Ex-Blackhawks star Seth Jones feels rejuvenated as he chases Stanley Cup with Panthers

RALEIGH, N.C. — Seth Jones wanted a trade away from the Blackhawks this season, and with a degree of bluntness and forcefulness rarely seen in the NHL, he got what he wanted.

Less than four months later, he now has a golden opportunity to get something else he really, really wants — a Stanley Cup — with the Panthers. His life has changed drastically, quickly.

“My hair is growing back,” Jones said with a grin to the Sun-Times on Thursday, shortly before the Panthers’ dominant victory over the Hurricanes in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Final.

“It’s very enjoyable. It’s enjoyable to win, but it’s not any easier out there, if that makes sense. It’s still hard hockey.”

When the Panthers acquired the 30-year-old defenseman on March 1, most assumed he would slide into a smaller role within their stacked lineup, which could shelter him in a way the Hawks’ inexperienced roster could not.

But that’s not how it has played out. During the regular season, Jones’ ice-time average actually increased from 24:30 per game with the Hawks to 24:55 with the Panthers, largely because stalwart Aaron Ekblad was suspended 20 games for a positive drug test.

And in the playoffs, Jones has led the Panthers with an average of more than 25 minutes per game — three minutes more than anybody else, including Ekblad and Gustav Forsling. His power-play role contributes to that stat, but he has earned the workload with stellar play.

He came up especially huge in the Panthers’ Game 7 win over the Maple Leafs in the second round, scoring the opening goal and later enabling (and assisting on) the Panthers’ third goal with a savvy play at the blue line to avoid being offside.

“It definitely feels like there’s some pressure off [me] after the trade,” Jones said. “In Chicago, I was just forcing things and trying to do too much — out of my realm, to be honest. It was always hopefully for the betterment of the team, in my opinion, [even though] it didn’t always turn out that way or look that way. But here, I can just play my game.”

Whirlwind spring

Jones was nothing but honest about those types of feelings throughout his Hawks tenure, as well as about his desire to move on once he reached that conclusion in mid-February. Two weeks later, he was awakened from an afternoon nap March 1 in Anaheim with a call from Hawks general manager Kyle Davidson, telling him the trade with Florida was complete.

His disinterest in sticking around for the remainder of the Hawks’ rebuild, and his comments of the team’s lack of progress, strained the mood in the locker room. He didn’t entirely burn bridges, but he did singe them. Captain Nick Foligno took several thinly veiled shots in Jones’ direction in March and April.

But Jones understandably feels no need to pile on now. Things have worked out well for him, and he genuinely hopes they work out well for the Hawks, too.

“I’m blessed and pretty lucky,” he said. “I praise Kyle and [Panthers GM] Bill [Zito] for getting a deal done under the circumstances. It wasn’t easy; I understand that. But I think it was time.

“Chicago is going to be a great team. They’re young and learning how to play the game, and there’s a lot of great guys in that locker room. It’s just different timelines. It’s a completely different situation here. You have a lot of guys that are 28, 30 or 32 years old who know how to win and understand how to win.”

Upon arriving in south Florida, Jones said Panthers coach Paul Maurice told him he “wanted to get me out of my rocking chair.”

Adjusting to such a different system wasn’t seamless — Jones struggled during his first few weeks — but many hours of video work have now paid off. During the playoffs, the Panthers have outscored their opponents 12-6 with a 56.8% scoring-chance ratio during his five-on-five shifts.

“This system forces the defensemen to get up, gap up, be tight and force [opposing] wingers to make plays under pressure,” Jones said. “The ‘D’ are really forced to pinch or be aggressive because of the back pressure of the forwards. Everyone is responsible and understands their job.”

New Hawks goalie Spencer Knight, the other key piece of the trade, observed that same cohesiveness during the Panthers’ 2024 Cup run. He talked about that at length earlier this spring, hoping the Hawks can eventually replicate the Panthers’ approach.

But Jones, on the other hand, is thankful to finally be part of the model instead of the modelers.

“I’m extremely happy I’ve gotten this opportunity,” he said. “This franchise believed in me. I wasn’t playing the greatest hockey in Chicago, but I’m glad I came here and have the supporting group around me.”

Hawks notebook

• On the opposite side of the Eastern Conference Final matchup is another recent ex-Hawk in Taylor Hall, who has comfortably settled into a third-line role with the Hurricanes. He signed a three-year contract extension with them last month.
• Former Hawks assistant coach Kevin Dean will reportedly depart the organization as new coach Jeff Blashill brings in his own staff. Dean, originally a Luke Richardson hire, is a big loss. He did an excellent job developing the Hawks’ young defensemen when they graduated into the NHL. His efforts to raise awareness about prostate cancer screening were admirable, too.
• Former Hawks strength and conditioning coach Paul Goodman also left the organization this spring after 17 years. He, too, leaves some big shoes to fill — not that he ever physically wore shoes.
• Blashill isn’t the only ex-Lightning staffer to recently land a bigger role. The Islanders hired Mathieu Darche, formerly Tampa’s assistant GM, as their new GM on Friday. A month from now, Darche will make a decision — about who to draft with the first overall pick — that will affect the Hawks quite a bit.