Jackalopes Acquire Stanko from Brookings

Odessa, TX – The Odessa Jackalopes, proud members of the North American Hockey League (NAHL), are happy to announce they have acquired Brenden Stanko from the Brookings Blizzard for a 2018-19 tender and a conditional pick in the 2018 NAHL draft.

The 18-year-old has three more years of junior hockey eligibility, being born in 1999. He began by playing one season each for the Oakland Jr. Grizzlies minor and major teams before joining Belle Tire U16 for two seasons where he was over a point per game in each of those four seasons. Last year, he joined the Brooking Blizzard while also having a brief stint with the Des Moines Buccaneers of the USHL.

“I was very surprised when I got the call from Coach Greg Gatto,” says Stanko. “As he explained the situation, it made me excited to head south to Odessa. It’s a great feeling to be wanted by an outstanding organization.”

The 5-foot-10, 170-pound left-handed shot hails from Howell, MI. Last season in Brookings, Stanko racked up 35 points (11-24-35) in 49 games and also played a big part in their postseason run with 4 points in 5 games.

“I finally get to play somewhere that’s warm all year round,” jokes Stanko.

A hard-working player is a centerman by trade, but can also play on the left-wing as well. Being a young player will be very helpful for the Jackalopes future as they have eight returning 20-year-olds from last year’s team, as well as four more that were acquired through trades, tenders, and the draft.

“It’s great that we’re able to get young players without losing any talent,” begins head coach, Greg Gatto. “Brenden is a player that can jump into our top 6 and make an impact early and often.”

The Jackalopes will hold their main camp July 27-30 at the Fox Valley Ice Arena in Geneva, IL to finalize the roster for the upcoming season.

The 2017-2018 Odessa Jackalopes season tickets are on sale now with the home season beginning October 6^th! To reserve your seats, contact the Jackalopes’ ticket office today at 432-552-7825 or log on to www.jackalopes.org for more information.

Also, be sure to follow the Jackalopes on Twitter @LetsGoJacks all year long and don’t forget to ‘Like’ the official “Odessa Jackalopes” fan page on Facebook.