 Rookie defenseman Leo Jenner is this week's player in “Breaking the Ice with…” The feature will be a season long series on plymouthwhalers.com and showcase a different Whaler each week so we can get to know them better.
Drafted in the 4th round (69th overall) in the 2005 OHL Draft by Plymouth, Jenner is still just 16 years old and the youngest player on the team. He made his OHL debut at Mississauga and recorded his first OHL point in the game. The 6'5 Mossley, Ontario, native, who still uses a one-piece wood stick, took a few minutes after practice to help us break the ice.
» On the best advice he has been given…
“Always work harder than everybody else.”
» On how he started playing hockey…
“Backyard rinks at my house. Also, my mom’s friend ran figure skating, so I went out there when I was younger and skated around, but I didn’t ever figure skate. I went out there just to get the ice time and I would do open skates too.”
» On his youth hockey highlight…
“Probably winning the Silver Stick in novice or going to the OHL Cup.”
» On his most memorable goal…
“Last year in minor midgets, I got the puck in our end and hustled up the boards, skated through a couple guys, and scored the goal.”
 » On his uncle playing in the NHL…
“My uncle is Billy Carroll. He played in the 1980s. He won 4 Stanley Cups with the Islanders and Oilers. He also played with the Red Wings. He lost his teeth; he has no front teeth. He’s also the only player to win a Stanley Cup with the Islanders and the Oilers in the 80s.”
» On the championships he has won…
“All-Ontario’s a couple times, Silver Stick, and Alliance for AAA.”
» On who has influenced him in hockey…
“My dad because he tells me all the stories about how he never got the chance I got and how he wishes he had what I had. He always pushes me to go farther.”
» On his first OHL game (10/12 at Mississauga)…
“In my first game, I felt a lot of nervousness not to screw up. As far as the first point, I kind of chiseled it; it could’ve been my assist. Yeah, I’ll say it was. It was pretty cool I guess to get a point in my first game.”
» On his rookie year…
“My rookie year so far has been long. It’s a lot more games. It has been a bigger step up than what the hockey was like in minor midget. It’s a lot faster and the guys know how to dangle a lot better.”
» On growing up near the London Knights…
“I watched them a lot in the Ice House or London Gardens because my grandma used to run it. After the Knights moved to the JLC (John Labatt Centre), my AAA team moved to the Ice House for like 2 years, so I played there growing up too.”
» On his hometown…
“My hometown is Mossley, but Mossley has about 400 people, so I’m actually considered from Dorchester where I played hockey for Single-A and then I played AAA in my county. I don’t actually live in a town. I live between 3: Putnam, Harrietsville, and Mossley. Growing up on a farm is healthy I guess because it helps you stay fit and in shape from working a lot. Being the oldest isn't great since I had to do a lot more work than my brothers. I have 2 younger brothers, Cole and Boone. Cole is a year younger than me so he is 15 and Boone is 12.”
» On his typical day…
“I wake up at 6:30ish, wait for B-Bell (Brett Bellemore) to pick me up. He is usually late. Then we go to school for 6 or 7 hours. I wait for B-Bell to get out of class; I wait by his truck. He drives us to the rink, we practice hard, then do whatever after. Go home, do something with the guys, and eat.”
 » On his favorite class…
“My favorite class would be art or music.”
» On his most embarrassing hockey moment…
“Probably scoring on my own net. I think it has happened twice in my whole career. Just having it hit your stick and go in the net is embarrassing.”
» On adjusting to billets…
“I found adjusting to the billets a lot easier than I thought it would be. They are good people and have helped me a lot.”
» On his pre-game routine…
“Get up, stretch, go for a walk, eat, just make sure I eat right. That’s it.”
» On switching from forward to defense…
“I found the switch from forward to defense to be easy. The forward that I played helped me with my stick handling and passing and then for defense I just had to learn to keep my head up and keep the puck in the zone. I switched from center about 3 years ago.”
 » On the player he tries to model his game after…
“(Nicklas) Lidstrom because he is smooth and good.”
» On the toughest player he has played against…
“Rob Schremp.”
» On if there is anything behind his jersey number…
“I got last pick, so that (34) was about the only half-decent number that was left. I would’ve rather been 4 or 55, but we couldn’t pick over 40.”
» On his nicknames…
“Leo the Lion. Niezy (Ryan Nie) gave it to me at the beginning of the year. I guess just because everyone knows that ‘Leo’ goes with ‘Lion’ so he called me that.”
» On his superstitions…
“Just the walk I go for before the game.”
» On the weirdest question he has been asked…
“One time when I was doing an appearance with a youth hockey team, I was asked if I ate nails and screws for breakfast. I didn’t really know what to say except ‘No.’”
» On his funniest teammate…
“I think everybody feeds off each other and everybody is pretty funny at times.”
» On what he should bring to the team…
“Size, leadership, dedication.”
» On the craziest thing that has happened on the road…
“Being stuck in an elevator for an hour and almost dying. Never knowing if the cables were going to snap. I was just standing there, waiting for the elevator and I got pushed in. I guess a bunch of people just started pushing everyone in and we ended up with 17 of us in there.”
» On the person he would most like to meet…
“Bobby Orr."
 » On his dream goal…
“Mem (Memorial) Cup in OT. I would set it up in their end, go to my d-man over to me, I would send it cross-ice to the guy on the far post, and I would skate in for a one-timer and he’d throw it to me and I’d go top-cheese.”
» On what one thing he could not live without…
“One thing food, but usually food, water, and shelter.”
» On his dream vacation…
“I’d go to Alberta.”
» On what TV show he would be on…
“I would be on a reality show, sitcom, and comedy. I took drama so I could do it all.”
» On the rule changes in hockey…
“I think the rule changes are bad for defenseman, but good for the faster forwards. Shootouts give the shooters a chance to score and the goalies a chance to shine.”
» On what other five players he would want on the ice with him…
“I’d play with Paul Coffey. On forward I would throw on Brett Valliquette (Plymouth's 13th round draft pick in 2005, who happened to be walking by). He’d play left wing. Center is Gordie. Yeah, I’ll go with Gordie (Howe). Right wing I’d throw Shanny (Brendan Shanahan), no I’d throw (Henrik) Zetterberg up there. He’s a nice hard-worker. In goal, (Martin) Brodeur.”
-Natalie Shaver, April 5th, 2006-
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