Focus and determination are what forward Kiefer Sherwood has held strong to throughout his hockey career.
As a native of Columbus, Ohio he grew up loving the game and now finds himself on his second one-year deal with the Nashville Predators. He was an undrafted free agent after three seasons of college hockey at Miami University in Ohio where he played 106 games and scored 86 points.
However, it all started when he joined the Ohio AAA Blue Jackets playing under president and coach Ed Gingher.
“I think he started in our program when he was probably 10 years old so we got to see him grow up,” Gingher said. “In his younger ages, you could see the skating and skill but he was always undersized. When checking started you wondered how he would transition and you realized his determination and will were going to get him to high levels.”
Kiefer Sherwood and Juuse Saros celebrate a win over the San Jose Sharks. Photo courtesy of John Russell.
Once Kiefer got to his U-18 team in the program that’s where he set himself apart from the rest of the competition. That drive and unrelenting determination carried Sherwood to new heights before he went to the United States Hockey League for three years playing 124 games for the Youngstown Phantoms.
Gingher put together the AAA Blue Jackets at a time when the NHL’s Columbus Blue Jackets came around in 2000 for their first season, a few short years later his program was going full steam.
“He was very instrumental in not just me but all the guys that come out of Columbus,” Sherwood said of Gingher. “He was at the forefront of putting together the program and once we got older he was able to help us get ready not only on the ice but off the ice. I’m a big advocate of the program because it really helps guys develop their game and gets us ready. For it to be relatively pretty new Columbus has started producing more and more guys and it’s exciting.”
Fast forward to Sherwood’s recruitment to Miami where he would play as a Redhawk. Former head coach of the program Rico Blasi had a good relationship with Gingher and the connection was vital to help assist in bringing talent to campus.
Prior to going to the USHL Sherwood committed to play college hockey at Blasi’s program as a Redhawk.
Sherwood played with forwards — current NHLers in Columbus — Sean Kuraly and Jack Roslovic for the first season in the 2015-16 campaign. The trio — all products of Ohio — played with the AAA program before going to the next level and then rising to the professional ranks.
“That was a special year, we played together for maybe half of that season,” Sherwood said of his former college teammates. “My only thing would be maybe they should have put us together earlier, no, it was great and we were able to find chemistry quickly. We’re all different players but we were able to complement each other and we had success as a line. It was a shame we weren’t able to go far with the team but yeah, those guys are special players.”
As a Redhawk Blasi was able to elevate Sherwood’s game to the next level. He would watch film with him and according to Sherwood, his coach was a father figure at times for the guys in the program.
Miami forward Kiefer Sherwood (photo by Cathy Lachmann).
“We always knew he was a very skilled player and had a great shot and could skate. He had all the intangibles and our job was to make sure he was doing that at a consistent basis,” Blasi said. “Understanding how to play the game at a high level. I always felt he had an opportunity to go really far in the game. It was going to be up to him how much work he put into it and his desire to play at the highest level. We help these guys become the best versions of themselves and that’s what we did with Kiefer.”
Sherwood said he came into college as a raw player and Blasi was able to help him harness and mature his abilities to reach a new level of play.
In his last two years as a Redhawk, Sherwood was second on the team in scoring and in his final season led the program in assists. Blasi moved Sherwood from center to winger interchangeably and could really fit in wherever he was needed.
“The fit into our culture and program,” Blasi said of having Sherwood join Miami. “He always had a good relationship with his teammates on the ice. He could shoot the puck and that’s what we brought him here to do but also enhance the rest of his game so it would translate to play at a high level.”
Blasi said Sherwood was a caring person on campus and looked out for his teammates and made sure they were taken care of.
“Even though he might not say that to them he was that kind of a guy,” Blasi said. “Kiefer was very driven so sometimes — not rub guys the wrong way — when there was a task was at hand he went at it no matter what and that gave him a lot of respect in the locker room too.”
Kole Sherwood is Kiefer’s brother and he too played growing up going down the same path. Being two years younger than Kiefer he opted to take his talent to Boston University but ultimately decommited.
Kole played three years in the Ontario Hockey League while signing with the Blue Jackets in 2015 attending training camp before going to the London Knights. He played in 154 American Hockey League games while skating in 12 NHL games as a member of the Blue Jackets and Predators.
He did not play last year and now lives in Florida where he started his own business.
“We keep in contact daily and he still gives me feedback on games and he’s very critical at times,” Kiefer chuckled as he talked about his brother. “We were able to help each other out at different points of our career and get through it with each other.”
This season Kiefer had his first career Gordie Howe hat trick against the San Jose Sharks and his former coaches didn’t hold back from how they felt about it.
“No, I didn’t think he’d be doing that,” Blasi said if it was a microcosm of how Sherwood plays. “He’s more of your goal scorer, creates turnovers, and has speed and a good stick. I don’t think you’re going to see him going that a lot.”
“It’s just a byproduct of how he’s playing. He’s got the goal and assist and let’s be honest there’s any hockey player that’s going to say I want the Gordie and Kiefer was in the same boat and found his,” Gingher said.
“It’s the way he has to play at the NHL level and it’s going to find him every once in a while… For him to be effective he’s going to stick his nose in any pressure situations and he goes for pucks so well. The way the NHL is played if you’re hitting them hard you’re probably going to have to answer the bell sometimes too.”
Sherwood salutes the crowd after a 5-1 win over the San Jose Sharks on Oct. 21, 2023.
Moving along Sherwood has a lot to offer for the new identity that head coach Andrew Brunette has implemented.
Going into a matchup against the Maple Leafs Sherwood has showcased each of his abilities, all of which his coaches have seen firsthand.
“What I would love to see is him earning more trust from the coaches,” Gingher said. “Find his way onto the penalty kill and then all of a sudden with the way he shoots the puck maybe there’s an opportunity on the powerplay with injuries. All of a sudden maybe that’s an opportunity that presents itself. His tools allow him to play all up and down the lineup which is a huge benefit to him.”
Whether he scores or not Gingher is confident in the way his former player executes out on the ice and will continue to as the NHL season progresses.
Sherwood went through each level without rushing himself. A lesson he would pass along to any young player.
“I knew I needed to develop and it’s better to dominate and be a big fish in a little pond than be a little fish in a big pond and I always remembered that,” Sherwood said. “I developed at my own pace and the three years of midget hockey was what really helped me grow. I was always a late developer and smaller. That 18-year-old year was a lot of fun and it has a lot of great memories.”
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