Unexpected jump to Jets a great experience for Nogier

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This article was published 26/03/2017 (3153 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A deluge of injuries to members of Winnipeg Jets’ defence corps has meant unexpected opportunity for three members of the AHL’s Manitoba Moose.

Of those, 20-year-old Nelson Nogier, is the youngest of the bunch and although his advancement to the bigs was surprising, he’s handling the pressure with aplomb. Moose regulars Julian Melchiori and Brian Strait are also getting work with the Jets.

“It’s been awesome,” said Nogier prior to the Jets’ game with the Vancouver Canucks Sunday night. “I’ve been making the most of the opportunity and soaking up everything that I can. I mean, I’ve had a ton of fun here, playing both here at the MTS Centre and on the road in some pretty neat buildings. I’m learning lots, too, while I’m doing it.”

Nogier, who played in his fourth NHL game Sunday, went without a point, registered a minus-1 rating and averaged 12 minutes and 30 seconds of ice time in his first three games.

He insists there have been no moments of terror on the ice, nor a realization he’s ahead of schedule.

“That never really crossed my mind,” said Nogier. “I mean, there’s always those nerves in the first couple of shifts of each game. But with the great group here and just settling down into my game, I think it was a smooth transition…

“The older crew here, they’re amazing. They’ve helped me settle in a lot faster than I think I expected to.”

Raw rookies rarely play in the NHL and Nogier was certainly expecting more seasoning.

“You’re always coming into your first pro season hoping to succeed, just kinda growing your game and this is what you’re working for but I definitely wasn’t expecting it as soon as it came,” he said.

LITTLE UP FOR MASTERTON AWARD

The Winnipeg chapter of the Professional Hockey Writers Association named Bryan Little as the Jets’ nominee for the 2016-17 Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy — handed out annually to the player who demonstrates qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey.

The award honours Bill Masterton, a Winnipegger and former member of Minnesota North Stars, who died Jan. 15, 1968, as the result of injuries sustained in a game.

Each of the league’s 30 teams supply a nominee for the award, which was given to Jaromir Jagr of the Florida Panthers last season.

No member of the Jets has ever won the big prize and this season’s winner will be unveiled at the NHL awards ceremony in June.

“It’s one of those things that you have to go through something difficult to get nominated for,” Little said after Winnipeg’s 3-1 loss Friday night to the Anaheim Ducks. “I’ve had some bad luck with injuries over the course of the last couple of years. I’ve had relative success coming back this year. It is an honour and I wish I was in a better mood today to celebrate it.”

The 29-year-old centre has overcome serious injuries to his back and knee in the last 12 months before returning to the lineup to play some of the best hockey of his career.

“I’ve had some bumps and bruises and I’ve missed some games through the course of my career but nothing too serious and then, yeah, I fractured my (back) vertebrate and missed the rest of the season and the first game of this season I hurt my MCL,” said Little. “The most frustrating part was (the injuries were) so close together — basically eight or nine months where I didn’t play a full game. That was the hardest part.”

Little missed 25 games at the end of the 2015-16 NHL season after a devastating hit Feb. 18, 2016 from Anton Stralman of the Tampa Bay Lightning.

After a vigorous rehab and fitness program, he returned to the Jets lineup for the regular-season opener, only to go down with a knee injury three shifts into the game.

After another 23 games on the shelf, Little quickly regained his old form. He has spent his entire 10-year NHL career with the franchise.

“There aren’t any flaws in this guy’s character, you know what I mean,” said Jets head coach Paul Maurice. “That’s a tough injury and he worked really hard to get back at it, and again with the knee, (it was) really hard to get back.

“And Bryan was a guy there was no lag when he came off that knee injury. And you expect a week or two for a guy to get back up to speed. There was none of that, he pushed himself so hard in his rehab that he looked like he hadn’t missed a day.”

mike.sawatzky@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @sawa14