Jets pick Kasdorf knows it’s a tough road

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This article was published 27/06/2011 (5250 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

ST. PAUL, Minn. — After calling it the best day of his life, Jason Kasdorf knows that a lot less glamour is going to follow being picked by the Winnipeg Jets on draft day.

“This is just a start,” said the 19-year-old Portage Terriers goalie, taken by the Jets with the sixth-round, 157th pick on Saturday. “I want lots of progress, training.

“I’m just going to have to stay focused, do lots of training, just making sure I’m doing everything right, eating right and doing everything I can to stay on top of it.”

Only three Manitobans had their names called at the 2011 entry draft at the Xcel Energy Center: Kasdorf, Brandon-born defenceman Joel Edmundson of the Moose Jaw Warriors, and Winnipeg’s Michael St. Croix of the Edmonton Oil Kings.

Edmundson was chosen by the St. Louis Blues in the second round, 46th overall, and St. Croix went in the fourth round, 106th, to the Rangers.

Either this fall or sometime next year, Kasdorf is headed for Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy N.Y., to play NCAA hockey for coach Seth Appert.

“I love the guy,” Kasdorf said. “He’s the reason why I committed to them. His track record with goalies is unbelievable. Going over video, he was teaching me so many things. I just think he could really help me improve my game.”

Kasdorf, who cited Pekka Rinne and Carey Price as his favourite NHL goalies, was thrilled to share the spotlight of his draft day with his family in attendance and his Turnbull Cup-winning Terriers teammates.

“I was on a great team with great players in front of me and a great coaching staff,” he said of the MJHL champs. “(Here), my family was freaking out. I sort of missed a part of it (when he was picked) I was so excited.”

He said he didn’t mind waiting as Saturday’s proceedings dragged on.

“Getting drafted to my hometown feels awesome,” Kasdorf said. “I’ve never been so excited in my life.

“Not many goalies were getting drafted. I was a little bit nervous as people were getting picked. But I was really excited when I got picked.

“Best day of my life.”

St. Croix, who was ranked as high as a second-round pick by some lists, didn’t travel to St. Paul for the draft.

He went to the lake instead for the weekend and found out he had been picked by the Rangers while he was unloading some junk at the local dump with his father, former NHLer and Manitoba Moose goalie coach Rick St. Croix.

“I figured I’d just get a phone call if I got picked,” Michael said. “But we were there and my sister started up the Internet and we were watching it live, pick by pick. But it was starting to get a little antsy for me and my dad, so we took some stuff to the dump.”

St. Croix said it didn’t bother him he wasn’t in St. Paul to hear his name.

“If you’re not going to go in the first round, it’s not necessary to be there,” he said. “Sitting there and waiting and waiting, that’s not so good. I figured I might as well go to the lake and not worry about it.

“I know I went to a good organization. Their needs are my kind of game.”

The slick, offensive right-winger had 75 points for Edmonton of the WHL this season.

St. Croix’s lake weekend ended a little early. He left Sunday for New York to get acquainted with the Rangers organization.

 

NOTES: The Jets could be considering adding some Manitoba content when free agency starts later this week. They had a meeting at the draft with Winnipegger Jason Gregoire, 22, who was drafted by the New York Islanders in 2007. Gregoire, a heady, smart left-winger, went unsigned and will leave the University of North Dakota after three years to become an NHL free agent.

tim.campbell@freepress.mb.ca