Seth Jones has heard the question many times before. How does the son of a former NBA player and assistant coach end up playing stick and puck instead of roundball? Well, the 18-year-old son of former Dallas Mavericks player and assistant coach Popeye Jones says the answer is a pretty simple one.
"I lived in Colorado when I was young. He [my dad] tried to put a basketball in my hands. I didn’t mind playing a little bit but I was watching the Avalanche back then. They were in the playoffs every year and then they won that Stanley Cup and I was at the game. I don’t know, it grew over time, I just fell in love with the game, started to play," Jones said. "I didn’t really have time for basketball once hockey took off."
The Plano, Texas native is currently playing for the Portland Winterhawks of the Western Hockey League (WHL). Through 21 games, he has 14 points (6-8-14) and is a plus-14 player.
Jones had spent the last two seasons in the United States Hockey League (USHL), where he played a total of 48 games for the United States Hockey Development Program or Under-18 team. And while making the jump to the WHL has been an adjustment for the 6-foot-3, 201-pound defenseman, it’s one he’s willing to make.
"It’s been awesome. The speed and intensity of the game has been great. It took me a while to get wonderful but I think right now I’m playing really well, playing really comfortable. I’m happy with the way I’m playing right now," he said. "As a team, we’re doing well. It’s been a great start."
His name has been familiar to hockey fans in North America over the past several years and not just because he’s the son of a former NBA player and current assistant with the Brooklyn Nets. No, this Texas native has been considered a rising star in American youth hockey for some time now and many mock drafts for the 2013 NHL Draft reflect that lofty status as they have him going very high in next June’s event or being the first overall selection.
And that top prospect tag was further reinforced on November 20 when NHL Central Scouting released its preliminary rankings and recognized him as the No. 1 skater in the WHL. Of course, he’s aware of the considerable amount of hype surrounding him and that more often than not when he and the Winterhawks hit the pond that there will be at least one NHL scout in attendance but he’s just trying to take it all in stride and focus on what he can control, namely what happens when he steps over the boards for his latest shift.
"You’re obviously aware of it. You just try to put all that stuff behind you, play your game and just get better every day by not doing too much on the ice that’ll bring your level of play down," Jones said. "I’m just trying to take it day-by-day, get better in practice and work on the stuff I need to work on."
One part of not letting all the attention he’s been receiving go to his head is being fully aware of what parts of his game still need some polish. Like every young player, he continues to strive for the one thing that young players need above all else, that being consistency. But he also knows there are several parts of his skill set that he needs to continue honing if indeed he is to deliver on his immense potential and become a top-quality blueliner in the NHL in the future.
"Obviously all parts of your game can get better but I’m focusing on trying to more consistently getting the puck from the blue line and not getting it blocked as much. Right now I have a tendency to try to find lanes that aren’t there and they’re getting blocked most of the time now," Jones said. "So I’m really trying to work on that and my shot."
Considering that his father is an assistant in Brooklyn under former Dallas Mavericks head coach Avery Johnson, Popeye Jones doesn’t get to see his son play in person much, especially since hockey and basketball season overlaps. However, the 11-year veteran of the Association did make it to the Rose City to see the Winterhawks’ 2012-13 season opener against Seattle on Sept. 21. But that will most likely be the only game of his son’s he’ll get to witness in person, unless of course Portland goes on a nice long playoff run toward the Memorial Cup.
"He came to the very first game of the year, the season opener, here in Portland. That’s pretty much the only game he’ll get to come to live. He watches all the games online. When they’re not playing or have an off day he tries to do that as much as possible," Seth Jones said.
Many hockey pundits who have already written about this 18-year-old talent have characterized him as an excellent two-way defenseman. That description seems quite fitting, especially considering that this young blueliner grew up idolizing a perennial Norris Trophy candidate who truly epitomized what a defenseman should be in all facets of the game.
"I had tried to model my game after Nicklas Lidstrom growing up-how smart he was with the puck and how simple he kept the game," Jones said. "I’ve heard quite a bit of comparisons. I don’t really have that one person that you can say this is exactly how I play. There’s not really one defenseman in the league like that. But I’ve heard from [Chris] Pronger to Lidstrom."
But besides displaying an impressive skill set that allows him to have considerable impact on both ends of the pond along with a 6-foot-3 frame, there is one other thing that makes this young Texan quite NHL ready and that is the fact that in his younger years, he was fortunate enough to be able to skate with his fair share of NHL players, including members of the Dallas Stars, experiences he realizes were truly instrumental in helping further along his development.
"Those players showed me that there’s such a high level of skill involved with being in the NHL. It was an eye opener to how difficult it is to make it to the NHL and have a long career. Average careers in the NHL are three or four years. It’s hard to maintain a job and keep a career for a long time," Jones said. "I really just took away how professional they are and how hard they work day in and day out to keep their spot on the team because they’re always someone trying to take it from you."
So, even as the NHL continues to see its current labor issues drag on, it kind of warms the heart to hear about a kid who represents the future of the league. Not only does Seth Jones already boast an impressive athletic bloodline as the son of Popeye Jones, who played over a decade in the NBA, but he’s also got some serious skill on the ice. His ascension from prospect into NHL regular over the next year or two will truly be an exciting process to watch because if his high level of potential is any indication, this kid will be a regular at the NHL blueline for many years to come and there’s something really cool about seeing the next big thing.
