Game On Magazine - April 2017 GameOn-Apr2017-P001-144-ONLINE | Page 93

Jett Woo:
Budding Warriors’
Star Has Natural
Calling Card
By Les Lazaruk, Sports Director, Saskatoon Media Group/
Saskatoon Blades’ play-by-play
Photos by Jeff Miller
MOOSE JAW, SK. -- What do you get when you cross a Moose
Jaw Warriors’ defenseman with a retired World Wrestling Entertain-
ment superstar?
WOO-O-O-O-O-O!
As in Jett Woo, Moose Jaws D-man and Nature Boy Ric Flair. It’s a
match made in play-by-play broadcaster heaven!
“I have seen some people comment that I’d be his favourite hockey
player,” said the 16-year-old Winnipeg product with a broad grin.
“That’s pretty cool.”
Equally as cool is the story behind Woo’s first name.
“My parents named me after Jet Li (the Chinese film actor, film
producer, martial artist, and retired Wushu champion from the 1980s
and 90s),” explained Woo. “Actually, one time, my grandpa (the origi-
nal owner of the Marigold Restaurants) billeted him in Winnipeg
when he was doing a film,
so I think that really had an
impact on my parents’ deci-
sion.
“I did take it as a kid,” Woo
adds about possibly being
into the martial arts himself.
“But, it didn’t last very long.
I’m a hockey player.
“I really started taking
hockey seriously when I was
about eight. Everyone in my
area always used to play
soccer and hockey, but I quit
soccer at seven to pursue
hockey. Obviously, it’s been a
pretty good decision for me
so far and hopefully it goes
on.”
An affable and approach-
able young man, that conge-
niality ends for Woo on when
he hits the rink. He was Moose Jaw’s first round selection, and fourth
overall, in the 2015 WHL Bantam Draft and the Warriors couldn’t wait
to utilize his 6-foot, 194-pound skill set as much as possible, suiting
him up for seven regular-season games as a 15-year-old in the 2015-
16 season. He also played a season full of games with the Manitoba
Midget AAA Hockey League-champion Winnipeg Wild that season
and then played in five WHL playoff games for Moose Jaw once the
Wild’s post-season run was over.
“He’s developed really well as a 16-year-old,” says Woo’s head
coach with the Warriors, former Stanley Cup-champion Tim Hunter.
“He’s composed. He’s a big kid. He plays like a man and, yeah, he is
a Top 4 defenseman in this league. And, he will be a Top 2 next year
as a 17-year-old.”
The high praise from his coach doesn’t appear to go to Woo’s head
because he has a very good handle on his on-ice abilities.
“I feel like I play hard and competitive with a lot of intensity. I feel
that my defense is my main strength,” says Woo, who has very de-
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