The Jets go to camp: Day 4

Posted: 3:00 AM CDT Tuesday, Sep. 22, 2015

SICK BAY UPDATE: Goaltender Jussi Olkinuora was on the ice with teammates for the first time Monday. Both LW Andrew Ladd and C Bryan Little were absent with "maintenance days."

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SICK BAY UPDATE: Goaltender Jussi Olkinuora was on the ice with teammates for the first time Monday. Both LW Andrew Ladd and C Bryan Little were absent with "maintenance days."

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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 22/09/2015 (3695 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

SICK BAY UPDATE: Goaltender Jussi Olkinuora was on the ice with teammates for the first time Monday.

Both LW Andrew Ladd and C Bryan Little were absent with “maintenance days.”

BACK WHERE HE BELONGS: The change in defenceman Ben Chiarot is easy to spot.

BORIS MINKEVICH / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS
Ben Chiarot — BORIS MINKEVICH / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Ben Chiarot

It’s about belonging.

Last year at this time, he was one of a crowd trying to get his foot in the NHL door.

It took until a December recall for the 24-year-old to push it open.

“I wouldn’t say you worry,” Chiarot said about past camps. “If you’ve had success in the past, you’ve been able to play some time in the NHL, you’re more comfortable than someone who’s just turning pro or played a couple of years in the AHL.

“You’ve done it before and it’s just a matter of doing it again. (Now) I’m just more confident. Before, previous training camps, I wouldn’t have much NHL experience and now I have most of three-quarters of a season. I’m just more confident. I know what I can do at this level from what I’ve done last year and I’m just more confident.”

Jets coach Paul Maurice sees that in spades.

“You can look at him and he looks different,” Maurice said. “His shoulders are a little wider and his waist is a little smaller and he looks very strong on the ice.

“We got into that veteran scrimmage on the ice the other day and he’s not playing any more like a guy who’s making sure he doesn’t upset anybody on the ice. He’s just playing and finishing his checks.”

NOW WEARING NO. 7: Chiarot has changed numbers this season.

Gone is his former No. 63, replaced by a coveted single digit, No. 7.

“I wore it a lot as a kid,” he said. “In junior I wore it. I don’t think I’m getting No. 18 in Winnipeg.”

LOTS OF SKILL: It was nothing but smiles from forward Mathieu Perreault Monday about his newest assignment, playing left wing on one of Maurice’s creations for this camp, a line with centre Alex Burmistrov and right-winger Nikolaj Ehlers.

There’s skill across the board with this trio, which is likely to debut in tonight’s home exhibition game against Minnesota.

“A lot of fun,” Perreault said. “A lot of skill, a lot of speed. Obviously they’re still trying to figure out all the system stuff, so there’s some new stuff with them. So I try to help a lot, tell Nik and Burmi where to go on some of the situations, but they’re smart guys so they get it really quick.”

Perreault said he has no issues being asked to play with a 19-year-old rookie, Ehlers.

“No, not at all, especially when they’re a good player like that,” he said. “It’s always fun for me to have a chance to play along with these guys. I try to help them as much as I can. I’ve been around for a little while now.”