John Jameson HoF Article

tcookie · August 26

Player Information
Name: John Jameson
Height: 6’3”
Weight: 215 lbs.
Birthplace: Ireland
Drafted: S85 - 2nd overall (Prague)
User: @Frank

VHL Awards
Continental Cup - 1 (S90 Prague)
Victory Cup - 1 (S88 Prague)
Scott Boulet Trophy (Top Two-Way Forward) - 2 (S89, S93)
Christian Stolzschweiger Trophy (Top Rookie) - 1 (S86)
Scotty Campbell Trophy (MVP) - 1 (S89)
Mike Szatkowski Trophy (Leading Scorer) - 1 (S93)
Alexander Beketov Trophy (Assists Leader) - 1 (S93)

Other Awards
Renaissance Cup - 1 (S85 Oslo)
Ronan Lavelle Trophy (VHLE MVP) - 1 (S85)

Jameson was a highly-regarded player for his entire time in the VHL ecosystem. For his entire career he was known as a fierce power forward with physicality, a mature two-way game, and a dangerous blend of vision, hands, and a dangerous shot that made him an offensive threat every time he was on the ice. There were little, if any, weaknesses in Jameson’s game as he made an immediate impact everywhere he went. He was the top two-way forward in the VHL twice, a league MVP and scoring leader once each, and established his legacy in Prague by playing all 572 games of his VHL career there. Jameson reeled off six straight 40-goal seasons, and he was only three points in his lone VHLM campaign away from recording a 100-point season in all three of the VHL system’s leagues.

S84 - VHLM - San Diego / Philadelphia
72 GP, 45 G, 52 A, 97 PTS, +15, 419 SOG, 34 PIM, 137 HIT, 38 SB, 7 GWG
Playoffs: 5 GP, 2 G, 0 A, 2 PTS, -6, 24 SOG, 2 PIM, 9 HIT, 4 SB, 0 GWG

A highly-touted prospect from the day he signed with a VHLM team, Jameson began his career with the San Diego Marlins, but as the Marlins’ season struggled to get off the ground they would trade Jameson alongside Alfred Champagne to the contending Philadelphia Reapers for a couple of high draft picks. Jameson had 31 points in 29 games with San Diego, but thrived even more after the trade, putting up 66 points in 43 games with the Reapers. Unfortunately for Jameson, the Reapers weren’t long for the playoffs, as they ran into an excellent Mexico City side and were eliminated in five games with Jameson being limited to just 2 points in the series. However, he’d done more than enough over the course of the season to establish himself as a top prospect for the S85 draft.

S85 - VHLE - Oslo
72 GP, 51 G, 52 A, 103 PTS, +41, 530 SOG, 42 PIM, 161 HIT, 28 SB, 11 GWG
Playoffs: 12 GP, 3 G, 5 A, 8 PTS, +8, 87 SOG, 10 PIM, 28 HIT, 2 SB, 1 GWG

Jameson was selected 2nd overall in the S85 VHL draft by Prague, then after it became clear he would play a season in the VHLE, he was selected 1st overall in the S85 VHLE draft by Oslo. As a VHLE rookie, Jameson took the league by storm, scoring 51 goals and 103 points in a notoriously low-scoring season. The next closest player in the VHLE this season had 40 goals and 93 points and Jameson’s dominance earned him the Ronan Lavelle Trophy as the VHLE MVP. He had clearly proven himself ready to take the next step to the VHL for S86, but Oslo had some business to take care of in the playoffs. Although there was increased defensive attention on the young superstar after his regular season - and to some extent it worked, as Jameson was held to 8 points in 12 playoff games - the Storm would defeat both Vasteras and Cologne in six-game series’, and Jameson was a champion for the first time.

S86 - VHL - Prague
72 GP, 28 G, 39 A, 67 PTS, +14, 374 SOG, 33 PIM, 61 HIT, 22 SB, 5 GWG
Playoffs: 21 GP, 8 G, 12 A, 20 PTS, +7, 122 SOG, 14 PIM, 33 HIT, 3 SB, 1 GWG

The Phantoms were happy to welcome their future franchise player into the organization at the beginning of S86. As a contending team with championship aspirations, the Phantoms didn’t thrust Jameson immediately into a big role, but he was clearly ready for the big leagues as he still managed to put up close to point-per-game numbers as a rookie. With 28 goals and 67 points in 72 games, Jameson helped Prague finish third in the European Conference. The Phantoms did indeed go on the playoff run they were seeking, falling behind Warsaw 3 games to 1 before rallying back to win that series in 7, then defeating Davos in another hard fought 7-game series to advance to the finals against a Vancouver team that, coming out of the wildcard on the North American side, had already played 15 playoff games themselves. It was another back-and-forth series that went the distance, but ultimately, Jameson’s Phantoms would lose this game 7 and just miss out on the Continental Cup.

S87 - VHL - Prague
72 GP, 26 G, 43 A, 69 PTS, +7, 360 SOG, 71 PIM, 142 HIT, 27 SB, 4 GWG
Playoffs: n/a

Jameson’s second year saw him remain a steady but unspectacular contributor, with the only notable statistical difference from the prior season being a jump in physicality from 61 hits to 142. It was a second straight almost-PPG season from Jameson as his Phantoms squad missed the playoffs, caught up in one of the closest European Conference races ever with 11 points between 1st and 7th and 6 points between 3rd and 7th. Though it was a disappointing season, it was the first time we saw Jameson and his future wingman, Nikolas Kauppi, playing together.

S88 - VHL - Prague
72 GP, 44 G, 45 A, 89 PTS, +37, 495 SOG, 65 PIM, 167 HIT, 21 SB, 11 GWG
Playoffs: 5 GP, 1 G, 1 A, 2 PTS, -5, 24 SOG, 6 PIM, 9 HIT, 1 SB, 0 GWG

With his role increasing, Jameson broke out in S88, setting career highs with his first 40-goal season and putting up 89 points while maintaining that physical presence, compiling 167 hits. Saku Kotkakoivu was no longer with the team in S88 but the Phantoms moved to bring in Nico Pearce to play alongside Jameson, and the two displayed good chemistry as both finished top-10 in league scoring. Prague returned to the playoffs, but it was only a brief foray as they lost a five-game opening round series to London, and Pearce was traded away over the ensuing off-season. But the foundation was just about ready for the Phantoms to return to power, and Jameson would be at the forefront.

S89 - VHL - Prague
72 GP, 50 G, 64 A, 114 PTS, +41, 533 SOG, 72 PIM, 243 HIT, 39 SB, 7 GWG
Playoffs: 15 GP, 6 G, 13 A, 19 PTS, +4, 102 SOG, 8 PIM, 47 HIT, 4 SB, 0 GWG

Jameson exploded for 114 points in S89, also recording his first 50-goal campaign while posting career highs with 533 shots and 243 hits as well. It was his coronation - the season where Jameson went from very good player to superstar - and also the first season he saw extended playing time on a line with the aforementioned Kauppi, who had his own breakout year (40 goals, 87 points). Jameson made his first real mark on the VHL’s history books here as he would capture the Boulet and Campbell Trophies, leading Prague to a fourth-place finish in the EU. The Phantoms began the playoffs on a high note, advancing through the wildcard round and then surprising first-place Moscow in the opening round, but they ran into trouble against the eventual Continental Cup champion HC Davos Dynamo. Despite Jameson’s 19 points in 15 playoff games, they would bow out in the European Conference finals.

S90 - VHL - Prague
72 GP, 45 G, 56 A, 101 PTS, +29, 486 SOG, 244 PIM, 311 HIT, 37 SB, 10 GWG
Playoffs: 16 GP, 11 G, 13 A, 24 PTS, +9, 120 SOG, 41 PIM, 95 HIT, 6 SB, 1 GWG

Returning a very similar roster to their S89 team, the Phantoms hoped the experience gained would help them take a step in S90. Jameson remained a potent offensive threat, posting 45 goals and 101 points, but took his physical game up yet another notch by delivering 311 hits. At times, this may have come at a detriment: his PIMs increased from 72 to 244. But at the end of the day, he was the most dominant player on a Prague team that looked ready to win. They pushed Davos all season long but ended up finishing second in the EU. With four 80-point players on offense (Jameson, Kauppi, Perry Laperriere, and Fred Hampton) and an excellent netminder in Matt Murdock, Prague was poised to make some noise, and they did it by dispatching Riga in a seven-game series, then Davos in a five-game series to advance to the finals. The Los Angeles Stars were simply overmatched as Prague outscored them 7-1 in the first two games of the series, then squeaked out two narrow wins as the series went back to LA. With a Continental Cup finals sweep, John Jameson and his Prague Phantoms had a ring.

S91 - VHL - Prague
72 GP, 46 G, 45 A, 91 PTS, +34, 423 SOG, 193 PIM, 336 HIT, 40 SB, 8 GWG
Playoffs: n/a

Entering S91, the Phantoms roster didn’t look quite like it’s S90 cup winners. They would be a little more reliant on Jameson and Kauppi with Laperriere retiring and Hampton regressing. Jameson put up 46 goals and 91 points, dishing out 336 hits, and cutting back slightly on penalties as well. It was a strong season, but one not quite at the level that Jameson had become accustomed to, ranking 18th in league scoring and 8th in goals. In tandem with a bit of a lack of depth, the Phantoms’ offense took a step back and was a key factor in missing the playoffs by a single point to Helsinki.

S92 - VHL - Prague
72 GP, 42 G, 61 A, 103 PTS, +47, 485 SOG, 232 PIM, 311 HIT, 28 SB, 6 GWG
Playoffs: 4 GP, 1 G, 2 A, 3 PTS, -2, 24 SOG, 14 PIM, 19 HIT, 2 SB, 0 GWG

However, Jameson would come back with a vengeance in S92, finding himself back up over the 100-point mark with a 42 goal, 103 point campaign. That marked a top-5 finish in league scoring for the third time in four seasons, an achievement that helped Prague get back into the playoff picture. With 61 assists, Jameson actually shifted a little bit towards the playmaker role in his penultimate VHL season. In a post-season wildcard matchup against the London United, Prague found themselves on the wrong end of a hot team with an even hotter goalie. Stymied by Jesse Teno, Jameson was held to 3 points in a 4-game series as Prague was eliminated. London would go on to a memorable run that ended in a game-7 loss of the Continental Cup finals.

S93 - VHL - Prague
72 GP, 47 G, 80 A, 127 PTS, +53, 466 SOG, 187 PIM, 250 HIT, 63 SB, 8 GWG
Playoffs: 5 GP, 2 G, 4 A, 6 PTS, +0, 32 SOG, 14 PIM, 25 HIT, 3 SB, 0 GWG

With one final season left to leave a VHL legacy, Jameson put together his finest work yet. Prague added superstar defenseman Skor McFleury over the off-season and his ability to lead the breakout catalyzed the Prague offense. Jameson put up career highs with 80 assists and 127 points, leading the league in both categories to grab the Beketov and Szatkowski trophies. His 250 hits and +53 rating helped him capture his second Boulet trophy, as well. His longtime linemate Kauppi - also in his final season - recorded his career-best season with 57 goals and 117 points as well as Prague proved to have a nearly-unstoppable offense. Though they finished third in the EU, it was an incredibly-tight race with four of the league’s six best teams coming out of Europe, and expectations were high for one final playoff run. But it wasn’t meant to be - the Phantoms ran into Jesse Teno once again and for the second year in a row, he stymied them. Held to just 11 goals in a 5-game series, the Phantoms bowed out to London 4 games to 1, and Jameson’s career came to an end.

VHL Career Totals
576 GP, 328 G, 433 A, 761 PTS, +262, 3622 SOG, 1097 PIM, 1821 HIT, 277 SB, 59 GWG
Playoffs: 66 GP, 29 G, 45 A, 74 PTS, +13, 424 SOG, 97 PIM, 228 HIT, 19 SB, 2 GWG

Jameson was always supposed to be a special player, and he lived up to his billing in every way. He was a dominant physical force, an elite goalscorer, and later in his career developed an exceptional playmaking touch, too. With four 100-point seasons, four top-5 finishes in points, six straight seasons in the top-8 in goal scoring, and five straight seasons over 240 hits, there was really nothing that Jameson couldn’t do. He spent his entire career in Prague, and sits atop the franchise leaderboards in pretty much every category: goals, assists, points, +/-, PIM, hits, shots, and GWG. His number 19 was immediately retired by the Phantoms, and he was a shoo-in for first-ballot induction into the Hall of Fame, with the fifth-most goals and third-most points recorded in the VHL’s Hybrid Era.