What Led Jackson Crowder, A Kid From Texas, To The Washington Capitals? Kismet, Quite A Few Haymakers & The Dallas Stars
Washington Capitals prospect Jackson Crowder, who hails from Allen Texas, goes 1-on-1 about his hockey journey.
ARLINGTON, V.A. — It seemed that all week long at Washington Capitals development camp, Jackson Crowder couldn’t stop smiling.
It was everything he’d worked for, making it through the ranks and getting drafted as he became one of the few active NHL prospects to hail from the state of Texas.
Of course, at that moment, he didn’t realize that he’d been drafted at all.
“There was an ad, so I didn’t know at first,” Crowder, who was watching back home with his family in Texas. “I got the call from (scout AJ Toews) and was like, ‘Oh my God.’ He was like, ‘Did you hear the news?’ I was like, ‘No, what’s the news?’ ‘We just drafted you.’ Really cool.”
As he reflects on his journey, Crowder credits the Lone Star State for getting him into the game. He attended his first hockey game at three years old, watching his hometown Dallas Stars.
“I got a little puck and a little stick and started hitting it around the house,” Crowder said.
It went from a game to a passion quickly, though, and Crowder was champing at the bit.
Sometimes, kismet happens; his dad found a stick outside while working one day, and brought it home and sanded it down for Crowder.
Then, the rest of the gear followed, and before he knew it, he was enrolled in the Stars Learn To Play Program.
“The Stars are huge. They’re pretty good every year, but just the program and all the younger teams coming up… all those teams are really good,” Crowder said. “(The hockey scene there) is growing a lot, and it’s really awesome to see.”
Crowder eventually worked his way up the ranks and ended up in the USHL, where he learned quickly he had to establish an identity if he wanted to stand out. All it took was one look at him to decide which path he was going to take.
“You’re told, ‘You’re 6-foot-3, so you got to use your size,’” Crowder said, then paused before grinning, “And then… it's fun to hit people.”
The 18-year-old established himself as a checking forward who wins battles for the puck and makes noise around the net. He loves to punish his opponents when the opportunity presents itself, and he’ll never say no to a fight, either.
“My parents don’t like that,” he laughed, noting he needs to work on his “chirping,” too.
Crowder put up 24 points and 82 penalty minutes in 56 USHL games this past season, and the Capitals loved what they saw both on and off the ice. And fittingly, the player he wants to emulate as he comes into his own: Tom Wilson.
“I’m trying to be a more complete player, be physically skilled and obviously just do whatever it takes to win,” Crowder said, also citing Matthew Tkachuk as a player he models his game after.
Crowder is spending one more season in the USHL with the Chicago Steel before heading to college, where he’s committed to play with the Ohio State Buckeyes.
As he continues to develop, he’s looking forward to not just rounding out his game, but blazing the path for other up-and-coming players back home.
“It’s really cool… I’m learning so much,” Crowder said. “I’m excited for next year.”