Welcoming crowd, new jerseys put pep in Jets’ step

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This article was published 23/09/2023 (743 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Winnipeg Jets had a little extra jump in their step Saturday — from skating in front of a raucous “Fan Fest” crowd to unveiling a fresh new look to preparing to face some not-so-friendly competition.

“Usually, the first couple days at camp are pretty tough. You come in, Day 3 on the ice, you’re a little sore, you’re a little tired,” captain Adam Lowry said of the current situation.

“This gives you that little extra bit of energy. It’s awesome.”

Indeed, the Jets tried to put on a show on one of the more important days of the year for the franchise when it comes to connecting with the community.

Front and centre was a new alternate jersey which honours the rich history of the Royal Canadian Air Force in the community. The specialty “the Forty-Eight” sweater pays homage to the jerseys worn by the 1948 Olympic gold medal-winning RCAF Flyers. It features red and blue striping and the Jets logo in place of the classic RCAF roundel.

“I think it’s a pretty good-looking jersey, and with the history behind it and everything, I think they did a great job trying to keep all the original parts,” said Lowry.

Winnipeg will sport its new look on three occasions this season: Monday, Dec. 4 vs. Carolina (the kickoff for the RCAF’s centennial celebrations), Saturday, Jan. 27 vs. Toronto and Monday, April 1 vs. Los Angeles (which marks the 100th-anniversary of the RCAF).

The official alternate jersey remains the Heritage Blue, which will be worn for 11 games this season, with specific dates to be determined.

“Great to see the crowd out there today and the enthusiasm. Reacting to goals in practices and drills. We love our fans, man,” said Jets coach Rick Bowness.

“We’ve got great supporters here, they’re great fans and they’re knowledgeable fans. We needed that little bit of a boost that they gave us today, because, yeah, third day your legs are a little heavy. And you are a little tired mentally a bit from all the drills. So having the people here today certainly helped us.”

Of course, the main focus of camp remains substance over style, and the Jets will take a big step in that direction on Sunday when they play the first of six pre-season games. They’ll face the Edmonton Oilers at Rogers Place ( 5 p.m. CT) in a game that will be streamed on the club’s website but is not available on television.

It’s a very big deal for players who are in a battle to make the opening-night roster, such as 23-year-old centre David Gustafsson.

“I want to set the tone immediately and try to solidify my spot on the team this year,” Gustafsson said Saturday. “I always look forward to these games because you know you’re going to get a lot of ice time to play and you have a chance to show yourself again. It’s been a long summer without games.”

The 2018 second-round draft pick is among a number of players, including Axel Jonsson-Fjallby, Dominic Toninato, Jansen Harkins and Jeffrey Viel, who are competing for a depth spot, especially with Winnipeg’s top four lines seemingly set.

Mark Scheifele, Kyle Connor and Gabe Vilardi and Cole Perfetti, Nikolaj Ehlers and Nino Niederreiter represent the likely top six. Lowry, Mason Appleton and Alex Iafallo and Rasmus Kupari with Morgan Barron and Vlad Namestnikov make up the projected bottom six.

“Offence, obviously, the numbers there weren’t too great last year. That’s something I have to improve if I want to solidify myself there,” Gustafsson said.

He had no goals and six assists in 46 regular-season games with the Jets last year, prompting a complete overhaul of his typical offseason.

“I changed everything. I moved to a different city, worked out with different coaches, started skating with a new skating coach, and worked to get that quick step a little quicker,” said Gustafsson.

“I feel like if we’re going a long way, I’m pretty fast. But the first three steps, that’s really what I have to work on. That’s been my main focus.”

Now it’s a matter of putting it all to the test.

“Just be a guy that (Bowness) can rely on. That’s a big thing,” said Gustafsson.

“Especially on the fourth line, you want guys that you can rely on that nothing crazy is going to happen out there. At the end of the day, you just have to do the best you can and hopefully Bones thinks you deserve a spot.”

The Jets will face the Oilers again on Monday evening, this time at Canada Life Centre. Bowness said nobody will play back to back, meaning 40 skaters should get in game action over the two nights.

Winnipeg has 56 players currently in camp (31 forwards, 19 defencemen, six goaltenders), but that includes four who are currently dealing with injury/ailments in Ehlers (neck spasms), Colby Barlow (flu), Henri Nikkanen (thumb) and Wyatt Bongiovanni (groin).

“This time of year, once you get the first day of camp underway, the intensity ramps up and then exhibition, it ramps up even more,” said Lowry.

“It’s tough to replicate game action. You try with scrimmages and certain drills but to finally get out there and have something on the line and play meaningful minutes, it’s always exciting. The competition, the physicality, it’s something that you miss in the summertime.”

The first round of cuts could come as early as Tuesday when the Jets have the day off. Winnipeg must get down to a maximum roster of 23 healthy players prior to the season-opening on Oct. 11 in Calgary.

mike.mcintyre@freepress.mb.ca

X: @mikemcintyrewpg