Mark Jankowski (born September 13, 1994) is a Canadian professional

ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an Ice rink, ice skating rink with Ice hockey rink, lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two o ...

centre Center or centre may refer to: Mathematics *Center (geometry), the middle of an object * Center (algebra), used in various contexts ** Center (group theory) ** Center (ring theory) * Graph center, the set of all vertices of minimum eccentricit ...

currently playing for the

Milwaukee Admirals The Milwaukee Admirals are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League (AHL). They play in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States, at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee Panther Arena. They are affiliated with the NHL's Nashvil ...

of the

American Hockey League The American Hockey League (AHL) is a professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental league for the National Hockey League (NHL). Since the 2010–11 season, every team in the le ...

(AHL) while under contract to the

Nashville Predators The Nashville Predators (commonly referred to as the Preds) are a professional ice hockey team based in Nashville, Tennessee. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference, and ha ...

of the

National Hockey League The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey sports league, league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranke ...

(NHL). Jankowski was selected in the first round, 21st overall, at the

2012 NHL Entry Draft The 2012 NHL Entry Draft was the 50th NHL Entry Draft. The draft was held June 22–23, 2012, at Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It was the first time that Pittsburgh hosted the draft since the 1997 NHL Entry Draft. The top ...

, by the

Calgary Flames The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary. The Flames compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division in the Western Conference, and are the third major professional ice hockey tea ...

. He is the highest selected Canadian high school player in draft history, having played for Stanstead College for two seasons leading to the draft.

Playing career

Amateur

Jankowski was a top scorer at the midget AAA level, where he played for the

St. Catharines St. Catharines is the largest city in Canada's Niagara Region and the sixth largest urban area in the province of Ontario. As of 2016, it has an area of , 136,803 residents, and a metropolitan population of 406,074. It lies in Southern Ontario ...

Minor Midget AAA Falcons of the

Ontario Minor Hockey Association The Ontario Minor Hockey Association (OMHA) is a minor ice hockey governing body in Ontario. The OMHA is sanctioned by the Ontario Hockey Federation and Hockey Canada. History The OMHA was founded on November 30, 1940, after a merger of the Ontari ...

South-Central Triple A Hockey League The South Central Triple A Hockey League is a minor level ice hockey league based out of Ontario. The league is one of two AAA leagues associated with the Ontario Minor Hockey Association The Ontario Minor Hockey Association (OMHA) is a minor ice ...

. However, he went unselected in the

Ontario Hockey League The Ontario Hockey League (OHL; french: Ligue de hockey de l'Ontario (LHO)) is one of the three major junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League. The league is for players aged 16–19. There are exceptions for overa ...

(OHL) midget draft as teams were concerned that at five feet, eight inches tall, he was too small to play the top level of

junior hockey Junior hockey is a level of competitive ice hockey generally for players between 16 and 21 years of age. Junior hockey leagues in the United States and Canada are considered amateur (with some exceptions) and operate within regions of each cou ...

. He chose to play at Stanstead College, a prep school in

Stanstead, Quebec Stanstead is a town in the Memphrémagog Regional County Municipality in the Estrie region of Quebec, located on the Canada–United States border across from Derby Line, Vermont. The Town of Stanstead was created in 1995 by the merger of ...

. He played two seasons for Stanstead, scoring 31 goals and 73 points in the 2010–11 high school team's season and 53 goals and 93 points in 57 games in 2011–12. During his second season at Stanstead, Jankowski committed to play

college hockey College ice hockey is played principally in the United States and Canada, though leagues exist outside North America. In the United States, competitive "college hockey" refers to ice hockey played between colleges and universities within the g ...

for the

Providence Friars The Providence Friars are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent Providence College, located in Providence, Rhode Island. They compete in the Big East Conference (NCAA Division I) for every sport except for ice hockey, where they compet ...

Boston University Boston University (BU) is a private research university in Boston, Massachusetts. The university is nonsectarian, but has a historical affiliation with the United Methodist Church. It was founded in 1839 by Methodists with its original c ...

Cornell Cornell University is a private statutory land-grant research university based in Ithaca, New York. It is a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, Cornell was founded with the intention to teac ...

, Harvard,

Maine Maine () is a U.S. state, state in the New England and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Provinces and territories of Canad ...

, and

Penn State #Redirect Pennsylvania State University The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a public state-related land-grant research university with campuses and facilities throughout Pennsylvania. Founded in 1855 as the Farmers' High ...

were also interested in his services, but he decided to follow Friars coach Nate Leaman, who had previously shown interest in Jankowski while coaching

Union College Union College is a Private university, private liberal arts college in Schenectady, New York. Founded in 1795, it was the first institution of higher learning chartered by the New York State Board of Regents, and second in the state of New York, ...

, to Providence. During his two seasons in Stanstead, Jankowski quickly gained height, growing to 6'2" tall, while it was his play that caught the attention of scouts. He was eventually selected in the 2012 OHL draft, taken as the 11th pick in the 7th round by the

Saginaw Spirit The Saginaw Spirit are a major junior ice hockey team based in Saginaw, Michigan. They are members of the West Division of the Western Conference of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), one of the Major Junior leagues of the Canadian Hockey Leagu ...

though he declined to join the team. The

(NHL)'s Central Scouting Bureau ranked Jankowski as the 43rd best prospect for the

in its final ranking, an improvement from his 74th place rank in previous reports. Other analysts ranked him higher, including

Craig Button Craig J. Button (born January 3, 1963) is currently a ice hockey analyst for TSN and a former National Hockey League (NHL) executive. Early life and hockey family Born in Rochester, New York, Button entered the world of hockey at birth. His ...

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, who placed him 41st. The

selected him in the first round, 21st overall. He is the highest-ever draft pick out of a Canadian high school. The Flames received some criticism for going "off the board" and selecting Jankowski well above his expected draft place, but assistant general manager John Weisbrod stated that while Jankowski's talent was "raw", other teams were certain to select him in the first round if the Flames did not. General manager

Jay Feaster Jay Harry Feaster (born July 30, 1962) is a National Hockey League (NHL) executive currently serving as the Executive Director of Community Hockey Development for the Tampa Bay Lightning. He is the former general manager of the Calgary Flames, hav ...

argued that Jankowski was one of the most talented players available in the draft. At draft time his stats were 6'2.5", 168 pounds. Jankowski initially committed to play for the

Dubuque Fighting Saints The Dubuque Fighting Saints are a Tier I junior ice hockey team playing in the United States Hockey League (USHL) and are based in the city of Dubuque, Iowa, on the banks of the Mississippi River at the border intersects of Iowa, Illinois, and ...

of the

United States Hockey League The United States Hockey League (USHL) is the top junior ice hockey league sanctioned by USA Hockey. The league consists of 16 active teams located in the midwestern United States, for players between the ages of 16 and 21. The USHL is strictl ...

(USHL) in 2012–13 before for Providence. However, he decided to bypass the junior league and move directly to college following the Flames' 2012 rookie development camp, stating he believed he was ready despite the fact that he will be one of the youngest players in the

National Collegiate Athletic Association The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athlete, student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic sports, ...

(NCAA).

Professional

Jankowski began his professional career on March 30, 2016, signing a two-year entry level contract with the Flames. The deal began during the 2016–17 NHL season; for the remainder of 2015–16, Jankowski played with the Flames'

affiliate, the

Stockton Heat The Stockton Heat were a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League (AHL) that played from 2015 to 2022. The team was based in Stockton, California, and was affiliated with the National Hockey League (NHL) Calgary Flames. The He ...

. These games did not count towards his contract, which was slated to expire following the completion of the 2017–18 NHL season. Jankowski was called up by the Flames in November 2016, making his NHL debut against the

New York Islanders The New York Islanders (colloquially known as the Isles) are a professional ice hockey team based in Elmont, New York. The Islanders compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference ( ...

on November 28, 2016. On November 9, 2017, Jankowski scored his first career NHL goal against the

Detroit Red Wings The Detroit Red Wings (colloquially referred to as the Wings) are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit. The Red Wings compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the East ...

in a 6–3 win. On April 7, 2018, the last game of the Flames regular season, Jankowski recorded his first four-goal game in a 7–1 win over the

Vegas Golden Knights The Vegas Golden Knights are a professional ice hockey team based in the Las Vegas metropolitan area. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division in the Western Conference. Founded in 2017 as an exp ...

. After a largely disappointing 2019–20 season, in which Jankowski was limited to a fourth-line role and contributed with just 5 goals and 7 points in 56 games, he was released by the Flames as a free agent after he was not tendered a qualifying offer to retain his rights on October 8, 2020. With the following day being the opening of free agency, Jankowski was signed to a one-year, $700,000 contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins. On September 14, 2021, Jankowski was signed to a professional tryout contract (PTO) by the

New Jersey Devils The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey. The Devils compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference. The club was founded as the Kans ...

. After attending training camp and participating in their pre-season, Jankowski was released by the Devils without a contract offer. On October 15, 2021, he agreed to begin the 2021–22 season with the

Rochester Americans The Rochester Americans (colloquially known as the Amerks) are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League; the team is an owned and operated affiliate of the Buffalo Sabres. The team plays its home games in Rochester, New York, ...

of the AHL, signing a one-year deal with the primary affiliate of the

Buffalo Sabres The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. The Sabres compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conf ...

. After collecting 5 goals and 12 points through his first 13 games with the Americans, Jankowski was signed to a one-year, $750,000 contract, with the Buffalo Sabres on November 28, 2021. As a free agent from the Sabres, Jankowski was signed to a one-year, two-way contract with the Nashville Predators on July 14, 2022.

Personal life

Jankowski is a native of

Dundas, Ontario : ''For the county in eastern Ontario see Dundas County, Ontario. For the upper tier county, see United Counties of Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry.'' Dundas is a community and town in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. It is nicknamed the ''Valley Tow ...

. His grandfather, Lou, was a longtime professional player who appeared in 127 NHL games with the

and

Chicago Blackhawks The Chicago Blackhawks (spelled Black Hawks until 1986, and known colloquially as the Hawks) are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago. The Blackhawks compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division i ...

in the 1950s. His granduncle was Hockey Hall of Famer

Red Kelly Leonard Patrick "Red" Kelly (July 9, 1927 – May 2, 2019) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player and coach. He was also a Liberal Member of Parliament for the Toronto-area riding of York West from 1962 to 1965, during which time he also ...

and his father, Len, played college hockey with the

Cornell Big Red The Cornell Big Red is the informal name of the sports teams, and other competitive teams, that represent Cornell University, located in Ithaca, New York. The university sponsors 37 varsity sports, as well as numerous intramural and club team ...

. His uncle, Ryan, previously served as an assistant general manager with the

. Jankowski's younger brother David signed an amateur tryout contract with the Calgary Flames in 2018.

Career statistics

References

*''Stanstead College statistics'':

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Jankowski, Mark 1994 births Living people AHCA Division I men's ice hockey All-Americans Buffalo Sabres players Calgary Flames draft picks Calgary Flames players Canadian expatriate ice hockey players in the United States Canadian ice hockey centres Canadian people of Polish descent Milwaukee Admirals players Nashville Predators players National Hockey League first-round draft picks People from Dundas, Ontario Ice hockey people from Ontario Sportspeople from Hamilton, Ontario Pittsburgh Penguins players Providence Friars men's ice hockey players Rochester Americans players Stanstead College alumni Stockton Heat players