injury when the club added a third netminder, and rookie Cam Lanigan, in the crowded Oil Kings crease.
The Nanaimo, B.C.-product flashed enough potential to be plucked by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the seventh round of the 2007 NHL Draft, but has never been the undisputed No.1 guy in the WHL. He split duties with Kristopher Westblom in Kelowna, amassing a 21-27-4-8 record in two seasons.
Jung figures the Oil Kings’ pecking order will sort itself out.
“My mindset hasn’t changed,” he said. “I think every goalie in this league knows that if you’re playing well, you’re going to get minutes, and if you’re not playing well, you’re not going to see many minutes. That doesn’t change no matter where you are.”
Solid goaltending isn’t the only thing the Oil Kings are counting on from Jung, who cost them a sixth round Bantam draft pick. With a pair of WHL campaigns under his belt, the 19-year-old netminder will also assume a leadership role in the locker-room at Rexall Place.
Even Hurricanes GM Roy Stasiuk, who will stick with the tandem of Finnish import Juha Metsola and Michael Tadjdeh, admitted the Oil Kings landed a quality player.
“Torrie Jung is an incredible kid with a great attitude,” Stasiuk said. “This is a chance for him to start in Edmonton and certainly, from our point of view, it’s a chance to help a partner in our league that is a little bit down on their luck right now in that they have lost two goaltenders.” |
