sign in sign up
<<
Home , Andrei Vasilevskiy, Brendan Lemieux, Brian Boyle, Connor Hellebuyck, Defenceman, Drew Doughty

Winnipeg Free Press https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/sports/hockey/jets/jets-launching-into-awards-territory- 471389844.html

Jets launching into awards territory

By: Mike McIntyre

The Jets’ surge to the top of the NHL’s Central Division standings hasn’t gone unnoticed by hockey media and fans across North America.

The Professional Hockey Writers Association revealed Friday the winners of 10 mid- awards, based on a vote of more than 150 journalists in NHL markets across the league and 2,000 fans who cast their ballots online.

Among the local highlights are goalie finishing second in voting, and coach sitting third in Award voting.

Three other members of the Jets garnered some votes: was fifth in Hart Trophy voting, was sixth for GM of the year and rookie 10th in Calder Trophy voting.

PHWA members will vote on end-of-season NHL awards in April.

Here’s the top-3 mid-season results for each category:

Hart Trophy — to the player adjudged to be most valuable to his team 1. , 2. Nathan MacKinnon, Avalanche 3. ,

Norris Trophy — to the who demonstrates the greatest all-round ability in the position 1. , Tampa Bay Lightning 2. , 3. John Klingberg,

Selke Trophy — to the who best excels in the defensive aspects of the game 1. , Bruins 2. , Flyers 3. Anze Kopitar, Los Angeles Kings

Calder Trophy — to the player selected as the most proficient in his rst year of competition 1. , New York Islanders 2. , 3. Charlie McAvoy,

Lady Byng Trophy — to the player adjudged to have exhibited the best type of sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of playing ability 1. , Flames 2. , Maple Leafs 3. Ryan O’Reilly,

Vezina Trophy — to the adjudged to be the best at his position 1. , Tampa Bay Lightning 2. Connor Hellebuyck, 3. ,

Jack Adams Award — to the coach adjudged to have contributed the most to his team’s success 1. , 2. , Tampa Bay Lightning 3. Paul Maurice, Winnipeg Jets

GM of the year award — to the adjudged to have contributed most to his team’s success 1. George McPhee, Vegas Golden Knights 2. , Tampa Bay Lightning 3. Ray Shero, Devils

Rod Langway Award — to the defenceman who best excels in the defensive aspect of the game 1. Drew Doughty, Los Angeles Kings 2. Zdeno Chara, Boston Bruins 3. Victor Hedman, Tampa Bay Lightning

Comeback player of the year award — to the player who returned to a previous high level of performance that was interrupted by subpar play, long-term injury or major illness. 1. , Tampa Bay Lightning 2. Brian Boyle, New 3. ,

Wheeler says it will be chaos. Hellebuyck was more concerned about making his flight in time. Maurice doesn’t want either player to pull a muscle.

The all-star break has arrived, and Wheeler and Hellebuyck are representing the Jets this weekend in Tampa Bay, Fla.

"Chaos. It’s going to be hectic. But this whole weekend isn’t about rest and recovery. It’s going to be a fun experience, the family is going to be down there, so I’m excited about it," Wheeler said following the Jets’ 4-3 shootout loss in Anaheim on Thursday night.

Wheeler and his teammates took a charter flight back to Winnipeg, arriving just after 4 a.m. Friday. There wasn’t much time for Wheeler or Hellebuyck to catch their breath before flying to Florida.

"Hopefully, I can catch my plane, maybe do a little bit of relaxing," Hellebuyck joked in a post- game chat in California. "I’m just going to enjoy the whole weekend, soak everything in, try to make some memories."

Maurice said he’s happy for his two players, even though he’d prefer they were putting their feet up and getting some rest.

"Make sure you warm up before the game, don’t pull anything, and enjoy the heck out of it," was Maurice’s advice to the pair.

The Jets did some roster shuffling Friday connected to the upcoming NHL and AHL all-star games.

Goalie Michael Hutchinson was returned to the Moose. That allows him to go to Utica, N.Y., to play in Monday’s AHL all-star game. He’s expected to head right back to the Jets in time for Tuesday’s game at Bell MTS Place against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

In exchange, the Jets recalled goalie Jamie Phillips from the Moose. The move is purely to ensure the team has a goalie when they return to practice Monday — especially since Hellebuyck will be making his way back from Florida after playing in Sunday’s NHL all-star game.

Phillips, 24, is 1-1 with a 2.24 goals-against average and .932 percentage with the Moose this season.

This also allows top goalie to continue playing with the Moose, as he did Friday night and is expected to do tonight in Laval.

Manitoba also recalled goalie Colton Phinney from their ECHL affiliate in Jacksonville to serve as Comrie’s backup this weekend.

Phinney, 24, is in his first pro season of hockey after four seasons at Princeton University. He owns a 3-7-1 record with a 3.49 GAA and a .878 SV% in 15 appearances with Jacksonville.

In an additional move, the Jets returned to the Moose. He has dressed in seven games with the Jets so far this season, and had been up with the team as an extra forward on this road trip. It’s possible he could be recalled next week, depending on whether injured forward is ready to return to the lineup.

Winnipeg Sun http://winnipegsun.com/sports/hockey/nhl/winnipeg-jets/whod-have-thunk-it

Who'd have thunk it?

By Paul Friesen

Those were definitely flashes of playoff-style hockey as the Winnipeg Jets battled through San Jose and Anaheim to get to the NHL all-star break.

And while they got through it with aplomb, collecting three of four points, you couldn’t help but wonder how they’d handle a longer dose of the stuff over a six or seven-game series.

Would the pounding take its toll? Would the roster, bolstered by AHL callups and maybe, just maybe, a deadline acquisition or two, prove deep enough to get through one playoff round? Two rounds? Three rounds?

We’ve learned a lot about the Jets so far this season, but not as much as we’re going to learn the rest of the way.

Captain Blake Wheeler obviously liked what he saw in Anaheim, Thursday, a game in which the Jets may have taken more than they gave, but played the rugged Ducks dead-even.

“We didn’t shy away,” is how Wheeler put it. “We were in every corner with them.”

They’ve been rubbing shoulders with the big boys all season. And the rest of the NHL is starting to notice.

Individually, the Jets are getting unprecedented attention for the league’s major individual awards.

The Professional Hockey Writers Association, which votes on most of them, chose mid-season winners for the first time in decades, Friday, and Connor Hellebuyck finished second in the voting for the Vezina Trophy as top goaltender.

If you saw that coming going into the season, go out and pick the winning numbers in the Lotto Max, right now.

Hellebuyck ranks second in wins, with 26, behind only Tampa’s Andrei Vasilevskiy (29), who leads the Vezina race at this , too.

Wheeler probably won’t win the Hart Trophy as league MVP, but he placed fifth on the mid- season ballot, getting votes from 60 of 152 writers, including three first-place votes.

And Paul Maurice ranks third in the voting for the Jack Adams Trophy as coach of the year, behind everyone’s choice, Gerard Gallant of Vegas, and Jon Cooper of the Lightning.

The Jets may not take home a single trophy, but simply being in the running for so many is a step up the NHL food chain.

A year ago, the only one in the conversation for anything would have been for the Calder as top rookie.

But individual recognition isn’t all this upstart team from the prairies is getting.

There are head coaches out there actually predicting the Jets will win three playoff rounds and represent the Western Conference in the Final.

No less than six coaches picked the Jets to win the West in a poll conducted by TSN’s Bob McKenzie, the results of which he released this week.

Only Nashville (16) and Vegas (seven) were picked by more.

At 29-13-8, Winnipeg’s 66 points is good for the No. 2 spot in the conference, behind only the expansion Golden Knights.

Going into the season, anyone predicting the Jets would trail Vegas by two points at the all-star break might have raised an eyebrow or two.

Predicting they’d be the top two teams in the West would have brought in the men in the white coats.

The success of Vegas is the one thing preventing the Jets from being THE surprise story in the league, to date.

Underscoring it all is their play since No. 1 crashed, shoulder-first, into the corner boards during a game against , two days after Christmas.

The Jets are a cool 8-2-2 since.

This team is well on its way to acing that test.

There are even bigger ones to come. http://winnipegsun.com/sports/hockey/nhl/winnipeg-jets/hutchinson-getting-his-due

Hutchinson getting his due

By Paul Friesen

Michael Hutchinson wanted to take part in the all-star festivities, so the Winnipeg Jets re-assigned the goaltender to the , Friday.

The Jets called up Hutchinson when suffered his second concussion of the season, Jan. 12.

He has yet to make an appearance in net for the Jets this season.

Hutchinson will join rookie forward , defenceman and for the Sunday-Monday event in Utica, N.Y.

The 27-year-old has a 14-2-5 mark in the AHL this season and remains among the league leaders in (1.94) and saves percentage (.942).

Forward has chosen to remain with the Jets, his place in the AHL all-star game taken by Appleton.

Roslovic was called up at the end of December and scored his first NHL in the Jets’ 4-3 shootout loss in Anaheim, Thursday.

To keep two goalies on their NHL roster, the Jets recalled Jamie Phillips from the Moose, while returning winger Brendan Lemieux to the AHL.

Global Winnipeg https://globalnews.ca/news/3989936/winnipeg-jets-send-hutchinson-lemieux-back-to-moose- recall-jamie-phillips/

Lemieux back to Moose, recall Jamie Phillips

By Russ Hobson Sports Anchor/Reporter

WINNIPEG – With the NHL all-star break now here the Winnipeg Jets took care of some house cleaning on Friday.

The Jets assigned both goalie Michael Hutchinson and forward Brendan Lemieux to the Manitoba Moose while recalling netminder Jamie Phillips.

The move will allow Hutchinson to take part in this weekend’s AHL all-star festivities after being selected for the Central Division all-star team. Jack Roslovic was already replaced on the all- star team and remains on recall with Winnipeg through the break. The Jets don’t play again until Tuesday when they’ll host the Tampa Bay Lightning at Bell MTS Place.

The Moose have a pair of games before the AHL break with contests scheduled against the on Friday and Saturday, but it’s unknown if either Hutchinson or Lemieux will be available in time for Friday night’s game in Quebec.

Hutchinson, 27, did not appear in any games since his recall, only dressing as Connor Hellebuyck’s backup.

Phillips, 24, is on his first recall to the Jets after going 1-1 with a 2.24 goals against average and a .932 in three appearances with the Moose this season.

Lemieux, 21, was just called up on Monday and did not see any action. He did appear in eight games with the Jets earlier this season where he recorded his first career NHL goal.

The Moose also recalled a goaltender. Manitoba called up Colton Phinney from the ECHL’s .

Phinney, 24, is in the midst of his first season of professional hockey. He has a 3-7-1 record in 15 appearances with the Icemen. Phinney spent the previous four seasons at Princeton University.

The Moose tangle with the Rocket tonight starting at 6:30 pm central time.

TSN 1290 (AUDIO LINKS) https://www.tsn.ca/radio/winnipeg-1290/sawyer-jets-have-found-ways-to-win-despite-injuries- 1.980256

Sawyer: Jets have found ways to win despite injuries

Jets on TSN analyst discusses the playoff-like atmosphere in the Jets shootout loss to Anaheim, how the All-Star break comes at a good time for players like and , Jack Roslovic scoring his first NHL goal, appearance in the shootout, the amount of chirping he sees from players in between the benches, 's game and Blake Wheeler's focus on being the best player he can be. https://www.tsn.ca/radio/winnipeg-1290/wyman-roslovic-has-generated-chances-1.979222

Wyman: Roslovic has generated chances

Ted Wyman of the Winnipeg Sun discusses the Jets three game win streak heading into the evening's game vs. Anaheim, Jack Roslovic swapping spots with Kyle Connor in the lineup, Dustin Byfgulien's play in the win vs. San Jose and Connor Hellebuyck's workload. https://www.tsn.ca/radio/winnipeg-1290/ferraro-all-star-game-is-a-carefree-weekend-1.980258

Ferraro: All Star game is a carefree weekend

TSN Hockey Analyst discusses his experience at the NHL All Star Game in 1992, the Jets post break game vs. Tampa Bay and the physical play of the NHL's California teams. www.winnipegjets.com https://www.nhl.com/jets/video/josh-and-the-dream-factory/t-277437442/c-56987403 (VIDEO LINK)

Josh and the Dream Factory

As an ambassador for the Dream Factory in Manitoba, Jets defenceman Josh Morrissey is helping brighten the day of some very deserving children