It’s all buddy-buddy with boltin’ Burmi

Welcomed back from KHL with open arms

By: Paul Wiecek Posted: 5:12 PM CDT Saturday, Sep. 19, 2015

No hard feelings.

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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 19/09/2015 (3698 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

No hard feelings.

That was the message from Alex Burmistrov’s teammates and head coach Saturday when they were asked what it’s been like to have a player back with the same team he walked out on a couple seasons ago to play in the KHL.

“With open arms,” winger Blake Wheeler said, when asked how Burmistrov was welcomed back as the Jets opened training camp at MTS Iceplex.

Winnipeg Jets Alex Burmistrov at group B practice Friday afternoon at day 01 of training camp at the MTS Iceplex.

“He’s got a Jets jersey, on so he’s a part of our family. It was tough to see him go. He was a high pick and we’re obviously an organization that relies on that draft-and-develop mindset. So any time you see a guy like that leave it certainly hurts.

“And you can see the level of skill he possesses on the ice. So it’s just going to be for him to get the system down, where he’s supposed to be on the ice… Once he gets there, his skill will take over and he can be a real force for us.”

Burmistrov was an eighth overall pick of the Atlanta Thrashers in 2010 but played just two seasons for the Jets before bolting after the 2012-13 season. The Jets re-signed him over the summer and head coach Paul Maurice said Burmistrov fills a big void.

“I’ve been a big fan of his right from Day 1 in Atlanta. We couldn’t have a first-round pick drafted that high just walk away from our team and not get anything back for it. That was a hole for us.”

‘It’s too bad they can’t be here’

Goaltender Ondrej Pavelec was asked Saturday for his thoughts on losing a couple of childhood friends from the Jets roster over the off-season.

Pavelec grew up in the town of Kladno in the Czech Republic with Michael Frolik and Jiri Tlusty. The three were reunited on the Jets for a few months late last season after Winnipeg acquired Tlusty from Carolina in February.

But Winnipeg didn’t re-sign Tlusty over the summer and Frolik signed as a free agent with Calgary. Just like that, Pavelec once again doesn’t have anyone to speak Czech with in the dressing room.

“It’s a business and it wasn’t in my hands,” said Pavelec. “There’s nothing I can do about it. It was fun, really fun. Especially that we made the playoffs. I made the playoffs for the first time with my two best friends. It was really cool…

“But only once in your life you can have that, probably. It’s too bad they can’t be here. But it’s hockey and I’m pretty sure they’ll be good players where they are right now.”

Contract negotiations with Ladd, Byfuglien continue

Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff did a Q and A with team broadcaster Dennis Beyak Saturday during Fan Fest at the MTS Iceplex and had this to say about contract negotiations with captain Andrew Ladd and defenceman Dustin Byfuglien:

“We’re working hard to try and sign them. There’s economic realities that everybody has to work with. And business does take care of itself over time. We’ve got two other players… in Mark Scheifele and Jacob Trouba that we’d like to see if there’s opportunities to sign, because eventually we’ll have to sign them after next year.

“And there’s other players like (Michael) Hutchinson and (Adam) Lowry that are falling into those same categories… The economics of this game and the business of this game get very complicated. You’d like to be able to just say ‘get it done right away.’ But these things take time and we’ll work with their representatives to try to find a fit that works for both sides.”

MacWilliam injured

Defenceman Andrew MacWilliam, who was with the Toronto Maple Leafs organization last season, cut his foot during a scrimmage and had to be helped from the ice.

“He suffered a laceration and he’s gone over to make sure there’s nothing deeper than a cut there. If that’s the case, they’ll just sew it up and just as soon as it heals up and he can put a boot on it, he’ll be back. But he’ll be day to day for sure,” said Maurice.

paul.wiecek@freepress.mb.ca
Twitter: @PaulWiecek