NORTH AMERICAN HOCKEY LEAGUE: Honored Jackalopes players hope to start playoff push

The players in the North American Hockey League all have a common goal in wanting to play at the next level, be it collegiately or professionally.

To that end, the league provides college and professional scouts the opportunity at the beginning of the season to see all the athletes in one spot at the season-opening NAHL Showcase in Blaine, Minn. — 28 teams on eight sheets of ice from dawn until well into the night.

From that four-games-in-four-days marathon, scholarship offers have been extended to 77 players around the league. That includes two Odessa Jackalopes players — forward Willie Faust (Army) and goaltender Connor Hellebuyck (University of Massachusetts-Lowell).

Now, three of their teammates get a second chance to shine in the quest.

Jackalopes forwards Josh Obregon and Jalen Krogman and defenseman Mikko Virtanen were named Tuesday to play for the NAHL’s South Team for the league’s annual Top Prospects Tournament. The event is scheduled for Feb. 20-22 at the Troy Sports Center in Troy, Mich.

The players were among several nominated by Jackalopes head coach Paul Gillis and assistant coach Matt Cressman, with the NAHL making the final selections. The NAHL allots roster slots for the Top Prospects Tournament based on standings, and the Jackalopes got three positions since they are fifth in the South Division.

“We sent players that we want to have a chance to get looked at,” Gillis said. “Willie and Bucky already have signed and we are trying to get players to move up to the next level, so we sent five or six names and this is who the league selected.”

Before the trio heads north, however, there is the much more pressing issue of helping the Jackalopes push toward a playoff berth over the final 22 games of the regular season.

That starts at 7:05 tonight when the division-leading Amarillo Bulls skate into Ector County Coliseum. Corpus Christi, just ahead of Odessa in the standings, will be in town on Saturday and then the Jackalopes will travel for a 6 p.m. game Sunday in Amarillo.

Only the top four teams from each division qualify for the playoffs, and the Jackalopes (14-19-5, 33 points) sit behind Corpus Christi (18-17-3, 39) for the final position.

Obregon, who was traded to the Jackalopes from Corpus Christi, is looking forward to getting back to home ice for the first time since Dec. 31 after a seven-game road trip forced by the annual SandHills Stock Show and Rodeo.

He’s also excited about the chance he’ll have next month.

“We played well the first two games in New Mexico last weekend,” Obregon said of the team’s 10-3 and 3-2 victories. “We just didn’t have the legs on Sunday and they got us (a 6-3 loss), so we need to come right back this week.”

“Getting the chance to go to the Prospects tournament is great. A friend of mine on another team is going to be on the South team, too, and he sent me a text Monday night about it.”

One of the biggest pluses for the Jackalopes players heading to the showcase that scouts won’t be spread out over several rinks watching games. Instead, they’ll be able to focus on 120 players on just six teams, seeing everyone three times.

Krogman, tied for the team lead in scoring with Willie Faust with 25 points, knows having fewer players means more scrutiny, but he’s looking forward to the chance to compete against the top players in the league.

“All you ask for is a chance,” Krogman said. “It’s up to us to take advantage of it.”