Tanev’s mom a Jets fan in this battle of her boys

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 20/12/2016 (3257 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

VANCOUVER — The Winnipeg Jets have a brand new fan: the mother of Vancouver Canucks defenceman Christopher Tanev.

Tanev’s mother is also the mother of Jets forward Brandon Tanev and, after years of cheering for the Canucks, she informed her two sons Monday she will be cheering for the good guys this week when the two teams face off in a rare two-game set, beginning tonight at Rogers Arena (9 p.m., TSN3, TSN 1290).

“She told me last night she’s cheering for us,” Brandon Tanev told reporters here Tuesday following the team’s morning skate. “She’s had quite a while to cheer for the Canucks, so she’s switching teams and cheering for the Jets tonight.

“He’s the first born and oldest, so it’s nice to get some love from the mother.”

Christopher Tanev vowed the fight for his mother’s affections may yet be settled on the ice. “We’ll see how that goes tonight,” he said with a grin. “Hopefully she’ll change her mind halfway through the game if we’re winning.”

The Jets will have Nic Petan back in the lineup. Jets head coach Paul Maurice had Petan — who has been out of the lineup since Nov. 27 when he sustained a lower-body injury in a game against the Nashville Predators — skating on a line between Marko Dano and Drew Stafford in the morning.

With Petan going into the lineup, tough guy Chris Thorburn will watch from the press box.

Maurice said he’d like Petan to pick up right where he left off.

“He was playing really quick and really fast and had some confidence with the puck,” Maurice said.

Meanwhile, Jets rookie phenom Patrik Laine was once again the centre of attention here in Vancouver. Just like everywhere else the Jets travel, the local media surrounded his locker after the morning skate, looking for some bon mots from someone who has quickly earned a reputation as one of the league’s most quotable players.

And Laine didn’t disappoint. Someone asked about the source of his famous self-confidence — a popular topic in other cities.

“I know what I’m capable of and how good I am and I don’t think that’s a bad thing,” he told reporters bluntly, as usual. “People can think what they want, but I know how good I am and I’m not afraid to say it.”

There was nothing new in that; he’s been offering similarly brash comments since the World Championship last spring. Then he backed it up when the puck dropped to start the NHL season.

But it was new to Vancouver reporters, and the customary followup with Maurice was predictable.

Asked by a reporter if he’d ever seen a player with as much “swagger” as Laine, Maurice demurred. “I don’t pick up any of that,” he said. “I don’t see any of it. My take is he’s very, very humble about his game. He’s matter of fact about his game. And you have to understand while his English is good, it’s difficult when you’re learning a new language to be subtle at times or find a different way to answer a question.

“He’s very direct and honest.”

Connor Hellebuyck will start in net for the Jets, while Jacob Markstrom goes for the Canucks.

email: paul.wiecek@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @PaulWiecek