It’s been an interesting fall season for Winnipeg, Manitoba’s Seth Jarvis. After the spread of COVID-19 derailed his stellar 2019-20 WHL season, the 18-year-old waited in the wings until the Western Hockey League officially announced its cancellation. It was then that Jarvis began his 2020 NHL Entry Draft preparations.
Chosen 13th overall by the Carolina Hurricanes, the Portland Winterhawks star forward (58 goals, 139 points in 130 total WHL regular season games) openly expressed his emotions and delight upon the selection, promising to provide the organization and fans alike much success on the ice for years to come.
Now, two months later, that dream has become a reality, as the Hurricanes announced Jarvis’ signing of a three-year, entry-level contract featuring a $925K cap hit and an annual salary of $833K at the NHL level ($80K in the AHL).
“I’m super excited,” Jarvis told Full Press. “This is something I’ve been wanting to do especially ever since getting drafted. This is a big goal, and the fact that it finally happened, it is awesome. I’ve been lucky enough to have a great agent, who I have left it up to sort out with Carolina. They both did a great job and were able to come to an agreement where we were all happy. That’s the best, where everyone is happy; it just went through perfectly.”
Although not officially ‘signing’ the contract by putting pen to paper in the traditional sense, Jarvis made do, as most have during the COVID-19 era.
“It started out as just being done over the computer,” Jarvis said on his physical contract. “They emailed it to my parents and I signed it over the computer. I think that’s where the official contract was signed. I have since signed a couple paper copies here, whether that’s just for pictures or to have an actual physical copy of the contract.”
Although currently in Raleigh at the Hurricanes’ training facility, North Carolina doesn’t accurately describe the location to which Jarvis would prefer to currently be stationed. After receiving an invite to the Canadian World Junior Team Selection Camp, the 5-foot-10, 175-pound forward was released as a part of the team’s final cuts before opening the annual competition on Boxing Day. Despite the difficult news, Jarvis has taken the setback in stride, opting to learn from the opportunity and better prepare himself for the future.
“I enjoyed my time at the camp and I think it was a great experience for me,” he said. “Being a first year player, it was awesome to be there and be surrounded by the staff and the people involved. Obviously, it didn’t go the way I wanted, but you really can’t replicate that experience of being in a bubble and going through a bit of adversity with COVID shutting down camp. But it’s about always staying ready and I can definitely use that experience to my advantage. I can use it to light a bit of a fire in me to keep working hard and keep pushing for whatever’s next. It was a great experience and something I’d love to do again, and hopefully next year I’ll make the team.”
Having lived in the World Junior Hockey Championship hub-city ‘bubble’ for an extended period of time, Jarvis did pick up a number of positive tendencies, while also getting his foot in the door regarding active COVID-19 testing.
“The protocols have been fine to work with,” Jarvis reflected. “I have gotten adjusted to always carrying a mask, always having a mask wherever I go, and just being cautious of being too close to people and keeping my distance that way. I actually never really got tested until I got to the World Junior Camp. But after getting tested every day there for like 30 days I kind of consider myself a COVID test veteran now. I’m pretty immune to that testing and am ready for whatever comes my way. Now being tested here in Raleigh every day too it’s really nothing new for me, just a little stick going up your nose.”
But hey, what’s a stick up the nose between a couple friends anyway?
