Myers raring to go

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This article was published 23/09/2016 (3351 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

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Tyler Myers ended last season broken down and hurting.

The towering Winnipeg Jets defenceman was shut down early, playing only 73 regular-season games, after doctors determined he needed knee and hip surgery.

Perhaps Myers’ plight was symbolic of Winnipeg’s season, which began with so much promise but ended in frustration, with the club out of the playoffs for the fourth time in five years.

The break and getting speedy medical attention was apparently just what Myers needed. The hip issue had bothered him for two years but he played through the aggravation.

He started skating again 10 weeks after the surgery and now, 23 weeks post-op, he feels he has his mojo back.

“I’m glad I got the hip done when I did and it gave me that much more time to get back to 100 per cent and get back to the way I feel now,” said Myers, as the Jets reported for on-ice testing on the opening day of training camp at the MTS Iceplex. “Where I noticed it most is post skates, after practices and after games. I can walk to my car finally. It feels good to come into camp healthy.”

Myers was joined by 52 other training camp participants on Friday. Seven others, including goaltenders Connor Hellebuyck and Ondrej Pavelec, defencemen Dustin Byfuglien and Jacob Trouba, and forwards Blake Wheeler, Patrik Laine and Mark Scheifele were conspicuous by their absence.

All seven players were members of teams recently eliminated from the World Cup of Hockey and six of those are expected to take a break before heading back to Winnipeg.

“I’m sure they’d like to go deeper in the tournament but we’re glad to have them back healthy,” said veteran centre Bryan Little. “They’ve played some pretty competitive games so they’re gonna come back to camp in the best shape.”

Trouba, however, remains unsigned and the restricted free agent is not expected to attend camp unless his contract situation is resolved.

“Whenever a situation like this comes up, you’re eager for it to be settled,” said Myers. “But you also understand both sides are doing what they have to do.

“Troubs is a great guy in the room, he’s a really good young guy to have around and I really enjoyed playing with him. The faster we can get him in the room the better for everyone. But at the same time, we understand both sides are going to do what they need to do.”

While Trouba’s status is huge news in Winnipeg, the imminent arrival of No. 2 overall draft pick Patrik Laine is generating as much or more buzz.

The youngest player at the World Cup is expected to have a dramatic impact on the Jets, who may be slotting him on a line with Little, the club’s apparent No. 2 centre.

“It would be fun to play with him,” said Little. “I’ve watched him quite a bit at the World Cup and over the summer. He’s a special player that would be pretty fun to have on your wing. I know once camp comes around, everything gets shifted around. Once the season starts, they can play with combinations all year. We’ll see what happens.”

Everyone, it seems, has high expectations for the 18-year-old Finn.

The competition for work will be super-heated by a number of newcomers, including Laine and free-agent signees Shawn Mattias and Quinton Howden.

Myers, a seven-year NHL veteran, has been impressed.

“It became really evident with the pick we got in the draft (Laine) that there’s gonna be a lot of internal competition here at camp,” said Myers. “I think that’s a good thing. It pushes guys to bring their best and work that much harder on the ice.

“Not only that, but guys who have been around are going to push for bigger roles.”

Little said the camp already has a different feel.

“A lot of youth and faster,” he said. “I think the team has done a great job of drafting young, skill guys. The one impression I got in the pre-camp skates was how fast all of them can skate and all have some skill.”

NOTES: The Jets will begin on-ice workouts today in conjuction with the annual fan fest in the MTS Iceplex parking lot. Practice sessions are slated for 8 a.m., 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. On Sunday, practice times are at 9 a.m. and 12:15 p.m. … Assistant coachs Jamie Kompton and Charlie Huddy are running training camp in the absence of head coach Paul Maurice, who is serving as an assistant coach with Team Europe at the World Cup.

 

 

mike.sawatzky@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter @sawa14