‘I’m happy I was out there,’ Ehlers

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This article was published 14/01/2021 (1698 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Nikolaj Ehlers woke up with a sore throat this week, an event that would have barely given him reason to pause in the past. But these aren’t normal times, and that seemingly innocent little tickle nearly took him out of the opening-night lineup.

Fortunately, the flashy Winnipeg Jets winger passed a COVID-19 test and was given the green light to play a few hours before puck drop Thursday night at Bell MTS Place.

“If it wouldn’t have been these COVID times right now, I would have come to practice (Wednesday), I would have practised. But it’s a precaution. I don’t want to come to the rink in case that it is COVID. I don’t want to spread it. So I had no problem staying at home,” said Ehlers, who was placed Wednesday on what the NHL is calling COVID Protocol Related Absence.

Only when he was cleared could he rejoin his teammates. 

“Those are the protocols. I want to be safe, I want my teammates and everyone that’s close to me here to be safe as well. I’m glad that there are these protocols. Obviously you want to be out there on the ice, even for practice, you want to be around your team, but there’s a reason those protocols are there and they’re a big reason we’re allowed to play. It was fine with me. I ended up playing today and I’m happy I was out there,” he said.

The Jets were happy, too, as Ehlers skated on the top line with Mark Scheifele and Blake Wheeler. He helped spark Winnipeg’s come-from-behind 4-3 overtime victory, setting up Scheifele just 34 seconds into the second period for a goal that cut Calgary’s lead to 3-2.

Ehlers, nicknamed “Fly,” by his teammates, was doing just that all night. He played 17:31 and registered four shots on goal.

“We know we didn’t play an amazing first period. I don’t know what was going on. We were maybe a little bit too tight. We kind of just took a step back, relaxed and went out there and played some fun hockey. Everybody on the bench from the start of the second period was excited, was relaxing, was ready to play the Winnipeg Jets style hockey. I think we dominated from the second period until the end, and deserved that win. It feels great to sit here with two points,” said Ehlers.

• • •

He was one of the hardest working players in Winnipeg Jets training camp, and his efforts paid off to the tune of a one-year contract worth US$750,000.

“I put in a lot of hard work this offseason and obviously it was a little bit longer than usual so the body got some rest,” Trevor Lewis said following Thursday’s morning skate. “I felt great coming in and I knew it was a good opportunity so I’m happy I jumped on it and I’m happy to be here for sure.”

Lewis, who joined the Jets on a professional tryout after spending 12 seasons with the Los Angeles Kings, a stretch that included two Stanley Cups, hasn’t played a meaningful game since Mar. 11. The 34-year-old scored the Kings’ first goal in a 3-2 win over the Ottawa Senators; Lewis had six goals and six assists in 56 games in 2019-20.

“It’s definitely been the longest I’ve gone without playing so I’m definitely excited to get it going and excited to be part of the group here,” Lewis said.

The Salt Lake City native will begin the season playing on the Jets line, a trio known as the “Dirty 30s”, with fellow veteran forwards Nate Thompson, another newcomer this year, and Mathieu Perreault. Lewis was also brought in to help a penalty kill that struggled last season, finishing the 2019-20 campaign 22nd at 77.6 per cent.

“The group is very hungry and we expect big things in here. We’ve got a great group, a great mix of everything, a great lineup from top to bottom,” he said. “Definitely with this division and this season, you want to get off to a good start and obviously play the same teams quite a bit. So, you’re going to get to know opponents pretty quick. It should be fun and exciting for sure.”

With a contract now out of the way, Lewis has started another important to-do list as he gets ready to settle in with his new NHL club.

“First thing is getting the family up here. They’ll have to do the quarantine process so I want to get them up here as soon as possible so I can see them again. I’ll find a place and the organization, they have so many people helping you out that it makes my life easier, so I can focus on hockey.”

mike.mcintyre@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @mikemcintyrewpg

jeff.hamilton@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @jeffkhamilton