Hockey isn’t a major sport in Richmond, but Zac Jones wants to do his part to change that.
Jones, from Glen Allen, was recently selected by the New York Rangers in the third round of the 2019 NHL draft. The left-handed defenseman is the first player to be drafted into the league from Richmond.
He hopes that his success could help grow the game here.
“I want kids in Richmond to see that you don’t need to be from Canada or Michigan to make it to the NHL,” he said. “It doesn’t matter where you’re from, as long as you work hard and put in the time — you can do anything.”
Hockey has been traditionally an area afterthought, but has seen some growth recently, including a spike with the Washington Capitals’ Stanley Cup victory in 2018.
There are on two rinks in close proximity, and they often require early mornings for the players.
Richmond Generals coach R.C. Lyke, who coached Jones for six years, hopes an NHL player from the area will spur interest.
“I think it’s a huge thing for not only for him and our program, but for the Richmond area, showing how much talent is here,” he said.
Lyke, who played with the Richmond Renegades before they folded in 2009, doesn’t think Richmond will ever become a top hockey market, but he believes it one day could be a good hockey market.
“Now there’s so much hockey and it’s so readily available for everyone in all places that you’re finding kids popping up all over the place, kids like Zac Jones who are getting drafted in the NHL from Richmond, Virginia,” Lyke said. “I think because the sport has grown so much, it’s opening up doors.”
Lyke noted current Toronto Maple Leafs star Auston Matthews, who grew up in Arizona.
Jones was exposed to hockey at a young age, learning how to skate at around 2 years of age.
His father was the equipment manager for the Richmond Renegades.
Jones started playing organized hockey at 3 and moved up the ranks in the sport.
“Once I saw my game develop, I thought why not a kid from Richmond?” he remembers thinking.
Jones knew he needed to leave the area and go to a competitive program elsewhere if he wanted to achieve his goal of making the big league.
Jones decided to leave Richmond during high school and attend The South Kent Selects Academy, a private boarding school in Connecticut that has one of the country’s top midget hockey programs.
After his junior season, Jones was taken third overall in the USHL draft by the Tri-City Storm.
Jones led the league in assists by a defenseman with 45. He had a great year, putting up 52 points in 56 games, and was named rookie of the year.
“Nobody knew who I was until this year,” he said. “I came in with confidence and it just took off from there.”
That led to a trip with his family to the 2019 NHL draft in Vancouver, British Columbia, where he heard his name called after he was selected by the New York Rangers 68th overall.
“I stood up from my chair and I didn’t even think it was real,” he said. “My mom was crying, and my dad was in shock.”
In the NHL, players are drafted but can still attend college after that. That will be the case for Jones, who will attend The University of Massachusetts-Amherst and play college hockey before making the leap to the pro level with the Rangers.
“I want to go into UMass next year and I want to win a national championship in one of my years there,” Jones said. His next goal is to then make it to the NHL.
“I think I’m a guy that can create scoring chances for other players,” he said. “My offensive game is definitely my biggest strong suit as a defenseman.”
Jones is a smaller defenseman at 5-foot-10, which took him off some teams’ draft boards, but he hopes to prove those doubters wrong.
Jones looks up to Boston Bruins defenseman Torey Krug. Krug, who is 5-foot-9, went undrafted and is now a staple on the Bruins’ blue line.
“Everyone has told me my whole life that I’m too small to make it, and seeing him make it motivates me that much more,” Jones said.
He’s hoping success will lift the Richmond hockey scene as well.
Jackson Didlake 