Photo credit: Steve Dunsmoor

By Regan Bartel

Shot blocking defender of great value

DeSouza battered and bruised

Dec 8, 2022 | 6:00 AM

In hockey, blocking a shot requires self-sacrificing and courage.

But why on earth would anyone want to place themselves in a shooting lane to stop a puck?

Kelowna Rockets defenceman Jackson DeSouza says it’s the difference between winning and losing.

“The bruises hurt”, DeSouza told RocketFAN. “To hear the guys on the bench go nuts and have Jari (Kykkanen) or Talyn (Boyko) come up to me and say, good eaten it, which all makes it feel better. You don’t feel it [pain] with adrenaline going, but after I have some nice bruises.”

While blocking shots requires proper technique, the lower the player goes down, the higher the chance the puck strikes unprotected bone.

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“When you block a shot, you try to do it so you have your gear facing the shooter”, DeSouza continued. “Honestly, in the heat of the game, it is just getting in front of the puck. It doesn’t matter if it hits you where you have no padding or in the shin, or if it hits you in the back of the leg, no one cares.”

DeSouza put his body in harm’s way Sunday in a 5-2 win in Everett when a shot went right off his collarbone.

Players have the option of using shot blockers. They are hard plastic that can be used on the tongue of the skate or a plastic piece that is molded to the side of the foot, which is tested to reduce impact pressure by close to 30 percent.

“I’ve never tried [shot blockers] them”. DeSouza admitted. “I have no will to try them. Most guys use them when they come back from injury. The extra padding helps you more in your head than anything, but I doubt I would ever use them”.

DeSouza played in the shadows of 20-year-old Jake Lee and Tyson Feist last season. It allowed him to perfect his game in practice to become a reliable penalty killer and even strength player.

“Practices is everything”, DeSouza continued. “No one cares how tired you are. No one cares about the road trips and coming back from a three-in-three. You need to work hard in practice, because the harder you work in practice, the easier the games are.”

DeSouza is one of three 19-year-olds on the d-core, joining Noah Dorey and Elias Carmichael as the elder statesmen.

“The older guys at the start of the year made sure the younger guys knew that we are here to work. We are not out here [for practice] for a long time, but you are going to put an effort in.”

DeSouza believes in the adage that practice does make perfect.

“You need to focus on yourself and what you need to do. I could go in and speak to John Babcock, as an example, and say ‘hey you need to work harder’, but if he is looking at me if I am not doing it…I am not going to tell you anything that I am not going to do.”

The coaches have often singled out DeSouza for his tremendous practice habits, which has translated to the best plus/minus rating (+9) among the seven who make up the defensive core.

“First and foremost, I am that shutdown defenceman. That is not going to change and will not change,” DeSouza said bluntly.

With eight points (4+4+8) in his last nine games, the Eric, Colorado resident, who has duel citizenship, knows that goals are needed but his greatest value is keeping the opposition off the scoreboard.

“It is all about picking your spots [offensively] and making the right reads”, DeSouza added. “As long as I am making the right decisions and you are not putting your teammates in a bad spot, the coaches won’t say anything. It is not forcing anything. I can’t be a player I’m not, so I am focusing on shutting guys down.”