3
4
5
“IF IT COULD NOT APPEAR
IN A MAGAZINE,
IT'S NOT A GOOD SHOT."
Whether it’s his �irst goal or third goal of
the night, you’re right there along with
him. I’m very grateful to share those
experiences with players, and then with
the fans through my lens.”
You may be thinking at this point that it’s
all glamour and action getting to be up
close and personal with the best players
on the planet, but make no mistake about
it, being an of�icial NHL photographer is
hard work. In addition to 12-plus hour
game days, which includes digital editing
into the wee hours, the shifts have Kozub
hustling all over Bell MTS Place, hauling
heavy cameras and equipment with very
little time to rest, all while having to
maintain a high degree of creativity
and stamina.
Of the thousands of images Kozub has
taken over the years, he says the one of
Ondrej Pavelec during the Jets �irst playoff
game in 2015 stands out as one of the
most memorable. “I almost didn’t get it,”
laughs Kozub with his trademark ear-to-
ear smile. “I had to run from one end of the
arena to the other, over a bench and across
the ice with seconds to spare.” And, just
when you think his grin couldn’t get any
bigger. “But, I got the shot.”
And even on the days the Jets lose, Kozub
says there’s always a winner. “Every game,
there is at least one image that emerges to
tell the story of the game.”
Photo Captions by Jonathan Kozub:
1. 2016 WINNIPEG JETS HERITAGE CLASSIC PROMO PHOTO
SHOOT: This is one of my all-time favourite shots.
We had a top-secret photo shoot with Mark Scheifele wearing
the Heritage Classic Jets jerseys. There was so much fog from
the smoke machine that you couldn't see across the centre
line. The result was so striking and the fresh new jersey just
popped right out.
2. MAY 13, 2005: Jesse Schultz #22 of the Manitoba Moose. This
shot is nothing but pure emotion. This goal would kickstart
a 5-2 victory for the Moose sending them to the conference
finals. MTS Centre was rocking that night.
3. BOB COLE: A couple years back I captured Bob Cole at work
in his off ice - the press box. This past October 2016, I was
honoured to have him use this photo on the cover of his
autobiography.
4. APRIL 20, 2015: The Jets bench prior to the start of the first
Jets playoff home game in 19 years. I love this photo because
every face has a diff erent emotion. There are players and fans
with smiles, tears and others just caught up in the moment.
5. OCTOBER 6, 2013: I used a fisheye lens to make it appear
as though he is standing alone on the blueline. This shot
eff ectively puts him at the centre of the stage, how fitting for
his last game in the city he started in.