Jagger Firkus (born April 29, 2004) is a Canadian professional ice hockey player who is currently playing with the Coachella Valley Firebirds in the American Hockey League (AHL) as a prospect under contract to the Seattle Kraken of the National Hockey League (NHL). His nickname is Firkus Circus.[1]
| Jagger Firkus | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Born |
April 29, 2004 Irma, Alberta, Canada | ||
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (180 cm) | ||
| Weight | 158 lb (72 kg; 11 st 4 lb) | ||
| Position | Right Wing | ||
| Shoots | Right | ||
| NHL team (P) Cur. team |
Seattle Kraken Coachella Valley Firebirds (AHL) | ||
| NHL draft |
35th overall, 2022 Seattle Kraken | ||
| Playing career | 2024–present | ||
Playing Career
editAmateur
editFirkus played bantam hockey for the Lloydminster Bobcats of the Alberta Junior Hockey League during the 2017–21 seasons. He was selected 82nd overall in the 2019 WHL bantam draft by the Moose Jaw Warriors.[2]
Firkus would then join the Warriors. He made his major junior debut with the Warriors in the 2019–20 season season and would later become a key contributor to the Warriors by collecting 80 points in his first full WHL Season in 2021–22 season which included 36 goals & 44 assists which helped Moose Jaw get into the WHL Playoffs.[3] His reign of terror on the WHL wouldn't stop in the 2022–23 season though, racking up 88 points with 40 goals and 48 assists, Firkus would be consider one of the top prospects going into the 2022 NHL entry draft.[4] However, it wouldn't be until the 2023–24 season where Firkus really shined.[5] Recording a total of 126 points with 61 goals & 65 assists, Firkus would go on to capture the Four Broncos Memorial Trophy as player of the year and the Bob Clarke Trophy as the league's top scorer.[6][7] In the 2024 WHL playoffs, he recorded 32 points along with 14 goals & 18 assists, Firkus, along with Denton Mateychuk & Brayden Yager would defeat the Portland Winterhawks, win the Ed Chynoweth Cup and get the Warriors into the 2024 Memorial Cup.[8] Unfortunately, they would go on to lose in the semifinals 7–1 against the Saginaw Spirit of the Ontario Hockey League.[9]
Firkus would then become the first Moose Jaw Warrior player to win the CHL David Branch Player of the Year award in team history.[10] He would also become the winner of the 2024 CHL Top Scorer Award.[11]
Professional
editFirkus was selected 35th overall in the 2022 NHL entry draft by the Seattle Kraken.[12] The next spring, Firkus signed an entry-level contract with the Kraken.[13] Firkus made his professional hockey debut with the Coachella Valley Firebirds after the WHL 2022–23 season was done, though he didn't really do much other than play one playoff game.[14] The upcoming 2024–25 season however, would be the first test for Firkus to prove himself in the professional level.[15] Firkus did get a chance to test his skills in the 2024 NHL Rookie Faceoff, which helped him get his season going early before the preseason started.[16]
International Play
editFirkus got a brief stint with Team Canada U18 HC for the 2022 Hlinka Gretzky Cup. He almost didn't make the team but then injuries got a hold of his teammate Matthew Savoie. While filling in for Savoie, Firkus didn't get to see much action in the round robin game against Czechia.[17]
Career Statistics
editRegular Season & Playoffs
edit| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2019–20 | Moose Jaw Warriors | WHL | 12 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2020–21 | Moose Jaw Warriors | WHL | 23 | 6 | 8 | 14 | 24 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2021–22 | Moose Jaw Warriors | WHL | 66 | 36 | 44 | 80 | 34 | 10 | 6 | 6 | 12 | 4 | ||
| 2022–23 | Coachella Valley Firebirds | AHL | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2022–23 | Moose Jaw Warriors | WHL | 66 | 40 | 48 | 88 | 24 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 21 | 10 | ||
| 2023–24 | Moose Jaw Warriors | WHL | 63 | 61 | 65 | 126 | 30 | 20 | 14 | 18 | 32 | 15 | ||
| WHL totals | 230 | 144 | 166 | 310 | 118 | 40 | 30 | 35 | 65 | 29 | ||||
Awards And Honours
edit| Award | Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WHL | ||||
| Ed Chynoweth Cup | 2024 | |||
| Four Broncos Memorial Trophy | 2024 | |||
| Bob Clarke Trophy | 2024 | |||
| CHL Top Scorer Award | 2024 | |||
| CHL Player of the Year | 2024 | |||
References
edit- ^ Benton, Mike. "How can Jagger Firkus and the "circus" of offense shape Kraken plans?". 933kjr.iheart.com. Retrieved September 17, 2024.
- ^ "2019 WHL Bantam Draft". chl.ca.
- ^ Ellis, Steven (July 5, 2022). "Jagger Firkus Doesn't Care About Your Size Concerns". thehockeynews.com. Retrieved July 5, 2022.
- ^ Simpson, Rob (February 15, 2024). "Kraken Prospect Firkus Flourishing Atop Major Juniors". seattlehockeyinsider.com. Retrieved February 15, 2024.
- ^ Kierszenblat, Adam (December 17, 2023). "Moose Jaw Warriors Jagger Firkus Can't Be Stopped This Season". thehockeynews.com. Retrieved December 17, 2023.
- ^ Smith, Marc (May 9, 2024). "Firkus captures the Four Broncos Memorial Trophy". chl.ca. Retrieved May 9, 2024.
- ^ Michalsky, Kaydence (May 10, 2024). "Promising Future for Seattle Kraken Prospect Jagger Firkus". insidetherink.com. Retrieved May 10, 2024.
- ^ Dreyfuss, Glenn (May 18, 2024). "Kraken Prospect Firkus A WHL Champion, Will Play For Memorial Cup". thehockeynews.com. Retrieved May 18, 2024.
- ^ Riggers, Cameron. "Jagger Firkus, Moose Jaw Warriors headed to Memorial Cup". soundofhockey.com. Retrieved May 15, 2024.
- ^ Ibrahim, Abdulhamid (June 2024). "Jagger Firkus becomes first Moose Jaw Warrior to win CHL player of the year". delta-optimist.com. Retrieved June 1, 2024.
- ^ Séguin, Christopher (June 2024). "Jagger Firkus named Player of the Year as the best & brightest from the CHL are recognized at the 2024 CHL Awards". chl.ca. Retrieved June 1, 2024.
- ^ Kierszenblat, Adam (July 10, 2022). "Kraken May Have the Steal of the 2022 Draft in Jagger Firkus". thehockeywriters.com. Retrieved July 10, 2022.
- ^ Gould, Mike. "Seattle Kraken sign forward Jagger Firkus to entry-level contract". dailyfaceoff.com. Retrieved April 27, 2023.
- ^ Horton, Josh (March 8, 2023). "Kraken Prospects: Jagger Firkus has swagger that makes him one to watch". soundofhockey.com. Retrieved March 8, 2023.
- ^ Shefte, Kate (July 8, 2024). "WHL dominance done, Kraken prospect Jagger Firkus preps for first pro season". seattletimes.com. Retrieved July 8, 2024.
- ^ Gaudio, Julian (September 16, 2024). "Young Kraken Prospects Looking To Make An Impression In Training Camp". thehockeynews.com. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
- ^ Palmer, Randy. "From disappointment to elation, Warriors' Firkus had an interesting World Juniors journey". moosejawtoday.com. Retrieved January 11, 2024.
External links
edit- Biographical information and career statistics from Eliteprospects.com, or The Internet Hockey Database