Jacobson ready for next big jump

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This article was published 10/05/2023 (1124 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Jaxon Jacobson took a rare step this winter, and his gamble appears to have paid off handsomely.

The 14-year-old Brandon forward became the second player with a year of under-15 eligibility remaining to make the jump to the U18 AAA Brandon Wheat Kings, following a trail Tanner Kaspick blazed in 2012-13.

Now the gifted teenager is poised to be selected in the first handful of picks in today’s Western Hockey League draft.

“Honestly, I just wanted to challenge myself,” Jacobson said. “I’ve always played up with the older players my whole life so I just wanted to be able to compete with those guys physically and try to take the next jump so I was ready to take the next step from here. It just kind of helps me get ahead of my age group.”

Indeed.

In 44 games, Jacobson posted 24 goals and 36 assists to lead the U18 Wheat Kings with 60 points. To make the jump even more improbable, Jacobson was born on Dec. 11, which means he was 13 for half the season and skating against some players who were nearly four years older.

“It wasn’t too easy, but at the start of the year we had the Souris tournament and that was my first look at what it would be like,” Jacobson said. “My game had to adjust. I had to become more of a 200-foot player than I had to be in U15. I guess just physicality-wise it was tough but speed-wise I feel like I held my own, and skill-wise, I feel like I adapted pretty nicely.”

For anyone who has been watching, Jacobson’s success wasn’t much of a surprise. In his minor bantam season in 2021-22, he racked up 103 points on 50 goals and 53 assists in just 32 games on a team that became the first Brandon squad to win the provincial U15 AAA championship.

Dave Lewis was the head coach of that team. While he didn’t see Jacobson play as much this year because he was on the U15 coaching staff, he said the forward is a special talent.

“In U15, he was so dynamic and such a skilled player,” Lewis said. “Going to U18 and playing older kids and still putting up the numbers he put up, that’s pretty impressive for a kid who is only 14 playing against 17-year-olds.

“He’s certainly very, very skilled and has a high IQ. I think he’ll be a very, very good pick for any WHL team.”

Part of what made his transition easier to U18 was the number of familiar faces in the dressing room. His U15 teammates Cole Temple, Easton Odut, Brady Turko, Colten Worthington, Ethan Stewart and Kaeson Fisher all graduated to U18 at the same time and remained his teammates.

The Wheat Kings won the regular season crown by posting a record of 34-7-3, winning 14 in a row to start the season. It all came crashing down in the playoffs, however, when the eventual league champion Winnipeg Wild edged them in five games in the semifinals.

“I thought the year went pretty good,” Jacobson said. “Obviously it sucks losing but at the start of the year not knowing what would come out of the year, I feel like looking back at it, I’m really happy with how it went.”

It proved to be a big year in a lot of ways.

Jacobson went through a growth spurt last summer, and after being tiny in previous seasons, is now noticeably bigger, standing five-foot-eight and 150 pounds.

Although he’s not huge, he is elusive and seldom takes punishing hits, which is part of what makes him an elite player.

“I think my strengths are definitely my hockey sense and my skating,” Jacobson said. “My weaknesses, I wouldn’t say there is one thing that stands out more than another but I want to work on my skating and improve my first-step quickness. I also want to work on my shot and dial that in, and make sure my 200-foot game is good.”

He’s a devoted hockey player, but like his father Jared — who owns the Brandon Wheat Kings — he also enjoys his time on the golf course and takes that pretty seriously. Jaxon likes to shoot around with a basketball with his friends, or sometimes a little bit of soccer or volleyball.

But his focus has squarely been on hockey in the last year, especially because he understands how much is at stake, something reflected by the number of scouts at his games.

“You sometimes see them but it’s hard to focus on that and play the game so I just tried to focus on the game and make sure I was doing the right things on the ice,” Jacobson said. “I know that if they’re going to notice me, I don’t really need to know if they’re there or not.”

“I just tried to be the best my age,” Jacobson added. “I can control what I do but I can’t really control what they think of me. I just try to make the best impression I can.”

While he tried not to think about it too much all season, that certainly doesn’t mean he isn’t interested. In fact, he’s eager to make the jump to major junior.

“I really want to be able to play in the Dub,” Jacobson said. “It’s something I’ve always wanted to do as a kid, and the draft, I thought ‘Wow, that’s really something I get to go through’ and that’s special. It’s exciting.”

Jacobson said he has spoken to several teams and done questionnaires.

Perhaps one of the most interesting storylines in the entire draft is whether he’ll get a chance to suit up for the team he grew up watching that’s now owned by his father. It’s a possibility that excites him.

“Playing in my hometown would be something that’s really exciting,” Jacobson said. “I would be honoured to play in my hometown, and I would want to be able to help them to get a championship. It would be a really exciting opportunity to have.”

And if someone else picks him, what then? Jacobson doesn’t hesitate.

“Honestly, I can’t control anything that goes on in the draft,” Jacobson said. “I would just hope the team that takes me can give me the opportunity to get some ice time and play an important role. I just want to be able to win a championship in the WHL.”

All questions will finally be answered this morning. While Jacobson is one of 40 Manitoba players invited to the under-16 Pursuit of Excellence (POE) camp that will be held at J&G Homes Arena from Thursday to Sunday, he’ll make time to find out where his hockey path leads next.

“I’m really looking forward to it,” Jacobson said. “It’s something I’ve been looking forward to all year so I’m just excited to see what happens.”

» pbergson@brandonsun.com

» Twitter: @PerryBergson