Written by Amy K. Nelson
SportsTicker Staff Writer

Very few hockey players are able to avoid the rigors of rookie life. The transition to professional ice, the up-and-downs of success and failure and the uncertainty of what your future holds are ills first-year players all encounter.

But for Jarret Stoll, he seems to take it all in stride.

Stoll, just 20 years old and in his first professional season, is a blue-collar player whose hard work has afforded him visibility on a team where talent seems endless. Stoll's maturity, however, is what really separates him from the pack.

The Saskatoon native speaks with unexpected poise for his age.

When asked how he maintains mental toughness in the minors, Stoll manages to lend perspective and avoid cliches. He sounds more like a coach delivering an edict.

"That's the one important thing, to make the next jump you need to play consistent," said Stoll. "If you're not consistent then you'll be in the minors for quite awhile."

A second-round pick (46th overall) in the 2000 draft by Calgary, Stoll played the final two of his four seasons with the Kootenay Ice in the Western Hockey League before he and the Flames were unable to work out a new contract.

Stoll re-entered the draft last June, and this time Edmonton scooped him up in the second round at the No. 36 spot. His resume included two world junior championship appearances - including captaining the 2002 squad to a silver medal - and captain of his 2002 Memorial Cup championship team with Kootenay.

Perhaps all of the tournaments and vast international experience sped up his maturation process.

When he arrived in Hamilton back in October, Stoll did not figure into then head coach Claude Julien's plans of a top-line center. Hamilton was well-stocked with prospects and Stoll, a rookie, was expected to slowly ease into more ice time.

But call-ups and injuries landed opportunity at Stoll's door rather quickly, and the always vocal leader stepped right in and made the transition look like an everyday chore.

"I think getting thrown into the fire could have been the best thing that's happened to me," said Stoll, when reached on his team bus Tuesday en route to an AHL game in Cleveland.

"Right from the start of the year I've been getting a lot of ice time."

Up north in Hamilton, Ont., Stoll and his teammates are quietly dominating the American Hockey League. The Bulldogs, the AHL affiliate for both the Edmonton Oilers and Montreal Canadiens, have already clinched a playoff berth, and there's still a fourth of the season left to play.

Amongst fellow rookies, Stoll's 44 points is good for fourth-best, his plus-16 and 151 shots near the top of their respective categories, and he's shown that he is not afraid to mix it up either, with 35 minor penalties ranking second on the rookie leaderboard.

"He's really blossomed with his new role in increased expectations and responsibilities," said Bulldogs head coach Geoff Ward. "He came in early and really impressed us, not only with his leadership but with his play away from the puck. (He does) the little things to make the plays that often takes guys a little more time to learn in the pros.

"He just does everything for us."

Not anymore.

On Wednesday, Stoll received his second NHL callup this season.

With Oiler forward Mike York suffering a fractured wrist on Tuesday night, Stoll may have an extended stay with the big club. His last recall lasted only two games, but on his first shift he drew an assist in a 5-1 win over Minnesota on January 29.

"Got to get my feet wet I guess for a couple of games," said Stoll. "Even up there I felt comfortable and confident. The quicker you adjust to it, the better you'll do. Getting an assist on my first shift kind of settled me down a little bit. I wasn't too nervous after that."

The 6-foot-1, 200-pounder has been knocked for his average skating and lack of strength, projected as a third-line center.

Ask his coach about Stoll's potential and you'll hear a much different response.

"Well, I'll tell you what, if there's one guy I'd put my money on to expand his role rather quickly at the next level it would be Jarret Stoll," said Ward, who took over when Julien was named Montreal's head coach in January.

"If he's projected as a third-line guy, well I think he brings a little more than that to the table. He fits more than just a mold of what you'd consider to be a third-line centerman. You'd maybe have to start from there, but his upside, to me, is a lot bigger than that."

Stoll understands to earn a permanent NHL roster spot he needs to polish his defensive play and work on his skating.

"You want to improve every part of your game, whether it's offensive or defensive," said Stoll. "Nothing special, just someone who can play defense and put the puck in the net whenever I get the chance. That's the way I want to play. I don't want to be a liability out there. I want to be able to play in every situation."