BUFFALO – At 30, an advanced age in which a hockey player is often past his prime, center Mason Jobst sees the door to the NHL open a crack.
Jobst, you see, keeps getting better. Over the past three years, he has jumped from 15 to 38 to 50 points. He just enjoyed a career season, tying Isak Rosen for the Rochester Americans’ lead in points and scoring 22 goals, the AHL team’s second-highest total.
The Sabres took notice, signing him to a one-year, two-way contract worth $350,000 in the minors, according to Puckpedia.com. For the first time since his entry-level contract expired, he has an NHL deal.
That, of course, means the 5-foot-8, 185-pound Jobst could earn his first recall. While prospects like Rosen and Jiri Kulich rank well ahead of him on the depth chart, it’s not crazy to think he can play regular-season games for the Sabres.
Jobst’s NHL dream has possibly never been more alive. The Indiana native told the Times Herald the contract he signed July 3 represents his “never-quit attitude.”
“Just a kind of belief in myself because, obviously, everyone says, ‘Oh, you’re too old. You’re not a prospect anymore. You’re never gonna play,’” Jobst said following Wednesday’s practice in KeyBank Center. “But for me, I’m just like internally driven to prove to myself that I can make it to the highest level. Like, I truly believe that.”
Jobst said he possessed “a glimmer of hope, just a spark inside” he would ink another two-way deal.
“I couldn’t tell you how happy me and my family were just to get it, yeah, just for the opportunity,” he said. “It doesn’t mean anything. It’s the opportunity to be there.”
Most of the players who will comprise the Sabres’ regular-season roster are in Europe to play an exhibition game and begin the 2024-25 campaign, so Jobst has a terrific opportunity with the team’s B group in training camp.
He skated more than 18 minutes in Tuesday’s 3-2 preseason road win over the Pittsburgh Penguins. He could play again in tonight’s road contest against the Ottawa Senators.
Beyond Jobst’s natural talent, the chip he proudly carries on his shoulder – “That’s just kind of who I am as a person,” he said – and a willingness to work at his craft has buoyed his career.
“One of my best skill sets is the skill of getting better itself,” said Jobst, who recorded 164 points in 150 games during his career at Ohio State. “I think a lot of people just say, ‘Oh, the average person kind of dies out around 30 and they’ve already peaked in their prime.’ But … I come back like every year just a little bit better.”
That explains why Jobst has consistently improved. He dissects his game and targets areas to work on throughout the summer.
After the two-year, entry-level contract he signed with the New York Islanders expired in 2021, he found an AHL deal with Rochester. The Amerks traded him to the San Jose Barracuda late in 2021-22, then brought him back months later.
As 2022-23 progressed, he morphed into a top scoring threat. During Rochester’s 14-game run in the Calder Cup Playoffs, he registered 13 points, tying him for the team lead.
During the summer of 2023, Jobst worked on his vision and what he called “brain training” to speed up his decision-making with Satoshi Takano, a cognitive development coach and professor in Toronto.
“You got to find an edge somehow,” he said. “Like, everyone’s skating, everyone’s working out. But like where are you? What are you doing to separate yourself?”
Last season, he caught fire after slow start cost him ice time – “Maybe the couple of the meetings we had with him during the first part of the year really helped him,” Amerks assistant coach Vinny Prospal said – and set careers highs across the board.
He spent this past summer training in Nashville because his girlfriend is attending law school at Belmont University. He often shared the ice with some notable members of the Predators, doing skill work alongside Filip Forsberg, Roman Josi, Jonathan Marchessault, former Sabres star Ryan O’Reilly and Steven Stamkos.
Jobst often focused on honing his one-timer, taking about 5,000 shots.
“I always go back and watch previous year, all my scoring chances, areas that I could’ve had a better chance of scoring, where could I get open more, how can I find like open ice?” he said. “I just think that my one-timer had been a little bit average throughout my whole career.”
The on-ice success has infused Jobst with confidence.
“Go from believing no chance I make it to the NHL over to like there’s a glimmer of hope,” he said. “Maybe I am good enough to play a little bit, get my foot in the door.”
Great story… Wish him the best!