David Jones (ice hockey)

Lore & Background

Jones began his professional career after signing a two-year entry-level contract with the Colorado Avalanche on May 21, 2007, following his junior year at Dartmouth. He was assigned to the AHL's Lake Erie Monsters before making his NHL debut on December 21, 2007, in a 4–3 victory over the New York Rangers.

His first NHL goal came on March 11, 2008, against the Atlanta Thrashers. Injuries marked his early NHL tenure: a torn anterior cruciate ligament suffered on November 28, 2009, after a collision with Minnesota's Chuck Kobasew sidelined him for the remainder of the 2009–10 season. He returned to play a career-high 77 games in 2010–11, tying for the team lead in goals with 27.

Calgary Flames

After signing a four-year, $16 million contract extension in June 2012, Jones struggled in the lockout-shortened 2012–13 season with only 3 goals and 9 points in 33 games. He was traded to the Calgary Flames on June 27, 2013, along with Shane O'Brien, in exchange for Alex Tanguay and Cory Sarich. With the Flames, Jones recorded 14 goals and 16 assists in 67 games during the 2014–15 season, helping the team qualify for the playoffs for the first time since 2009. In the postseason, he scored his first career playoff goal and finished with 2 goals and 3 assists in 11 games.

Jones was traded to the Minnesota Wild on February 29, 2016, in exchange for goaltender Niklas Backstrom and a sixth-round pick. He scored his first goal with the Wild on March 5, 2016, but managed only 2 goals and 1 assist in 16 regular-season games.

Anaheim Ducks and free agency

The Wild lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Dallas Stars, with Jones recording one assist. He became an unrestricted free agent after the season and did not sign an NHL deal, instead accepting a professional tryout with the Anaheim Ducks on September 23, 2016, but was released ten days later. He did not play professional hockey in 2016–17.

Reader's Guide

David Jones's NHL career is notable for his late-round draft origin and his ability to reach the league despite being selected 288th overall, the lowest-drafted Avalanche pick to play in the NHL. His collegiate success at Dartmouth, where he was named Ivy League Player of the Year and a Hobey Baker Award finalist, demonstrated his scoring ability. In the NHL, Jones achieved two 20-goal seasons with the Avalanche, including a career-high 27 goals in 2010–11.

His tenure with the Calgary Flames included a productive 2014–15 season and a strong playoff performance, where he recorded his first career playoff goal and contributed to the team's first postseason appearance since 2009. Injuries, including a torn ACL in 2009, affected his consistency, and his final NHL season with the Minnesota Wild was brief, yielding only 2 goals and 1 assist in 16 games. After failing to secure an NHL contract following the 2015–16 season, Jones did not play professional hockey in 2016–17.