Chiasson embraces leadership role as part of his game
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 02/06/2018 (2862 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
Fifteen years ago, the Brandon Wheat Kings graduated one of their great captains when Ryan Craig moved on to his long professional hockey career.
A product of Abbotsford, B.C., Craig is now an assistant coach with the Vegas Golden Knights.
On Saturday, the Wheat Kings signed another Abbotsford player with a reputation for incredible leadership skills when Jake Chiasson inked a standard player contract.
For Chiasson, the definition of leadership is a simple concept.
“It’s putting the team before yourself,” Chiasson said on Saturday at the team’s annual prospects camp at Westoba Place. “I think that’s big, and things fall beneath that. If you put the team before yourself, that leads to chemistry, morale, little things like shot blocking and putting your body on the line. Sacrifice is a big word going into leadership.”
Interestingly enough, Ryan Craig’s brother Jarrett, who serves as a Wheat Kings scout, coached Chiasson last season as he put up 20 goals and 48 assists in just 30 games with the Yale bantam prep team.
Brandon took him with the 15th overall pick in the first round of the Western Hockey League bantam draft in May.
It didn’t take much persuasion to get him to sign.
Chiasson said he never considered the college route, saying the WHL is the league he grew up watching and that there was no question that it was where he wanted to play.
“I’ve been working for the past few years and I think my game really fits this league,” Chiasson said. “I’ve changed little things in my game to get more physical, bigger and stronger so I think that playing with the Wheat Kings and their style, that’s going to go with my speed and size.”
The six-foot-one, 161-pound forward, who turned 15 on May 25, will play a season of midget hockey before getting his first chance to earn a roster spot with the club for the 2019-20 season.
Brandon director of scouting Darren Ritchie said Chiasson is a competitive player who can make room for other players on the ice. He said his intangibles are off the charts.
“He’s real skilled,” Ritchie said. “He can play with good players, he’s smart, and the leadership that he brings is great. You just feel you’re talking to an 18-year-old. He’s prepared, he’s professional, his approach is great.”
That showed itself pretty quickly after he was picked.
Chiasson made a point of reaching out to some of the guys he was drafted to Brandon with in May, saying it was nice to put faces to names during the weekend.
“I think with getting to know them before the camp it helped,” Chiasson said. “You don’t really introduce yourself, it’s more of a ‘Hey, nice to see you, how have you been?’ I think that helps for chemistry and for friendship.”
He said it’s been a quick turnaround since he and some of his draft class went from playing in the bantam prep playoffs to suddenly getting their first taste of the WHL.
He loves what he sees.
“It’s truly professional already,” Chiasson said. “When you walk in your gear is already in your stall and you’re out there with a pretty impressive coaching staff with lots of skills. The facility is just unbelievable.”
Chiasson came into camp with the goals of getting to know his fellow prospects and the organization better while also working hard on the ice.
He’s excited at what lies ahead, particularly in light of the trades of Kale Clague and Tanner Kaspick during the season that brought in high draft picks, prospects and players.
“I know there are a lot of prospects in the system,” Chiasson said. “I know they had big trades this past season getting a few young talents, which is really going to help in the long run. I think it’s going to be a great few years here.”
After a summer of hard work, the teens at Brandon’s prospects camp could be playing against each other.
But for Chiasson, one big thing has changed.
“The friendships are going to start now and it’s not going to end forever.”
» pbergson@brandonsun.com
» Twitter: @PerryBergson