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Home , Burton Cummings Theatre, Craig Heisinger, Derek Boogaard, Kevin Bieksa, Mark Scheifele, Paul Ranger

Winnipeg Free Press https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/rypien-would-be-loving-it-472060843.html

Rypien would have loved mental wellness summit, says Jets assistant GM Assistant Jets GM says mental wellness event sure to have been big hit with ex- Moose

By: Randy Turner

The legacy of was alive and well Wednesday at .

More than 1,500 grade-school students filled the theatre to take part in the first Project 11 Mental Health Wellness Summit, another milestone in the memory of Rypien, the former Moose and player who died Aug. 15, 2011, just before he was to arrive in as a member of the NHL’s Jets.

Rypien, 27, who for years had struggled with severe depression, had taken his own life.

For Jets assistant general manager — who first signed Rypien to a Moose contract in 2005 as an undrafted and later worked tirelessly to help the player deal with his illness — Wednesday was a happy occasion.

Heisinger was surveying the crowd just before taking the stage to speak — along with Jets players and , Team Canada soccer Olympian Desiree Scott and former CFL player Shea Emry — when someone asked what Rypien would have thought of a theatre full of children celebrating mental wellness.

"He would be absolutely thrilled," Heisinger said, smiling. "He’d be laughing his ass off that I have to do it. But this is tenfold what he would have expected. It’s remarkable."

Following the morning session, another 1,500 students attended an afternoon session featuring Moose goaltender Eric Comrie.

When Project 11 was launched by the True North Youth Foundation in 2014, there were 88 teachers and 2,024 students signed up for the program, designed to provide youth with the tools to deal with anxiety and stress. Today, there are more than 570 teachers and 11,500 students across Manitoba who are taking Project 11 curriculum as part of their classes. (True North Sports and Entertainment Ltd. owns the Jets and Moose.)

Suzi Friesen, director of educational programs for TNYF, said the wellness program provides videos — many featuring professional hockey players — promoting a combination of fitness, nutrition and coping strategies to students grades 5 through 8. Also, stressing the importance of friendships and encouraging children to not only express their feelings, but for others to listen.

Other lessons involve healthy communication, the importance of friendship and resiliency.

"I think we’ve come to a time when teachers are open to talking about these important issues with their students," Friesen said. "I think a lot of us adults can think about a time when we were back in school and maybe wish that we were taught some coping strategies.

"We all have our stories and we want to encourage students to feel like they’re not alone and... not have them feeling stuck and holding onto some of those anxious feelings."

The summit, she added, was simply a culmination of the program’s growth.

"Having 3,000 students here today is very exciting, just to be under one roof and share some important messages that we’ve been learning about. We would love it to be an annual thing."

During the summit, the foundation was presented with a $10,000 grant from Bell Let’s Talk Community Fund by Dan McKeen, vice-chairman of Bell MTS. Friesen said the money will be used to expand Project 11 into northern Manitoba schools.

Dan Bohemier, a teacher from Norquay School in Winnipeg, said it has come to the in today’s society, "If you’re not talking about mental health, you’re actually doing your kids a disservice. Everyone needs to know what are some things they can do when life is hard.

"The more we can get our students to talk about things that are bothering them, the more successful they’re going to be at school," Bohemier said. "Anyone feels anxiety, it doesn’t matter how old you are. These kids need to have tools to help them succeed in life, especially if they’re coming from homes and places where they have experienced trauma."

Involving Jets and Moose players in the video component of the program doesn’t hurt, either, in a hockey town.

"They infuse hockey into a lot of the curriculum, which appeals to lots of our kids," Bohemier said. "It’s just another piece that keeps kids engaged."

Little and Ehlers were on stage in a round-table session with TSN broadcaster Sara Orlesky, emphasizing the importance of teamwork and friendship.

"They’re people you can talk to whether you’re having a good day or a bad day," Little said. "We’re like a little family in the rink and in the dressing room.

"Sometimes, you want to hold things in. As you get older, you realize that might not be the best thing. It’s important to get things off your chest."

Added Ehlers, on dealing with rough patches: "It’s not easy. You want to go out there and do you’re best every single time and when you’re not able to do that, you get down a little. That’s why you have your teammates."

As for Heisinger, he said the results of Project 11 were sitting in the theatre seats. All 3,000 of them.

"I think the tangible way we see it help is just by the group that’s here today," he said. "But the most tangible way, other than an event like this, is when you speak in a smaller setting to maybe 200 or 300 kids. Seven years ago, when you did (that), maybe two or three kids hung around to talk to you. Now when you do that same group of 200 or 300 kids and 10 or 15 kids come to talk to you or hang around.

"And they don’t necessarily mill around anymore, they come with a purpose. You know that mental wellness hasn’t increased significantly over that time... but we’re starting to slowly remove the stigma that it’s no different than saying I sprained my ankle or broke my leg. It’s okay to talk about. That’s the tangible part."

Heisinger said Rypien was his first known experience with someone suffering from severe depression, and he’s encouraged by the strides made in awareness in just a few years.

"I don’t think we all realized what we were learning at the time," he said. "Maybe he was preparing us for this, but didn’t tell us."

Either way, the pain remains. Heisinger was emotional discussing the loss of Rypien seven years ago. He’s just as emotional today.

"You think it would be easier. Why is it not? I don’t know," Heisinger reasoned. "Would it be better if it (was easier)? I don’t have the answer to that, either. I just think this is a topic that hits home for me."

Heisinger paused, fighting back tears while rubbing his hand on the Project 11 patch on his chest, over his heart.

"And Ryper was a friend of mine," he said, finally. "And he’s still a friend of mine. Those type of relationships, when you’re invested in them, just don’t go away." https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/sports/hockey/jets/jets-vs-golden-knights-an-unlikely-battle- of-first-place-teams-472016473.html

Best in the West: who called that? Jets vs. Golden Knights an unlikely battle of first-place teams

By: Mike McIntyre

Even the Amazing Kreskin couldn’t have seen this coming.

The calendar has flipped to February and the and are both first-place clubs, and they’ll face off tonight at Bell MTS Place with Western Conference supremacy on the .

Yes, these are the same Winnipeg Jets who have but one playoff appearance in their first six seasons since returning to the NHL. Yes, these are the same Vegas Golden Knights made up of a collection of castoffs thrown together last summer in the expansion draft.

But the numbers don’t lie. Winnipeg (30-13-8) is on top of the Central Division, while Vegas (33- 12-4) has soared to the top of the Pacific Division. Just two points separate the Jets and Golden Knights.

"I’ve watched Vegas play a fair amount, and they do so many things almost in a veteran way," Jets head coach said Wednesday after putting his team through a 45-minute practice.

"They have a confidence in their game, which I guess just continues to build because they’ve had so much success in doing the right things — simply, but very, very quickly."

Winnipeg is coming off an impressive 3-1 victory Tuesday over the , the NHL’s No. 1 team, as the Jets kicked off a 10-game homestand. But the task doesn’t get any easier with Vegas, the No. 2 outfit in the league, up next on the docket.

"They move the puck efficiently, they make plays," Maurice said.

"They have lots of confidence. There’s a high skill level throughout their lineup. They just move really well as a group of five, and they really don’t force things. They don’t have to. They score enough goals, they’ve got enough confidence in their game. What they’ve figured out really well is if you skate fast and you got skill, you’re going to be a pretty good team in this league. And they are."

This will be the third and final regular-season meeting between the clubs. Winnipeg lost 5-2 in early November in Sin City, then skated to a wild 7-4 win on home ice at the start of December.

"I don’t think anyone in the league is going to underestimate them anymore," Jets Bryan Little said. "They’re one of the best teams in the league right now. You’ve got to be ready to play them from the start. It seems like they’re always full of energy, especially their starts. They always have great first periods, and we gotta be ready for that."

Vegas scored three goals in the final two minutes Tuesday night in to turn a 2-1 deficit into a stunning 4-2 victory against the Flames. They have one of the top lines in the league in William Karlsson, Reilly Smith and Jonathan Marchessault, who have a combined 58 goals and 72 assists.

Adam Lowry, Andrew Copp and Joel Armia will likely draw the assignment to try to shut that trio down, just as they largely did Tuesday night against Tampa Bay’s top unit of Steven Stamkos, Nikita Kucherov and Vladislav Namestnikov.

"I think they’re kind of the surprise of the season, but I don’t think anyone’s surprised by them anymore. They’ve shown what they can do, and they’re a dangerous team," Little said.

Connor Hellebuyck will get the start in net for the Jets following his appearance in last weekend’s all-star game. Marc-Andre Fleury is expected to get the call for the Golden Knights. Fleury has yet to face Winnipeg this season, as he was out with a concussion during the two previous meetings.

Winnipeg will be looking to build on its 18-3-1 home record, second-best in the NHL to —you guessed it — Vegas. The Golden Knights are 19-3-2 at T-Mobile Arena.

"It’s great playing at home. The fans are awesome, and we really find another gear, almost, at home. It’s going to be good to get these next nine in," rookie forward Jack Roslovic said.

Roslovic was with the during the two earlier games but said he’s watched plenty of Golden Knights action on television. He’s looking forward to his first up-close viewing.

"For a young franchise to do something like that is special. They’re a hard-working team, so I think we’re going to have to use our speed and work ethic to get the upper hand on them," Roslovic said. https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/sports/hockey/jets/mark-scheifele-back-at-practice-but-at- least-a-week-away-from-game-472019043.html

Scheifele still a ways away from game action

By: Mike McIntyre

He was flying around the ice, looking every bit like a player who can’t wait to get back in the lineup.

Mark Scheifele, the No. 1 centre on the Winnipeg Jets, returned to a full team practice Wednesday exactly five weeks to the day he went down with a major shoulder injury expected to sideline him between six and eight weeks. He was wearing a yellow no-contact jersey but was a full participant in drills.

"It seems like he’s healing fast, and it’s definitely a good sign when he’s out there skating with the team," centre Bryan Little said following the skate. "I had no idea how good he was doing. I haven’t seen him much lately because he’s been doing his own thing. But to have him out here, see him shooting the puck and taking one-timers, it seems like he’s coming along really well. Believe me, it’s going to be nice when we get him back. That adds a whole other threat to our lineup."

Winnipeg has gone 9-2-2 in the 13 games Scheifele has missed. In eight of those games they also were without the services of No. 3 centre , who returned to action Tuesday.

"It hasn’t been easy losing a guy like (Scheifele). That’s a huge hole. But I think this year, more than any other year, we’re showing how much depth we’ve got and how effective we are when guys do go down, other guys stepping up and filling in those roles," Little said.

Coach Paul Maurice said it was encouraging to see Scheifele "moving pretty darn well."

"But he’ll stay where he is for I think at least another week before we start banging him around for a little bit. But he’s on track, so we’re positive there," Maurice said.

● ● ●

There was another good sign on the injury front Wednesday.

Defenceman Dmitry Kulikov shed his no-contact jersey in favour of a regular one and could be ready to return tonight against the Vegas Golden Knights. He missed the past two games after being hit from behind Jan. 23 in San Jose.

Maurice revealed Wednesday that Kulikov had suffered a concussion.

"We’ll make that decision (today) based on having really not pushed himself for a week and see how he comes back after being pushed," said Maurice.

Blueliner Toby Enstrom missed practice Wednesday but will play. If Kulikov returns, he would push either Ben Chiarot or to the press box. It would be a big addition for a group expected to be without for up to two months after he hurt his ankle last week in Anaheim.

The new top pairing of and Tyler Myers, along with the second group of Enstrom and , logged heavy minutes in Tuesday’s 3-1 triumph over the Tampa Bay Lightning and will be leaned on, and having Kulikov back in the mix will help.

● ● ●

Winnipeg’s kill, long a hindrance to the team’s pursuit of overall excellence, has cracked the top 10 in the NHL.

The unit had a perfect night Tuesday, going four-for-four against the high-scoring Lightning, and was a key element in a tidy victory over the league’s top team. The Jets have a season-best 82.6 per cent efficiency on the PK, which puts them ninth overall. They’ve been even better on home ice at 85.9 per cent, fifth in the league.

To put that in perspective, Winnipeg’s efficiency when down a man was just 26th last year at 77.5 per cent, and 25th the year before at 78.4 per cent.

One of the key contributors has been speedy forward Brandon Tanev. His defensive game was on display against the Lightning — he broke up a breakaway, generated plenty of offensive chances and even drew a couple of penalties.

"It’s just having more confidence with the puck, understanding situations when you have more time to make a play or when a simple play needs to be done," Tanev said. "I think that all comes with more time in the league and having your teammates and your coaches trust you more."

Tanev has four goals and eight assists in 44 games this season. He had two goals and two assists in 51 games last season.

Winnipeg Sun http://winnipegsun.com/sports/hockey/nhl/winnipeg-jets/scheifele-takes-next-step-jets-top- centre-back-on-ice-with-teammates

Scheifele takes next step: Jets top centre back on ice with teammates

By Ken Wiebe

A return isn’t imminent, though Mark Scheifele continues to take important steps on the road to recovery.

The Winnipeg Jets top centre was back on the ice with his teammates for the first time since suffering a suspected right shoulder injury in a game against the Oilers on Dec. 27.

While he was wearing a non-contact jersey and didn’t participate in many of the drills, Scheifele’s shooting and skating ability provided several signs that he remains on track to return to game action in the six-to-eight range that was laid out in the original diagnosis.

“Awesome. I had no idea how good he was doing – I haven’t seen him much lately because he’s been doing his own thing,” said Jets centre Bryan Little. “To have him out there shooting the puck and taking one-timers, it seems like he’s coming along really well. That’s an awesome sign to see. Believe me, it’s going to be nice to have him back.

“That adds another threat to our lineup. We’ve done a great job of filling in and having guys stepping up when he’s been out, but he’s going to be a lot of help when he’s back.”

Jets head coach Paul Maurice is encouraged by the progress Scheifele is making, but wasn’t ready to provide an updated time line for his return.

“He’s skated quite a bit. It’s an upper-body injury, but he’s back moving pretty darn well, which is a positive for us,” said Maurice. “He’ll stay where he is for at least another week before we start banging him around a little bit. But he’s on track.”

The Jets, 30-13-8, continue a 10-game home stand on Thursday against the Vegas Golden Knights, who currently sit second in the NHL with 70 points – just one point behind the Tampa Bay Lightning for top spot.

Maurice said Dmitry Kulikov suffered a concussion when he was hit from behind by forward Tomas Hertl last Tuesday, but he’s been cleared for full contact and will be a game-time decision on Thursday.

Jets blue-liner Toby Enstrom skipped Wednesday’s workout, but is “fine” according to Maurice and will play against the Golden Knights.

The Jets and Golden Knights have split their two meetings so far this season going into the third and final match-up of the regular season.

“I don’t think anyone in the league is going to underestimate them anymore. They’re one of the best teams in the league right now,” said Little. “You’ve got to be ready to play them from the start. It seems like they’re always full of energy, especially their starts. They always have great first periods. They’re the surprise of the season, but I don’t think anybody is surprised by them anymore. They’ve shown what they can do and are a dangerous team.” http://winnipegsun.com/sports/hockey/nhl/winnipeg-jets/jets-find-fourth-line-balance-bolstered- by-spreading-the-wealth

Jets find fourth line: Balance bolstered by spreading the wealth

By Ken Wiebe

It has been an ongoing battle since before the arrival of Paul Maurice for the Winnipeg Jets to find a fourth line that can do more than just try to tread water.

And while there have been plenty of moving parts on the unit this season, it’s safe to say you can call off the search party.

For far too long, the Jets have been top heavy, mostly reliant on the top-six forwards to carry the offensive load.

That’s not to say the Jets aren’t lacking high-end talent – with residing in the top-10 in NHL scoring and Mark Scheifele right with him before suffering a suspected shoulder injury in late December – but the contributions are coming throughout the lineup.

There’s been plenty of talk about the balance the Jets have throughout the forward group and a big part of that has been the ability to not lean quite as heavily on the top two lines.

“The depth this year is just on another level,” said Jets centre Bryan Little. “It’s so nice when you can roll four lines. Those top-minute guys don’t get worn out come the end of the year. For us, we’re confident, no matter who we put on the ice. And that’s a big thing. We can get goals from whoever is out there too. (Mathieu) Perreault was on the fourth line for a good chunk of the start of the year. That just shows the combinations we can come up with. Guys can play in different roles and that’s a great thing to have.”

The Jets continue a 10-game homestand on Thursday against the Vegas Golden Knights.

There have been players coming in and out of the Jets lineup because of injury, but for the most part, the fourth line hasn’t been as sheltered as it has in the past.

No, the even-strength shifts aren’t always plentiful for the fourth line but having all three players on one of the special-teams units has provided a boost in minutes for them.

Right now, the fourth line consists of veteran Matt Hendricks at centre between Kyle Connor and Brandon Tanev.

In Tuesday’s 3-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning, both Connor and Tanev eclipsed 10 minutes of ice time, while Hendricks skated 9:17, including 2:09 while shorthanded.

Connor scored his 16th of the season, though he was on the ice with the top line and his goal came eight seconds after a penalty expired.

As for Tanev, he didn’t end up with any points, but he drew a pair of penalties, generated a on goal, one blocked shot and led the Jets with five hits.

While Connor finds himself on the top power-play unit, Hendricks and Tanev both contribute to a penalty kill that’s given up only one goal during the past five games and has jumped into the top-10 in the NHL and is operating at 82.6 %.

“It’s very important, especially as the season progresses,” said Hendricks. “Coach (Paul Maurice) is going to keep his eye on minutes. It’s important to win hockey games, but we can’t run these guys into the ground every night, so we’ve got to do our part. We want (Maurice) to have confidence, to know he can put us out in the D-zone in any situation, to win a faceoff, get the puck out and things like that.

“It’s not just outplay the other team’s fourth line, but to be able to contribute to special teams. It’s important we can do things outside of just five-on-five hockey.”

It’s vastly different from last season, when the Jets were near the bottom of the NHL on the penalty kill and compounded the issue by being among the leaders in taking minor penalties.

Once the Jets get closer to full health, they’ll be forced to make some difficult decisions when it comes to how they want their lines to look.

But what has become abundantly clear is that they’ve got plenty of options.

“It’s a big part of our team and why we’re doing well,” said Tanev. “Every line has a job (to do) and they do it well.” http://winnipegsun.com/sports/hockey/nhl/winnipeg-jets/five-keys-to-jets-vs-golden-knights

Five keys to Jets vs Golden Knights

By Ken Wiebe

7 p.m., Bell MTS Place, TV: TSN3. Radio: TSN 1290

THE BIG MATCHUP Josh Morrissey and Tyler Myers vs William Karlsson, Reilly Smith and Jonathan Marchessault

The Jets new shutdown pair faces a monumental task on Thursday in trying to limit the production of the Golden Knights top line, which has combined to produce 58 goals, 72 assists and 110 points this season. Morrissey and Myers kept Steven Stamkos, Nikita Kucherov and Vladislav Namestnikov off the board on Tuesday, so they should be up for the challenge.

KEYS TO THE GAME RESTED AND READY After getting a breather on Tuesday following NHL All-Star weekend, Jets goalie is itching to get back between the pipes in a game situation. Hellebuyck has given up nine goals in two starts against the Golden Knights this season and was pulled in the first meeting, so he’ll be ready to face the potent attack.

CAPTAIN CRUISING By chipping in two more primary assists in Tuesday’s 3-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning, Jets captain Blake Wheeler continues to lead the way offensively for the Jets. He’s up to 14 goals and 56 points in 51 games and remains on pace to establish a new career high in points. Wheeler went into Wednesday’s action fourth in the NHL in assists and tied for seventh in points.

POWERFUL STUFF Thanks to his 12th power play goal this season, Jets sniper Patrik Laine joined Steven Stamkos of the Lightning and Pittsburgh Penguins centre Evgeni Malkin for the league lead in that category going into Wednesday’s action. The Jets now have the NHLs top-ranked power play on home ice (31.6 %) and are operating at 24.7 % on the season, which is good for second in the NHL.

FLOWER POWER Although he has yet to face the Jets this season, Golden Knights goalie Marc-Andre Fleury is back from the concussion he suffered in October and is putting together an outstanding season. Fleury, who is 13-4-2 with a 1.78 goals-against average and .942 save %, is 20-5 with a 2.35 goals-against average and .917 save % in 25 career games against the Jets.

EYES ON NEAL No matter what team he’s playing for, James Neal has a tendency to come up big when facing the Jets. With 19 goals and 27 points in 27 career games against them, Neal always looks forward to meeting them again. Neal is currently second on the Golden Knights in goals (22) and is sixth in points (36 in 49 games). http://winnipegsun.com/news/local-news/jets-players-open-up-during-mental-health-awareness- roundtable

Jets players open up during mental health awareness roundtable

By Scott Billeck

Bryan Little grew up with a different understanding of mental health.

“When I was a kid, there weren’t even conversations about (mental wellness),” Little said on Wednesday after talking to a room filled with 1,500 students at the Burton Cummings Theatre. “You were kind of taught to be tough and keep things inside.

“Now, it’s good to have these conversations with kids that people are there and will be there for them and to not hold things in like that.”

Little, along with fellow Winnipeg Jets forward Nikolaj Ehlers, took part in a roundtable discussion led by TSN broadcaster Sara Orlesky at the Project 11 Mental Wellness Summit, a day-long event at the Burt that brought 3,000 kids to downtown Winnipeg from across the province in conjunction with Hockey Talks and Bell Let’s Talk Day.

Project 11 was set up in Rick Rypien’s honour in 2013. Rypien a former Manitoba Moose and Vancouver Canucks players passed away from mental illness and depression on Aug. 15, 2011, just about a month after signing a one-year, $700,000 contract with the Winnipeg Jets.

Little, who has been with the Jets since their relocation from Atlanta in 2011, said coming to Winnipeg and to this day, players are told Rypien’s story.

“Everyone is pretty aware of it, especially the guys who were here when we came to Winnipeg,” Little said. “The first year or two, we kept his stall at the (Bell MTS Iceplex) with his gear in it.

Little said he remembers one game against Rypien when Atlanta was in Vancouver.

“He fought Boris Valabik, who is like 6-foot-7 and I remember thinking, ‘Wow, this guy is tough.’ I was impressed,” Little said.

Ehlers started helping out with Project 11 last year with former Jets defenceman Mark Stuart.

“To me, it was very exciting,” Ehlers said. “You hear about these things in the news, people not doing so well, and if there is anything I could do to help that, it would be awesome.”

Little said kids are prone to listening to people they look up to.

“Just because we play hockey in the NHL, things aren’t always easy for us,” Little said. “If they can see that and realize we’re in the same boat sometimes, too, it can happen to anyone.”

On Wednesday, Project 11 received a $10,000 grant from the Bell Let’s Talk Community Fund.

The money is set to go to expanding the program — which reaches 11,500 kids in 576 schools in the province — further, including remote communities.

“We receive many requests for speaking in remote and northern communities, and this funding will help us to connect students and teachers with new resources as well as reinforce the importance of peer-to-peer connections and open communications when managing issues that affect mental wellness,” said Suzi Friesen, director of educational programming with the True North Youth Foundation.

NHL.com https://www.nhl.com/news/winnipeg-remembers-former-canuck-rick-rypien/c-295485138

Jets remember Rypien in Hockey Talks initiative Honor former player with Project 11, raising mental health awareness by Scott Billeck / NHL.com Correspondent

WINNIPEG -- Winnipeg Jets assistant general manager Craig Heisinger still gets emotional talking about former Vancouver Canucks forward Rick Rypien, nearly seven years after Rypien's death.

Speaking to 3,000 students from across Manitoba on Wednesday as a part of Jets Hockey Talks at the Project 11 Mental Wellness Summit. Heisinger told students Rypien would be proud of what has been done in his honor.

Introduced in 2013, Project 11 was formed to be a lasting legacy for Rypien, who wanted to start the cause but never got a chance to; fighting depression and mental illness, he committed suicide on Aug. 15, 2011.

"It was his goal to help people of all ages, but most importantly kids," Heisinger said. "One thing I have learned in the seven years since his passing is that mental health doesn't discriminate."

"He'd be laughing … up there knowing I was the one that had to stand up here and speak. We're here to deliver the message for him."

Project 11 is a preventative cross-curricular program that helps students in grades 5-8 develop positive mental health coping skills to deal with the stress of daily life, and aims to remove the stigma surrounding mental health.

Today, Project 11 reaches 11,500 students in 576 schools across Manitoba.

Heisinger discovered Rypien accidentally in 2004-05, when as general manager of Manitoba of the , the Canucks affiliate at the time, was scouting Regina of the .

"I never met him until he was 19 years old," Heisinger said. "The Canucks asked me to go pay attention to a player in Regina, but it wasn't Rick. But every time I would leave, I would have pages of notes on this No. 11.

"After a while, Vancouver asked me what I thought of this player they wanted me to go and see. I said, 'Not very much, but I really like this No. 11, Rick Rypien.'"

Rypien had gone through the NHL Draft three times, but went undrafted each time. Heisinger said he believed what he saw in Rypien.

"Rick became my friend, purely by accident," Heisinger said. "I hired him to play hockey for the Manitoba Moose. I guess that's where the story begins and, to a certain degree, ends."

Rypien had 16 points (nine goals, seven assists) along with 226 penalty minutes in 119 NHL games, all with the Canucks.

Rypien signed a one-year contract with the Jets on July 4, 2011. He died on Aug. 15 of that same year.

Heisinger's message shared three key components with students on dealing with mental wellness and helping someone that has had the courage to reach out to another.

"Courage is the key word here," he said. "It takes a tremendous amount of courage to reach out and help and it takes a tremendous amount of courage to be willing to listen and help."

Heisinger told students their friends can be their support groups, noting that Rypien's support group included teammate and former NHL forward and defenseman .

"I encourage you to use the people around you," Heisinger said. "You 100 percent can't say the wrong thing. You can say you don't have time. That's really the only thing that you can say that's wrong."

Jets forwards Bryan Little and Nikolaj Ehlers took part in a roundtable discussion on mental wellness prior to Heisinger's speech.

"I think it's changed a lot," Little said of the stigma surrounding mental health. "When I was a kid, there wasn't even conversations about [mental wellness]. You were kind of taught to be tough and keep things inside.

"Now, it's good to have these conversations with kids that people are there and will be there for them and to not hold things in like that."

The Athletic Winnipeg https://theathletic.com/227125/2018/01/31/dellow-how-the-winnipeg-jets-are-redefining-the-ovi- spot/

Dellow: How the Winnipeg Jets are redefining the Ovi Spot

By Tyler Dellow

Watching Tuesday night's Winnipeg-Tampa Bay game, there was a sequence at 5-on-3 that had me muttering in frustration. Dustin Byfuglien had the puck on the point and made a short pass to Patrik Laine, camped out in the “Ovi Spot.” Laine did his thing but, given the relatively short distance of the pass, Louis Domingue was set for the shot and easily smothered it for a faceoff.

Winnipeg won the faceoff from that and, on the ensuing possession, set up another shot for Laine. This time it was Blake Wheeler making a seam pass to Laine. Laine blew it past Domingue, who was nowhere near set for the shot.

The first pass moved maybe 30 foot from right to left. The second pass went about 45 feet. When the NHL provides us with tracking data, I think we're going to find that the lateral distance of the pass, or more specifically, the distance that the goalie has to move, preceding the shot has a significant impact on the likelihood that it leads to a goal.

As tends to happen when I'm watching a game, this got me thinking. This wasn't a 5-on-4 goal but it's a pretty typical way for teams to attack at 5-on-4. I got curious about how goals are scored from the Ovi Spot and, specifically, where the passes tend to come from. In order to look at this, I pulled all shots taken by right-handed shooters that were fifteen feet or further above the goal line and ten feet or more to the middle of the ice when the power play team was in a 4F1D since 2010-11. Basically shots from the area where teams are looking to set up those cross-ice plays in a formation that tends to be set up for it.

The top of that list probably isn't going to surprise anyone:

2014-15 (17 goals) 2013-14 Washington Capitals (14) 2016-17 Washington Capitals (14) 2012-13 Washington Capitals (12) 2015-16 Washington Capitals (10) They call it the Ovi Spot for a reason.

Funny thing though. Entering Tuesday night, the next two teams on the list were tied with nine goals each.

2017-18 Tampa Bay Lightning (9) 2017-18 Winning Jets (9) Laine's goal doesn't move the Jets ahead of the Lightning on the list, since it was 5-on-3 but the Jets will likely end up somewhere high, high up the list. It's not impossible that they replace the 2014-15 Capitals as kings of the Ovi Spot, which would be an impressive feat.

Winnipeg's goals from the Ovi Spot (as I've defined it) have come from two players this year. Laine has six. Mark Scheifele has three. Let's have a look at those goals.

Did you catch what's unusual about what happened there?

Of the nine goals in that video clip, eight of them had a first assist from a forward. That's unusual. In fact, only one other team has managed to have eight goals from the Ovi Spot (broadly defined) with a first assist by a forward since 2010-11: the 2015-16 Capitals. (Only one team has managed seven such goals this decade: the 2013-14 Capitals. Only two teams have managed six such goals this decade: the 2012-13 Capitals and the 2016-17 Capitals. Ovechkin and the Capitals have historically owned this play.)

Of the eight goals in that video clip that had a first assist from a forward, just four of them were classic seam plays. In addition to that, you had a pair of attempted seam passes that were broken up and a pair of plays where the puck went low to high. Of course, Winnipeg's got another 31 games to go. So the Jets are likely going to end up smashing the record this decade for goals from the Ovi Spot with a first assist to a forward. This might sound like trivia but I'm inclined to think that it isn't.

When Laine, Scheifele and Byfuglien are healthy, I'm not sure that there's another team in the NHL that can put three such shooters on the left side of the ice, with all of them in position to one-time pucks and the ability to do so. The video pack above included a goal against Arizona. Watch it again and pay attention to where everyone is.

Byfuglien keeps a puck alive at the point and drives wide. Laine switches with him. The defence gets spread out covering all of the right-handed shots and Wheeler finds an easy pass to Scheifele for the goal. If you don't have three right-handed guys who can hammer the puck, you can't really do that. Wheeler being a right-handed shot is just a bonus — he forces Antti Raanta to really respect the possibility that he'll shoot glove side.

The one thing that's missing from Winnipeg's use of the Ovi Spot is goals created by passes from the defenceman. The Jets have just the one, off the faceoff against Vegas. The Washington teams that have had so much success with the Ovi Spot have tended to also be getting goals from that spot assisted by defencemen, as we can see if we look at it year by year.

2012-13: Six first assists by defencemen 2013-14: Seven first assists by defencemen 2014-15: 13 first assists by defencemen 2015-16: Two first assists by defencemen 2016-17: Eight first assists by defencemen

The NHL has, unfortunately, wiped out the online video goal library from prior to the 2016 All- Star Game, which makes it hard to go back and look at goal videos from before that date. It wouldn't surprise me if the collapse in first assists by a defenceman in 2015-16 was related to teams looking at what Washington did in 2014-15 and deciding to commit to taking it away, before finding that they were paying a price somewhere else and deciding it wasn't worth it.

Regardless, the Jets are accomplishing some historic things from the Ovi Spot with Scheifele and Laine. They're going to end up as one of the deadliest teams of the century from that side of the ice. And they aren't even yet consistently scoring goals assisted by defencemen from that area. If they can add that, they're going to be a real handful.

(Oh, and this hasn't even been Winnipeg's most effective power play unit this year.)

TSN 1290 (AUDIO LINKS) https://www.tsn.ca/radio/winnipeg-1290/heisinger-project-11-is-rick-rypien-s-legacy-1.984684

Heisinger: Project 11 is Rick Rypien's legacy

Craig Heisinger joined Andrew Paterson and Rick Ralph in studio on the Afternoon Ride. They discuss #BellLetsTalk, the first annual Project 11 summit, how Project 11 has grown in the last five years, how Rick Rypien's passing has changed the way mental health is discussed and how the Winnipeg Jets approach to mental health has changed since 2011. https://www.tsn.ca/radio/winnipeg-1290/dreger-cheveldayoff-is-focused-on-adding-a-defensive- forward-1.984707

Dreger: Cheveldayoff is focused on adding a defensive forward

TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger discuses his story on Paul Ranger, how hockey has changed since the death of Rick Rypien, and in the summer of 2011, Mike Fisher coming out of retirement, and how the Blues, Golden Knights and Jets will approach the deadline. https://www.tsn.ca/radio/winnipeg-1290/campbell-jets-keeping-a-short-term-focus-1.984739

Campbell: Jets keeping a short-term focus

Tim Campbell discusses the Jets success at home this season, the playoff race in the Western Conference and the upcoming game against Vegas. www.winnipegjets.com https://www.nhl.com/jets/news/scheifele-joins-practice-in-non-contact-jersey/c-295484784

Scheifele joins practice in non-contact jersey "He's back moving pretty darn well" - Paul Maurice by Jamie Thomas @JamieThomasTV / WinnipegJets.com

WINNIPEG - Ordinarily, a player in a yellow, non-contact jersey during practice is a bad-news scenario.

For the Winnipeg Jets, having Mark Scheifele on the ice in that bright, impossible-to-miss uniform was a welcome sight.

For the first time since suffering an upper-body injury against the back on Dec. 27, the Jets' No. 1 centre joined his teammates for practice Wednesday at Bell MTS Place.

"He's back moving pretty darn well, which is a positive for us," said Head Coach Paul Maurice. "He's on track, but he will stay where he is (in the non-contact jersey) for at least another week before we start banging him around a little bit."

Scheifele did not speak with the media but was very talkative on the ice with his teammates, and was shooting and stick handling the puck with his usual power and ease.

"He seems like he's healing fast and it's definitely a good sign when he's out there skating with the team," said Bryan Little. "I think the next step is contact. I'm not sure what his timeline is, but it's definitely a good sign."

The Jets got some more good news on the injury front Wednesday as Dmitry Kulikov was back in a regular jersey after sporting the yellow, non-contact garb for the past two days. Kulikov suffered a concussion prior to the All-Star Break after being run from behind by San Jose forward Tomas Hertl. While he's now cleared for full contact, Maurice was hesitant to say the Russian would be good to go Thursday as the Jets continue their franchise-record 10-game home stand against the Vegas Golden Knights.

With Kulikov back in the fold and Toby Enstrom taking a maintenance day, the Jets' line rushes and defence pairings looked like this:

Laine - Wheeler - Roslovic Perreault - Little - Ehlers Copp - Lowry - Armia Connor - Hendricks - Tanev Dano

Morrissey - Myers Kulikov - Byfuglien Chiarot - Poolman

Hellebuyck Hutchinson

Tuesday's 3-1 win over the league-leading Tampa Bay Lightning was just another example of the Jets' ability to overcome injuries to key players on their roster and stay with the next-man-up mentality to remain successful.

"I thought we played great against them," said defenceman Ben Chiarot, who played 11:43 and had two hits vs. the Lightning. "They're quick, but when we're tight defensively and have the tight gaps like we want to, it takes away a team's speed. I thought we did a great job of that last night."

Little, who scored his 11th goal of the season in the victory over Tampa, said the Jets' defensive game has been improving steadily over the last month or so.

"We've been involved in a lot of tight games," he said. "That's just the level of play going up. Guys are going harder. This is the time of year that teams are battling for spots in the playoffs, battling for positioning in the standings, and teams are preparing for playoff runs."

The Jets held the Lightning to only 24 shots and shut down the league's fourth-ranked power play, which led to a compliment from Lightning Head Coach Jon Cooper following the game.

"I know everybody talks about Winnipeg being a big, physical team," Cooper told the Tampa Bay Times. "Really, in the end, that's not their trademark anymore. They're a fast, up-and-down team that plays with skill."

- Jamie Thomas, WinnipegJets.com