This a little info about a couple of the Winnipeg Jets top prospects from the 2011 and 2012 NHL Entry Drafts.
Mark Scheifele, C – Barrie Colts (OHL)
1st round, 7th overall 2011 entry draft
Height: 6’1 Weight: 184 lbs
The first player to pull on a Winnipeg Jets sweater on the draft podium in 15 years, Barrie Colts center Mark Schiefele was greeted with a roar from the thousands of Jets fans who made the trip across the border to Minnesota. there was plenty of media speculation but Schiefele was always going to be the first choice for new Jets General Manager Kevin Cheveldayoff. A protégé of Jets great Dale Hawerchuck, coach of the Colts, Schiefele had come from nowhere to stake his claim for a Top 10 spot in 2011. Offered a scholarship from Cornell University, Schiefele changed direction when he was traded to Barrie from the Saginaw Spirit. Convinced by Hawerchuck to take the OHL route, Schiefele was the lone bright spot in an otherwise dismal season for the Colts, by far the worst team in the league.
A gifted playmaker who is dedicated to playing a strong two-way game, the 6’3 Schiefele was able to post 75 points in 66 OHL games, stats which included 22 goals. Garnering accolades and attention throughout the season, Schiefele’s stock took off at the World U-18s where he showed an extra gear in terms of his ability to take a game over and make a difference. Scoring six times in seven games, Schiefele quickly became the go-to guy for Canada’s coaching staff and finished as the top scoring forward for the team. Although he never crossed the mid-teens in most rankings prior to the draft, the Jets brass fell in love with his smarts, skill and commitment and made the reach for him at number seven convinced they were getting the best player available.
ADAM LOWRY
About Adam Lowry: LW Swift Current Broncos
Acquired: 2011 entry draft, round 3, 67th overall
Height: 6’4 Weight: 186
2009-10: In Adam’s WHL rookie season, the son of former NHL forward Dave Lowry, played in 61 games for the Swift Current Broncos. He scored 15 goals and added 19 assists for 34 points to go along with 57 penalty minutes. In 3 playoff games, Lowry picked up 1 assist. Lowry was named the WHL Scholastic Player of the Year. Lowry played for Team Pacific at the 2010 World U-17 Hockey Challenge, scoring 1 goal and adding 2 assists for 3 points in 5 games.
2010-11: In 66 games for the Broncos, Lowry scored 18 goals and added 27 assists for 45 points to go along with 84 penalty minutes.
Update: Adam Lowry,
The Swift Current Broncos forward, has been named the HUSKY WHL Player of the Month for December/2012.
The 19 year-old forward collected 21 points through the month of December finding the net 13 times and accumulating eight assists to go along with a +7 rating. Lowry picked up multiple points in five games, three games where he gathered three or more points and two three goal performances. He holds the longest goal scoring streak in the WHL thus far this season at eight games (Dec. 5 – 28), scoring 13 goals in that span, and is currently on the third longest point streak at 15 games (Nov. 27 – present), gathering 27 points in that span. Lowry efforts also earned him a Three Star selection seven times, with three being 1st Stars.
As of Jan.4 Lowry currently sits seventh among all WHL scorers with 53 points (25 goals, 28 assists) in 41 games played. The Swift Current Broncos finished December with a 6-6-0-0 record, which included a five game road trip through the B.C. Division, and currently sit 7th in the WHL Eastern Conference with a 17-19-3-2 overall record for 39 points.
From Calgary, AB, Lowry is in his fourth full season with the Swift Current Broncos. The Broncos selected Lowry in the 4th round in the 2008 WHL Draft and was a 3rd round -67th overall pick in the 2011 NHL Draft by the Winnipeg Jets.
Carl Klingberg , RW – St.Johns IceCaps (AHL)
2nd round, 34th overall 2009 entry draft
Height: 6’3 Weight: 205 lbs
Klingberg’s work ethic and his top notch skating skills are the strength of his game. He uses his significant size well and accelerates quickly. His technical skills and hockey sense are slightly above average, at best, but he loves driving to the net and creates a lof of scoring chances simply by using his quick feet. His biggest challenge will be to develop the patience and ability to recognize scoring opportunities more consistently.
Klingberg’s intensity is especially apparent on the forecheck and his aggressivenss in all three zones make him a difficult player to play against. He has good timing in his hits and rarely puts himself out of the play despite his physical style of play.
A late cut from the Jets’ preseason camp, Klingberg scored in his first game for St. John’s and will be a key player for the IceCaps as he works toward a callup. With NHL ready size and skating, it seems only a matter of timing before Klingberg becomes an NHL regular.
Adam Lowry, LW – Swift Current Broncos (WHL)
3rd round, 67th overall 2011 entry draft
Height: 6’4 Weight: 187 lbs
A familiar name in the old Smythe Division rivalry with the Calgary Flames, Dave Lowry’s son Adam reported to the Jets’ draft table on day two to pull on the sweater that his dad competed so hard against. A powerfully built 6’4 winger, Adam Lowry shows the same relentless desire to win that his dad displayed and a similar penchant for crashing the net and fighting for the puck along the boards. In his second season in Swift Current, Lowry scored 18 goals and 27 assists and caught the attention of scouts with his strong physical play and leadership efforts on a weak team that scraped along the bottom of the WHL standings all year. A gangly 180 pounder, Lowry needs to gain strength and improve his skating stride before he can take the next steps in his career, however with his combination of size and determination he makes for an exciting prospect for Jets’ fans to follo
Jacob Trouba, D – USNTDP
First round, ninth overall 2012 entry draft
Height: 6’2 Weight: 190 lbs
Big, mobile, and tough, Trouba will give the Jets a nice one-two punch with Zach Bogosian once he makes it to the NHL. Trouba is currently attending the University of Michigan and is coming off a very impressive Gold Medal winning performance for Team USA. He was named the tournaments “Top defenseman”. Playing with the USNTDP last season, Trouba showed great tools and an improved offensive game, making a timely first pass and bombing in a very heavy shot from the blue line, however his powerplay ice time was limited. Trouba was second only to teenage phenom Seth Jones in total ice time but often given the tougher defensive assignments and penalty kill time as a priority.
Last year Trouba was one of the best Americans on an underwhelming team at the WJC, catching the eye with some devastating hits and moving the puck with authority. He followed up that solid performance in a losing cause with a key role on the gold-medal squad at the U-18 tournament, taking a lot of credit for the USA’s record-setting goals against tally. A safe bet to be a very good NHL player, Trouba has yet to tap into an offensive upside that could make him a great one for the Jets. At worst, he is a solid shutdown defender who will be very difficult to play against. At best, he can become a workhorse who can play in all situations, similar to a Shea Weber. Either way, Jets brass must feel they have added a keystone element to their building of a perennial contender.
Lukas Sutter, C – Saskatoon Blades (WHL)
Second round, 39th overall 2012 entry draft
Height: 6′ Weight: 215 lbs
The latest of the clan to join the family business, Lukas Sutter embodies all the qualities that make the Sutter’s such a famous hockey name: hard-work, determination, toughness, and integrity. The oldest son of the youngest Sutter, Lukas may be the safest pick in the draft in terms of reaching his upside, but he also may bring more than what is expected in terms of offense. Coming out of the draft, Jets management can write his name at center on their future third line and know that he’s going to do everything he must to get there. However there have been flashes of something more this year. After being typecast as a defensive forward and agitator, Sutter stepped on to the second line and showed an improved skating stride, some creativity, and a surprisingly good scoring touch in close that netted him 28 goals and 59 points in 70 games. With the Blades hosting the Memorial Cup next year, Sutter will have his chance to help lead his team to glory, an experience that can only him serve him well in terms of development and progress.
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