Enforcer’s invention might stick

It’s a frustration peanut butter lovers know all too well: getting to the butter at the bottom of the jar.

Sometimes, it means awkwardly shoving your hand in, leaving it covered in brown paste. Others throw out the container before the last remnants are scooped up.

But Ottawa Senators prospect Darren Kramer has a solution.

The captain of the Western Hockey League’s Spokane Chiefs and sixthround pick in the 2011 NHL draft is hoping his idea for a simple yet innovative double-twist jar takes off.

In Kramer’s patent-pending design, the top half of the jar twists off for easy access. The lid screws on the bottom half, if needed.

Kramer, 20, said he got the idea as a 17-year-old when the Peace River, Alta. native was playing Junior A hockey in Grande Prairie, Alta. A teammate’s father had made some money from an invention, so Kramer was inspired and started brainstorming.

“I was thinking of everyday nuisances and it was pretty quick,” he said from the team bus somewhere between Spokane, Wash., and Vancouver.

(The Chiefs are in the playoffs, tied 2-2 with the Vancouver Giants.)

“I’m a peanut butter lover and I always struggled with getting peanut butter on my hands.”

Kramer has made a handful of the jars in various sizes. There’s an infomercial-like Youtube video featuring Kramer’s roommate and teammate Steve Kuhn which has taken off since being posted two weeks ago, and an explanatory video showing how the jar works.

Kramer has collected more than 500 penalty minutes over the past two seasons. And while he’s okay with getting his hands dirty on the ice — he has fought 72 times in the past two seasons — he’s found a way to keep them clean off it.

Kramer is trying to drum up support for the idea, reaching out to famous hockey players and other celebrities. He said he’s received interest from “a few corporations.”

He’s also often asked whether he’ll take his invention on Dragons’ Den, the popular CBC reality show where entrepreneurs vie for financing from top investors. He says he’s interested, but needs to get a bit further along in the process first.

The Youtube video’s popularity has undoubtedly helped.

“We thought maybe some of the guys around the league would watch it and maybe get some laughs out of it,” he said. “But now there are over 20,000 views. You never know where it might go.”