Brooks to debut with Jets this week

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This article was published 20/02/2022 (1298 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Like most young hockey players growing up in Winnipeg, Adam Brooks often wondered what it might be like to one day suit up for his hometown NHL team.

He’s about to find out. The 25-year-old put on Jets colours for the first time Sunday at practice, and looks poised to make his debut as early as Monday afternoon as the club begins a crucial four-game road trip in Calgary. Winnipeg (22-19-8) will also make stops in Dallas, Colorado and Arizona this week as they try to make up ground in the Western Conference playoff race, where they currently sit seven points out of the final wildcard spot held by Los Angeles.

“I’m going to try and make the most of the opportunity and try and rep the jersey really well because I’m really passionate about this team and this city,” the skilled, smooth-skating forward said shortly after the 30-minute workout at Bell MTS Iceplex.

And what an opportunity it looks to be, considering Brooks was taking reps on the right wing with top scorers Kyle Connor and Pierre-Luc Dubois. Interim coach Dave Lowry has been auditioning several people in that role, especially with Nikolaj Ehlers, Andrew Copp and Cole Perfetti all currently sidelined with injuries.

“Just to be on a line with them in practice at any point is a huge honour and something you try to take advantage of,” said Brooks, who hasn’t played a game since suffering an injury on Dec. 31 but is now fully recovered.

“If, at some point here, I get a chance to play next to those guys, I’m just going to try to do whatever I can to help them. Obviously try to get them the puck and let them use the talent that they have. But yeah, two special guys, two really nice guys too, from the conversations that I’ve had with them. I was just lucky to skate alongside them today and see what they could do.”

It’s been quite the tumultuous 2021-22 season for Brooks, the former scoring star with the Winnipeg Hawks who was drafted by Toronto in the fourth round, 92nd overall, in 2016.

He was placed on waivers by the Maple Leafs following training camp and picked up by Montreal, where he appeared in four games. The Habs then tried to send him to their AHL team in November, only for Vegas to claim him. He played seven games in Sin City, but got hurt on New Year’s Eve after scoring the game-winning goal that night. Now healthy, the Golden Knights wanted to send him to the minors last week, but Toronto re-claimed him on waivers with the intent of sending him to the AHL’s Marlies.

But the loss of Copp and Perfetti in back-to-back games on Wednesday and Thursday created an immediate need for the Jets, who swooped in and grabbed him on Friday.

“I know that he’s a dynamic player. I’ve coached against him a little bit in the Western Hockey League, where he was a skilled guy. He’s been a skilled guy in the American Hockey League and now, what we’re looking for is to see how it translates in the NHL,” Lowry said Sunday.

Evgeny Svechnikov, Jansen Harkins, Kristian Vesalainen and Kristian Reichel have all received looks beside Dubois and Connor in recent games, but now it appears to be Brooks’ turn to try and stake his claim. Svechnikov is likely in Lowry’s dog house right now after taking an undisciplined double-minor in the third period of Saturday’s 4-2 loss to Edmonton at Canada Life Centre. He was benched for the rest of the game, then was the 13th skater at practice Sunday.

Harkins and Reichel are now on a line with Adam Lowry, while Vesalainen appears to be slotted in on the fourth line with Dominic Toninato and Austin Poganski. The top line of Mark Scheifele, Blake Wheeler and Paul Stastny remains intact.

Brooks will become just the fifth local product to play with the Jets since the NHL returned in 2011, joining Eric Fehr, Derek Meech, Quinton Howden and Cody Eakin. He has six goals and five assists in 29 big-league games so far with Toronto, Montreal and Vegas and believes he has much more to offer.

“It’s been a little bit of a journey this year,” said Brooks. “But I think that’s something that you can learn and grow from. There’s been some opportunities that I wished worked out and partially, I’ve got to take advantage of those chances. They’re not going to come often and you never know how many you’re going to get. So, I’m looking forward to this chance and looking forward to making the most of this opportunity.”

He’s no stranger to high-profile linemates. At one point, last season in Toronto, he was beside the legendary Joe Thornton and Jason Spezza, who have played nearly 3,000 combined games.

“It was amazing. I think, growing up, anybody who watched hockey, especially Canadian kids, those were two guys that you idolized. I joked with them when I played with them that every time I created a team in NHL (video game), they were two of the first guys I put on there,” said Brooks.

“When I got to play with those two guys, I was learning something new every day. Learned little tricks and things that you can get away with, whether it was in the face-off circle to just being around the rink. It was a lot of fun. Those were two guys that still reached out when things were going on with me this year. I FaceTimed Spezz the other day. They’re two great mentors, and I would consider them really good friends now.”

Brooks also claims some familiarity with his new coach, as Lowry was behind the bench of the Victoria Royals of the Western Hockey League when he was lighting up junior with the Regina Pats (Brooks had 120 points in 2015-16, and 130 points in 2016-17).

“Every time we played them, just a fast, very structured team that was in really good shape. I think there’s no secret why he was able to work up through the ranks the way that he did,” said Brooks. “He’s obviously a great coach. We’ve had some good conversations. I’m just excited to play for him and excited to wear that jersey.”

ROSTER MOVE: The Jets made one transaction Sunday before they boarded the charter, sending 20-year-old defenceman Ville Heinola back to Manitoba Moose.

With Logan Stanley now recovered from injury and back in the lineup, Heinola had been a recent healthy scratch. And the blue-line depth chart is about to get even more crowded with Nathan Beaulieu on the cusp of return from an injury to assume the seventh defenceman spot. Dylan Samberg is also getting closer to full health, participating in practice in a non-contact jersey.

Heinola, who has two assists in eight games with the Jets this year, will get plenty of playing time with the AHL club, where he posted 16 points (two goals, 14 assists) in 25 games prior to being called up.

mike.mcintyre@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @mikemcintyrewpg