Jets well represented at world championships

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 04/05/2017 (3171 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Winnipeg hockey fans missing the Jets will get some relief starting today when the puck drops on the 2017 IIHF world men’s hockey championship in Europe.

Centre Mark Scheifele and defenceman Josh Morrissey will be wearing the Maple Leaf today (1:15, TSN1) when Canada opens the 16-team tournament against the Czech Republic in Paris, where it will play all of its preliminary-round games. Other games, including the semifinals and medal matches, will be in Cologne, Germany.

Manitoba Moose goaltender Eric Comrie is also on the Canadian roster.

Goalie Connor Hellebuyck, blue-liner Jacob Trouba and centre Andrew Copp are playing for the United States, and left-winger Nikolaj Ehlers is on Denmark’s roster.

At last check, Moose defenceman Jan Kostalek was still with the Czech squad, while the Russian team includes Jets property Ivan Telegin, a 2010 Atlanta draft pick who played a portion of the 2012-13 season with Winnipeg’s then-AHL affiliate, the St. John’s IceCaps, but has been back in Moscow the past three seasons.

Selection to a world-championship roster — still considered a privilege by many pros — remains, in reality, the consolation prize for missing out on the NHL playoffs.

“No question, it’s not something you strive for (your players) to be a part of,” Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff said from Tampa Bay, Fla., earlier this week.

“It’s certainly an honour for them to play for their countries in any regard, but the sting of the season is still probably not far away from their feelings.”

Jets assistant general manager Larry Simmons is currently overseas and will monitor the tournament with many of the organization’s Europe-based scouts.

Cheveldayoff, attending meetings with his North American scouting staff, admitted the organization has less interest in this year’s tournament than a year ago, for obvious reasons.

“Last year, it was a big priority for us. We sent over a large contingent to go over and watch Patrik Laine and Auston Matthews play, from the draft perspective,” he said. “It’s not often that tournament lends itself to something that involves the draft.”

Coming off a 36-goal rookie campaign that included time missed because of a concussion, Laine told Finnish hockey officials he would skip this year’s world championship.

That’s entirely the players’ prerogative, Cheveldayoff said.

“We, as an organization, really don’t have any say on players participating or not. By the rules of the IIHF’s agreement with the NHL, we don’t have any jurisdiction over them playing or not playing. It’s totally the players’ choice,” he said.

Scheifele, an alternate captain with the Jets, told reporters at season’s end he was excited to wear the Team Canada uniform again. He’s playing in the world championship for the third time in his young career, made possible because Winnipeg has been out of the NHL playoffs for the five of six years since relocating from Atlanta in 2011.

Scheifele, the Jets’ first draft pick in 2011, won gold with Canada a year ago in Russia, where he scored four goals and added five assists in nine games.

The 24-year-old from Kitchener, Ont., who led the Jets with a career-high 82 points, including a team-high 50 assists, has been skating between Buffalo’s Ryan O’Reilly and Jeff Skinner of Carolina as Canada prepares for today’s game.

Morrissey is making his world men’s championship debut after a stellar rookie campaign in Winnipeg but is no stranger to international hockey. He helped Canada win a gold medal at the 2015 world junior championship in Toronto and also played twice at the under-17 championship.

Chad Johnson, of the Calgary Flames, and former Winnipegger Calvin Pickard, who plays for Colorado, are expected to share the goaltending duties for Canada. Comrie is there to gain some valuable experience from being part of the group.

Speaking by phone from Paris, the Edmonton-born goalie said he’s thrilled to rub shoulders with some of the game’s best players and he’s going to savour every moment.

“It’s pretty incredible. A lot of these guys are big-time NHLers. They’re all-stars and just incredible players and just great guys, too,” Comrie said. “I’m really excited to be here and help represent the country and help us win a gold medal.”

Comrie, 21, made his NHL debut on April 6 against the Columbus Blue Jackets, stopping 35 of 39 shots in a 5-4 win on the road. In his second season with the Moose, he went 19-26-2 with a 2.96 goals-against average and .906 save percentage.

He has represented Canada three times and was also a part of that 2015 gold-medal winning junior squad.

“It never gets old,” he said. “The ability to represent your country is something that’s so special and you never take it for granted. It doesn’t come along very often, but when it does, you make sure you jump all over it and take full advantage of it.

“I’m going to do whatever I’m told to do. This is a good chance to get better and I’m here to help us win a gold medal. I can’t control how much I play or when I play, I’m here to enjoy the experience and do what (Team Canada head coach Jon Cooper) asks of me.”

At just 24, Trouba is a veteran of the international hockey scene, donning the red, white and blue at the under-17, under-18 and under-20 worlds, and has also played in two world men’s championships. He and Detroit defenceman Danny DeKeyser, 27, are expected to provide some leadership and log big minutes for a U.S. team that includes youngsters Charlie McAvoy, 19, of the Bruins and Noah Hanifin, 20, of Carolina.

Hellebuyck, meanwhile, was in net in 2015 when the Americans captured a bronze medal at the world championship in Prague. He made 39 saves in a 3-0 victory over the Czech Republic in the third-place game and was named to the tournament’s all-star team.

He’s coming off a bumpy season with the Jets, posting a 26-19-4 record with a .907 save percentage and a 2.89 goals-against average. Jets head coach Paul Maurice pulled him out of eight games.

Copp will be playing in his first world men’s championship, but spent time in the U.S. national development program (2010-12) and also represented his country at the under-18 and world junior championships. He scored nine goals in 64 games with the Jets this past season.

The Americans begin the tournament today at 1:15 p.m. against Germany.

The Danish squad needs production from Ehlers to finish in the top four in Group A and make the playoffs. The 21-year-old forward has been a key member for Denmark in several junior tournaments and scored four goals during the 2016 world men’s championship and is coming off a 64-point season in Winnipeg.

The top four teams in each group advance to the quarter-finals, beginning May 18. The semifinals are set for May 20 and the gold-medal contest will be played May 21.

“People in North America don’t really have a true appreciation for the excitement that goes on in the tournament,” Cheveldayoff said. “I’ve been to several over the years, and fans just really eat it up. It’s a big event wherever it’s held.

“The players get over there and they see that this is a very prestigious international tournament in its own right.”

jason.bell@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @WFPJasonBell