Dempsey enjoying rookie season with Jets, exposure from NA3HL

WATERFORD, Mich. – Matt Dempsey is the perfect example of what the North American Hockey League’s advancement model is all about.

Playing last season in the North American Prospects Hockey League for the Detroit Falcons, the Chesterfield, Mich., native joined the Metro Jets of the North American 3 Hockey League this year and hopes to complete the trifecta next year in the NAHL.

For now, though, the 18-year-old forward is focused on fine-tuning his skill set with the Jets.

“Last year in the NAPHL, the thing that prepared me most for juniors was the pace and the physicality of that league,” Dempsey said. “I knew the NA3 was good. I had watched the games at some of the showcases and was impressed by the level of play.

“I feel that I have become faster overall this season and I’ve also become smarter and more patient with the puck. I’ve had opportunities this year to play on a line with good players (Josh Beleski and Alex Holm mostly) that I have learned a lot from.”

This season, Dempsey has potted six goals and 14 assists for 20 points in 45 games and praised the Metro coaching staff of head coach Justin Quenneville and assistants Tom Krajewski and Randy Wilson.

“The coaching staff has been great,” said Dempsey. “Overall, they have provided me a lot of direction and tweaked my game so that I continue to improve personally and so that we grow as a team.”

Going into this weekend’s home-and-home series with the Toledo Cherokee with the fourth and final East Division playoff spot on the line, Dempsey’s outlook is succinct.

”The team is very focused,” Dempsey said. “We all know what we need to do in order to get the big wins this weekend.”

LOOKING BACK, LOOKING AHEAD 

After sitting idle last weekend, the Jets saw Toledo lose all three games (one to Cleveland, two to Flint) to set up the two-game showdown this weekend.

If the Jets win both games against Toledo in regulation time, they get fourth place in the NA3HL East and the last playoff berth by virtue of more victories than the Cherokee.

Game time is 7 p.m. Friday night in Toledo and then 7:50 p.m. Saturday night at Lakeland Arena.

JET STREAKS 

Four players – defensemen Brad Hepler and Adam Lockner and forwards Holm and Kyle Downey – have played in all 46 games this season for the Jets.

Every Jets’ player has recorded at least one point this season, save for forward Cam Bruff, defenseman Anthony Catalina and goaltenders Kam Limburg and Davide Mantovani. Goalie Trevor Kalinowski has two assists this year.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

Wylie Rogers, a goaltender on the Jets’ 2002 Silver Cup-winning Junior B national championship team, has hung up the skates and is now in his second season as a volunteer assistant coach at the University of Alaska-Fairbanks.

Rogers, a 28-year-old Fairbanks native, played four years at the school from 2004-08 before playing three years with the Central Hockey League’s Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees and one year in the Netherlands.

In addition to the Jets, where he went 22-5-0 with a 1.90 goals-against average and a .910 save percentage, Rogers also played junior hockey with the Fairbanks Ice Dogs (then with the America West Hockey League), Victoria Salsa of the British Columbia Hockey League and seven games with the U.S. National Team Development Program.

Second-year forward Holm making strides with Jets

WATERFORD, Mich. – Alex Holm came to the Metro Jets prior to the 2012-13 North American 3 Hockey League season and put up pretty good numbers as a 17-year-old rookie.

This season, the West Bloomfield, Mich., native is on pace to increase his point totals and possibly climb the hockey ladder next season.

“I thought Metro was a great opportunity for me to move up and to further my hockey career and to have two years of juniors under my belt will help me even more,” Holm said. “Last season helped me grow as a player in all areas and last season also helped me prepare for the grind and commitment for this year. It's great being able to stay home in my own town with my family and friends to play juniors, but I also want to experience being away and on my own.”

In 2012-13, Holm registered 10 goals and 13 assists for 23 points in 44 games and this year, leads the Jets with 10 goals already and is third in team scoring with 20 points while playing in all 34 games.

”We had a rough start, but our team starting to get over this hump and I know I have a lot more to show,” said Holm. “We’ve got a great group of guys in the locker room. We all got each other’s backs and are always there for each other.”

With two years of junior hockey eligibility after this season, Holm will no doubt have options this summer and he’s aware of this. To prepare, he wants to keep working hard the rest of this season and take it from there.

”I feel the strongest part of my game is getting in areas to get the puck to make plays, getting pucks on net and taking it to the net,” said Holm. “My long-term goal is to make playoffs and show everyone what our team is capable of. My dreams are to keep moving up in hockey and eventually, play college hockey.”

JET STREAKS 

Former Jets’ goaltenders Alex Nedeljkovic (No. 5) and Devin Williams (No. 14) were listed on the NHL Central Scouting’s mid-term rankings for the 2014 NHL draft among North American goalies.

Nedeljkovic appeared in nine games with the Jets during the 2012-13 regular season and was named the NA3HL Goaltender of the Month in November. He also was chosen for the U.S. Under-18 Select Team that competed at the 2013 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament and is currently in his second year with the Plymouth Whalers of the Ontario Hockey League.

Williams, now with the OHL’s Erie Otters, played for Metro at the start of the 2011-12 season and went 9-9-0 with a 3.88 goals-against average and a .896 save percentage in 19 games.

Last Sunday’s loss to Flint was Metro captain Josh Beleski’s last game in a Jets’ uniform as he leaves for Navy boot camp in the Chicago area on Feb. 11. Zack MacKay will assume the captain’s role for the rest of the season.

And the player advancements continue to pile up – goaltender Kam Limburg earned a call-up to the North American Hockey League’s Springfield Jr. Blues, while forward Kevin Shand, who is currently with the Jr. Blues after a stint earlier this season in Waterford, has been pulled up to the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders of the United States Hockey League.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW? 

Dillon Kelley, who formed a tandem with Williams with the Jets early in the 2011-12 season, began this season in the NAHL with the Michigan Warriors before being traded to the Austin (Minn.) Bruins last week.

This year with the Flint-based Warriors, the 19-year-old from Petoskey, Mich., went 7-7-2-1 with a 2.74 goals-against average and a .903 save percentage with one shutout.

In his season with the Jets, Kelley went 18-8-1 with a 3,62 goals-against average, a .891 save percentage and three shutouts. At the end of that season, Kelley saw one game of action with the Dubuque Fighting Saints of the United States Hockey League.

At the start of the 2012-13 season, Kelley played for current Jets’ head coach Justin Quenneville with the NAHL’s Corpus Christi IceRays before joining the Warriors mid-season.

Rookie forward Kopinski adjusting to NA3HL way of life

WATERFORD, Mich. – Zach Kopinski is realizing that the North American 3 Hockey League season can be a grind.

After starting the season on a fast note for the Metro Jets, including scoring two goals against Cincinnati in the fourth game of the year, Kopinski has admitted that he’s cooled off, but it’s not a concern at the moment.

 “On a personal level, I started off the year hot – I was scoring and was feeling good,” Kopinski said. “Recently, I haven't been able to find the back of the net as easy. Things will turn around and I will be able to make the impact as I feel I can. As a team, we started off the year great and now we’re in a little bit of a slump, but this road trip to St. Louis should give us the spark we need to play as we did in the first few games of the season.”

Kopinski, an 18-year-old from Royal Oak, skated last season for the Detroit Falcons 18U AAA team (pictured) in the North American Prospects Hockey League.

“The Falcons and the NAPHL prepared me for this season because it gave me a little extra time to dial in my skill set that I could carry to this season,” Kopinski said. “I didn't have much previous knowledge about the NA3. I would just hear my friends talk about it because they had older brothers who played in the league. By playing in the NAPHL, we had some conjoined showcases were I had some chances to watch some (NA3HL) games.”

With three goals and three assists for six points through 13 games this year, Kopinski knows he can contribute at the NA3HL level. Points aside, he also feels his intangibles are a valued asset to the Jet and will help him ascend the hockey ladder.

”I think the strongest part of my game currently would be my aggressiveness and grittiness,” explained Kopinski. “I feel I need to improve my hands to move to the next level. It will give me a better chance on dekes and moves and should give myself more opportunities to score or create plays. I want to be able to go to a good college and be able to get a degree while I still have the chance to play the game I've loved for so many years.”

Living at home and playing junior hockey is an added plus for Kopinski.

”It's nice being close to the rink everyday and I get to enjoy a lot of time with my family,” said Kopinski. “It was weird at first, though, because at the start of the year, I was still at home and all my friends left for college and it kind of felt like a ghost town. Recently, me and Travis Baranoski have become quite close because he is staying in Royal Oak with relatives.

“At the end of the day, I am glad the Jets drafted me. I love being here with my teammates and brothers.”

JET STREAKS 

Metro added 18-year-old defenseman John Garst last week and the Cheboygan native made his Jets’ debut against Flint. Garst was drafted in the second round (33rd overall) of the 2013 NA3HL draft … Forward Chad Bailey was released last week … Veteran defenseman Brad Hepler not only leads the Jets in scoring, but is third among all NA3HL blueliners with 13 points this year.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW? 

Dillon Kelley, a goaltender who suited up for the Jets during the 2011-12 season, is now in his second season with the Michigan Warriors of the North American Hockey League.

Kelley went 18-8-1 with a 3.62 goals-against average and a .891 save percentage with the Jets and also saw time in the United States Hockey League at the end of the 2011-12 season with the Dubuque Fighting Saints.

Last season, the 19-year-old Petoskey native started the year with the NAHL’s Corpus Christi IceRays (and Jets’ head coach Justin Quenneville, then Corpus Christi’s head coach) before joining the Flint-based Warriors early in the season.

This year, Kelley is 3-3-0 for the Warriors with a 2.42 GAA and a .887 save percentage with one shutout.

Rookie defenseman Reid keeping it a family affair with Jets

WATERFORD, Mich. – All in the family.

No, not Archie Bunker, but rather Carter Reid.

The Metro Jets’ rookie defenseman is following in older brother Adam’s footsteps by skating for the Jets after Adam played on the blue line during the 2011-12 season.

For the younger Reid, who signed a North American 3 Hockey League tender agreement with the Jets over the summer after a season with the North American Prospects Hockey League’s West Michigan Hounds (pictured), he knew what to expect coming to Metro this year.

“(Former Jets’ coach) Jason (Cirone) and my family have had a great relationship since my brother played here a couple years ago,” Reid said. “We have respected him as a coach and even more so as a person since that time. We had stayed in touch, so nothing was really a surprise. I knew if I was going to play Tier III this season that I would want to do it in Waterford.”

Through eight games this season, the 19-year-old Reid has a goal and three assists for four points. Bigger than stats, though, is how his mentality towards the game has grown.

”My season started off kind of rocky and I arrived in Waterford late with some loss in my confidence,” Reid explained. “I think I've gotten back to the type of game that makes me successful and it's started to show the last couple weekends. Certainly, I have gotten more comfortable as the season has progressed. The guys in the locker room are a great group. My billet situation is nice in that I am living with three fellow defensemen (T.J. Krajewski, Kenny Forton and Luke Thom) and there are a couple guys around the team who knew my brother.”

Reid’s childhood was anything but typical, but hockey was always at the forefront. He was born in Kalamazoo and then three years later, started to travel the world – literally.

“My dad took a job with Dell that took us down to Central Texas just before I turned three,” said Reid. “My brother and I grew up and graduated from high school in Georgetown, a town 30 minutes north of Austin. We had a three-year period while I was in middle school where our family lived overseas in Singapore. My dad had an opportunity to take a position with Dell there and the four of us decided to go for it. Living in and traveling – and playing youth and men’s hockey – all over Asia was a great experience that benefits me every day and will for years to come. After high school, hockey took me back to Kalamazoo (also where Adam now attends Western Michigan University).

”Growing up in Texas, the caliber of hockey wasn't always what it is up north. Also, a typical season totaled around 30-35 games. Last season, my NAPHL midget team played 66 games, twice as many as I had been used to. I think both the higher quality of play and playing more often prepared me well for this season.”

With his confidence on the upswing and his on-ice play improving daily, Reid knows that the adage of hard work paying off can come true, but it’s all up to him.

”You never know who is watching, whether it be in a game or even practice,” said Reid. “Everyone is one look away from finding that opportunity at the next level. That's my motivation to go compete every time I am on the ice. My goal for hockey this season is to get back to NAHL (Reid made the preseason roster of the Minot Minotauros). It's a league I certainly think I am capable of playing in. From there, we’ll see what happens.

“Hockey has been great to me since the day I first laced up my skates. I'll continue to play it competitively until I can't any longer.”

JET STREAKS

New Jets' forward Kevin Shand, who won a Division 3 high school state championship last spring with Cranbrook Kingswood and began this season with the NAHL's Springfield Jr. Blues, is the son of former NHL player David Shand.

The elder Shand played for the Atlanta Flames, Toronto Maple Leafs and Washington Capitals and was also an assistant coach at the University of Michigan from 1990-92.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW? 

 Sean Hogan, who played for the Jets during the 1995-96 season and later coached Oakland University to an ACHA Division I national championship in 2007 and an ACHA Division II national title in 2006, is now in his third season as the head coach at the University of Arizona, an ACHA Division I program.

Hogan was also an assistant coach for Oakland when the Grizzlies won the 2004 ACHA Division II national title.

Former Jets' goalies Nedeljkovic, Williams named NHL prospects

Courtesy NA3HL.com:

Two former North American 3 Hockey League players were recognized on the National Hockey League’s ‘Prospects to Watch’ list for 2014 draft-eligible players with the release of NHL Central Scouting's preliminary list of players to watch in North America and Europe.

Both of the players, Alex Nedeljkovic and Devin Williams, are goaltending alumni of the Metro Jets.

The selections continue to provide further proof why the NA3HL is the best training ground in the country by providing the best exposure and developmental vehicles available for student-athletes at the Tier III junior level.

The lists, comprised of "A," "B" and "C" players for the upcoming season in each of the main junior hockey leagues, are sent to NHL team scouts for the purpose of tracking the top draft-eligible players entering the 2013-14 season. All "A" skaters have been identified as potential first-round picks, while "B" players are considered second- or third-round candidates. The players on the "C" list are thought to be fourth-, fifth- or sixth-round possibilities.

One of the two ‘A’ list goaltenders on the NHL Central Scouting list is Nedeljkovic. The netminder from Parma, Ohio, appeared in nine games in the NA3HL with the Jets during the 2012-13 regular season. He made an immediate impact as he was named as the NA3HL Goaltender of the Month in November. Nedeljkovic, 17, also was chosen for the U.S. Under-18 Select Team that competed at the 2013 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament. It capped off quite a year for Nedeljkovic, who spent the majority of the season playing in the major junior Ontario Hockey League for the Plymouth Whalers. Not only did Nedelkjovic make the first-team OHL Rookie Team, but he was also named as the Whalers Rookie of the Year.

The other NA3HL alum was Williams, who was listed as a ‘C’ list prospect. Prior to his stint in the NA3HL, Williams played the 2010-11 season in the NAPHL as the goalie for the Motor City Metal Jackets 16U team. Williams continued his development during the 2011-12 season with the Jets. While playing with the Jets, Williams went 9-9-0 with a 3.88 GAA and a 89.6% save percentage playing in 19 games. This past season, Williams played the entire year for the Erie Otters in the OHL, where he appeared in 33 games.

NHL Central Scouting will release its midseason rankings of 2014 draft-eligibles in January, followed by its final rankings in April. The 2014 NHL Entry Draft will be at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia on June 27-28.

Former Metro goalie Williams being watched by NHL

Courtesy NA3HL.com 

Devin Williams, a former goalie in both the North American Prospects Hockey League and the North American 3 Hockey League, has been selected to the 2013-14 NHL Central Scouting Futures List.

The selection comes after Williams, 17, spent the entire 2012-13 season with the Erie Otters of the Ontario Hockey League.

The NHL Central Scouting Futures List is a preliminary list that highlights future ‘A’ and ‘B’ rated players, who are projected to go in the first three rounds of the 2014 NHL Draft. The 2014 NHL Draft is scheduled for June 27-28, 2014, and will be hosted by the Philadelphia Flyers at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.

Williams played the 2010-11 season in the NAPHL for the Motor City Metal Jackets 16U team, putting up a 2.17 GAA over 10 games during the regular season. After being a late cut at the end of the Erie training camp, Williams continued his development, starting the 2011-12 season with the Metro Jets of the NA3HL. While playing with the Jets, Williams went 9-9-0 with a 3.88 GAA and a .896 save percentage in 19 games.

Williams was first called up to Erie in early October and served as a backup for Erie starter Tyson Teichmann. When Teichmann was traded at the OHL trade deadline in January, Williams was up for good with Erie and got a win in his first start beating the Sudbury Wolves 7-4 on January 28, 2012.

In his first full season with the Otters in 2012-13, Williams played 33 games, attaining an 8-17-1 record with a 4.64 GAA.

Accolades are nothing new for Williams as he has been selected to many prestigious teams such as the gold medal-winning USA-17 team at the 2011 Under-17 Five Nations tournament and was also selected to the 18U USA team that participated in the 2012 Ivan Hlinka Memorial tournament, in which he shared the net with another former NAPHL goalie, Thatcher Demko.

Annual NA3HL draft yields 16 prospects for Jets

WATERFORD, Mich. - The Metro Jets participated in the North American 3 Hockey League draft Tuesday and selected 16 players with their selections.

The players chosen, all from Michigan, are as follows:

1st round, 8th overall - Jimmy Roznowski, D, Divine Child High School
1st round, 13th overall - Tyler Layle, D, East Kentwood High School
2nd round, 26th overall - Sebastian Stankiewicz, F, Detroit Country Day High School
2nd round, 33rd overall - John Garst, D, Cheboygan High School
2nd round, 36th overall - Ken Forton, D, Petoskey High School
3rd round, 38th overall - Zach Kopinski, F, Detroit Falcons AAA
3rd round, 44th overall - Alex Zultowski, F, Plymouth Salem High School
5th round, 75th overall - Kyle Downey, F, Plymouth Salem High School
5th round, 80th overall - Cameron Russell, D, Detroit Falcons AAA
6th round, 98th overall - Hunter Rajala, D, Houghton High School
7th round, 116th overall - Cody Jones, F, West Bloomfield High School
8th round, 134th overall - Evan Wilson, F, Milford High School
9th round, 152nd overall - Travis Baranoski, F, East Grand Rapids High School
10th round, 170th overall - Kyle Schnettler, D, Oxford High School
11th round, 188th overall - Nicklas Pleshakov, D, Hartland High School
12th round, 216th overall - Tyler Nabozny, F, Mattawan High School

Overall, the Jets selected eight forwards and eight defensemen.

Next up for the Jets' is the team's tryout camp scheduled for August 9-11 at Lakeland Arena. The 2013-14 NA3HL schedule will be released in the coming weeks.

The upcoming season marks the Jets' 25th as a junior hockey franchise.

Mid-season acquisitions Bessey, Hepler make impact for Jets

WATERFORD, MI – Aaron Bessey and Brad Hepler both joined the Metro Jets midway through this season, but both came to Waterford under much different circumstances.

Bessey was playing midget hockey in Omaha, Neb., and Hepler was a rookie with the NA3HL’s Cleveland Jr. Lumberjacks starting the season.

At the NA3HL Showcase in December in Blaine, Minn., Bessey was approached by the Jets’ brass to skate a few games on their depleted blue line and then in January, Hepler was acquired from Cleveland for veteran forward Jeff Monfils.

Both acquisitions paid immediate dividends.

Bessey, just 16, was only expected to play a handful of games, but stayed the rest of the season in Waterford. Hepler, a forward by trade, wound up playing both forward and defense for the Jets.

“Prior to the trade, I felt like the season was going in the right direction,” said Hepler, an 18-year-old Chelsea native (pictured). “I was told that I would be given more ice time, so I can't complain, and I felt like being closer to home was going to be better. Being away was also nice, though. My impressions of the Jets were that they were a good, physical team that works hard. My time with Metro has been great, starting with the guys making it comfortable for me on and off the ice.”

When Bessey joined the team, he immediately became one of the youngest players in the league.

“When I joined the NA3HL, I saw the game was a lot faster-paced and everything you did had to be quicker and react faster to the play,” said Bessey, a Howell native. “My experience makes me want to potentially play in the NAHL next year and to make it as far as I can in the long run.”

Hepler’s future goals mirror those of Bessey.

“My short-term goal playing hockey would to be playing in the NAHL by the end of my junior career,” explained Hepler. “My long-term goal is to play in the NHL.”

And with the heartbreaking loss last Tuesday night in Flint that mathematically eliminated the Jets from the playoffs, both Bessey and Hepler said everyone on the team played out the rest of the year as if the playoffs were still an option.

“I think the mood with the team was still great because even though we're out of playoffs, I think we really pushed to win the rest of the season as if we still were competing for playoffs,” Bessey said.

The Jets finished the season splitting with the Jr. Lumberjacks at Lakeland Arena last Saturday night and Sunday afternoon.

Waterford native and Cleveland rookie Scott Cuthrell scored five goals and added an assist as the Jr. Lumberjacks defeated the Jets 9-2 Saturday night.

Doug Andrews and Mike Lawrence scored for the Jets, while Trevor Kalinowski made 23 saves between the pipes.

The Jets then ended their 2012-13 season with a thrilling 4-3 win over the Jr. Lumberjacks on Sunday.

T.J. Krajewski led the way for the Jets (22-23-3-0) with a goal and two assists and Kalinowski made 32 saves in goal.

"I'm proud of the way the kids played today," said Jets' coach Jason Cirone. "They really put together a great effort and I'm proud of them."

Brian Ziola, Mike Gambino and Chris Mayer also scored, while Andrews and captain Matt Stirling each had an assist in their final junior hockey games.

For Cleveland, Dominic Valencia scored twice and goalie Nick Danczak made 12 saves.

After the game, instead of both teams heading to their respective locker rooms, they gathered at center ice for a post-game handshake.

Next up for the Jets are weekly conditioning skates that will start shortly at Lakeland Arena and then the NA3HL Entry Draft on June 11.

Check back later this week to MetroJetsHockey.com for a comprehensive season recap. 

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

Steven Oleksy, who played for the Jets from 2003-05, made his NHL debut March 5 for the Washington Capitals with an assist against the Boston Bruins in a 4-3 overtime win and then tallied his first NHL goal Sunday afternoon versus the New York Rangers in a 4-1 loss.

Oleksy started the year with the AHL’s Hershey Bears before getting the call from Washington.

The 26-year-old from Chesterfield played for the NAHL’s Traverse City North Stars, captaining the team in 2005-06, and then skated three years at NCAA Division I Lake Superior State from 2006-09 and embarking on a pro career that has seen him play in the IHL, ECHL and AHL.

Oleksy, affectionately known as “Bink,” is the first Jets’ alumnus in the program’s 24-year history to skate in the NHL.

Jets' rookie MacKay wants to finish season on high note

WATERFORD, MI – Admittedly, Zack MacKay hasn’t had the season he envisioned when he signed with the Metro Jets last summer.

Suffering an injury in the season-opening game against Battle Creek, the 19-year-old forward from Brighton said that set him back a bit, but he has continued to improve and round out his overall game to the point where it’s obvious why the Jets tabbed him in the second round of last summer’s NA3HL draft.

“I had come to one of the open tryouts and immediately, one of the assistant coaches came up to me and asked where I planned on playing and which teams I had talked to,” said MacKay. “I told him the only place I had gone to try out was for the Michigan Warriors in the NAHL and that another NA3HL team was interested in me. After the first skate, (Metro head coach) Jason (Cirone) called me out of the locker room and told me he wanted me and said he was going to try and draft me in the first round. I told him I'd love to play for him and had no interest in the other team.

“I didn't know much of anything about the team or the league, but one of my coaches last year (with the Detroit Falcons 18U AAA team in the NAPHL) had told me about Jason and the Jets and said it'd be in my best interest to go skate with them and see how it was. Last year was my first time playing AAA. I had played high school before that (pictured, with Brighton High School) and it was a lot faster and better competition. It helped me prepare for juniors just with the speed of the game play.”

MacKay planned on being among the team leaders in scoring this year, but it hasn’t panned out. He said the injury played a major role.

”I feel the role I carry is that of leadership and playing physical, as well as playing strong defensively,” MacKay said. “With my injury in the first game of the season, I had lost a lot of what I trained for in the summer – shooting, stickhandling and overall conditioning. I truly don't think I’ve had a good season at all. The injury set me back way too much and since then, I haven’t been able to get back to where I was.”

As a team, the Jets have played with a young roster all season and are currently mired in fifth place in the East Division – out of the playoffs at this point. That said, no one is throwing in the towel on this season.

“The mood is constant throughout the team where everyone is sick of the results we have been getting,” MacKay said. “I think our captain, Matt Stirling, is best at keeping everyone loose. We're not trying to be loose about the situation, but it’s hard to keep a positive attitude when everyone does their job, works hard, but we just can’t get a break.

“We need to take it one game at a time, while keeping the whole picture in mind. Yeah, we need to focus on the next game at hand, but we also need to remember that each game is crucial for us to get a playoff spot. Everyone has been showing more heart lately, so I'd have to assume everyone else is thinking the same way.”

And going one day at a time is the same philosophy MacKay takes when it comes to his individual career.

“My long-term goal is to play college hockey, but as the season has progressed, I think it's been changing to just playing in the NAHL or BCHL or any higher tier,” said MacKay. “It's changed because of the situation the team is in now and how we need to take it one game at a time. For me, it’s the same idea – one level of hockey at a time.”

JET STREAKS

Forward Ryan Chapie (broken collarbone, out for season) and goaltender Austin Julvezan were released just prior to the NA3HL roster freeze on Feb. 10 and forward Anthony Saleh was traded to the Elliot Lake Bobcats of the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League.

The Jets also signed Farmington High School forward Cooper McLean to a tender for next season.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW? 

Cameron Bazin, a forward who played two seasons with the Jets from 2010-12, is currently in his freshman season at Olivet College where he is a member of the school’s lacrosse team.

Bazin, a 20-year-old from Troy, tallied 10 goals and 20 assists for 30 points in 68 games with the Jets.

The Olivet lacrosse season starts Feb. 23.

Veteran Frost leading by example for young Jets' squad

WATERFORD, MI – Chad Frost was one of the younger players with the Metro Jets last season, but jump ahead to the 2012-13 season and the Clarkston native is now one of the Jets’ veteran skaters.

Frost, who turns 19 on Dec. 21, has realized how fast a player’s role can change from year to year.

“Last season, we had a lot of talent and a lot of guys to look up to that helped me grow as a hockey player,” said Frost, a defenseman. “I’m a vet this year and now I have the responsibility as a role model this year. I make sure that I show up to practice ready to go and keep in top shape so the guys look up to me.”

Coming into the 2011-12 season from high school hockey, Frost noted that Junior A hockey in the North American 3 Hockey League was nothing like high school puck.

”I learned very quickly that junior hockey is a big commitment and you’ve got to use your time wisely and effectively so you don’t drain yourself; it’s a long season," said Frost. "This season, since I’ve been in the league a year, I try and help teaching the younger guys the ropes and rules of the team. I try and lead by example.

“I’ve also learned that playing for (head coach) Jason (Cirone) is tough at times, but I think playing for any coach can be that way. He can really get the best out of his players when he needs to and that’s what a good coach does.”

One of Frost’s teammates last season and this season, forward Travis Hargett, is also a Clarkston native and fellow 2012 graduate of Clarkston High School.

“Hargett and I go way back,” Frost said. “I played high school hockey with him our sophomore year and I’ve known him since I was in elementary school. We look out for each other and it’s nice to have someone like that on the team that you’ve known for so long.”

As for his future, Frost has one year of junior eligibility after this season and intends on using it.

“Obviously, along with everyone else playing hockey at my age, the dream is to play in the NHL, but I really want to make it to the NAHL or play college hockey in Minnesota,” said Frost. “I’m going to keep training hard on the off-season and during the season as well. It’s important to eat healthy and keep working out as hard is at it may be sometimes during the season.” 

JET STREAKS

Defensemen Aaron Bessey and Evan Bennett, who made their Jets’ debut at the NA3HL Showcase in Blaine, Minn., two weekends ago, have been reassigned back to their Midget teams – Bessey to Omaha AAA Hockey of the High Performance Hockey League and Bennett to the West Michigan Hounds of the North American Prospects Hockey League.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW? 

Goaltender Colin Greeley, who played for the Jets as a 16-year-old in the 2008-09 season, played the past two seasons in the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League before deciding to focus on school and work this season.

Currently at Lansing Community College, Greeley, a Howell native, is looking at transferring to Michigan State or Grand Valley State next year and may give the ACHA teams there a shot.

Greeley came to the Jets after being selected by the Ontario Hockey League’s Saginaw Spirit in the fourth round of the 2008 OHL draft.

Metro rookie finding comfortable 'Holm' with Jets

WATERFORD, MI – It appears Alex Holm’s adjustment period going from AAA hockey to the North American 3 Hockey League is over.

After recording just one goal over his first 11 games this season with the Metro Jets, Holm quadrupled his goal total with three last weekend as the Jets beat the Flint Jr. Generals and Battle Creek Jr. Revolution.

Holm, a 17-year-old West Bloomfield native, also finished with a plus-5 rating for the weekend.

According to Holm, it was only a matter of time before his offense started to click and the team started to gel.

 “I feel that the season started off a little rough and we were playing our own style of hockey, but now we’re coming together as a team and listening to (head coach Jason) Cirone and getting the job done because our own ways of playing games doesn't work,” said Holm, who played in the North American Prospects Hockey League last season with the Detroit Falcons U-18 team (pictured). “The jump to the NA3 was pretty big, though. I had to adjust to the speed of the game and the physical play.”

Jets’ veteran Travis Hargett has been a big help in getting acclimated to junior hockey, said Holm.

“Hargett has showed me the ropes about all the rules and details the NA3 has,” Holm said. “Before this season, I knew that the Jets moved a lot of players on to play higher levels of hockey, so that was very appealing to me. I have also learned that Cirone is a very good coach. He knows his hockey and also has a very good hockey background and can teach me a lot on the ice and off the ice.”

Still, when asked what he most wants to accomplish this season, Holm strayed from personal numbers.

”I just want to make the playoffs,” said Holm. “Our long-term goal would be to take the Silver Cup. If we keep playing the way we did last weekend, we have the team that can match up against anyone in this league.” 

JET STREAKS

Late last week, the Jets released goaltender Luke DuBois and forward Ian Springfield.

DuBois went 1-1-0 this season with a 4.29 goals-against average and a .912 save percentage, while Springfield tallied two goals in 12 games.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

Defenseman Vinnie Pietrangelo, who played for the Jets back in 2009-10 after being their top draft pick in the 2009 CSHL draft, is now in his junior season at Division III Finlandia University in Hancock, Mich.

Unfortunately, Pietrangelo fractured his collarbone in early September and not expected to return until January.

Another ex-Jet, forward Todd Knaus, is also playing for Finlandia, but is out with a knee injury. Pietrangelo and Knaus were teammates at Traverse City West High School as well.