Men on a mission

Opinion

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This article was published 16/10/2022 (1057 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

DALLAS — We’re only 60 minutes into the new hockey season, far too early to start making any bold proclamations.

But as the Winnipeg Jets begin a three-game road trip tonight here deep in the heart of Texas, there’s already two very promising signs to go along with the two valuable points they’ve already secured in the standings.

Connor Hellebuyck and Mark Scheifele appear to be on a mission. And that could be bad news for the rest of the NHL.

They are the club’s two most important players, ones who were visibly frustrated by the end of last year after falling far short of lofty expectations. Individually, and collectively.

General manager Kevin Cheveldayoff has come under plenty of criticism, including in this space, for not making more substantial changes to a roster that wasn’t good enough to make the playoffs. Instead, he’s showing faith to his core to prove last year was the exception, and not the rule.

It’s a risky strategy. But it’s one that is a lot more sound if Hellebuyck and Scheifele are going to turn back the clock and come up with the kind of performances we know they are capable of.

Let’s start in net, where Hellebuyck looks locked and loaded. He’s also having fun again. For Exhibit A, see his animated celebration last Friday night at Canada Life Centre, when he skated out on to the ice to accept accolades as the game’s first star in a 4-1 season-opening victory over the New York Rangers.

Hellebuyck, fresh off stopping 40 of 41 pucks that came his way, channeled his best fishing pose and pantomimed reeling in a big one. The crowd took the bait, erupting in cheers.

We didn’t see much of that joy from the Michigan product last year, when his game got away from him at times and his numbers took a nosedive. A 2.97 goals-against-average was the worst of his seven-year NHL career, and his .910 save-percentage was the lowest since his sophomore season in 2016-17.

It certainly wasn’t all on him. Play in front of him was often a tire fire, with no shortage of turnovers and defensive zone breakdowns ending up in the back of his net. It took a heavy toll, with Hellebuyck wearing his emotions on his sleeve and appearing tired, defeated and downright flustered by the end of the year.

“(Hellebuyck) loves to win and he wants to help the team make the playoffs and compete for the Cup. It’s that purity of the sport that in part drives him.”–Ray Petkau

Gone was his usual gusto and confidence and swagger that sometimes gets confused with cockiness. His good friend and long-time agent, Steinbach native Ray Petkau, noticed it, too.

“What I saw is that he absolutely hated not competing in the playoffs. He loves to win and he wants to help the team make the playoffs and compete for the Cup. It’s that purity of the sport that in part drives him,” Petkau told me on Sunday, referring to the countless post-game interviews where his client seemed at a loss for answers.

“The way he faces the media, regardless of how the game went, is actually very difficult for a goaltender in certain situations. I think he just understands that is an important part of being a leader, and there is a high level of accountability there.”

If Winnipeg is going to make any noise this year, they need something resembling the 2019-20 version of Hellebuyck that won the Vezina Trophy.

He’s off to a strong start, with a focus and purpose that was evident from the first day of training camp when he stood in front of the cameras and sounded like a guy ready to do everything possible to lead them to the promised land.

“Right now I truly believe the main driving force is his desire to hoist the Stanley Cup,” said Petkau.

Now 29, there’s a maturity from Hellebuyck along with a recognition that time is fleeting.

“Most definitely he has grown into a leader, both on the ice and in the room. Of course that often comes with experience and maturity,” said Petkau. “A seasoned vet, and now a father, Connor has much to offer in that regard and he embraces that role because he understands how important it is for the team to all be pulling in the same direction.”

Fortunately for the Jets, it looks like Hellebuyck has some company in that regard. And Scheifele is near the front of the line with him, tugging on the rope.

Scheifele was named the second star last Friday after potting a pair of goals. He’s paid to score, sure, so that’s a welcome development. But it was also his attention to defensive detail, including a couple noticeable hustle plays and backchecks in his own end which turned the puck the other way.

Coach Rick Bowness has talked about the importance of getting everyone to buy in, from his biggest stars to his fourth-liners, which is great in theory but not always the case when the puck is dropped.

But after seeing plenty of good developments during the preseason, Scheifele kicked it up a notch as soon as the games started to count.

Like Hellebuyck, you get the sense Scheifele is relishing the chance to put last year in the rear-view mirror. And there seems to be a new and genuine appreciation for the game that comes with age and circumstance.

It was interesting to see Scheifele’s social media post last Friday, with a photo of him standing in True North Square earlier this month speaking to the crowd at the Dale Hawerchuk memorial and statue unveiling.

“Honoured to play for the franchise that my mentor Dale Hawerchuk represented. Seeing his statue every game day reminds me of his love for the game and will motivate us all to perform at our best,” Scheifele wrote, before signing off with “Go Jets Go.”

 

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A post shared by Mark Scheifele (@mscheif)

I have no doubt the feelings are genuine, having spoken to Scheifele that afternoon once the formal portion of the event was over. He was moved by the ceremony and mentioned attending an alumni gathering the previous night, which he expected to spend 30 minutes at but stayed more than four hours listening to stars of the past share stories about “Ducky.”

In addition to being extremely valuable to Winnipeg’s fortunes this season — nobody makes the playoffs, let alone wins a championship, without a terrific goaltender and a top centre — Scheifele and Hellebuyck have another thing in common: Both are set to become unrestricted free agents in the summer of 2024.

That adds an extra layer of urgency and importance to this current campaign. Cheveldayoff likely won’t want to head into next season without some clarity to their situation, whether it means a contract extension or, if one or both decide they’d prefer to test the open market, a potential trade.

But that’s an issue for another day. There’s still 81 more games to play this year, along with what the club hopes will be a lengthy playoff run. The chances of that happening are a lot higher if Hellebuyck and Scheifele can keep it up.

mike.mcintyre@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @mikemcintyrewpg