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***TheFlash*** · 02-20-2019, 02:01 AM

Draft Double Media Week Bonus please!

Raptors Make Norwegian Star’s Dream Come True

On Tuesday, February 19th, 2019, a young man’s dream was made true as he was selected in the 3rd round, 24th overall. But ten years ago, that dream didn’t seem so in reach.

Jason Kruger was thirteen years old, living in the Norwegian capital, Oslo. Jason was born in Canada, but his father was soon after stationed at the Canadian embassy in Norway. Jason loved hockey dearly, but with his father’s passing and being left with just his mother to care for him, money was hard to come by. Sure, they had the necessities, but couldn’t afford much more. It was clear to his mother that Jason loved the game of hockey and was damn good at it too. She made the tough choice to allow him to return home to Toronto and play in the GTHL, the largest minor hockey league on the planet.

When Kruger arrived in the GTHL, he played against a level of competition that he hadn’t seen playing in Europe. This was a league that had given the world such talents as John Tavares, Steven Stamkos and Connor McDavid. Some of the best talents in the world got their feet wet in this league. There would have been no shame in not being able to match up to some of these players. Kruger nearly called it quits, when a late game turnover cost his team their playoff lives in a game 7 semi-final game. He went home that night, called his mother and told her of his intentions to come home and maybe go to school and be an accountant, or maybe a vet. It was what his mother said next, that made him realize he wasn’t done yet. “Play for your father”, she said. “He would want you to give it everything you had, leave it all out there on the ice”.

The following September, at age 16, Jason was back with a new-found passion. Coaches noticed he was skating harder. He was pushing the puck up the ice with a drive like never before. The boy who, in years past, would shy away from contact, wouldn’t speak up and lead others, was now doing just those things. In Jason’s final two years in the GTHL, he won Defenseman of the Year honours both years and led his team to back to back championships, all while scoring 54 goals and adding 84 assists in 66 games.

Jason now sets his sights on the SHL. After declaring for the draft, he vowed that he would continue playing with the same passion and love of the game. Those days where it seemed he wanted to quit, felt like a life time ago. His dedication to becoming the best, to overcoming whatever stands in front of him would be unmatched. All thanks to the love of a game. All thanks to the love of two parents, who knew their son would one day be the player he always dreamt about.

500 words on the nose