You’ll never guess who’s playing hockey again in the London area

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Rob Schremp is playing hockey again in the London area.

The legendary Knights scorer and former NHLer recently agreed to sign with the Strathroy Jets of the Ontario Super Hockey League. His first game with the club is expected to be against the Tilbury Bluebirds Friday, 7:30 p.m. at the Gemini Sportsplex.

“I’ve always loved hockey,” the 38-year-old said, “and sometimes, men’s league doesn’t scratch that itch. Trying to win something is instilled in us at a young age and it’s hard to shut it off. I was trying to be competitive with my daughter (six-year-old Stella) and my wife (Marta) was like, ‘Nope, take that somewhere else.’ ”

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So, Strathroy it is.

The recruitment pitch started as a fun day of golf at The Oaks. Schremp was paired with Mark Van Geffen, who is part of the organizing committee for the Jets led by GM Bob Lalich and head coach Mike Bondy.

“Rob was telling great stories and we won a little bit of money together off some pigeons,” Van Geffen said. “We talked about his days in Latvia and I told him we’ve started a new league, like Senior ‘A’ but leaning toward the ex-pros side of things. I thought it was a definite wild shot, but he just enjoys the game and misses it.

“I’m pretty confident he will still be able to play at a high level.”

When Schremp was running hockey skills development in Hong Kong last year, he laced it up in a loop against ex-pats with some U.S. college hockey and major junior experience. He put up 68 points in 15 games for one team and scored four times in a one-game stint with another squad.

“I do a lot of teaching by demonstration,” the former Edmonton Oilers first-rounder said, “so I still shoot a lot of pucks and stickhandle a lot. The body isn’t what it was but the hands and brain are still there.”

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In his Asia and Europe stops, not a lot of the kids knew who their new puck teacher was at the start. But they sure found out when they searched his name on the Internet.

“They would come back and be like, ‘Omigod, what was it like to play here or do this?’” Schremp recalled. “The one thing that is similar everywhere in the world is the passion for the game in the players. It’s always interesting to be part of their development and journey and give them a different point of view. It’s fun to work with those kids and watch it grow and then implement it.

“For places like Hong Kong and Latvia, that information is exciting and new for them.”

Schremp is back in London to work, including in business development with a bio-tech company. He is also staying involved in hockey through skills training and, of course, sharing his thoughts on the Jr. B Nationals with coach Brandon Prust and the Jr. Knights with U16 ‘AAA’ coach Danny Syvret.

“London is the one place for me that feels like home,” the Fulton, N.Y., native said. “It’s probably the only place I got to stay for a three-year block of time in my hockey career. At this stage in life, you’re following jobs and this was an opportunity to come back here. I’m not an athlete anymore, just a person. I love going to Knights games and being around the Hunters and seeing good friends.

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“I get the chance to be where I feel comfortable.”

Van Geffen’s phone has been buzzing since Schremp’s signing. The first game after the announcement, the Jets had their best crowd at the Sportsplex.

Strathroy was looking for an offensive boost and got it in the OHL’s 2005-06 leading scorer. Now, it is building momentum in hopes the municipality will work on getting the team a new dressing room there.

“Rob will be a bit of a white whale in this league,” Van Geffen said. “He played 120 games in the NHL and his days in London are well-documented. This league has got a lot of traction and decent hockey players are migrating to it.

“It’s for guys who still enjoy the game and miss it. That’s what it’s offering.”

rpyette@postmedia.com

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