Lowry a Grade A leader

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This article was published 14/10/2022 (1061 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Adam Lowry has long been viewed as a leader inside the Winnipeg Jets locker room. Now, as he enters his ninth NHL season, he has the letter to prove it.

Lowry is one of three players who will wear an ‘A’ on their chest this season, joining fellow centre Mark Scheifele and defenceman Josh Morrissey as the team’s trio of alternate captains. While Scheifele and Morrissey are continuing with roles they’ve each held for years, it’s Lowry’s first time.

“Everything I’ve seen and everything I’ve heard about the kid, he backed (it) up with what I saw during training camp in terms of his practice habits, being a good teammate. Anytime there was trouble on the ice, he was the first guy in,” Jets head coach Rick Bowness said following morning skate, ahead of Friday’s season-opener against the New York Rangers. “He’s a really good teammate, he’s a really good player, he’s a good person. I heard all these things about him, and then when you get to stand back and watch his interaction with his teammates, his work habits in practice, his preparation for games, he deserves to wear that ‘A.’”

Lowry, 29, has never known another NHL team or city other than Winnipeg. He was selected by the Jets in the third round (67th overall) of the 2011 Draft and has since played in 539 regular-season games and 39 playoff contests.

He has remained committed to the Jets, signing four different contracts here. He’s currently in the second year of a five-year, US$16.25-million deal that expires at the end of the 2026-27 season.

“First of all, the way he plays the game, he doesn’t cheat the game. He plays the right way defensively and is responsible at both ends of the ice,” said Morrissey, describing Lowry’s merits as an alternate captain. “He’s just a great leader and a great addition to the leadership group.”

Lowry has spent much of his time with the Jets as a third-line centre in a shutdown role. He’s among the most physical players on the team — he’s led the Jets in hits the last two seasons — and is a mainstay on the penalty kill.

Few have proven more accountable for their play, with Lowry also one of the smartest players when it comes to breaking down film and analyzing systems. He’s been leaned on by media for his post-game comments and always displays a high level of respect for his opponent and the broader game of hockey.

So, what are the expectations now that his role has been formalized?

“It’s a lot more behind the scenes than you think. It’s making sure everyone’s kind of feeling good about themselves, or if they’re down, whatever it is, whether it’s day-to-day life or about their hockey game, how can you help improve that,” Lowry said. “It’s making sure everyone’s taken care of.

“If you have a guy called up, it’s shooting him a text and making him feel like he’s part of the team. And then it’s making sure guys are ready to play. That’s where I’ll try and bring my game every night and try and lead out on the ice. There’s a lot of different things that go into it.”

Like any good leader, Lowry did his best to deflect attention away from himself and onto the team, noting there are several leaders on the club regardless of whether they wear a letter or not. The same sentiment has been shared by Bowness ever since he decided prior to training camp to shuffle the deck of his leadership group, which resulted in Blake Wheeler losing his captaincy.

The Jets will go without an official captain, which, following a small survey of players Friday, might be somewhat unorthodox but is not without its advantages. Among them is the opportunity for other players to have a voice or lead in whatever way they feel fits.

It’s a new-look approach the Jets hope can get them back in the right direction following a disappointing season that ended without a playoff berth despite heady expectations.

“We don’t have a leadership group. We have a committee. That committee is the whole team,” Bowness said. “This is what we wanted when we did what we did, and we’re getting there. Whatever has gone on here, I don’t care, it’s gone. The only thing that matters is right now. Right now, that room is in a good place. That’s all that matters.”

jeff.hamilton@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @jeffkhamilton