20 Games and Counting ...

LANGLEY, BC -- Kraken prospect Jagger Firkus and his Western Hockey League Moose Jaw Warriors were in Langley to play the Vancouver Giants on Wednesday night only to fall behind 4-2 in the third period. The Warriors had played the night before in Victoria and it showed in sluggish play. That halted when Firkus helped set up a goal at 11:35 of the third period to make it a one-goal game.
"I'm not even going to lie, but the bench was pretty down," Firkus said after the game. "But after that third goal, it really pumped us up. We knew, we all believe in the team, that we could come back. We have that group for it."

Playing alongside the Kraken's 2022 second-rounder (selected No. 35 at the NHL Draft) certainly juices the confidence level. Firkus leads the team with 16 goals and 19 assists for 35 points in 24 games going into Saturday's action, with plenty of the stats translating into game-changers.
For instance, Firkus would be front and center with 54 seconds left in the Vancouver game when the puck came to him at the side of the net. He slammed it home on the short side for a goal to tie the game at 4-4.
"It was just a simple shot from the D-man and then it got blocked," said Firkus. "He just kind of whacked it towards me. I got off a shot as quick as I could. We used to have that goalie [on Moose Jaw]. I kind of knew short side was his thing [vulnerability]. I tried to put it there and I got my spot, so I'm happy."

The goal forced overtime. Firkus added an assist and his third point on the game-winning score to give Moose Jaw a 5-4 win. With the win, the Warriors improved to 17-9-0-0 and moved into a tie for second place in the Eastern Division of the Western Hockey League.
For Firkus, the three points extended his franchise-tying point streak to 19 straight games for the Kraken's second-round pick during the 2022 NHL draft. Saturday night against Red Deer, he assisted on the first goal to make it 20 straight games and set a franchise record in a 5-2 Moose Jaw win.
"Obviously, it's kind of in the back of your head," Firkus said about the streak. "But you're not really thinking about it, especially when game-time hits. It's completely out of your head, you're not really thinking about it until maybe you see something on your phone… I wanted to get a point but I was more looking to get the boys back in the game."
Firkus, 18, made an impression on the Kraken and the fans this past summer. First, it was at development camp and then later at training camp. He played in one preseason game with the Kraken, at home against Calgary, before being returned to the WHL and Moose Jaw for further development.
Last season, Firkus scored 36 goals and totaled 80 points in 66 games, attracting a lot of attention from scouts. Now that he's been drafted and experienced a camp, his mindset has changed.
"You're trying to play your best game obviously when Seattle is watching," he said. "You're going out there and you just want to show and prove there's a reason for [getting drafted]. It's proving to people to choose you in your draft year. Now it's proving to people why they chose you and it's really cool."
Attending a training camp at the NHL level can be a huge learning experience for a young player like Firkus. Not only do you meet new players loaded with skills, but you learn that no matter how hard you think you've been working, there is always another level. Firkus looks back at his experience to bring lessons into his game this season.
"There's a lot," Firkus said about what he learned at camp. "Everything I did there was ears and listening to everyone I could. When you go to those camps, it's an eye opener to see what people do at the next level, how they take their game to the next level."
Though Firkus clearly impressed the Kraken hockey operations group, the 5-foot-10, 156-pound forward is not the biggest player. He's looking to beef up. Between development camp and training camp, he gained about seven pounds.
He admits that it's tough to gain weight in season, especially on long road trips in the WHL. After the game against the Giants, Firkus and his teammates were getting on the team bus for a grueling 11-hour bus ride to Red Deer, AL, for the next stop in the elite juniors circuit.
There's little time to hit the weights when you spend a day on the road, but Firkus is determined to add size this summer. The Kraken training staff will be there to support the effort.
Firkus' ultimate goal is to make the NHL after another year or two of WHL development. He's fortunate to play on a line with Braden Yager, who is projected to be a first-round pick in the 2023 NHL Draft. Firkus says Yager's skill level reminds him of the players he met, and still talks to, from Kraken camp. He's on a winning team and grateful for the opportunity that comes with it.
"Keep winning games and playing good hockey," he said about goals for the rest of the season. "I think when I play my game, it's a big part of that. So, I hope to keep that going. Obviously coming back [to WHL] you don't want to be a team where you're just trying to fight for wins. You're fighting for a high-end playoff spot. That's what we're going for here and it's super fortunate."