Seth Jones facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Seth Jones
Jones with the Florida Panthers in 2025
Born	(1994-10-03) October 3, 1994 (age 30) Arlington, Texas, U.S.
Height	6 ft 4 in (193 cm)
Weight	220 lb (100 kg; 15 st 10 lb)
Position	Defense
Shoots	Right
NHL team Former teams	Florida Panthers Nashville Predators Columbus Blue Jackets Chicago Blackhawks
National team	United States
NHL Draft	4th overall, 2013 Nashville Predators
Playing career	2013–present

Jared Seth Jones is a talented American ice hockey player. He was born on October 3, 1994. Seth plays as a defenseman for the Florida Panthers in the National Hockey League (NHL). He was picked fourth in the 2013 NHL entry draft by the Nashville Predators.

Before joining the NHL, Seth played for the United States National Team Development Program. He also played for the Portland Winterhawks in the Western Hockey League (WHL). Seth has also played for the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Chicago Blackhawks in the NHL.

Seth has played for the United States many times in international games. He won gold medals at the 2011 and 2012 IIHF World U18 Championships. He also won a gold medal with the 2013 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships team. Seth won the Stanley Cup with the Panthers in 2025.

Seth Jones' Early Life

Seth Jones was born in Arlington, Texas. His parents are Amy and Ronald "Popeye" Jones. His dad, Popeye, played basketball for the National Basketball Association (NBA). Seth has two brothers, Justin and Caleb.

Seth started playing hockey when he was five years old. His family lived in Denver, Colorado, at the time. His dad was playing for the Nuggets. Seth's older brother, Justin, wanted to play inline hockey. So, Justin and Seth got inline skates. Later, they got ice hockey skates for the winter.

Seth's dad, Popeye, didn't know much about ice hockey. He asked Hockey Hall of Famer Joe Sakic for advice. Sakic played for the Colorado Avalanche in Denver. Sakic told Popeye that his sons should work on their skating. He knew they would likely be big and athletic. Seth took skating classes for a year. He started playing organized hockey when he was six. Seth was at Game 7 when the Avalanche won the Stanley Cup in 2001.

Seth Jones' Hockey Journey

Playing as an Amateur

Seth Jones started playing organized ice hockey with local teams in Denver. He played with travel teams when he was eight. He played in the Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament three times. These were in 2005, 2006, and 2007. He played with different minor ice hockey teams from Colorado.

When Seth was 12, his family moved back to Texas. He decided he wanted to play for the USA Hockey National Team Development Program (NTDP). He played for the Dallas Stars Bantam Major team. He scored 33 points in 31 games. In the 2009 Bantam draft, the Everett Silvertips picked Jones eleventh. People thought he would be picked higher. But they worried he might choose to play college hockey instead of the Western Hockey League (WHL).

After being drafted, Seth played one more season in Dallas. He played with the Stars U-18 team. Then he joined the NTDP.

Time with the NTDP

In his first year with the NTDP, Seth played for both the under 17 and under 18 teams. He was a co-captain for the U-17 team. Seth scored 21 points in 37 games for the NTDP. These games included league play in the United States Hockey League (USHL). They also included international games and games against college teams. His 21 points were the most for a defenseman on the team.

He was still a co-captain the next season. He scored 31 points in 52 games. After his second season, Seth had to choose. He could play his draft year in college or with the Silvertips in the WHL. Seth decided Everett was not a good fit. People thought he would go to the University of North Dakota.

The Silvertips learned Seth would not play for them. So, they traded his rights to the Portland Winterhawks. Portland then signed Seth. He was expected to be a top pick in the 2013 NHL entry draft. Halfway through the season, the NHL Central Scouting ranked Seth as the number one prospect in North America.

Seth finished the season with 14 goals and 56 points in 61 games. In the playoffs, Portland won the Ed Chynoweth Cup. This made them champions of the WHL. In the Memorial Cup tournament, the Winterhawks reached the final. They played against the Halifax Mooseheads. Seth scored a goal in the final game, but they lost 6–4. Seth finished the playoffs with 5 goals and 15 points in 21 games. He was named to the First All-Star Team of the Western Conference. He also won the Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy as the WHL rookie of the year.

NHL Draft Day

Before the draft, Seth was again named the top overall prospect. But the Avalanche, who had the first pick, chose Nathan MacKinnon instead. Seth was picked fourth overall by the Nashville Predators. A month later, the Predators signed Seth to a three-year contract.

Playing as a Professional

Nashville Predators (2013–2016)

Seth Jones played his first game in the National Hockey League for the Nashville Predators on October 3, 2013. This game was against the St. Louis Blues. Seth scored his first NHL goal on October 12, 2013. He scored against Evgeni Nabokov of the New York Islanders.

Columbus Blue Jackets (2016–2021)

During the 2015–16 season, Seth was traded. On January 6, 2016, the Predators traded him to the Columbus Blue Jackets. In return, they got center Ryan Johansen. When he was traded, Seth had scored 63 points in 199 NHL games.

On June 29, 2016, Seth signed a new contract with the Blue Jackets. It was a six-year deal worth $32.4 million.

During the 2016–17 season, Seth got a hairline fracture in his right foot. He was placed on injured reserve. Before his injury, he played the most ice time for the Blue Jackets. Seth returned after missing six games. He finished the season with his best numbers in assists, goals, and points.

Jones (center) with the Blackhawks in 2024

In the 2017–18 season, Seth became one of the Blue Jackets' best defensemen. He played about 24 minutes per game. Because of his great play, Seth was chosen for the 2018 NHL All-Star Game. But he couldn't go because he was sick. His teammate Zach Werenski took his place. Seth tied with Werenski for the most goals by a defenseman in franchise history that season, with 16.

Before the 2018–19 season, Seth hurt his knee during a preseason game. He missed the first 7 games.

In February 2020, Seth had ankle surgery. He was placed on long-term injured reserve. But he was able to return when the season started again for the playoffs. He was cleared to play on June 18, 2020. In Game 1 of the first round against the Tampa Bay Lightning, Seth played for 65 minutes and 6 seconds. This was an NHL record for a defenseman in a playoff game.

Chicago Blackhawks (2021–2025)

On July 23, 2021, Seth Jones was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks. The Blackhawks also received a first-round pick in 2021 and a sixth-round pick in 2022. In return, the Blue Jackets received Adam Boqvist, a first-round pick and a second-round pick in 2021, and another draft pick.

On July 28, 2021, Seth signed a big contract with the Blackhawks. It was an eight-year deal worth $76 million.

Florida Panthers (2025–present)

In late February 2025, there were reports that Seth wanted to leave Chicago. He was frustrated with the team's struggles. About a week later, on March 1, Seth was traded to the Florida Panthers. The Panthers also got a fourth-round draft pick. The Blackhawks received Spencer Knight and a conditional first-round pick.

Seth scored the first goal in Florida's 6–1 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs on May 18, 2025. He scored four goals and had five assists for nine points in 23 playoff games. On June 17, Seth became a Stanley Cup champion for the first time. The Panthers beat the Edmonton Oilers 5–1 in Game 6 of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final.

Seth Jones' International Play

Jones playing for the United States in the 2011 World U18 Championships
Medal record
Men's ice hockey
Representing the  United States
World Championships
Bronze	2015 Czech Republic
World Junior Championships
Gold	2013 Russia
IIHF World U18 Championship
Gold	2012 Czech Republic
Gold	2011 Germany
World Under-17 Hockey Challenge
Silver	2011 Manitoba

Seth first played for the United States at the 2010 Under-17 (U-17) Four Nations Cup. He scored a goal and had four points. Team USA finished in first place.

He then played for Team USA in the 2011 World U-17 Hockey Challenge. Team USA won all four of their games in the first round. In the semi-final, they beat Canada's Pacific team 6–5 in overtime. This sent them to the gold medal game. Team USA lost the championship game 5–3. Seth was named the player of the game for the United States. He scored a goal and had two points in the tournament. He was also named to the tournament all-star team.

Later that year, Seth joined Team USA for the 2011 IIHF World U18 Championships. The United States won all their games. They reached the gold medal game. In the championship game, Team USA was down by two goals in the third period. But they came back and tied the game with 1:29 left. USA scored four minutes into overtime to win the gold medal. Seth had three assists in six games.

As a 17-year-old, Seth was chosen to play for the United States 2012 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships team. But he could not play because of an injury. He returned to international play at the 2012 IIHF World U18 Championships. He was the captain of Team USA. The American team won all their games again. They only allowed four goals in six games. This was the United States' fourth gold medal in a row at the Under 18 tournament. Seth scored 3 goals and had 8 points in 6 games. He was named player of the game twice for Team USA. The coaches also picked him as one of the team's top three players.

For the 2013 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, Seth was named an alternate captain for Team USA. Team USA started the tournament with a win. But they lost two games in a row to Russia and Canada. With a 1–2 record, Team USA needed to beat Slovakia to avoid being sent to the relegation round. The Americans won 9–3 and moved to the medal round. In the playoffs, USA beat the Czech Republic and the Canadians. This earned them a spot in the gold medal game. In the championship game, Team USA won 3–1 against Sweden. Seth had seven points in seven games. He finished third overall in plus-minus with a +8 rating.

Seth Jones' Family Life

Seth Jones' father is Ronald "Popeye" Jones. He was a National Basketball Association (NBA) power forward. He is now an assistant coach for the Denver Nuggets. Seth has two brothers. His younger brother, Caleb, also plays in the NHL for the Los Angeles Kings.

Career Statistics

Regular Season and Playoffs

International Play Statistics

Year	Team	Event	Result		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2011	United States	U17			5	1	1	2	2
2011	United States	U18			6	0	3	3	0
2012	United States	U18			6	3	5	8	0
2013	United States	WJC			7	1	6	7	4
2014	United States	WC	6th		8	2	9	11	6
2015	United States	WC			10	1	3	4	4
2016	Team North America	WCH	5th		3	0	0	0	2
2022	United States	WC	4th		10	1	4	5	0
2024	United States	WC	5th		8	0	5	5	0
Junior totals					24	5	15	20	6
Senior totals					39	4	21	25	12

Awards and Honors

NHL Records

• Most time on ice by a defenseman in one playoff game: 65:06 (August 11, 2020)