Flying Dust First Nation's Jon Mirasty is set to make his television series debut in 'Shoresy', a 'Letterkenny' spin-off. (Twitter/@JonMirasty)

By Elliott Knopp

FDFN Shoresy

Flying Dust First Nation man to appear on Letterkenny spin-off

Nov 2, 2021 | 2:33 PM

A local hometown icon is set to take his talents from the rink to the camera as he embarks on a new challenge and career path.

Jon Mirasty, a former ice hockey player born and raised in Flying Dust First Nation, is preparing to make his acting debut later this year as a part of a spin-off to a widely-recognized Canadian television show.

Shoresy, a spin-off to the award-winning TV series Letterkenny, will feature Mirasty throughout the show as a character named Jim.

While the details of his role have not been made public, Mirasty is expected to travel to Sudbury, Ont. where he will remain on set for several weeks while the show is in the shooting phase of production.

In an interview with meadowlakeNOW, Mirasty said he was approached by a producer who had followed him throughout his hockey career and in various podcasts.

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“To be honest, I had never even heard of Letterkenny,” he said. “I’m not much of a TV guy or anything like that.”

After receiving an email with the idea of being on the show, the two would continue the discussion which would ultimately result in Mirasty being brought on board for the show’s inaugural season.

While primarily known for his time as an enforcer in the Western Hockey League, Kontinental Hockey League and American Hockey League, Mirasty doesn’t make his debut without at least some experience in front of the camera. He shared he used to make appearances in some video projects on the rare occasion.

However, he also mentioned activities like drama and other performative arts were not important to him when he was in high school as his focus was on the ice.

“I was the guy that hated drama, so in a way, it’s kind of weird and different for me. I guess you could say I was an entertainer when I played hockey. I was going out and about and shooting commercials and stuff for the hockey team, so it might be a little familiar.”

Mirasty’s appearance on TV comes at a time where Indigenous representation in the arts is seemingly seeing an increase.

With the success Reservation Dogs earning the attention of users on social media platforms, especially TikTok, Mirasty said he hopes this experience will help inspire Indigenous youth to feel pride in their community and strive to accomplish ambitious goals.

“It’s good for our youth, especially in Flying Dust, to see that we can go and do stuff like this,” he said.

“I’m actually getting older and past my prime, so it just goes to show that even at my age, you can still grow, accomplish things and make a mark.”

Shoresy is set to debut on Crave in 2022.

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elliott.knopp@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @ElliottKnopp