First Ever Filipino NHL All-Star Jason Robertson
Photo Courtesy of NHL.com and The Dallas Stars
2022 was a great year for Filipino representation in the sports community. We had Filipino coach, Kurtis Townsend and his Filipino athlete, Remy Martin, winning a national basketball championship for the University of Kansas. Josh Jacobs, running back for the Las Vegas Raiders finishing the season as the league leader in total rushing yards. Let us not forget the brilliant performance that 17 year old, Alex Eala, put on to secure her win for the US Open Girls Singles Championship in September. But have we seen a Filipino hockey phenom? Well look no further, the time is now and his name is Jason Robertson.
Before you are shocked at the thought of a Filipino Hockey star even existing, we actually have 4 players that are trailblazing the way and need to be recognized. Of course we have the aforementioned, Jason Robertson (nicknamed Robo), his younger brother, Nicholas Robertson (Toronto Maple Leafs), Devin Shore (Edmonton Oilers) and Matt Dumba (Minnesota Wild). The talent in the Robertson family is abundantly flowing, Nicholas is the 3rd player in Maple Leafs franchise history to score a playoff goal before their 19th birthday which was made during Game 3 of the qualifiers versus the Columbus Blue Jackets in August 2020. Unfortunately this year, Nicholas suffered a season ending injury in early December which was initially thought to be a 6-8 week hiatus and eventually leading to season ending surgery on his shoulder, bringing his 2022-2023 season to a complete stop.
Courtesy of Jason Robertson on Instagram
But when it comes to goals, his 23-year-old older brother Jason Robertson, started off the 2022 season red hot, leading all scorers in the league through the month of December with his 23 goals in 25 games. Currently he is still sitting within the top 5 of both scoring and total points (combined goals and assists) with a total of 60 points (according to CBS NHL Stat Leaders) and we are only halfway through the season. His gift for scoring has been on brand with his career ever since he was a rookie, when he almost won the Calder Memorial Trophy, which is a prestigious award that is given to the top rookie of the class. In addition to his flashy rookie start, he was selected for the 2020–2021 NHL All-Rookie Team as a cherry on top. And if that wasn’t enough to start an impeccable resume, it was just announced that he will be one of the 32 all stars to represent the best of the best for the 2022-2023 season, making him the first ever hockey player of Filipino descent to be named an NHL All Star.
But more impressive is his maturity and understanding of the role he has taken on, being a Filipino who is a top player in their sport, showing many up and coming youth that people of Filipino descent can compete in the National Hockey League at an elite level is not a lighthearted task to take on. From an interview Robo had with NHL.com in 2021, he recants his historic draft night, stating "When I got drafted that was probably the moment where my family, my mom and dad told me that you're going to be a role model because they're going to see a person like you and think, 'He made it, he did what he wanted to do, I can too,'" . He follows that with his own self discovery, saying "That was the first time I really thought about it, and I've tried to embrace it since. It's important. It's truly special."
Robo is not just a man of just words, he is a man of action. The Dallas Stars official instagram posted Robo posing with a special birthday boy named Graham, who is an 8-year-old Filipino American hockey player, who I am sure like most of us, looks up to Robo and is inspired with everything he has accomplished as a fellow Filipino. Now is the time for us to rally for the young NHL phenom, Jason Robertson, so he can use the passion of his fellow countryman as fuel to bring home this year's top scoring title.
The 2023 NHL All-Star Weekend will take place on Feb. 3 and 4, hosted by the Florida Panthers in Sunrise, Florida. The All-Star Game is on the 4th so be sure to catch Robo in action on ABC or ESPN+. Faceoff is at 3 PM EST.
By Niko Del Rey
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