He’s number 17 for the Seattle Thunderbirds. He plays right wing and hails from Calgary, AB. But who is Jamal Watson?

According to Thunderbirds general manager Russ Farwell, he is a man known for his speed. When the T-Birds acquired Watson on May 14, 2015, he expressed his excitement, saying that Watson has the ability to make “game-breaking plays” because of his agility and quickness on the ice.

Watson stands at 5’11.5 and weighs 181 pounds. Born on January 14, 1995, he was traded for Corey Milette, a former T-Birds left wing player. Prior to playing with the Thunderbirds, he played for the Lethbridge Hurricanes. The trade went down during the 2016 Bantam Draft.

Watson has performed well during his time with the Hurricanes. He played during 66 games last season, racking up 54 points between his 26 goals and 28 assists. During 16 games, he scored two or more points. He had 42 penalty minutes during the 2014-2015 season. Watson was captain of the Hurricanes, making him the 24^th captain in the franchise.

He has played four games with the Thunderbirds so far. Although he’s scored no goals yet, he’s made two assists, securing him two points in four games. His career totals include 274 games played, 69 goals made, 81 assists and 150 points.

During his first season with the Hurricanes, he played 69 games. During those, he was able to score 5 goals, complete 16 assists and score 21 points. He had 33 penalty minutes during his first year. Watson went on to play 72 games during the next season in 2012-2013, with 20 goals, 18 assists and 38 points for the season. In the next season, he played in 63 games, making 18 goals, 17 assists and racking up 35 points. He’s had several point winning streaks, including a 10-game streak in the 2014-2015 season.

Hurricanes General Manager Peter Anholt called Watson “Watty,” and told the press that it was difficult to see him leave the team. He called Watson a “real good warrior” and wished him well, hoping that a fresh start with the Western Conference would give him a career boost.

On Watson’s Twitter page, his bio reads, “Seattle Thunderbirds #17. Life’s a good joke. Just laugh.” Fans can follow Watson to view videos and photos of memorable game moments, interviews, and parting notes he sent to his teammates and fans in Lethbridge after his trade.

Photo courtesy of Wikipedia