Photo credit: Andy Devlin

By Regan Bartel

Ex-Rockets goalie reflects on NHL call

Jung’s moment in the sun similar to Matt Berlin

Feb 2, 2023 | 6:00 AM

Torrie Jung watched with great interest Saturday night when Matt Berlin made his NHL debut with the Edmonton Oilers.

Called up as an injury replacement, the 25-year-old University of Alberta Golden Bears goalie saw game action when he replaced Oilers starter Jack Campbell with 2:26 remaining in a game against the Chicago Blackhawks.

Jung, who played 66 games with the Kelowna Rockets between 2006-2007 and 2007-2008, had a similar experience with the Oilers when he too was an emergency call-up in November of 2009.

Like Berlin, the game was played against the visiting Chicago Blackhawks.

RocketFAN spoke to Jung from his home in Calgary, where he reflected on a phone call he received while playing as a 20-year-old with the WHL’s Edmonton Oil Kings.

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“When I look back at my experience, the first thing I thought was he [Berlin] got to play,” Jung said. “What a cool experience. It came out that Connor McDavid was the one that approached the coach on the bench to make it happen, so I thought that was awesome.

“When it happened [with Berlin], every family member that saw what happened texted me and said, do you remember when this happened to you, and you didn’t play? In a sense, I am surprised it doesn’t happen more with how many injuries seem to happen.”

Jung’s experience was also unique after veteran Oilers goalie Nikolai Khabibulin suffered a back injury during a pre-game skate.

“I had my pajama pants on and was sitting on the couch ready to play video games and the phone rang. I got a call from the Oilers GM Steve Tambellini and he asked me what I was doing that evening,” Jung chuckled as he recalled the conversation. “I told him nothing. He said good, do you want to sign a contract and come play for the Oilers tonight?”

Jung didn’t hesitate at the opportunity.

The Oilers faxed over a contract to a nearby library where Jung’s billet family was situated, and quickly signed on the dotted line.

“I arrive at the arena at 4 pm, and there is no one there”, Jung continued. “I am walking around the concourse at Rexall and finally an equipment manager shows up and lets me in the dressing room, and I will never forget, they are doing my jersey up in the back room [putting on a number and name bar].

“On the white board, I remember so vividly, they had Chicago’s lineup written down. Kane, Toews, Hossa, Seabrooke, Keith. I remember thinking, this is the high point of my life. This is never going to get better than this.”

Jung entered warmup like a wide-eyed child entering the front gates of Disneyland for the first time.

“I am stretching and [Patrick] Kane and [Jonathan] Toews are doing the same nearby, and part of me wants to ask if they can sign a puck for me. Another part of me wants to play it cool because I could be on TV.

“The only part of the game I remember was the warmup. At the end, the players get into a semi-circle and the guys try to shoot the puck until it goes in. I remember Dustin Penner took a half-slapshot from the hash marks and he went bar down, right by my head.”

The Blackhawks rolled over the Oilers that night, prompting Jung to wonder if starter Jeff Deslauriers would be pulled, allowing him to come into the game in a relief appearance.

“It was 3-0, and at that point, I thought if I do go in, I have no pressure”, Jung said with relief in his voice. “As the game went on, I thought if we make it close and he [Deslauriers] gets hurt, and I have to go in, I will be pooping my pants.”

It never did happen.

Jung spent the evening sitting beside veteran Oilers d-man Jason Studwick, who Jung says, “looked as if he could have been my father at the time.”

While signing a one-game contract with the NHL team that day, Jung never technically got paid by the team, yet that didn’t mean he wasn’t financially compensated for his efforts.

“Shawn Horcoff was the captain of the Oilers at the time”, Jung added. “The next day we have an Oil Kings practice, and he enters our dressing room and makes a bit of a spectacle in front of my teammates.

“He hands me my game jersey and says on behalf of the Oilers players we want to give you a little thank you. Horcoff pulls out his wallet and starts handing me one-hundred-dollar bills.

“I won’t say how much he gave me, but I was buying food at Earl’s for my Oil King teammates for the rest of the season.”