During his two gap years between high school and college, Jaremko played for the USHL’s Chicago Steel under head coach Dan Muse. The Minnesota native’s scoring helped power the Steel to the 2017 USHL championship. When Jaremko moved up a rung to the NCAA in 2017-18, Muse jumped to the NHL as the Predators the assistant coach. Once their respective seasons were over, Muse reached out to his former sniper to introduce him to Nashville at their development camp this July. Muse was ubiquitous during camp week.
When it comes to evaluating suitors, there’s no substitute for first impressions. Based on Jake’s accounts after attending his first NHL development camp, Jaremko was clearly smitten. His initial response contained the word “awesome” and "cool” three times each, and a very direct “I love the city.”
Asked whether there was one episode in particular that seared his long-term memory, Jaremko did not hesitate: “Looking at Bridgestone Arena for the first time.”
And who can blame him? Bridgestone resembles hockey’s version of the Emerald City palace. Stepping into the mecca that hosted the 2017 Stanley Cup Finals only made his heart grow fonder.
“You see it on TV, you experience it, see the locker room, the weight room, the lounge, the rink, all of that, I thought it was really cool,” he said.