Calgary Flames 54 Days Until the Season Starts: #54 David Jones

By Ramina Shlah |

SUNRISE, FL - NOVEMBER 10: David Jones

With 54 days left until the regular season starts up again, let’s take a look at a former Calgary Flames player with that number.

Since the start of August, we’re counting down the number of days left until the regular season starts up again! Everyday until the start of the season, we’ll be talking about a Calgary Flames player whose number correlates with how many days there are left.

Yesterday, we talked about a player who was somewhat popular among Flames fans in his rookie year, even though he was an Oiler. Yes, you may have guessed it, but we talked about Steve Smith.

With 54 days left until the regular season begins, let’s take a look at #54 David Jones.

Related Story: 55 Days Until the Season Starts: #55 Steve Smith

Who is David Jones?

Name: David Jones

Birth place: Guelph, ON, Canada

Position: RW

Shoots: Right

Birthdate: 1984-08-10 (happy belated birthday)

Height: 6’2” / 188 cm

Weight: 95 kg / 210 lbs

Drafted by: Colorado Avalanche, 288th overall 2003

Stats with all NHL teams, regular season:

Wow, not drafted until the 9th round! NINTH! As we can see from Jones’ stats, he’s had a few different places to call home. He was actually a Hobey Baker finalist (NCAA player of the year) in 2007 when playing with Dartmouth College. (Psst Johnny Gaudreau won that award and new Flame Spencer Foo was recently a finalist).

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That year that he was a finalist for the Hobey Baker, the Colorado Avalanche decided to ink him up to a two-year contract, two-way ELC. He finally made his NHL debut on December 21st, 2007.

And fun fact! He was the lowest draftee in Avs franchise history to play in the NHL.

Injuries got the best of Jones and he didn’t get to play a whole lot in his first few years in the NHL. He got in a couple of good seasons with them (as you can see above), but was ultimately traded to your lovely Calgary Flames in 2013. That was the trade that sent Alex Tanguay to the Avs who would later be joined by former teammate Jarome Iginla.

Jones got a decent season in with the Flames in 2014-2015, getting 30 points in 67 games with the Flames making playoffs for the first time in six years.

Oh speaking about that playoffs, remember game 6 against the Vancouver Canucks? You know, when the Flames were down 3-0 and won 7-4? Well, it was tied at four a piece with just over four minutes left of the game and the player who initially shot that fifth goal at the net that ultimately led to that fifth goal? David Jones. This would be the first time the Flames made it past the first round since 2004.

Skip to about six minutes if you wanted to see that goal. Or you know, just watch the whole thing. I do that sometimes. It was a fun game.

But, the fit at the end wasn’t perfect with David Jones and the Calgary Flames and he was traded to the Minnesota Wild in 2016 on trade deadline day. The Flames got back Niklas Backstrom and a draft pick that led to Matthew Phillips. Phillips is currently an up and coming prospect, so that trade was exactly what the Flames needed.

But again, the fit wasn’t perfect with the Wild either, and they didn’t re-sign him, leaving him to be a free agent. At training camp last year, he had a PTO with the Anaheim Ducks (how dare he goes with the enemy), but they didn’t quite like what they saw from him and he was let go.

Jones is still a free agent.

Next: Jarome Iginla Trade - Four Years later

Unfortunately for Jones, he’s never quite had the illustrious NHL career he would have hoped for. An aging NHL player who hasn’t played in the NHL for the last year? Not a big chance he will be. But hey, Sportsnet is always looking for some analysts!

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