CJ Jackson, a PWHL fan favorite, chats with TOGETHXR about their hockey journey, what it's like to be part of an expansion franchise, and their interesting summer side quest. 

TOGETHXR: Congratulations on signing with Seattle this offseason! Was there anything specific that pushed you to sign with Torrent?

CJ Jackson: I've done a lot of personal or self-investment, self-awareness practices — really diving into my spirituality and how I want to express myself in the world. That came at a time when there were decisions to be made about where I was going to play next, and everything that I had received from Seattle — in terms of being a fan of the game, obviously being a player, free agent, trying to find the best place to play and then all the conversations around the league with staff and players and everything — was just kind of pointing me in the direction of Seattle. The biggest thing was a gut feeling. Now that I'm here, it's pretty unbelievable. There have been all these parallels that have affirmed that gut check... that I'm in the right place at the right time. I just have a perspective of gratitude and purpose, getting to be here.

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TOGETHXR: With an expansion team, every single aspect is new — team branding, coaches, teammates, and a new city to explore. What part of the process has been the most fun for you since you arrived?

CJ Jackson: Learning from people around me. There are a lot of players on this team that are new to the league, but there's also a handful of players from teams that I've played against for a very long time. As a nerd of the game, I just love that. I get to learn from these people, and I think that's a really special experience as an athlete. I've only played with two of my current Seattle teammates, so that's another 24-26 pros I get to be a sponge around for the first time. That has been one of the most exciting things.

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I'd say the second thing is how we've been so welcomed by the community. Anybody who has interacted with us has been open-armed. I've never felt such a sense of belonging so early — and change is hard. So having those interactions that make you feel like you belong makes the transition a lot easier.

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TOGETHXR: Practice and preseason are just getting started. It's early, but how are things going? What is the Torrent doing on the team bonding front to get the chemistry going? Are you guys going to coffee or hanging out? What are the vibes like?

CJ Jackson: We had a fashion show earlier. It was beautiful, and it was great because I got to walk around and look at all the airplanes during the intermission, which was really cool.

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One of my teammates, Mariah Keopple, is a designer, and she had her whole line in this show. A good bunch of us got to go. I was fortunate enough to get on the mic and give her some love. What a  precious opportunity to spread some compassion for your friend, right? She was awesome. It was amazing. It was a fun experience. Walk-ins and fashion have become such a staple in all sports, especially in women's sports, and it just shows how powerful expression is.

TOGETHXR: We love tunnel fits, and agree that fashion is a huge part of women's sports now. Are you picking your tunnel fits yourself? Do you put a lot of thought into it, or is it dependent on what you're feeling that day? Walk us through how that works for you.

CJ Jackson: When I'm trying to think of something to wear, I tell myself, just wear what you feel cool in. Sometimes that's a suit, sometimes that's highlighting a specific piece — that's kind of my general vibe. There are definitely a few games in the year where I put more investment into them; maybe I'll hire a designer, a queer artist, or somebody to highlight, to make something for me, and then I can give that back by giving some spotlight. I've gotten to work with some really amazing individuals. For me, it just goes back to expression. I think expression is so powerful, and being who you are is so powerful. To feel cool in how you show up in the world — there's no better way to walk into a game.

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TOGETHXR: If you had to choose one word to describe your feelings about this upcoming season, what would it be?

CJ Jackson: Receptive. I feel very receptive to everything this year will bring, and I’m excited to contribute to making a positive impact on our city and the league.

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TOGETHXR: This past offseason, you acted in fellow hockey player Harrison Brown's short film, which premiered at TIFF. Had you acted prior to the short film? Is that something you were actively seeking out? What was that experience like for you?

CJ Jackson: Actually, it was the opposite. I've never done anything in acting or in theater. The closest thing would have been band, and that's not the same. I might have been a tree once in elementary school. But yeah, what a privilege to be part of that film and to play the younger version of the character, essentially Harrison. It's based on his life. I grew up, in my early 20s, following his story, and he opened so many doors for me to accept myself as I am. Our gender journey isn't the same, but he has meant so much to me, so to be able to work alongside him and get to play that character, to play Scotty, was such a fulfilling experience. I loved it. I loved every minute. It's been so fun, and I'm really excited for it to become accessible to people. It's such a great story; it's authentic, it’s hopeful. It was a real privilege.

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TOGETHXR: Did you get bitten by the acting bug? Can we expect to see CJ acting more? 

CJ Jackson: I enjoyed it a lot, and I would do it again. Right now, I'm a hockey player, living the dream. I am going to get every single drop of love that I can out of that experience, and if acting happens to run alongside that, then that's great. If it doesn't, that's okay, too. I've been dabbling a bit more in some other projects, and they're very early, but I'm still very excited to be a part of some stuff in the works.

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TOGETHXR: Which celebrity would you like to see pull up to a Torrent match?

CJ Jackson: Oh, Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe. Easy. We've got to get the GOATs in the building.

TOGETHXR: The PWHL is huge and has had such an amazing story of growth in just a few short years, with the Takeover Tour, expansions, attendance records, and more. How does it feel to be part of a league that's at the forefront of not only women's sports, but sports as a whole?

CJ Jackson: I’m at a place of gratitude, to be honest. I've loved getting to chase hockey and to be a hockey player — walk the walk, talk the talk. The explosion of people, investment, and just fans loving the game, loving to watch, and loving to be there — that's been something bigger than the game. The energy and the love that we receive are bigger than the game. It's so powerful to make a positive impact on the world and be a part of that puzzle. I'm just trying to soak up as much as I possibly can, make as big an impact as I can while I'm here, and then have as much fun as I possibly can along the way.

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TOGETHXR: Hockey players have to wear so much gear, and we have a lot of questions about it. How do you transport so much equipment? Where do you store all of it? Are hockey players the stinkiest athletes? 

CJ Jackson: I'm a big gearhead, and I take really great care of my gear — so, this is actually a great question. I think hockey has a particular smell, but I don't think it's the stinkiest of all sports. It's so hard to keep it dry, especially with all the travel. Hang it up, of course. I believe that how it dries shapes it, so I always put my stuff on hangers and try to make it look as big as possible to fill space. Then you just have to wash it every day. There's nothing better than laying your gear out in the sunshine on a grassy lawn, driveway, or deck. It's the best thing.

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TOGETHXR: Tell us more about being a gearhead. Goaltenders have more options to design around — how often are you getting new equipment or different designs? Is there anything you already have for this season that you're excited to debut? 

CJ Jackson: Goaltending in hockey is so unique because you get such a canvas to express yourself more than any other sport. We get to design all of our pads, and our helmets are these really personal pieces (if you want them to be). I love looking back at my past sets and reminiscing because they tell a story about who I was at the time. I used to be such a dark-base-gear person, where I'd always have lots of colors and be pretty flashy. Now I've kind of gone to the minimalist look, and I’m more into the details. 

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My pads this year are mostly white, with all three of our team colors somewhere on them. Some are a little harder to see than others. I love that detail. My mask design has this old, medieval knight shield and helmet. I have some Seattle pieces on it, and then on my back plate, I've always been able to do something personal. I’ve had photos of places that are meaningful to me in some way. 

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My dad is this lumberjack type of guy, and in one of his jobs, he traded for a rowboat. It was pretty awesome. My childhood cat passed away this past spring, and so he named the rowboat the HMS Maggie, and that was her name, and I got a painting of it on the back plate. 

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Then, right before I came [to Seattle], my first adopted cat, Fiona, also passed, which was... pretty heavy, but emotional and important. So, I actually texted my painter a couple of weeks ago and I was like, "Hey, can we change that little writing on the back of this boat? Can we change it to the HMS Fiona Margaret?” I think that stuff is so cool. When else do you get to do that? Super meaningful.

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TOGETHXR: What is the secret to being a good goal goalkeeper?

CJ Jackson: Always learning. Always learning when we can receive experiences — like, this is helping me gain experience, or this is helping me in some way that I don't need yet to understand. There's part of me that is like, I want to have an impact on the game, right? I want to be able to steal a game for my team every once in a while. I want to show up, perform night in and night out, and make a big difference. 

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A lot of times, that isn't actually what it is. It's doing your job and maintaining a presence that your team can trust back there. It’s a simple, less-is-more type of way. I try to have a mentality of receiving everything as an exciting experience — I think it gets rid of all the extra stuff that creates anxiety and fear. When you have a perspective of gratitude and purpose...it's like the best place in the whole world. 

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TOGETHXR: What’s your message for Seattleites who haven't been interested in hockey? What can they expect from this team?

CJ Jackson: They should definitely come to our home opener on November 28th at Climate Pledge Arena. The space around women's sports and women's hockey is one you'd like to be part of. I'm obviously biased, but I would very much recommend coming to a game. If there's anything I could say about it, it's all heart. The internal motivation of the people who have contributed to this league is front and center, and I think if you come, you'll want to come back. You’ve just got to see it with your own eyes. So I dare you — I dare you to come to one of our games.