The 2019-20 hockey season started in two different countries and leagues for Swift Current prospects Reed Jacobson and Mac Gross, but ended reunited on the Spokane Chiefs, with a special run closing their WHL rookie campaigns.

Jacobson's path was straight forward, as sights were set on the state of Washington from Day 1.

The former sixth-round selection (115th overall) in the 2017 Bantam Draft was on the opening day roster with the Chiefs, trying to get acclimated to a big jump in talent from Midget AAA to that of the Major Junior level.

"The start of the preseason right away you could tell the speed's higher and guys were smarter making smarter plays," Jacobson said. "It took me a little bit, but I think I adjusted decently quickly to the speed - got my feet moving, and just tried to make smart plays, hold onto the puck when I had to, and just make the best decisions out there that would benefit the team."

After dominating and earning large doses of ice time the past four years with the Bantam AA Broncos and Home Hardware Midget AAA Legionnaires in Swift Current, Jacobson spent the start of his WHL rookie season needing to impress in a much smaller role than he'd been accustomed to.

However, given his status, along with that of a veteran-heavy, and star-studded forward unit in Spokane, it was a role Jacobson knew he'd have to earn.

"We had a very veteran group and we were rolling there. I was having a not as important role on the team, definitely something that every rookie kind of goes through," he said. "Us rookies, we just took that in, learned from older guys, and just tried to stay after practice as much as we could and get better. When our time came in games, we made the most of it and just tried to do what we could out there to help the team."

As noted, the 17-year-old tore up Bantam AA with 67 goals and 134 points in 72 combined regular-season and playoff games over two years with Swift Current. Jacobson then spent the next two seasons recording 41 goals and 87 points in 91 total games with the Legionnaires.

After developing a knack for finding the back of the net, the soon-to-be 18-year-old (April 7) said it didn't take long to grip the stick a little tighter to open this year with Spokane.

"I was kind of getting a little frustrated up to that point. Coming into a new league, obviously you hope to make an impact right away, but sometimes that doesn't happen," Jacobson said.

However, that first-career WHL goal came in just his fifth-career game - October 12 at Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena against the Victoria Royals.

"To get that goal against Victoria, I've never felt more excited in my life. It felt like a weight was lifted off my shoulders, and I could just play my game, stick with it, and try to be the best that I could out there."

Leaning on, and picking the brains of fellow forwards like Adam Beckman, Eli Zummack, and Leif Mattson to name a few - and avoid listing half the roster - was also crucial for Jacobson's rhythm to be found as early as possible.

"It was huge - older guys like that that are experienced in the league and better players in the league. It's good to learn from them - you just try to soak up as much as you can and try and take different things from their game that you can probably implement into your game, and try to become a better player. It was very beneficial for me," he said.

Meanwhile, 1,013 kilometres away, Gross was opening his first junior season with the Kindersley Klippers in the Sask Junior Hockey League.

The defenseman was snagged in the third round (50th overall) by the Chiefs in that same draft, but opted for Junior A with the team that took him 64th overall in the sixth round of the SJHL Draft.

"I had a good summer of training, was really excited to go to Kindersley with a great coach and a great group of guys. I knew we were going to have a good chance. I was living with a good family, and everything was set up perfectly," he said.

With that short jaunt northwest of Swift Current to west central Sask came a hearty dose of ice time for the rookie blueliner.

"I got lots of opportunity with ice time, and I think I took advantage of it. I think my game just grew, and added some things to my repertoire that I didn't think I had before," said Gross, who felt he settled in quickly and nicely. "My offensive game just kind of took off a bit. Jumping in the play and using my speed and getting confidence was huge."

The stats showed just that for the 18-year-old. In 37 games with the Klippers, Gross had a goal and 10 points.

That first-half performance earned him a spot on Team West for the 2020 Canadian Junior Hockey League Prospects Game.

"It was really special. It was something I had targeted from the summer. It was a goal of mine and it was nice to achieve it," Gross said. "It would have been cool to go, just because it's such a prestigious event and lots of really good hockey players have played in that game."

Gross was set to attend the 15th-annual edition of the game on January 14, though chose over the Christmas break to shake things up and head south of the border for the second half - an idea that had been mulled over the past few months.

"I always thought of it, like I was thinking about it throughout the summer, but I felt just go to Kindersley, get lots of ice time, play lots, and if it works out there, great," he said. "But if I want to go to the CHL and play in the WHL, then I can - it was always a dream of mine to play in the WHL no matter what team. That was my thought process."

With the change of pace came just that - another jump in the speed of the game to get a feel for.

"And the skill. The skill there was really, really good," Gross added. "It wasn't as big of a jump as if I went Midget to WHL. It was a shorter step, but I adapted pretty quick I think."

Though, one of the best blueline units in the WHL awaited, meaning, as Jacobson had felt earlier in the year, minutes would need to be earned.

"I think that was a pretty tough thing for me. They logged some big minutes. It's tough, you've got to keep positive, stay in the game, and really just keep your confidence - you can't let that slip," Gross noted, in perhaps the biggest asset he learned while making the jump to the WHL.

"As soon as you don't have confidence, you make one bad play, and it sticks with you for a while. You're sitting on the bench just dreading it, and you don't want to make mistakes after that. At the very end of the regular season there I was just starting to get some confidence and let all my mistakes go to the back of my head and not think about it. I think I started to play a lot better, and the coaches noticed that too, and I started getting a little more ice time which was nice."

That process, again similar to that of Jacobson months prior, was aided by vets around him like former Swift Current Bronco Noah King and captain/World Junior Champion/NHL prospect Ty Smith to name a couple.

"What they do, how they handle themselves, how they communicate with others. Just how they come in day in, day out, just put their head down and work. They all have goals in where they want to go, and I think it just inspires me in what hard work can do and having a professional attitude can do," Gross said.

"I would often ask them questions and just pick their brain a little bit. They would help me with stuff I need that they see from the bench when I'm out there. I ask them like 'What did you see there?' - just stuff like that. It helps a ton. They think the game a different way. If I can just get some of their tools and just pick their brain, then it helps a lot."

The Chiefs, however, including Gross' first few games in the fold, sat at 19-12-4-1 and a ways back in the U.S. Division at the end of 2019.

The back-and-forth game continued into 2020, with just six wins in 11 games. But, after a 4-2 loss to the Kamloops Blazers on January 29, it was hard to find a hotter team in the WHL to close.

Spokane rattled off 16 wins in their final 17 games - including a 10-game winning streak that was still active when the season came to an early end. The energy the Chiefs rounded out the regular season with was as palpable as ever, even for the two southwest Sask rookies who didn't appear in the lineup on a nightly basis.

"Towards the end of the season there, we were feeling good," said Jacobson. "Every time you came to the rink for a game, in your mind you knew that we were going to win and you knew that guys were going to show up - the whole lineup - all four lines, all six D. Everyone was just accepting their role and playing it to the best of their ability. That's what I think helped us get those wins going into the final stretch of the season."

"Just coming in to play the best teams, I'm nervous just because it's my first year in the league and stuff," added Gross. "But then when you look around before the game, everybody's having fun, smiling, and you just get that feeling like 'It's over - we already won, we're going to win this game', just because that's how we were. We were so confident, we were so prepared and ready. It was something extremely special."

Though not in the lineup every night, they were a lock to log ice time in the third win of that 10-game streak to close, as Jacobson, Gross, and the Chiefs were up battling the Broncos February 21 at the Innovation Credit Union iPlex.

"The game in Swift Current when we were here was pretty surreal to play in front of the hometown crowd," said Jacobson. "It's something you dream about as a kid when you're watching the Broncos games. To play in Swift was definitely an experience I'll never forget. Just glad all the hard work paid off."

Jacobson had a goal and an assist in that 5-1 win.

The Chiefs finished the regular season at 41-18-4-1 - good for third place in both the U.S. Division and entire Western Conference, though of course won't be making a run deep into the post-season with the recent cancellation of the remainder of the CHL campaign.

Jacobson rounded out the season with four goals and 11 points in 50 games, and was named the team's 2019-20 Scholastic Player of the Year. Gross added an assist in 27 games as a Chief.

Looking ahead to improving in the 2020-21 season as WHL vets, the dose of local talent both have the prototypical off-season approach in mind.

"There's definitely a few areas I want to work on. Obviously strength is one of them - getting a little bigger so I can stay up with the strength of the bigger guys and older guys as well," said the 5-foot-9, 163-pound Jacobson. "On-ice, I want to make an impact more than I did this year, so being an older player coming in, trying to make smart plays, maybe carry the puck a bit more, and just be more confident overall in my ability with the puck."

"Continue to work on skills, get on the ice a little more in the summer. I think getting strong is a big thing for me. I'm a bigger guy, but I don't have that much weight on me right now," said Gross, who's 6-foot-2, 175 pounds. "I think just putting on some weight, getting stronger, just building up my confidence will just really help me out."

A couple days still remain in both players' mandatory 14-day quarantine upon their return back to Canadian soil.

Once that wraps up, the off-season grind officially begins for Jacobson and Gross, as they look to work their way towards building on the organization's two WHL Championships.