Jason Demers (born June 9, 1988) is a Canadian professional
ice hockey
Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice hock ...
defenceman
Defence or defense (in American English) in ice hockey is a player position that is primarily responsible for preventing the opposing team from Goal (ice hockey), scoring. They are often referred to as defencemen, D, D-men or blueliners (the la ...
who is currently playing for the
Bakersfield Condors
The Bakersfield Condors are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League (AHL) based in Bakersfield, California. The team is owned by and affiliated with the National Hockey League's Edmonton Oilers. The Condors play their home g ...
in the
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League (AHL) is a professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary Minor league#Ice hockey, developmental league for the National Hockey League (NHL). Since the 2010–11 AHL se ...
(AHL) while under contract with the
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton. The Oilers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. They play their home games at Rogers Place, which ...
of the
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...
(NHL). He was drafted by the
San Jose Sharks
The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division in the Western Conference, and are owned by San Jose Sports & Entertainm ...
in the seventh round, 186th overall, at the
2008 NHL Entry Draft
The 2008 NHL Entry Draft was the 46th NHL Entry Draft. It was hosted by the Ottawa Senators at Scotiabank Place in the city of Ottawa, Ontario, on June 20–21, 2008. The Senators were originally awarded the 2005 NHL Entry Draft, but because of ...
.
Playing career
Amateur
As a youth, Demers played in the 2001 and 2002
Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament
The Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament (french: Tournoi international de hockey pee-wee de Québec) is an annual minor ice hockey event in Quebec City. The tournament was founded in 1960 to coincide with the Quebec Winter Carnival, ...
s with a
minor ice hockey
Minor hockey is an umbrella term for amateur ice hockey which is played below the junior age level. Players are classified by age, with each age group playing in its own league. The rules, especially as it relates to body contact, vary from cla ...
team from
West Island
The West Island () is the unofficial name given to the cities, towns and boroughs at the western end of the Island of Montreal, in Quebec, Canada. It is generally considered to consist of the Lakeshore municipalities of Dorval, Pointe-Cla ...
, Montreal.
Demers played
major junior ice hockey
Junior hockey is a level of competitive ice hockey generally for players between 16 and 21 years of age. Junior hockey leagues in the United States and Canada are considered amateur (with some exceptions) and operate within regions of each cou ...
in the
Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (french: Ligue de hockey junior majeur du Québec; abbreviated ''QMJHL'' in English, ''LHJMQ'' in French) is one of the three major junior ice hockey leagues that constitute the Canadian Hockey League. The l ...
(QMJHL), splitting his time between the
Moncton Wildcats
The Moncton Wildcats are a junior ice hockey team in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League from Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada. The franchise was granted for the 1995–96 season, known as the Moncton Alpines for one season, and as the Wildcats ...
and the
Victoriaville Tigres
The Victoriaville Tigres are a junior ice hockey team that plays in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. The team is based in Victoriaville, Quebec, Canada. The team plays its home games at the Colisée Desjardins.
History
The franchise was gra ...
. In the
2007–08 season for the Tigres, Demers led the QMJHL in defenceman scoring with 64 points in 67 games. He went undrafted by the NHL until he completed his major junior career in 2008, whereupon he was selected by the
San Jose Sharks
The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division in the Western Conference, and are owned by San Jose Sports & Entertainm ...
in the seventh round of the
2008 NHL Entry Draft
The 2008 NHL Entry Draft was the 46th NHL Entry Draft. It was hosted by the Ottawa Senators at Scotiabank Place in the city of Ottawa, Ontario, on June 20–21, 2008. The Senators were originally awarded the 2005 NHL Entry Draft, but because of ...
, 186th overall.
Professional
San Jose Sharks
Demers began his professional career with San Jose's
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League (AHL) is a professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary Minor league#Ice hockey, developmental league for the National Hockey League (NHL). Since the 2010–11 AHL se ...
(AHL) affiliate, the
Worcester Sharks
The Worcester Sharks were a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League (AHL) that played from 2006 to 2015. Affiliated with the National Hockey League's San Jose Sharks and located in Worcester, Massachusetts, Worcester, Massachu ...
, scoring 33 points in 78 games in the
2008–09 season. In the team's post-season run, he also played in 12
Calder Cup playoff games for Worcester.
Demers made his NHL debut on October 1, 2009, against the
Colorado Avalanche
The Colorado Avalanche (colloquially known as the Avs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference. The Avalanche play thei ...
after surviving the final cut in the San Jose Sharks training camp for the
2009–10 season. He scored his first career NHL point in the second game of the season on October 3 against the
Anaheim Ducks
The Anaheim Ducks are a professional ice hockey team based in Anaheim, California. The Ducks compete in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division, and play their home games at Honda Center.
...
, earning the primary assist on
Benn Ferriero
Benn Trevor Ferriero (born April 29, 1987) is an American former professional ice hockey center. He played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the San Jose Sharks, New York Rangers and the Vancouver Canucks. Ferriero was born in Boston, Massa ...
goal, the first of his career. Demers himself scored his first career NHL goal on November 15 against
Cristobal Huet
Cristobal Huet (; born September 3, 1975) is a French-Swiss former professional ice hockey goaltender who is currently a goalie coach for Lausanne HC of the National League (NL). He previously played for HC Lugano and HC Fribourg-Gottéron and wi ...
of the
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks (spelled Black Hawks until 1986, and known colloquially as the Hawks) are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago. The Blackhawks compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division i ...
.
Demers' first multi-goal game came later in the season, on January 30, 2010, where he scored two power play goals against
Josh Harding
Joshua Joel Harding (born June 18, 1984) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Minnesota Wild.
Playing career
Harding played three seasons of junior hockey in the Western ...
of the
Minnesota Wild
The Minnesota Wild are a professional ice hockey team based in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The Wild competes in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference and play their home games at the Xcel Ener ...
. Demers scored his first career
Stanley Cup playoff
The season structure of the National Hockey League (NHL) is divided into the pre-season, regular season, and the Stanley Cup playoffs. In the pre-season, which is generally held during the last two weeks of September, each team plays several not-fo ...
goal against the Chicago Blackhawks on May 16 in the
Western Conference Finals, a series the Sharks lost in a four-game sweep.
On March 28, 2013, in a 2–0 victory against the
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings (colloquially referred to as the Wings) are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit. The Red Wings compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the East ...
, Demers suffered a head injury after suffering a hit from
Cory Emmerton
Cory Emmerton (born June 1, 1988) is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre who is currently playing for Lausanne HC of the National League (NL). He previously played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Detroit Red Wings. Emmerton w ...
; he was replaced on defence by forward
Brent Burns
Brent Burns (born March 9, 1985) is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman for the Carolina Hurricanes of the National Hockey League (NHL). Drafted as a right wing (20th overall) at the 2003 NHL Entry Draft by the Minnesota Wild, he wa ...
for the Sharks' next game, which was against the
Phoenix Coyotes
The Arizona Coyotes are a professional ice hockey team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Coyotes compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference and currently play at the Mull ...
on March 30.
Dallas Stars
![JasonDemers1 (cropped)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/16/JasonDemers1_%28cropped%29.jpg)
On November 21, 2014, just over one month into the
2014–15 season, Demers was traded to the
Dallas Stars
The Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (NHL), Central Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference, and were founde ...
, along with a third-round pick, in exchange for defenceman
Brenden Dillon
Brenden Dillon (born November 13, 1990) is a Canadian professional ice hockey player currently playing for the Winnipeg Jets of the National Hockey League (NHL). Dillon has previously played in the NHL for the Dallas Stars, San Jose Sharks and W ...
.
Florida Panthers
On July 2, 2016, Demers left the Stars organization as a free agent and signed a five-year deal worth $22.5 million with the
Florida Panthers
The Florida Panthers are a professional ice hockey team based in the Miami metropolitan area. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern ...
. In his lone season with the club, Demers recorded 9 goals and 28 points in 81 games.
Arizona Coyotes
On September 17, 2017, Demers was traded to the
Arizona Coyotes
The Arizona Coyotes are a professional ice hockey team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Coyotes compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference and currently play at the Mull ...
in exchange for former teammate,
Jamie McGinn
James Robert McGinn IV (born August 5, 1988) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey forward who played in the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected in the second round, 36th overall, by the San Jose Sharks of the 2006 NHL Entry Dr ...
.
Ak Bars Kazan
Following his fourth season within the Coyotes organization and having played 12 years in the NHL, Demers entered the season as an unsigned free agent. On December 20, 2021, Demers opted to continue his career abroad, agreeing to a one-year contract for the remainder of the season with Russian club Ak Bars Kazan of the KHL.
Edmonton Oilers
As a free agent at the conclusion of his contract with Ak Bars, Demers went un-signed over the summer. With aspirations to resume his career in the NHL, Demers accepted an invitation to join the
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton. The Oilers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. They play their home games at Rogers Place, which ...
training camp and pre-season in preparation for the season. Remaining with the Oilers through the entire pre-season, Demers was released from his tryout from the Oilers, however joined AHL affiliate, the Bakersfield Condors, on a professional tryout on October 11, 2022. Registering 9 assists through 23 games with the Condors, Demers having established himself within the team, secured a one-year, two-way contract with the Edmonton Oilers on December 18, 2022.
International play
Demers first played for
Team Canada during the
NHL Lockout
The NHL lockout may refer to any of the four labour actions in the history of the National Hockey League:
* The 1992 NHL strike, which postponed 30 games of the 1991–92 season
* The 1994–95 NHL lockout, which cancelled many of the games of ...
at the
2013 Spengler Cup
The 2013 Spengler Cup was held in Davos, Switzerland from December 26 to December 31, 2013. All matches were played at HC Davos's home known as Vaillant Arena. Six competing teams were split into two groups of three. The two groups, named Torriani ...
. Demers was added to Team Canada for his first IIHF-sanctioned tournament at the
2017 World Championships in
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
/
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
. In 10 games, Demers went scoreless as Canada suffered a 2-1 shootout defeat in the final against
Sweden
Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...
on May 21, 2017, to finish with the Silver Medal.
In January 2022, Demers was selected to play for
Team Canada at the
2022 Winter Olympics
The 2022 Winter Olympics (2022年冬季奥林匹克运动会), officially called the XXIV Olympic Winter Games () and commonly known as Beijing 2022 (2022), was an international winter multi-sport event held from 4 to 20 February 2022 in Beij ...
.
Personal life
Demers was born in
Dorval
Dorval () is an on-island suburban city on the island of Montreal in southwestern Quebec, Canada. In 2016, the Canadian Census indicated that the population increased by 4.2% to 18,980. Although the city has the largest surface area in Montré ...
,
Quebec
Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...
, the son of Guylaine and Darrell Demers. In the 2010s, he discovered that he has
Jewish ancestry
''Zera Yisrael'' ( he, זרע ישראל, , meaning "Seed fIsrael") is a legal category in Jewish law that denotes the blood descendants of Jews who, for one reason or another, are not legally of Jewish ethnicity according to religious criteria. ...
on his father's side; upon his realization, Demers stated, "
eing Jewishis on my father’s side of the family tree. It all came as a little bit of a surprise, but we welcomed it... Obviously, having that new-found heritage makes me curious."
Demers has been in a relationship with Broadway actress Jillian Mueller since 2015.
Career statistics
Regular season and playoffs
International
See also
*
List of select Jewish ice hockey players
References
External links
*
Hockey's Future prospect profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Demers, Jason
1988 births
21st-century Canadian Jews
Ak Bars Kazan players
Anglophone Quebec people
Arizona Coyotes players
Bakersfield Condors players
Canadian expatriate ice hockey players in Finland
Canadian expatriate sportspeople in the United States
Canadian ice hockey defencemen
Canadian people of Jewish descent
Dallas Stars players
Florida Panthers players
French Quebecers
Ice hockey people from Quebec
Ice hockey players at the 2022 Winter Olympics
Jewish Canadian sportspeople
Jewish ice hockey players
Living people
Moncton Wildcats players
Olympic ice hockey players of Canada
Oulun Kärpät players
People from Dorval
San Jose Sharks draft picks
San Jose Sharks players
Sportspeople from Montreal
Tucson Roadrunners players
Victoriaville Tigres players
Worcester Sharks players