Jugnauth’s WHL numbers were solid during the 2024-25 regular season and deep playoff run. This hockey year, Jugnauth has six goals and 28 assists for 34 points in his first 50 AHL games. That is fourth in scoring among all AHL rookies and tops among first-year defensemen. He is also fourth in scoring among all AHL defensemen and a closer look reveals that every other D-man in the top 10 is in their third through eighth seasons.
Jugnauth and his Firebirds coaches are well aware that further development is needed to not only advance to the next level but also to continue Jugnauth’s success at the grassroots level in the NHL’s final testing ground.
“It’s different at the AHL level,” Jugnauth said after a recent morning skate in the southern California desert. “In Portland, the coaches trusted me a lot, they allowed me to have a long rope. [with the Firebirds] I had to work hard for the coaches to trust me. Lately, in the last 12 to 15 games, I’ve felt confident in making plays. I use my skating a lot. I think that’s starting to show on both ends of the ice. ”
Working Defenseman Whisperer for Firebirds
Stu Bickel is in his fourth year of shaping the Kraken’s defensive prospects as an assistant coach for the Firebirds. Jugnauth’s emergence as the WHL’s Defenseman of the Year challenged Bickel’s usual approach as well.
“With a young defensive player, I will try to build a defensive game [offensive] green line back,” said Bickel. “At the beginning of the year with Juggy, there was a lot of talk about hacking. [closing the distance from defenseman to an approaching opponent]to develop an understanding of what we want to do as a group in those situations.
“From there, we start to learn more about the opposing linebacker and what our numbers are [in terms of Firebirds players] it seems to protect that haste. In the beginning, it builds a lot of this learning in terms of where we want to go, what routes we want to take as defenders.”
Bickel said all young defenders should learn these apps. In Jugnauth’s case, he was a quick learner during Kraken boot camp and the first few months in Palm Desert.
“Now it was a lot of working with Juggy on the details of, ‘Okay, I’m in a good spot. How do I close out games?'” Bickel said. “He has strategies that we can use to win pucks in the back where he will not finish the fight because there will be big and strong players. [opponent’s] elbow up and working his stick on pucks.
“He has a really good stick, both against AHL players and even in exhibition games with the Kraken. Using his skating ability has been great because he moves his feet to get close to plays, which puts him in a very strong position to defend against players trying to get inside him. Juggy is very coachable as well,”
Provides ‘Juggy’ Room to Work
Bickel noted Jugnauth’s growth at defensive end has provided an improved way to give the young quarterback more opportunities in the offensive end even if quarterbacking is the No. 1 power play. 1 Firebirds, to join the rush or find the net forward during a 5-on-5 power play.
