There will be a steady stream of smiles, hugs and handshakes when the Winnipeg Jets walk into Nationwide Arena on Saturday.
That’s standard operating procedure when Rick Bowness is in the building, thanks to the bond so many members of the Jets formed with him during his two seasons behind the bench in Winnipeg before he stepped away from coaching to focus on his health and the health of his wife Judy.
“He is an incredible human being. It’s great to see him back behind the bench doing what he loves and excelling,” said Jets captain Adam Lowry.
“You just see the motivation, and you see how hard the guys play for him. He is a great coach and demands a lot but it comes from respect. He loves you as a player and a person and those are the coaches you love to play for.”
Jay LaPrete / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS FILES
The Winnipeg Jets are looking forward to facing off against the club’s former bench boss Rick Bowness (back right) on Saturday as the team wraps up a four-game road trip in Columbus.
Bowness returned to the NHL in late January after receiving a call from Blue Jackets general manager Don Waddell to ask if he was interested in taking over from Dean Evason. In typical Bowness fashion, he was on his fishing boat in Florida enjoying a nice day on the water when he received the job offer and it didn’t take him long to agree to terms.
“The next game is going to be a huge one for us, and we need it. And, yeah, it’ll be good to see Bones,” said Jets defenceman Dylan Samberg, whose team faces the Blue Jackets on Saturday to close out a four-game road trip. “We haven’t seen him in a while, and he loves the game. And I knew he wouldn’t be able to stay away from it for very long.”
The Blue Jackets responded incredibly well to Bowness, who immediately connected with the group and encouraged them to play a more stifling defensive style while quickly becoming tougher to play against.
Those were the two clear points of emphasis in his opening press conference to reporters in Ohio after he took the job.
“He is an incredible human being. It’s great to see him back behind the bench doing what he loves and excelling.”
When he took over, the Blue Jackets were near the bottom of the standings, dead last in the Eastern Conference, but they’ve gone 19-7-5 since and, entering Friday’s action, they were tied in points with the Ottawa Senators and Detroit Red Wings in the chase for the second wild-card spot and just one point behind the New York Islanders for third place in the Metropolitan Division.
“I knew it was going to happen. I wouldn’t say I knew it was going to be that successful, but I knew he’d certainly change the style of play,” said Jets head coach Scott Arniel, who was an associate coach for two seasons on Bowness’ staff before he was promoted to the top job. “The defending part first, the buy-in from everybody. That’s what he’s done wherever he’s been. It’s defend first. You can see it. They’re getting rewarded.”
As impressive as the run has been, the Blue Jackets have encountered some adversity recently, dropping four of the past five outings, coughing up a late lead in several of those losses.
“That’s a team that has their own battle, so they’re going to be pretty ornery in their own building,” said Arniel. “We want to go in and finish this road trip 3-1.”
AROUND THE GLASS
EHLERS EXCELLING
Gene J. Puskar / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS FILES
Carolina Hurricanes forward Nikolaj Ehlers (27) celebrates his goal with his teammates back in March. Ehlers matched his career points record earlier this week, with 64.
Former Jets winger Nikolaj Ehlers tied his high-water mark for points earlier this week.
Ehlers, who signed a six-year deal with the Carolina Hurricanes last July, is up to 24 goals and 64 points in 75 games — which is one more than he had in 69 games with the Jets last season.
The dynamic Dane also had 64 points in 82 games during his second season in the NHL back in 2016-17.
After an adjustment period that he documented in a one-on-one interview in Toronto back in November, Ehlers has settled in nicely and while the bulk of his minutes have come in a second-line role, he’s been a great fit for a franchise.
Ehlers is also on the top power-play unit for a Hurricanes team that is tied for third overall in the league.
LAINE IN LIMBO
Speaking of former Jets, reports have surfaced speculating that Patrik Laine has played his last game with the Montreal Canadiens.
Graham Hughes / THE CANADIAN PRESS FILES
Montreal Canadiens forward Patrik Laine (92) may have played his last game as a Hab. Laine has been limited to one assist in five games this season and becomes an unrestricted free agent for the first time in his career on July 1.
If that’s the case, it will be a disappointing closing chapter with the fabled Original Six franchise.
Laine, who turns 28 later this month, looked like he’d found a great fit after a rocky departure from the Blue Jackets organization and quickly became a fan favourite with his rocket of a shot and power-play propensity, finishing last season with 20 goals and 33 points in 52 games.
But Laine has been limited to one assist in five games this season and he is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent for the first time in his career on July 1.
It will be interesting to see what the next chapter looks like for Laine, who never quite found the form that made him an elite sniper during his time with the Jets, who chose him second overall in the 2016 draft.
Will that next opportunity come in the NHL or might Laine head back to Finland to continue his career?
Stay tuned.
MAKING THEIR MARK
With the sweeping reaction (or was it an overreaction?) to the winners and losers of the NHL trade deadline firmly in the rearview mirror, let’s take a moment to highlight some of the players having the biggest impact with their new teams.
Quinn Hughes
Jessie Alcheh / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS FILES
Arguably the biggest trade of the season to date has been the Minnesota Wild picking up defenceman Quinn Hughes.
The most impactful addition was a pre-emptive strike by Minnesota Wild GM Bill Guerin to bring in Quinn Hughes in a blockbuster with the Vancouver Canucks.
Hughes, who faced the Canucks this week, has 50 points (four goals, 46 assists) in 43 games with the Wild.
Bobby McMann
The move to acquire forward Bobby McMann by Jason Botterill and the Seattle Kraken was a stroke of genius.
Darryl Dyck / THE CANADIAN PRESS FILES
Seattle Kraken’s Bobby McMann, right, is up to a career-best 27 goals and 44 points in 70 games this season.
McMann is up to eight goals and 12 points in 10 games with Seattle and he’s done a good job of helping the Kraken hang around the playoff race despite their late-season stumble.
McMann, who is a pending UFA, is up to a career-best 27 goals and 44 points in 70 games this season.
If McMann, who turns 30 in June, hits the open market, there will be a long lineup to secure his services and the Jets should be one of the teams with interest.
Projections for his next deal are in the five year, US$25 million range, which is certainly affordable for that level of production in a middle-six role.
McMann and the Kraken will visit Winnipeg on Monday in a game that could end up being the equivalent of an elimination game for both teams.
Nazem Kadri
The reunion between Nazem Kadri is off to a steady start and his value will only be enhanced once the playoffs begin, given his championship pedigree and willingness to go to the hard areas.
Kadri has four goals and nine points in 13 games since the move, bouncing between centre and the wing.
Brayden Schenn
Jeff Roberson / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS FILES
Brayden Schenn has fit in seamlessly with the New York Islanders, with five goals and 10 points in 13 games since coming over from the St. Louis Blues.
Forward Brayden Schenn has fit in seamlessly with the New York Islanders, chipping in five goals and 10 points in 13 games since coming over in a trade with the St. Louis Blues.
The Jets saw first hand last spring just how physical Schenn can be. Once the playoffs begin, you can expect the former Blues captain to announce his arrival quickly, no matter who the opponent is (provided the Islanders withstand the push from the Blue Jackets, Philadelphia Flyers and Washington Capitals).
John Carlson
Sticking with the aforementioned theme, the Ducks hit a home run with the acquisition of right-handed shooting D-man John Carlson, who helped the Capitals win the Cup in 2018.
Carlson, who spent the first 1,141 games of his career with Washington, has brought his ample experience to a team on the rise and has a goal and nine points in nine games.
Warren Foegele
Warren Foegele went from being an extra forward with the Los Angeles Kings to an important role player with the Senators.
Foegele, who plays with speed and sandpaper, has also provided some important secondary scoring during their push for a playoff spot, chipping in five goals and seven points in 14 games.
Winnipeg Free Press | Newsletter
The Warm-Up
Winnipeg Jets Game Days
On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop.
Ryan Strome
While the Calgary Flames are more in the mix for the first overall pick than they are for a playoff spot, adding centre Ryan Strome has paid dividends.
Strome found himself as a healthy scratch far too often for the Ducks, but he’s producing at close to a point per game clip after sliding into a second-line centre role, chipping in four goals and 10 points in 14 games while averaging nearly 16 minutes of ice time.
Strome, who turns 33 in July, has one more season on his contract, which includes an average annual value of US$5 million.
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Raised in the booming metropolis of Altona, Man., Ken Wiebe grew up wanting to play in the NHL, but after realizing his hands were more adept at typing than scoring, he shifted his attention to cover his favourite sport as a writer.
Mike McIntyre grew up wanting to be a professional wrestler. But when that dream fizzled, he put all his brawn into becoming a professional writer.
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