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Home , Alex Goligoski, Chad Kilger, Josh Morrissey, Mark Scheifele, Oleg Tverdovsky, Steve Mason (ice hockey)

Winnipeg Free Press https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/sports/hockey/jets/jets-slap-leash-on-desert-dogs- 456955103.html

Jets slap leash on desert dogs Scheifele scores No. 100, Mason a rock in net

By: Mike McIntyre

GLENDALE, Arizona — Steve Mason showed up from the start. The rest of the , not so much. However, the team’s prize free-agent signing of the summer held down the crease long enough for his teammates to find enough fuel in their tank to fly home with a victory.

Mason stopped 29 of 30 shots Saturday night as the Jets rallied for a 4-1 victory over the at Gila River Arena. It’s the first win in a Winnipeg uniform for Mason, who got off to a bumpy start with his new team and then saw emerge as the No. 1 netminder.

Mark Scheifele’s 100th of his career early in the third-period proved to be the difference, breaking a tie and putting the Jets ahead to stay. They improve to 9-4-3 on the season, including 2-1-0 on this road trip that began with a 4-1 win in Dallas Monday followed by a 5-2 defeat in Las Vegas Friday.

Arizona has struggled mightily this year, off to a league-worst 2-14-3 start. But they certainly looked like the stronger team through the first two periods Saturday. Or at least the one with the fresher legs.

The Coyotes threatened early in the opening frame, getting a couple good looks on a power play courtesy of a slashing . But Mason stood tall to keep it scoreless.

Scheifele had the first real chance for the Jets, breaking free on a partial breakaway about eight minutes into the game but was turned away by Arizona’s Antti Raanta.

Winnipeg’s top of Scheifele, Wheeler and Kyle Connor, which had a terrible game during Friday’s Las Vegas defeat, got caught on the ice for a two minute and six second shift later in the period but managed to survive unscathed. But the Jets continued to be a mess in their own end.

You could feel it coming, and Arizona finally broke through with just over five minutes left in the period. turned the puck over, and the Jets slid and flopped around before Rinaldo eventually deflected a past Mason.

Despite only having two wins on the year, Arizona has now scored the opening goal 13 times in their 19 games, which is tops in the league.

There was a scary moment in the period, as got tangled up with Arizona’s Christian Fischer. The Coyotes winger crashed face-first into the boards behind Winnipeg’s net. He was down for a few moments and cut on the play, but later returned to the game apparently none the worse for wear.

Winnipeg didn’t look any sharper in the second and found themselves having to kill another couple penalties, to Lowry and then , that were again the result of positional breakdowns.

The Jets finally got on the board just over 13 minutes into the middle frame, courtesy of a major break. Matt Hendricks was the beneficiary of a bad Arizona turnover, and the veteran ’s shot from the slot hit one, possibly two Coyotes and wobbled its way past Raanta.

It’s the first goal of the season for Hendricks, and it seemed to give the Jets some life. Connor nearly put his team ahead moments later, tipping a feed from Wheeler that Raanta stopped.

Then came the breakthrough in the third period.

With the Jets on the power play, made a fantastic play at the Arizona blue line, lunging at a puck to keep it from exiting the zone. The Jets then turned that around, with Patrik Laine feeding Wheeler who sauced it to Scheifele for his milestone goal.

Scheifele then made a terrific pass to Connor a few minutes later, threading the puck through three Arizona defenders from behind the net. Connor buried it from the slot for his fourth of the season.

Laine then sealed the deal with a no-look backhand shot from centre ice into an empty net with 16 seconds left in the game. It’s Laine’s ninth of the season, and the fifth straight game he’s scored.

Saturday’s win may have come at a cost. went down near the midway of the third period after appearing to twist his leg during a scramble around the net. He was in considerable pain and had to be helped off by trainers, going directly to the dressing room. He did return to the bench late in the period and took a spin on the ice during a commercial break.

Josh Morrissey was good to go Saturday, despite leaving the game against the Golden Knights midway through the third period after blocking a shot. There were no other lineup changes, meaning Brendan Lemieux, Marko Dano and Ben Chiarot were all healthy scratches.

Winnipeg now returns home and will kick-off off three straight games at Bell MTS Place when they host the very same Coyotes on Tuesday night.

Winnipeg Sun http://winnipegsun.com/sports/hockey/scheifele-wheeler-lead-way-in-jets-comeback-road-trip- finishes-with-four-of-six-points

Scheifele, Wheeler lead way in Jets comeback: Road trip finishes with four of six points

By Ken Wiebe

GLENDALE — Nobody was more disappointed about a rare off night than Blake Wheeler and .

And after carrying the offensive load for a good chunk of this season, it was not a surprise to see the dynamic duo combine to produce the go-ahead goal and eventual game-winner in the Winnipeg Jets’ 4-1 victory over the Arizona Coyotes on Saturday at Gila River Arena.

Jets Dustin Byfuglien — who also struggled in Friday’s 5-2 loss to the — didn’t get a point on the goal by Scheifele, but the goal doesn’t happen without him keeping the puck in at the blue line.

Byfuglien’s deft play led to Wheeler finding Scheifele for his 100th NHL goal in his 322nd game.

Scheifele wasn’t done there, finding Kyle Connor in the slot for a one-timer that gave the Jets a bit of breathing room.

For the majority of the games this season, the Jets top line — and specifically Wheeler and Scheifele — have not only carried the mail offensively, they’ve also set their pace with their hard work and determination.

“All three of our captains had great bounce-back games,” said Jets head coach . “They were the guys that you have such a high level of expectation for their play. Those guys didn’t score and they got scored against, so they need to come back and play the way they did tonight. And they did.”

The Jets, who finished the road trip with four of a possible six points, improved to 9-4-3 on the season and are back in action on Tuesday, when they face the Coyotes in a rematch to open a three-game homestand at Bell MTS Place.

One of the common threads in the outright losses the Jets have suffered since the 0-2 start was an inability to use the surplus of speed to their advantage.

In fact, the losses to the and Golden Knights saw the Jets get both out- skated and out-worked — which is generally a poor combination.

Off nights are going to happen over the course of an 82-schedule, that’s a harsh reality.

“No matter how good a team you are, you’re going to have games like that. The key is how are you going to come back from that,” Wheeler said. “That’s the biggest growth from our team. You got rid of the bad ones and come ready to play the next game.”

For the second time in as many days, the Jets gave up the first goal of the contest.

During a goalmouth scramble, Derek Stepan found defenceman Alex Goligoski in front and his shot caromed in off Zac Rinaldo at 14:33 of the first period.

Although the Jets had a bit more jump than they showed against the Golden Knights, they didn’t really have their skating legs and were unable to generate much offensively — directing only 10 shots on goal through more than 33 minutes of play.

But the Jets caught a break at 14:04 of the second period when fourth-line centre Matt Hendricks found a puck in the slot and his shot changed direction off the stick of Coyotes Brendan Perlini and fooled goalie Antti Raanta.

It was a rare goal from the fourth line and the first of the season for Hendricks.

“It was good timing in terms of scoring it,” said Hendricks.

Jets sniper Patrik Laine put the game on ice by scoring an empty-netter with 16.5 seconds to go.

It was the ninth goal of the season and gave him a goal in each of the past five games.

Jets goalie Steve Mason was making his first start in seven games and put forth a solid effort, finishing with 29 saves as he recorded his first victory of the season in his sixth appearance and fifth start.

“You know what, when you don’t play a lot, sometimes it’s tough to keep that motivation but I’ve been doing a pretty good job of staying positive and having fun with the guys,” said Mason. “It’s just nice to finally walk away from a game with a good feeling. It’s been a long time coming, basically since last season.”

With the Jets playing 14 games during the month of November, the Jets are going to need contributions from both Mason and Connor Hellebuyck.

With three games next week, the Jets will need to decide whether to go right back with Mason or to go back to Hellebuyck on Tuesday and perhaps play Mason on Thursday against the .

The Jets thought they might have lost defenceman Tyler Myers to what looked like a right knee injury early in the third period.

During a Coyotes power play, Myers got tangled up in front with Christian Dvorak and he fell to the ice in writing pain, grabbing his knee.

Myers, who has endured a number of painful injuries during the past two seasons, had to be helped off the ice.

Myers returned to the bench late in the third period and tested out his leg during a stoppage in play, then was on the ice for the final shift of the game.

Although he’ll need to be re-evaluated when the Jets return home, it looks as though Myers was able to avoid a serious injury.

“On the replay we thought he had caught his ankle and those can be real nasty,” said Maurice. “Great that he came back, we had our orthopedic surgeon here today to take a look at him. He felt he’d try, we’ll have a look at him tomorrow. A big piece we don’t want to lose.” http://winnipegsun.com/sports/hockey/nhl/winnipeg-jets/lowry-snaps-drought-before-it-drags- onmason-keeps-positive-attitudehellebuycks-numbers-show-regression-but-remain-strong

Lowry snaps drought before it drags on…Mason keeps positive attitude…Hellebuyck’s numbers show regression, but remain strong

By Ken Wiebe

GLENDALE – Adam Lowry hadn’t reached the point of stressing out about it just yet, but finding the back of the net for the first time this season is always welcome.

Friday was only the sixth game of the season for the Winnipeg Jets centre, but things seemed to be taking longer than normal because Lowry missed nine games with a back injury after going without a point in his first four contests of the campaign.

After the Jets fell behind 2-0 on Friday against the Vegas Golden Knights, Lowry showed good hand-eye co-ordination by redirecting home a point shot from Dmitry Kulikov on the ensuing shift to cut the deficit.

“It’s nice. You miss some time and you haven’t really contributed on the score sheet, it’s nice to get that out of the way,” said Lowry. “You don’t want to wait too long and start gripping the stick too tight. I was happy to see it go in, but it would have been nicer if it was in a win.”

Lowry’s first game back was Monday’s 4-1 win against the .

He was the first to admit it took a while to get his legs back up to speed, but Lowry logged some important minutes against the line of Tyler Seguin, Jamie Benn and Alex Radulov and was also back in his familiar spot on the penalty kill.

“It’s tough to replicate the pace of the game, the reads and the decisions you have to make in an NHL game,” said Lowry, who set a career-high with 15 goals and 29 points in 82 games last season. “It certainly wasn’t my best game, but that was to be expected. The penalty kill is going to be a big part of my game. That’s where I’m going to boost my minutes. It’s nice to get back on that because you feel like you’re contributing right away.”

Lowry was effective in Friday’s loss to the Golden Knights, finishing with three shots on goal and five hits.

While the top line of Mark Scheifele, Blake Wheeler and Kyle Connor is seeing a lot of time against the opposition’s top offensive line, having the ability to slot in Lowry’s unit is something Jets head coach Paul Maurice is going to do from time to time.

That’s a role Lowry has being groomed for.

“The Scheifele line have really taken another step this year,” said Lowry. “If we have our line take some of those match-ups, it allows them to get some easier offensive minutes and that’s really beneficial for our team. And for us, it’s always fun to go up against those (top offensive) guys. As competitors, you always want to go up against the best and you want to do well.”

Mason stays positive It’s never easy for a veteran goalie to go seven games between starts, but Maurice believes Steve Mason has done his best to be a supportive partner and stay ready for his next start – which came Saturday against the Arizona Coyotes.

“You don’t have to explain it to him. (Mason) has seen (Hellebuyck) playing well,” said Maurice. “He’s looked at the calendar and the schedule, so he understands why the starts have been given to (Hellebuyck). (Mason) has been a good pro, worked hard trying to get stronger and get better and get ready more than anything else because he knows he’s going to get a start here and it’s going to be an important game. (Mason) has been around the game long enough to know both goalies have to take the ball at different times during the year and carry that ball. He’s going to do everything that he can that when it’s his turn, he’ll be ready.”

With the games spread out, it will be interesting to see when Mason’s next start comes – whether he’s back between the pipes in the rematch with the Coyotes on Tuesday or gets an opportunity to face his former team, the Philadelphia Flyers, on Thursday as the Jets continue a three-game homestand that concludes with a Saturday matinee against the .

Hellebuyck comes back to earth Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck started the season posting numbers that were extraordinary, with a sub 2.00 goals-against average and a save % at .940.

So it was natural to wonder if – or when – things would level out.

During two of the past three starts, Hellebuyck has allowed five goals – including Friday’s loss to the Golden Knights saw him make only 16 saves before he was pulled after the second period.

In the 5-4 overtime loss to the , Hellebuyck still made 45 saves and he suffered his first regulation defeat of the campaign on Friday – leaving him with a record of 8-1- 2, a 2.44 goals-against average and .926 save %.

Those are still strong numbers overall.

“It’s going to happen,” Hellebuyck said when asked about getting the hook for the first time this season. “I’m going to look to get better and I’m going to work harder tomorrow. I’m not going to let this phase me. But I’m going to use this as motivation.”

Moose continue to roll After opening a six-game swing with a 5-2 loss to the , the have won four consecutive games, including Saturday’s 5-2 triumph over the .

The primary affiliate of the Jets improved to 8-4-1-1 on the season.

Jets top prospect Jack Roslovic has been on fire of late, chipping in four goals and 10 points during the past four games to move to eight goals and 17 points in 14 games this season.

Speaking of forward prospects, forward Nic Petan has one goal (an empty-netter) and five points in seven games since he was sent to the minors.

The Moose close out the road trip on Sunday with the rematch against the Barracuda before heading back for a four-game homestand.

Associated Press http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/scheifele-scores-100th-career-goal-jets-beat-coyotes/

Scheifele scores 100th career goal as Jets beat Coyotes

By

GLENDALE, Ariz. — Steve Mason worked hard in practice, stayed ready whenever he was called to make a spot start or come in for mop-up duty.

But when the losses kept piling up and that first victory remained out of reach, Winnipeg’s backup goalie wondered when he would finally break through.

He did Saturday night, keeping Winnipeg in a close game early while stopping 29 shots overall to help the Jets rally from an early hole to beat the Arizona Coyotes 4-1.

"It’s been a long time coming; I haven’t wanted to win this bad in a long time," said Mason, who was 1-3-1 before Saturday. "It felt good to get it."

The Jets lost 5-2 to Vegas on Friday night, ending their points streak at nine games. They fell behind in the second game of the back-to-back, but rallied behind Mason and Mark Scheifele.

Mason, who came on in relief for Connor Hellebuyck against the Golden Knights, was sharp in his first start since Oct. 27, helping the Jets withstand Arizona’s early push with some difficult saves.

Matt Hendricks scored his first goal of the season in the second period and Scheifele beat Antti Raanta for his 100th career goal in the third. Scheifele also had an assist on Kyle Connor’s goal later in the third period, giving him seven goals and 12 points the past seven games.

Patrik Laine scored an empty-net goal to score in his fifth straight game to wrap up Winnipeg’s fifth win in seven games.

"It was a good bounce-back win," Jets coach Paul Maurice said.

The Coyotes went winless on a three-game road trip, but have been playing better, earning four points over their previous four games.

Arizona played well early, but lost yet another lead after Zac Rinaldo scored in the first period. Raanta stopped 17 shots for the Coyotes, who dropped to an NHL-worst 2-14-3

"They got their chances and they capitalized," Rinaldo said. "That was the difference."

The Coyotes had scored first in 12 of their first 18 games, tied for best in the NHL. They did it again Saturday night, putting relentless pressure on the Jets until a shot by Alex Goligoski hit Rinaldo amid a mass of bodies in the crease and caromed past Mason.

Holding those leads has been a problem and the Coyotes failed again.

Hendricks scored the tying goal, shooting a loose puck from the slot that appeared to hit Coyotes forward Brendan Perlini’s stick and caromed off Raanta’s left shoulder.

Scheifele scored on a power play in the third, beating Raanta to the stick side on a shot from the left circle. The Jets who have one of the NHL’s best power plays, finished 1 for 2 with the man advantage while Arizona went 0 for 4.

"The difference in this game was special teams," Coyotes forward Derek Stepan said. "They took advantage on their power play and we didn’t."

Connor one-timed a feed from Scheifele behind the net to put Winnipeg up 3-1.

NOTES: Coyotes D Niklas Hjalmarsson missed his seventh straight game with an upper-body injury. … Hendricks had not scored in Feb. 16 against Philadelphia. … Coyotes RW Christian Fischer went off the ice in the first period after a hard hit into the boards, but returned in the second.

UP NEXT Jets: Host Arizona on Tuesday night to start a three-game homestand. Coyotes: At Winnipeg on Tuesday night to open a four-game road trip.

NHL.com https://www.nhl.com/news/winnipeg-jets-arizona-coyotes-game-recap/c-292906538

Scheifele, Jets pull away from Coyotes Center scores game-winning goal on power play early in third period by Craig Morgan / NHL.com Correspondent

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Arizona Coyotes coach Rick Tocchet had a lot of praise for the Winnipeg Jets' top forwards when he met with the media Friday. It was easy to see why when the teams played the first game of their home-and-home Saturday.

Mark Scheifele scored the go-ahead goal on the power play 2:31 into the third period, and Winnipeg defeated Arizona 4-1 at Gila River Arena.

Scheifele had an assist, linemate Blake Wheeler had two assists, and Patrik Laine had a goal and an assist for the Jets (9-4-3).

"Big bounce-back game in a tight game," Winnipeg coach Paul Maurice said of Scheifele, who was minus-3 in a 5-2 loss at the Vegas Golden Knights on Friday. "I think you're just seeing that kind of maturity. He stayed with his game."

Scheifele has 13 points (seven goals, six assists) in his past seven games. The Jets are 5-1-1 in that stretch.

Steve Mason made 29 saves for Winnipeg in his first start since Oct. 27. Antti Raanta made 17 saves for Arizona.

The Coyotes (2-14-3) haven't won in regulation through their first 19 games, tying the NHL record set by the Flames in 1999-2000.

"We were in good shape after the second (period)," Tocchet said. "They didn't have much. I think they had eleven shots with three, four minutes left in the second, but they made plays in the third, and we didn't. They've got some high-end guys and they put it in the net."

Zac Rinaldo gave Arizona a 1-0 lead at 14:33 of the first period. It was the 13th time the Coyotes scored first this season; they are 2-9-2 in those games.

Derek Stepan was denied on an initial attempt in front of the net, but he passed the puck across the slot to defenseman Alex Goligoski, who was pinching on the play. Goligoski's shot deflected off Rinaldo's left knee and past Mason.

The assist was Stepan's first point in 10 games.

Matt Hendricks tied it 1-1 at 14:04 of the second period when his wrist shot from the high slot deflected off Coyotes forward Brendan Perlini's stick, changed direction, and went in off Raanta's shoulder.

It was Hendricks' first goal of the season and first in 23 games dating to Feb. 16, when he scored for the Oilers against the Philadelphia Flyers.

"Matty has done all those hard things," Maurice said. "He blocks shots. He kills penalties. It was a great lift on the bench. I think once the game got to even, we were pretty good after that."

Scheifele scored the game-winner with Coyotes forward Christian Fischer in the penalty box for tripping . Scheifele took a pass from Wheeler at the left hash marks and beat Raanta to the stick side with a wrist shot to make it 2-1.

Kyle Connor scored off a Wheeler pass from behind the net at 8:01 of the third period to put Winnipeg ahead 3-1.

Laine scored into an empty net at 19:43 to make it 4-1 and extend his NHL career-high goal streak to five games.

Goal of the game Scheifele's goal at 2:31 of the third period.

Save of the game Mason stopping Perlini at 6:13 of the third period.

Highlight of the game Raanta's post-to-post pad save on Laine at 1:26 of the second period.

They said it "I think that's the biggest growth with our team, is we just get rid of the bad ones and come ready to play the next game." -- Jets Blake Wheeler on bouncing back from a loss at the Golden Knights on Friday

"I was disappointed I wasn't able to find the score sheet when I thought I had some opportunities to get rewarded. It eats at you." -- Coyotes center Derek Stepan on ending a nine- game point drought with an assist

Need to know Jets defenseman Tyler Myers left the game at 6:32 of the third period after injuring his right leg to the left of the Winnipeg net. He returned for the final 16.5 seconds after being examined by the Jets orthopedic surgeon. Maurice said he will be re-examined Sunday. … Fischer sustained a cut above his left eye that required stitches in the first period when he went hard into the end boards.

What's next Jets: Host the Arizona Coyotes on Tuesday (8 p.m. ET; TSN3, FS-A, NHL.TV) Coyotes: At the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday (8 p.m. ET; TSN3, FS-A, NHL.TV)

The Athletic Winnipeg http://winnipeg.ctvnews.ca/jets-fans-choose-lenny-as-name-for-new-security-puppy-1.3673238

Duhatschek: A 76-goal rookie season was just a glimpse into the greatness to come for Hall of Famer Teemu Selanne

By Eric Duhatschek

In Mark Chipman's office, amid all the memorabilia associated with the second incarnation of the Winnipeg Jets, there is a portrait in oils of Teemu Selanne, which honors the Jets’ first.

Selanne will enter the Hockey Hall of Fame on Monday as a result of a sparkling career that spanned 20 years, covered three continents and honours both his play on the ice and the way he carried himself off the ice. He was known as the Finnish Flash – one of the last great hockey nicknames – and won a championship with the , a world championship for Finland, plus four Olympic medals.

But for all the things Selanne accomplished in the game, nothing can ever top the way his NHL career began – with an eye-popping 76-goal season for the 1992-93 Jets, a number that was so much higher than anyone before or since has ever produced that barring some radical change in the game, it will stand forever. In the same way that Joe DiMaggio’s 56-game hitting streak or ’s 215-point single-season scoring record seem bulletproof, it is impossible to conjure up a scenario where a rookie arrives in the NHL and proceeds to score 76 times.

Chipman, in that time, was a fan, just like everyone in Winnipeg, a tight community that radiates pride in the accomplishments of one of its own. And Selanne they adopted as a native son, practically from the moment he arrived in the NHL.

“The impact Teemu had here was so profound,” said Chipman, now the Jets' executive chairman, governor and minority owner. “When you think about 76 goals, there was shock and awe. He had taken the league by storm that year, to the extent that other players around the league were in awe of him. I remember listening to the radio broadcasts of those games late in the season and they were talking about how players on the other teams were sticking around to watch him at the morning skate.

“Now, he was a 22-year-old rookie. He didn’t come right over after his draft year. He did his military service first, and then played for , so he was a man when he got here, but still … 76 goals. You just don’t even talk in terms like that anymore.”

Selanne shattered the previous mark – of 53, established by Mike Bossy with the 1977-78 – in March 1993 in a game against the Quebec Nordiques and ended up breaking the record by 23 goals. Since 1993, the closest any rookie has come to Selanne’s record was the ’ Alex Ovechkin, who scored 52 times in his rookie season, 2005-06.

Even given the changes in the game – and how NHL scoring has dropped in the 25 years since Selanne made his debut — it was an extraordinary thing to see, this easy-going rookie from Helsinki positively obliterating the Bossy mark.

“To be honest, that whole year was just like a dream,” Selanne told me Friday. “Honestly, I don’t think I realized what I’d done until a couple of years later. It didn’t feel anything too special at the time. Obviously, the whole city of Winnipeg – and the fans there – were so excited, and I lived with that. But I didn’t read the papers. I felt the passion and the excitement, but I didn’t really pay too much attention to that. I was just so hungry on the ice, I just wanted more and more and more. Obviously, I played with great players – and the confidence just got bigger and bigger.

“But I think you realize more now what you have done. Obviously, it was something unbelievable.”

What set Selanne apart from other NHL players was his instinctive personal charm, something people came to appreciate almost from the moment he arrived in Winnipeg, knowing only his close friend and surrogate dad, the popular agent Don Baizley. In that first year, kids in Selanne’s neighborhood would knock on his door, asking for an autograph, and sometimes, he would even go out on the street and play ball hockey with them.

“That’s absolutely true,” Selanne said. “A lot of times, when I’d come from the practice and I saw the kids playing street hockey – and I didn’t have my own kids at the time – so I took my stick and went to play with them. For 10 seconds, they would look up and look at each other and say, ‘oh my god’ – and then we would play. Sometimes, if we had an afternoon game, I’d come home and take my suit jacket and tie off and go out there and play with the nice clothes on.”

In Selanne’s rookie season, his most memorable goals came on a familiar play, repeated over and over. Defenceman Phil Housley would be by the side of the net and hit Selanne in full flight, for a breakaway pass. This was in the era where there was still centre-ice offside, so Selanne had to be good at straddling the red line or flying the zone in order to be on the receiving end of Housley’s pinpoint passes.

“Every player I ever played with, I had great chemistry with,” Selanne said. “And we had a lot of set plays. Me and Phil, we would sit before and after the practices and talked about the things we could do. We were practicing that. He was the quarterback and an unbelievable passer. The way he saw the game, you playing with a guy like him, you just want to find the opening somehow, and you know the puck is coming. There’s no better feeling. “And at the time, there was no real video scouting much, so that helped us, too. There were a lot of teams, I don’t think they did their homework. We surprised them, night after night, and it was a good feeling.”

Selanne spent three seasons in Winnipeg, but midway through the fourth – which turned out to be the final Jets’ season in the Manitoba capital before the move to Phoenix – he was traded to the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim for and , two former top-five draft picks.

The Mighty Ducks were just in their third year of operation, but the Selanne trade turned everything around for the franchise. Selanne and , the Ducks’ first choice in the 1993 entry draft, developed an instant chemistry. Selanne had 36 points in 28 games for the Ducks and the next year the Ducks unexpectedly made the playoffs in their fourth season of operation – an unusually fast ascension, given how unenlightened and onerous the expansion draft regulations were in the 1990s.

Soon after arriving in Anaheim, Selanne’s journey became entangled with Kariya’s at almost every turn. According to Kariya, the two were in a room together for the first time at a Hockey News awards banquet, honoring him as the U.S. college player of the year and Selanne as the NHL’s rookie of the year, but doesn’t recall them having a conversation. The next time was at an All-Star Game in Boston, where they represented the Western Conference and skated onto the ice, one after the other, Selanne wearing No. 8, Kariya No. 9. As every subsequent member of their team and then the entire Eastern Conference team was introduced, the two fell into an easy exchange, and their observations about their peers were virtually identical.

In an interview with The Athletic a few days before arriving in Toronto for the Hall of Fame induction ceremonies, Kariya said he had a sense even then that they saw the game in a similar way.

“What I always appreciated about Teemu was that he was a fan of hockey and a fan of the players who played hockey,” Kariya said. “He doesn’t have a jealous bone in his body. He was just inspired by what other people were doing on the ice. Sometimes, you hear people talk about what a player was lacking. Teemu always saw it the other way: What a guy could do, the skill set a guy had, and what he could learn from them.”

Kariya remembered being in the Ducks’ dressing room when news of the trade with Winnipeg first filtered down. Coach Ron Wilson came in and took Tverdovsky and Kilger aside to notify them they were going the other way in the deal. Then the GM, Jack Ferreira, came in and passed on the news. “When he told us we’d gotten Teemu, the guys were just floored,” Kariya said. “We couldn’t believe that had just happened. It was one of the greatest trades in NHL history. It was a life- changing event for me.

“Getting someone of Teemu’s talent for an expansion team was a dream come true for our franchise. I don’t know if anyone could have, at that point, imagined the impact Teemu would have on the franchise and on hockey in southern California.”

For their first years together in Anaheim, the two were roommates on the road. In order to keep people from randomly calling their hotel room while travelling, they registered under aliases. Selanne was Teddy Flesh, a pseudonym that he had adopted years before when he was racing rally cars in Finland and didn’t want his employers – the Jets – to know about the risks he was running. Kariya, a fan of Al Pacino and the movie Scarface, registered as Tony Montana. That was all fine until one night, when they wandered back after hours and realized they’d both left their keys in the room and were locked out.

They approached the hotel’s front desk and identified themselves to an employee who wasn’t a hockey fan and thus couldn’t coax a replacement room key out of him because, of course, their IDs said Paul Kariya and Teemu Selanne, not the names they were registered under.

“We tried to explain, these were our aliases, but we didn’t get anywhere,” said Kariya, with a laugh. “We ended up having to call Alex (Gilchrist, the Ducks’ director of media and communications) to vouch for us and tell him who we were.”

The fact that Kariya and Selanne are entering the Hall together is a source of great pride – and mirth – for both. When they are together, the two interact like a comedy duo, a latter-day Martin and Lewis, with Kariya playing the part of the buttoned-down straight man, while Selanne is the laugh-a-minute class clown. The two roomed on the road for years and bonded over, among other things, reruns of Baywatch. Kariya was developing a love of surfing and the beach; while Selanne just liked to watch Pamela Anderson. But in every city they visited, Selanne knew exactly when Baywatch came on and on what channel. During the 2004-05 NHL lockout, a lot of NHL players had time on their hands. Some decided to wait it out in southern California and while they did, tried their hands at surfing. Selanne had a great fear of sharks, but Kariya eventually coaxed him out on a morning when about a dozen NHL players showed up, including Joe Sakic, Rob Blake and Scott Niedermayer.

“It was Teemu’s first time, so we put him on a long board and Teemu’s just dominating,” Kariya said. “He says he caught his second wave, but I don’t recall him missing any. He was doing unbelievably well. So Joe came up to me in the water and said, ‘Teemu’s got to go on a shorter board.’ And I’m like, ‘no Joe, let him enjoy himself his first day. It’s a big transition to go from a 10-footer to a 9-footer.’ I had a shorter board in my car and Joe is really being adamant, so I said to him: ‘Look Joe, the waves are really good. If you want to go in and get the board, you go in and get the board.

“We’re up in San Onofre, which is a world-famous surf spot and everybody is really nice and nobody’s going to steal your car. But I always kept my key in the wetsuit. So we’re half way out in chest high water and here’s Joe undoing my wetsuit to get the key and suddenly, I hear, ‘plop.’ So I’m saying: ‘What was that?’ And Joe goes: ‘Don’t move.’ I mean, it was a murky day, overcast, and there is no way you’re finding a key there, in the rocks and sand. Still today, there is a Lexus key in the ocean off San Onofre.”

The only reason Selanne didn’t stick with surfing, according to Kariya, was that fear of sharks.

“Of all the hockey players who surfed, Teemu was the one that picked it up the fastest,” Kariya said. “He’s such a good athlete. When he first arrived, one of the things that surprised me was how flexible he was. Basically, he could do the splits and kick a door frame, like the golfer Sam Snead. Every kind of game or sport – soccer, hockey, tennis – he was just a natural.”

Growing up in Finland, Selanne’s NHL role model was Jari Kurri, who patrolled Wayne Gretzky’s right wing during the ’ dynasty years. Kurri was still playing in North America as Selanne first started attracting attention domestically, playing for Jokerit. They didn’t cross paths until one summer when Kurri invited Selanne to participate in one of his summer hockey schools.

“He was 17 or 18 I think because he had his drivers’ license and he asked to borrow my car,” Kurri said. “In those days, I had sports cars, so he said, ‘let me borrow it a little while.’ I said, ‘take it easy.’”

But when it comes to Selanne and speed, there is no such thing as “take it easy.”

Kurri was playing for the when Selanne arrived in the NHL. Two years later, they were teammates for the first time, playing 20 games for Jokerit during the 1994-95 NHL lockout. Two years after that, Kurri – at Selanne’s urging – joined the Mighty Ducks for the 1996-97 season, where Kurri switched to centre and played between Kariya and Selanne, a year in which the latter produced 109 points, including 51 goals, the second highest point total of his career.

Kurri stuck around the NHL one more year – 1997-98 – so he and Selanne could play together on Finland’s Olympic team, the first time NHLers were eligible. Selanne had 10 points in five games that year, and Finland defeated to win the bronze medal.

By then, Selanne was a star in Finland.

“People recognize him that way – that he spends a lot of time with the fans and cares a lot about the fans,” Kurri said. “Not all the players can do that. Everybody’s different. But he enjoyed being around them, and exchanging stories. He’s an easy-going guy and fun to be around. He had a lot of energy for that.

“Even more in Finland. He’s been a big part of the Finnish national team. Everybody knows him. He’s a very recognized player.”

Selanne eventually accumulated a car collection practically unrivaled among NHL players, part of his ongoing fascination with speed.

“It doesn’t matter if it’s a car or a boat or skis or whatever,” Kurri said. “Speed is in his blood and it’s a big part of his game and the way he played.”

It looked as if Selanne’s career might be in eclipse in the 2003-04 season when he and Kariya both signed to play with the . Selanne’s knees were giving him trouble and he slumped to 32 points in 78 games. And while the 2004-05 lockout was devastating for many NHLers, it was actually a blessing in disguise because it gave Selanne a chance to heal.

In the summer of 2005, he signed again with the Mighty Ducks and immediately was back in form – 90 points in 80 games, in a year when he also led Finland to a silver medal in the 2006 Winter Olympics, where he led the tournament in goals – with six – and points, with 11.

A year later, the Ducks won their first and only Stanley Cup championship, Selanne contributing 94 regular-season points and 15 more in the playoffs. By then, he was 37 and Selanne thought that might be it for him. Accordingly, he spent most of 2007-08, considering retirement — though he was eventually coaxed back into playing.

In the end, he returned for the final 26 games of the season and then played a further six years, always hoping for a chance to win one more championship. By 2010-11, after turning 40, Selanne produced an 80-point season in 73 games. The NHL was already starting to skew younger, but Selanne’s impact on the Ducks didn’t start to wane until his final two seasons, when his ice time started to diminish. By the summer of 2013, Selanne was wavering over his future, but eventually announced his plans to play in typical Selanne fashion. He posted a comical video on the Ducks’ website – of him having a bad day on the golf course, which culminated in him heaving his clubs into a nearby pond. At that point, Selanne waded into the water, fished out his cell phone and purportedly called Ducks’ GM Bob Murray with the news – that he was coming back, but this would be his swan song.

Just as Kurri was his role model, Selanne later influenced a generation of Finnish players that came after him, including Patrik Laine, who arrived in the NHL with a splash last year. Playing for Selanne’s original team, the Jets, Laine produced 36 goals in 73 games. It wasn’t the 76 that Selanne managed, but it was the second highest total of the year, behind the ’ . Laine is a different sort of player – more Alex Ovechkin than Selanne – and says he didn’t see as much of Selanne’s exploits growing up. But Laine followed Selanne in the Finnish news and, as his own star emerged, the two have become well-acquainted during the past couple of years.

Laine described Selanne as “the poster boy of Finnish hockey. For me, there wasn’t many opportunities to see his games when I was growing up because the games were in the middle of the night, so it was pretty hard. But I’ve seen lots of his highlights and he’s been one of my idols growing up. “I also think he’s the nicest guy I ever met. His personality is just something else – and just an awesome player and person.”

Laine said he learned from how Selanne carried himself as he adjusted to life in the NHL – and the increasing demands that his own emerging fame is putting on him.

“I mean, for me, I try to be as nice a guy as he is – and handle the media and the fans the way he does,” Laine said. “There was a unique way that he did it. I’m just trying to follow in his footsteps.”

Kurri, who is part of the 18-member Hall of Fame selection committee, is flying into Toronto on the weekend so that he can be part of induction ceremony. Kurri was inducted in the Hall back in 2001 and says the media landscape in Finland has changed dramatically since then, making the Selanne induction a much bigger story back home than his own was. Channeling his inner Bob Johnson, Kurri noted in a telephone interview: “For such a small country to develop so many NHL players, it’s a huge honor – and a great day for hockey in Finland.”

And for Selanne, it was an honor he couldn’t ever have imagined, growing up as one of a set of twin brothers, who developed separate passions over time.

“I am so thankful for everything for sure,” said Selanne Friday. “As a player, this is the highest honor you can get. I feel very humbled to here this week – and obviously, it’s so great to share this with everyone. We all have the same background – parents who helped us and so many teammates and coaches and everybody. We have been around great people. I really feel we all have been very lucky.” www.winnipegjets.com https://www.nhl.com/jets/news/three-milestones-help-jets-to-4-1-road-win-over-arizona/c- 292908736

Three milestones help Jets to 4-1 road win over Arizona Jets finish three-game road trip with four of six possible points by Mitchell Clinton @MitchellClinton / WinnipegJets.com

GLENDALE, Arizona - Three milestones in one night paved the way to a 4-1 Winnipeg Jets win over the Arizona Coyotes.

Mark Scheifele scored his 100th career NHL goal, Matt Hendricks scored his first goal in Jets colours, and Steve Mason stopped 29 of 30 shots to earn his first win as a Jet.

"It's a long time coming. I haven't wanted to win this bad in a long time," Mason said. "To get into a tough game for us really, after playing last night and getting in late. It's a big win, and it puts in a pretty good road trip for us."

With the win, the Jets have now won three of four games when coming off a regulation loss, and have earned three of a possible four points in the back half of back-to-back sets.

In his last two starts, Mason has stopped 64 of 66 shots in regulation time.

"I'm glad it was one goal against. He deserved that instead of a 5-4 win," said head coach Paul Maurice. "We've always had great confidence in him. Connor just got on such a run that he couldn't get back in the net. This will go a long way. That's the we signed. He's worked hard while he's been out. He worked real hard to give himself the chance to be that good."

After the Jets got caught in their own zone, Mason made three desperation saves, but Derek Stepan found one of the rebounds and sent it to Alex Goligoski in the high slot. Goligoski's shot banked off Zac Rinaldo and past Mason, putting Arizona up 1-0.

Shots on goal after the first were 9-7 in favour of Arizona.

"In these back-to-back games, the first period is tough. It's tough to get your game legs back up to where they need to be," said Blake Wheeler. "That's the key there, if you can keep it close, keep it within a goal or even two goals, you normally see that team start coming around in the second period."

Nearing the 14-minute mark of the second, the Jets had eleven shots on Coyotes goaltender Antti Raanta, but Hendricks made sure shot number 12 counted.

His wrist shot from the top of the circle deflected off the stick of Brendan Perlini on its way to the net, and beat Raanta over his left shoulder.

"It felt good…. Good timing in terms of scoring it," said Hendricks. "These games are going to be close every night. They've been playing very well as of late. They're a good hockey team. They play very structured. It was a lot like last night, we just couldn't get things going offensively."

The offense kept rolling in the third, when the Jets power play lit the lamp for the fifth straight game. After Dustin Byfuglien kept the play alive by knocking a clearing attempt down right on the blue line, the puck went from Patrik Laine's stick, to Blake Wheeler, who found Mark Scheifele in the slot with a saucer pass.

Scheifele did the rest, ripping home his 100th career NHL goal stick side on Raanta.

"He had the back door, wide open net that he didn't finish on (last night), then he had another one in here tonight, but he stayed with his game," Maurice said of Scheifele. "He looks like he's picking up speed, and not slowing down. The maturity, the growth, we don't call him a young guy anymore because he's 24. The heavier part of his game, on the body, winning battles on the wall, that's been great to watch grow too."

Kyle Connor extended the lead to 3-1 just 5:30 later. The play started when the 20-year-old forced a turnover in the defensive zone on the half wall, then after Wheeler chipped the puck deep into the zone, Scheifele gained possession behind the net, and threaded a pass in front to Connor, who muscled home his fourth of the season.

The assist gave Scheifele 13 points in his last seven games.

Laine would add an empty netter with 16.5 seconds left to seal the win, and get the Jets a big win after a tough loss in Vegas last night.

"It's a calmness and a maturity to know that it doesn't matter what the other team's record is, it doesn't matter the situation. It's just realizing that we had a tough game last night, and we're not going to come out and blow the doors off in the first period," said Wheeler.

"I think Paul (Maurice) has done a fantastic job of preparing us for each game…. Our preparation has been spot on all year, and our bench has been great. We've had success doing it. At the end of the day if you have success doing it, seeing results is going to give you some confidence."

The two teams will meet for a rematch Tuesday night back in Winnipeg, in what will be a special night at Bell MTS Place. Dale Hawerchuk will be inducted into the Winnipeg Jets Hall of Fame that night, with puck drop set for 7 pm CT.

For ticket information, head to WinnipegJets.com/tickets.

ICE CHIPS Tyler Myers temporarily left the game in the third period when his leg got twisted up with Coyotes forward Christian Dvorak near the Jets crease.

Myers needed to be helped off, and after the defenceman missed 71 games last year due to injury and the surgeries that followed, there was great concern on the Jets bench.

"Especially the way he went down. Those are always the worst. It doesn't look bad, but on the replay we thought he had caught his ankle. Those can be real nasty," said Maurice.

"Great that he came back. We had our orthopaedic surgeon here to take a look at him. So we'll get a look at him again tomorrow. But he' s a big piece we don't want to lose."

The 6'8" Myers returned to the bench later in the period with the Jets up 3-1, but only took one 17-second shift after Laine's empty net goal.