Jason Akeson Explained

Jason Akeson
Birth Date:3 June 1990
Birth Place:Orleans, Ontario, Canada
Height Ft:5
Height In:10
Weight Lb:185
Position:Right wing
Shoots:Right
League:ICEHL
Team:HC Pustertal Wölfe
Former Teams:Philadelphia Flyers
Admiral Vladivostok
Mora IK
Kölner Haie
Straubing Tigers
Draft:Undrafted
Career Start:2011

Jason Akeson (born June 3, 1990) is a Canadian professional ice hockey right winger for HC Pustertal Wölfe of the ICE Hockey League (ICEHL). He played 15 games in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Philadelphia Flyers between 2013 and 2015.

Playing career

As a youth, Akeson played in the 2003 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with a minor ice hockey team from Cumberland, Ontario.[1]

Junior

Akeson played junior hockey for the Cumberland Grads of the CJHL from 2006-08. He had a total of 114 points in 88 games for them. In 2007-08 Akeson played 13 games for the Kitchener Rangers of the Ontario Hockey League. He had a total of 2 points (assists). Akeson returned to the Rangers in 2008-09 to play in his first full OHL season. Although the Rangers finished last in the Central Division, Akeson still had a successful season scoring 64 points in 56 games. He was named to the league's Second All-Rookie team.In the 2009–10 season Akeson had 80 points while playing on a line with Jeff Skinner and Jeremy Morin in 56 regular season games. He scored an additional 19 points in 20 playoff games. In 2010-11 Akeson tied for first overall in points with Tyler Toffoli with 108 points. He was first overall in the league in assists, with 84. Akeson was named the league's Most Gentlemanly Player, recording only 23 penalty minutes. He was also awarded the OHL's Leo Lalonde Memorial Trophy as the league's top over age player.

Professional

Akeson was signed by the Philadelphia Flyers to a three-year entry-level contract on March 2, 2011.[2] He spent most of his first two professional seasons with the Adirondack Phantoms of the American Hockey League, leading the team in point scoring both seasons. He made his NHL debut on April 27, 2013 in the Flyers season finale against the Ottawa Senators (of the rookie's hometown) in which he also banked his first NHL goal on netminder Craig Anderson, which was also his first NHL career shot.[3] He spent the 2013–14 regular season with Adirondack, but was called up for the Flyers' final regular season game. He was then added to the postseason roster, where he netted two goals in a seven-game first round loss to the New York Rangers.

On July 1, 2015, Akeson signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Buffalo Sabres.[4] He began the 2015–16 season with affiliate, the Rochester Americans. After 52 games with the Americans, he was traded by the Sabres in a seven player deal to the Ottawa Senators on February 27, 2016. He was immediately reassigned to AHL affiliate, the Binghamton Senators for the remainders of the year.[5]

As a free agent from the Senators, Akeson opted to continue his career abroad, agreeing to a one-year deal with Russian club, Admiral Vladivostok on September 20, 2016.[6] After 17 games with Vladivostok, Akeson left Admiral and returned to the Binghamton Senators for the rest of the 2016–17 season.[7]

Akeson was un-signed over the summer and belatedly agreed to a professional try-out contract to join the Syracuse Crunch training camp on September 26, 2017.[8] He made the opening night roster for the 2017–18 season, and despite contributing with 1 goal and 5 points he was released by the Crunch after 11 games on November 9, 2017.[9] Akeson as a free agent opted to sign abroad for the remainder of the season, signing with Swedish club, Mora IK of the SHL on December 19, 2017.

In the following off-season, Akeson decided to continue his European career, agreeing to a one-year deal with German club, Kölner Haie of the DEL, on July 25, 2018.[10] He spent three seasons with Kölner Haie before joining the Straubing Tigers on July 1, 2021.[11] He finished his first season with the Tigers as the top scorer in the league, with 68 points.[12]

Career statistics

Regular seasonPlayoffs
SeasonTeamLeagueGPGAPtsPIMGPGAPtsPIM
2006–07Cumberland GradsCJHL5417365340
2007–08Cumberland GradsCJHL3418436114
2007–08Kitchener RangersOHL130224160110
2008–09Kitchener RangersOHL5620446416
2009–10Kitchener RangersOHL6524568024208111914
2010–11Kitchener RangersOHL6724841082373690
2011–12Adirondack PhantomsAHL7614415526
2012–13Trenton TitansECHL1428107
2012–13Adirondack PhantomsAHL6220335327
2012–13Philadelphia FlyersNHL11010
2013–14Adirondack PhantomsAHL7024406442
2013–14Philadelphia FlyersNHL1011072134
2014–15Philadelphia FlyersNHL130008
2014–15Lehigh Valley PhantomsAHL5723305325
2015–16Rochester AmericansAHL528223018
2015–16Binghamton SenatorsAHL21517220
2016–17Admiral VladivostokKHL171452
2016–17Binghamton SenatorsAHL5720315122
2017–18Syracuse CrunchAHL111452
2017–18Mora IKSHL2446108
2018–19Kölner HaieDEL52162642201146102
2019–20Kölner HaieDEL509263516
2020–21Kölner HaieDEL381233458
2021–22Straubing TigersDEL522444681041230
2022–23Straubing TigersDEL541724412472466
2023–24HC Pustertal WölfeICEHL471236481014214162
NHL totals15112872134

Awards and honours

AwardYear
OHL
Second All-Rookie Team2009
2011[13]
2011
2011
2011

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Pee-Wee players who have reached NHL or WHA. 2018. Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament. 2019-02-15. March 6, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190306085544/https://www.publicationsports.com/ressources/files/439/Joueurs_Pro.pdf. live.
  2. News: Flyers Sign Two to Entry-Level Contracts . Philadelphia Flyers . March 2, 2011 . April 28, 2013 . May 30, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220530214045/https://www.nhl.com/flyers/news/flyers-sign-two-to-entry-level-contracts/c-554840 . live .
  3. News: Senators fail to climb Eastern standings with loss . NHL.com . Erin Nicks . April 27, 2013 . April 28, 2013 . May 1, 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130501105114/http://www.nhl.com/ice/recap.htm?id=2012020709 . live .
  4. Web site: Sabres sign Akeson, Donovan to one-year deals . . July 1, 2015 . July 1, 2015 . July 2, 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150702133720/http://sabres.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=773545 . live .
  5. Web site: Sabres acquire four from Senators . . 2016-02-27 . 2016-02-27 . February 28, 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160228225910/http://sabres.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=871049 . live .
  6. Web site: Admirals sign deal with Canadian Akeson . . Russian . 2016-09-19 . 2016-09-19 . September 21, 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160921104507/http://www.khl.ru/news/2016/09/19/320003.html . live .
  7. Web site: November 30, 2016. Binghamton Senators on Twitter. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20210310023019/https://twitter.com/BingDevils/status/804000231754960896. March 10, 2021. January 25, 2021. Twitter.
  8. Web site: Crunch add Jason Akeson to training camp roster . . 2017-09-26 . 2017-09-26 . September 27, 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170927112306/http://syracusecrunch.com/news/2017/9/26/syracuse-crunch-add-jason-akeson-to-training-camp-roster.aspx . live .
  9. Web site: Syracuse Crunch release Jason Akeson from tryout deal . . 2017-11-09 . 2017-11-09 . May 30, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220530214045/https://www.syracuse.com/crunch/2017/11/syracuse_crunch_releases_forward_jason_akeson_from_tryout_deal.html#incart_river_index . live .
  10. Web site: . Jason Akeson becomes a Shark . 2018-07-25 . 2018-07-25 . German . August 20, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180820005837/http://www.haie.de/news/jason-akeson-wird-ein-hai . live .
  11. Web site: 2021-07-01 . JASON AKESON UND BRANDON MANNING KOMMEN NACH NIEDERBAYERN . 2022-05-30 . Straubing Tigers . de-DE . May 30, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220530214050/https://www.straubing-tigers.de/jason-akeson-und-brandon-manning-kommen-nach-niederbayern/ . live .
  12. Web site: Statistik DEL . 2022-05-30 . www.penny-del.org . de . May 5, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220505180651/https://www.penny-del.org/statistik/hauptrunde-2021-1 . live .
  13. News: OHL Announces Four Annual Award Winners. oursportscentral.com. March 21, 2011. March 22, 2011. September 24, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150924134104/http://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/?id=4169798. live.