Last Updated on Sunday, 27 May 2012 18:31
By Andrew Vitalis
Let’s Play Hockey Columnist
It’s hard to believe that just one year ago, Joe Jensen was contemplating his hockey future. While playing with Wilkes-Barre of the AHL, Jensen remembers being told that he was being sent down to the East Coast Hockey League. Jensen had already done time in the ECHL, playing 28 games with the Wheeling Nailers during his rookie season. Needless to say, he was less than thrilled when he found out he had to go back.
”I thought I was playing well at the time,” remembered Jensen. “I didn’t really see eye to eye with the head coach. I played a different style than I think he wanted. I didn’t play as much as I thought I should have at times, I didn’t get a chance to play during certain times in the game. It was just really frustrating. To be honest, I was kind of at my last thread with everything. It really forced me to take a step back mentally and look at the big picture. I remembered that my goal was to play in the NHLsomeday. Thankfully, I decided to keep going and it worked out.”
It’s an understatement that even Jensen laughs at. Frustrated, Jensen turned to his agent.
“I talked to my agent about what was going on and I got traded two weeks later,” said Jensen. “It really turned out to be a great trade for me.”
Donning a new uniform and surrounded by a new system, Jensen’s hockey career catapulted to a whole new level. After being traded to the Carolina Hurricanes organization, Jensen was assigned to the Albany River Rats of the AHL. Immediately, his consistency and work ethic made him an every-game standout. Jensen played in 24 games with Albany during the 2007-08 season, scoring 11 points in 24 games, including eight goals. But still, his best was yet to come.
“I remember talking with one of the coaches and they were telling me that they really liked the way I was playing and not to be surprised if I got called up,” remembered Jensen. “I was like, okay, whatever. Then right after that, one morning I got a call from the organization telling me I was being called up and I was going to be in the line-up that night against New Jersey. It was an unbelievable feeling.”
In a twist right out of a movie, just months after almost hanging up his skates, Joe Jensen had made it to the NHL. Almost one year later, Jensen has a hard time describing the experience, using just one word over and over again – “unbelievable.”
“I was in the ECHL a few months before that. There I was shooting against Marty (Martin) Broduer, skating against Minnesotaguys like Jamie Langenbrunner and Zach Parise,” remarked Jensen. “They had a brand new building, just being apart of that environment was something special. To be honest though, once warm-ups started, it really just started to feel like just another game, which was good. I really didn’t have time to be nervous.”
Jensen then found himself back with Carolina for five more games in March of 2008. Playing in his third career NHL game against Atlanta, Jensen’s story took yet another turn when the Maple Grove native scored his first career NHL goal. The script even included an assist from former St. Cloud State teammate Tim Conboy.
“It was just a scrum in front of the net,” remembered Jensen. “I got a pass out front for a one-timer and it went in. It was an unbelievable feeling. I definitely knew right away that it was a milestone goal for me, but I didn’t want to celebrate too much being a rookie. Guys who were there tell me I had a smile on my face from ear to ear.”
However, in a game of peaks and valleys, Jensen was about to experience the latter. After finishing up last season withCarolina, Jensen set his sights on getting back to the NHL, determined to add more milestones to his personal trophy case. Jensen spent this past summer training like never before and entered camp in the best shape of his life, but the grind of the game had other plans. For the first time in his career, Jensen experienced something he hadn’t faced before-injuries. First suffering a torn hip in camp, Jensen missed the first nine games of the season. That was in November. In December, Jensen found himself back in the training room, this time with a sprained shoulder. It didn’t take long for that frustration to re-appear.
“I’ve been hurt for a total of 25 games this season,” stated Jensen. “It’s been hard because this is the first season where it’s been like this, where I’ve missed more games than I’ve played. It’s really been hard to find that confidence and get into a groove. It takes a few games to find that chemistry again with your linemates. It certainly makes the season a lot shorter than what I’m used to.”
These days, Jensen continues to work hard at getting back into the groove. While frustrated at times, Jensen is comforted by the fact that he’s been frustrated before and found a way to play through it. The last time, he played his way all the way to theNHL. This time? The script is still being written.
“You always want to be thankful for the experiences, but never satisfied,” said Jensen. “My goal was always to get to the NHL, but now my goal is to get back there. I know that I have a lot of confidence in my ability and I know the organization has a lot of confidence in me. I just thank God everyday that I’ve been put in that position to be successful. It’s really been an unbelievable ride and I hope it continues.”
Unbelievable – there’s that word again. It’s one word that has been able to tell an amazing story. To be continued.
