MOUNT CLEMENS, Mich. – Joey Carpenter showed the Metro Jets last season that he is a well-rounded team player.
The 2002-born Waterford, Mich., native could score, stand up for teammates, put in time in the gym, you name it.
Now, he’s back for a second season with the Jets, signing to once again put on the Metro colors in 2021-22.
“We had a fantastic season last year,” said Carpenter. “Our guys had great chemistry and we all worked hard on and off the ice. That is a team that I want to be a part of.
“When I came to the Jets, on the first day I was put right into the training routine. (Jets assistant coach) Jamie (Lovell) helped me get a grasp how to train like a real athlete and on the ice, Coach Q (Justin Quenneville) brought all the training we use upstairs at the MAT into action with the amount of time on the ice and time in the gym. We will always out-train any other program.”
During the 2020-21 season, Carpenter racked up eight goals and 17 points over 26 games.
“Last year, I feel I became a much smarter hockey player,” Carpenter said. “With the training we do on the ice, I was forced to adapt and be a smarter player. Coach Q and Jamie formed our practices on being able to make the right decision in every moment.”
Quenneville saw Carpenter turn a corner last season and is banking on more progress this coming year.
“’Carpy’ really impressed us last season with how he evolved his game in so many areas,” said Quenneville. “More importantly, he did a lot of things you can’t measure on the stat sheet. He is very gifted offensively and does a lot of good things all over the ice. We look forward to using him in all situations this year and help him continue to achieve success on and off the ice. We have some really good pieces coming in this year but retaining players like ‘Carpy’ will only help our program out of the gates and continue to be a difficult team to play against.”
As a second-year player, Carpenter feels he can improve his game in many areas.
“I would like to fill a leadership role on the team and bring our guys together when we most need it,” Carpenter said. “I feel if I worked harder than everyone on the team, it would bring up the pace in practice and it would translate to games.”
The dog days of summer approaching, Carpenter said he has been non-stop preparing for next season.
“For the rest of the summer, I am focusing on the gym and my training to be the best player I can be for the Jets,” said Carpenter.
