Get To Know: Allen Americans Captain Jason Deitsch

Captain Jason Deitsch warming up (Photo by www.ScenebyKimberly.com)

The Allen Americans have plenty of leaders and veterans on their team this season including newcomer Alec Martinez. But the one who wears the “C” for the Captain is Cincinnati, Ohio native Jason Deitsch who was named captain of the Allen Americans on February 12, 2012 and wears the “C” proudly as he is trying to lead the Americans, who are in first place with a record of 21-5-2 for 44 points, to win a championship. In the 28 games he has played so far this season, he has 13 points (3 goals, 10 assists).

Even head coach of the Allen Americans, Steve Martinson had nothing but great words spoken about his captain.

"“Well he’s captain last year. He’s competes really hard. He’s a big part of our number one penalty killing in the league and I think he’s doing a great job,” Martinson said about Deitsch being the captain of the Americans."

Learning from the interview when I recently caught with Deitsch, being a captain is nothing different and his experience with having winning a championship and being named MVP while playing with the Fort Worth Brahmas is very helpful in the long run when the Americans are in the playoffs this year. We even learned about his trade from Fort Worth to the Allen all the way to his experience with the Texas Tornado to why he first started playing hockey in the first place.

BlackoutDallas: You were traded from Fort Worth to Allen on August 23, 2011. What was your reaction to the trade?

Jason Deitsch: I kind of new it was coming so you know. I had spent three years in Fort Worth and it was time for a change and I knew a lot of people over here. I was just happy to make that change and happy to come across town and get a chance to play with the Allen Americans

BlackoutDallas: You won a championship & MVP in 2008-2009 with the Fort Worth Brahmas. How did that feel?

Deitsch:I won three championships in my pro career and winning a championship is no greater feeling. You battle day in and day out with the guys on your team and that’s the ultimate goal for every professional athlete and you try to win your last game of the season. To do that it is an amazing feeling and you know you the group of guys you win with is you will remember that forever and it’s a great feeling.

BlackoutDallas: You played with the Texas Tornado. How was that experience?

Deitsch: That was a long time ago but it was a great experience. You first heard about a junior team in Texas and my friends and my brothers, we kind of joked about it then me and my brother both ended up playing down here so it was kind of an interesting experience to come down here. We had to travel a lot. The closest game was 12 or 13 hours away in St. Louis or something like that. It was a great experience. We had a great team first couple of years and we battle a lot of adversity. We didn’t have a rink first year we came down here. Our locker room was in a trailer behind the Valley Ranch Arena and so it was a great experience to come down here to play.

BlackoutDallas: On February 2012, you were named Captain of the Americans. How did it feel to be the captain and being able to show the players what you can do?

Deitsch: It really doesn’t change anything that I do. You know I try to be the kind of player that leads by example. I try to work hard every shift, night in and night out. I say what needs to be said in the locker room. It’s a great accomplishment to be a captain of a team like this.  It’s such a great organization. It’s such a great team. It’s a big accomplish to be the captain of this team but I feel like I just do the same thing if I wasn’t the captain.

BlackoutDallas: What expectations do you have of yourself this season?

Deitsch: My expectations are just do whatever I can do and work hard, night in and night out and to help the team win and ultimately bring the cup down.

BlackoutDallas: How do you describe your style of play besides being a leader?

Deitsch: That’s a tough question. I mean my whole game is just kind of work hard and things happen after that. I just try to lead by example, play physical and work hard and you know things come after that.

BlackoutDallas: Do you see yourself going from the CHL to the NHL?

Dietsch: At this point no. You know a few years ago I played half a season in Houston of the AHL. You know I think my time is fast. I just love playing the game and love playing the game as long as I can.

BlackoutDallas: What have you being doing over the summer besides getting ready for the new season?

Deitsch:  Working and spending time with the wife and kids. Spending a lot of time with the family and really enjoyed it.

BlackoutDallas: You went to college at St. Norbert College in De Pere, WI. How was that experience?

Deitsch: That was a pretty good experience. It’s a division 3 hockey school and I didn’t know what to expect going in. The hockey was actually pretty good and it was a good four years. We had a very good team.

BlackoutDallas: What did you study?

Deitsch: I study business and administration.

BlackoutDallas: Growing up in West Cincinnati, how old were you when you played hockey?

Deitsch: I started skating when I was 3 and started playing hockey soon after that.

BlackoutDallas: Would you say that your parents were your biggest influence in your hockey career or was it someone else that got you into the sport?

Deitsch: No, my dad got us into the sport. I have a twin brother and two older brothers. My dad, he never played hockey when he was younger but he started playing in men’s league. He enjoyed it so much that he got us into it. You know he learned the game a lot and actually helped coach me and my brother who were younger so he was the biggest influence. You know he still is. The amount of time and effort he put into us playing when we were younger and he drove us to Indianapolis, two hours each way to practice and we’d get home at midnight, 1 o’clock, and 2 o’clock in the morning. He would get up at 4 o’clock to go to work and we had to get up to school just because that point the hockey was better there and ultimately ended up moving to Indianapolis.