In hockey, as in life, there are archetypes built on hyperbole and lazy buzzwords that try to fit every player into a predefined box. “The Gifted” examines, through video, the NHL’s most fascinating and quirky prospects and the unique skill sets that define them in an attempt to push past jargon and dissect all of the different ways that hockey can be played — in both approach and ability. By popular demand, “The Gifted” is back for a sixth year at The Athletic, this year as a five-part series.
When Jagger Firkus met with NHL clubs at the 2022 scouting combine in Buffalo in June and they asked him about his weight and slight build (then 5-foot-10 and a shade over 150 pounds), he answered bluntly with some combination of “I don’t care what you think about my weight” or “It hasn’t been an issue yet and it won’t be in the future.”
He was also, I’m told, happy to detail all of the ways that being light on his feet serves as a competitive advantage on the ice and makes his game (which had just seen him produce 80 points in 66 games as the WHL’s second -most productive draft-eligible behind would-be top-10 pick Matt Savoie, and which had months earlier made him the star of the CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game) what it is.
Here, through a review of all seven games he has played so far this season with Moose Jaw in the WHL, plus some clips I’d gathered during last year’s playoffs and this summer’s Hockey Canada camp, I’ll explain why and how I think Firkus is right about his game — and his weight’s role within it.
To understand Firkus’ game, though, you must first understand the different ways the game is played.
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