Parker Ford’s memorable performance leaves great impression on Jets
Parker Ford may just be a recall in the wake of Morgan Barron’s injury for now, abut he very well could become a staple within the Winnipeg Jets’ bottom-six in the not-so-distant future.
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Even if he played just one shift, it would’ve been a night to remember for Parker Ford.
The 24-year-old forward was making his NHL debut at TD Garden, less than an hour and a half away from his hometown of Wakefield, Rhode Island. He got to do a bucket-less rookie lap in front of his family and friends — many of which were seen banging on the glass as he twirled around. And Scott Arniel threw his line out there for the opening faceoff.
But when Ford tells his future grandchildren about his NHL debut, the story won’t stop there. The five-foot-10 undrafted forward also scored on his first career shot after pouncing on a loose puck in front of the net.
“I couldn’t draw it up much better than this, honestly,” Ford told reporters after the Winnipeg Jets 6-2 win over the Boston Bruins.
The reaction of his family said it all.
“I’d say my whole life I’ve wanted to do this for my family,” Ford said. “It’s probably going to be emotional when I go see them here. They’ve done so much and I feel like I owe it to them to have a bit of fun coming to these games.”
The goal was the cherry on top of a memorable performance that surely piqued the curiosity of Jets management. Ford may just be a recall in the wake of Morgan Barron’s injury for now, but he very well could become a staple within Winnipeg’s bottom-six in the not-so-distant future.
In just 8:13 minutes of ice time, the hard-nosed forward made his presence felt all over the ice — registering two takeaways, one block and one hit.
“To score that goal was a bonus,” Arniel said. “But I liked that he was blocking shots, he did a good job in his end on the walls, getting pucks out, being responsible, and that’s what you hope when some of these young guys come up, that it isn’t overwhelming.”
Nothing encapsulated his impact better than a shift near the midway point of the third period. Moments after blocking a point shot from Mason Lohrei, the Providence College alum stripped the puck from Charlie McAvoy. Ford carried the puck through the neutral zone, chipped the puck into the offensive zone and beat Lohrei in a foot race. He then stick-lifted Lohrei — who is seven inches taller than him — before cycling the puck down to David Gustafsson.
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“I thought he did a great job of looking comfortable and doing what he needed to do,” Arniel said.
Technically, this isn’t the first time Ford’s raised eyebrows in a Jets sweater. Last fall, ahead of his first pro season, he recorded a team-high five points during the preseason and nearly earned himself a roster spot. He went on to record 18 goals and 41 points in 72 AHL games last year, and while his offensive production has dipped as a sophomore (17 points in 34 games), he’s been red-hot lately — scoring seven goals in his last nine games. But, as you saw Thursday, point production isn’t Ford’s bread and butter.
In fact, stylistically, his game draws parallels to another one of Winnipeg’s undrafted free agent signings who also hailed from his alma mater — Brandon Tanev.
While Ford may not be as explosive of a skater, the way he leverages his hard-nosed style of play to help his team sustain offensive zone time is strikingly similar to Tanev.
The Jets could be in need of that next season, as there’s no guarantee they’ll be able to re-sign both Alex Iafallo and Mason Appleton — two bottom-six staples are UFAs after this season.
And if the Jets have another injury or two down the road, who’s to say we don’t see Ford get an extended trial run instead of someone like Brad Lambert?
He is a goal-per-game player, after all.
