Winnipeg Free Press https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/sports/hockey/jets/undisciplined-jets-take-lessons-from- retired-ref-446922403.html

Undisciplined Jets take lessons from retired ref Team second-most penalized in NHL last year

By: Mike McIntyre

They are perpetual bad boys, a collection of players who can't seem to stop shooting themselves in their skates with their undisciplined play.

And so in an effort to curb their frequent trips to the sin bin, the Jets have taken a novel approach: retired referee Paul Devorski was in the dressing room and then on the ice with the club during Friday's training-camp session for a crash course in how to cut down on the parade that has plagued the team for several seasons.

Coach invited Devorski, who now works in a supervisory role with the league after officiating 1,594 games over a 26-year career that ended in 2015, to oversee his club as they participated in a number of intense battle drills. The approved the arrangement.

"I wanted him to get out on the ice and have some interaction with the players. He’s not calling games anymore. Nobody swore at him out there, which I think he said is the first time that’s happened that he’s been on the ice," Maurice said following the session. "

He was great with the guys. It worked out. We got a really young team here. We’ve got to figure out a way to learn some new skills. We’re thankful that he came in. The league thought it was a great idea. I think the got a little better today."

Winnipeg was the second-most penalized team in the league last season, and their lacklustre penalty killing was a major factor in missing the playoffs for the fifth time in the six seasons since returning to the city. Maurice spent part of the summer watching video of every penalty the Jets took last season and said having such a young group of players factored into his request to bring Devorski in.

"It goes in part to our team becoming a better defensive hockey team. It’s a skill that has to be learned. Learning how to one-on-one somebody defensively, that’s a skill. So you either get beat, or you take a penalty on the negative half. So we tried to work on both of those," Maurice said. "It’s not just the penalty, it’s how. The first thing that happens usually when a penalty is taken is somebody loses defensive position. That’s the one-on-one part. But usually somebody else is blowing a route, so it’s a defensive liability first.

Devorski wasn't made available to speak following the skate about what he observed, but Maurice said he shared key information about certain "tells" officials look for during the play, particularly when it comes to holding infractions. The Jets committed 31 of those last year, a number Maurice said must be cut back in order to have success.

"For young players especially to be able to understand a little bit about what the tells are for the ref, what is the first thing he looks for. Clearly the sticks that come off the ice, the horizontal, the free hand. It’s good to hear a man who called it for 1,594 games, I think, in the regular season. He can explain it differently and it made great sense. So I thought it was a great day. We had a few calls, not as many. He said we did a really good job keeping our sticks down, but usually against your teammates you’re pretty good about that, but it's an awareness," Maurice said.

Several players were seen conversing with Devorski after individual drills Friday, with much of the focus appearing to be on hand positioning. applauded the move, saying desperate times call for desperate measures.

"It’s an area we need to get better at, so we are looking to exhaust any resource we can to try and get better. He has a lot of experience and (we) just picked his brain a little bit, what they’re looking for, hopefully he can help us out," he said.

Wheeler was asked why it appears the Jets are the first team in the league to take this approach.

"I think we were about bottom of the league for penalties for the foreseeable past, so a lot of teams probably don’t need to do it," he said.

However, Maurice noted and Philadelphia are also planning to bring Devorski in over the coming days.

The importance of becoming more disciplined is even greater this year with officials apparently instructed to crack down on several offences such as slashing, according to .

"It’s going to be huge. You get a lot of power plays, it gives you a lot of momentum. Hopefully, we can be on the right side of those calls," Scheifele said. "I think it’s obviously something you have to continue to work at and continue to think about. That’s something we all have to do — we have to be conscious about it and remind ourselves each and every game of what we can and what we can’t do. I think it’s a good learning experience.

Scheifele said being young is no excuse for being reckless.

"We just got to be smarter, that’s about it. We get told, we see what happens around the league, what they call and we just have to be conscious of it each and every night," he said.

Obviously time will tell whether the wild-child Jets are truly ready to settle down, or if all this talk ends up being cheap. https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/sports/hockey/jets/jets-coach-unconcerned-with-poor-early- pre-season-results-446924243.html

Maurice unconcerned with poor early pre-season results

By: Mike McIntyre

They have gone winless in three pre-season games and have yet to score an even-strength , but Winnipeg Jets Paul Maurice insists the lacklustre on-ice results aren’t cause for concern

"I really like the level that we’re at, the effort that’s in camp, the focus by the whole group," Maurice said Friday as the second full week of training camp began.

"We’re working on some really, really specific things. We haven’t done any offensive work. No line rushes really in terms of trying to get pucks. We haven’t done breakouts, counters, regroups. That’s all next week. Next week is speed, the first week was grind. I like where we’re at."

Winnipeg lost 3-2 in a shootout to the on Monday and fell 4-1 to the Oilers on Wednesday despite icing more NHL-experienced lineups than their opponents in those first two home games. The Jets took a more inexperienced squad to Minnesota on Thursday and lost 1-0.

Maurice said many of those same bubble players will be in the lineup tonight in Edmonton. A major round of cuts is expected to occur on Sunday, which will be an off day for the club.

"So this is a big night for a lot of them," Maurice said of the game against the Oilers. "They get two games of the first four to make their case."

Winnipeg did reduce its training camp roster by five on Friday. Forwards Francis Beauvillier, Patrice Cormier and Brody Sutter, and defencemen Kirill Gotovets and Peter Stoykewych were all sent down to the , who begin their week-long training camp Monday at the Bell MTS Iceplex. All five are on deals.

Winnipeg still has 44 players in camp: 25 forwards, 14 defencemen and five goalies.

The Jets are also dealing with a few bumps and bruises. Forward Joel Armia left Thursday’s game early and was not on the ice Friday. Bryan Little also didn’t skate Friday. Maurice said both are day-to-day with minor issues.

"We’re at that where we’re seven or eight days in without a day off. All grind, so we’ve got just about everybody wearing an ice pack," said Maurice. Forward Matt Hendricks and defenceman Tyler Myers also left Friday’s skate early.

"Basically before we went out we got a lot of hip tightness, a lot of soreness. If you’re running too long you can put yourself in a bad way. So everybody had the green light today if it tightens up," he said.

With a smaller group expected following this weekend — and only three more pre-season games left — there will be a big push to get ready for the Oct. 4 start of the regular season.

"We’re going to look for our play to look differently starting Monday. We’re going hard here," he said.

Winnipeg Sun http://www.winnipegsun.com/2017/09/22/sgarbossa-looking-for-stability

Sgarbossa looking for stability Skilled player adapting his game to stick around

BY KEN WIEBE, WINNIPEG SUN

EDMONTON – - isn’t having an identity crisis.

But like many skilled players before him, the Winnipeg Jets hopeful is among those trying to do more with less.

To be specific, Sgarbossa is working to show he can make the most of whatever ice time he gets while earning the trust of head coach Paul Maurice.

Maurice has made it clear he’s looking for the guys on the fourth line to fill a role on special teams, most likely on the penalty kill.

“I was more of a power-play guy, but you have to adapt,” said Sgarbossa. “Being a role player, whatever situation (Maurice) wants to put you into, you’re going to have to try to figure out the best way to do that job or get it done. This is a league where winning is everything. If you’re not going to help the team win, they’ll find someone else. That’s something as a role player you really have to take to heart.

“If you’re not going to get more than 10 minutes (of ice time), you’re going to have to make those minutes count in some way. You can’t just go about your business and hope you don’t get scored on.”

Sgarbossa, 25, got what every depth player hopes for when he signed a one-way contract with the Jets on July 1.

But having the security of being paid the same amount whether you’re in the NHL or the AHL is only part of the equation.

Sgarbossa is among the large number of players looking to nail down a spot with the Jets up front.

Whether that’s as a fourth-line line centre or an extra forward remains to be seen.

With three pre-season games in the books and four more to come, that competition remains wide open and Sgarbossa is right in the mix.

“I’m an offensive player, for sure. A playmaker and I play with a bit of an edge,” said Sgarbossa, when asked to describe his style of play. “This is my fifth year of pro, so I have more experience than I’ve had in the past. I think what I bring will mesh well with what (the Jets) already have here.”

Sgarbossa’s path to the NHL was a bit of a circuitous one.

Passed over in the 2010 NHL Draft, Sgarbossa accepted an invitation to suit up with the at the 2010 Young Stars Classic and ended up signing an entry-level deal with the Sharks.

During the 2011-12 season, Sgarbossa led the Hockey League in scoring as a 20-year- old, piling up 47 goals and 102 points with the .

At the trade deadline in 2012, Sgarbossa’s rights were traded to the .

As a rookie pro, Sgarbossa got off to a fantastic start offensively and was named to the American Hockey League All-Star Classic.

Sgarbossa ended up playing six games with the Avalanche that season but was held without a point.

By the time 2014-15 had arrived, Sgarbossa was on the move again, traded to the .

Fast forward to last season, where Sgarbossa got into nine games with the Ducks before he was traded to the in November for .

Following 14 games in the minors, he was recalled by the Panthers and spent the remainder of the season in the NHL, chipping in two goals and nine points in 29 games.

“That was the first time I really succeeded as an NHL player and got the full effect of playing in the NHL,” said Sgarbossa. “It’s a huge boost to your confidence. When you’re up and down, you don’t really know where you’re at with the team. Where you stand in the league as a player.

“When you get the feeling you belong, that can go a long way.”

Despite appearing in more games in a season than he’d ever have, the Panthers chose not to tender a qualifying offer to Sgarbossa, who became an unrestricted free agent.

“For me, they were the team that was the most interested,” said Sgarbossa. “That’s what I took from it. As a player, you want to be wanted. With how young the team is and where it is right now, I thought it was a good fit for what I bring to the table.”

During the next few weeks, Sgarbossa will find out if he’s going to be in the NHL or one of the first call-ups with the Manitoba Moose.

You can be sure what option he would prefer.

Now it’s up to Sgarbossa to see if he can win the job.

AROUND THE GLASS Jets winger Joel Armia, who left Thursday’s game with an undisclosed injury after playing only one shift in the third period, didn’t take part in Friday’s skate…Bryan Little took a maintenance day and wasn’t on the ice on Friday either. Little’s spot alongside Nikolaj Ehlers and was taken by Michael Spacek…The Jets reassigned five players to the Manitoba Moose on Friday, including forwards Patrice Cormier, Brody Sutter and Francis Beauvillier and defencemen Kirill Gotovets and Winnipegger Peter Stoykewych. That leaves 25 forwards, 14 defencemen and five goalies in Jets training camp…Moose camp opens on Monday. http://www.winnipegsun.com/2017/09/22/jets-look-to-curb-penalties

Jets look to curb penalties Devorski visits as team works on discipline

BY KEN WIEBE, WINNIPEG SUN

EDMONTON – - It has been the conversation that just won’t go away, not to mention the Achilles’ heel for the Winnipeg Jets.

For the opposition, on many nights it’s been the gift that keeps on giving.

Discipline has been something the Jets have been struggling with pretty much since the arrival of Paul Maurice as head coach.

Part of that was by design, considering the Jets made being hard to play against one of their priorities and core values after Maurice replaced Claude Noel behind the bench.

Playing a more physical game occasionally meant a few more trips to the penalty box and was considered the cost of doing business.

But as the Jets incorporated more skill into the lineup during the past two seasons, it was the type of penalties taken that were the main cause for concern for Maurice.

Tripping and hooking minors became more commonplace and those are the type of infractions that are easily avoidable.

The Jets have spent a good chunk of their on-ice sessions during training camp working on defensive positioning.

Reducing the number of minors they take, especially those that fall into the undisciplined category, is an important area of focus going into the new season.

The best way to improve a penalty-killing unit that was among the worst in the NHL last season is to take fewer minors.

It’s a mentality that needs to be engrained and it comes from better habits being formed.

At the end of last season, Maurice was looking for a way to combat the issue.

That led to a phone call in the summer to Stephen Walkom, director of officiating for the NHL.

Further to that discussion, the Jets welcomed former NHL referee Paul Devorski to town on Friday for an interactive and informative session, aimed to help players get a better understanding of what the men in stripes are looking for.

“We’ve got a really young hockey team and we don’t like the number of penalties that we take,” Maurice said after Thursday’s game against the Minnesota Wild. “Some of it is original position and some of it is that (the players) really don’t know what the standard is. So I wanted a referee to come in and talk to the players. It’s not about reading the rule book, but about what their tells are. What a ref is looking for and just have that communication. It’s completely educational.”

During Friday’s session, players were engaged in a lot of one-on-one battles.

When fatigue sets in, that’s often when stick fouls occur.

The interaction between the players and Devorski is also something Maurice believes will be important.

For several years, the Jets were known around the league for being a bit too vocal when it came to disputing calls and the organization is trying to move away from that reputation.

““(Players) never ever get a chance to talk to a referee and when they do, the language usually isn’t very good,” said Maurice.

There’s no guarantee that one session with a former NHL referee is going to help the Jets take fewer penalties.

But it’s hard to imagine it won’t have some impact on the process.

“Hopefully it can help us out,” Jets captain Blake Wheeler told reporters in Winnipeg. “It wasn’t so much on the ice. Just little tidbits here and there, trying to get into their psyche a little bit. What they look for and some of the areas where you can be a little bit cleaner to avoid some of the penalties we don’t need to take.

“It’s an area we need to get better at, so we’re looking to exhaust any resource we can to try and get better.”

Attacking the issue head on and then trying to build from that point is a smart approach, especially after watching a crackdown on slashing and faceoff infractions during the pre-season.

“It’s obviously something you have to continue to work at and continue to think about,” Jets centre Mark Scheifele told reporters. “That’s something we all have to do, we have to remind ourselves each and every game of what we can and what we can’t do.

“We’ve just got to be smarter, that’s about it. We get told, we see what happens around the league, what they call and we just have to be conscious of it each and every night.”

Ultimately, if the Jets don’t clean up the discipline issue, chances are it’s going to continue to haunt them moving forward.

NHL.com https://www.nhl.com/news/winnipeg-gets-officiating-help-from-retired-referee/c-291273388

Jets bring in Devorski to help solve penalty problems Retired NHL referee provides insight into limiting infractions that plague Winnipeg by Scott Billeck / NHL.com Correspondent

WINNIPEG -- The Winnipeg Jets brought in some help during training camp Friday to help solve their seemingly perennial penalty woes.

Retired referee Paul Devorski was on hand after coach Paul Maurice in July reached out to Stephen Walkom, the NHL senior vice president and director of officiating, for assistance.

The Jets were shorthanded 275 times, third-most in the NHL last season, and had the sixth- most penalty minutes (835). They had the 26th ranked penalty kill (77.5 percent) and failed to reach the Playoffs for the fifth time in six seasons since returning to Winnipeg.

"We wanted him to watch reps over and over," Maurice said. "Steve was all for it. I've known Paul for the last 20 years. He was great with the guys. It worked out. We [have] a really young team here. We've got to figure out a way to learn some new skills. We're thankful that he came in."

Devorski, who retired in 2015 after a 26-year career as an official, studied the Jets during on-ice drills and pulled aside individual players to give them pointers.

Before practice, Devorski, who works with the NHL as director of officiating career development, joined the Jets for a meeting and gave an overview of what referees will be looking for this season.

"He talked to the players about what he looks at, what he sees," Maurice said. "We're really focused on a certain area of calls. The kind of tells a referee looks for. The players got a chance to ask questions. And then we had a pretty heavy day for battling today. We asked the players to drive that battle up, to get it as close (to game intensity).

"It's good to hear a man who called [hockey] for 1,594 games in the regular season. He can explain it differently and it made great sense. I think the Winnipeg Jets got a little better today."

Devorski spoke with the Jets about a new standard when it comes to enforcing penalties, including stricter enforcement on stick infractions such as a slashing, and a penalty for a faceoff violation. The Jets and Minnesota Wild combined for 17 penalties in a 3-2 shootout loss by Winnipeg on Monday.

"They're using the first few games to maybe overdo it a little bit, so it gets harped on," Jets forward Blake Wheeler said Tuesday. "Coaches will be all over the players to maybe keep their sticks to themselves, and those little plays that are being called right now are going to be magnified during the regular season. I don't anticipate as much of the holding and those kind of penalties that were getting called every time. But I think the slashes on the stick are going to be pretty consistent throughout the season."

Maurice said Devorski would also visit the Wild and the . Jets players were grateful for the chance to pick the brain of a veteran referee.

"We just asked him questions and got his professional opinion on a bunch of things," center Mark Scheifele said. "He was very helpful with a lot of points. If you get a guy that's in touch with what the refs are thinking, it's going to help us. It keeps us conscious of our sticks, of our bodies, what we are doing, and I think it helps a lot."

Winnipeg has ranked in the top five in the NHL in penalties taken the past four seasons.

"I think we were about bottom of the League for penalties for the foreseeable past, so a lot of teams probably don't need to do it," Wheeler said. "It's an area we need to get better at, so we are looking to exhaust any resource we can to try and get better."

Sportsnet.ca http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/devorski-helping-jets-figure-issues-taking-penalties/ (VIDEO LINK)

DEVORSKI HELPING JETS FIGURE OUT ISSUES WITH TAKING PENALTIES

Sean Reynolds reports from Winnipeg where the Jets have brought in Paul Devorski to help the figure out how to take less penalties.

The Hockey News http://www.thehockeynews.com/news/article/oft-penalized-and-poor-on-the-pk-jets-bring-in- former-nhl-referee-in-bid-to-reduce-infractions

OFT-PENALIZED AND POOR ON THE PK, JETS BRING IN FORMER NHL REFEREE IN BID TO REDUCE INFRACTIONS

By: Jared Clinton

Given the Winnipeg Jets’ potential, that the franchise has only one playoff berth over the past four NHL seasons is a sign the team has had its fair share of issues. Be it a lack of depth on the blueline, substandard goaltending or, up until last season, a mediocre attack, the Jets have had their shortcomings, to be sure.

If there’s one fault that has persisted throughout the past four campaigns, though, it’s Winnipeg’s inability to stay out of the penalty box. But the Jets, understanding the importance of staying on the right side of the on-ice law, are taking steps to correct that in training camp and they’re bringing in a ringer of sorts: former NHL referee Paul Devorski.

On Friday, Sportsnet’s Sean Reynolds reported that Jets coach Paul Maurice reached out to the league ahead of the season and asked for some additional help when it comes to teaching his squad how to stay out of the box, which led to Devorksi, a veteran of nearly 1,800 combined NHL regular season and playoff games who retired in 2015, coming to camp. The plan, per Reynolds, is to have Devorski oversee the team during battle drills and point out ways to avoid getting whistled.

It may sound like an odd move for the Jets, but considering they haven’t just been one of the league’s most penalized teams over that span, they’ve been the most penalized team, it’s almost a no-brainer to bring an official to camp to help straighten things out.

The Jets' seemingly perpetual parade to the penalty box began in the 2013-14 season when Winnipeg racked up 389 penalties, the fifth-most in the NHL. The following season, Winnipeg somehow found a way to commit more fouls, collecting a whopping 428 infractions, more than any other team. In 2015-16, the Jets reined it in — if you can even call it that — and were whistled 374 times, fourth-most in the league, before pulling it back a bit further last season, finishing fifth in the league with 350 penalties. That Winnipeg didn’t crack the 350-mark for a fourth-straight campaign could almost be cause for celebration.

All told, the Jets’ penalty problems saw them accrue 3,796 penalty minutes over the past four years, second only to the Philadelphia Flyers, but finishing second in that category doesn’t really tell the whole story. That’s because the rough-and-tumble Flyers had 11 more major penalties, nine more misconducts, five additional game misconducts and four match penalties. That more than accounts for the extra minutes, too, because when taking only minor penalties into account — holding, tripping, slashing and the like — the Jets were far and away the least disciplined team. Winnipeg took 1,344 minor penalties, an eye-popping 73 more than any other club, from 2013-14 to 2016-17.

As one would rightly assume, the Jets’ apparent penchant for penalties has lent itself to a ton of shorthanded play. In fact, across the past four seasons, Winnipeg has been shorthanded 1,156 times, 41 more than any other team over the same span. That’s bad news for Winnipeg, too, because it’s not as though the penalty kill has been the soundest aspect of their game.

Since 2013-14, the Jets’ shorthanded units have a success rate of 80.3 percent, which, league- wide, is the seventh-worst mark. And it’s the past couple of seasons where the Winnipeg has really been sunk on the penalty kill. In 2013-14 and 2014-15, the Jets’ penalty kill ranked 10th and 13th, respectively. Mediocre, sure, but still among the top half of the league. That changed in 2015-16 and 2016-17, however, as Winnipeg’s penalty-killing rates dropped below 80 percent in consecutive years and the Jets finished 25th and 26th in back-to-back campaigns. The collective result has been the league’s third-worst penalty kill over the past two seasons, one that has operated at a 77.9-percent success rate. Only the and have been worse.

The Jets' penalty-killing problems can be attributed to more than the sheer volume of infractions, however. If the number of times a team has been shorthanded correlated perfectly with a poor penalty kill, then the Anaheim Ducks – who rank second in times shorthanded (1,115) over the past four years – wouldn’t also have managed to trot out the second-best penalty kill, one that has operated at 83.9 percent, over that span. Coaching is a factor, of course, but so is personnel. The loss of Michael Frolik, an excellent penalty killer, coincides with Winnipeg’s drop in success rate. His shorthanded effectiveness has been hard to replace, too. Likewise, it doesn’t help when Jets goaltenders have posted the ninth- and fifth-worst penalty- killing save percentages across the past two seasons.

Winnipeg has taken steps to improve the penalty-killing personnel, mind you. Matt Hendricks was brought in this off-season almost solely to help the shorthanded unit. Whether he can move the needle in the same way Frolik did might be a stretch, but he could at least add a minor boost. Defenseman Dmitry Kulikov was also brought in, and he’s got experience manning the penalty kill for the Florida Panthers and Buffalo Sabres over the past several seasons. Additionally, Steve Mason was brought aboard, and while his shorthanded save percentages aren’t glowing or even better than those of Connor Hellebuyck, it’s worth taking a shot on any addition that can boost a hapless penalty kill.

But even if the additions don’t help turn the Jets’ penalty kill around, the best option is staying out of the box entirely, and with a slashing crackdown underway, it’s well worth taking the time to find ways to cut the fat from the penalty ledger before things get out of hand this season. So, while some might consider bringing in Devorski an example of outside-the-box thinking, the Jets won’t mind — because that’s exactly where they want to be.

TSN.ca http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/video/jets-bring-in-devorski-to-help-bring-down-penalties~1215436 (VIDEO LINK)

Jets bring in Devorski to help bring down penalties

TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger explains why the Jets brought in retired NHL referee Paul Devorski to help the team try and minimize the amount of penalties they take and discusses how he was utilized at practice on Friday. http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/video/devorski-helps-jets-get-a-grip-on- penalties~1215437?cid=trueAnthem&utm_campaign=trueAnthem:+Trending+Content&utm_con tent=59c632fa04d30125bad93589&utm_medium=trueAnthem&utm_source=twitter Devorski helps Jets get a grip on penalties

Winnipeg has ranked as one of the most penalized teams in the league and recruited retired referee Paul Devorski to attend their practice and help players understand when and where they're crossing the line. http://www.tsn.ca/talent/smith-and-mason-save-iours-1.863975

Smith and Mason: Save-iours?

By Frank Seravalli TSN Senior Hockey Reporter

Mike Smith gulped.

Monday night’s preseason debut at the Saddledome in Calgary marked the finish line of a three- month sprint since his June 17 trade from Arizona. Find a house. Settle four kids under the age of six in new schools in a new country. Learn the city. Meet new Flames teammates and coaches. And play to impress.

The result was not pretty: four goals allowed on 13 shots in a planned first-half outing against a mostly minor-league Oilers split-squad entry.

“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous,” Smith said Wednesday. “I wasn’t nervous to the point that I didn’t feel like myself, but I maybe tried to do a little bit too much. It was my first game since the first week of April. But that’s what the preseason is for, right? It was a chance to get it out of my system.”

Two nights later and two provinces over, it was Steve Mason’s turn to do the same for the Winnipeg Jets at Bell MTS Place. Mason, too, faced the Oilers – also without Connor McDavid – and allowed three goals on his first 16 shots faced in a Jets sweater.

“First games are always difficult,” Mason said Thursday. “New team, new organization – there’s a feeling-out phase that goes on. I’ve felt pretty much at home right off the bat, but there’s a lot to take in.”

What Smith and Mason found is that the pressure is real – even in the preseason.

That’s because the Flames and Jets are counting on their new netminders to be saviours.

Nowhere in the NHL will there be more of a magnifying glass on the crease than in Calgary and Winnipeg, because GMs and have wagered two playoff- ready rosters on veterans with career save percentages lower than last season’s league average (.914). They are big bets in a summer where Ben Bishop and Marc-Andre Fleury also changed teams.

These two cities have been tortured by a run of goalies who haven’t held up their end of the bargain. The Jets have averaged 23rd in the NHL in save percentage since moving to Manitoba in 2011; the Flames have been 25th since Miikka Kiprusoff relinquished the starting role in 2012.

That means expectations are unquestionably high in these Canadian markets led by young stars.

“That’s definitely evident in the locker room,” Mason said of the expectations. “The guys realize the organization has put the team in a position to succeed. I think guys are sick and tired of talking about it and not doing it. It’s time to start putting our money where our mouth is.”

For Smith, the change in expectation – from Arizona to Alberta – is almost as drastic as the shock to his wardrobe after the ultimate career run of warm weather in Dallas, Tampa Bay and Phoenix.

“There is definitely a different buzz. These are Canadian-market expectations,” Smith said. “You can feel it all over town. The special young players that came along have made a real impact and you can’t help but be excited about. I want to come in and help push this thing forward.”

The built-in pressure isn’t overwhelming to either Smith or Mason because, well, they signed up for it. Mason, 29, inked a two-year, $8.2-million deal with the Jets on July 1. Yes, Smith, 35, was dealt for Chad Johnson, Brandon Hickey and a third-round pick – but he helped direct the move with a limited no-trade clause. His familiarity with Treliving and vice-president of hockey operations Don Maloney made for a soft landing spot.

“You never know if it’s going to happen,” Smith explained, “but when you give a list of teams, you have an idea of which teams needed goalies, the teams looking to upgrade that position.”

Both Mason and Smith feel like their past career experiences have groomed them for this opportunity. Mason survived a complete career collapse in Columbus and bounced back in the goalie graveyard that is Philadelphia to leave the Flyers third all-time in wins behind and Bernie Parent. “Prior to coming to Philly, I knew it was a historically tough place to play, but I thoroughly enjoyed the experience,” Mason said. “I thought it was an awesome spot for an athlete to play. That’s the type of market I like to play in. It makes you want to live up expectations.”

Mason admitted Philadelphia was a “complete reset for me,” because he was “completely beat up and there wasn’t much confidence left.” He said his game has matured, is “more simplified” now, and he’s better prepared to handle the “inevitable ups and downs” of a season.

So far, Mason said the adjustment has gone well. His wife, Brittany, and daughter Emma are settled in the ‘Peg as she nears her first birthday. At the rink, Mason said he is still blown away by his first few optional practices in Winnipeg.

“The best players on this team are the hardest workers,” Mason said. “We skated for a while, then after practice Blake Wheeler and Mark Scheifele and a handful of other guys stayed on the ice for an extra hour with Adam Oates doing skills work. That sets an example.”

Asked to finish the sentence, Mason said this season will be a success if the Jets finally take the next step to get to the playoffs with a group of players growing to keep it going consistently to make it an annual event.

Similar to Mason, Smith experienced it all in Arizona – from a Western Conference final to 29th place – and he’s ready for whatever comes next. He can’t wait to put that first appearance, which may have given Flames fans a flashback to Brian Elliott’s regular-season debut, in the rear-view mirror.

“At this age in my career, I’m up for anything out there, with the maturity level I’ve gained in this league,” Smith said. "I look forward to the challenge.”

TSN 1290 (AUDIO LINKS) http://www.tsn.ca/radio/winnipeg-1290/edmonds-jets-making-an-effort-to-take-less-penalties- 1.864177

Edmonds: Jets making an effort to take less penalties

Winnipeg Jets play-by-play voice Paul Edmonds speaks with Kevin Olszewski about the Winnipeg Jets start to the preseason, the key position battles in training camp and the Jets decision to bring former NHL official Paul Devorski to practice with the team. www.winnipegjets.com https://www.nhl.com/jets/news/mason-hutchinson-give-insight-on-warmup-preferences/c- 291272128

Mason, Hutchinson give insight on warmup preferences Jets goalies work with a variety of shooters to keep them sharp on game day by Jamie Thomas @JamieThomasTV / WinnipegJets.com

WINNIPEG - Goaltenders have always been known to have their own little quirks.

On Friday, Jets goalies Steve Mason and Michael Hutchinson shared a couple of theirs when it comes to their pre-game warmup rituals.

"For games that I'm playing in, I'll get out there probably 15 or 20 minutes early for warmup, which involves a little skating," Mason explained. "Simple shots to the hand and body. Hendo (Jets forward Matt Hendricks) was out with me for the last preseason game. It's not really for the players, it's for the goaltenders. You've got to find a guy who is good with it. When I was with Philly, I had Pierre-Edouard Bellemare shooting for me and he was great. Hendo seemed more than willing, too. You've got to get a guy who has an accurate and crisp shot."

Even though Mason is entering his 10th NHL season, it hasn't always been easy to find the right 'warm-up' guy. It's similar to a golfer matching up with the perfect caddie. Mason plans to try and make sure Hendricks keeps it in his job description with the Jets.

While Mason likes to lean on one guy for the whole year, Hutchinson likes a variety of shooters during his pre-game warmup.

"I like to switch it up," Hutchinson said. "I think if you have the same guy shoot on you all year, you get used to his release and you can kind of get a little stagnant on how you pick up the puck. If you switch it up (to a) righty, lefty, different curves and stuff and it always keeps it fresh and on your toes."

NHL players know when it's time to take it easy and when to let loose, but Hutchinson did recall a former teammate who wasn't always reliable in that department.

"Anthony Peluso was my warm-up shot guy a while there. He was a guy who you really had to lean on to make sure he realized that he's warming you up, not trying to score goals," Hutchinson joked. "He was great at his job but he always needed that little reminder."

Surprisingly, neither goaltender has sustained a serious injury from an errant warmup shot from a teammate in either the pros, junior or minor hockey.

"Knock on wood," Mason said.

"I've taken a couple of good ones right off the head and that's about it," Hutchinson said. "In junior, I was kind of a stupid kid and didn't wear much collarbone protection. I remember taking a couple off the collarbone in warmup, too. It makes it tough to really have to battle though the rest of game to block out the pain while it's throbbing in your shoulders." https://www.nhl.com/jets/video/camp--desire-to-be-disciplined/c-52840203 (VIDEO LINK)

CAMP | Desire to be Disciplined

JetsTV's Mitchell Clinton reports on what the Jets thought of having retired official Paul Devorski take part in today's practice https://www.nhl.com/jets/video/camp--paul-maurice/t-277437442/c-52832603

CAMP | Paul Maurice

Winnipeg Jets Head Coach Paul Maurice speaks to the media about the benefits of having Paul Devorski meet with his team today https://www.nhl.com/jets/video/camp--blake-wheeler/t-277437442/c-52832103

CAMP | Blake Wheeler

Winnipeg Jets captain Blake Wheeler chats about having Paul Devorski on the ice at practice