Commitment to winning Lightning recognize importance of locking up Scheifele, Hellebuyck to Jets’ long-term success By: Ken Wiebe Posted: 4:34 PM CST Wednesday, Nov. 22, 2023

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This article was published 22/11/2023 (960 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

TAMPA — Jon Cooper knows a thing or two about what it takes to win.

The head coach of the Tampa Bay Lightning also recognizes the importance of having a team’s core pieces sign on the dotted line, not to mention the impact it has on the other players in the room.

So, when the topic of Mark Scheifele and Connor Hellebuyck inking long-term extensions with the Winnipeg Jets was raised Wednesday morning, the longest-tenured head coach in the NHL was more than happy to weigh in on the matter.

“It says a lot about the organization and their commitment to win there,” said Cooper, after the morning skate. “Guys leave teams for a variety of reasons, but they’ve set their lives there, they’ve grown with that city and you have to admire that about them. I’ve known those two guys for a number of years now and I’m not an ounce surprised to see that.

“It’s a sign of leadership, because they want to win and they’re saying, ‘You know what, we’re going to be the cornerstones of this organization.’ To be honest, I think that’s a big part of the reason (the Jets) are where they are right now (in the standings). Because of the commitment they’ve shown to the team and the city.”

The Jets clearly experienced a jolt of energy when Scheifele and Hellebuyck signed those matching seven-year extensions just before the start of the regular season. Each deal carries an average annual value of US$8.5 million, beginning in the 2024-25 campaign.

The squad has sustained that momentum with solid play and is challenging for top spot in the Central Division with U.S. Thanksgiving now here — a byproduct of that belief Scheifele and Hellebuyck spoke of at the press conference to announce the new deals.

“It’s huge. It shows they believe in the group and where they’re heading,” said Lightning defenceman Victor Hedman. “Hockey players have one goal and that’s to win the Stanley Cup and you want to go to the place where it’s going to give you the best chance.

“It shows the commitment to the group, that guys want to be there. When you get your leaders to do that, the rest are going to follow.”–Victor Hedman

“For us here (in Tampa), it was obviously a no-brainer. We felt we had all of the tools and our core group has been together for a while. There was obviously a lot of talk going into the year, but (for the Jets) to get two of the best players at their positions (signed) was huge from an organizational standpoint. It shows the commitment to the group, that guys want to be there. When you get your leaders to do that, the rest are going to follow.”

The Lightning have the hardware the Jets are seeking, after capturing consecutive Stanley Cups in 2020 and 2021 before losing in the final to the Colorado Avalanche in 2022.

Much like the Jets have done with Scheifele, Hellebuyck and defenceman Josh Morrissey, the Lightning identified their foundational pillars and locked them down for the long-term as well — from Hedman to goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy to forwards such as Nikita Kucherov, Brayden Point and captain Steven Stamkos.

“Listen, you want guys that want to be the faces of your franchise and guys that want to see the product finished,” said Stamkos. “You’ve been through some of the tough years where you’re rebuilding and getting quality players in the draft. When guys want to stick around and be part of the solution, it’s great for an organzation. It’s a perfect example, (with) those two guys committing and wanting to be a part of that winning culture.”

Keeping quality players around is essential to any winning program, but when those guys are homegrown talents who were drafted and developed by the franchise, it resonates a bit differently.

“When you’re a year away from free agency, you have the world in your hands. You can do what you want,” said Stamkos, who is closing out an eight-year deal worth US$64 million that he signed in 2016 and is looking for a new deal of his own. “Like any organization, when your best players want to be part of that, it definitely sends a message.”

Chatting inside the visitors’ locker room roughly six weeks after the deal was signed, Scheifele reiterated the reasons it was important to him to stick around.

“I have a lot of really good friends here and you don’t want to say goodbye to those guys. You don’t want to say goodbye to guys that have been around for so long,” said Scheifele, who has watched a number of close friends depart via trade, free agency or even a buyout. “You can’t just say it’s one thing (that made him stick around). It’s a multitude of things that went into that decision. I’m obviously very happy with it.”

Of course, getting a raise and the security of a contract that runs through the 2030-31 season brings with it a financial element that is important.

Scheifele’s motivation stretched beyond mere dollars. There is a legacy component that comes along with it, too, even if he isn’t all that comfortable delving into those details.

“I signed an eight-year deal coming out of my entry-level (contract) and you take that with great pride, knowing that you’re going to be here for a long time,” he said. “Then you sign a seven-year deal. Are there times in the last couple of years where you are unsure about what’s really going on?”

The answer was yes, though a heart-to-heart conversation with Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff during the negotiation process erased any doubts he may have had about his future.

“Every day you’ve got to work your hardest and every day, you’ve got to give it your all and expect a lot out of yourself and that the work never stops.”–Mark Scheifele

“To understand where they saw me and where they saw the team going, when you hear that and you have those conversations, you feel a responsibility,” said Scheifele. “It’s the Spiderman quote: ‘With great power comes great responsibility.’ That’s something that I think about every day.

“Every day you’ve got to work your hardest and every day, you’ve got to give it your all and expect a lot out of yourself and that the work never stops.”

For a guy who was the first draft pick of the Jets 2.0 era in June of 2011 inside Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn., it’s been a remarkable ride — though he’s hoping the best is still on the horizon.

“Wildest dreams, he never thought that all of this would happen, but there’s still lots to come,” said Scheifele, asked what his 18-year-old self would think of what has transpired. “It’s one of those things where you never would have thought in a million years that this would happen, but you’ve got to continue to (stay) humble, keep growing and that’s all you can really do.”

ken.wiebe@freepress.mb.ca

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