MOOSEJAWTODAY.COM -- If everything goes according to plan for Moose Jaw Warriors defenceman Kalem Parker, the exhibition games this weekend will be his last as a member of the Western Hockey League squad.
Parker, 20, is one of two overagers -- forward Rilen Kovacvic being the other -- who will be off to National Hockey League training camps in the coming week, and because of their status as 20-year-olds, they can be assigned anywhere in their respective farm systems.
That means Parker could end up playing with Minnesota’s AHL or ECHL teams, Kovacevic somewhere in Colorado’s system, if they don’t crack the NHL team outright.
But for now, it’s all about Moose Jaw.
Parker is among 29 players currently in camp preparing for the 2024-25 campaign, with the first exhibition game of the season set to take place in Estevan on Friday night against the Regina Pats.
“It’s good to be back with the boys, I’m getting used to being a mentor and that kind of thing, but it’s going really well,” the fourth-year veteran said after a recent practice. “We’re glad to be back on the ice and we’re looking forward to that first game on Friday.”
While every player had a short summer thanks to the Warriors’ WHL championship win, Parker had a little less preparation time than others. That’s due to some off-season work on a playoff knee injury that limited full workouts, but the news is now all good on that front.
“I had to focus on that for part of the summer, just getting fully healthy again,” Parker said, adding that his knee is now back to 100 per cent. “Then I was able to get some training in, go to the lake a little bit, and now it’s great to be back.”
As he alluded to, Parker has already taken on an expected leadership role with the team, putting his vast WHL experience to good use while helping out the team’s youngsters -- a role he’s more than happy for given how it wasn’t that long ago he was one of those kids.
“It’s pretty sweet, but I feel super old with the 09s out there now,” Parker said with a laugh. “It’s a new role kind of thing, especially with all the older guys from last year leaving, now I just have to improve as a leader and do what I can to help the younger guys improve, too.”
Thanks to vagaries of moving up the hockey ranks, in a few days Parker will go from being the rugged veteran to once again taking the ice as a fresh-faced rookie when he takes the ice in training camp with the Wild. Selected in the sixth round, 181st overall in the 2023 Draft, Parker will be looking to earn a pro contract and ideally land somewhere in the AHL or ECHL.
“That’s the goal to stay up and play pro this year, but if not, I’ll be coming back to Moose Jaw and Iooking forward to a good season,” he said. “Obviously the main goal is to get a contract out of it, so I want to go in in the best shape possible, make a name for myself out there and turn some heads.”
Parker took the ice in Minnesota’s rookie camp last year while a member of the Victoria Royals and as a result will have a better idea of what to expect this time around.
“I kind of tip-toed my way in last year just getting used to the organization and everything, where this year I’m fully ready to make an impact,” he said. “It’s still strange going from being the oldest to the youngest, but you just have to take it day by day and learn from the vets at that level.”
And should everything go his way, Parker is more than ready to launch his pro career.
“That would be pretty sweet, that’s the goal,” he said. “Every year you want to make a jump and improve and the goal is to play pro eventually, so if it happens this year that would be amazing, but if not, hopefully next year.”
