JENKS PREPARES FOR NHL ENTRY DRAFT

Alternate captain attends Combine to meet NHL teams and take a step closer to dream

Although the National Hockey League Entry Draft isn’t until June 20 in Ottawa, Plymouth Whalers center AJ Jenks has been preparing for the draft for a long time.

Jenks’ focus towards the draft intensifies this week in Toronto at the NHL Combine, where he is participating in off-ice testing and interviews along with 106 other prospects with all 30 NHL teams.

“I’m trying to take advantage of the longer off-season to get in the best shape in my life and get ready for the Combine,” Jenks said. “It will be my last chance to make a positive impression before the draft, so hopefully I’ll do well there.

“The experience has been like a roller coaster, up-and-down. You really don’t know what to expect. I’ve been trying to wait it out, day-by-day, until it comes around.”

A penalty killer and depth player as a rookie during the Whalers championship season in 2006-07, Jenks broke out offensively last year, scoring 26 goals (15 on the power play) with 29 assists for 55 points and 94 PIM’s in 68 games. Jenks was consistent on both ends of the ice and scored his first OHL hat trick on December 8, 2007 in a 4-1 victory over Barrie.

Jenks goes into the Entry Draft ranked 50th overall among North American prospects.

“As a coach, sometimes you forget that AJ’s only 17-years-old,” said Plymouth Head Coach Greg Stefan. “We expect a lot from him and that’s not always reasonable. AJ’s definitely going to be a National Hockey League player one day. He’s got good size and probably has one of the best shots in the league, from a wrist shot or snap-shot perspective. I think he shoots the puck as well as any pro does right now.

“His skating – straightaway – is solid. He needs to work on his lateral movement and stops-and-starts – but that will come with experience, work and time.”

“AJ is a reliable penalty killer first, a role-player with the Plymouth Whalers, yet possesses an upside,” said NHL Scouting Director E.J. McGuire. “He has a long reach with his stick, a quick active stick and he is a good face-off man. He has surprising speed as a long-legged skater with a long, loping stride. He hits top speed remarkably quickly.”

Jenks is part of a younger Whaler group that is growing up together. A number of the young veterans can be found working out during the week at Compuware Arena after school, doing work in the weight room with some skating sprinkled in.

“It develops not only chemistry, but work ethic, too,” Jenks said. “Guys come to the rink every day to work out when they don’t have to be here. That’s going to help out next year. We still have a pretty young core group of guys who are talented, want to work hard and bring home another championship.”

Whether the situation is battling for an OHL championship, or competing to finish as high as possible in the competitive Western Conference race, it’s fair to say that Jenks has been part of a group that continues to play in meaningful games, night in and night out.

“It’s a good feeling,” Jenks said about the Whalers. “Even though we were struggling at the end (of last year), we made a lot of improvements and it’s going to carry over into next year to help out.”

The last Plymouth player who was a Red Wing draft was import Tomek Valtonen, who scored eight goals with 16 assists for 24 points 53 PIM’s in 43 games in 1998-99. Jenks’ size, intelligence and overall ability might make him attractive to the Wings.

“It would be fun to be drafted by the Red Wings, but no more fun than any other team,” Jenks, a Wolverine Lake, Michigan, native, said. “The NHL draft is something I’ve worked for my whole life, so I really don’t have a preference to where I go.”

Jenks has one of the louder cheering sections around Compuware Arena. Expect the cheering to continue over the next two years for another blossoming local player.

With the NHL Draft, his 18th birthday, and graduation all coming up, Jenks will have an exciting June.