The Nashville Predators have signed Oregon native Jasper Weatherby. Weatherby didn’t leave the Northwest until his college days at the University of North Dakota. Weatherby grew up in Southern Oregon and said that it means a lot to have success coming from there.
“I’ve talked a lot before how going up there wasn’t anyone for me to really look up to and there wasn’t really that kind of belief that you could make it out of that market and make a career out of it or even go to college at the Division I level,” Weatherby said. “So, I think that I have a great opportunity now to go back and share my experience with those kids and say hey listen if you work your ass off and you’re a good person and you get up after you are knocked down good things can happen.”
Weatherby said that he’s even run skates for kids in Oregon and even Northern California so kids could get a skate in and ask any questions they had.
“It means a lot to me, I think that’s something I’m really really proud of,” Weatherby said. “I’m just excited to see the next kids that come out of small hockey markets and I just want to share that belief that they can do it.”
It’s clear that hockey is growing on the west coast and Weatherby touched on that with the Seattle Kraken that has even reached down to Southern Oregon. He also mentioned the San Jose Sharks and Vegas Golden Knights with the reach they have on the west coast.
“I’m just happy to see kids playing an amazing sport, amazing game and most the memories I have and seems like all my best friends growing up, we all played together when we were six and seven years old and we still text daily,” Weatherby said. “That’s what it’s about, is creating memories and connections and interests, getting that kind of sense of community.”
Weatherby touched on how those who might want to follow in his footsteps should act.
“I think be curious, get up after you’ve been knocked down, keep going, really learn to love the game, it’s an amazing sport, it’s going to be challenging and I think that embrace the heart because without it, getting to the top isn’t as fun,” Weatherby said.
Weatherby has spent time at the professional level before both in the American Hockey League (AHL) and at the top level in the National Hockey League (NHL). During the 2021-22 season, Weatherby spent 25 games with the AHL’s San Jose Barracuda. In those 25 games, Weatherby piled up five goals and 10 assists for 15 points. He also spent 50 games that season with the Sharks at the NHL level, where he put up five goals and six assists for 11 points. In the 2022-23 season, he split time in the AHL between the Barracuda and Grand Rapids Griffins. With the Barracuda he logged three goals and three assists for six points in 39 games. Once he joined Grand Rapids, he put up three goals and eight assists for 11 points in 31 games.
Weatherby has a familiar face within the Predators organization in Cole Smith, who he played with at the University of North Dakota for two years. Both players are clearly competitors with where they’ve seen their success put them. Weatherby said that Smith is one of the hardest working guys that you’ll ever meet and has pure athletic ability.
“He was great in that whole process, helped me out a lot,” Weatherby said of his and Smith’s time at UND. “It’ll be great to see Smitty.”
During his time at UND, Weatherby collected 27 goals and 20 assists for 47 points in 47 games. Like he said of coming from Southern Oregon, it means a lot to Weatherby to have played at such a storied program as UND. He said that he grew up watching North Dakota.
“I don’t think you can watch college hockey and not know about North Dakota,” Weatherby said. “They obviously do things right up there. Obviously, it’s just an honor to say I’ve moved on from North Dakota to pro hockey, it seems like a dream saying it, it’s a great organization.”
Weatherby is really excited for this new opportunity with the Predators organization.
“Obviously it’s an organization that’s going through some change right now and I think there’s opportunity there and that’s all you can ask for as a player,” Weatherby said.
When it comes to what he can bring to the Predators organization, it’s clear that he has a versatile skillset.
“I bring a strong two-way forward presence, big body, I can take faceoffs, win draws, go to the net and that’s kind of what I bring,” Weatherby said.
Some of his best memories come from his two seasons with the Wenatchee Wild during their time in the Junior-A British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL). During his time with the Wild, the team won the BCHL’s Fred Page Cup over the Prince George Spruce Kings. In those two seasons with the Wild, Weatherby piled up 49 goals and 57 assists for 106 points in 104 regular season games. During the postseason those two seasons, he put up 17 goals and 25 assists for 42 points in 30 games.
“Winning really brings the guys together and something I’m obviously looking to do at the pro level as well,” Weatherby said.
With that mentality of wanting to win and having that experience, Weatherby touched on his experience with multiple organizations and what he can bring to younger players.
“I just tell them it’s going to be tough, hockey’s not an easy sport, but the more you’re a good person, the little details you can do, how you can be around the guys and really lean on each other, I think that’s what’s going to help these young guys out,” Weatherby said. “These young kids are so talented now and you just have to tell them, hey listen if something goes wrong you just have to get up and continue working and eventually it’s going to go right.”
Weatherby has learned a lot of lessons throughout his hockey career.
“I think you just take every kind of lesson, whether it’s good or it’s bad with you whether that’s in juniors or college and then to the pros,” Weatherby said. “Every step of the way, it gets a little bit harder, but you can always lean on what you’ve learned throughout your hockey journey.”
When it comes to the specific lessons Weatherby has learned, he touched on belief.
“You have to believe in yourself as a player and know that you have more to give and more to learn and always kind of have that growth mindset,” Weatherby said. “I think another aspect is just how you are as a person with those teammates in the locker room, the organization, the fans and really anyone you come across. It’s just so important to have that understanding.”
Northwest Sports Desk 