Jess Jones is a Canadian-born women's ice hockey player. Jones was a member of the Canadian U18 national women's team that competed at the inaugural IIHF U18 Women's Worlds. She was selected to compete in the 2017 CWHL All-Star Game, the third All-Star Game in her CWHL career.
Playing career
Hockey Canada
Jones was a member of the Team Ontario Red squad that captured its fourth consecutive gold medal at the 2007 Canadian U18 national women's ice hockey championships. With Canada's U18 national women's team, Jones would gain three points in a 17-0 win against Finland on January 9, 2008. Two of her teammates from Team Canada's U18 roster in 2008 would one day be teammates with the Brampton Thunder; Laura McIntosh and Laura Fortino.
NCAA
Having played with the Mercyhurst Lakers from 2008 to 2012, Jones appeared in 138 games, while amassing 154 points. In her senior season, she logged a career-best 48 points, complemented by six power play goals.
Europe
After graduating from Mercyhurst, Jones opted to play in the EWHL, suiting up for Pantera Minsk, a women's hockey team from Belarus. Of note, she was the only Canadian on the roster. Finishing the season as the team's leading scorer, she logged 53 points in just 19 games played. That season, Jones and her teammates would compete in the EWHL Supercup, where she logged eight points as Pantera Minsk won their first-ever championship in the Elite Women's Hockey League.
CWHL
Jones was selected in the first round, third overall by the Brampton Thunder in the 2013 CWHL Draft. In her first season, Jones logged nine points in 23 games played. She would make her CWHL debut with the Brampton Thunder on November 2, 2013 against the Boston Blades. The following day, Jones would score her first CWHL goal in a rematch with the Blades. Lindsey Vine and Sarah Moe earned the assists, scoring the milestone goal against Brittany Ott. Her first multi-point game would take place on February 8, 2014 against the Montreal Stars. In the aftermath of the 2014-15 campaign, Jones was the leading scorer for the Thunder with 16 points, finishing one point ahead of Laura Fortino for the lead. During 2014-15, Jones would score the first game-winning goal of her career. Achieving the feat on November 15, 2014 against the Montreal Stars, Jones scored a power play goal in the second period for what stood as the game winner. Assists were credited to Jennifer Kirk and Dania Simmonds, while Charline Labonte allowed said goal. In addition, she was among the competitors at the 1st Canadian Women's Hockey League All-Star Game, contested at Toronto's Air Canada Centre. At the 3rd CWHL All-Star Game, Jones and Jillian Saulnier both scored a hat trick, becoming the first competitors in CWHL All-Star Game history to achieve the feat. By the end of the 2016-17 CWHL season, Jones would tie Marie-Philip Poulin in the scoring race with 37 points, gaining a share of the Angela James Bowl. Statistically, her finest performance was a five-point effort in a January 21, 2017road game against the Boston Blades, which saw the Thunder prevail by an 8-0 margin. Of note, Jones scored a goal in each period, and would log assists on a first period goal by Rebecca Vint and one in the second period on Laura Fortino's fourth goal of the season.
