For the first time in the Seattle Kraken’s young franchise history, a highly touted prospect made non-Kraken-related appearances in the region. The high-flying Moose Jaw Warriors made their lone trip of the season through the U.S. Division last week, and along with them came Jagger Firkus, a second-round pick of the Kraken in the 2022 NHL Draft.
To call Firkus a junior-hockey sensation would be an understatement. The dynamic center for the Warriors is having one of the best seasons of any player in the Canadian Hockey League this year, not only leading his team in goals, assists, and points, but also leading the CHL in total points. And on a team with as much NHL potential as the Warriors have, he’s stuck out like a sore thumb. Nobody else on the roster is within 20 points of his team lead.
Since he arrived in the Pacific Northwest last week, the “Firkus Circus” received nothing but praise. The forward tried to embrace as much of it as possible.
“It’s been unbelievable,” Firkus said in an interview with Sound Of Hockey. “The support I’ve gotten, ever since I stepped into Everett, (has) been next level. Honestly, it’s something that I never really thought would happen to me.”
Circus Week
“Circus Week” began Thursday night at Climate Pledge Arena for Firkus, as he and the Warriors were treated by the Kraken, taking in their game against the Pittsburgh Penguins from the press bridge.
“It’s electric in there,” Firkus said on experiencing Climate Pledge Arena from a fan’s perspective and catching up with Kraken staff members. “It’s an unbelievable facility… it was just great to see everyone. A lot of [my teammates] were in awe of how nice that rink really is.”
The 19-year-old from Irma, Alberta, was elated to see one of his boyhood idols, Sidney Crosby, play for the first time in person.
“(For) pretty much every kid from Canada, it’s the guy that you idolize and dream to be,” Firkus said. “To see him in real life was honestly unbelievable, and he was exactly what I imagined.”
One of the games of the year in the WHL came on Friday night at Angel of the Winds Arena in Everett with Firkus and the Warriors in town. Firkus was the first skater out during warmups and was met with a warm welcome from fans eager to see what he could do in person.
In what could be a preview of a potential WHL Finals matchup, the Warriors went up by two goals two separate times, only for the Silvertips to claw their way back and force overtime and eventually a shootout with the game tied 7-7. Firkus showed off his hands and his vision with a goal and an assist in regulation for the Warriors.
All the exhilaration in regulation culminated in Firkus scoring a beautiful backhand goal over Silvertips netminder Tyler Palmer to give Moose Jaw the lead in the shootout, which they held for the win. Firkus fumbled the puck a bit on his entry, though he made it sound like he did it on purpose.
“I think that little fumble kind of froze (Palmer),” Firkus said. “So I tried to go up top, and it ended up going in.”
The kid can shoot
Can Firkus shoot the puck, or what?
With a 19.6 shooting percentage on the year, Firkus has a tight release that gives him the ability to shoot with power from almost anywhere in the offensive zone. Silvertips defenseman and fellow Kraken prospect Kaden Hammell had high praise for Firkus and harped on how challenging it was to defend a shot like his.
“He’s probably one of, if not the most dynamic player in the WHL,” Hammell said. “It’s fun as a challenge for a defenseman like myself to take on players like him. He’s a hell of a player.”
Hammell got to know Firkus well at Kraken Development Camp in July, 2023. “He’s a great guy, and I’m hoping that we can continue to develop our relationship over the next couple of years.”
Firkus’ team is loaded with NHL potential, too. Often, when the Warriors go to the power play, they send out a unit featuring Firkus alongside first-round picks Matthew Savoie (BUF), Brandon Yager (PIT), and Denton Mateychuk (CBJ), not to mention, February’s WHL Player of the Month, Atley Calvert.
Savoie, Firkus’ newest teammate and former Wenatchee Wild (acquired in a trade before the WHL trade deadline), thinks it’s pivotal for players like themselves to be around others at similar skill levels, all striving for the same brand of success in the NHL.
“It always helps to be surrounded with really talented players,” Savoie said. “And to have the ability to play with those guys helps our drive to get us to where we want to be.”
Firkus has been the points leader for the Warriors three seasons in a row, nearing 300 career points, and is again is on pace to win the CHL’s scoring title. It leaves one to wonder, does scoring at a high volume in juniors like Firkus has translate to doing the same at the NHL level?
Of the last 20 CHL single-season scoring titlists, 17 have played games in the NHL, with 10 having played over 100 games. But Crosby, Patrick Kane, and Jason Robertson are the only three players to win the award and excel with above a point-per-game in their careers.
So, maybe the inflated production for Firkus won’t be as high as what he’s putting up now in the WHL, but who knows? With the intangibles and work ethic he’s shown, it’s only a matter of time before the Kraken give him the opportunity.
“Obviously, there’s lots of room to improve for me,” Firkus said. “I think there’s times in games [in the WHL] where you can think twice and try to make the smart play, but at the pro level you have to make that play 10 times out of 10, or you’re gonna have someone else taking your spot.”
The Warriors finished their three-games-in-three-days weekend with contests in Kent and Wenatchee. Firkus shined again on both nights, scoring twice in a 4-2 win over the Seattle Thunderbirds on Saturday, then following that with arguably his best night of the road trip on Sunday, when he gathered a goal and two assists in another 3-0 win over the Wenatchee Wild. With his goal in Wenatchee, Firkus hit 50 on the season.
Going 6-0-0-0 on their U.S. Division trip for the first time in franchise history, the Warriors outscored opponents 40-19 over this span. Firkus finished this stretch at two points per game, and he netted three game-winning goals. He is now second in the WHL in game-winning goals with 10 on the year.
With a point on Friday, the Warriors became the second team in the Eastern Conference to clinch a playoff spot, currently occupying the second seed. With six games remaining in the regular season, Firkus and the Warriors know what’s at stake this time of year.
“This is our last kick at the can to win something,” Firkus said on the core group of players graduating or moving after the season. “Everyone wants to go into this playoff run hot, and we all want to win.”
The WHL Playoffs are set to begin on March 29.
Header photo: Jagger Firkus races for a puck with Nathan Pilling on Saturday. (Photo/Brian Liesse, Seattle Thunderbirds)
Traveled up to Moose Jaw to see him play last season and also was there in Everett last Friday — the shootout move was downright gorgeous and the perfect ending to one of the most entertaining hockey games I’ve seen live. I’m really cheering for him to put on some more muscle and beat the odds for a guy his size and make an impact in the NHL!
Went to Thunderbirds game on Saturday specifically to see JF play. An opportunistic scorer obviously, but really didn’t seem like a great skater or a grind-it-out along the boards/corners kind a guy. He’s not going to take over a game with elite skating/puck handling – more of a cherry-picker kind of scorer. Comparing him to the three above seems a bit hyperbolic (Crosby for obvious reasons, JR is 6-3 200 and Patrick Kane is, well, Patrick Kane). Hope he does well but seems more like fool’s gold to me.
They didn’t. They were giving information. If anything, they compared him to the other players not named Crosby, Kane, or Robertson.
Not that this wasn’t insightful TFL… but here’s what Scott Wheeler at the Athletic had to say about him this week:
The WHL’s leading scorer and most productive player on a points-per-game basis (around two points per game), Firkus is one of those little guys who just always seems to be around it and showing talent when he is. He plays the game with pace, energy, and skill so that you can’t help but notice him shift to shift as he dashes around the ice making plays offensively. With the puck, defenders struggle to stick with him off of cuts and when they do he’s got the craftiness to beat them in other ways. Without the puck, he races in and out of pockets to get open. The result is a magnetic game that pulls you (and opposing players) in and then beats them with aggression and intention. He’s not an explosive skater but he works and he’s both quick and nimble, plus he has added a bit of a straight-line burst/acceleration. His slight frame (5-foot-11, 161 pounds) made him a second-round pick instead of a first-round one, but he has endeared himself to just about everyone with the way he plays and it’s clear watching him that he feels like he can go out and create offense every time he’s on the ice. He’s a slippery, always-threatening player who defenders — even, and maybe especially, those who are much bigger and stronger — either can’t stop because he pounces on opportunities and beats them before they get a chance to, or struggle to stop even when they get a crack at it. There are times when I’ve wanted to see him play a little quicker against better competition (not in movement but in decision-making). I know there are some folks who believe he’ll just become the classic AAAA guy who lights it up in the AHL but never really becomes a full-time NHL guy, and those people were probably emboldened by his quiet showing at Team Canada’s selection camp for the world juniors, but I won’t be the least bit surprised if he becomes a top-six winger. Not every player in the NHL has to fit the same mold. Sometimes you need an opportunistic little water bug like Firkus.
Before this season started, one WHL coach told me he believed Firkus was going to be the player of the year this year in the league.
“There will be question marks about whether he’s fast enough or whether he pays attention to the play without the puck. (But) he has matured a lot and I think he’s got a real shot,” the coach said.
I think he’s going to be right, too.
What Stank is doing in Dallas gives me the most hope.