Jason Jaspers

Jason Jaspers was a clever centerman out of the Sudbury Wolves organization.

Drafted 71st overall by the Phoenix Coyotes in 1999, Jaspers was a well rounded player who could lead the offense with the Wolves, but found more of a niche as a gritty and tenacious forechecker and defensive forward with Canada on the international stage and as a professional. He was an excellent skater and had good faceoff skills.

At five-foot-eleven and 180 pounds Jaspers never could beef up his modest frame to succeed the same way in the NHL. He played five seasons in the American Hockey League, emerging as a versatile forward.

Yet he would only earned three NHL call ups totalling nine games, all with the Coyotes. He registered only one assist. He would be traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2005, but never played with the parent team.

In 2006 Jaspers packed his hockey bag and headed to Germany where he would play for many more seasons.