14°c Light rain
Winnipeg Free Press - ONLINE EDITION
Former Manitobans on Leafs' side as they face Jets tonight
Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender and ex-Manitoban James Reimer during morning skate at the MTS Centre in Winnipeg Thursday. (JOE BRYKSA / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS) Photo Store
Related Items
It hasn’t been dubbed "Reunion Night" but tonight’s Winnipeg Jets-Toronto Maple Leafs contest does have its collection of juicy subplots based on that theme.
Among them:
- Former Jet and longtime Manitoba Moose boss Randy Carlyle is making his first visit to the MTS Centre as the Leafs’ head coach;
- Colton Orr and Frazer McLaren, Winnipeg-born tough guys, are in town;
- Goaltender James Reimer, the pride of Morweena, will also be suiting up in front of a ton of friends and family;
- Longtime Moose and St. John’s IceCaps goaltending coach Rick St. Croix is also back, now as the Leafs’ goaltending tutor.
"As a coach you always try to check out how many tickets were allotted to certain people," said Carlyle after the Leafs’ game-day skate at MTS Centre Thursday. "It used to be that they only had 50 tickets and now with the new CBA (collective-bargaining agreement) the guys have 80 so it makes it a lot easier for the guys to get the 10, 14, 12 tickets.
"There’s some hometown boys, some people from the area, and it’s always good for them to come home and play in front of their family and their friends."
Reimer, who is 3-3 with a 2.71 goals-against average, did suit up last year for the Leafs during the Jets’ rebirth but will again have a lot of his clan in the stands.
"It’s a lot of fun to play in front of the people you grew up with, the people that supported you and the people that really got you here," said Reimer. "You don’t get to this position without an amazing support staff. I have an awesome family and friends and they’re really the reason I’m here so it’s really fun to play in front of them. I was able to snag a few (extra tickets) so we’ve got a pretty good crowd coming."
Twitter: @WFPEdTait
Fact Check
Have you found an error, or know of something we’ve missed in one of our stories? Please use the form below and let us know.
More NHL
- Back to Top
- Return to NHL
More NHL
(1 of 7 articles for today)
Quick trips: After loss, Los Angeles Kings get back to work at home between road playoff games
7:11 PM 0
Poll
Most Popular NHL
- Logan Couture scores PP goal in OT to give Sharks 2-1 victory over Kings in Game 3
- Sweden beats Switzerland 5-1, wins gold at world hockey championship
- Ex-Jets MacLean, Carlyle on Sochi coaching list
- Sharks fined $100,000 for GM Doug Wilson's comments about Raffi Torres' suspension
- NHL Playoff Capsules
- Canada's Paul Henderson, Danielle Goyette enter IIHF Hall of Fame
- Burke will be back; he's just that good
- Young, 7th-seeded Red Wings have evened 2nd round series at 1 with top-seeded Blackhawks
- 'Peg sniper aims for MemCup success
- Johnny Boychuk breaks tie, Bruins beat Rangers 5-2, take 2-0 lead in Eastern Conference semis
- Boogaard family sues NHL for son's death, says it is to blame for brain damage
- Boston completes miraculous comeback in overtime to oust Maple Leafs
- When money talks, it says, 'End fighting in the NHL'
- 'It's the worst feeling'
- Burke will be back; he's just that good
- The Boston OT Party
- Blue surge forces Game 7
- Fast start for Hawks
- Tale of two stars as Crosby outshines Karlsson in Penguins 4-3 win over Senators
- The Gretzky of Gretzky collectors sells hoard that brought him closer to game
- Sens-Habs series gets ugly:Eric Gryba suspended two games for Lars Eller hit
- Men's locker-room no place for women says hockey commentator Don Cherry
- Grapes claims women have no place in locker-room
- Boogaard family sues NHL for son's death, says it is to blame for brain damage
- Former Leafs GM Burke files defamation suit
- Slideshow: Things that didn't exist the last time the Leafs were in the playoffs
- Sens packing plenty of punch
- Boston completes miraculous comeback in overtime to oust Maple Leafs
- Get it through your thick head, NHL
- From the rubble of disaster: Lokomotiv picking up pieces after entire team was killed in a 2011 plane crash
- When money talks, it says, 'End fighting in the NHL'
- Boogaard family sues NHL for son's death, says it is to blame for brain damage
- The Boston OT Party
- Burke will be back; he's just that good
- The Gretzky of Gretzky collectors sells hoard that brought him closer to game
- When money talks, it says, 'End fighting in the NHL'
- Slideshow: Things that didn't exist the last time the Leafs were in the playoffs
- Men's locker-room no place for women says hockey commentator Don Cherry
- Classy group joining Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame
- Tim Leiweke named president and CEO of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment
- Sens-Habs series gets ugly:Eric Gryba suspended two games for Lars Eller hit
- Pesky Sens: Turris scores in OT as Ottawa beats Montreal to grab 3-1 series lead
- Sharks will be without injured F Adam Burish for 2nd round of playoffs
- Boogaard family sues NHL for son's death, says it is to blame for brain damage
- The Boston OT Party
Ads by Google
You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is register and/or login and you can join the conversation and give your feedback.
Have Your Say
New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.
The Winnipeg Free Press does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. These terms were revised effective April 16, 2010.