Written by: Scott Savard
Headline photo: Chad Goddard
Okotoks, AB (December 10, 2025) – Eden Prairie, Minnesota, a suburb of the Twin Cities (Minneapolis and St. Paul), which is home to over 64,000 Minnesotans, including Okotoks Oilers rookie forward Holden Pajor.
Hockey is nothing new to the area, as Eden Prairie currently has three NHL players who call the town home, including Nick Seeler (Philadelphia Flyers), Casey Mittlestadt (Boston Bruins), and 2013 Stanley Cup champion with the Chicago Blackhawks, Nick Leddy (San Jose Sharks). Athletics are a big portion of Eden Prairie as they have produced several NFL and NBA talents, and were even the home for the late Sgt. Slaughter, a former WWE champion.
“Yeah, pretty big town, good amount of people. It’s a nice area with a lot of rinks and, good community. Wherever you go, you see a lot of people you recognize. Overall, it’s a great town,” Pajor said about his hometown of Eden Prairie.
Coming from the “State of Hockey”, Pajor had many options in following a team in the area. One of the teams that grabbed his heart was the University of Minnesota’s Golden Gophers. He added that “North Star State” has had a ton of schools hit the top 25 in the NCAA and always loves going to games where the Golden Gophers are playing an in-state rival.
“It’s insane, you see hockey jackets everywhere, the rinks are packed. Especially in high school hockey, the atmosphere is crazy. You have thousands of people going to a high school hockey game. Every single time the ponds are frozen, the guys are out there, it’s nuts,” he explained about the passion for hockey in his home state.
Pajor made his way to Calgary last season as he took part in the Circle K Classic with the Sioux Falls Power.
“It was sweet coming to Canada. I came to Canada when I was younger, and just coming back and seeing all the talent was unreal. Obviously, that tournament’s pretty highly levelled up; it was fun to play. Overall, good tournament,” Pajor mentioned about the Circle K Classic.
During the tournament, Pajor would face two of his current teammates in Grady Gustafson and Dane Gillis. Gustafson, who was playing for the Cariboo Cougars, and Gillis, with the Bow Mark Okotoks Oilers, were in the same division as Pajor in the Circle K Classic, as they all faced off against one another.
“Right when I got here, I remembered the name Gustafson. I remembered that I played him and kind of connected the dots a little bit,” he said about playing against his now teammates.
Another thing that stood out to Pajor from the tournament was how packed each game was with fans coming from all over. He would also explain how unique it was to travel with his team from Sioux Falls to Calgary for a hockey tournament.
“Yeah, we flew out right after Christmas and just being in a hotel in a different country, having that fun time downtown, it was awesome,” Pajor said.
The Circle K Classic would lead Pajor to Okotoks as the Green and Gold’s coaching staff scouted him and decided to reach out to him, playing for the team this year when he was in the area for the tournament.
“Last year, around Christmas time, I talked to Reid (Hnatowich, Oilers assistant coach) here during the Circle K Classic and kind of started our relationship there. Then in April, I decided to sign here and came here in the summer for that summer training camp, and yeah, just kind of went from there,” he explained about how he became a member of the Green and Gold.
Pajor quickly fell in love with Okotoks, as he said he loves the coaching staff, the vibe of Okotoks, and how everything is close, as Calgary is a skip and hop away. He has made sure to use Calgary’s close location to his advantage, as he’s already visited the Saddledome more than once since arriving in Okotoks.
“I went to a Flames game a couple of weeks ago, they played the Rangers. Then I just went to that USA prospects game too,” Pajor mentioned.
When asked about which arena he likes better, between the Saddledome or the Xcel Energy Centre in Minnesota, Pajor would give the win to the Wild’s home rink, but said the flames that shoot out of the torches after a goal beat Minnesota’s lighthouse, which goes off during a Wild goal.
Even though Pajor grew up in Minnesota, a player he idolized, Patrick Kane, was a thorn in the side of the Wild as he gave the fans from Minnesota heartaches during the Blackhawks’ reign of terror.
“I was kind of his size when I was growing up. He had that hockey sense and playmaking, so I tried to play my game around him,” he added on why he idolized Kane.
As for Kane having the Wild’s number, Pajor responded with, “It was tough. He had some really nice goals against us, obviously. But playoffs, he’s so fun to watch, so it made it a little bit easier.”
While Pajor has taken some elements from Kane’s game and implemented them into his own, he also possesses skills that help make him an effective player every time he hits the ice.
“I would say I’m a player that likes to make plays. Obviously, I can score, but I think the bigger part of my game is making plays and setting up guys around me. Just doing whatever it takes to make the team win,” he explained about his style of game.
Pajor would go on to say that hockey is by far the most popular sport in Minnesota, beating out top dogs from around the rest of the country in baseball, football, and basketball.
“It’s the biggest one by far. It goes hockey, lacrosse is probably up there, but no hockey has it by a far amount,” Pajor said about hockey being the most popular sport in his home state.
Just like many Canadians, Pajor was on skates and playing hockey early, as he got his first start at the age of six. He would actually start his hockey journey in Oregon, and gave credit to his dad for getting him involved in the sport.
“My dad played hockey, and he was born in Minnesota, so he played high school there. Then I would go to Washington’s men’s league games and kind of just fell in love with it. So I decided to try it, and the rest is history,” he explained how he got started in hockey.
When it comes to sports outside of hockey, Pajor said he participated in lacrosse back when he was in Oregon. He would also play football, basketball, soccer, and still plays golf. He mentioned how lacrosse has skills that translate over to hockey and that it has helped him a lot to progress his skill set with the game played on ice.
As for why Pajor thought the sport of hockey was for him, he responded by saying, “I just loved it. There was just something about it; I just loved to get on the ice. Whenever I could, I was getting on the ice. I loved watching it too. Kind of just fell in love with it.
Pajor explained that it’s exciting that he gets to play in Canada with the game he loves. He added that if he went back to the past to tell his younger self that he would be playing hockey in the Great White North that he wouldn’t have believed him.
While hockey has helped him travel across North America, amongst many other opportunities, Pajor also gave praise to the support for helping teach him life lessons along the way.
“Yeah, I mean, just like the social part. Obviously, surrounding yourself with people that are similar to you, but also have some differences. Just learning that social skill and then just being a team guy. Like in school, doing a group project and stuff, it’s almost like you are a team. I think it’s helped in so many ways. It’s just life lessons and stuff,” Pajor explained.
The next step for Pajor after his junior career comes to a close is the hope to play NCAA Division 1 hockey. He mentioned how handling hockey and school at the same time won’t be an issue for him.
“Yeah, I would say I’m pretty good,” he responded when asked if he could handle the school and hockey workload. “I’m pretty good at using my time wisely, so I feel like for me it wouldn’t be the hardest thing in the world, but at the same time, it’s always a challenge too. You just have to keep track of your time. So, yeah, I feel like I’m pretty good at it.”
Pajor said that he never hated school and never dreaded the fact of going to school when he walked through the front doors.
Another aspect of NCAA hockey that excites Pajor is the atmosphere the schools bring to each game.
“I think the atmosphere. Just having all those fans watching, doing something for a community, too. Just like here, you’re doing something for the town, and there you’re doing it for a college, representing them,” he added.
Pajor has felt like a mini celebrity since joining the Oilers, as when he walks around town, members of the Green Army have recognized him and had conversations that last as long as 30 minutes at times. He would add that he appreciates those who have shown up to games, as it has helped him and the team get energized at Viking Rentals Centre. As for the younger generation who shows up to watch the Oilers, it gives Pajor flashbacks to when he was their age.
“Yeah, it just brings me back to times where I’d see guys skate around in warmups and stuff. Wanting to get to the rink early to watch them and stuff. Every time I see a kid in warmups on the glass, I try to say hi to them. It’s great trying to make a kid’s day,” Pajor said.
The 2007-born forward is a middle child as he has a younger brother, Sully, and two older sisters in Addison and Maggie.
“Before my brother was born, my older sisters kind of ran the show. You know, they kind of pushed me around a little bit. Then, once my brother was born, just that bond of having a brother and stuff. All four of us are pretty close right now. It was fun, just all those memories and stuff,” he explained about being the middle child.
Pajor added that he wasn’t the spoiled one in the family, but is over the moon that he has such a good relationship with his siblings and parents.
As for his older sisters, Pajor mentioned that they definitely did dress him up as a princess, amongst other beauty projects from his sisters when he was younger, stating it’s a bit embarrassing, especially since there are still pictures of it. Unfortunately, Pajor wasn’t able to convince his sisters to play puck or mini sticks with him. Pajor would usually have to resort to getting his dad to play, and added that it took some convincing to get his younger brother, Sully, to play mini sticks with him.
When it comes to competitiveness, it’s a trait he and his siblings all possess, especially when it comes to board games, but he claims he’s the most competitive.
Pajor gave praise to his parents, Scott and Deb, for helping him achieve his dream of playing hockey and for being a constant support system.
“My dad is the one who got me into hockey, and both of them have shaped my life. Taught me all the life lessons and stuff. I couldn’t be more grateful for everything they’ve done for me. You know, they’ve given me every opportunity I could ask for. They mean so much to me,” Pajor said about his parents, Deb and Scott.
“I think they were a little bit more nervous last year, my first year moving away. They trust me, and they want me to have fun and, for sure, pursue my dreams. They’re very supportive of it. They don’t want me to go, but at the same time they’re like ‘Go live out your dreams’.”
Scott was down last week visiting and watching Pajor hit the ice with the Oilers. He said he will see his parents again during Christmas time, and then they are planning to visit Okotoks again in February.
“He loves it, nice town, so he knows it’s a good place to be. A lot of stuff to do inside of 10 minutes. He thinks the community is great and loves the rink. He loves everything about it,” he added about what his dad thought of Okotoks on his visit.
Pajor explained that while his home state has beautiful lakes, the mountains have made an impact on him. He did mention that when he lived in Oregon that they had some mountains and loved the scenery, but explained that Minnesota, while beautiful, is flat compared to Okotoks and the surrounding area. Pajor also said it was new for him to see so many deer that roam the area, joking by saying he sees about 10 a day. He added that the deer are much different here compared to Minnesota, and they are skidish in his home state, where in Okotoks they are “chill”.
The Oilers also have another player from the State of Hockey, as Michael Mikan comes from Edina and knew Pajor before becoming teammates this season.
“It’s awesome,” Pajor said about having Mikan as a teammate this season. “We have known each other since we were younger, and we always played against each other. Now we get to play with each other. Coming here and being able to be on the same team, enjoying our time together, it’s awesome.”
As for the Green Army, Pajor is grateful for the fans who come out and support the team, as it gives them a boost of energy every night at Viking Rentals Centre.
“Obviously, it helps our team so much. Hearing the fans in the back supporting us and seeing them in the stands, it just means so much. It just helps our energy, our motivation to try and win for Okotoks as much as we can,” he said.
10 Questions with Holden Pajor
What is your go-to cheat meal?
“In Minnesota, I’ll say Punch Pizza, their pizza is unreal, the best stuff I have ever had. I’m just like a sausage and pepperoni guy. Put some red pepper flakes on it and give it a little spice. Here (Okotoks) so far, Freddy’s. I get a chicken burger and some fries and stuff, it’s so good.”
What is your favourite sport other than hockey?
“Probably football. I think it’s the most fun to watch besides hockey, for me. I enjoy watching it, I play fantasy football too, so it gives a little bit of excitement too.”
What is your favourite movie and TV show?
“TV show, I’ll go Stranger Things, last season just came out, so watching that right now. Favourite movie, maybe Dodgeball.”
Favourite team and player growing up?
“Favourite team? Go with the Bruins. Just watched how they play, and they’re couple of Stanley Cup runs were unbelievable. Kind of a weird switch, but favourite player is Patrick Kane still.”
What is your guilty pleasure song?
“I’ll go Past Lives by sapientdream. ( A remix of the intro from Past Lives by BØRNS).”
Who was your celebrity crush growing up?
“Probably Jennifer Lawrence. I was a big Hunger Games guy, so that was probably my first crush.”
If you could relive any day of your life, what day would you choose?
“I’ll probably say my 13th birthday. We played a game to go to State, and we beat Edina (Mikan’s team), which is the most hated team in Minnesota. We beat them to go to State in double overtime on my birthday and got to celebrate that.”
Would you rather travel to the past or the future?
“I would probably go to the past. Just see what living was like before electricity and see how it all was back then.”
If you could meet anyone in the world, alive or dead, who would it be?
“Maybe George Washington. Seems like such a cool guy, and he’s the first president. He led the US Army and stuff, so I feel like he’d be a pretty interesting guy to talk to.”
Where in the world would you go if I could snap my fingers and get you there right now?
“Bahamas. Somewhere warm. Nice beach and clear water. My mom’s been so kind of jealous of that.”
Bonus
Who has the worst stick tape job on the team?
“I think recently it’s been (Kash) Crawford. He’s done some zero thing on his stick, so recently it’s been him. Before that, I don’t know, (Joey) Gugino does some stuff with the puck marks and stuff. He kind of gets some crazy stuff done.”
Do you prefer black or white hockey tape?
“I kind of switched this year. I just like to see how it feels, and it’s feeling good, I’ll keep it. Right now I’m using black tape, so I guess I’ll go with black for now.”
Who on the team would you have as an emergency contact?
“Probably Willy (Brett Wilson), he’s just a good guy. I feel like he would just always be there to help.”
Best advice you have got from your parents?
“Nothing is impossible. If you’re feeling down about school, hockey, whatever, just keep going.”
The Okotoks Oilers are a not-for-profit, community-run junior hockey franchise competing in the BCHL and operating out of Viking Rentals Centre. For more information, visit okotoksoilers.com or follow the Oilers on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, and Instagram.
