Winnipeg Free Press https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/sports/hockey/jets/jets-cant-take-it-easy-on-arizona- 457356023.html

Jets can't take it easy on Arizona Friday loss in Vegas shows what can happen when faces a hard- working club

By: Jason Bell

All of the good stuff being created by — and radiating from — the right now won’t simply continue as a matter of course.

One slip means a shoddy performance such as Friday night in Las Vegas will materialize.

Winnipeg was soundly outplayed and, ultimately, defeated 5-2 by a better-prepared, harder- working Golden Knights squad that takes just about every team it faces by surprise during its inaugural NHL season.

Credit the Jets for a bounce-back effort Saturday night in Glendale, Ariz. Despite a bit of a sluggish start, they found their legs against the wretched Coyotes and registered a 4-1 triumph to improve to 9-4-3 and remain in second place in the ultra-competitive Central Division.

Winnipeg was six points back of streaking St. Louis (13-4-1) prior to the Blues’ battle with the on Monday night, a point up on the Nashville Predators (9-5-2) and three ahead of the Dallas Stars (9-7) and Chicago Blackhawks (8-8-2).

The Blues have won of seven their past 10 games, while the Predators and Stars each have won six of 10. The Jets are holding firm, notching six victories while earning points in nine of 10. They’re fourth in the Western Conference and tied with a pack of clubs — Vegas, the , , Washington Captitals and Pittsburgh Penguins — for sixth in the NHL.

That’s nice company to keep, for now.

They’ll need to maintain a sound defensive brand, receive terrific goaltending from Connor Hellebuyck and, when called upon, Steve Mason, and flash their obvious offensive gifts to stick it out over the long haul with the NHL’s elite.

Jets head coach Paul Maurice was asked after Monday’s practice if the team is prepared for a hectic block of time between now and the holiday season.

"Reasonably, right? But (there’s) no permanency to the first part," he said. "We’ve got to prove it every day. We’re reasonably healthy right now, so you’ve got to feel good about that. But I like the way we’re playing."

The Jets begin a three-game homestand tonight when the Coyotes have an opportunity to exact some revenge at Bell MTS Place. Game time is 7 p.m.

Winnipeg hosts the on Thursday night. Winnipegger and 2017 second- overall draft pick Nolan Patrick, who has missed the Flyers’ last eight games with a suspected concussion, could make his return that night. The Jets then play the New Jersey Devils on Saturday at 2 p.m.

Maurice, who expected growth from his team that missed the post-season the past two seasons, said there’s enough evidence a fifth of the way through the 2017-18 campaign to suggest it’s occuring.

"We’re early into the idea of, ‘Does your team really understand the game it needs to play consistenly?’ But (players) are saying the right things on the bench when it’s not happening on the ice. What’s being said on our bench is right — we need to do this, play simpler, play faster. So, they’ve got a good grasp of where we’re trying to get to as a team," he said. "Of our last three losses (Vegas, Montreal and Columbus)... you don’t love your game, but over 82 you’re going to have them. We’ve rebounded pretty well in all of them."

Most encouraging was how the club addressed its deficiencies in Vegas and got back to the basics at Gila River Arena the following night, despite falling behind early.

"(We) transition to a real grinding, hard game on (the second of) back-to-back nights and didn’t change much down 1-0, which is a sign of growth for our team. Pretty patient with that game and got stronger as the game went, and got some real good goaltending (from Mason), too," he said.

Winnipeg centre Adam Lowry missed nine games with an upper-body injury but returned to the lineup last Monday in a 4-1 victory over the host Stars and then scored his first of the season four nights later in the loss to Vegas.

He said the Jets, still discovering what it takes to execute consistently, can’t afford to take the struggling ’Yotes (2-14-3) lightly tonight.

"You beat them at (their) home, they’re going to come out hungry, ready to play. They’re going to make adjustments to what you did successfully against them. Then you’ve got to find ways to counteract that," he said.

"For their record, they’re a lot better team. They have two wins on the year, that’s not very good. But you look at how hard they play, it’s tough to generate chances against them. Now that they have Antti Raanta back in net, he’s been very solid for them. They’ve got a lot of young guys up front who’ve shown a lot of promise."

The Jets will go with Hellebuyck between the pipes, despite a rough ride against the Golden Knights and a tidy effort by Mason in Arizona. Hellebuyck, 24, has been tremendous this season, posting an 8-1-2 record with a 2.44 goals-against average and .926 save percentage.

"His body of work says he absolutely deserves to be in that game," said Maurice.

"Long term, there’s a block in March that’s tough but this is our toughest month, right here, from now till the 11th, 12th of December we’re in every second night with two sets of back-to-backs in there.

"Both goalies, we’re going to need them both." https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/sports/hockey/manitoba-moose/lemieux-heading-back-to- moose-457244713.html

Lemieux heading back to Moose

By: Mike Sawatzky

The Winnipeg Jets reassigned 21-year-old left-winger Brendan Lemieux to the AHL's , the NHL club announced Monday.

Lemieux made his big-league debut earlier this season and appeared in a fourth-line role for his first seven career games for the Jets this season after being recalled on Oct. 17.

He scored his first NHL goal on Oct. 29 against the Pittsburgh Penguins, but had been a healthy scratch since appearing in a game against the Montreal Canadiens on Nov. 4. He had one point and 19 minutes while averaging 7:44 in ice time.

Head coach Paul Maurice said the young pro did a good job in his first stint with Winnipeg (9-4- 3).

"Real good the first time through. He's worked hard in the summer and that was probably the most important thin to happen to him is he got faster. So, lots of good things there," said Maurice. "Energy, he's good. He gets in and gets on it. Physical, not afraid of working in the dark areas, but also a set of hands that I think you'll see more and more as he develops, as he gets more time on the ice."

Lemieux had five points, including three goals, and nine penalty minutes in four games with the Moose earlier this year.

Jets forward Mathieu Perreault has yet to be activated from the injured reserve list but is close to returning to the lineup. Maurice said he likely won't play Tuesday night when the (2-14-3) visit Bell MTS Place.

Connor Hellebuyck will get the start in the Winnipeg net, Maurice confirmed. https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/sports/hockey/jets/young-jet-loses-an-inspirational-friend- 457356723.html

Young Jet loses an inspirational friend

By: Jason Bell

Winnipeg Jets forward Brandon Tanev lost a good friend and true inspiration Saturday.

His former Providence College teammate, Drew Brown, died after a long fight against cancer. Brown was just 25.

"We knew he wasn’t in great shape, and the day of our game in Arizona I found out he passed away. It’s really sad. He was such a great person," Tanev said Monday. "He was going through his second battle with cancer and was able to fight through the first one and we hoped for the best. It’s so unfortunate for his family. He was a good friend of mine at school, just an amazing person."

Tanev and Brown, a native of Grass Lake, Mich., played together with the Friars for two seasons (2012-14). Brown, a right-winger, was injured in an NCAA Hockey East semi-final in ’14,and an MRI revealed a tumour and a rare form of bone cancer, Ewing’s sarcoma.

Brown was sidelined the entire 2014-15 season as he underwent treatment but was an inspiration for the team as it captured the U.S. college championship. Tanev scored the game- winner on a wicked wrist in the third period, breaking a 3-3 tie against Jack Eichel and the Boston University Terriers.

But the 25-year-old native, who has a pair of goals for Winnipeg this season, said Brown was the real hero.

"In the back of our minds, we wanted to win that championship for him. He was a huge part of our team for four years, and seeing him not being able to play was tough," Tanev said.

"When he was feeling better, he had the opportunity to be around us during the Frozen Four, and it was very uplifting for us.

"He wasn’t able to suit up for that national championship with us, but it was something special to see him walk on the ice and lift that trophy with all the guys. Getting that chance to share that moment with the guys was huge. It was very special."

------

The Jets reassigned 21-year-old left-winger Brendan Lemieux to the AHL’s Manitoba Moose on Monday.

Lemieux made his big-league debut earlier this season and appeared in a fourth-line role for his first seven NHL games after being recalled on Oct. 17.

He scored his first NHL goal on Oct. 29 against the Pittsburgh Penguins, but had been a healthy scratch since appearing in a game against the Montreal Canadiens on Nov. 4. He had one point and 19 penalty minutes while averaging 7:44 in ice time.

Jets head coach Paul Maurice said the young pro did a good job in his first stint with the big club.

"Real good the first time through. He’s worked hard in the summer and that was probably the most important thing to happen to him is he got faster. So, lots of good things there," Maurice said.

"Energy, he’s good. He gets in and gets on it. Physical, not afraid of working in the dark areas, but also a set of hands that I think you’ll see more and more as he develops, as he gets more time on the ice."

Jets forward Mathieu Perreault has yet to be activated from the injured-reserve list but practised Monday without a ‘no-contact jersey’ and is close to returning to the lineup. He took a shot to the leg during the Jets’ 2-1 win over the Carolina Hurricanes on Oct. 14 and has been sidelined since.

Maurice said the feisty playmaker won’t dress tonight when the Arizona Coyotes (2-14-3) visit Bell MTS Place.

"It’s nice to finally get back out there and get put into harder, more game-like situations. It’s encouraging," said Perreault, after practising Monday. "Pretty close... I probably won’t be 100 per cent for a little bit, but I’m getting ready to play, so hopefully some time this week."

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It’s Ducky’s night at Bell MTS Place.

Dale Hawerchuk is being inducted into the Winnipeg Jets Hall of Fame prior to the Jets-Coyotes contest.

Hawerchuk played 16 NHL seasons, including the first nine with the Jets. Drafted first overall in 1981, he won the as the league’s top rookie in 1982 after scoring 45 goals and supplying 58 assists. In fact, he led the team in scoring each of his nine seasons.

Hawerchuk was inducted into the in 2001.

"He’s be a guy that, playing now, would be an absolute star," said Maurice, who made his head coaching debut during the 1995-96 season with the , while Hawerchuk was in the twilight of his career in St. Louis and Philadelphia. "A great career. I would say he was underappreciated.

"When I talk to him, he loved his experience in Winnipeg. I’m glad that he’s going to get appreciated for the work he did here. In general, the league probably didn’t get to see as much of a great player as they would have today."

Hawerchuk coached with the and had a young forward named Mark Scheifele there with him.

"It’s definitely a huge honour for him. He did so much for this city and this city did so much for him," said Scheifele, now a star centre for the Jets 2.0. "It’s a pretty cool thing to be here and to be a part of it. I’m excited for that moment for him."

Scheifele said the two still talk, but not that often.

"I’ll see him once or twice in the summer at a charity game. I think he’s sick of me. I talked his ear off too much when I played for him. I think he needs a little break from me," Scheifele said. "I was always in his office: it was either him yelling at me or teaching me something. He was a great mentor of mine."

Hawerchuk becomes the fourth member of the Winnipeg Jets Hall of Fame, joining The HOT Line of , and , who were inducted last season.

Winnipeg Sun http://winnipegsun.com/sports/hockey/nhl/winnipeg-jets/hendricks-is-on-the-boardscheifele-hits- milestonebyfuglien-bounces-backlaine-heating-upperreault-almost-ready-to-return

Hawerchuk to join Hot Line in Jets Hall of Fame

By Paul Friesen

His old franchise may be located in the desert, but knows he’s frozen into the history of Winnipeg hockey, forever.

Hawerchuk will fly into town Tuesday morning and leave as the newly inducted member of the Winnipeg Jets Hall of Fame.

“I know the franchise is in Arizona,” Hawerchuk said over the phone, Monday. “But all us guys, we played in Winnipeg. That was the city we played for. It’s special to go in, and there will be many more to come.”

Hawerchuk is the lone member of just the second induction “class,” joining the Hot Line: Bobby Hull, Anders Hedberg and Ulf Nilsson.

Like theirs, his influence on the fledgling franchise was enormous.

The Jets were the NHL’s worst team in 1980-81, just their second year in the league. Their reward was to draft first, overall, selecting a phenom from Toronto who was leading the to back-to-back titles.

“I was just real fortunate Winnipeg had that first pick,” Hawerchuk said. “Because that was a good fit for me. I didn’t think that way when I first went there. But the place and the province grew on me, real fast.”

His doubts were soon quieted when he emerged from the back of Brinks truck to a throng at Portage and Main for his official signing in the middle of summer.

“As a young kid going there, I was hockey crazy. And I soon realized the whole province is like that,” he said. “People really make it. Whenever I think back on it, I miss some of those days.

“Yeah, being 18 years old and paraded out at Portage and Main from a Brinks truck and signing my contract there – it was probably good I was too young and naive to understand what was happening.”

He was more than ready for the big leagues, though.

Hawerchuk began to rewrite the Jets record book immediately, becoming the youngest player in NHL history to record 100 points and earning the Calder Trophy as rookie-of-the-year.

He led the Jets to the largest single-season turnaround in league history: from nine wins to 33, and from 32 points to 80 – a 48-point jump.

“When you’re a first pick you know you’re going to a last-place team,” Hawerchuk said. “To get it turned around as fast as we did and to be a threat, year-in and year-out, I look back and I’m proud.”

In nine seasons with the Jets, he led the team in scoring every year, eclipsed 100 points five times and became the third-youngest player in NHL history to score 50 goals.

While Goal Magazine dubbed him “the mini-Gretzky,” Hawerchuk will always be known as “Ducky.”

“ brought it from Cornwall,” Hawerchuk said of his former teammate. “There was a guy who called me Howard the Duck, because he thought I skated like a duck a little bit. Ducky stuck there.”

Arniel says former junior teammate, the late Dave Ezard, coined the term, “Howie-Duck.”

“We kind of just chopped it down to Duck, and then Ducky,” Arniel said. “Everybody else kind of picked up on it.”

Arniel flew into Winnipeg Monday night for the occasion, along with and Dave Ellett.

“He challenged everybody to be better,” Arniel said of Hawerchuk. “He was such a driven guy to win. Whether we were playing Game 5 of the season or Game 25 or Game 75, he played the same way every night.

“We got to see an awful lot of Gretzky and those guys, and Dale wanted to be on that stage, as well.”

The Jets could never get past the Oilers to challenge for the Stanley Cup.

And when John Ferguson, the man who drafted Hawerchuk, lost his job as GM, No. 10’s days were numbered.

During the 1990 draft, Mike Smith traded him to Buffalo.

“Mike Smith and I never seemed to see eye-to-eye,” Hawerchuk said. “Right from Day 1 when I got there, he wasn’t one of my big supporters in the organization. And he kind of let me know that… and I guess I resented it the rest of my time there.”

Arniel, already in Buffalo, was part of the package coming to Winnipeg, ruining any chance of the two becoming teammates again.

The long-time friends will reunite, Tuesday, Arniel providing the assist, while Hawerchuk scores a place in Winnipeg hockey history.

“We’ve had a close friendship for many, many years,” Hawerchuk said. “We helped push each other along the way. I appreciate all my teammates. This night is special for myself, but I’m happy a lot of teammates are there, because it doesn’t happen alone.” http://winnipegsun.com/sports/hockey/nhl/winnipeg-jets/teemu-likely-next-into-jets-hall

Teemu likely next into Jets Hall

By Paul Friesen

Imagine Dale Hawerchuk feathering saucer passes to Teemu Selanne.

That would have been a tantalizing chapter of Winnipeg Jets history had it been up to Hawerchuk.

“Did I think I was going to be a Winnipeg Jet forever? Yeah, sure I did,” Hawerchuk said on the eve of his induction to the Jets Hall of Fame.

Instead, Hawerchuk was traded to Buffalo in 1990, two years before Selanne exploded onto the scene.

While Selanne was scoring an NHL-record 76 goals as a rookie, Hawerchuk was putting up 80 assists with the Sabres, leading his new team in scoring three of his five years there.

He entered the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2001, with career totals of 518 goals, 1,409 points — 929 of them with Winnipeg.

Hawerchuk joins 1970s WHA heroes Anders Hedberg, Ulf Nilsson and Bobby Hull in the Jets Hall.

Next year’s choice looks pretty obvious to former Jet Scott Arniel.

“Dale took over for the 80’s,” Arniel said. “And Teemu came in there in the ’90s. You have a pretty good idea who the No. 3 (inductee) is going to be.” http://winnipegsun.com/sports/hockey/nhl/winnipeg-jets/perreault-wonders-where-hell-fit-in- myers-dodges-scary-coincidence-lemieux-back-to-the-moose-but-for-how-long-back-to- hellebuyck-on-tuesday

Perreault wonders where he'll fit in... Myers dodges scary coincidence... Lemieux back to the Moose, but for how long?... Back to Hellebuyck on Tuesday

By Paul Friesen

Mathieu Perreault will probably be ready to get back into the Winnipeg Jets lineup later this week.

Now he just needs to find out where he fits.

Perreault has missed the last 11 games after blocking a shot, but shed his non-contact sweater as the Jets returned to practice, Monday.

“It’s nice to finally get back out there and get put into harder, more game-like situations,” he said. “It’s encouraging. I probably won’t be 100 percent for a little bit, but I’m getting ready to play, so hopefully some time this week.”

Head coach Paul Maurice ruled Perreault out of Tuesday’s rematch with Arizona, but will presumably find a place for the shifty forward either Thursday against Philadelphia or Saturday when New Jersey comes to town.

It might not be on the top two lines, because rookie Kyle Connor has come up from the AHL and meshed nicely with Mark Scheifele and Blake Wheeler on the No. 1 unit.

“He’s been playing awesome,” Perreault said of the 20-year-old Connor. “That line’s been one of the better lines in the NHL right now. I’d just like to get back in the lineup. Hopefully they can find a spot for me where I can fit in and help the team keep winning games.

“It’s a good thing. The team is winning. It’s fun to see.”

Perreault has three points in the five games he’s played.

Skating as an extra forward, Monday, he was sporting a new pair of clear skate guards for added protection.

“I’m going to wear extra padding on my skates and hopefully it doesn’t happen again,” he said. “You feel like you probably should have worn them before the injury happens, but sometimes you need this (to) happen to figure it out.”

MYERS DODGES BULLET It was a scary coincidence when defenceman Tyler Myers went down with what looked like a knee injury in Saturday’s 4-1 win in Arizona.

It was a year ago to the day – Nov. 11 – that Myers played his final game last season, losing the rest of it to injury.

So there was a collective sigh of relief when he was able to practise, Monday.

“He’s good,” Maurice said. “We’d have been real cautious with it and we were. But he felt strong and got through practice with no issues so he’s going to be fine. It was scary, but we’re fortunate.”

GONE, NOT FORGOTTEN The Jets were healthy enough Monday morning to send forward Brendan Lemieux back to the farm.

By the end of practice, things may have changed.

“It may be short-term,” Maurice said of Lemieux’s stint with the AHL Manitoba Moose. “You watched practice and you see a guy get hit with the puck, so we’ll see how Shawn Matthias is tomorrow.”

Lemieux had been a healthy scratch, of late, something Maurice didn’t want to continue.

“We’re not going to have a pro that’s eligible to play sit and watch,” the coach said. “Even if it’s two or three days or one game with the Moose… we just don’t want him here too long, watching.”

Lemieux played seven games, picking up one goal, but was edged out of the lineup the last three games.

MINUS THE EXTREMES Maurice likes how his team, 9-4-3, is playing, going into this three-game homestand.

Even the losses, he says, haven’t been as “extreme” this season.

“You don’t love your game, but over 82 you’re going to have them,” he said. “But there weren’t the extremes. We weren’t terrible that night (in Vegas) and fantastic in Arizona. But we’ve rebounded pretty well in all of them. I don’t think we’ve had as far to rebound in our losses, even going back to the first two games of the season.”

Some would beg to differ.

The coach said the 5-2 loss in Las Vegas wasn’t as bad as it first looked, either.

Defenceman Dustin Byfuglien, who went minus-3, described it as “one of those games the bounces didn’t go our way.”

Despite the Jets’ good start, there are three other teams in the Central Division who have as many, or more, wins.

“We knew what it was going to be like all year,” Byfuglien said. “It’s going to be a grind. Every game’s going to mean something all year. It’s something we’re working hard at being good at.”

WHO’S IN NET? Maurice says he’ll go with Connor Hellebuyck in goal against Arizona, Tuesday, after Steve Mason allowed just one goal down there.

“His body of work says he absolutely deserves to be in that game,” Maurice said. “And Mason, and it was a long gap (between) but his last two were very, very good. So the door then is open for us to get him back earlier.”

Adam Lowry says playing the Coyotes again so soon is both good and bad.

“It’s tough to beat a team back-to-back,” Lowry said. “At the same time you’re familiar with what made you successful the first game and it makes it a little easier to duplicate.”

At 2-14-3, Arizona is by far the worst team in the NHL.

“For their record, they’re a lot better team,” Lowry said. “They have two wins on the year — that’s not very good. But you look at how hard they play, it’s tough to generate chances against them.” http://winnipegsun.com/sports/hockey/nhl/winnipeg-jets/jets-ready-for-rematch-five-keys-for- game-vs-coyotes

Jets ready for rematch: Five keys for game vs Coyotes

By Ken Wiebe

Winnipeg Jets vs Arizona Coyotes

7 pm CT, Bell MTS Place, TV: TSN. Radio: TSN 1290

THE BIG MATCHUP

Josh Morrissey vs Clayton Keller Although he’s been beaten up a bit after blocking several shots during the past two games, Morrissey is thriving on the Jets’ top defence pairing with Jacob Trouba. His challenge on Tuesday will include trying to keep the Coyotes’ top rookie under wraps. Keller leads his team with 11 goals and 17 points in 19 games.

KEYS TO THE GAME

Find your legs Full marks to the Jets for finding a way to get it done during the third period on Saturday against the Coyotes, but it’s important to remember they had trouble getting their speed game going for a good chunk of the previous five periods. They’ll be looking to be sharper as they open a three- game homestand against the team with the fewest points in the NHL.

Stronger out of the gate In each of the past two games, the Jets gave up the first goal, which has been a mostly rare occurrence. They’ve been strong in first periods this season (outscoring opponents 25-13), but they’ve come out flat in consecutive games and eventually that can catch up with a team. The Coyotes have scored first in 13 of 19 games this season, but have earned only two victories to date.

Redemption game? Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck didn’t get much help on Friday, but he’s coming off his first regulation loss of the season and is determined to bounce back. Hellebuyck hates to lose and he’ll be looking for one of the “redemption games” he’s often talked about.

Laine stays hot Stop us if you’ve heard this before. But since criticizing his own play and saying everything about is hard, Finnish sniper Patrik Laine is on a roll – producing a goal in each of the past five games (four power-play markers and one into an empty-net). If Laine gets going offensively at even strength, look out.

Finding his offensive game Although there has always been more to Jets centre than putting up points, he’s going through a bit of a dry spell, with just one assist during the past eight games. Little hasn’t scored in 11 games and if his line with Laine and Nikolaj Ehlers can heat up, it will make the Jets even more dangerous.

CBC Manitoba http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/dale-hawerchuk-winnipeg-jets-hall-fame-1.4400155

Dale Hawerchuk calls Jets Hall of Fame induction a tribute to city that 'shaped my life' 'Anytime I … drove to that rink, the , I was just smiling, grinning ear to ear'

By Darren Bernhardt, CBC News

Dale Hawerchuk never played the tough guy role during his NHL days and he's certainly not about to do it on Tuesday.

The former Winnipeg Jets superstar — who tallied nearly twice as many points as he did penalty minutes — will be inducted into the Jets Hall of Fame before the team's game against the Arizona Coyotes.

"I'm emotional. I guess you could say I'm a crier at times — the emotion and the passion of it all," said Hawerchuk, a Toronto-born kid who came of age in Manitoba, after he was drafted first overall by the Jets in 1981.

"Winnipeg and Manitoba really shaped my life. I went there at 18 and lived in the province for many years."

He fondly remembers the feeling of skating onto the NHL rinks during his rookie season, playing against guys he watched as a fan and, of course, scoring his first goal on Oct. 9, 1981.

It came less than a minute into the first period against the in the old Winnipeg Arena and helped lead the Jets to an 8-3 win.

"I was doing something that I'd dreamt about," said Hawerchuk, now 54, recalling how he and his friends played road hockey as kids and all dreamed of making the NHL — but he was the only one who did.

"Any time I got into the car and drove to that rink, the Winnipeg Arena, I was just smiling, grinning ear to ear," he said.

"It was such a good fit for me [being a Jet]. I was crazy about hockey and when I got to Winnipeg, I soon realized the whole province was crazy about the game and the Jets as well."

By the end of his first season, he had celebrated his 19th birthday and become the youngest NHL player in history to reach 100 points — a record only broken by in 2006. He finished the year with 45 goals and 103 total points, won the as the NHL's rookie of the year and was selected to the all-star game.

In his nine seasons in Winnipeg, he led the team in scoring every year and recorded 100 or more points in six seasons.

Hawerchuk by the numbers

18 — Age when he was drafted in 1981 5 — seasons as Jets 5 — times an NHL all-star 15 — NHL hat tricks 103 — points in rookie season 713 — games as a Jet 730 — NHL penalty minutes 929 — points as a Jet 1,188 — total NHL games played 1,409 — total NHL points

He bid Winnipeg goodbye in 1990, at age 27, part of a blockbuster trade with the .

Hawerchuk retired in 1997 with 1,409 points (518 goals, 891 assists) in 1,188 career regular- season games and another 99 points (30 goals and 69 assists) in 97 career playoff tilts. He became the first player in NHL history to skate in 1,000 games before he turned 31.

Although he moved away from Winnipeg, Hawerchuk's roots remained deep in the Prairie soil. His wife, Crystal, is from the Arborg area of Manitoba and the couple maintained an off-season cabin in Manitoba's Interlake region for many years.

They still return often to visit her family.

"The vibe and the buzz is back in the city for sure. I really notice it when I go back now, especially from the years when they didn't have the team," Hawerchuk said about Winnipeg.

"It's exciting and well-deserved. It's a hockey market and they should have a team."

He will celebrate his induction on Tuesday with family, friends and some former teammates. The ceremony will take place before the Jets game against the Arizona Coyotes.

Although Hawerchuk was a Jet, he's actually an alumnus of the Coyotes franchise. The original Jets franchise relocated to Phoenix after the 1996 season.

Though he never played for the Coyotes, the team honoured its franchise star in 2007, when Hawerchuk was inducted into the Phoenix Coyotes Ring of Honor and his No. 10 jersey was retired.

He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2001 and was added to the Buffalo Sabres Hall of Fame in 2011.

He will be the fourth member of the Winnipeg Jets Hall of Fame, joining the HOT Line of Anders Hedberg, Bobby Hull and Ulf Nilsson, who were the inaugural inductees last season.

"I'm excited for the whole thing," he said about the banner that will be raised inside Bell MTS Place, but added it doesn't list everyone who's responsible for his success.

"It's my name going up but there's some many people behind it that helped me along the way. It's a tribute to the Jets and the whole province."

The Winnipeg Jets Hall of Fame was created "to honour the impact and accomplishments of the team's hockey legends and to celebrate the rich history of professional hockey" in Winnipeg, states a news release from the team.

As Winnipeg honours Hawerchuk, another former Jet is being recognized for his hockey career. On Monday night, Teemu Selanne was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Selanne broke into the NHL and scored 76 goals in 1992-93 with the Jets. It remains the league record for most goals by a rookie and earned him the Calder trophy.

Selanne retired in 2016 as the highest-scoring Finn in NHL history,

He and Hawerchuk never played in the NHL together, but did suit up together in Jets colours as part of the outdoor Heritage Classic game in Winnipeg last year.

Global Winnipeg https://globalnews.ca/news/3858260/mathieu-perreault-nearing-return-to-winnipeg-jets-lineup/

Mathieu Perreault nearing return to Winnipeg Jets lineup

By Mitch Rosset and Russ Hobson

WINNIPEG – Mathieu Perreault took another step toward his recovery from a lower-body injury that has kept him out of the Winnipeg Jets‘ lineup for nearly a month.

The forward participated in his first practice without a no-contact jersey Monday morning after missing the past 11 games.

"It’s nice to finally get back out there and getting put into harder situations, more game like situations so yeah it’s encouraging.” Perreault said. But Perreault said he’s still not at full health and is aiming to return later in the week.

“Pretty close.” Perreault said. “I think I probably won’t be a hundred percent for a little bit, but I feel like I’m getting ready to play, so hopefully sometime this week.”

Perreault was hurt blocking a shot on Oct. 14 during Winnipeg’s victory over the Carolina Hurricanes. He has a goal and two assists in five games this season.

The 29-year-old has had trouble staying healthy in his three plus seasons in Winnipeg. He missed 17 games last season and 20 in his first year with the Jets. But this latest injury will force him to wear more protection in the future.

“I’m going to wear extra padding on my skates and hopefully it doesn’t happen again.” Perreault said. “You feel like you probably should have worn them before the injury happens, but sometimes you need this to happen to figure it out, but now, yeah I’ll definitely be wearing the padding on my skates.” The Jets have also dodged a bullet when it comes to Tyler Myers. He appeared to suffer a serious injury against the Arizona Coyotes and needed to be helped off the ice but he was back at practice on Monday.

“He’s good.” head coach Paul Maurice said. “We would have been real cautious with it and we were, but he felt strong today and got through practice with no issues so he’s gonna be fine. It was scary but we’re fortunate.”

NHL.com https://www.nhl.com/news/dale-hawerchuk-treasuring-induction-into-winnipeg-hall-of-fame/c- 292961350

Hawerchuk treasuring induction into Jets Hall of Fame Retired center who shaped legendary NHL career in Winnipeg will be honored in pregame ceremony by Tim Campbell @TimNHL / NHL.com Staff Writer

WINNIPEG -- Winnipeg's love affair with Dale Hawerchuk comes full circle this week, 36 years after it started.

Hawerchuk, 54, will be inducted into the Winnipeg Jets Hall of Fame prior to the game between the Jets and Arizona Coyotes (the original Winnipeg franchise) at Bell MTS Place on Tuesday (8 p.m. ET; TSN3, FS-A, NHL.TV).

The No. 1 pick of the 1981 NHL Draft will be the guest of honor at the Winnipeg Jets Hall of Fame Luncheon at the Fairmont Hotel at the corner of Portage Ave. and Main St. on Wednesday. The iconic downtown intersection is where Jets general manager John Ferguson announced Hawerchuk's signing on Aug. 13, 1981, complete with a Brinks truck as a prop.

"It's really special," Hawerchuk said. "I played 16 years, nine in Winnipeg and I always lived in Manitoba during the summers. I went there at 18, almost like I grew up there with the Jets and Manitoba. They shaped me. Those are years where you're learning how life ticks. I've always felt a closeness to the Jets and the people in the province."

The Jets created their Hall of Fame in 2016 to honor outstanding contributions by players from the city's NHL team. Anders Hedberg, Bobby Hull and Ulf Nilsson -- "The Hot Line" -- were the first inductees a year ago.

Hawerchuk made an immediate impression in the NHL with 103 points (45 goals, 58 assists) in 80 games during the 1981-82 season and winning the Calder Trophy as the League's rookie of the year. The Toronto native suggested a youthful naivete may have helped him but admitted that during his first training camp, he was worried he might not be able to make the grade.

"I remember thinking to myself, 'I'm not sure I can. This is fast, the guys are big and strong. I'm not sure I'll keep up,'" Hawerchuk said. "I was worried because I didn't want to be the first pick that got sent back to junior. But then we got going into some exhibition games and I got more and more comfortable just by practicing every day at the speed."

The center's success, the first of his 13 consecutive NHL seasons averaging at least a point per game, wasn't as easy as it looked, he said.

"It was tiring," Hawerchuk said. "We flew commercial (for road trips) back then and I was always tightly squeezed into a middle seat, being a rookie.

"I knew two things were going happen on planes. One was that I would fall asleep, you know, the fatigue of the season, and two, I knew my tie would be cut. I went through a lot of ties that first year."

Hawerchuk had 929 points (379 goals, 550 assists) in 713 games with the Jets. He was traded to the Buffalo Sabres on June 16, 1990 and played for the St. Louis Blues and Philadelphia Flyers. In 1,188 NHL games over 16 seasons, Hawerchuk had 1,409 points (518 goals, 891 assists) and missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs once, in 1989. He is 19th on the NHL's all-time points list and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2001.

"Everybody could see how great a passer he was, a goal scorer, but the biggest thing of all, and I saw this in him all the way back to our junior days, was his competitiveness," said New York Rangers associate coach Scott Arniel, Hawerchuk's teammate in Winnipeg and for back-to-back Memorial Cup titles with Cornwall of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League in 1980 and 1981. "He hated to lose."

Dallas Stars general manager Jim Nill, Hawerchuk's teammate in Winnipeg from 1985 to 1988, believes Hawerchuk was underappreciated during his peak years in the League.

"It was 's time, the same time for Dale, and probably because of that I don't think he was appreciated as much outside of the Winnipeg area as much as he should have been," Nill said. "He was an elite player, a very humble player who played hard and wanted to win. He was a big part of that franchise for all the years I was in Winnipeg."

Dale Hawerchuk of the Winnipeg Jets skates with the puck.

Hawerchuk endured relentless attention from opponents in the early seasons of his NHL career and still produced great numbers. He exceeded 100 points in seven of his first eight NHL seasons including 1984-85, when he had a career-best 130 points (53 goals, 77 assists) in 80 games.

"Winnipeg's depth in his early years was not that great," Nill said. "In his early years, it was almost him against the world and that's not easy for a young guy. And he did it and he carried it."

The problem for Hawerchuk and the Jets that season was the same throughout the 1980s, the road to success always went through the Oilers and Calgary Flames. The Jets finished second to Edmonton in the Smythe Division with 96 points in 1984-85, defeated Calgary 3-1 in the best-of-5 division semifinals but lost 4-0 to the Oilers in the division final.

It was the one season Hawerchuk reached the 50-goal mark (53) and finished second to Gretzky in the Hart Trophy voting.

"His 50th goal was a big deal for everybody," Arniel said of the shorthanded breakaway goal against Chicago Black Hawks goalie Warren Skorodenski on March 29, 1985. "I remember how nervous he was and how excited he was. I know we were all trying not to talk about it. We tried to just play. But it was obviously a proud moment to see him get it."

Fifty-goal status was no small thing, Nill said, previously reserved in Winnipeg for the likes of Hull, Nilsson and Hedberg.

"And here came Dale Hawerchuk, so to hit that 50-goal plateau, that was something, almost unheard of," Nill said. "To be a member of that team or club, that was a very big accomplishment."

Hawerchuk's impact on hockey in Winnipeg will continue for the foreseeable future. As coach of Barrie of the Hockey League since the start of the 2010-11 season, he guided the early development of center Mark Scheifele for three junior seasons.

Scheifele was the first pick of the relocated Jets, No. 7 in the 2011 NHL Draft.

"I don't think there was any time where he said something I didn't understand," said Scheifele, who scored his 100th NHL goal against the Coyotes on Nov. 11. "Everything he said made sense. I think that's what made him such a good coach, that he wasn't just talking gibberish.

"It's a simple game and it's a team game, and I think that's the biggest thing he's taught me, that this game isn't about the flash and dash. It's about the simplicity and doing the right things for your team and for your linemates each and every shift."

TSN 1290 (AUDIO LINKS) http://www.tsn.ca/radio/winnipeg-1290/kelly-wheeler-is-an-elite-playmaker-1.914311

Kelly: Wheeler is an elite playmaker

Mike Kelly speaks with Kevin Olszewski about Blake Wheeler's start to the season, the Blackhawks struggles, the Central Division leading Blues and the Duchene/Turris trade. http://www.tsn.ca/radio/winnipeg-1290/campbell-selanne-was-a-phenom-1.914302

Campbell: Selanne was a phenom

Tim Campbell of NHL.com joins Kevin Olszewski on the Donvito Roundtable. They discuss Teemu Selanne's induction to the Hockey Hall of Fame and look back on his time in Winnipeg. www.winnipegjets.com https://www.nhl.com/jets/news/newest-jet-gives-back-to-families-in-need/c-292912304 (INTERVIEWS INCLUDED)

Perreault nearing a return as Jets prepare for Coyotes 29-year-old full participant in practice; likely out vs Arizona by Mitchell Clinton @MitchellClinton / WinnipegJets.com

WINNIPEG - He likely won't play tomorrow in the rematch with the Arizona Coyotes, but Mathieu Perreault is inching his way to a return.

When he does come back, he'll be making a modification to his equipment.

"I'll definitely be wearing the padding on my skates," said Perreault, who has missed 11 games with a lower-body injury. "It's one of those that you feel like you probably should have worn them before the injury happens. But sometimes you need this to happen to figure it out."

Today's practice at Bell MTS Place was the 29-year-old's third practice as a full participant, but head coach Paul Maurice doesn't want to rush the forward back in to the line-up.

Also on the injury front, Tyler Myers got through today's practice as if his injury scare on Saturday night in Arizona didn't even happen.

Myers had his leg twisted with Coyotes forward Christian Dvorak in the third period, and had to be helped off the ice, but returned to the bench a few minutes later. He was on the ice with his teammates after the final buzzer to celebrate goaltender Steve Mason's first win in Jets colours as well.

"We would have been real cautious with it, and we were. But he felt strong today and got through practice with no issues," said Maurice. "So he's going to be fine. It was scary, but we're fortunate."

Tomorrow's game against the Arizona Coyotes kicks off a three-game home stand for the Jets, who picked up four of a possible six points on last week's road trip.

Maurice believes his team handled the emotional highs and lows of the trip well, especially rebounding after the 5-2 loss in Las Vegas.

"That second half of the second period (in Vegas) we didn't like very much at all," said Maurice. "But (we) transitioned to real grinding, hard game on back-to-back nights, and didn't change much down 1-0, which is a sign of growth in our team. Pretty patient with that game, and got stronger as the game went, and got some pretty good goaltending in that game too."

Speaking of goaltending, Maurice announced that Connor Hellebuyck will start in goal tomorrow against Arizona. However, with 16 games in 27 days starting Tuesday, and Mason's strong play in his last two outings (stopping 64 of 67 shots), Maurice knows he can lean on either goaltender.

"We're coming into a part of the season where you're going to see more frequency come in for whoever is riding in that back-up role," said Maurice. "(Mason's) last two were very good. So the door then is open for us to get him back in earlier. Long term, there is a block in March that's tough, but this is our toughest month right here."

ICE CHIPS With Dale Hawerchuk's number 10 going into the Winnipeg Jets Hall of Fame in a pre-game ceremony tomorrow night, Mark Scheifele was feeling nostalgic about his former coach with the OHL's Barrie Colts.

"He shaped my game to where it is," said Scheifele, who notched his 100th career NHL goal in the win over Arizona. "He was a big part of my junior days and teaching me how to learn the game and think about the game differently."

Scheifele said after he was drafted by Winnipeg in 2011, Hawerchuk told him some stories about the city, and what it was like to play there.

"He had a house here until probably five or six years ago," said Scheifele. "It was definitely a big part of his life. There will always be a soft spot in his heart for Winnipeg."

--

With Perreault nearing a return to action, the Jets assigned Brendan Lemieux to the Manitoba Moose this morning.

The 21-year-old appeared in the first seven games of his NHL career since his recall on Oct. 17, and scored his first NHL goal in a 7-1 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins. Maurice says the re- assignment is all about getting Lemieux back playing, after the winger wasn't in the line-up for any of the three games on the road trip.

"He worked hard in the summer and that was probably the most important thing that happened to him. He got faster," said Maurice. "(There are) lots of good things there. All the standard young player things he can get better at. He can get better at running the routes. The game happens quite a bit faster here, so learning to pick up those reads.

"Energy, he gets in and gets on it. Physical, not afraid of working in the dark areas there, but also a set a hands that I think you'll see more and more as he develops." https://www.nhl.com/jets/video/practice--dustin-byfuglien/t-277437442/c-54543403

PRACTICE | Dustin Byfuglien

Dustin Byfuglien talks about getting four of a possible six points on the recent road trip