Looking back at the Winnipeg Jets selections from the 2011 NHL Draft, Mark Scheifele and Adam Lowry remain as key parts of the franchise core.
Little did they know the impact that a sixth-round pick would have years after Jason Kasdorf was selected by the club 157th overall. He currently owns his own construction company but also spends a lot of his time at Jets practice filling in for Connor Hellebuyck whenever the number one goaltender takes some time away from the ice.
The now 32-year-old Kasdorf looks back on his draft year with the Portage Terriers in 2010-11.
“It was super motivating just knowing that, once you realize that ‘Hey, I can make something of this’, I basically tried to turn that pressure into motivation and energy,” said Kasdorf on the Ground Control podcast.
“Every day at practice, I just focused on getting better and better and knowing that if I can make something of this, I got to do it now. So just working super hard every day at be at my best.”
During their draft years, potential prospects might be looking over the NHL’s Central Scouting rankings. Kasdorf was not one of those kids. That is until a teammate informed him, he was in fact on the list.
“We were on the bus (going) to a game. Then one of my teammates, he mentioned I was on NHL Central Scouting (list) and at the time I didn’t really know what it was,” said Kasdorf.
“So, I thought he was just messing around and so I googled it and sure enough I found my name. It was pretty early in the season. So, I think that was the start of there’s potential to get drafted.”
After the initial viewing of the rankings, Kasdorf admitted that he would check on them whenever there was an update. As the campaign continued, teams started showing up to chat the young goaltender.
“I think the coolest thing for me was my coach would say ‘Hey there is someone here to talk to you’ and you go out and you don’t know who it’s going to be,” said Kasdorf.
“You see the NHL logo on their jacket and I’m playing junior hockey and obviously the NHL is cool for anyone. Then you’re talking to a team and you’re like ‘Wow, maybe there’s potential to be drafted by this team’.”
Of all the team’s Kasdorf spoke to heading into the draft, he said that he spoke to the Chicago Blackhawks the most. Behind the scenes, the NHL was quietly making its return to Winnipeg with the Atlanta Thrashers soon to be relocating to the Manitoba capital. May 31 the league made the official announcement and just over three weeks later the draft got underway in St. Paul.
“Shortly before the draft, you realize there’s a team in Winnipeg but at the time there was I think 30 teams and so in your mind you’re not thinking ‘Will it be Winnipeg, or will it be these guys or those guys?’”, said Kasdorf.
“Because I knew I would be a later round pick, I was just hoping to get drafted and so basically to anyone that would be cool. You’re hometown team, I didn’t think that would even be an option.”
Kasdorf, his girlfriend and members of his family made the drive to Xcel Energy Center for the draft. The event was into its second day and the draft had got to the sixth round.
“I was getting a little bit nervous. I knew if I was to get drafted, it would be a later round,” said Kasdorf.
“But you’re seeing all these guys get picked and you just don’t know when you are going to get called or not get called at all.”
Kasdorf had not spoken to the Jets at all heading into the draft and that might have played a role in him being surprised when the team selected him.
“Like I said earlier, I was focusing more so on the teams that talked to me. If it was Chicago drafting, I’m paying close attention and then with other teams, I’m not following as closely. So, when it was the Jets turn, I didn’t even realize it was the Jets picking and all of a sudden, I heard my name,” said Kasdorf.
“I stand up and I didn’t know who picked me and so I give my girlfriend (now wife) a hug and I said ‘Who picked me? And she said ‘The Jets’. I go down and hug all my family and I ask every single one of them and they’re all like ‘It was the Jets’. The last person I give a hug to be my dad and I was like ‘Dad, who was it?’ and he was like ‘It was the Jets’. I was just blown away.”
