Jackson Crowder’s first season after being drafted by the Washington Capitals turned into the kind of year that gets attention fast.
The 2025 fifth-round pick was selected during a television commercial, then went to work on a post-draft campaign that showed a lot more than just scoring touch. After getting comfortable in the USHL, Crowder used the year to sharpen his game, and the results were hard to miss: 20 goals, 26 assists and 46 points in 45 games.
“Coming into my second year, playing more, having great (coaches)helped me a lot, so I think the confidence part of that helped,” Crowder said. “I worked really hard and got bigger, stronger, faster...I think from last year to this year, a lot of changes I made, I feel a lot more comfortable out there.”
That comfort showed up in more than the box score. The Texas native said he added seven pounds of muscle, improved his skating and worked to bring more physicality into his game without losing the consistency that made his offense pop.
“I try to have physicality and skill,” Crowder said, adding, “Adding those two is a rare combination.”
That edge helped produce one of the year’s most talked-about moments in March, when Crowder dropped the gloves with Brody Berard in a heavyweight fight that lasted a while and turned into a viral clip. The two traded haymakers, and Crowder said he knew right away it might catch fire online.
“I knew when I was in it, this one may be posted somewhere... it was a good fight,” he laughed. “I saw the clips and was like, 'Wow, that's pretty cool.' That was nice.”
His parents, though, had a different reaction from the stands.
“It’s fun,” he cracked, noting, “My parents don’t love it.”
Crowder is leaning into that hard-nosed side of his game, hoping it helps him keep building toward his entry-level contract. But he also knows the next step will take more than just toughness.
He’ll head to Ohio State in the NCAA this coming season, with a chance to keep expanding his game while continuing to make life miserable for opponents.
“Now, physicality is not just fighting,” Crowder pointed out. “It's hitting, it's being hard to play against. It's my goal: to be a pest out there.”
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