Q&A with Jared Davidson
Jared Davidson was signed by the T-Birds on August 30, 2018. In his rookie season last year Davidson appeared in 48 games and scored two goals and recorded two assists for four points with 22 penalty minutes. Davidson also saw post-season action as he played in three games for the Thunderbirds against Vancouver in the first round of the 2019 WHL Playoffs. Jared sat down with us to talk about the offseason, training camp and the upcoming season.
Seattle Thunderbirds: Thanks for taking time to chat with us Jared!
JD: Thank you, glad to be here.
ST: How do you think your first season in the WHL went?
JD: I think it went well; it was a great learning experience playing with the older boys. They taught me a lot!
ST: What were your expectations before the start of your first season?
JD: I tried to enter the season with no expectations and tried to go with the flow. Although it was a huge adjustment going from Midget to Junior hockey, the leaders on the team helped me make the transition as smooth as possible.
ST: We have had three 20-year old forwards from last season graduate out of the league. This means we will be looking for younger guys to step up into bigger roles this coming season. Being a younger guy how are you approaching this?
JD: It’s just another opportunity and I will take it one step at a time. I believe the young talent we have will step up and prove that the ‘Birds are still a contender.
ST: Heading into your second season, what do you feel like you still need to improve on?
JD: I think I need to get bigger, stronger, and faster. The speed of the game is only getting faster and to excel in this sport you’ve got to stay ahead of it.
ST: Next season we will have several players, including you, eligible for the first time for the NHL Draft. Is this something you think about or have talked about with teammates?
JD: I mean yeah, I bet it has popped into everyone’s head once or twice because it would be a dream come true. We don’t let it control us. We focus on what we have to do now, in the moment, to bring the team success.
ST: You were a spectator with Cade McNelly at our Development Camp in June. What did you think of the T-Birds prospects coming up?
JD: The prospects looked solid. Ciona and Uchacz looked dominant and Gustafson and Korchinski looked like young studs out there.
ST: You scored your first goal as a T-Bird on November 17 against Portland. What do you remember about scoring your first goal?
JD: All I remember is that everything went silent. I wasn’t completely sure what happened. The next thing I knew I was skating by the bench for fist bumps.
ST: What do you do to mentally prepare for a game?
JD: Every game day we tend to go to the rink for a stretch or a morning skate. I go home after for a nap. When I’m at the rink I juggle and play some soccer with the boys.
ST: Do you have any goals for this coming season?
JD: I want us to win the Memorial Cup.
ST: What is your favorite movie?
JD: My favorite movie is Creed.
ST: Thanks for taking time to chat with us Jared! We look forward to seeing you at training camp and watching you play this season!
JD: Thank you! Looking forward to next season and excited for the Birds future.
Seattle Thunderbirds Public & Media Relations Intern Ryan Yoneyama conducted the Q&A with Jared Davidson. The team will be posting Q&A’s during the off-season with returning T-Birds players.
