On February 27, 2018, staff from the Professional Hockey Players’ Association (PHPA) traveled to Winnipeg, Manitoba, and with the help of three PHPA Members, executed the PHPA – Meridian Grow with the Pros! Mentor Program at Camp Manitou, providing a one-of-a-kind interactive hockey experience for two minor hockey teams enrolled in the Winnipeg Jets Hockey Academy through the True North Youth Foundation.

Led by Manitoba Moose Assistant Captain Darren Kramer, along with Francis Beauvillier and Peter Stoykewych, the trio joined the Instructors who run the Winnipeg Jets Hockey Academy on the outdoor rink to run players through fun drills and skill development techniques before heading off the ice for an interactive question and answer period and official contract signing.

An AHL veteran of six seasons and 265 games, Kramer is a huge proponent of the True North Youth Foundation’s Mission and Values.

“The True North Foundation and their Academy is so valuable and it’s great to have their support of the PHPA Grow with the Pros program. I look back to when I was a kid and it was always special to get out on the ice with players that I looked up to. For us to have the opportunity with Camp Manitou right in our back pocket is pretty special. It’s a unique opportunity to teach the kids not only what it takes to be a professional hockey player, but also what it means to be a good person whether it’s on the ice, at home or on the playground. It’s special to see these kids evolving into young adults.”

The Winnipeg Jets Hockey Academy helps to empower underserved youth in the Winnipeg community. Participation barriers are removed by providing programming staff, equipment, transportation, ice rentals, nutrition, and qualified on ice instruction to all academy participants.  Located just outside of Winnipeg, Camp Manitou is a summer camp and year-round outdoor recreation facility.  The True North Youth Foundation helps fundraise to improve the camp’s facilities as well as using the camp to host various wellness programs such as the PHPA Grow with the Pros Program that Kramer was a part of.

For Kramer, just to get to this point in life and professional hockey has been an unorthodox journey. Coming from the small town of Peace River in northern Alberta of around 6,500 people doesn’t offer the greatest exposure to high-level youth hockey. As Kramer recalls,

“Growing up I played house league for a long time as there’s just not a lot of eyes watching you. To make it to the next level you have to carve your own path and open eyes any way that you can.”

A man who Kramer credits for helping him grow was his former coach in Peace River Darcy Haugan, coach of the Humboldt Broncos team who passed away after the team’s tragic bus crash on April 6.

“He was the one to push me to pursue hockey beyond Peace River,” Kramer recalled. “I owe him a great deal for how my career unfolded.”

At age 16, after scoring 48 points in 30 games for Haugan’s Peace River Royals Midget AA team, Kramer tried out for the Grand Prairie Storm which was a tier 2 junior team in the Alberta Junior Hockey League.

“In a spring camp Mike Vandekamp, who was the GM and head coach of the Grand Prairie Storm at the time gave me a chance. It was in Grand Prairie where he helped to set the foundation for the path that I ended up going down.”

In 2009 the Edmonton Oil Kings drafted Kramer in the 10^th round at age 17 which is considered late for a prospect to get drafted into the WHL. Despite getting drafted, Edmonton never did call Darren up from Grand Prairie.

“Everything seemed to happen for me late in my career,” Kramer recalls. “I got drafted to the WHL at age 17 which was a bit of a shock to me. It didn’t work out in Edmonton, yet sure enough the phone rang one day and it was Spokane. I was 18 years old at the time and my Dad said to me ‘you missed the boat once, don’t miss it again.’ I caught a plane to Chilliwack and met the team there. I was very fortunate to begin my WHL career with the Spokane Chiefs and to get my opportunity from Don Nachbaur who was the perfect head coach for me. It all happened so quick.”

In the summer of 2011, Kramer was drafted to the NHL by the Ottawa Senators at the age of 19. He was coming off of a season that saw him rack up 306 penalty minutes with Spokane and clearly Ottawa saw the value that his toughness could bring.

“Getting drafted was a bit of a shock. In Spokane that season my mindset was to make an impact.  I did everything I could. I played well enough to play in 17 playoff games until we lost in the Conference Finals to the Portland Winterhawks. It was a good push that season. I ended up getting an agent during that year and he told me that there was a good chance that I’d be selected and that there were a few teams interested. I was surprised it was Ottawa because they were a team that I only briefly spoke to. It was an opportunity that I was very thankful for and for Randy Lee and the late Bryan Murray for giving me a chance.”

The next season Kramer returned to Spokane where he was named team captain. It ended up being his best season of junior hockey. Kramer added an offensive presence to his game and scored 22 goals and lowered his penalty minutes to 200. Ottawa took notice and offered him a contract which would see Kramer start the 2012 season with the team’s American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate in Binghamton.

“The biggest adjustment in my career was definitely the jump from junior to pro” Kramer recalls. “You’re now getting paid and you realize that it’s a job. You’re on your own, renting a house, taking care of yourself. No more billet family. These are huge adjustments. When it comes to the hockey side, you need to learn how to be a true professional. Between what you put in your body and getting sleep. 24/7 you’re thinking about the game.”

With just 21 goals in 265 career AHL games, Kramer doesn’t confuse himself for a scorer. He knows his role on the ice is to make his team tough to play against, while in the locker room he has taken on a leadership role on most teams that he’s played for.

“Obviously I bring a physical presence to the game. It’s a measured approach and I have my coach’s trust. I try to bring some confidence to the locker room and to my teammates when I’m on the ice. Every shift is so crucial so I just try and play the game the right way.”

Kramer has since moved on from Binghamton and is now in his third season as a member of the Manitoba Moose. This season the Moose finished with a record of 42-26-4-4 for 92 points which was good for third in the Central Division. While the team boasts many young and talented future Winnipeg Jets players, Kramer points to the veteran leadership to balance out their approach and help the younger players play with confidence.

“We have a great leadership group here. It’s definitely something that I take pride in. Patrice Cormier, our captain, is a guy that I have to compliment. He’s a right-hand man in the locker room. Everybody goes to him. Cameron Schilling and Buddy Robinson were great offseason acquisitions that bring a welcome presence to the locker room. We’ve really established a strong leadership group and I feel that is a reason why we’re finding success this year. The young guys coming up this year—Mason Appleton, Sami Niku, Michael Spacek—are all guys that bring so much to the game but we’re able to help carve a path for them. It should really help their transition to being a full-time professional hockey player.”

The Moose will play their first playoff game on April 21^st against their division rival Grand Rapids Griffins. Even though Manitoba is one of the AHL’s youngest teams, they have high playoff aspirations.

“We’re obviously in a position now to make a serious push in the playoffs,” Kramer points out. “I’ve personally come into this year with only three pro playoff games and after missing the playoffs two years in a row I’m ready to get back there. As a team we have a winning mindset, but at the end of the day this is a draft and develop system so we need to be patient. We’ve made some good acquisitions and have drawn the line in the sand by finding some success in the American League. It’s been a special season so far and it’s our goal to make a serious push for the Calder Cup.”

As an assistant captain Kramer is trying to help lead the Moose to their first Calder Cup. Away from the ice, Kramer’s leadership extends further than just being a veteran voice in the locker room.  He also happens to be the Moose’s Player Representative with the Professional Hockey Players’ Association and goes to bat for his teammates’ best interest in meetings and conference rooms.

“It’s actually a lot of fun being a PHPA Representative. A lot goes into it. Six years into the game I’m so thankful for everything they do. Larry Landon has done such a great job and all of the staff around the office have done some tremendous work. Compared to other minor league sports we have it so good. As a representative it’s pretty neat. You learn a lot about the CBA and the ins and outs of the union and the benefits that we’re entitled to. It goes a long way.”

As previously noted, Kramer is a very visible contributor to community initiatives hosted by the Moose and is a vocal advocate for being a well-rounded individual both on and off of the ice.

“When dealing with the kids we stress what it means to be a good person. It goes so far. In any career if you want to find success it’s starts with you. I look at the Winnipeg Jets organization, from top to bottom it’s built around good, accountable people.”

This mantra keeps Kramer working hard to be the best player and person that he can be. When this season comes to a close, he may not know what the future holds, but this is hardly anything new for Kramer.

“I may have long-term goals in mind but I’ve learned life is purely situational. You have to jump at the bit to any opportunity presented to you. Something I’ve always thrived on is finding that opportunity. I don’t know where I’m going to be down the line but I look forward to what’s in store.”