Hi Fellas,
I boarded a plane from Toronto to Edmonton on September the 4th to Fly down here to see my Brothers new baby boy, who by the way will be one heck of a hockey player once he gets out of Diapers and into hockey pants.
Anyways, as I was settling into my aisle seat at the back of the plane along comes this fresh faced kid, with his oilers cap pulled down low, carrying a small dufflebag. "Excuse me sir," he said with a grin "I'm sitting in the window seat over there." I apologized and moved to let him through. Something about this kid looked really familiar so I after a few minutes I turned to him and said "Why you flying to Edmonton? Are you headed home or just visiting?"
"Headed home, kind of" he said with a big grin on his face "I'm headed to the Edmonton Oilers rookie camp, my name is Rob Schremp. "
After our initial introductions we got into chatting about the London Knights camp and his experience with the Mississauga Ice Dogs. He had every opportunity to bash the ownership of the Ice dogs, since we all know from reading the boards that there was an issue with them, but instead he simply stated "We just were not on the same page I just wanted to be somewhere I could concentrate on hockey." Not once did he drag them through the mud.
Since we are both younger gentlemen and he is living a dream of playing for the Oilers that I am sure we all have had, I asked him what he thought of the Oilers and coming to Edmonton. He stated.
"I really like the training staff, Kevin Pendergast is a great guy, Kevin Lowe is super nice, and the organization has been great so far. I'm just hoping I can make the team this year and fill the vacant #1 centre spot. It will be tough but I worked really hard this offseason and I am coming into camp in pretty good shape"
I told him if he can he should come to this site. I am not sure if he has been here but hopefully he remembered. I know myself personally,and a lot of the other memers of the Oilers board, were so happy when the Oilers selected him late in the first round. Like most of you I thought we would have snagged him with the first pick. Even though I am happy we got Dubnyk as well he is definitely what the Oilers are missing : Skilled snipers.
The flight was 3 hours and Rob and I seemed to get along pretty amicably on the flight chatting about my buddy "Sliver" that is one of the trainers for the Oilers and discussing how he sould have been picked higher in the draft and the sense of urgency it created for him to prove himself to us fans.
All in all the guy is a genuinely good guy. He had no hard feelings about being benched even though he did not understand why he was benched in the finals. He seemed pretty laid back. He even suggested I come watch them play the Golden Bears. Which, by the way I attended and sat directly behind the Oilers bench to watch the oilers rookies lose a game I felt they should have won. Robbie played fantastic and if any of you saw how dejected he was when the bears scored the overime goal to win you would know this kid really cares about the game and about winning.
We waited for our luggage and talked .. he met a few of my friends who were picking me up and he was just a good sound person. I actually found it hard to believe that someone found negative things to say about him.
I think we have found our number one centre and I hope he gets his shot with the big club soon. Can't wait to see him flying around in Oilers colors.
p.s I told him we have the best fans in the NHL and as long as he doesn't forget that we care about winning and competing as much as he does he will be just fine. I think he got the picture. I am not sure if you saw him flip the puck over the glass to the father holding his new baby in his arms. He pointed to the little baby and I swear he said "That's for the little guy". It was hard to make out since he was about 10 feet away.
P.s.s I'm headed to the Joey Moss Cup final at Rexall tonight. I'll try and get a seat behind the Oilers bench. Any of you that are going feel free to come say hi.
Everyone's been talking up Robbie, including MacT, for his on-ice skill and his off-ice personality. I'm pumped about the prospect of him sticking with the big club this year, but I just don't see where or how there's room for him if we don't pull the trigger on a trade or two. Either another blockbuster 3-for-1 type deal for our proven #1 center allowing Robbie to see spot duty or play the wing and dominate on the PP or else a couple depth players for picks or futures!!!
We have to make room if he's ready...keyword IF!!!
You can tell a lot from a player on how they act when the spotlight is not on because that tells you what kind of person they are.
Schremp seems like a guy that made a decision he felt was best for him and got labelled. I am now glad he got the label because there is no way he is available at 25 or even at number 10 without that reputation BUT
I have seen no evidence of an attitude problem in any way. He is the first guy on the ice and the last guy off. You can tell he loves to be on the ice and is excited about his chance to be a professional hockey player.
Thanks for sharing that Tru_gq. You gotta love a player who is fresh out of Junior hockey not wanting to just make the team...but be the 1st line centre.
No one has ever accused Robbie of not having enough confidence....maybe the cockiness has been confused with having a bad attitude.
Good for him....I hope he makes it hard for MacT.
I went to camp this morning and tried to focus mostly on him. As of the many other posts on this board, he shows tons of talent combined with the willingness to listen to the coaches and players to pick up whatever he can. The highlight of the morning was a breakout drill with DiCasmirro-Schremp-Peterson that scored an absolute beauty. Even MacT standing at centre threw his hands up and yelled "that's how you do it". Right after that drill was done, Schremp was playing with Smyth and Horcoff.
Oh yeah, he did his thing at the end of the session lining up about 10 pucks and picking off the same place in the net 95% of the time.
Even MacT standing at centre threw his hands up and yelled "that's how you do it". Right after that drill was done, Schremp was playing with Smyth and Horcoff.
That's the kind of thing that just puts a silly grin on my face.
Quote:
Oh yeah, he did his thing at the end of the session lining up about 10 pucks and picking off the same place in the net 95% of the time.
I know what you're talking about, I remember seeing Jari Kurri do the exact same thing back when he was an Oiler...line up a bunch of pucks about 8-10 feet from the net, and snap them in rapid fire:
top corner
top corner
top corner
top corner
hit the post
top corner
top corner
top corner
Very nice story to hear. He honestly sounds like a great team guy and nothing that I've read in the past couple years has said anything different. This is something like the 50th good story I've heard about Schremp since the Oilers drafted him. Hopefully he plays his *** off in camp and manages to crack the roster, it sounds like he's in great shape.
great story
yesterday and pratice, when his team came off the ice (he was the last one as usual)...he took off his equipment and came out to watch the other team pratice...he looks DETERMINED to make the team
plus he was signing autographs and talking to people
I went to camp this morning and tried to focus mostly on him. As of the many other posts on this board, he shows tons of talent combined with the willingness to listen to the coaches and players to pick up whatever he can. The highlight of the morning was a breakout drill with DiCasmirro-Schremp-Peterson that scored an absolute beauty. Even MacT standing at centre threw his hands up and yelled "that's how you do it". Right after that drill was done, Schremp was playing with Smyth and Horcoff.
Oh yeah, he did his thing at the end of the session lining up about 10 pucks and picking off the same place in the net 95% of the time.
A guy that can hit the net 95% of the time - let alone the same place in the net - would be a significant upgrade on any forward currently under contract.
Significant.
great story
yesterday and pratice, when his team came off the ice (he was the last one as usual)...he took off his equipment and came out to watch the other team pratice...he looks DETERMINED to make the team
plus he was signing autographs and talking to people
I must say, if Schremp is truthfully 100 different flavours of trailer park bad attitude and wears kitten fur loafers when the public ain't lookin'...then this is acting that would shame a Baldwin. A BALDWIN, I tell you!
great story
yesterday and pratice, when his team came off the ice (he was the last one as usual)...he took off his equipment and came out to watch the other team pratice...he looks DETERMINED to make the team
plus he was signing autographs and talking to people
I was there yesterday too, did you notice how he was moving the nets for the zamboni and then propped them up against the glass after the zamboni made the first lap? There was a rink employee coming out to do it, but went back off the ice when he saw Rob had it taken care of.
I've been to a few Oiler training camps and never seen anything like that before. He then signed autographs and chatted with a couple fans that were lined up by the gate.
I must say, if Schremp is truthfully 100 different flavours of trailer park bad attitude and wears kitten fur loafers when the public ain't lookin'...then this is acting that would shame a Baldwin. A BALDWIN, I tell you!
I want to temper my enthusiasm on one chance encounter.
I have had reports of negative behaviours that make me always believe that the truth lies in the middle.
Now having said that, it only takes one long talk with your agent saying..."Robbie, if you are an a**, your career will only go half as far as it could."
I was a bit of an a** as a younger guy, so I know that people can change.
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DD only signs in Edmonton if he is a big fan of losing. The image that the Oilers are an up and coming team is dead. - WingedWheel1987
When I was at the rookie camp last weekend, Schremp was the first guy on the ice, the last guy off and he took time to throw pucks to some of the spectators (myself included). The last young player I remember doing this type of thing so early on was Ryan Smyth, and we all know how that turned out. I have very high hopes for Rob Schremp.
When I was at the rookie camp last weekend, Schremp was the first guy on the ice, the last guy off and he took time to throw pucks to some of the spectators (myself included). The last young player I remember doing this type of thing so early on was Ryan Smyth, and we all know how that turned out.
Yep, 20 power play goals and a +/- worthy of the 74/75 Caps - in his 2nd NHL season, tho.
...which just goes to show you that even at their worst (or alleged worst), hockey guys are always better than other athlete groups: think of the following: Latrell "I Can't Feed My Family on 15 Mil" Sprewell; Jamal "I Didn't Actually Sell the Dope" Lewis; Ricky "I Don't Want to Work I Just Want to Do My Bong All Day" Williams; Mike "The Ex-Ex-Con" Tyson; Rafael "The Truthless" Palmeiro, etc, etc, etc.
Haha.. Um.. Digger, if that happened, Schremp would have hit 10/11 which is 91%.
No, because if only half of that 10th puck hit where the other 9 did, then that's only 9.5 out of a total of 10 complete pucks...or something like that.
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