Odessa, TX – The Odessa Jackalopes made a couple moves this week to help prepare for the playoff push. With the NAHL trade deadline approaching in early February, expect the league to have a myriad of trades over the next three weeks. The Jacks kicked it off by acquiring centerman, Ludwig Stenlund and defenseman, Zac Herrmann earlier this week.
Stenlund (6’3”/192 lbs) has played the last two full seasons for the Skellefteå AIK J20 team in the SuperElit. Stenlund has 33 points over 66 games over the past two seasons in a very tough league. The last player the Jackalopes took from the SuperElit was Hampus Sjödahl, who ended up having 103 points over his 115 games for Odessa. Hampus adapted very well to the different style of play in the NAHL, and Stenlund his hoping to do the same.
“It’s a smaller rink, so it’s faster, and everything you have to do is full speed,” says Stenlund. “If I work hard, other things will come as well”.
The ’97 was drafted by the Jackalopes in the 3rd round of this year’s NAHL draft, but decided to stay in Sweden until last week.
When asking head coach, Greg Gatto, about Stenlund, he only had one thing to say, “I was hoping he was going to be good, but I didn’t know he would be this good”.
The Jackalopes also acquired defenseman, Zac Herrmann from the Omaha Lancers of the USHL. The 6’0”, 181 lbs defenseman from Lancaster, NY signed a tender with the Jackalopes at the end of last season, but went to Omaha after being drafted in the 5th round of the USHL draft this season.
“I signed my tender last year with the Jacks, but when I found out I had a spot in Omaha I had to go,” stated Herrmann. “Now, I’m here, and I’m ready to get things ready to get things going.”
The Jacks have been searching for a left-handed defenseman, and that’s exactly what Herrmann will bring to the team. The Niagara University commit only has two assists this year in 27 games, but is very offensive, as he had 43 points (9-34-43) in 52 regular season games, and 14 points (6-8-4) in the playoffs last season for the Burlington Cougars of the OJHL.
“He (Zac) is an offensive-defenseman,” says Gatto. “First shift in practice, Herrmann goes bar down. He’s going to make our defense one of the top in the league.”
The two acquisitions are expected to be in the lineup this weekend as the Jackalopes travel to Lone Star to take on the Brahmas.
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— ODESSA JACKALOPES —
