Gulls Grads: Max Jones
Nov 24, 2020SanDiegoGulls.com provides an in depth look at the organization’s young talent that have made an impact on the ice with the Gulls in San Diego and their transition to the Anaheim Ducks. This five-part series highlights Gulls Grads and the development of players through the organization’s ranks to earn a full-time NHL role with the Ducks.
By Andy Zilch/SanDiegoGulls.com
Max Jones’ road to his first professional regular-season game was a long one.
The Rochester, Mich. native first appeared in a professional game during the Gulls 2017 postseason run in Game 2 of the First Round vs. Ontario on Apr. 22, 2017. In a season beginning with his draft selection (24th overall) by the Ducks in 2016, the forward came off his second season with the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League after their elimination from the OHL postseason.
Related: Gulls Grads: Troy Terry
He went on to appear in nine playoff games with the Gulls throughout the 2017 postseason, scoring his first career goal and point (assist) in a multi-point effort in Game 3 of the Pacific Division Finals vs. San Jose on May 10, 2017.
As the calendar turned to the 2017-18 campaign, he didn’t make the Ducks roster out of training camp and didn’t meet the age requirement to play in the AHL. The situation meant Jones needed reassignment to the OHL for his final season.
His elusive official first professional game finally came the following season, where he made his regular-season debut with the Gulls on Oct. 10, 2018 against the Milwaukee Admirals. The very next night, he tallied another multi-point performance, grabbing his first regular-season points and assists against the Bakersfield Condors.
After showing plenty of progress during the first half of the season, Jones earned his first recall to Anaheim, ready to finally experience the highest level of professional hockey and what – at that point – he worked for his entire hockey career.
His Ducks debut came on Jan. 17, 2019 at Minnesota, where he compiled one shot in 12:22 TOI across 20 shifts. Minnesota served as the background for another professional milestone, as Jones picked up his first point and assist against the Wild on Feb. 19, 2019. But it may be the night of Mar. 8, 2019 that he remembers most about his rookie season, scoring his first career NHL goal at Honda Center against Carey Price and the Montreal Canadiens.
The forward completed his first AHL season with 29 points (14G/15A) in 43 games, finishing third among rookies on the team in goals and points. With Anaheim, he collected five points (2G/3A) in 30 games.
In addition to his effectiveness in the regular season with the Gulls, Jones helped send San Diego to their first trip to the Western Conference Finals in 2019. He picked up four assists in eight Calder Cup Playoff games, tied for the second-most assists among San Diego rookies. All four assists came in a First Round series against the San Jose Barracuda. He would only play four more games following the opening series, forced out of the lineup due to an injury, making his final appearance of the season in Game 6 of the Western Conference Final on May 27, 2019. Jones proved his play was up to the challenge of high pressure situations all NHL clubs desire from young prospects.
“If you’ve played the game, you know what that feeling is like when they say you’re going to the American League,” Eakins said regarding Jones going between the NHL and the AHL. “You’ve often heard that it’s for your best, the best interest of you. That is usually not what is going on in that young man’s brain. ‘How can this be good for me? I’m going to a lesser league.’ But it’s always quite interesting. When guys come back, that’s when it’s like, ‘Man, that was the best thing for me.’ You don’t know it until you’ve gone through it.”
In 2019-20, Jones earned a larger workload in the NHL due to his growth within the organization and style of play. The 22-year-old caught fire early in the season with a stretch of four points (3G/1A) in six games from Nov. 10-21. He found the same success later in the season, recording three points (2G/1A) in four games from Feb. 1-7. Collectively, the forward produced 12 points (8G/4A) in 59 games with the Ducks during the shortened season. He made three brief stints in San Diego and totaled eight games with two goals and 21 penalty minutes.
After nearly doubling his games played and point total in the NHL last season, Jones looks to build off that performance and create a permanent roster spot in the Ducks lineup. Because of his innate hockey sense and ability to control the game physically, Jones is one of several players to become a Gulls Grad.