After splitting his first pro season between Belleville and Allen, Ottawa native Jackson Parsons delivered a strong performance in the Prospects Challenge.
Saturday night was a good night to be a Jackson in the Senators organization.
At the Prospect Challenge in Gatineau, first-round pick Jaxon Cover stole the spotlight with a spectacular overtime goal and a three-point performance in the Senators’ 4-3 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs.
But the Sens also needed an excellent performance from the other Jackson to get there.
Ottawa native Jackson Parsons was tested frequently, particularly during a hectic opening period in which the Senators' young guns had some misfires in their own zone. The 21-year-old goaltender remained composed throughout.
“It was a huge win,” Parsons said. “Obviously, just super pumped that the first one was a good one.”
The early workload suited him just fine.
“It’s always scrambling, I think, in these games,” Parsons said. “It’s the nerves of the young guys and stuff. But as the game progressed, I thought the game was a little bit smoother. It’s always great to get more shots in the first period, for sure.”
Parsons said he never felt rattled by the traffic or defensive breakdowns in front of him. They're pretty standard for the first real game of the season.
“Honestly, I felt comfortable the entire game,” he said. “The way that I prepared in the summer, I just went in there with all the confidence in the world, knowing that I did everything I could to prepare for the game.”
It was an encouraging start to an important season for the undrafted Embrun native, who's entering the second year in the organization.
Parsons split his first season between Belleville and the ECHL’s Allen Americans. He appeared in 14 AHL games, posting a 6-5-1 record with a 3.22 goals-against average and an .893 save percentage. The Allen Parsons Project was a big hit, going 11-9-1 with a 2.41 goals-against average and a .923 save percentage in 22 games.
Last season was about adjusting to pro hockey, playing against men. Now Parsons has a much higher target.
“Your first year on the ELC, you’re kind of just the young guy who can kind of soak everything in,” he said. “Obviously, it matters if you do bad or do good, but this year there’s a little bit more pressure. There’s pressure on myself, from myself, as well.
“I want to be better. I want to be that starting goalie in the AHL, so for sure it was a huge off-season.”
Parsons is expected to battle Leevi Meriläinen and Kevin Reidler for the two primary goaltending jobs in Belleville. But it should be noted that Meriläinen's status to start the year is something of an unknown.
As the clear number three behind the Sens' Swedish duo of Linus Ullmark and Sam Ersson, the young Finn is on a one-way NHL contract at $1.1 million and would have to clear NHL waivers before he can join the Belleville crew later this month.
Meanwhile, Parsons' performance against Toronto was an early opportunity to show the organization he's ready for a full-time AHL role.
The Gatineau setting made the evening even more meaningful with friends and family members in attendance.
“There were a lot of aunts and uncles at the game tonight because they don’t want to make the trek out to Belleville, or they’re busy and all that kind of stuff,” he said. “It was awesome to see them.”
Rookie camp also reunited Parsons with former Kitchener Rangers teammates Matthew Andonovski and Luke Ellinas.
Parsons completed his junior career by becoming the first Kitchener goaltender to win CHL Goaltender of the Year. He was also named the OHL’s top goaltender and overage player after going 37-12-3 with a 2.24 goals-against average, a .920 save percentage and five shutouts during the 2024-25 season.
While Parsons made his own strong impression Saturday, he also had an excellent view of Cover’s breakout performance.
“He’s a pretty good player,” Parsons said. “I mean, he almost looks like he’s floating out there. No one can touch him. He’s got a great shot, great hockey IQ, and the sky’s the limit for the kid, for sure.”
Cover, selected 32nd overall by Ottawa in June, followed Saturday’s three-point performance with four more points against Montreal on Sunday, finishing the tournament with seven points in two games.
But when someone at practice calls out Jackson's name, there's no confusion about who they're calling because Parsons just goes by his nickname.
“All the boys call me Parce.”
Whatever they call him, Parsons entered the weekend hell-bent on taking the next step and proving he belongs in Belleville full time.
Saturday’s performance was a strong first step.
By Steve Warne
The Hockey News
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