First arriving in Belfast from Canadian side Kelowna Rockets in the 2016/17 season, Whistle has since played over 150 games in all competitions across five spells with the Giants. The 28-year-old has also previously iced for fellow Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL) sides, Sheffield Steelers and Nottingham Panthers, accruing an additional 78 games to his tally.
Son of inaugural Belfast Giants Head Coach, Dave Whistle, the dual-national – originally from British Columbia in Canada – is no stranger to Belfast or The SSE Arena, Belfast, having spent a portion of his childhood in Northern Ireland while his father led the Giants between 2000 and 2003.
It was no surprise that Jackson made the move across the Atlantic in his first-year pro, after a junior career spent mostly with his hometown Kelowna Rockets in the WHL. Whistle helped the Rockets to an Ed Chynoweth Cup in 2014-15, taking his side all the way to OT in the prestigious Memorial Cup final against the eventual Champion Oshawa Generals.
After two seasons as a Giant, Whistle spent time with the Sheffield Steelers and Nottingham Panthers between 2018-21, winning the EIHL’s Streaming Series as a Panther during the COVID-19 shutdown whilst being named Best Goaltender, Best SVS%, Best GAA and an All-Star.
But the call of his ‘second home’ proved too strong and Whistle returned to Belfast in 2021-22 to help the Giants to an EIHL League and Cup double and again in 2022-23 where he played a key role in helping the Giants secure the first domestic treble – Challenge Cup, Elite League, and Elite League Playoffs, in the club’s history.
During the 2023/24 season, Jackson recorded an impressive .926 goals against average across 21 EIHL regular season games, playing an integral role in helping the Giants reach the Playoff Finals Weekend at the Motorpoint Arena in Nottingham.
The EIHL remains a family business to the Whistles- Jackson’s brother Brandon is a Sheffield Steelers Centreman and his father Dave previously spent time with the Nottingham Panthers. Elsewhere, his Uncle Rob played 51 NHL games in the mid to late 1980s for the St Louis Blues and New York Rangers.
Date Of Birth 09/06/1995
Height 6'1"
Hometown Kelowna, BC, Canada
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