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SPORTSCENTRE Reporter

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Jagger Firkus pulled off a series of highlight-reel plays in Moose Jaw this season, including a lacrosse goal in the Western Hockey League playoffs. Along the way, folks around the Warriors started referring to him as The Firkus Circus. 

"It's cool," the 5-foot-10, 151-pound winger said. "It comes with my creativity. Not a lot people know what's going to happen when the puck's on my stick and that's where it comes from." 

The nickname surfaced early in the season and gained traction as Firkus racked up 80 points in 66 games. Not bad for a guy who started the year as a C-rated prospect on National Hockey League Central Scouting's players to watch list. 

"It kept getting bigger and bigger with the plays I was making," Firkus said of his nifty nickname. "Honestly, I didn't hear about it at first, but then my team started calling me 'Firkus Circus' and I got more comfortable with it."

Draft prognosticators have gotten more comfortable moving Firkus up their lists. Midway through the season he came in No. 33 on Central Scouting's ranking of North American skaters. By the end up the year he was up to No. 12. 

"I proved a lot," Firkus said. "I put my head down and did what I could and it's awesome. I think I turned a lot of eyes towards me and that's a good thing. I deserved it. I don't think I'm going under the radar anymore." 

Firkus reflected on his breakthrough season during a conversation with TSN. He explained why Toronto Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner is his NHL role model and how Power Edge Pro has aided his development. The following is an edited transcript of the conversation. 

TSN: Who is your NHL role model? 

Firkus: "Mitch Marner. I like to pick apart his game. There's lots of similarities between me and him and that's someone I'll keep watching in the future because he's so fun to watch. Every single game he's doing something unique that no one else does." 

TSN: What's your favourite part of Marner's game? 

Firkus: "His playmaking ability. Him and Auston Matthews are pretty good together. He has very good vision that no one else really has. He's so creative with the puck in the offensive zone. He makes great passes because he's so creative and he's not scared to do it."

TSN: Like Marner, you have faced questions about your size. How do you deal with that? 

Firkus: "I've gotten quite a few of questions about my size and that's a part of what I have to go through. I'm a smaller guy, but I'm not scared. It's not something I'm worried about. I can put on weight. It's who I am. I've been a small guy since I was younger so I've gotten used to it. I don't mind it. Being a small guy, honestly, I think it's better for my kind game. It's a silky, smaller game." 

TSN: In what ways is it an advantage? 

Firkus: "Getting around defenders. I can sneak around guys. I'm good at dodging hits. I can put pucks in tight spaces that a big guy might not be able to. Obviously, there's disadvantages as well, but there are positives and advantages." 
  
TSN: What was it like pulling off a lacrosse goal in the playoffs?

Firkus: "It was pretty cool. It was a great game, especially because we got the win that night. That was the best part. It was pretty special."

TSN: You tried the move previously, but it didn't work. Why did it work that time? 

Firkus: "I was quicker with it. I got it up quicker and got my skates moving a bit and the goalie couldn't really react as quick." 

TSN: When did you know you'd go for it?

Firkus: "It's a split-second decision. I didn't know I was going to go for it until I put it on my stick."

TSN: You've been working with Power Edge Pro for some time. How does that help you? 

Firkus: "It's a really unique thing to do. You get to work on your edges. You get to work on placing the puck. You also get to work on creating a pass and creating a shot out of nowhere. That's probably the best part about it. It's fun to do it in the summer and you can do it in the regular season as well. It's fun as well, which is the best part about it. You can do it for hours because you can be so creative with how many PEPs you can put out there and what you can do. It's awesome." 

TSN: As a smaller guy, how do you get so much power on your shot? 

Firkus: "Moving with momentum. My hips drop pretty quick. I try to create momentum and that's a big part of the release is being quick with your hips and shoulders. And that's where PEPs come in, because you have to be quick with your hips with that ... It just keeps getting better and better and I don't think it's going to go downhill from here."   

TSN: You have a great name. Is there a story behind Jagger? 

Firkus: "No, there isn't. I asked my parents this going into the combine, because I knew this question was going to come up in the interviews. They just said they found it online and they thought it was a unique name and everyone in my family has a pretty unique name so I enjoy it. Not a lot of people have that name so I'm happy I have it." 

TSN: Are you a Mick Jagger fan? 

Firkus: "I think my parents might have been (smile). They must've been."

TSN: Did your name come up a lot in the interviews? 

Firkus: "A lot of teams did ask about my name and where it came from and every person was in awe that there wasn't some crazy story behind it." 

TSN: What's the trickiest or toughest question a team asked you? 

Firkus: "There were quite a few tricky ones. A lot of times they'll try and get a reaction out of you. There was a team that jumped around and waved their hands and yelled at me which was pretty odd. It caught me off guard, but you have to stay comfortable and act like you've been in that situation." 

TSN: What exactly happened? 

Firkus: "They were literally, like, jumping around and waving their hands and asking me a question. I don't know what their plan was but I tried to stay cool and act like I had been in that situation. Going into those meetings you have to have an open mind and be ready for anything." 

TSN: How many teams have you interviewed with? 

Firkus: "At the combine it was 28 but I honestly don't know the exact amount now, but it's up there." 

TSN: Bob McKenzie came out with his final draft rankings list this week You're at No. 34. What goes through your mind when you hear that? 

Firkus: "A lot goes through your mind. You're happy to get on those rankings, because not a lot of people are. At the same time, you have to keep pushing. There's lots of room to keep pushing and that's what I'll do this summer. I'm not a guy who looks at rankings and it changes my mind. I got to keep pushing, pushing, pushing and that's my attitude going through the draft process."  

TSN: What are you focused on this summer? 

Firkus: "For me, it's about putting on muscle and putting on power. That's the big thing."

TSN: How do you put on muscle? Is it diet or hitting the gym more? 

Firkus: "Both. It's not easy, especially for a guy like me. You have to make sure you eat properly and you're in the gym working as hard as you can."