Feature Story

Festler’s hockey career right on target

 

By Jon Garver

 

So far in his hockey career, things seem to be going according to plan for Jared Festler. He was a high school scoring phenomenon for a small Minnesota high school not known for turning out hockey players. He’s committed to the school that he always wanted to play for. He’s playing in the USHL in a city that is as supportive as any in junior hockey, not just in the United States, but in all of North America. He’s been ranked by NHL Central Scouting as a candidate to be chosen in the 2008 NHL Draft. 

Yep, everything is right on target for Jared Festler.  So how did it all get started? Really, with no plan at all.

“My brother’s best friend told us that we should give hockey a try, so we did and that’s how it started,” Festler said. “My youth experience was a good one. I moved up two years early to each level when I was younger, so I always had some good competition to play against.”

The early exposure to older players has panned out well. After a high school career in the non-traditional hockey town of Little Falls (“We had the challenge of making our town known to all,” he said), Festler will be tested time and again against players that are older, with more experience.

First stop – the USHL.

Festler’s USHL path was paved when the Lincoln Stars chose him in the 2006 USHL Futures Draft. Lincoln, armed with sellout crowds and a rowdy fan base, comes with a reputation as being one of the best places in North America to play junior hockey. Festler hasn’t been disappointed.

“It’s been one of the greatest experiences in my life. They have an amazing atmosphere and we are loved by all the fans,” he said.

In his rookie season with the Stars, Festler has 11 goals and 28 points in 36 games. He was also chosen to play in the 2008 USHL Prospects/All-Star Game, but for the year, not all has been easy.

“It’s been a good year, a few ups and downs with some injuries and slumps, but other than that it has been a great experience,” he said.

From the Icebox (Lincoln’s home ice), it will be on to the National Hockey Center in St. Cloud, where Festler will play for St. Cloud State.

“It’s close to home and I grew up watching them. My third grade teacher, Mrs. Gratke, used to bring in some of the players to our school so we could meet them and they were my role models,” he said. “I was talking to a few other schools, but my dream was always to play for SCSU.”

Pro hockey is also on the horizon, as he is one of the top ranked North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting, making the NHL a viable option down the road. 

“It would be a big accomplishment (being drafted), but if I don’t go, it just means I have to work that much harder,” he said.

And if the hockey thing doesn’t quite work out, Festler has a back-up plan in place for that, too. 

“I am going to take over my dad’s land surveying business and I’m going to be his boss, so I can boss him around for once,” he said.

 

 

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