Jason Jaspers Explained

Position:Centre
Shoots:Left
Height Ft:5
Height In:11
Weight Lb:207
Birth Date:April 8, 1981
Birth Place:Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada
Career Start:2001
Career End:2019
Draft:71st overall
Draft Year:1999
Draft Team:Phoenix Coyotes

Jason Matthew Jaspers (born April 8, 1981) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre who played with the Phoenix Coyotes in the National Hockey League (NHL) and extensively in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL). He is currently the head coach of Esbjerg Energy of the Metal Ligaen in Denmark.

Playing career

Jaspers was drafted 71st overall by the Phoenix Coyotes in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft. He was drafted from the Sudbury Wolves of the Ontario Hockey League. Jaspers made his professional debut in the 2001–02 season with the Coyotes affiliate the Springfield Falcons of the American Hockey League. Jaspers made his NHL debut in the same season, after he received his first NHL call-up on January 20, 2002.

Jaspers then spent the next four years primarily with the Falcons of the AHL. Unable to crack the NHL regularly he was traded by the Coyotes to the Tampa Bay Lightning for Jarrod Skalde on July 25, 2005.[1] Jason however never played a game with the Lightning, instead playing for their affiliate, coincidentally still the Springfield Falcons.

Jaspers finally left the Falcons, ranking second in all-time appearances, in the 2006–07 season when he signed with German team Adler Mannheim, on July 6, 2006. After three years with Adler Mannheim signed on April 6, 2009, with Kölner Haie.[2]

Jaspers played for three seasons with the Thomas Sabo Ice Tigers, before opting to sign a one-year contract to continue his professional career in the DEL with the Iserlohn Roosters on June 23, 2015.[3]

After three seasons with the Roosters, Jaspers left the club at the conclusion of his contract, playing on a try-out through pre-season before signing a one-year deal with Eisbären Berlin prior to the 2018–19 season on September 11, 2018.[4] He played in just 9 games with Eisbären Berlin before opting to terminate his contract in order to join his sixth DEL club, Grizzlys Wolfsburg, on October 10, 2018.[5] Jaspers played out the remainder of the regular season with Grizzlys, adding 8 points in 29 games, before leaving the club at the conclusion of the year.[6]

Personal life

In July 2008, Jaspers married his high school sweetheart, Morgan McKee. McKee is from Sudbury, Ontario where Jason played junior hockey for the Sudbury Wolves.[7] Jason divorced Morgan in 2012.

Career statistics

Regular seasonPlayoffs
SeasonTeamLeagueGPGAPtsPIMGPGAPtsPIM
1998–99Sudbury WolvesOHL6828336181421313
1999–00Sudbury WolvesOHL68466110710712461027
2000–01Sudbury WolvesOHL6342428477123161918
2001–02Springfield FalconsAHL7125234855
2001–02Phoenix CoyotesNHL40114
2002–03Springfield FalconsAHL63415195760004
2002–03Phoenix CoyotesNHL20000
2003–04Springfield FalconsAHL5816223856
2003–04Phoenix CoyotesNHL30002
2004–05Utah GrizzliesAHL110336
2004–05Springfield FalconsAHL4812172945
2005–06Springfield FalconsAHL7729376686
2006–07Adler MannheimDEL481415291021167136
2007–08Adler MannheimDEL311213253020000
2008–09Adler MannheimDEL529202934945922
2009–10Kölner HaieDEL551831494931120
2010–11Kölner HaieDEL522021413251344
2011–12Kölner HaieDEL521327403463254
2012–13Thomas Sabo Ice TigersDEL52724313030002
2013–14Thomas Sabo Ice TigersDEL52822302461452
2014–15Thomas Sabo Ice TigersDEL501520354082136
2015–16Iserlohn RoostersDEL521626423462132
2016–17Iserlohn RoostersDEL5111172863
2017–18Iserlohn RoostersDEL461712291420000
2018–19Eisbären BerlinDEL91010
2018–19 Grizzlys WolfsburgDEL2953814
NHL totals90116

Awards and honours

AwardYear
OHL
Plus/minus Award
Second All-Star Team2000

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Lightning Acquire Jaspers . boltprospects.com . July 29, 2005.
  2. Web site: Contract watch: Jaspers and Ankert re-sign . Kolner Haie . April 6, 2009. October 3, 2010. German.
  3. Web site: Experience was very important in Jaspers signing . . June 23, 2015. German . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20150624022819/http://www.iserlohn-roosters.de/roostersnews/6543 . June 24, 2015.
  4. Web site: Jason Jaspers to stay with Berlin . . September 11, 2018 . German.
  5. Web site: Jason Jaspers signs with Wolfsburg . . October 10, 2018. October 10, 2018.
  6. Web site: Further personnel decisions taken by Wolfsburg . Grizzlys Wolfsburg. March 8, 2019.
  7. News: Loney. Sidney. It Takes Two: Rink-side romance. Toronto Star. April 18, 2009. June 9, 2018.