KEVIN
JARMAN
Massachusetts
Jr. | F | Aurora, Ontario
Jarman
was a fourth-round pick of the Columbus Blue Jackets
in 2003.
Key
Statistics: On a team that never found a true go-to
scorer after the season-ending ankle injury to star Matt Anderson
in December, Jarman quietly closed out the year with the third-most
points on the Minutemen with 21. His 14 assists were tops
on the team, and his seven goals tied him for fourth on the
roster. It was no coincidence that Jarman picked up his play
toward the end of the season when the Minutemen began to play
their best hockey, as he tallied a point in five of the team’s
last six games.
What
He Does: Jarman breaks the mold of the stereotypical,
small and skinny Hockey East forward. At 6-foot-1 and 210
pounds, the Toronto-born winger throws his body around on
the ice like a defenseman, but he still has the scoring ability
of a top forward. The coaching staff absolutely loves him,
and they are drooling in anticipation to see how good he can
be once his skills mature to meet his large frame. As are
the Columbus Blue Jackets, who selected him in the fourth
round (103rd overall) of the 2003 NHL Draft, making him the
youngest member of the Minutemen to ever be selected.
The
Bigger Picture: Last season was a forgettable one
for the Minutemen, who suffered through a mind numbing amount
of injuries. Only five players appeared in all 38 games, and
Jarman was one of four who played in 37 contests. With the
return of Anderson, the growth of last year’s rookies
and the arrival of a highly acclaimed freshman class, UMass
is expected to improve on last year's eighth-place Hockey
East finish. Jarman should have no problem staying on one
of the first two lines, and he has the natural ability to
score double-digit goals for the first time in his collegiate
career.
Massachusetts
head coach Don Cahoon on Jarman: “I think he’ll
be a little more consistent with his goal scoring. I think
he’ll be on the scoresheet early in the season, and
I think you’ll see him on the scoresheet throughout
the season. I think you’ll also feel his presence because
he is going to be one of the more physically stronger forwards
in the entire league. I think you are going to feel his presence
game to game.”
