Will O’Neill happy to represent Wilkes-Barre at AHL All-Star game

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SYRACUSE, NY &#8212; Dustin Jeffrey and Rob Schremp both took a similar path to begin their pro careers - one that began with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.Jeffrey and Schremp are both AHL All-Stars and on Sunday they took some time to reflect on their time in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.&#8220;That was a big part of my career,&#8221; said Jeffrey, who split five seasons between Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and Pittsburgh and is now with the Springfield Falcons. &#8220;The way they brought their young guys along, and they&#8217;re still doing it, is the way it should be done. They play the game the right way.&#8221;Jeffrey was a 20-year-old coming out of juniors in the Ontario Hockey League when he joined the Penguins for 12 games during their 2008 Calder Cup run. In juniors, Jeffrey said he was the point guy and his main concern was offense.That changed when he came to the Penguins.&#8220;In order to stay in the lineup every night I had to play a defensive role. That carried into my first full season and I was lucky enough to get some games,&#8221; he said. &#8220;I learned how to play defense and adapt to the way they taught me how to play there. That was my first taste of the big leagues.&#8221;Like Jeffrey, Schremp also came out of the OHL to join the Penguins a year earlier for the 2006-07 season. He scored 53 points in 69 games that year and said he grew a lot as a player.&#8220;I had a lot to learn as far as what the pro game took,&#8221; said Schremp, who plays for the Portland Pirates. &#8220;I had some great people to learn from there in Dennis Bonvie, Wade Brookbank, Alain Nasreddine, Max Talbot and Daniel Carcillo. The names go on.&#8221;Despite playing just one season in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Schremp fondly recalls his connection to the community he and his teammates. They enjoyed eating at their favorite local restaurants and even joined a Tuesday night bowling league.&#8220;We had our own shoes and balls. So many fond memories and I had a ton of fun there,&#8221; Schremp said. &#8220;I cherish those memories.&#8221;So does Jeffrey, that&#8217;s why he said it felt different to return to the Mohegan Sun Arena for the first time this season as an opposing player.&#8220;When you go into a different door and a different dressing room, the whole arena has a different feel,&#8221; Jeffrey said. &#8220;It was still pretty special to go back. It has a place in my heart because it&#8217;s where I started as a pro.&#8221;<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta>By Tom Veneskytvenesky@www.timesleader.com</bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta>Reach Tom Venesky at 570-991-6395 or on Twitter @TLTomVenesky</shirttailMeta></div>

Dustin Jeffrey, Rob Schremp fondly remember time with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins