He’s getting ready for the show

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This article was published 08/04/2020 (2174 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Seth Jarvis is like most NHL prospects during the pandemic — stuck at home without post-season hockey to play or a suitable gym in which to stay fit.

Fortunately, the 18-year-old right-winger from Winnipeg did some stellar work on the ice before the 2019-20 Western Hockey League season was halted last month. That body of work included an eye-popping 98 points, including 42 goals, and a plus-53 rating in 58 games with the Portland Winterhawks.

Jarvis, a dynamic offensive player off the rush, finished as the WHL’s second-leading scorer.

On Wednesday, the 5-10, 172-pounder was rated the 11th best prospect among North American skaters for the upcoming NHL draft in final rankings released by the league’s Central Scouting Bureau. Jarvis, who was rated 19th at mid-season, graded out as a B prospect (second- or third-round prospect) in Central Scouting’s pre-season evaluation.

“I was happy because I improved from the last one they sent out, so that’s always good,” said Jarvis from his Winnipeg home. “I think I did everything in my power this year to put myself in the best position possible. It’s kinda out of my hands at this point. It’s just a waiting game now.”

As for workout facilities, it’s not a lost cause.

“I’ve got a stationary bike and I’ve got a little bit of a bench press,” said Jarvis. “My dad’s been able to get creative with that, finding workouts to do and a lot of bodyweight stuff to try and stay in shape. It’s makes it more challenging to put on muscle but it definitely helps to maintain it and making sure I’m not getting any weaker.

“It’s hard to think about (a long-term plan) because nobody really has any idea what’s going to happen. We’re just taking it day by day and week by week with what we can do.”

Defenceman Daemon Hunt, a Brandon product who plays for the WHL’s Moose Jaw Warriors, was the only other Manitoba ranked in the first round, although he slipped from 22nd to 25th, due in large part to a major injury.

Other Manitobans rated included: Saskatoon Blades forward Tristen Robins of Brandon, who jumped to 86th from 134th; Brandon Wheat Kings left-winger Ben McCartney of Macdonald, who fell to 153rd from 136th; and Steinbach Pistons centre Carter Loney of Winnipeg, who improved to 167th from 198th. Loney was the lone MJHL player ranked.

Three members of the WHL’s Winnipeg Ice also made the final rankings: right-winger Connor McClennon of Wainwright, Alta., who slid to 65th from 43rd overall after suffering a broken collarbone in January, right-winger Owen Pederson of Stony Plain, Alta., who improved to 103rd from 121nd, and defenceman Ben Zloty of Calgary, who dropped to 139th from 125th among North American skaters.

mike.sawatzky@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @sawa14