Jackson DeSouza: Giving Back
Kelowna Rockets fans have come to know Jackson DeSouza over the last couple of seasons due to the club’s social media accounts.
DeSouza is often in the team’s videos answering the question of the day or going viral for trying to answer a question at a school visit about what his favourite book is. But there is so much more to the defenceman than just his short answers in the videos.
A dual citizen, DeSouza grew up in Colorado with his two brothers, Christian and Noah. Hockey eventually brought Noah and Jackson to the Okanagan.
“My mom is from Ottawa and my dad was born in Jamaica, they met at the University of Toronto and moved down to Colorado because my dad, Chris, is a Professor of Distinction at the University of Colorado Boulder,” said Desouza in an interview with kelownarockets.com following practice earlier this week.
“My two brothers and I grew up there, then Noah went to Program of Excellence and I eventually followed him there. I didn’t think I’d be staying in Kelowna this long, to be honest. The whole goal was to be drafted by a team in the Western Hockey League and then go where they told me to go, but I ended up staying here, now Kelowna is home.”
Jackson spent the 2016-17 season with the Colorado Thunderbirds, the same program that former Rockets Nolan and Cal Foote played for. The following season, wanting to boost his stock for the WHL Draft, DeSouza made the move to play for the CSSHL’s Program of Excellence, where Noah had been playing for two seasons.
With their U15 Prep team, the then 6’1″, 147-pound right-shot defenceman recorded 17 points (6G, 11A) and 28 penalty minutes through 29 games during the 2017-18 season. It was enough to impress the Rocket brass who picked him 84th overall in the fourth round at the 2018 WHL Prospects Draft.
The next season he stayed in Kelowna, joining the BCEHL’s Okanagan U18 AAA Rockets for his 15-year-old season.
In December 2018, with Libor Zabransky and Lassi Thomson away at World Junior camps, DeSouza signed a WHL Scholarship & Development Agreement with Kelowna and joined them on their holiday road trip through Alberta in December 2018. DeSouza made his WHL debut on December 15, 2018, in Medicine Hat against the Tigers.
With the Rockets gearing up to host the 2020 Memorial Cup, he was returned to the Okanagan Rockets U18 AAA team for his 16-year-old year during the 2019-20 season. He dressed in four games with the Rockets as an affiliate player before the season ended early due to Covid-19.
While waiting for the WHL to receive government approval for the 2020-21 season, DeSouza had the chance to cross paths with his older brother Noah, who was a goaltender for the KIJHL’s Revelstoke Grizzlies at the time. He appeared in a pair of games for the Grizzlies, recording four assists and ten penalty minutes before their season was paused due to the ongoing pandemic.
In early March 2021, the WHL was granted approval by the B.C. Provincial Health Office to play in two Hub Centers located in Kamloops and Kelowna. With a focus on development, the Rockets invited 25 players, including DeSouza to play for their hub team. Thirteen of the players who suited up for Kelowna’s 16-game-shortened season were rookies. He played in four games for the Rockets during the 2021 hub season, recording his first career assist.
With the WHL returning to a full 68-game schedule, DeSouza cracked the Rockets roster as an 18-year-old for the 2021-22 season. He recorded ten points (1G, 9A) through 60 games as a rookie.
Off the ice, he was busy attending school visits, with kids often asking where Jackson was if he wasn’t at that particular visit. For all of his work in the community, DeSouza was awarded the Rockets 2022 Humanitarian Award.
“I remember when I was growing up in Colorado and the Avalanche visited our school, obviously we’re nowhere near that level, but kids remember that kind of stuff. As my dad says, ‘It’s really not that hard to be a nice guy.'”
Already a regular donor, last fall he joined Hockey Gives Blood as a player ambassador. In partnership with Canadian Blood Services, Hockey Gives Blood to endeavour to promote blood donation as an integral component of hockey programs social and community responsibility.
“When Noah was around three and half years old he was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, and it was a big strain on my family. I don’t wish it on anyone, not even my worst enemy. Since 2004, the year after he was diagnosed, my family has hosted a Christmas Eve dinner at the Children’s Hospital Denver. Originally it was a collaborative event on the oncology floor with friends and family contributing dishes. Now the meal is catered and is for all of the families staying at the hospital.
“It’s just the tiny things that you can do to give back, it’s really not hard to sit in a chair and get poked to give blood or plasma – for all you know you could be saving someone’s life. It’s important for me to be a part of Hockey Gives Blood and get others to donate.”
To learn more about how you can donate blood and plasma with Canadian Blood Services click here
His brother has been in remission since 2003 and is currently studying exercise science at the University of British Columbia Okanagan.
Just like in the community, he was busy on the ice. DeSouza doubled his point total from the season before, recording 20 points (6G, 14) and adding 74 penalty minutes through 66 games.
He would go undrafted in his final year of eligibility for the NHL Draft, but received an invite to the Detroit Red Wings camp this past July. He did enough to be invited back to play in their rookie tournament earlier this month, where he recorded a goal.
“It’s pretty awesome just being around those players and basically seeing players from across Canada and the world show up and try to make it to the next level, you definitely learn a lot.
“I was a little shocked when the puck went into the net. If you told me when I was 16 years old that was going to happen, I would tell you that you were lying. I did everything I could this summer to make sure that I could perform at that level, so it was a nice reward.”
At the end of the rookie camp, DeSouza was invited to stick around for the first few days of their main camp where he said he was able to take plenty away that will help him grow as a player.
“It’s pretty surreal, seeing those guys that are basically living your dream. It pushes you to try and get there, you definitely learn a whole lot of things like how they conduct themselves on and on the ice, they’re professionals in their game and it’s their job, they’re playing to keep it and feed their family.”
He was returned to the Rockets on Sunday from the Red Wings camp, without a contract and entering his final year of junior eligibility DeSouza said he’s not trying to put too much pressure on himself this season.
“It’s the last kick at the can, I want to take this team and hopefully we can go as far as we can. Especially with everyone in this room from last year, we’ve got a bitter taste in our mouths from last season and even the year before of first-round exits.
“My goal right now is to go day by day, I’m just focusing on what I can control. What I can control is practice tomorrow and the game this weekend. Whatever happens in the long run happens, I just have to leave all of that outside stuff and just kind of let it happen and do what I do.”
