Hometown boy: Getting to know Battlefords North Stars rookie Millar Kramer

Growing up as a North Stars fan, Kramer fondly remembers the 2016-17 and 2018-19 championship-winning teams.

“I was at most of the games. Like, they seemed like the NHL at the time. So, I followed along quite a bit. When Layne Young, Reed Delaney, Connor (Logan) and Owen (Lamb) were in town, it was all like, I really followed those years when I was prime age.”

Kramer remembers the atmosphere during the playoff runs, recalling extra bleachers brought in from the baseball fields to fit as many people in the arena as possible.

Having supported the team as a kid, Kramer is thankful to receive that support from the community.

“It’s pretty cool being a hometown player,” he said.

He recalled someone he knew wishing him good luck as he left a Co-op before a game.

Away from the rink, Kramer enjoys spending time outdoors. Living just outside the city, Kramer has access to the North Saskatchewan River minutes behind his house.

Kramer said he normally hunts whitetail deer and moose and recalls getting his first buck two or three years ago. His fishing trips also take him beyond the river near his backyard.

“We got a cabin at Jackfish, so just hang around there, try to catch small jacks and a bit of pickerel. Then we got a camp up north by Key Lake. Up there, it’s unreal. It’s completely different scenery and the fishing’s crazy.”

In the winter, Kramer also likes to go snowmobiling. He was not able to get out much last season because of school and his AAA hockey schedule, but hopes to get out more this year.

The transition from AAA to junior A has been smooth for Kramer, who enjoys the structured style of hockey.

“There’s been no real surprise. It’s been pretty smooth. I like the systems, it’s real structured. That’s more my game,” he said.

His familiarity with the arena has also helped Kramer adjust.

“When I go on the road, it’s like you gotta kind of settle in before the game and here it’s just like you come in, it’s just practice every day. I’ve been here for years and you’re just used to it, everything about it,” he said.

Kramer said playing a few games with the North Stars last season as an affiliate player also helped him get comfortable with the team.

“It helped quite a bit, to be honest. Just comfortable with the guys, get to know them before like my rookie season and then kind of get to know Connor and Owen too and then just being around the room and everything.”

While Kramer does not have many game-day superstitions, he usually takes an hour-and-a-half nap and tries to eat chicken and rice before each game. He also enjoys cooking, a skill he said might surprise people who know him.

He enjoys cooking on a smoker and mentioned pork tenderloin and steak as meals he likes to make.

“T-bone or ribeyes, medium rare,” he said.

Kramer has also played baseball and competed in high school track, but hockey has always been his No. 1 sport.

He is not the only Kramer playing high-level hockey in the Battlefords. His sister Elan plays for the AAA Sharks.

“It’s pretty cool. Like last year I was on the AAA, so we’re both on the AAA teams, and then this year I’m on the North Stars. So, we’re both on the highest-level teams for our genders, so it’s pretty cool,” he said.

“She doesn’t really talk much to me about my game. If I go watch her game, I usually give her a few things to work on.”

Kramer also credits his parents for their support and said he has remained close with them, having never lived away from home.

“It’s been usually pretty tight because I’ve never been away from home. Around them lots and they’ve helped me a lot, supported me a lot.”

Kramer plans to attend post-secondary school but has not decided on a program or career path.

The North Stars continue their season Nov. 6 when they travel to Kindersley to face the Klippers.

Read more North Stars player profiles below.

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Ryan.Lambert@pattisonmedia.com

by Ryan Lambert

Hometown boy: Getting to know Battlefords North Stars rookie Millar Kramer

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