Game On Magazine 2017 Game On Magazine - Regular Season Edition | Page 24

population. “I loved it. I had
great billets there (Michael
and Mary Watkins to start,
then lived with former
Hitmen team-mate Jake
Bean and his family). I love
the city. I got used to it right
away. I can’t say enough
good things about it.”
However, Stallard won’t
finish out his WHL career in
Calgary, but rather in Prince
Albert after the Hitmen
dealt him to the Raiders at
the Trade Deadline (Jan. 10,
2017) last season. After what
he said about big-city Calgary,
you would think Stallard
would’ve been upset to return
to a smaller community after?
“P.A. reminds me a lot
of Brandon, actually,” he
explained. “I love it here.
It’s obviously a big change
from Calgary, but it was a
good change at the same
time. I’m enjoying my time
here. For the last (half) of
the season, I’m just going
to make the best of it.”
Hmm, so Jordy Stallard
loves Calgary and loves Prince
Albert. You get the feeling
“
MY DAD WAS BIG INTO
HOCKEY, EVER SINCE I
WAS THREE-YEARS-OLD, I
JUST LOVED THE GAME
he’d love it wherever he lived.
“Yeah, probably anywhere
I could play hockey I
would be happy,” he
admitted with a laugh.
Of course, he’s hopeful of
playing for the Jets one day,
even though he has yet to
sign with the current Central
Division leaders in the NHL.
“That was one of my goals
for this season,” said the
Raiders’ leading goal scorer
(27) and point collector
(53) through his team’s
first 41 games. “Obviously
I want to switch to pro
hockey next season. And,
the next step towards that
is to sign a contract. I’m
still fighting for that.
“I’m striving to be a
two-way forward, strong
defensively. But, at the
JORDY STALLARD,
PRINCE ALBERT
2 4 | G AME ON | R EGU L A R SEASON ED ITION 2018
”
same time, I’m mostly a
play-maker who can put
the puck in the net.”
Stallard was a minor hockey
star in Brandon. He played
for the Wheat Kings’ Triple A
Bantams and Midgets and in
his second full season in the
Provincial Midget League, he
had 28 goals and 76 points in
just 44 games. He made Team
Manitoba for the Western
Canadians in 2012-13 and
has been a stellar Western
Leaguer for four years.
His bounce-back campaign
in the WHL this year is
turning heads, considering
Stallard missed a large part of
the second half of the 2016-17
season, shortly after being
acquired by Prince Albert.
“I think I got into eight
games (with the Raiders),” he
said. “I was actually in Calgary
at the time I was injured. I
discloated my shoulder. I went
into the boards funny and
ended up tearing the rotator
cuff in my shoulder. I had to
get surgery and spent four-
to-six months in recovery.
“I’m good now. It feels great,
honestly. It feels really good.
My surgeon did a great job.”
The time not playing hockey
while rehabilitating the injury
would’ve been tough sledding
for Stallard. Playing hockey
is what he knows and has
done for a long time -- even
if he is only 20 years old.
“My dad was big into
hockey,” explained Stallard of
his father Rick. “He grew up
in Flin Flon, played there. His
dad coached the Bombers and
played for the Bombers. So,
ever since I was three-years-
old, I just loved the game.
I’ve always been a forward.
Joe Sakic and Colorado
was my favourite team.”
It’s a good thing Stallard
said “Colorado was” his
favourite team. Especially
since he’s a Winnipeg
Jets draft pick and,
supposedly, a Jets’ fan.
“When they (moved to
Winnipeg from Atlanta in
the summer of 2011), I used
to go to games,” he said with
as much excitement as he
was likely to muster away
from playing the game.
Stallard will finish his
Major Junior career with the
Prince Albert Raiders this
spring. Despite his stellar
campaign with a team sitting
outside the WHL’s Eastern
Conference playoffs at the
Trade Deadline, Stallard wasn’t
moved. The Raiders believe
he’ll will be one of their key
players in a late surge to
capture a post-season berth.
In his easy-going
manner, of course ❍