The Young Stars Rookie tournament is only a few days away and the Jets recently announced their roster. On paper, the team matches up fairly well against the competition (Oilers, Canucks) that have released rosters. One of the rookie camp invites of interest for Jets fans is Winnipeg native Jordan DePape.
A winger with the Kamloops Blazers (and coincidently traded for Jets’ prospect Shayne Wiebe), DePape (who is nursing a sore hip) is a right-handed shot who stands 5’10 and weighs in at 190 pounds. A former Winnipeg Saint, DePape posted very respectable numbers with the Blazers last year (54-21-27-48) to go along with 49 PIMS.
More on DePape after the jump.
A bit of a late bloomer, DePape had a strong U-17 tournament for Team Western a few years back, but struggled as he adjusted to life in the WHL. DePape’s counting numbers improved significantly once he was dealt to Kamloops, and he scored nearly a point-per-game with the Blazers. Despite the improved numbers, DePape went undrafted and is attending the Jets rookie camp on a tryout agreement.
DePape, who will most likely head back to Kamloops for the season, has good hands and offensive instincts to go along with a plus shot. Though he is agile in tight spaces, DePape doesn’t have high-end speed and needs to get a little stronger to compensate for his relatively small stature.
Though a long-shot to make the team, DePape might well figure into the plans of the Ice Caps going forward, and as mentioned previously in this space, any time the Jets front office can procure an undrafted player to help the team, it has to be considered a win. It also never hurts to have local kids competing for spots with the team.
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