No fixed address no fun for Festerling

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 27/09/2011 (5438 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

If Brett Festerling had a closet in a place he could truly call home, it would be filled with a collection of hockey sweaters that would rival any.

He’s got two from his junior days in the Western Hockey League with the Tri-City Americans and Vancouver Giants.

There are seven American Hockey League crests: Portland Pirates, Iowa Chops, San Antonio Rampage, Toronto Marlies, Syracuse Crunch, Hamilton Bulldogs and Chicago Wolves.

And he’s got one from the Anaheim Ducks that he’s worn 83 times over parts of three seasons in the NHL.

But what the 25-year-old defenceman from Prince George covets more than anything right now is a Jets’ jersey he can wear regularly right here in River City.

That and the chance to set up permanent shop.

It sure as heck beats having all his worldly possessions stuffed into a hockey bag.

“It actually is a hockey bag,” said Festerling after a Monday practice at the MTS Iceplex. “It’s an old leather hockey bag that you just learn to live out of and pack up and get on the road in a hurry if need to be.

“I want an address, that’s exactly what I want. It’s funny, you go anywhere — even to the hotel here — and they ask you, ‘What’s your permanent address?’ I don’t know. VISA called me the other day because somebody was using my VISA in Vancouver and they said, ‘OK, what address do you have?’ I’m like, ‘I don’t know. I’ve had nine addresses in the last four years. I have no idea.’

“It’s what I signed up for. It is mentally exhausting, but at the same time I’m fortunate to do what I do. It’s one of the cons, but the pros outweigh it big-time.”

Festerling, undrafted, was first signed by Anaheim then traded to Montreal, and then to Atlanta in February for goaltender Drew MacIntyre. What he has done effectively in his first camp with the Jets, including two pre-season games, is exactly what the coaches preached to all the troops on the eve of practices: play your game and do your thing.

“I’ve played solid, I’ve played well… that’s what I’ve got to do,” said Festerling. “I’m not going to be too flashy, you’re not going to notice me too much. I’ll play physical and solid and I think I’ve done that. I can’t say I’d change anything or do anything different.”

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The question is: where does that leave him among a defensive corps that includes Dustin Byfuglien, Zach Bogosian, Mark Stuart, Toby Enstrom, Ron Hainsey, Johnny Oduya, Randy Jones, Derek Meech and prospects like Paul Postma and Zach Redmond?

Festerling can’t go there. What he will do is continue to work and finish the night with a mistake-free effort.

“It’s really cliché, but I can only control what I can control… And I think I’ve done that so far. I’ve done what I’m supposed to do.”

ed.tait@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @WFPEdTait