Part Duncan Keith. Part Jonathan Toews.
Eric Jamieson has a little of both Stanley Cup champions in his hockey bag of tricks — a mix his hometown Calgary Flames are hoping their 2024 NHL Draft pick brings to the big leagues some day soon.
“Duncan Keith was my favourite player,” said Jamieson, a Calgary kid turned Western Hockey League captain with the Everett Silvertips. “It was a lot of fun to watch him. Just a great skater and made good decisions with the puck. Defended hard, defended well — just a good all-around d-man.
“I loved Jonathan Toews, too,” continued Jamieson. “His leadership skills and everything. Obviously, he was an excellent player, too.”
The defenceman in him screams Keith.
The leader in him says Toews, especially with his trademark professionalism.
“Has anyone ever called me ‘Captain Serious?’” said Jamieson, with a chuckle, in reference to Toews’ nickname. “I’ve heard that before … yeah.”
“Everything Eric does, he does with intent and purpose,” agreed Ray Edwards, the Flames’ director of player development. “He came into our development camp and won our fitness testing, like fairly handedly.
“Eric’s an absolute professional — 100 per cent.”
But wait … there’s more when it comes to the 19-year-old Jamieson.
He’s smart, and he’s safe, adds Edwards.
He kills plays, with help from the wheels he’s got to close quickly on opponents.
He plays the game simple — a must-have quality for a shut-down defenceman.
And he rarely ever makes poor decisions or poor reads — a requisite trait for an NHL prospect.
All told, the 6-foot-3, 205-lb. Jamieson has the body type to be a prototypical stay-at-home blueliner.
“I’m a big, strong defenceman,” echoed Jamieson. “I take pride in my defence, shutting guys down using my size, my range, my stick and my physicality to kill plays and move pucks forward.
“I think I’ve been doing a pretty good job of improving on that. And my puck skills the Flames have mentioned, too, so I’m working on improving that, too.”
Those are not too shabby, either.
Last year with the Silvertips, he registered a plus-34 with 10 goals and 32 points, and in this — his third full season with the WHL’s Western Conference leaders — he’s a plus-36 with 12 goals and 32 points.
“There’s two things that really stand out with me with Eric,” Edwards said. “The first thing is his 100 per cent buy-in to his identity and role — there’s no trying to be somebody he’s not. He plays the game hard. He defends. He checks. He understands how he is going find a way.
“And the other thing is he takes so much care of his body that he puts himself in great situations. Especially at this level he’s at now, because he’s bigger and stronger and faster than everybody. He’s committed to what he has to do away from the ice.
“That makes him coachable — and he’s a great student,” continued Edwards. “There’s just too many adjectives to use in terms of Eric. He’s a great kid to work with.”
That’s music to the Calgarian’s ears.
After all, it’s the Blackfoot minor hockey product’s dream to play in the NHL, and why not with the hometown club?
The Flames made him a sixth-round pick — 177th overall — last summer and then brought him into both their development and rookie camps.
But a return to the junior circuit has served him well, where he’s a leader for a young team that’s surprisingly on top of the entire league.
His lead-by-example approach has certainly helped the Silvertips, and playing — sometimes — with fellow Calgarian Landon DuPont has helped Jamieson develop at both ends of the rink.
“It’s kinda cool,” said Jamieson, about lining up with the 15-year-old DuPont, who was granted exceptional status last year to play in the WHL. “My younger brother and Landon actually played on a team together growing up. So I’ve seen him play since he was 9 or 10. And then obviously playing with him has been kind of fun. He’s a pretty great player.
“He’s definitely a driver on our team. I don’t think there’s many 15-year-olds you can say that about.”
Just like DuPont, Jamieson honed his skills with Edge School, playing three years at the Canadian Sport School Hockey League academy.
“I loved my time with Edge — it was awesome,” Jamieson said. “I have high aspirations in school and in hockey, and I think that was huge for me just to be in that kind of an environment.”
His time there and with the Silvertips is paying dividends for the sizey defenceman, say the Flames.
And after his WHL tenure, Jamieson’s development will continue with the University of Denver Pioneers, after signing on as a future recruit last month.
Then it’s hopefully a career in the NHL, if the Flames have their way.
“The number one thing our Western League scouts have said about Eric over the last couple of years is how much better he’s gotten every year,” added Edwards. “And that’s encouraging, because if he continues on that development growth, we’re going to have a heck of a player.”