Of all the players in the Seattle Kraken organization, Jagger Firkus is one of the easiest to spot. A mop of auburn-colored hair and bushy mustache helps Firkus stand out in any-sized crowd.
Even wearing a helmet, Firkus was easy to spot in junior hockey. Scoring 36 goals and 80 points for the Moose Jaw Warriors in 2021-22, will get you noticed regardless of your coiffure. The Kraken noticed, making Firkus their 2nd round selection in the 2022 draft. The native of Irma, Alberta returned to the Warriors and scored 40 goals the next season. He even earned a nickname, “The Firkus Circus.”
Now 22, Firkus completed a second productive season at AHL Coachella Valley. The 5-foot-11, 170 pound pivot scored 21 goals in 63 games, adding four more in the playoffs. His Firebirds won two playoff rounds before falling in the Pacific Division finals.
Firkus Fond Of Firebirds Culture
“Having a little push like we did there, it shows a lot about the prospects that Seattle has and just the culture that they have here in Coachella. I think resilient is a great word for it.
“There’s times where it could have been easy to give up on each other or give up on the game, and we didn’t, we kept pushing. It shows that you have some kind of character in that room.
“We have a lot of guys that are gonna be really good players, so I’m really excited to be a part of it. I think I took steps this year for sure. It’s a competitive group, and I think that goes a long way.
“With how young our team was, every single night you wanted to kind of prove someone wrong, prove that our team could play. It was a super good culture we built. Bringing in all the young guys and having the belief in the room that we did, it was it was a special group.”
That doesn’t mean CV getting eliminated by the Colorado Eagles didn’t sting.
Part of the reason is saying goodbye to some of his teammates.
“It’s by far the worst time of the year. Every single year you never have the same group, no matter how similar you think it will be during it off-season. The Colorado series for sure, there’s a little bit that’s gonna bug you going through in the summer. But you can’t really do anything about it now, so just look on to the future.”
Kraken Haven’t Invited ‘Circus’ To Seattle
About the only place Firkus wasn’t spotted last season was in the Kraken lineup. “The one player that I was disappointed that we couldn’t get up at the end of the year was Jagger Firkus,” said Seattle general manager Jason Botterill. “He took a big step at Coachella Valley. Firkus, (Logan) Morrison and Jani Nyman, when they were down there (together), were a dominant line. When you’re playing another team, (opposing coaches) were circling those guys on the board.”
No wonder. Morrison led the Firebirds with 29 goals, and Nyman potted 21 in just 39 AHL games.
About that trio’s success, Firkus says, “A lot of that comes because of our friendship off the ice. We are really good friends, and I think that goes a long way on ice. Having the belief, the confidence. Knowing that your linemate, like if Mo (Morrison) wants to give me a little trouble, I just know I can have a little conversation with him. It’s simple talk with him. I think that’s the biggest reason.”
Those linemates have experienced what Firkus hasn’t – a taste of the NHL. Nyman has spent 40 combined games in Seattle over the past two seasons, scoring seven goals; Morrison played four games with the Kraken during 2023-24. Firkus will spend his offseason making sure that Botterill and the Kraken coaching staff will have no choice but to create a spot at some point for The Firkus Circus.
“It’s an important summer for me, it’s an important summer for a lot of guys on our team. The answer is always just getting bigger and stronger. There’s (other) things, when I get into the summer, I’ll worry about those. Right now, I just focus on the two.”
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