Jaret Anderson-Dolan

Lore & Background

Anderson-Dolan was raised by two mothers, Fran and Nancy, both of whom were hockey players; he learned to skate from his mother Fran, who was also his first coach. His family situation drew significant interest from hockey personnel prior to his draft year, and he slipped in the 2014 WHL Bantam Draft—expected to be a top-five selection but falling to 14th because some teams did not want to draft him due to his family background. He became active in promoting support for the LGBTQ community and in efforts to end homophobia.

In junior hockey, Anderson-Dolan scored 103 points in 50 games as a 14-year-old with the Edge School Mountaineers Bantam AAA team. He was drafted 14th in the 2014 WHL Bantam Draft by the Spokane Chiefs, and in his sophomore 2016–17 season he recorded 76 points in 72 regular season games, ending the season ranked 21st among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting. He served as co-captain of the Chiefs alongside Ty Smith and was awarded the Chiefs' Players' Player award for the 2018–19 season.

Internationally, Anderson-Dolan captained Canada at the 2017 IIHF World U18 Championships, was an alternate captain for Team Canada at the 2019 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, and joined Team Canada at the 2021 IIHF World Championship for his first senior international tournament, where he was named Canada's player of the game following a win against Kazakhstan.

Reader's Guide

Jaret Anderson-Dolan's significance lies primarily in his role as a trailblazer for LGBTQ visibility in professional hockey. As the first NHL player raised by two mothers from a same-sex marriage, his personal background drew substantial attention from hockey personnel and the public, and he used his platform to actively promote support for the LGBTQ community and combat homophobia. His career path illustrates both the challenges and achievements of a player whose family situation affected his draft stock—slipping from a projected top-five selection in the WHL Bantam Draft to 14th—yet who still reached the NHL as a second-round pick.

On the ice, Anderson-Dolan's NHL career included milestones such as becoming the youngest Kings player since Craig Redmond in 1984 and the 10th youngest in franchise history at his debut. He recorded his first NHL point and goal, and later a multi-goal game. His tenure with the Winnipeg Jets began with a two-year, $1.55 million contract signed in July 2024, after being claimed off waivers by the Nashville Predators. After two seasons with the Jets organization, he left North America to sign with Brynäs IF of the Swedish Hockey League. His legacy includes not only his statistical contributions but also his impact as a visible advocate for inclusion in hockey, representing a significant step forward for diversity in the sport.

Did You Know?

• He was named co-captain of the Spokane Chiefs alongside Ty Smith.
• He was named Canada's player of the game after a win against Kazakhstan at the 2021 IIHF World Championship.