Winnipeg Free Press https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/sports/hockey/jets/jets-get-back-to-business- 456276263.html

Jets get back to business Vegas vacation over

By: Mike McIntyre

LAS VEGAS, Nev. — First they teed off at a pristine golf course in the Las Vegas valley. After some sightseeing, they enjoyed a team dinner at a renowned steakhouse on an outdoor patio overlooking the famous Bellagio fountains. For a nightcap, some checked out a charity concert featuring five of the world’s biggest DJs.

Yes, it was a memorable day off unlike few others for members of the Jets on Tuesday. But it was quickly back to business on Wednesday as the team returned to the practice ice for an hour-long skate at beautiful City National Arena in Summerlin, a Vegas suburb located at the foothills of Red Rock Canyon.

And skate they did. Head coach Paul Maurice put his troops through a gruelling 20-minutes of laps that was eerily reminiscent of the so-called "bag skate" that came one day after their -opening 7-2 loss to the .

But there was nothing punitive about this one. It was all about trying to stay sharp and keep the momentum going. The Jets are flying high these days, enjoying an 8-3-3 start to the season as they prepare to take on the Friday night at T-Mobile Arena.

"Good to get out and have that opportunity when you’re feeling good about yourselves as a hockey team. Because you’ll have 23 guys sitting down for dinner instead of 12 different dinners. They hang together more," Maurice said Wednesday of the break his team enjoyed following Monday night’s 4-1 win against the Stars in Dallas to kick off the road trip.

Indeed, many Jets players are experiencing Sin City for the first time and raving about the experience.

"Vegas, I think it’s unbelievable. Coming from a small town in Europe, all of this you see in the movies. Actually being here now is pretty amazing," said Nikolaj Ehlers, the 21-year-old Danish- born speedster who has eight goals this season.

Patrik Laine got his first taste of Vegas last summer when he came here for the NHL awards, where he was runner-up to Toronto’s Auston Matthews in the rookie-of-the-year race. Now he’s back for a second time with teammates.

"It was a lot of fun hanging out with the team, playing a little bit of golf and having a nice dinner. It’s always nice to be here," said Laine.

The 19-year-old winger has scored in three straight games, giving him seven on the year, and hopes his good fortune continues Friday.

"I’m obviously feeling better because the team is doing well and I can help my team to win. It’s always nice to score. Overall, I feel good about my game right now. There are things I need to improve but everybody has," said Laine.

Jets fans from Winnipeg began arriving in in the desert Wednesday, as a contingent of several hundred is expected at the game.

A handful of locals greeted the Jets after practice Wednesday and got pictures and autographs.

The Golden Knights have surprised many with a 9-5-1 start to their expansion season, considering they are a collection of other team’s so-called castoffs who only came together for the first time a couple months ago. They have a 6-1-0 record at home, which has led many to suggest they have the best home-ice advantage in the league as visitors get swept up in the bright lights and perhaps lose focus of the task at hand.

But that’s now how Maurice sees it.

"I think their team’s better than people thought it would be. I think that’s the key piece to all of this. And when they play at home they get a better matchup. They got a good hockey team, they play a good, structured game and they can counter real fast on you. I think it’s all on-ice," Maurice said Wednesday. "I think they’ve passed through that kind of surprising team window. We’ve all seen them play enough games now. That’s a good hockey team, well-coached, very well-structured. They don’t give up anything off the rush. A lot of teams early on I think they justw expect to be able to move the puck easily or at will through the neutral zone and get their scoring chances. They found out after they lost the game that that wasn’t going to happen. So that’s our task this week, is to make sure we understand what they’re good at."

Vegas is competing despite having the top-three in their system on injured reserve. They got some potential good news Wednesday as Marc-Andre Fleury, the clear No. 1, took a twirl on the other sheet of ice at their practice facility where the Jets were skating. He’s working his way back from a concussion suffered on Oct. 13. There’s still no timetable for his return.

Vegas wrapped up a six-game trip on Tuesday night in Montreal with a 3-2 loss to the Canadiens. They Golden Knights 1-4-1 on the trip.

"For sure, they have a hard-working team. They’ve played well, especially here. It’s for sure going to be a tough building to play in. But with the way we play and the way we handle the pressure, we’re going to have a good score for sure if we can play our game the whole 60 minutes. It’s going to be a good game, for sure," said Laine.

The Finnish sniper also took on the role of interviewer Wednesday, crashing the scrum with linemate Ehlers to ask his own question.

"How did you play in Dallas?" Laine asked while holding his phone out like a microphone.

"I had a really good game, thank you. Thank you," Ehlers replied.

As Laine walked away, Ehlers began chirping. "Tell (Laine) to get going. Five-on-five, he takes off. But as soon the power play is on, he checks in," Ehlers cracked.

It’s safe to say the mood is rather light around the Jets these days, no doubt a product of collecting points in eight straight games (5-0-3) and 11 of their last 12 (8-1-3). They’ll get in another practice today before Friday’s first-ever meeting with the Golden Knights.

"Yes, we feel good right now. But there are still many games to go and we want to keep this going," said Ehlers. https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/sports/hockey/jets/connor-taking-advantage-of-prime-time- with-nhl-club-456291433.html

Connor taking advantage of prime time with NHL club Connor likely earned his spot for the year

By: Mike McIntyre

LAS VEGAS, Nev. — An injury opened the door for with the . And the second-year pro has bolted right through it, excelling with his play and giving his coach plenty of intriguing options going forward.

When went down while blocking a shot on Oct. 14, it created a spot on the Jets’ top line with Blake Wheeler and . Connor was summoned from the Moose for an audition of sorts. He’s certainly making the case for permanent work.

"Right now he’s not a placeholder there. He’s not pushing guys down to try and balance things for us. He’s been really effective in that spot. He’s had three or four games where he’s looked on par with the other two," Jets head coach Paul Maurice said Wednesday.

Connor has put up three goals and four assists in nine games, is a plus-five and is being given heavy minutes — more than 20 a night on average in his past three games. His defensive work is being praised by Maurice, and both Wheeler (13 points in five games) and Scheifele (10 points in five games) seem to be playing their best hockey of the year.

"He does a couple things that are important as a young player. He’s very readable as a young player. So Mark and Blake have a real good understanding of where he’s going because he’s consistent with that. And his defensive positioning is very, very strong. There’s not a lot of video of him being 10 feet off where he’s supposed to be. He understands the game and he can skate," Maurice said.

Perreault is getting closer to returning. He was a full participant in Wednesday’s practice, albeit with a non-contact jersey. Maurice said he won’t play in Friday’s game in Las Vegas or Saturday’s contest in Arizona.

However, when Perreault is fully healthy, Maurice will certainly have some options at his disposal that he didn’t have prior to Connor’s emergence.

"So we’ll see what it does with the rest of the group. I’m not sure I can remember the last time you had the same group of forwards for more than a game, but we’ll see. We hope we can get to that," Maurice said.

As for Connor, he said Wednesday he’s just looking to keep improving every game while handling the responsibility of playing on the top line.

"It’s just been a lot of fun. Those guys are incredible players. You saw it every night, they don’t take any shifts off," said Connor, who had a and an assist in Monday’s 4-1 win in Dallas. "We all play a direct game, with lots of speed. We try to play it quick. Our games complement each other, for sure."

Connor has already surpassed the two goals and three assists he registered in 20 games during his rookie season last year, which included a lengthy stay with the Moose. While he found himself back on the farm to start this season, a return seems unlikely.

"Every time you play and get more minutes, you get that confidence," Connor said. https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/sports/prospect-still-has-room-for-improvement- 456291363.html

Prospect still has room for improvement Bouncing back splendidly from injury, Stallard looking to earn NHL contract

By: Mike Sawatzky

Jordy Stallard has a lot in common with other mid-round NHL draft picks.

He wasn’t a star at 18, but with maturity and some seasoning, his game has grown.

Now, 18 months after being selected by the Winnipeg Jets in the fifth round (127th overall) of the 2016 NHL draft, the 20-year-old Brandon product has developed into a star performer in the , where he is leading the in scoring (seventh in the league) with 28 points, including 13 goals, in 16 games.

Stallard’s blistering pace has given him the potential to eclipse his previous career best of 49 points before Christmas. The 6-2½, 185-pound centre attended Jets training camp and also played at the Young Stars tournament in September, but he remains unsigned by the NHL club.

"I’m feeling really good right now," said Stallard via telephone earlier this week. "I think I came back from Winnipeg’s camp with some confidence and some pretty good feedback from the staff there. I think I’m going to take everything they want me to do and apply it to my game and really use it to get better."

His instructions? Get stronger, better in puck battles and more proficient in the faceoff circle.

"Definitely got room to put on some weight," Stallard said. "It’s something I’m trying to do, but it’s tough to do during the season. It’s pretty much impossible during the season, but working out for the strength — it’s something I need to focus on if I’m going to get to the next level."

Stallard’s dedication has been apparent to Raiders general manager Curtis Hunt.

"For Jordy, like all junior players, strength is key to getting to the next level," Hunt said. "And with that comes everything else — playing at that high level, playing with consistency that takes it to the next level. Those become really important.

"I think he’s taken a leadership role with our team and that’s a big part for these young players. They start to take ownership of our team. On top of that, he’s got a great career ahead of him. There’s things he needs to do like all young players — bigger, stronger, faster. The things that come with maturity. But he obviously strives for that opportunity to sign and play at the next level."

Some diligent off-ice work under the supervision of the Jets medical staff has helped him recover properly from a serious injury. Last season, less than a month after being acquired by the Raiders in a trade-deadline deal with the Calgary Hitmen, he was hit awkwardly into the boards during a game and suffered a torn labrum in his shoulder. He had scored six goals and 10 points in eight games with his new team.

Now, the early returns on his play should put him in good position to earn a contract from the Jets.

Stallard has been a fixture on the half wall of the Raiders’ power play, he kills penalties and has found some excellent chemistry on the club’s top line with wingers Cole Fonstad and Parker Kelly. The trio is 1-2-3 in team scoring.

"I’m not saying the injury hurt me at all because I had a pretty slow start to the season," said Stallard, who finished the 2016-17 season with 14 goals and 37 points in 32 games. "I’ve definitely got a lot of room to grow. I’m trying to put my best foot forward so I can earn that contract.

"When I first came into the league I didn’t get much ice time on the fourth line and I talked to my coaches and thought maybe I’d have to change my game to a checker. But I think my game at this level is to be a playmaker and a scorer."

Winnipeg Sun http://winnipegsun.com/sports/hockey/nhl/connor-making-his-minutes-count

Connor making his minutes count

By Ken Wiebe

LAS VEGAS – Kyle Connor looks nothing like the guy who was simply trying to find his way during the pre-season.

By chipping in three goals and seven points in nine games since being recalled from the Manitoba Moose of the , Connor has settled in nicely on the Jets top line with Mark Scheifele and Blake Wheeler.

Wheeler (with four goals and 13 points during his past five games and 21 points overall) and Scheifele (who sits second in team scoring with 18 points, including a team-high nine goals) are doing a lot of the damage but Connor is also doing his part and carving out a bigger role for himself.

“I’m getting better each game. Just continue to take strides as a player and continue to improve,” said Connor. “Every time you play and get more minutes, you get that confidence.”

Connor was quick to out the veterans on the line are making life easier for him.

“It’s just been a lot of fun. Those guys are incredible players. You see it every night. They don’t take any shifts off,” said Connor. “In practice, in game situations, everything. On and off the ice, they’ve been great.

“We all play a direct game, with lots of speed. We try to play it quick. Our games complement each other for sure.”

By taking 26 shifts for 20:20, Connor has more than 20 minutes per game in two of the past three outings– which shows how much trust Jets head coach Paul Maurice is placing on him.

“Well, part of that is him. He came back this summer and was in a lot better shape,” said Maurice. “But the last game, for (Scheifele) and Wheeler, they played a lot of minutes but they did it on 30 shifts. And if you’re a fit guy and get your shift length right, you can play a lot of minutes in the course of a game without getting worn down.

“I thought that was their best game I can remember in terms of what I thought their strength was like at the end of a game. That’s a lot of minutes. I’d prefer they didn’t play that many. But on the shift length that they had they can handle it.”

After enjoying a day off in Las Vegas, the Jets went through a 60-minute practice on Wednesday that finished off with a sweat-inducing conditioning skate.

The Jets, who are 8-3-3, are back in action on Friday against the Vegas Golden Knights, who are 9-5-1 and just wrapped up a six-game road trip, going 1-4-0-1.

Laine hitting his stride It’s been three games since Jets winger Patrik Laine provided a critical evaluation of his play and the Finnish sniper has scored a goal in each of those contests, moving him to seven goals and nine points in 14 games.

“Now, I’m obviously feeling better because the team is doing well and I can help my team to win. It’s always nice to score. Overall, I feel good about my game right now. There are things I need to improve but everybody has (those).”

Comic relief Several minutes after meeting with the media himself, Laine inserted himself into the scrum for linemate Nikolaj Ehlers and worked a question about how the Danish forward played on Monday.

As Laine was walking away, Ehlers took a good-natured shot at him.

“Tell (Laine) to get going,” said Ehlers. “Five-on-five, he takes off. But as soon the power play is on, he checks in.”

Ehlers then provided an assessment of how he thinks the chemistry on the line with centre is coming together.

“Last year, we played a little bit together and it feels good,” said Ehlers, who has eight goals and 11 points in 14 games. “(Little) is such a good two-way centreman. He reads the plays really well, makes some great plays and (Laine) can shoot the puck. We’re doing really good right now. We’ve got to keep this going, we’ve got to work hard and help this team win some games.”

Flower power Golden Knights goalie Marc-Andre Fleury was back on the ice on Wednesday morning as his teammates enjoyed a day off following a long road trip.

Fleury has been out of action with a concussion since Oct. 13 after what was a fantastic start to the season – going 3-1 with a 2.48 goals-against average and .925 save %.

With some rumblings the Golden Knights were going to return emergency backup Dylan Ferguson to the Kamloops Blazers, there’s some speculation Fleury could be activated and be in uniform as early as Friday’s game against the Jets.

When you consider Winnipegger Calvin Pickard was traded by the Golden Knights to the Toronto Maple Leafs, Vegas has already gone six goalies deep on the depth chart by bringing up Ferguson.

Oscar Dansk and are both on injured reserve with Fleury and right now Maxime Lagace has been starting.

Injuries are part of the game but Maurice admits he’s never seen anything quite like it.

“Not to keep winning. That’s a tough thing to do,” said Maurice. “The , whoever is in the net, has seen consistently the same kind of shots. That’s a tough road trip they were on, and back to back, and they were in all the games. They played pretty darn well. But their game hasn’t opened up. They’ve done a really nice job of skating, good sticks, knock things down, counter well. They get behind in a game they can turn it on. They’re a good hockey team.”

Sportsnet.ca http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/gm-cheveldayoff-jets-goalie-competition-healthy-situation/ (FULL AUDIO INTERVIEW INCLUDED)

GM Cheveldayoff: Jets’ goalie competition ‘a healthy situation’

By Emily Sadler

The Winnipeg Jets have a goaltending competition on their hands, and that’s exactly what general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff wants.

Cheveldayoff joined Prime Time Sports on Wednesday to discuss the Jets’ early-season success and the performances of goalies Steve Mason and Connor Hellebuyck.

“I think what we basically said from the start is that we wanted to have that competition and we know that Steve Mason is a proven No. 1 goaltender in this league,” Cheveldayoff said. “But we’re very upfront with everybody, that it was going to be about winning for us, so certainly there were no misconceptions there.”

The team picked up Mason in free agency this past summer on a two-year deal in an effort to upgrade the crease following a 2016-17 that saw plenty of instability in Winnipeg’s blue paint.

Mason has started four games so far this season and has yet to register his first win as a Jet. The 11th-year pro has a record of 0-3-1, a 4.84 goals-against average and an .872 save percentage. Hellebuyck, meanwhile, has excelled. The 24-year-old hasn’t lost in regulation through 11 games this season, going 8-0-2 and carrying a 2.12 goals-against average and .936 save percentage—good for third-best in that category league-wide.

“We still think that Mason is a No. 1 goaltender and for us to make any noise or do anything, we’re going to need to have that kind of goaltending on any given night,” Cheveldayoff explained. “His last outing against Columbus, he played exceptionally well—we lost in , through no fault of his own. We’re happy that we have the goaltending situation that we do this year.”

While the numbers clearly point to Hellebuyck as the Jets’ main man, Cheveldayoff is focusing less on declaring a No. 1 netminder and more on the bigger picture.

“I think the competition that we have is probably helping Connor with where he’s at as well,” he said. “When you don’t have competition, there’s a different element in there as well. It’s a healthy situation that we have here … we hope that competition keeps pushing both of those guys, because you’re going to need them.”

We’ll see both goalies in action this weekend, as the 8-3-3 Jets ready themselves for back-to- back matchups against the Vegas Golden Knights on Friday and the on Saturday.

“There’s going to be enough games for everybody to go around and if they’re both playing well,” said Cheveldayoff. “That’ll be a healthy situation.”

TSN 1290 (AUDIO LINKS) http://www.tsn.ca/radio/winnipeg-1290/dreger-there-will-be-a-ton-of-interest-in-evander-kane- 1.910046

Dreger: There will be a ton of interest in Evander Kane

Darren Dreger recaps the Duchene/Turris three-way trade, Evander Kane's trade value and the Winnipeg Jets performance in the first month of the regular season. www.winnipegjets.com https://www.nhl.com/jets/news/jets-hit-the-ice-in-nevada-in-preparation-for-golden-knights/c- 292773132 (INTERVIEWS INCLUDED)

Jets hit the ice in Nevada in preparation for Golden Knights Perreault skates in non-contact jersey, still no timeline for return by Mitchell Clinton @MitchellClinton / WinnipegJets.com

SUMMERLIN, Nevada - Wednesday brought a little piece of history as the Winnipeg Jets held their first practice in the state of Nevada, a 60-minute session at the City National Arena.

It was the first of two practice days the Jets have before taking on the expansion Vegas Golden Knights on Friday night at T-Mobile Arena.

"Vegas I think is unbelievable. Coming from a small town in Europe, all of this you see in the movies," said Nikolaj Ehlers, a native of Aalborg, Denmark. "Actually being here now is pretty amazing."

There were no changes to the line rushes that picked up a 4-1 win over the Dallas Stars on Monday, the first stop on a three-game road trip.

Connor-Scheifele-Wheeler

Ehlers-Little-Laine

Copp-Lowry-Tanev

Matthias-Hendricks-Armia

Morrissey-Trouba

Enstrom-Byfuglien

Kulikov-Myers

Mathieu Perreault took part in practice as well, wearing a bright yellow non-contact jersey, as he continues to get closer to a return from a lower-body injury sustained in a win over Carolina on Oct. 14

"The stage today for us was he got through an entire day on his skates," said head coach Paul Maurice. "It's going to be pain tolerance, and then conditioning, because we haven't been able to do a lot with him. I can't give you a time frame on that. I don't have him in the next two (games)."

Maurice believes the Golden Knights may have caught the league by surprise early on, but adds their 9-5-1 record isn't a fluke - even after a six-game road trip that produced a 1-4-1 record, including a 3-2 loss to the last night.

"I think they've passed through that 'surprising teams' window. We've all seen them play enough games now. It's a good hockey team, well coached, very well structured.," said Maurice. "They don't give up anything off the rush. A lot of teams early on expected they'd be able to move the puck easily or at will through the neutral zone and get their scoring chances.

"That's our task this week, make sure we understand what they're good at."

The Jets come into Vegas with points in 11 of their last 12 games, and have outscored their opponents 24-10 in the first period this season.

"We have more experience. Everybody knows what they need to do to help this team win, and we're doing it," said Ehlers. "We're sticking to the system and everything is going well right now. But we have to keep this going and work hard to make sure this doesn't stop."