Jason Hills
For MacEwan Athletics
EDMONTON – Like many kids before and after him, Marc Pasemko's plan playing Junior A hockey was to earn an NCAA scholarship.
The Edmonton product earned a scholarship late in his final season with the Alberta Junior Hockey League's Okotoks Oilers to play for the Colorado College Tigers.
He spent two seasons playing for the Tigers – but sometimes plans change, and the 25-year-old couldn't be happier being part of his hometown MacEwan Griffins the past three seasons.
Pasemko and the Griffins (6-5-1) will host the Regina Cougars (1-11-0) on Friday (7 p.m.) and Saturday (5 p.m., both Downtown Community Arena, Canada West TV).
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"Coming back home (to MacEwan) has given me a great opportunity to come in and develop as a hockey player and play a lot of minutes – and that's ultimately all you can ask for as a player," said Pasemko.
"Playing in the AJ, that was always the goal to get an NCAA scholarship, and it was a lot of hard work, but I got it – but it ended up not being the best opportunity for me."
After completing his first season during a COVID-19 shortened season at Colorado College, the coaching staff that recruited Pasemko was let go.
The program went through an entire shift under the new coaches, and Pasemko was left on the outside looking in after his second season.
Despite being far away from home, he kept in touch with Sean Comrie and Ryley Appelt, who were in their first season with MacEwan, and that's when he knew he wanted to make the transition back home and play for the Griffins.
"I didn't have the success I wanted to in the States, and the whole experience was really my first experience with battling some adversity in my life," said Pasemko.
"When I knew I was leaving the NCAA, I had a few options, and I saw MacEwan as a team that could give me an opportunity to come in and make an impact right away.
"Talking with them, I knew this is where I wanted to play. I remember my first practice with the team, I was so nervous, I made them wait for me in the parking lot, so I could walk in with them, but as soon as I walked into the dressing room, the team was so welcoming."
Marc Pasemko, left, and Sam Simard celebrate a goal against UBC last month (Derek Harback photo).
Griffins head coach Zack Dailey said he was extremely happy to have Pasemko join MacEwan, when he decided to make the move from the NCAA.
"He was a prolific scorer in junior, but we also loved all the other intangibles he brings to the table," said Dailey.
"He wanted an opportunity for more playing time, and right away, we saw his potential with his speed, compete level and just how physical he is, and how hard he works."
As a rookie with the Griffins, Pasemko finished second on the team in goals, with eight, and his 11 points was good for seventh on the team.
Pasemko had big aspirations to have an even bigger year last year, but for the first time in his career, he was hit hard with the injury bug.
He would only suit up for 14 games, and he finished with one goal and seven points.
"Last year was a mess for me personally. I'd come back for a game, and then I'd get injured and be out a month. It seemed like it was like that all year long," said Pasemko.
"That was tough to go through, because as a team, we were making big strides, and we made the playoffs for the first time in program history, but I just had to battle through it."
Pasemko said he suffered a bone bruise in his ankle that forced him to miss a month. In his first game back, he suffered a concussion, and after missing several games, he came back for four games before he suffered a hairline fracture in his ribs, an injury that forced him to only play one game each weekend for the rest of the year.
"It's hard to find your groove when you're dealing with a constant cycle of injuries like I did last year, but I tried to make the most of every opportunity I got on the ice," said Pasemko.
This year, Pasemko is healthy, and he's taken his game to a whole new level. He leads the Griffins in scoring with 13 points (six goals, seven assists) in 12 games (11th in Canada West). His six goals are tied for third most in the conference.
Marc Pasemko battles Regina's Carter Belitski for a face-off during action between the teams last month. They'll renew their Canada West East Division rivalry this weekend (Calvin Hui photo).
"Some of his momentum (from his rookie year) got derailed with injuries, but this year, he's been exceptional, and it's not surprising to see," said Dailey.
"He's taken that opportunity to have a larger offensive role within our program. His experience playing against older players (in NCAA), allowed him to not have a big adjustment period when he came back.
"The thing I admire about him most, is he doesn't change his game at all. He works incredibly hard, he will always play physical, and he's never afraid to block shots."
It's been a consistent climb for the Griffins since joining the Canada West conference, and after making the playoffs last year for the first time in the program's history, they're trying to reach another level.
They've had a solid start to the first half of this season, coming off a weekend sweep of the Trinity Western Spartans, and earned a win over the defending conference champion UBC Thunderbirds.
"I remember having a conversation with our leadership group my first year and they said this year would be the year where we'd come into our own," said Pasemko.
"We can no longer just be happy being close in games (with top teams). All the recruits in the last couple of years that we've brought in have bought in and played the right way.
"We know we can take that next step as a program. It's been great to be part of building this program up. We have the talent to compete, and the vibe and positivity is night and day from my first two years. We have a lot of belief within our program."
