Winnipeg Free Press https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/sports/hockey/jets/goals-from-bottom-six-helles-hot-hand- lift-jets-over-coyotes-4-1-457608913.html

Secondary scorers get job done Hellebuyck superb in return to crease on quiet night for Winnipeg's top line

By: Jason Bell

Another drowsy start by the , another marvellous performance by their goaltender until his teammates were roused from their snooze, another strong display of balanced scoring and another well-earned two points at the expense of the sad-sack .

The Jets sputtered out of the gate but opened the throttle in the second period and cruised to a 4-1 victory over the visiting Coyotes in NHL action at Bell MTS Place Tuesday night.

The result was not unlike Saturday’s battle between the clubs in Glendale, Ariz.

That night, goalie Steve Mason’s stellar play in the early going, along with a picture-perfect kill, propelled the Jets to an identical 4-1 triumph. In the rematch, Connor Hellebuyck protected the crease with a similar resolve, while Arizona was shut out on five man-advantage chances.

Hellebuyck was sensational in his return to the crease for the Jets (10-4-3). Pulled last week in a road defeat against the Las Vegas Golden Knights, Hellebuyck made 13 first-period saves to bail out his club and stymied struggling Arizona (2-15-3) with 33 stops in all.

Winnipeg centre Adam Lowry, who scored his second of the season, said Hellebuyck’s strong effort was timely, as the club served three minor penalties in the opening frame.

"We killed off the first three penalties. Bucky’s a big reason for that. He made some big saves and allowed us to get our legs under us," said Lowry. "You’re able to get that go-ahead goal and you get out of the period with a 1-0 lead. It gives you a lot of confidence going out for the second period."

Winnipeg, second in the Central Division and third in the Western Conference, has prevailed in six of its last eight games and 10 of its last 15, and has gained points in all but four of 17 games this season.

In a listless opening period, defencemen Tyler Myers, Dustin Byfuglien and Jacob Trouba took blatant penalties in the defensive zone, none of which was particularly necessary. But Hellebuyck was the club’s best penalty killer, bailing out the club with a series of quality saves.

Hellebuyck said he was solely focused on providing a bounce-back performance after getting replaced in his last start in Vegas by Mason.

"This was definitely my redemption game. Any time you get pulled you have to enter strong, and I’m glad the guys played well in front of me," he said.

Hellebuyck said he had to deal with some difficult situations, but not many.

"That goes back to being in the right spots. Guys are blocking shots when they need to and keeping (opposing shooters) to the outside," he said. "And if they don’t, that’s what I’m there for. It’s a great team effort."

Desperate for a spark, the Jets got an honest-to-goodness hockey play from Andrew Copp on the game’s opening goal at 15:30 of the first period when he burst from the corner, spun in front, tried to stuff the puck past goalie Antti Raanta and then coolly flipped in his own rebound.

Joel Armia, Lowry and , on a breakaway to snap a personal 11-game scoring drought, had the other goals for the Jets, all in the second period. The team’s big line of Mark Scheifele, Blake Wheeler and Kyle Connor was held pointless.

"I think (secondary scoring) is what we need. We can’t always rely on Scheifele’s line to do the heavy work. There’s going to be games where they’re going to be off or not get on the scoresheet," said Little. "It’s up to the other lines to chip in. Especially (when) you look at playoff teams and they got their second, third and fourth line chipping in on goals, that’s what you need to keep winning all season."

Hellebuyck couldn’t find a long through traffic by defenceman Alex Goligoski just more than five minutes into the final period, the only goal by the visitors.

The Coyotes had other opportunities but couldn’t solve the 24-year-old from Commerce, Mich., who has solidified his place as the squad’s No. 1 netminder. He sprawled to get a toe out and stop a shot from Brad Richardson, followed up with a flashy glove save off Derek Stepan, who had slipped between Dmitry Kulikov and Myers, and then stymied Tobias Rieder from in tight.

Raanta, who was pulled after the Little tally, and his replacement, Scott Wedgewood, combined for 26 stops.

Jets head coach Paul Maurice said Hellebuyck’s ability to rebound from a tough outing shows he’s maturing as an NHL goalie who thrives on a heavy workload.

"He’s played very well at the start of the year. He had a tougher night there in Vegas, but it was the first time that he probably got off the ice and didn’t like his performance," said Maurice. "So, he comes right back and settles in. That’s mentally important for him."

"Confidence. If you’ve got enough of a foundation in your game... goalies will always have those kind of games like he had in Vegas. The more confidence you have in that foundation, the easier it is to find it after a tough night," said the coach

The Jets continue a three-game stretch at home Thursday night when the pay a visit. On Saturday afternoon, Winnipeg hosts the New Jersey Devils. https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/sports/hockey-was-hard-for-laine-two-weeks-ago-now-it- feels-like-a-lot-of-fun-457505383.html

Hockey feeling fun again for Laine after dry spell

By: Mike Sawatzky

It’s been 13 days since Patrik Laine delivered his "feels like hockey is really hard right now" speech to a group of reporters. Since then, the 19-year-old Finn has made the game look much easier.

The Jets’ sophomore right-winger scored a goal in each of the next five games and has nine goals in 17 games to begin the season.

Does he feel like his confidence is back after busting out of a four-game goal drought?

"Maybe not 100 per cent, but it’s getting higher all the time," Laine said Tuesday morning. "It feels like hockey — it isn’t getting easier, I mean — but it feels like a lot of fun."

Laine has been trying to shoot more, accounting for five or more shots in three of the last six games. He did not register a shot on net against the Arizona Coyotes Tuesday night and also scored on his lone shot against the Stars in Dallas Nov. 6. Three of his last five goals came on the power play.

"Yeah, it’s still goals," Laine said. "It’s always nice to score, even if it’s a power-play goal. That’s a huge part of our game that we need to get the power play on the level that we need. It’s been so good so far."

Laine preferred to shoot himself out of a slump.

"I just like to shoot a lot," he said. "That’s the key, because if you’re not shooting, you’re not scoring. I try to shoot a lot after the four-game streak that I had and I’ve scored in five consecutive games — so just try to shoot often."

Jets head coach Paul Maurice grinned when asked to comment on Laine’s emergence after the dry spell.

"I think my answer (then) was he’s smarter than all of us," Maurice said. "I think he had that whole thing, I’m not saying scripted, but he puts pressure on himself because I think he enjoys it in some ways. He’s hard on himself. Kind of, filleting himself in front of the world there, the hockey world, somehow gets him going, somehow drives him more.

"So when he’s not playing well, he’s angry and grumpy. And then he played a little harder, so he gets a little bit snarly out there in that (Dallas) game and things start to go for him. Now he’s in that mood, right? That line has been… there’s a place for improvement for that line and he’s part of that. It’s not all roses yet. But he can score every night if he’d like. We’re good with it."

Laine has heard the concerns about his line’s production, Winnipeg’s No. 2 unit, but didn’t sound worried that he and linemates Nikolaj Ehlers and Bryan Little have fallen short of their potential.

Little scored his second goal of the season Tuesday, his first in 11 games, while Ehlers has eight, but is scoreless in four and has only one goal in his last six games.

"I think we have three really good guys on our line, so we just need to be more simple, get pucks in deep and try to move a lot in the zone," Laine said. "I think we’ve tried to dangle our way through and that’s not the way you want to play. I think the key is we need to be more simple on the ice." https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/sports/hawerchuk-takes-trip-down-memory-lane-as-ducky- goes-into-jets-hall-of-fame-457582883.html

Hawerchuk takes trip down memory lane as 'Ducky' goes into Jets Hall of Fame

By: Mike Sawatzky

Dale Hawerchuk is firmly entrenched in middle age now, but the years peeled away and memories flooded back Tuesday night as the Winnipeg Jets inducted the club's biggest 1980s star into their Hall of Fame.

"I was so proud to be a Winnipeg Jet," said 54-year-old Hawerchuk prior to a banner-raising ceremony at the start of the Jets' game against the Arizona Coyotes at Bell MTS Place. "Everything about our team and our community — I was always pumped. It was good to be here. There's ups and downs, and there's good, bad press. But you know what, you push through it.

"For me, this was a special place. I would have loved to have won a (Stanley) Cup here. I've won Memorial Cups, Canada Cups. But if I was going to win a , it would have been here. This would have been the place to do it. I hope I see it here one day."

Hawerchuk scored 518 goals and registered 1,409 points in 1,188 regular-season NHL games and was inducted into the in 2001. He played nine seasons in Winnipeg before being traded to the before the 1990-91 season.

Hawerchuk, nicknamed Ducky, is also scheduled to be the guest of honour at the club's Hall of Fame luncheon today at the Fairmont Hotel, which is only a short walk from where he originally signed with the Jets 1.0 at the historic corner of Portage and Main.

The Jets established their Hall of Fame in 2016 to recognize outstanding contributers to the city's hockey history. The three members of the legendary Hot Line, consisting of , and , were the inaugural inductees in 2016. Nilsson and Hedberg were on hand Tuesday to welcome Hawerchuk into the HOF club.

Hawerchuk was asked to pick a favourite moment from his career, but couldn't specify one.

"Every day being in the NHL, man," said Hawerchuk, a product. "I was the only guy on my street that made it. We all wanted to make it and I happened to be the guy that made it. To come here and play and practise, you know, it was so special… A lot of good memories here. Your first game, your first goal, winning a playoff round, the white-outs, scoring the 50th here. A lot of great moments but disappointing when we had that great team, beat out Calgary and lost to and I had to watch, you know. I had broken ribs. That was a tough time."

Drafted first-overall in 1981, Hawerchuk was an immediate success in Winnipeg, scoring 45 goals and 102 points while winning the Calder Trophy as the NHL's top rookie and leading the team to its first post-season berth.

"My first year with that team, I don’t think people thought we were going to be that great and we proved a lot of people wrong that year and I think the record for the biggest turnaround in one season," said Hawerchuk. "I’m not sure it still stands but that was a pretty special group. As a whole and as a team, we embraced the city. A lot of guys spent the whole year here. You know what, when you’re involved in the community and invested like the guys were, you’re going to give it your all every night.

The 1984-85 edition was special and it was particularly heartbreaking for Hawerchuk, sidelined after an infamous cross-check from of the , to lose to the powerhouse in the second round of the playoffs.

"It can get lost when you don’t win," said Hawerchuk. "I think that team had a way of finding ways to win but it seemed like we could get offence from so many guys and we weren’t a one- trick pony, and I think that’s what made that group special. Our goaltending was unbelievable. It was a good group. A tight-knit group…

"As painful as it was (to watch the Edmonton series), it hurt even more because you felt like we’re not that far off from winning this thing. It seemed like we were a goal, half goal off every night… it tears at your heart for sure."

The Macoun hit remains an open wound for many fans of that era.

"You know what, it wasn’t real dirty but it definitely was a penalty and there was no penalty," said Hawerchuk. "He knew I had him beat wide and the last minute he’s like, I can’t let this guy go around me and score a goal here or he might not get back on the ice. It happened to catch me under the shoulder pads and if he catches the shoulder pads, I’d probably be OK and move on. That’s the game, man. It’s a battle and grind every night."

Hawerchuk is a rare case of an elite player who has also establilshed himself as a fine coach. His are currently leading the OHL's Central Division with a 12-4-1-1 record.

"I guess maybe I never looked at myself as an elite player," said Hawerchuk. "I wanted to get better every day. I wanted to win every night, do whatever it took. I'm kind of the same way as a coach. I'm always looking for ways and answers. You never quit learning...

"I'll listen to people. That doesn't mean I'll always use it, but I like to hear the information. That's one thing about living here in Winnipeg. Once we got (outside) the rink, I got a lot of opinions from people, let me tell ya."

Barrie's head coach, who once tutoured current Jets star Mark Scheifele with the Colts, is content in his development role.

"Right now I'm happy where I am," he said. "I love teaching the kids and seeing guys like Mark Scheifele turn out over time. He's so mature now. I'm happy for those guys.

"A lot of people helped me along the way. So if I can help kids achieve their dreams, I feel like I'm giving back. You get guys like Mark come along who are pretty special. I want all my guys to succeed. I know it's not going to happen. But if they don't succeed in hockey they're going to succeed in life. We try to teach them to be the best hockey player they can be, but we also want them to be good people."

Hawerchuk was asked if he ever replays the final play of the 1987 , in which he won the draw in his own end to trigger the Canadian rush that resulted in Mario Lemieux's game-winner over the Russians. The Jets may have also interfered with Slava Bykov as he scrambled to get back into the play.

"A little bit. was the coach, and he pulled (Mark) Messier off and had me go out. I looked at Wayne (Gretzky), and I looked at Mario, and they were, like, 'No, we're not taking the draw.' So I just said to Mario, 'Look, I'm going to tie him up, I'm not losing it clean. And that's usually the case for the inside winger to come in and help out on the puck, which he did a pretty good job of.

"He got it up to Gretzky, and I think it was (Igor) Kravchuk pinched, and Bykov was trying to get back. And I'll go to my grave saying he dove."

Winnipeg Sun http://winnipegsun.com/sports/hockey/nhl/winnipeg-jets/jets-overcome-slow-start-to-beat- coyotes

Jets overcome slow start to beat Coyotes

By Ken Wiebe

In the NHL, there are no free spots on the bingo card.

Teams like the Winnipeg Jets can’t afford to have an off night against a struggling squad like the Arizona Coyotes, even if they’ve been more competitive lately.

When a team rolls into your building with only two victories (one in overtime and another in a shootout) in 19 games, it’s a game the Jets couldn’t afford to lose.

Although the Jets used strong goaltending to cover up another sluggish start, they eventually found their collective legs and scoring touch, coming up with a strong second period to earn a 4- 1 victory over the Coyotes on Tuesday at Bell MTS Place.

“We have a lot of belief in this group,” said Jets centre Adam Lowry. “Wins are very important but it’s crucial that on nights you don’t have it that you’re able to find ways to get that extra point.”

The Jets, who improved to 10-4-3 on the season, continue a three-game homestand on Thursday against the Philadelphia Flyers.

Much like Steve Mason did on Saturday, Connor Hellebuyck stood tall during the first period as the Jets attempted to get things on track.

Three strong penalty kills gave the Jets a boost and a goal from Andrew Copp — who outworked Dakota Mermis along the boards, drove to the net and banged in his own rebound — started the onslaught.

A lack of secondary has been a prime concern for the Jets, who have often relied on the top line of Mark Scheifele and Blake Wheeler, plus an improving power play to provide the majority of the offence.

On this night, the Jets first line was held in check, but it didn’t deter the Jets one bit — as the other lines picked up the slack, getting goals from Joel Armia, Bryan Little and Lowry.

The goal for Little snapped an 11-game drought and gave him his second of the season to go along with seven points in 17 games.

Little picked the pocket of Coyotes defenceman Oliver Ekman-Larsson at the defensive blue line and used his speed to pull away on a breakaway, burying his shot on Antti Raanta.

There has always been more to Little’s game than producing offensively, he’s a conscientious player who also excels defensively.

Little said recently that he wanted to be more productive, but he wasn’t about to get down on himself. He’s been through slumps before and always found a way to come out of them.

A little research showed Little actually went 14 games without a goal to start the 2011-12 season, the first since the Jets relocated from Atlanta.

Little scored twice in Game 15 against the Buffalo Sabres.

Raise your hand if you know how many goals he scored that season.

The correct answer is 24, so while the slow start was somewhat concerning, it was far too early to suggest this was going to be a sign of things to come for Little, who signed a four-year extension on the first day of training camp that kicks in next summer.

He’s been far too good for too long, a picture of consistency who has battled through injuries and managed to do his part to be a key contributor.

“I’ve been feeling that way for a while now,” said Little, answering a question about whether he was feeling a bit snake-bitten. “Like I said, even the chances have been a bit tough to come by. I’ve been getting a little more the past couple of games. It was a bit of relief. Hopefully I can get going now.”

While it’s true the combination of Little, Patrik Laine and Nikolaj Ehlers hasn’t been as dangerous as most expected them to be, there’s plenty of time to get that figured out.

And if the trio can get on a roll, the Jets will feature an explosive top-six to go along with third and fourth lines that are chipping in much more than they were earlier in the campaign.

“After almost every game, we talk about Scheifele’s line and I liked their line tonight. They had a lot of really good chances,” said Jets head coach Paul Maurice. “But they’re not scoring every night, so to win games, you’ve got to get (goals) from other places.”

The pending return of Mathieu Perreault should also help matters.

Although he’ll likely slot in on the third line with Lowry once he’s back, Perreault is the type of player who can play up and down the lineup.

Perreault’s infectious style of play has also been known to ignite the play of others, so he’ll be a welcome addition to a forward group that already features healthy competition on the periphery of the roster.

Not lost in the final outcome was the strong play of Hellebuyck, who was looking for a bounce- back after being pulled for the first time this season in Friday’s 5-2 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights.

After giving up five goals on 22 shots in two periods of work against the Golden Knights, Hellebuyck got back to the high-end form he’s shown most nights this season.

And after giving up five goals in two of his past three starts, this was a bit of a statement game for Hellebuyck.

“This was definitely my redemption game,” said Hellebuyck, who made 33 saves and improved to 9-1-2. “Any time you get pulled you have to enter strong. And I’m glad the guys played well in front of me.” http://winnipegsun.com/sports/hockey/nhl/winnipeg-jets/current-jets-put-boots-to-former-jets

Current Jets put boots to former Jets

By Paul Friesen

Some things just work out.

Then there’s the Winnipeg Jets move to Arizona, 21 years ago.

That skating disaster of a franchise wobbled into Winnipeg on Tuesday, not-so-proud holder of an NHL record for the most games without a regulation victory to start a season.

That inglorious mark reached 20 after a 4-1 Jets win left the Desert Dogs with an embarrassing 2-15-3 mark.

The ’Yotes are well on their way to a sixth straight season out of the playoffs, which would make it 12 of the past 15 years.

In 21 years, they’ve advanced past the first round once.

The best thing that could have happened to this franchise would have been to get out of dodge when it had the chance, in 2009 or 2010, when Mark Chipman was ready to write a cheque and bring it back home.

As fate would have it, NHL commish Gary Bettman wrung more millions from the taxpayers of Glendale, Ariz., and turned Chipman’s attention to Atlanta, instead.

Some things do work out.

So did this: Bryan Little broke out of his goal-scoring slump on the night went into the Jets’ Hall of Fame.

When the Thrashers relocated, you may recall Little gave up his No. 10 and switched to No. 18 to honour Hawerchuk’s history here.

PATRIK THE GRUMP? Remember when Patrik Laine was mired in a four-game point drought, lamenting his lack of confidence and how hard hockey was for him?

Laine scored a goal in each of the next five games, going into Tuesday.

“Filleting himself in front of the world there, the hockey world, somehow gets him going, somehow drives him more,” Jets coach Paul Maurice said pre-game.

“So when he’s not playing well, he’s angry and grumpy … he gets a little bit snarly out there. And things start to go for him. Now he’s in that mood.”

DUCKY GETS MISTY A pre-game ceremony saw Hawerchuk get a little glassy-eyed as his No. 10 banner was raised to the rafters, next to those of Anders Hedberg, Ulf Nilsson and Bobby Hull.

Hedberg and Nilsson, members of the famed Hot Line that tore up the WHA in the 1970s, were next to Hawerchuk at centre ice.

“To go up there with Ulf, Anders and Bobby, those guys were amazing players … it’s pretty special,” Hawerchuk said earlier in the day.

“Ducky” actually recalled struggling to crack the Jets lineup as an 18-year-old in 1981.

“The first two weeks, I didn’t think I was going to make it,” he said. “I was so exhausted, the game was so fast. But I got more and more comfortable doing it every day. I slept like crazy, trying to keep my energy up.

“I didn’t want to be the first overall pick and then get sent back to junior.”

The guy adapted, was named the NHL rookie of the year and the rest — 1,409 points, 929 of them in nine seasons with the Jets — is history.

Asked to pick out a highlight moment, No. 10 has a tough time.

“Every day being in the NHL, man,” he said. “I was the only guy on my street that made it. We all wanted to make it and I happened to be the guy that made it.”

HE’S NO GRETZKY While elite players don’t always make good coaches, Hawerchuk has done just fine in seven seasons with the OHL’s Barrie Colts.

One of his highest-profile former players was thrilled to be in attendance for the special night.

“He did so much for this city and this city did so much for him,” Jets centre Mark Scheifele said. “It’s a pretty cool thing to be part of it. I’m excited for that moment for him.”

Scheifele says among the things Hawerchuk taught him is that “simpler is usually better.”

“You don’t go and stickhandle the puck and flip it up in the air seven times and that’s how you learn hockey,” Scheifele said. “It’s a simple game. And it’s a team game. That’s the biggest thing he’s taught me, is this game isn’t about the flash and dash.”

Scheifele jokes he was constantly in Hawerchuk’s office in Barrie, either getting advice or getting yelled at.

Hawerchuk does recall having to light a fire under his star on one occasion.

“I barked at him pretty good on the bench, in front of everybody, on purpose,” the coach said. “He took a second look at me. But he picked up his game in a hurry, I can tell you that.”

NHL-BOUND? Hawerchuk is often asked whether he wants to coach in the NHL someday, and never says yes — or no.

“Right now I’m happy where I am,” he said. “I love teaching the kids and seeing guys like Mark Scheifele turn out over time.”

The comments from a longtime buddy and former teammate are a little more revealing.

“I think he does,” said on Monday. “I don’t think he’s in a rush to do anything. He’s probably going to wait for the right time, family wise. The right time, maybe the right team.” http://winnipegsun.com/sports/hockey/nhl/winnipeg-jets/laine-on-a-roll-as-jets-face-bottom- feeding-coyotes

Laine on a roll as Jets face bottom-feeding Coyotes

By Paul Friesen

The last time the Winnipeg Jets began a home stand, Patrik Laine was in a four-game pointless skid and lamenting how poorly he was playing.

“Feels like hockey is really hard right now,” the second-year Finn said before a game against Dallas, Nov. 2. “It doesn’t matter if it’s offensively or defensively. Obviously I don’t have a lot of confidence.”

Going into tonight’s game against Arizona, Laine has scored goals in all five games since then.

Problem solved and confidence returned, right?

Not so fast.

“I don’t feel that my five-on-five game is on the level it needs to be,” Laine said this morning. “Yeah, we’ve scored a couple of goals on our power play, that’s huge for our power play. If the game is tied and when we’re getting a power play, it’s a good chance to score.

“Maybe not 100% (confidence), but it’s getting higher all the time.”

Three of Laine’s last five goals have come on the power play, so there’s a sense he and his linemates, Bryan Little and Nik Ehlers, still have some untapped offensive potential.

“We have three really good guys on our line so we just need to be more simple, get pucks in deep and try to move a lot in the zone,” Laine said. “We’ve tried to dangle our way through and that’s not the way you want to play.”

Laine says if he’s learned anything personally since breaking out of his slump, it’s to not be shy about shooting.

“That’s the key. Because if you’re not shooting, you’re not scoring. I try to shoot a lot after the four-game streak that I had and I’ve scored in five consecutive games. So just try to shoot often.”

Jets head coach Paul Maurice joked that Laine had this whole thing planned.

“My answer (then) was he’s smarter than all of us,” Maurice said, recalling Laine’s comments from 12 days ago. “He had that whole thing, I’m not saying scripted, but he puts pressure on himself because he enjoys it in some ways. He’s hard on himself. Filleting himself in front of the world there, the hockey world, somehow gets him going, somehow drives him more.

“So when he’s not playing well, he’s angry and grumpy. And then he played a little harder, so he gets a little bit snarly out there in that (Dallas) game and things start to go for him. Now he’s in that mood.”

Laine’s linemates could use some of his mojo.

Little has just one goal this season and that was 12 games ago, while Ehlers has one goal in the last five games.

“There’s a place for improvement for that line and he’s part of that,” Maurice said. “It’s not all roses, yet.”

The Jets, 9-4-3, go into tonight’s game with the same lineup as the one that beat the Coyotes in Arizona, 4-1, Saturday.

The only change is Connor Hellebuyck starting in goal instead of Steve Mason.

Antti Raanta gets the call for the Coyotes, a league-worst 2-14-3.

Like coaches tend to do, Maurice says they’re better than that.

He’s counting on his team to handle them the same way they did in Arizona, even if they fall behind again.

“Now, there’ll be more pressure in this building tonight if it’s minus-one,” the coach said. “I think on our bench we’ll handle it right. Because we know they’re playing really hard. It’s going to be a good, hard hockey game that if you just watched the standings you’d say we should beat them.

“We’ve all been in the game long enough to know it’s not rolling like that.”

Sportsnet.ca http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/dale-hawerchuk-reflects-perfect-fit-winnipeg-jets/

Dale Hawerchuk reflects on perfect fit with Winnipeg Jets

By Ryan Dixon

From crushing playoff losses to soaring international triumphs, Dale Hawerchuk has a lot to reflect back on when it comes to the Winnipeg Jets chapter of his NHL career. But on the occasion of his enshrinement into the Jets Hall of Fame, ‘Ducky’ simply sounded like a hockey guy still in awe over his hockey life.

“Everyday being in the NHL, man,” said Hawerchuk when asked if one Winnipeg memory stood out above the rest. “I was the only guy from my street who made it; we all wanted to make it.”

Hawerchuk — whose nickname was cheeky commentary on a unique skating stride — did much more than that. In 713 games with the Jets, he registered 379 goals and 550 assists for 929 points. On Tuesday night, he stood beside two other members of the Jets Hall of Fame — Anders Hedberg and Ulf Nilsson — and watched his No. 10 ripple in the Bell MTS Place rafters.

“Everything about the Jets was huge to me,” said Hawerchuk, who spent five seasons wearing the ‘C’ in Winnipeg. “Not many guys make the NHL at 18 and I can tell you, the first two weeks [of training camp], I didn’t think I was going to make it [either].”

That, of course, was never going to be the case. And while the first overall pick in the 1981 draft surely would have done just fine wherever he landed, Hawerchuk — who now coaches his son, Ben, with the Hockey League’s Barrie Colts — clearly feels his career was enhanced by landing in Winnipeg.

It was a reciprocal relationship.

Winnipeg won just nine games in 1980-81 during the club’s second season in the NHL. Then along came Hawerchuk, who won the Calder Trophy thanks to 45 goals, 58 assists and 103 points, as the Jets secured a playoff berth in his rookie campaign.

“It was such a good fit for me,” he said. “I was hockey crazy and so was this town and this province.”

Like many of his teammates, Hawerchuk became embedded in the Winnipeg and greater Manitoba community. He saw much of the province either golfing or playing softball and logged as much downtime as possible at his cottage in Gimli, a lakeside community about an hour north of the city.

While playing in a hockey-mad place can wear on some, Hawerchuk thrived on it, allowing the passion of the fans to push him forward.

“One thing about living in Winnipeg, once we got outside the rink we got a lot of opinions from people,” he said. “You walk on the streets outside, everybody knows who you are. You want to walk proud.”

Pride in the team swelled during the 1985 post-season, when the Jets knocked off the Calgary Flames for their first-ever playoff series victory. Unfortunately for Hawerchuk, his spring ended early thanks to a whack from the stick of Flames defender Jamie Macoun. Watching his team get bounced by the powerhouse Edmonton Oilers in the next round while nursing broken ribs was devastating.

“It hurt even more because you felt like, we’re not that far off from winning this thing,” said Hawerchuk, who finished runner-up to in Hart Trophy voting that year.

Though the Jets — placed in the stacked Smythe Division — were only able to win two playoff series during Hawerchuk’s nine years with the club, he represented the franchise on Team Canada at the . While talk of the tournament-winning goal is usually all about, “Gretzky to Lemieux,” Hawerchuk had a hand in the decisive play against the Soviet Union. He was the one who scrambled the defensive zone draw, allowing Lemieux to chip the puck to Gretzky and start the rush. As the Soviets raced back toward their net, Hawerchuk gave the opposing centre, Vyacheslav Bykov, a tug that would land you in the box today, no questions asked. Back then, it was just called creating a little space for greatness.

“I’ll go to my grave saying he dove,” Hawerchuk said with a wry smile.

The ’87 Canada Cup is just a single highlight on a resume that includes winning the same tournament in 1991, back-to-back Memorial Cups with the in 1980 and ’81, five productive seasons with the Buffalo Sabres and induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2001.

The one thing missing, naturally, is a Stanley Cup. And there’s no doubt where Hawerchuk always imagined that happening.

“For me, this was a special place,” he said. “This would have been the place to do it and I hope I see it here one day.”

Canadian Press https://www.chrisd.ca/2017/11/14/hellebuycks-32-saves-lead-winnipeg-jets-arizona-coyotes-4- 1/#.Wgxr4FWnFhE

Hellebuyck’s 32 Saves Lead Winnipeg Jets Over Arizona Coyotes 4-1

By David Larkins, The Canadian Press

WINNIPEG – Connor Hellebuyck bounced back in a big way.

Pulled in a loss to Vegas last week, the Jets goaltender made 32 saves on Tuesday as Winnipeg beat the Arizona Coyotes for the third time in four games.

Hellebuyck, who improved his record to 9-1-2, began the season as the Jets’ No. 2 goalie. His stellar play has turned him into the starter.

“This was definitely my redemption game,” Hellebuyck said. “Any time you get pulled you have to enter strong, and I’m glad the guys played well in front of me.”

Joel Armia, Bryan Little and Adam Lowry scored for the Jets (10-4-3) in an 11-minute stretch in the second period to turn a one-goal game into a 4-0 stranglehold.

Andrew Copp, with a first-period goal, opened the scoring. The Jets also beat the Coyotes (2- 15-3) in Glendale, Ariz., last weekend to finish a three-game road trip.

“We can’t always rely on (Mark) Scheifele’s line to do the heavy work,” Little said. “There’s going to be games where they’re going to be off or not get on the scoresheet. It’s up to the other lines to chip in.”

Alex Goligoski’s goal 5:21 into the third spoiled Hellebuyck’s bid for his first shutout of the season.

The Jets inducted Dale Hawerchuk into their hall of fame before the game and unveiled his No. 10 banner in the rafters. Winnipeg players wore a silver No. 10 patch on their sweaters to honour the Jets legend.

Winnipeg was forced to kill off three straight penalties in a first period that saw Arizona outshoot the Jets 13-9.

Coyotes head coach Rick Tocchet lamented Arizona’s early missed opportunities while recognizing the Jets ability to finish theirs.

“Thirteen shots they get three goals,” he said. “Right now we have to play a perfect game to win. Hellebuyck, he made some unbelievable saves, and the next thing you know we’re just chasing the game.

“You’ve got to make plays and we didn’t score. How do you do that? You got to keep working at it. There’s no method. We’re not going to go trade for Mario Lemieux.”

The Jets and Coyotes had moments of wide-open 1980s-style hockey, with Winnipeg finding gaping spaces to skate against the team with the NHL’s worst record. Arizona lost its fifth straight game and seventh of its last eight.

“I’ve been saying it all year: You can’t complain, you can’t moan. Like, just go play, work hard,” Coyotes left-winger Brendan Perlini said. “There’s no other special secret or special juice. You just have to work your way out of it everyone shift after shift.”

Antti Raanta made 10 saves on 13 shots for Arizona (2-15-3) before being chased from the game after Little’s breakaway goal 5:08 into the middle frame. Scott Wedgewood made 16 saves on 17 shots in relief.

The Jets inducted Hawerchuk, the Calder Trophy winner in 1982 as NHL rookie of the year, into their new hall of fame in a 13-minute pre-game ceremony that yielded boisterous chants of “Ducky, Ducky” — Hawerchuk’s nickname — from the home crowd. His number hangs next to three other stars of the bygone Jets franchise: Anders Hedberg, Ulf Nilsson and Bobby Hull.

“It’s a special night. Obviously, he means a ton to this city and organization,” said Lowry, who benefited from a turnover in the Arizona zone and immediately snapped a shot past Wedgewood with 7:21 left in the second. “Any time you have him in the building it’s a happy night for the fans. It’s nice to send them home happy with a good result as well.”

NHL.com https://www.nhl.com/news/short-shifts-dale-hawerchuk-winnipeg-jets-hall-of-fame/c-292987510

Hawerchuk honored by Winnipeg, inducted into Jets Hall of Fame Longtime captain also has No. 10 retired during pregame ceremony

By NHL.com @NHL

The Winnipeg Jets honor Dale Hawerchuk by raising his number to the rafters, making him the fourth member of the their Hall of Fame

Ducky saw his No. 10 reach the rafters in Winnipeg on Tuesday.

Dale Hawerchuk, the longtime Winnipeg Jets captain, was inducted into the team's Hall of Fame and had his number retired prior to Jets game against the Arizona Coyotes at Bell MTS Place.

The Jets also donned a special jersey patch to commemorate Hawerchuk's special night. Hawerchuk was the fourth member of the Jets Hall of Fame, joining Anders Hedberg, Ulf Nilsson and Bobby Hull, who all played for the team during its days.

"To go up there with Ulf, Anders and Bobby, those guys were amazing players," Hawerchuk said. "When your name goes up there, it's pretty special."

Hawerchuk was given a standing ovation, and had his nickname "Ducky" chanted by the home crowd, before dropping the puck during a ceremonial faceoff.

"I've been to every part of [Manitoba], either golfing or playing [softball]," Hawerchuk said. "I've gotten to see Manitobans, seen their passion not only for their province and the game of hockey, but their passion for the Jets. I'm honored and I'm very humbled."

Hawerchuk played 713 games in his Hall of Fame career in Winnipeg, scoring 379 goals and 929 points, before he was traded to the Buffalo Sabres on June 16, 1990. https://www.nhl.com/news/arizona-coyotes-winnipeg-jets-game-recap/c-292990102

Jets ride second period to win against Coyotes Score three times to build lead; Hellebuyck makes 33 saves by Scott Billeck / NHL.com Correspondent

WINNIPEG -- The Winnipeg Jets scored three second-period goals in a 4-1 win against the Arizona Coyotes at Bell MTS Place on Tuesday.

Joel Armia, Bryan Little and Adam Lowry scored after Andrew Copp scored in the first period for Winnipeg (10-4-3), which is 6-1-3 in its past 10 games.

Alex Goligoski spoiled a shutout by Connor Hellebuyck with a goal for Arizona 5:21 into the third period. Hellebuyck made 33 saves.

"It's crucial that you get the big saves, especially against young teams [because] you're creating some doubt in their game and they might not come back," Lowry said. "[Arizona has] obviously struggled this year. They seem to hang around in games but can't close it out.'

Arizona (2-15-3) has lost five straight and is the only team in the NHL without a regulation win. The Coyotes are 0-6-2 against the Jets since they relocated from Atlanta in 2011.

"Lot of chances," Coyotes forward Brandon Perlini said after Arizona went 0-for-5 on the power play. "We have to bear down and try to find something, but that's the game of hockey: Sometimes she goes in and sometimes she doesn't. We're not going to cry about it, I'm certainly not going to cry about it. You just [have] to get out and work harder and get some more chances."

Copp made it 1-0 at 15:30 of the first period. He drove to the net and his initial shot was stopped, but he scored off the rebound.

Armia's wrist shot from the slot made it 2-0 at 1:43 of the second period. Little made it 3-0 at 5:08, scoring his second of the season and first in 12 games on a breakaway after poking the puck off the stick of defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson at the Jets blue line.

"Thirteen shots, they get three goals," Coyotes coach Rick Tocchet said. "Right now we have to play a perfect game to win. Hellebuyck, he made some unbelievable saves, and the next thing you know we're just chasing the game."

Antti Raanta made 10 saves for Arizona and was pulled for Scott Wedgewood after Little's goal. Wedgewood made 16 saves.

Lowry scored to make it 4-0 at 12:39.

Goal of the game Armia's goal at 1:43 of the second period.

Save of the game Hellebuyck's glove save on Derek Stepan at 9:21 of the second period.

Highlight of the game Little's goal at 5:08 of the second period.

They said it "I've been saying it all year: You can't complain, you can't moan. Like, just go play, work hard. There's no other special secret or special juice. You just have to work your way out of it, everyone shift after shift … and eventually I believe it will turn." -- Coyotes forward Brendan Perlini

"Before, I feel like I wasn't even getting the looks and chances. The last couple of games, I feel like I've gotten the puck a bit more and got more chances to shoot. Same with tonight; I had a couple other chances, other than when I scored, to shoot. That's the thing. If you're getting chances, it will come. It's when you're not, you get worried a bit." -- Jets forward Bryan Little

Need to know Goligoski has a goal and an assist in his past two games. … Jets forward Patrik Laine extended his point streak to six games (five goals, two assists) but his five-game goal-scoring streak ended. ... The Jets inducted Dale Hawerchuk into their Hall of Fame. He joins 2016 inductees Ulf Nilsson, Anders Hedberg and Bobby Hull.

What's next Coyotes: At the on Thursday (7:30 p.m. ET; RDS, TSN2, FS-A, NHL.TV) Jets: Host the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday (8 p.m. ET; TSN3, NBCSP, NHL.TV)

TSN.ca http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/video/secondary-scoring-steps-up-for-jets~1260533 (VIDEO LINK)

Secondary scoring steps up for Jets

Both Mark Scheifele and Blake Wheeler where held pointless for the Jets, but as Jamie McLennan shows you, it was Winnipeg's secondary scoring that pushed them to victory.

Global Winnipeg https://globalnews.ca/news/3861341/back-to-back-wins-over-arizona-coyotes-for-winnipeg-jets- as-they-salute-dale-hawerchuk/

Back to back wins over Arizona Coyotes for Winnipeg Jets as they salute Dale Hawerchuk

By Russ Hobson Sports Anchor/Reporter

WINNIPEG – With a second straight victory the Winnipeg Jets swept a home and home with the Arizona Coyotes.

The Jets beat the Coyotes 4-1 for the second straight game on Tuesday at Bell MTS Place. The Jets have now gained at least a single point in 10 of their last 11 games.

“I’m happy with the game.” Jets head coach Paul Maurice said. “I know that from the outside, you look at the record and say that’s a must win, should win game, but they’ve lost three of their last six in terms of hockey and two of them went to us and the other one was to Pittsburgh. They’ve played well in the 5-on-5 parts of their game.”

On a night where the hockey club was honouring one of their all-time greats, the Jets had goals from Andrew Copp, Joel Armia, Bryan Little and Adam Lowry. But it was the penalty kill that provided the boost after the Jets killed off three penalties in the first period.

“I thought the guys just did a great job of being aggressive.” Little said. “There’s a lot of good blocked shots. Our forwards especially got in the lanes pretty good.”

It was a bounce back performance for Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck who was coming off his worst outing of the season. After getting pulled in Vegas Hellebuyck stopped 33 of the 34 shots he faced.

“This was definitely my redemption game.” Hellebuyck said. “Anytime you get pulled you have to enter strong, and I’m glad the guys played well in front of me.” “That was the first time that he probably got off the ice and didn’t like his performance.” Maurice said. “So he comes right back and settles in and that’s mentally important for him.”

Prior to puck drop the Jets saluted one of their all-time fan favourites. Former Jets captain Dale Hawerchuk was officially inducted into the Winnipeg Jets Hall Of Fame. Fans gave him a standing ovation to chants of “Ducky”.

Hawerchuk is the fourth player in the Jets Hall Of Fame and his number 10 now hangs in the rafters at Bell MTS Place alongside Bobby Hull, Anders Hedberg and Ulf Nilsson.

The Jets struck for the game’s first goal just over 15 minutes into the contest. Copp skated out from behind the net with the puck. He was rebuffed on his first attempt but he shoveled in his own rebound past Antii Raanta. Copp’s third goal of the season was assisted by Lowry and Dmitry Kulikov and the Jets had a one goal lead after 20 minutes. The Jets killed off three penalties in the first period as they were outshot 13-9.

The Jets added to their lead less than two minutes into the middle frame. Armia stepped over the blueline and with only one man left to beat he fired the long shot by Raanta. Nikolaj Ehlers and Josh Morrissey had the assists on Armia’s third goal of the year.

Just three minutes later the Jets went ahead by three goals. Little stripped the puck from Oliver Ekman-Larsson at the Jets’ blueline and waltzed in on the clear cut breakaway. Little buried the shot for just his second goal of the season, ending an 11 game goal scoring drought. The goal was unassisted and that was the end of the line for Raanta as he was replaced in the Coyotes’ goal by Scott Wedgewood.

With just under eight minutes left in the period the Jets had the Coyotes hemmed into their own zone. After several quality scoring chances Lowry picked the top corner on Wedgewood for his second goal of the season. The goal was assisted by Tyler Myers and it was a four goal Jets lead.

The Coyotes broke up Hellebuyck’s shutout bid midway through the third period. From the blueline Alex Goligoski sneaked a shot past a screened Hellebuyck. Tobias Rieder had the only assist on Goligoski’s second tally of the campaign but that would close out the scoring.

Mathieu Perreault, Ben Chiarot and Marko Dano were all scratched for Winnipeg.

The Jets continue their three game homestand on Thursday against the Philadelphia Flyers. Flyers forward Nolan Patrick of Winnipeg has been out of the lineup since October with a concussion but could return to face his hometown team.

TSN 1290 (AUDIO LINKS) http://www.tsn.ca/radio/winnipeg-1290/babych-hawerchuk-made-everyone-better-1.915588

Babych: Hawerchuk made everyone better

Winnipeg Jets alumni joined Andrew Paterson and Rick Ralph on the Afternoon Ride. He discussed the impact that Dale Hawerchuk had on the Winnipeg Jets franchise, making the jump from junior to the NHL and the Winnipeg Jets playoff performance in the 80s. http://www.tsn.ca/radio/winnipeg-1290/hawerchuk-winnipeg-is-a-special-place-1.915461

Hawerchuk: Winnipeg is a special place

Dale Hawerchuk joined Andrew "Hustler" Paterson and Rick Ralph on the Afternoon Ride. He discussed the evening's induction into the Winnipeg Jets Hall of Fame, being selected 1st overall by the Jets in 1981, and making the jump to the NHL from junior hockey at age 18. www.winnipegjets.com https://www.nhl.com/jets/news/jets-open-home-stand-with-win-over-coyotes/c-292994788

Jets open home stand with win over Coyotes Hellebuyck stops 33 of 34; Lowry chips in with two points by Mitchell Clinton @MitchellClinton / WinnipegJets.com

WINNIPEG - First, Dale Hawerchuk's number 10 was added to the Winnipeg Jets Hall of Fame.

Just under three hours later, the Jets earned their tenth win of the regular season, beating the Arizona Coyotes 4-1 in front of a sold out Bell MTS Place.

Andrew Copp, Joel Armia, Bryan Little, and Adam Lowry scored for the Jets (10-4-3), while Alex Goligoski broke up Connor Hellebuyck's shut out bid 5:21 into the third period.

"We can't always rely on (Mark) Scheifele's line to do all the heavy work. There's going to be games that they might be off, or might not get on the score sheet," said Little. "It's up to the other lines to chip in. You look at good playoff teams and they've got their second, third, and fourth lines chipping in on goals. That's what you need to keep winning all season."

It didn't start easily for the home side, as the Jets penalty kill had to get to work early, killing off two minor penalties, and three overall in the first period.

Gaining momentum from those kills, the Jets would seize their first opportunity.

Off a dump in from Dmitry Kulikov, Copp got the puck back from Dakota Mermis along the half wall. Copp leaned in and drove the front of the net, and when his initial shot was stopped by Antti Raanta, the Jets forward was right there to put away his own rebound for his third of the season.

Copp's line mate, Lowry assisted on the goal, and head coach Paul Maurice likes how the trio of Copp, Lowry, and Tanev has come together and are producing offensively.

"The way Andrew scored the first one, just driving it to the net, (his line) had a lot of real good offensive zone time early in the game," said Maurice. "A real good on the puck battle for Adam (Lowry)'s goal. They were playing it the right way. (There is) some good chemistry there. They also at times have to go out and play against the other team's best when Scheifele's line isn't doing that job. They look like they have something good going on there."

Armia would make it 2-0 early in the second, when Nikolaj Ehlers' flip from the Jets zone was batted down by Armia in the neutral zone. He split two Coyotes, then on a one-on-one with Luke Schenn, sent a wrist shot on goal that Raanta only got a piece of.

Just 3:25 later, the Jets would add to the lead. Little poked the puck off the stick of Oliver Ekman-Larsson at the Jets blue line, and was in alone on Raanta. The 30-year-old veteran centre made no mistake on the chance, snapping a shot past Raanta's glove side.

It was Little's second goal of the season, and his first in 12 games.

"The chances haven't been easy to come by," said Little. "I've felt like I've been playing better the last couple games. I just tried to stick with it, and keep shooting.

"It was a bit of a relief, and hopefully I can get going now."

That was the end of the night for Raanta, after he allowed three goals on 13 shots. Scott Wedgewood came on in relief.

Derek Stepan had a chance to get Arizona (2-15-3) back in it when split the Jets defensive Jets defence, and found open ice in front of Hellebuyck. Stepan fired a wrist shot, but Hellebuyck was up to the task, flashing the leather to keep the Jets up 3-0.

Hellebuyck called tonight his "redemption game" after he was pulled for the first time this season in Friday's loss in Las Vegas.

"I was watching Vegas and I still liked my game, I just needed to critique it a little bit. That's exactly what I did," said Hellebuyck, who stopped 33 of 34 shots in the win. "I went out in Arizona (in morning skate) and got no shots. I just worked on my movement. That really helped. It really settled things down and helped me feel confident in my movement, then everything else just came."

Lowry's second goal in three games pushed the Jets lead to 4-0 with 7:21 left in the second. After relenteless offensive zone pressure from the Jets, Myers forced a turnover below the goal line, and the puck came out to Lowry, who sent a wrist shot high short side on Wedgewood.

Arizona would get on the board 5:21 into the second, when Goligoski's point shot beat a screened Hellebuyck on the glove side, cutting the Jets lead to 4-1.

But that's as close as the Coyotes would get, as the Jets held them off the score sheet the rest of the way.

Now 6-1-3 in their last ten games, Lowry still feels there is room for the team to grow.

"It's nice that we're playing well early. It's still real early in the season though. We're just going to look to continue to build on it," he said. "I think every game we've seemed to do things better. You haven't seen the best from this group. It's coming together. It's about just continuing to get better throughout the season." https://www.nhl.com/jets/video/postgame--jets-4-coyotes-1-f/t-277437442/c-54617103

POSTGAME | Jets 4, Coyotes 1 - F

JetsTV's Mitchell Clinton breaks down Winnipeg's 10th win of the season https://www.nhl.com/jets/video/postgame--paul-maurice/t-277437442/c-54615203

POSTGAME | Paul Maurice

Head Coach Paul Maurice addresses the media post-game at Bell MTS Place

SCOTT BROWN Senior Director, Hockey Communications Winnipeg Jets Hockey Club

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