Kiefer Sherwood is fueled by fire every night when he steps on the ice for the Vancouver Canucks.
It’s obvious to anyone who’s seen a Canucks game this season. Sherwood’s physicality, grit and even goals have made him a fan favourite in Vancouver. He has always had that fire and passion and it still fuels him every day. After all, it led him to the National Hockey League.
Sherwood’s road to the NHL wasn’t conventional. He went undrafted and signed with the Anaheim Ducks as a free agent in March 2018. He signed 10 days before his 22nd birthday when he was a junior at Miami University.
“That was always the goal and the dream,” said Sherwood reflecting on his college days and his determination to play in the NHL. “I knew that I was a late bloomer, so I was going to need those extra years.”
In three seasons with the Miami University RedHawks, Sherwood scored 86 points in 106 NCAA games. The Columbus, Ohio native had been the subject of interest from NHL teams before his junior year but he felt that more college hockey was better for his development.
“I was a big believer that I’d rather overdevelop and I felt like there was still some growth that I could gain from in college,” he said. “I wanted to be patient and I felt like, after my junior year, I was ready.”
On October 4, 2018, Sherwood made his NHL debut for the Ducks and managed to get an assist in a 5-2 win over the San Jose Sharks.
However, it was tough for the winger to stay in the NHL. With the Ducks, and later, the Colorado Avalanche and the Nashville Predators, Sherwood was constantly going up and down from the NHL and the AHL like he was in an elevator.
“It’s very tough mentally more than anything,” said Sherwood on what it is like for a player to be sent down. “You always want a shot, but throughout it all, I just try to continue to grow my game in different areas and try to continue to build my game. I had to figure out how it was going to stick and what I needed to do to be consistent in the NHL.”
Being sent down to the minors constantly was tough. But despite some doubts, Sherwood didn’t let the setbacks get to him.
“I think that’s where you’ve got to override your mind and just double down on yourself and your work even more,” he said reflecting on the tough days. “ I always believed in myself and I was just trying to earn my opportunity… and it took a lot of time, but I finally got that in Nashville.”
Sherwood was a goal scorer during his days in the AHL. He managed 172 points which included 92 goals in his years in the minors. But he knew that wasn’t enough for him to stay in the NHL. So Sherwood added to his arsenal by developing physicality to his game.
“The physicality in the hits probably comes more from the work and the edge that I try to play with,” he said. “ I try to play with that fire and bring that every night. I grew up obviously as a goal scorer and an offensive guy, but I understood a little later I’m not going to be that guy in the NHL. So I had to adapt my game and figure out how I’m going to crack it and where my value is.”
Sherwood finally proved his worth and became an NHL regular with the Predators in the 2023-24 season. By this time, he was in his late 20s and it had been over five years since he made his NHL debut.
The feisty winger even got his first taste of the Stanley Cup Playoffs which so happened to be in a first-round series against Vancouver. In those six games against them, Sherwood learned what his identity as a player was.
“Being hard to play against, that’s why the team brought me here” said Sherwood on his playoff experience in 2024. “I just try to be hard to play against. Whether that’s mentally, verbally, or physically, it’s something that I’ve come to embody. That’s my identity that I need to bring every night.”
A big part of Sherwood’s identity and his path to the NHL is heritage. Through his mother Yuko, Sherwood is half-Japanese. While he doesn’t often think about the impact outside the rink, he is proud of being one of the few players of Asian descent to play in the NHL.
“It’s pretty special,” said Sherwood. “I’m lucky to be a part of the game, but it’s more so about the growth of the game and growing the game in different aspects. I think that’s part of our job as players, to try to grow the game. It’s such a beautiful game and it brings people together. The city has something special here with their fan base and their passion.”
One of Sherwood’s favourite players growing up was Paul Kariya. Like Sherwood, the former Anaheim Duck was of Japanese heritage.
“He was the guy,” he said with a smile. “My mom always liked watching him. I watched another Japanese player growing up and tried to aspire to that. I guess as you get older, you realize how special he really was.”
Even during the toughest times, Sherwood always kept battling, both on and off the ice. While his journey wasn’t linear, it was defined by resilience, adaptability, learning and pride in his roots.
“Keep building that fire, I think the fire for me is something that I’ve had to grow and understand,” said Sherwood on his advice to young hockey players trying to make the NHL. “That fire you can take each day, you’ve got to find fuel.”
Whether laying out big hits, scoring goals or helping grow the game, Sherwood embodies the passion that helps bring hockey people together. His path is a reminder that setbacks can fuel the ember of failure into an inferno of success.
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