Random Thoughts On The Winnipeg Jets: Nov. 22

November 22, 2021 by

Mitch Kasprick is the “Motown Curmudgeon” aka “Motown Mitch”

Odds and Ends, Thoughts and Questions, from this past week in hockey –

Just so there’s no confusion when I’m spewing my bias, I am a fan of the Winnipeg Jets, Arizona Coyotes, Manitoba Moose, Winnipeg Ice, and all Team Canada Hockey teams.

I am NOT a fan of Gary Bettman or as I call him, Count Chocula.  I am a big believer in the 7Ps. You’ve been warned. 

1. Jets:  The Winnipeg Jets went 1-1-1 last week and improved their overall record to 9-4-4 on the season.  The Jets play at home Monday night versus the Penguins then head back on the road for 3 games this week (Columbus, Minny, and Calgary) with a back to backs on Friday/Saturday.  

2. Jets:  The highlight of last week’s games was the Jets’ 5-2 win over the Edmonton McWhiners and that win helped them finish their 7-game homestand with an impressive 5-1-1 record.  Any day we beat the Oilers is a good day in my books. 

3. Jets:  Are you kidding me?  FYI, these rankings came out on Tuesday so whatever happened after Tuesday’s 5-2 win over Edmonton is irrelevant.  As far as I’m concerned ESPN’s rankings are a joke and they have no credibility.  


4.  Jets:  I’m getting a little concerned about the number of two on ones the Jets are giving up because of Josh Morrissey’s ill-advised pinches.  Being aggressive in the offensive zone is part of the game now and every defenceman is going to get burned every once in a while but it’s becoming a regular thing with Josh. 

5. Jets:  It doesn’t matter what line Nikolaj “don’t call me Nik” Ehlers plays on, they automatically become a threat.  Ehlers is a line driver and isn’t linemate dependant like a lot of wingers in the NHL.  He is an outstanding puck handler and one of the NHL’s leaders in zone entries every season.         

6. Jets:  Regulars that visit here know how much I hate the NHL’s officiating and on Friday night in Vancouver they didn’t disappoint.  Winnipeg Jets never had one powerplay opportunity in a game where the Jets forwards were interfered with countless times in front of Thatcher Demko.  This league is such a joke.

7. Jets:  The Winnipeg Jets played 125 minutes of hockey in their home and home series with the Edmonton Oilers last week and only gave up THREE goals and only ONE at even strength.  Again, ONE at even strength.  Let that marinate for a bit.  The Jets came away with three points and probably should have taken four and looked very good doing so.  The scary thing is this team is not clicking on all cylinders and is still a work in progress.      

8. Jets:  If you want a good chuckle watch this. 

9. Jets:  Going into camp most Winnipeg Jets fans think this is the biggest talking point.  The concern seems to be waning in light of Eric Comrie’s play so far this season although I still need to see more and against some tougher competition BUT so far, so good.  We will probably run this poll for a couple more weeks before retiring it but the angst meter has started going a little more in Comrie’s favour.  His numbers are actually pretty good and he has played very well overall but I just don’t like small goalies.  He still scares me to death every start but that’s me.

Will Eric Comrie last the seaon as Jets back-up goalie?

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10. Jets:  I see the hate for Blake Wheeler has amped up again from the same vocal minority that has been on him for years.  Yes, the captain is off to a slow start but keep in mind he missed a handful of games due to Covid.  He probably isn’t a top-line right-winger anymore but he certainly isn’t ready for the rocking chair yet either.  One of his biggest strengths was running the #1 unit’s powerplay from the right half-wall but for some strange reason, Paul Maurice has him in the left goal-line bumper spot which is a complete waste of his passing ability.  I’ve also heard his detractors say he is too slow which is complete bullshit.  He is faster than Andrew Copp and nobody has ever accused Anze Kopitar of being slow although I’ve seen glaciers move faster.  The captain hasn’t been putting up points at his usual rate but it’s not from lack of chances.  I’m not ready to write him off yet.

11. Jets:  I really like the current configuration of the Jets’ third line right now.  Jansen Harkin, Adam Lowry, and Evgeny Svechnikov have a nice mix of skill and grind in their game and they spend a lot of time in the offensive end of the ice.  It seems like Lowry has to adapt to breaking in new linemates every season but he continues to be a beast and one of the Jets’ most reliable players.  We are lucky to have him.

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12. Ice:  The Winnipeg ICE won both of their road games last week and improved their overall record to 19-1-0 on the season.  Matt Savoie, Mike Milne, and Connor McClennon are one, two, three in the WHL’s scoring race.  The ICE are still the top-ranked team in the CHL.  It’s a great time to be a Winnipeg sports fan.   

CHL Top 10 for Week #7:

    • 1. Winnipeg ICE
    • 2. Everett Silvertips
    • 3. London Knights
    • 4. Kamloops Blazers
    • 5. Edmonton Oil Kings
    • 6. Sherbrooke Phoenix
    • 7. Charlottetown Islanders
    • 8. Ottawa 67’s
    • 9. Rimouski Oceanic
    • 10. Kingston Frontenacs

13. Moose:  The Manitoba Moose had a good week going 2-1-0-0 in their three-game series with the Milwaukee Admirals and now have an overall record of 9-6-1-0 and sit 5th in the Western Conference.  A fun fact about this team is that there are four defencemen in their top eight scorers.

14. Jets:  I hate the Winnipeg Jets penalty killing and I have for years. It is passive and basically relies on Connor Hellebuyck to stand on his head. This team’s PK has been hovering around the basement all season but yet the Jets AHL affiliate, the Manitoba Moose has the #1 PK in the AHL.  I don’t know who the Jets’ PK coach is but enough is enough.  It’s time for a different vision.

15. Jets:  My weekly question for Kevin Cheveldayoff and Paul Maurice.
Does Riley Nash or Dominic Toninato bring more to the table than David Gustafsson would?

16. Jets:  Attendance:  Winnipeg Jets attendance has never been an issue or a talking point but after a year with no fans, with people still a little hesitant on attending games because of covid, and maybe some fan backlash toward TNSE and Kevin Cheveldayoff, the attendance is down and I’m a little concerned.  I’ve gone through the pain of losing an NHL team and once in a lifetime is enough for me.  Yes, we have rich owners but the club still needs to be viable on its own merits.

Vs Edmonton Oilers – 13,473

17. Jets:  The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly this past week.

  • Good:  The home-ice win versus the Oilers.  
  • Bad:  The penalty killing is a joke.  It’s like groundhog day.  Nuff said.            
  • Ugly:  The Jets’ powerplay was 4th at 28.10% two weeks ago.  It’s been awful lately and in my opinion, it cost them the Oilers game on Thursday night.        

18. Jets:  Special Teams: Rule of thumb. Have the two red numbers (PK and PP) total at least 100% when added (as your minimum). 

  • PP:  12th at … 21.30% down from 8th at … 23.70 last week. 
  • PK:  31st at … 63.80% down from 30th … 65.80 last week.
  • FO:  21st at … 48.70% down from … 50.30 last week.

19. Goaltending:

  • Conner Hellebuyck:  6-2-4 … 2.62 GAA … .918 SV% 
  • Eric Comrie:  3-2-0 … 2.19 GAA … .920 SV%

20. CFL:  The Winnipeg Blue Bombers finished their regular season with a 13-12 loss in Calgary on Saturday night and now it’s on to the Western Final at home in two weeks.  We are now waiting to see if we go into that game with a full complement of healthy players.   

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PS:  Winnipeg Hockey Talk needs someone interested in writing about the Winnipeg Ice.  If you are interested contact me (Mitch) at [email protected]

In memory of my friend Darryl Manchulenko.

If you have any questions, please give me a shout. You can use the comment section or use the #ASKWHTPOD hashtag on Twitter.

If you like our new format, let us know in the comment section or hit me on Twitter at WpgSportsTalk or WpgHockTalk

If you are interested in writing for Winnipeg Sports Talk or if you know somebody interested, please contact us at:

[email protected]

We are looking for writers to cover the Winnipeg Jets, Manitoba Moose, The Winnipeg ICE, Manitoba Bisons, Winnipeg AAA, MJHL, MMJHL, KIJHL, and Winnipeg High School or any sports team in town.

If you have any thoughts on any of these comments or questions, please let me know. We would love to hear your opinions.

Thanks, Mitch

Filed Under: Featured, Random Thoughts Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

Random Thoughts On The Winnipeg Jets: Nov. 15

November 15, 2021 by

Mitch Kasprick is the “Motown Curmudgeon” aka “Motown Mitch”

Odds and Ends, Thoughts and Questions, from this past week in hockey –

Just so there’s no confusion when I’m spewing my bias, I am a fan of the Winnipeg Jets, Arizona Coyotes, Manitoba Moose, Winnipeg Ice, and all Team Canada Hockey teams.

I am NOT a fan of Gary Bettman or as I call him, Count Chocula.  I am a big believer in the 7Ps. You’ve been warned. 

1. Jets:  The Winnipeg Jets went 2-0-1 last week and improved their overall record to a very sneaky 8-3-3 on the season.  With one more game left in their 7-game homestand, the Jets are 4-1-1 in the first six games with a huge match-up versus the Edmonton McDavids on Tuesday night.  

2. Jets:  Every once in a while you get “goalied” and there is nothing you can do about it.  The Jets got “goalied” by Jordan Binnington last Tuesday and outside of a weak opening goal that Connor Hellebuyck whiffed on the Jets played extremely well and I have no complaints about their effort.  They definitely deserved a better fate.    

3. Jets:  Hockey is a game of mistakes.  There is no such thing as a perfect game without mistakes and the Winnipeg Jets still make their share but I believe they have greatly reduced their errors and it has shown so far this season and it should continue to get better.    

4.  NHL:  After watching Jordan Binnington’s effort against us last Tuesday I am now convinced he has to be the front-runner for Team Canada’s #1 goalie for the upcoming Olympics.  He was a little lucky but he was a lot very good.  (see #2) 

5. NHL:  The NHL might need to rethink their Covid protocols because it seems to be getting out of control.  It is getting serious enough that it may affect Olympic participation.  With only 50-60% of Americans vaccinated, it looks like Covid will be around for a while.  My body, my choice though, right?     

6. NHL:  Regulars that visit her know my stance on NHL officiating.  The officiating really irritated me for the games that involved the NYI, St. Louis Blues, and the LA Kings recently.  It pisses me off when plodding teams are allowed to come into our building and get away with their style of play.  The Winnipeg Jets are a fast, skilled, skating team that had to endure countless interference, clutching, and grabbing infractions going uncalled in those two games.  There would be a hockey summit if this went on in Edmonton with the GOLDEN CHILD.  Actually, I think there was in the off-season.  I’m sick of the double standards and inconsistencies in this league.  Ask Nik Ehers what he thought of the officiating after getting kneed by Brendan Lemieux with no call on Saturday night.       

7. Jets:  Why do NHL coaches worry about having a defenceman on the ice in 3 on 3 overtime?  Overtime is not about playing defence, it is about puck possession and speed.  You should put your best players on the ice regardless of position.     

8. Jets:  Kyle Connor is off to the best start of his NHL career.  He is 6th in scoring with 11 goals and 8 assists for 19 points in 14 games.  KC has never had this kind of success playing without Mark Scheifele.  In the past any time KC was moved off the Scheifele line he went ice cold.  KC used to be linemate dependant but now he is becoming a line driver.    

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9. Jets:  Going into camp most Winnipeg Jets fans think this is the biggest talking point.  The concern seems to be waning in light of Eric Comrie’s play so far this season although I still need to see more and against some tougher competition BUT so far, so good.

Will Eric Comrie last the seaon as Jets back-up goalie?

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10. Jets:  Kristian Vesalainen is slowly and I mean slowly starting to show a little bit of his offensive skill that made him a late 1st round draft pick.  I have all the patience for him in the world because he looks to have some offensive upside.  Patience grasshopper.  

11. Jets:  When Paul Maurice gets the itch to put Kyle Connor back with 55 and 26 and you know it is just a matter of time I hope that he considers giving Nikolaj Ehlers a shot playing there first.  I would love to see how many goals Ehlers would score playing with an elite center. 

After I wrote this earlier in the week PoMo actually played Ehlers with Scheif and Wheeler.  I’m not sure how long it will last but it made for a nice OT winner versus LA on Saturday night.      

12. Ice:  The Winnipeg ICE went 3-0 last week improving their overall record to 17-1.  The ICE are still in first spot in the CHL’s weekly rankings. (updated Wednesdays)  Notice that 4 of the top-5 teams are all from the WHL.  This should make for some interesting competition.  The ICE’s only loss so far was to the #5 ranked Oil Kings in Edmonton.   

Kia CHL Top-10 Rankings – Week 6

2. London Knights
3. Kamloops Blazers
4. Everett Silvertips
5. Edmonton Oil Kings
6. Sherbrooke Phoenix
7. Quebec Remparts
8. Shawinigan Cataractes
9. Seattle Thunderbirds
10. Soo Greyhounds

 

UPDATE: ICE sweep WHL weekly awards-

The Western Hockey League announced today that Winnipeg ICE goaltender Gage Alexander has been named WHL Goaltender of the Week for the week ending November 14, 2021.

AND

The Western Hockey League announced today that Winnipeg ICE forward Matthew Savoie has been named WHL Player of the Week for the week ending November 14, 2021.

13. Moose:  The Manitoba Moose went 2-1-0-0 last week and finished their 6-game road trip with a modest 3-2-1-0 record and now sit with an overall record of 7-5-1-0.  A couple of Jets top prospects (Ville Heinola and David Gustafsson) lead the team in scoring with 10 points.  Goaltenders Mikhail Berdin and Arvid Holm both have a SV% under .900 which will need to improve if the Moose want to be taken seriously as a contender in the Western Conference.

 

14. Jets:  PROPS to CJOB’s Kelley Moore on coining the phrase “Pionkian Pirouette” after Neal Pionk’s spin-o-rama goal versus the St. Louis Blues this past Tuesday.

 

15. Jets:  My weekly question for Kevin Cheveldayoff and Paul Maurice. 

Why is Ville Heinola still in the AHL?  

16. Jets:  Attendance:  Winnipeg Jets attendance has never been an issue or a talking point but after a year with no fans, with people still a little hesitant on attending games because of covid, and maybe some fan backlash toward TNSE and Kevin Cheveldayoff, the attendance is down and I’m a little concerned.  I’ve gone through the pain of losing an NHL team and once in a lifetime is enough for me.  Yes, we have rich owners but the club still needs to be viable on its own merits.

Vs St. Louis Blues – 14,004

Vs San Jose Sharks – 14,229 

Vs Los Angeles Kings –  13,776  

17. Jets:  The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly this past week.

  • Good:  The line of Dubois, Svechnikov, and Connor has taken over as the #1 line.  Update: PoMo has switched up Evgeny Svechnikov and Blake Wheeler on this line as of Monday morning’s practice.  Go figure.  
  • Bad:  NHL officiating. (I sound like a broken record)         
  • Ugly:  Connor Hellebuyck’s puck handling.      

18. Jets:  Special Teams: Rule of thumb. Have the two red numbers (PK and PP) total at least 100% when added (as your minimum). 

  • PP:  8th at … 23.70% down from 4th at … 28.10 last week.
  • PK:  30th at … 65.80% up from 32nd … 65.70 last week.
  • FO:  14th at … 50.30% down from … 50.90 last week.

19. Goaltending:

  • Conner Hellebuyck:  5-2-3 … 2.87 GAA … .911 SV% 
  • Eric Comrie:  3-1-0 … 1.98 GAA … .926 SV%

20. CFL:  While resting a few starters, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers lost 28-14 in a meaningless game to Montreal last week but one thing was abundantly clear, if Zach Collaros ever gets injured this team is in a world of hurt.  Mr. third and one, Sean McGuire may be able to get one yard when he needs to but as a passer he is an absolute train wreck.  I’m not interested in hearing about McGuire’s lack of playing time and the poor weather conditions BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, the bottom line is Sean McGuire was awful.  They don’t call me a curmudgeon for nothing.   

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PS:  Winnipeg Hockey Talk needs someone interested in writing about the Winnipeg Ice.  If you are interested contact me (Mitch) at [email protected]

In memory of my friend Darryl Manchulenko.

If you have any questions, please give me a shout. You can use the comment section or use the #ASKWHTPOD hashtag on Twitter.

If you like our new format, let us know in the comment section or hit me on Twitter at WpgSportsTalk or WpgHockTalk

If you are interested in writing for Winnipeg Sports Talk or if you know somebody interested, please contact us at:

[email protected]

We are looking for writers to cover the Winnipeg Jets, Manitoba Moose, The Winnipeg ICE, Manitoba Bisons, Winnipeg AAA, MJHL, MMJHL, KIJHL, and Winnipeg High School or any sports team in town.

If you have any thoughts on any of these comments or questions, please let me know. We would love to hear your opinions.

Thanks, Mitch

Filed Under: Featured, Random Thoughts Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Random Thoughts On The Winnipeg Jets: Oct. 11

October 11, 2021 by
Mitch Kasprick is the “Motown Curmudgeon” aka “Motown Mitch”

Odds and Ends, Thoughts and Questions, from this past week in hockey –

Just so there’s no confusion when I’m spewing my bias, I am a fan of the Winnipeg Jets, Arizona Coyotes, Manitoba Moose, Winnipeg Ice, and all Team Canada Hockey teams.

I am NOT a fan of Gary Bettman or as I call him, Count Chocula.  I am a big believer in the 7Ps. You’ve been warned. 

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO EVERYONE

1. Jets:  Just in case you forgot, Mark Scheifele won’t be available for the season opener in Anaheim Wednesday night because he still has to serve one more game of his four-game suspension from last season’s playoffs.    

2. Jets:  I’d feel a lot better about Andrew Copp playing on the second line if Paul Maurice said he wanted to add a defensive presence to the line and not because he believes Copp is a top-six winger.   

3. Jets:  As of today, winger Evgeny Svechnikov is still unsigned but I think it has something to do with the salary cap and his signing is just a formality.   

4. Jets:  This made me smile.

5. NHL:  Has everybody else had enough of Evander Kane and Robin Lehner? 

6. Jets:  The Jets game versus Calgary on Wednesday night was the best Josh Morrissey has looked offensively in ages and he and Nate Schmidt seem to have developed some chemistry together.  I really liked this pairing on the second unit powerplay.

7. Jets:  Upcoming events.

Oct. 13 – First regular-season game at Anaheim.

Oct. 21 – Home opener vs Anaheim.

8. Jets:  I remember a few years back there was talk of Evander Kane to Montreal for Max Pacioretty and at that time I said a “HARD NO”.  Ask me again.  

9. Jets:  Going into camp most Winnipeg Jets fans think this is the biggest talking point.

Will Eric Comrie last the seaon as Jets back-up goalie?

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10. Jets:  Nikolaj “don’t call me Nik” Ehlers is playing at an elite level so far this season and I’m guessing his early start representing Denmark in Olympic qualifying has a lot to do with it.  I’m expecting big production from him early on and all season.  I think I will take a run at him tonight in our “keeper league” auction.  

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11. NHL:  While I was watching highlights of a Seattle Kraken pre-season game I felt a little bad for the hockey fans of Quebec City.  I guess the only way Quebec City is getting an NHL franchise is if the NHL puts another team in Atlanta and they have to relocate it ten years later.

12. Jets:  Wednesday’s game versus Calgary was the first game this pre-season the Jets dressed a reasonable facsimile of their opening night lineup and although Nate Beaulieu wasn’t awful he did stand out as the weakest link.  He is a battler and a team guy but right now I have him as purely a depth guy, probably 8-9 on my depth chart BUT Paul Maurice probably has him in the 6-7 slot and he’s the boss.   

13. NHL:  Why do most people including sports announcers call pre-season games exhibition games?  That is a very very old-school reference and it irritates the hell out of me.  The NFL doesn’t call them exhibition games, MLB doesn’t call them exhibition games either.  STOP IT. 

14. Jets:  I think Cole Perfetti has outplayed all of the so-called “bubble” players competing for a spot on the Jets roster and he has been better than a lot of veterans that are half-assing it through the pre-season.  It would be a shame for him not to make the Jets 22-man roster but I sort of understand if they send him to the Moose.  There is a bigger picture and I get it but I don’t have to like it.     

UPDATE: 

15. Jets:  Dominic Toninato and Nelson Nogier were placed on waivers Sunday and if they clear will be assigned to the Manitoba Moose.  Cole Perfetti, Kristian Vesalainen, and Evgeny Svechnikov have escaped the axe so far but we won’t know for sure until Wednesday.   

UPDATE: 

16. Jets:  Unless there was some underlying problem between Patrik Laine and the Winnipeg Jets that we don’t know about I wish the Jets would have invested in Laine before committing long term to Kyle Connor.  That doesn’t mean I still wouldn’t want KC but I would have prioritized the true sniper.  KC is a good enough scorer but Laine was elite and didn’t have to be attached at the hip with Mark Scheifele.

17. Jets:  In a bit of a surprise, at least for me, the Winnipeg Jets have assigned David Gustafsson to the Manitoba Moose.  This tells me they are probably going with a 22 man roster.  The good news is Cole Perfetti hasn’t been sent down as of the writing.  Hmmmmmmmmm. 

18.  Jets:  Not that I’m overly concerned about it but Connor Hellebuyck hasn’t looked great during the pre-season games he has played in.   

19. Jets:  Pierre-Luc Dubois has looked decent during the pre-season and all Winnipeg Jets fans are hoping for big things from PLD.  He will definitely be under the microscope early on this season and especially Wednesday night when the Jets play their season opener in Anaheim versus the Ducks without Mark Scheifele.    

20. CFL:  The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are now 8-1 after dominating the Edmonton Elks on Friday night.  The Bombers’ defence absolutely smothered the Elks offence for 60 minutes.  I’ve seen a lot of great Bomber defences over the years and some dominant performances but this one was one for the ages.  

PS:  Winnipeg Hockey Talk needs someone interested in writing about the Winnipeg Ice.  If you are interested contact me (Mitch) at [email protected]

In memory of my friend Darryl Manchulenko.

If you have any questions, please give me a shout. You can use the comment section or use the #ASKWHTPOD hashtag on Twitter.

If you like our new format, let us know in the comment section or hit me on Twitter at WpgSportsTalk or WpgHockTalk

If you are interested in writing for Winnipeg Sports Talk or if you know somebody interested, please contact us at:

[email protected]

We are looking for writers to cover the Winnipeg Jets, Manitoba Moose, The Winnipeg ICE, Manitoba Bisons, Winnipeg AAA, MJHL, MMJHL, KIJHL, and Winnipeg High School or any sports team in town.

If you have any thoughts on any of these comments or questions, please let me know. We would love to hear your opinions.

Thanks, Mitch

Filed Under: Featured, Random Thoughts Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Random Thoughts On The Winnipeg Jets: Oct. 4

October 4, 2021 by
Mitch Kasprick is the “Motown Curmudgeon” aka “Motown Mitch”

Odds and Ends, Thoughts and Questions, from this past week in hockey –

Just so there’s no confusion when I’m spewing my bias, I am a fan of the Winnipeg Jets, Arizona Coyotes, Manitoba Moose, Winnipeg Ice, and all Team Canada Hockey teams.

I am NOT a fan of Gary Bettman or as I call him, Count Chocula.  I am a big believer in the 7Ps. You’ve been warned. 

1. Jets:  I want to get excited about some of the performance’s in the pre-season games but I’m going to temper my optimism because the games have been filled with a lot of AHL players but in saying that I thought Jansen Harkins, Cole Perfetti, and Evgeny Svchnikov have looked good.  Conversely, I thought Kyle Connor, Mark Scheifele, and Blake Wheeler looked like they could hardly wait for the regular season to start.    

2. Jets:  Update for Jets fans wanting to attend training camp, the IcePlex will be open to watching practice but there are rules. 

  • Fans will be allowed to into the rinks to watch. 
  • Seating will be limited. to 250 people max per rink.
  • Spectators need to be fully vaccinated and have proof  (QR code or physical card) and one piece of government-issued photo ID.

3. Jets:  Jansen Harkins has looked poised and more like a veteran so far this season and is a lock for a roster spot.  I’m a little biased because I’ve always liked him but in this case, I believe my optimism for him is deserved. 

4. Jets:  I’ll be surprised if Evgeny Svechnikov isn’t on the Winnipeg Jets opening night roster.  Svech might be the steal of this summer’s UFA market.  

5. NHL:  Duncan Keith hasn’t quite grasped the concept that the NHLPA’s job is to protect its members and not selfish individuals.  Getting vaccinated and protecting the rest of the league’s membership is exactly what the NHLPA is mandating.  ME ME ME ME … I’M SICK OF IT.

From Jim Parsons at the Hockey Writers

Duncan Keith elaborated on why he ultimately decided to get the shot, he said he felt pressure from the NHLPA to adhere to the rules to play. Had he not been essentially forced into getting the vaccine, he made it sound like he wouldn’t have. In the end, he realized he’d have missed too much time and couldn’t have been part of the team had he not gone with the program. “It is what it is he said.” He added it would have been nice to get some more support and push back from the NHLPA for players who were making that personal choice.

DUNCAN, the union did show their support, for the other 98% of the membership.  

6. Jets:  FYI:  Nate Schmidt is an elite skater.   

7. Jets:  Upcoming events.

Oct. 6 – Pre-season game vs Calgary (TSN 3)

Oct. 13 – First regular-season game at Anaheim.

Oct. 21 – Home opener vs Anaheim.

8. Jets:  I’ve really liked what I’ve seen from Riley Nash so far this season.  He is a bottom-six forward but seems to have more offensive upside than the departed Trevor Lewis or Nate Thompson.  I believe I’m mentioned this previously but he is only a couple of years removed from a 41 point (15G and 26A) in 76 games season. 

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9. Jets:  Going into camp most Winnipeg Jets fans think this is the biggest talking point.

Will Eric Comrie last the seaon as Jets back-up goalie?

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10. Jets: 

  • I promise I won’t pick on Kyle Connor. 
  • I promise I won’t pick on Kyle Connor. 
  • I promise I won’t pick on Kyle Connor. 
  • I promise I won’t pick on Kyle Connor. 
  • I promise I won’t pick on Kyle Connor. 
  • I promise I won’t pick on Kyle Connor. 
  • I promise I won’t pick on Kyle Connor. 

11. NHL:  As usual the NHL implements a new rule and the officials overreact and feel obligated to call it without using any common sense.  I’m in full agreement in calling the hard cross-checks but half the ones I’ve seen called were barely love taps.  C’mon NHL.   

12. Jets:  Mikey Eyssimont has opened a few eyes with his play and I’m looking forward to seeing how he plays on the Manitoba Moose.  He may not ever be an NHLer but he could be a nice pick-up for the Moose.

13. Jets:  I thought last night’s game in Vancouver was Ville Heinola’s best of the pre-season.  I know Paul Maurice has a thing for Nate Beaulieu but I put Heinola ahead of Nate.   

14. Jets:  I don’t care that it’s only pre-season but Kyle Connor might be one of the laziest hockey players I’ve ever watched in a Winnipeg Jets jersey.  (see #10)  

15. Jets:  Mikhail Berdin had an early blip in his first start of the pre-season vs the Nucks Sunday night but I thought he was pretty solid overall.  He gives me a lot more hope for the future than Eric Comrie.  (see #9)

16. Jets:  David Gustafsson may or may not stick with the big club but I would keep him just for his face-off prowess.  He is a beast in the circle and a pretty good hockey player to boot.   

17. Jets:  Kristian Veslalainen has had an up and down pre-season and is still on the bubble according to some experts but I prefer him over a guy like Dominic Toninato.     

18.  Jets:  My forwards are in no particular order based on a 23 man roster with 14 forwards, 7 dmen, and 2 goalies but there is a possibility the Jets could start the season with a 22-man roster for salary cap reasons.

Mark Scheifele … Pierre-Luc Dubois … Adam Lowry … David Gustafsson

Kyle Connor … Andrew Copp … Paul Stastny … Jansen Harkins

Blake Wheeler … Nikolaj Ehlers … Riley Nash … Evgeny Svechnikov

Kristian Vesalainen  

If the Jets go with a 23 man roster the last spot will be between Cole Perfetti, Dominic Toninato or Nate Beaulieu.  As much as I’d like to see Perfetti make the roster there is no rush and he will probably be better served playing big minutes in the AHL to start the season.  I’m not sure how much time Perfetti plays with the MOOSE but it probably won’t be very long.

19. Jets:  My defencemen are in no particular order based on a 23 man roster with 14 forwards, 7 dmen, and 2 goalies but there is a possibility the Jets could start the season with a 22-man roster for salary cap reasons.

Nate Schmidt … Dylan DeMelo … Neal Pionk

Josh Morrissey … Ville Heinola … Logan Stanley … Brendan Dillon

20. CFL:  The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are 7-1 after spanking the BC Lions in Vancouver on Friday night.  The Bombers dominated every facet of the game and are easily the class of the league to date. 

*

In memory of my friend Darryl Manchulenko.

If you have any questions, please give me a shout. You can use the comment section or use the #ASKWHTPOD hashtag on Twitter.

If you like our new format, let us know in the comment section or hit me on Twitter at WpgSportsTalk or WpgHockTalk

If you are interested in writing for Winnipeg Sports Talk or if you know somebody interested, please contact us at:

[email protected]

We are looking for writers to cover the Winnipeg Jets, Manitoba Moose, The Winnipeg ICE, Manitoba Bisons, Winnipeg AAA, MJHL, MMJHL, KIJHL, and Winnipeg High School or any sports team in town.

If you have any thoughts on any of these comments or questions, please let me know. We would love to hear your opinions.

Thanks, Mitch

Filed Under: Featured, Random Thoughts Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

Random Thoughts On The Winnipeg Jets: Sept. 27

September 27, 2021 by
Mitch Kasprick is the “Motown Curmudgeon” aka “Motown Mitch”

Odds and Ends, Thoughts and Questions, from this past week in hockey –

Just so there’s no confusion when I’m spewing my bias, I am a fan of the Winnipeg Jets, Arizona Coyotes, Manitoba Moose, Winnipeg Ice, and all Team Canada Hockey teams.

I am NOT a fan of Gary Bettman or as I call him, Count Chocula.  I am a big believer in the 7Ps. You’ve been warned. 

1. NHL:  Main camps have officially opened in NHL cities and there is as much talk about who is and who isn’t vaccinated as there is about the actual hockey.  I guess this is the new world we live in now.  

2. Jets:  Update for Jets fans wanting to attend training camp, the IcePlex will be open to watching practice but there are rules. 

  • Fans will be allowed to into the rinks to watch. 
  • Seating will be limited. to 250 people max per rink.
  • Spectators need to be fully vaccinated and have proof  (QR code or physical card) and one piece of government-issued photo ID.

3. Jets:  Sami ​Niku has been placed on waivers for the purpose of terminating his contract.

I’ve always been a Sami Niku supporter but I find it hard to believe that he was untradeable and that nobody claimed him on waivers.  Niku is a gifted offensive defenceman on an NHL minimum contract.  There must be more to it than meets the eye but Sami Niku had fallen so far down the Jets depth chart that you had to call before you dig.

UPDATE: Friday, Sept. 24

The Montreal Canadiens officially announced the signing of Sami Niku.  He will earn $750,000 in the NHL and $425,000 if assigned to the minors,

4. Jets: The first day of camp and Paul Maurice announces this.  I hope I’m not reading too much into it.  This season Nate should be a depth guy and not see the lineup unless there is an injury in the newly minted top-six.   

5. NHL:  The NHL sent a memo updating vaccination requirements to its teams:

“Any person whose job, role, position or access entails or entitles them to have personal interactions (within 12 feet) with Club Hockey Operations personnel (including Players) are required to be Fully Vaccinated.”  

The first thought that came to mind was why is everybody involved with the teams required to be vaccinated with the exception of the players?  This makes ZERO sense to me.  Then this got me wondering if I would want to know which players on my team weren’t vaccinated and how I would feel about them if I knew? 

Would you want to know the vaccination status of your favourite teams players and would it change how you feel about them?

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This was from the captain on Thursday morning.

6. Jets:  Dylan Samberg, high ankle sprain. 6-8 weeks, as per Kevin Cheveldayoff.  This is a tough break for Samberg but he probably wasn’t a threat to make the big club’s roster to start the season.  

7. Jets:  Upcoming events.

Sept. 26 – First pre-season game vs Ottawa. (TSN 3)

Oct. 13 – First regular-season game at Anaheim.

Oct. 21 – Home opener vs Anaheim.

8. Jets:  After the Winnipeg Jets announced that the team was fully vaccinated Connor Hellebuyck reported he contracted covid-19 just a month before camp.

“It was right around the time when I started feeling camp-ready,” Hellebuyck said as the Jets skated for the first time, Thursday. “And I was really excited about where the summer was heading. And then I got it and it set me back two weeks. My symptoms were a very bad headache, really bad fatigue. I felt like I couldn’t really move a whole lot.”

At the time Helle was unvaccinated but said he started to feel like himself again after about 10 days.

“I’m not anti-vax by any means,” Hellebuyck said. “But I’d like to have that decision for myself. It felt very forced on me. I had just gotten COVID and gotten over it, and then I had to get the vax. Which made me feel like I had COVID all over again.”

Every person has their own personal reasons for getting vaccinated or not getting vaccinated but I wonder why Helle waited to get vaccinated so close to training camp?  Based on this information, Helle would have received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine which is only a single jab or he wouldn’t have been able to travel to Canada.  Something about this seems a little off to me.  Like I said, what was he waiting for?   

9. Jets:  Going into camp most Winnipeg Jets fans think this is the biggest talking point.

Will Eric Comrie last the seaon as Jets back-up goalie?

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10. Jets:  Just when the Winnipeg Jets get bigger and tougher with Brenden Dillon and Logan Stanley.  All kidding aside, enforcement of this rule is long overdue but I’ll believe it when I see it.  I have no doubt it will be enforced early on but talk to me at playoff time.  

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11. NHL:  The NHL has completed its gambling investigation of ex-Jet Evander Kane and says it has found no evidence that the San Jose Sharks forward bet on his own games.

12. Jets:  The Winnipeg Jets played their first pre-season game last night and lost 3-2 to the Ottawa Senators.  Both teams dressed a roster with mostly prospects along with the mandated 8 legit NHL players.  It was the first game of the pre-season so it’s not the time for overreacting to the positive or the negative.  The veteran players really stood out and a few of the young kids made decent impressions as well.  Newcomers Riley Nash and Brendan Dillon look like great new additions while young players like Jansen Harkins, Cole Perfetti, David Gustafsson, and Ville Heinola looked promising.  I would have liked to have seen a little more from Kristian Vesalainen and Evgeny Svechnikov but they both had their moments while Eric Comrie has some work to do to change my opinion of him. 

13. Jets:  The line of Andrew Copp, Pierre-Luc Dubois, and Nikolaj Ehlers looked formidable last night and they could end up starting the year together but Copp’s lack of finishing skill shows why he is a good third-line winger and not a top-six winger.  You can try a put lipstick on a pig but underneath it’s still a pig.  

14. NHL:  Ex-Jet Evander Kane of the San Jose Sharks now faces sexual assault and domestic violence allegations, according to court documents.  

The San Jose Sharks say Evander Kane will not participate in training camp until further notice, in light of recent allegations that they take “very seriously.”

15. CFL:  The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are 6-1  after their bye week and hold a one-game lead over Saskatchewan going into their game versus BC on Friday night.

16.  Jets:  It was nice and it felt a little strange seeing fans in the stands last night.

*

In memory of my friend Darryl Manchulenko.

If you have any questions, please give me a shout. You can use the comment section or use the #ASKWHTPOD hashtag on Twitter.

If you like our new format, let us know in the comment section or hit me on Twitter at WpgSportsTalk or WpgHockTalk

If you are interested in writing for Winnipeg Sports Talk or if you know somebody interested, please contact us at:

[email protected]

We are looking for writers to cover the Winnipeg Jets, Manitoba Moose, The Winnipeg ICE, Manitoba Bisons, Winnipeg AAA, MJHL, MMJHL, KIJHL, and Winnipeg High School or any sports team in town.

If you have any thoughts on any of these comments or questions, please let me know. We would love to hear your opinions.

Thanks, Mitch

Filed Under: Featured, Random Thoughts Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

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