Jacobson shines in hometown WHL debut
While it wasn’t the outcome Swift Current Broncos fans had hoped for in Friday night’s 5-1 loss to the visiting Spokane Chiefs, a lot of people at the Innovation Credit Union iplex were thrilled to see a local guy notch the Chiefs’ fifth goal.
Reed Jacobson tallied a goal and assist in the Chiefs’ win - two of his season’s 10 total points - and the crowd was behind him.
“Obviously coming back home it’s a little weird,” he commented after the game. “I’ve never played for a visiting team here but to get that goal - there’s no better feeling in front of the home crowd.”
There were more than a few with personal connections to Jacobson in the rink, a Swift Current native playing in his rookie season with the Chiefs. “I had my parents, my sister, an uncle, and then a bunch of friends and teammates from last year as well.”
Teammates would refer to the Swift Current Legionnaires - the Midget AAA team upon which Jacobson excelled, amassing 55 points in 44 games last season. It was a year ago this week that the Chiefs inked their 2017 Bantam Draft pick (6th Round, 115th overall) to a Standard Player Agreement.
Spokane Head Coach Manny Viveiros is impressed with the young forward.
“Jake’s been progressing more and more as the year goes. Jake’s so smart, intelligent, not only as a hockey player, but scholastically. We were giving it to him the other day because one of his marks went from 100 to 99. So we’re telling him he’s got to pick up the slack in school. He’s progressing. It’s hard for a firstyear player coming in this league, a big jump, but he’s progressing really nicely.”
“Yeah, I try my best at school,” laughed Jacobson. “Me and Mac [Gross, fellow Spokane Chiefs defenceman and Swift Current native] live together, and it’s helpful to have another guy doing the same classes as you. You can help each other out.”
Viveiros is pleased with both Gross and Jacobson. “They’re both really cerebral players. They’re smart, they understand our system. We are very happy to have them.”
Jacobson’s season of 44 games with the Chiefs this season has been a good start to his WHL career under Viveiros’s guidance. “Obviously when he [Manny] won a championship in Swift we kind of idolized him as a coach, and to have him here now, it’s been great, he’s been good to us.”
A video tribute was put together by the
Broncos to commemorate Friday night’s return of Viveiros and fellow 2018 Ed Chynoweth Cup winner Noah King (a defenceman for the Chiefs). A standing ovation from the appreciative crowd followed. “[Manny] is a star here in Swift Current,” said Jacobson. “He won a championship. So to get a win for him is a good accomplishment.”