Spenser Jensen had one ambition coming into his first WHL season with the Medicine Hat Tigers.
“I just wanted to make the team,” he said. “Besides that, there wasn’t (any others). You never know how much ice time you’re going to get. It all depends on the team.”
After a rough start to the year, the former Airdrie Xtreme defenceman is now a regular in the lineup.
He’s one of three rookies on a seasoned team that lost to the eventual league champions, the Kootenay Ice, in last year’s Eastern Conference final.
He played in front of his family and friends and more than 16,000 fans at the Scotiabank Saddledome, Dec. 4, as the Tigers defeated Calgary 2-1 in the Hitmen’s annual Teddy Bear Toss game.
More than 25,000 stuffed toys were collected for children’s charities in Calgary, a tradition that has been adopted by many WHL teams.
“I thought it was good,” said Jensen. “It was a big crowd and a different atmosphere than in the ‘Hat, but I thought it was a lot of fun. The team played pretty well and it’s good to get a win.”
Halfway through the WHL regular season, the Tigers have a record of 17W-11L, and Jensen has six points through 20 games with the team.
He admits the transition from Midget AAA to the major junior was difficult.
“It’s really hard at first,” he said. “The passing’s a lot harder and guys are bigger and stronger. It took a few weeks to get my play to where I want it to be. I thought I’ve been playing pretty well (recently) and I’m starting to get better. It starts off pretty rough, but you have to adjust to the play. I think I’m starting to get it.”
According to Tigers’ assistant coach, Darren Kruger, Jensen has continued to make strides as the season has gone on and continues to adjust his game.
“Coming into training camp there were obviously some question marks whether he could make the jump or not going from midget to major junior,” said Kruger. “It’s a big step and he’s gotten off to a slow start, but through the process he’s come along way.”
Listed at 6’3,” Jensen is one of the tallest players on the team, an asset Kruger believes the rookie needs to make better use of.
“He’s a big kid,” Kruger said. “He’s got to use his physical presence a little bit more. This league is so good and so fast that at times he gets caught up in the action a little bit.
“For us, he has to simplify his game a bit, make sure he’s making a good, first pass and make sure he’s playing good on one-on-one. Thus far, he’s done a good job of doing that and he’s a very nice player that’s going to be a Tiger for a long time.”
