‘It’s awesome to be out here’ Everybody wins when Jets players mentor youth hockey players By: Mike McIntyre Posted: 5:20 PM CST Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024 Last Modified: 5:54 PM CST Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024 Updates

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It’s a heartwarming scene on a cold winter night.

Winnipeg Jets forward Morgan Barron and defenceman Dylan Samberg are putting a dozen teenage girls through their paces as they help run a hockey practice at Camp Manitou’s beautiful outdoor rink on Monday. There’s no shortage of hearty laughs and frosty smiles to be had.

“It’s very motivating. Like really motivating,” says 14-year-old Kaileen Monias. “It’s a good feeling to have them around.”

“They are really kind since we are so young and not as skilled as them,” adds her Grade 9 teammate, Canari Yonas, who is decked out head-to-toe in Jets gear. “They are so understanding. They have a lot of knowledge which they can pass down to us.”

Who’s getting more out of this? It’s honestly hard to tell.

“Every time we come you feel really good about it,” says Barron, who jumped at the chance to get involved in the first year of this unique community program.

“It seems like they’re really improving. It’s fun to go out to a practice and see them interact socially and how close some of them are with each other. I wish we could be out here more often.”

Run through the Winnipeg Jets Hockey Academy, seven minor teams now have a big-league mentor (or two), which was a product of so many players jumping at the chance to get involved.

“This is great. I hadn’t heard of anything quite like this before,” says Samberg. “To be able to do this, to be a part of it to try and make those young girls’ days, it’s awesome to be out here. And it’s good for us, it makes us feel good. It’s important that we get out here. Not just for them, but for us.”

Director Murray Cobb was hoping to find a few volunteers to work with boys and girls teams in the U11, U13 and U15 age range, along with a U18 boys team, as an idea he’d long had — one which was about to take flight just when the pandemic hit — finally got off the ground.

By the time the initial meeting was over last fall, Samberg and Barron were joined by Adam Lowry, Josh Morrissey, Vlad Namestnikov, Nino Niederreiter, Mark Scheifele, Cole Perfetti, Mason Appleton, Neal Pionk and Gabe Vilardi.

“The response was awesome. It was like boom, yes, yes, yes, to the point it was almost a problem in that we had more than we need,” says Cobb.

“The kids are loving it obviously, but the players are genuinely loving it. They’re happy, they’re having fun, they’re answering my texts, they’re asking about playoff scores. Like a lot of things in life, when you get a bit more of a connection rather than a one-off appearance, you do kind of get that interest.”

The easy solution was doubling up in some cases. Morrissey (U11 girls), Appleton (U11 boys), Lowry and Vilardi (U13 girls), Niederreiter (U13 boys), Samberg and Barron (U15 girls), Scheifele and Perfetti (U15 boys) and Pionk and Vilardi (U18 boys) were off and running, with the idea of attending a handful of practices and games during the season.

“I think it’s been pretty inspiring for the girls,” says Nicole McAlpine, the head coach of the U15 girls team.

“To see these Winnipeg celebrities, someone from the TV in their presence, I think it’s really cool for the girls. It gives them a lot more motivation and encourages them to stick with hockey and the sport. The smiles on their faces are just insane.”

Some background and context about the program: The WJHA partners with 20 schools in what are viewed as higher-risk locations, with the idea of identifying some potential hockey players who just haven’t got the chance for whatever reason — often financial.

“It’s about opening doors to kids to try the sport, and trying to embrace diversity and inclusion,” says Cobb. In the case of Yonas, her family is originally from Eritrea and she was awarded a $1,000 scholarship in 2020 from the Black Girl Hockey Club, a non-profit in the U.S. dedicated to advocating for more Black women in hockey.

It all began in 2015 with funding for a pair of U11 teams, which have now expanded to the full fleet of seven as kids age through the program. They compete under the Winnipeg Minor Hockey Association umbrella, playing at an A3 level, with approximately 135 players on those rosters.

“It’s about opening doors to kids to try the sport, and trying to embrace diversity and inclusion.”–Murray Cobb

There are an additional 35 to 40 skaters who have improved their skills so much they are now playing at levels as high as AA while continuing to receive financial support.

“We’d never want to hold them back,” says Cobb. “But it’s all about consistency and long-term development.”

Samberg and Barron have seen, and heard, about the big steps firsthand. Their first meeting with their team came in early January, as the U15 squad was facing an opponent that beat them 7-0 in an earlier game. On that night, with the two Jets helping McAlpine behind the bench, the end result was a hard-fought 5-3 loss.

“That was a win in our eyes,” says McAlpine, who has been with the WJHA program since it began and was the Manitoba recipient of the 2020 Hockey Canada “Female Coach of the Year” award for her tireless work.

“I never look at the games like if we win or lose. I always look at the little wins for our team. We were in the game the whole time, their adrenaline was pumping the whole time. (Samberg and Barron) were giving them all kinds of advice. It’s really cool to see as a coach. For them to step in and the girls to listen so well and efficiently, it’s like they’ve known the kids for years.”

Obviously, the schedule of a professional hockey player can be challenging, with days off being a rarity. Donating some valuable time, however, can be priceless, especially in a small NHL market like Winnipeg where community connections are everything.

“It seems like a really good program, and it’s something we’re really comfortable with,” says Barron.

The Jets, through chairman Mark Chipman, have recently admitted to mistakes when it comes to community engagement as they now try to rebuild a ticket base that has taken a major hit. This type of grassroots approach is likely a key to long-term success.

“I’ve been a Jets fans for a long time. They are really understanding and supportive around us,” says Monias, who has five older siblings who also play hockey, which she’s been doing since the age of eight.

“No matter where you are, you always have amazing people around you. For me, it just keeps me at peace. Like, oh, I’m playing hockey today!”

As this particular practice winds down, all the talk is about the U15 team’s first playoff game days earlier — a thrilling 5-4 win that keeps them on the A-side.

Samberg and Barron are generous to hand out glove and stick taps for a job well done.

As a reward, McAlpine has brought some donuts, which the girls share with their two Jets mentors in the dressing room afterwards, while also collecting a few autographs.

They’ll meet again in a few weeks, when the entire team attends a Jets home game, then visits with Samberg, Barron and their teammates after the fact.

“They really are keeping the spirits high, keeping the kids encouraged and wanting to play,” says McAlpine. “It’s just been amazing to see how much support they want to give the kids. And seeing the smiles on all their faces pulls at your heartstrings. They would likely never get these kinds of opportunities.”

Growing up in Minnesota, Samberg remembers having some college hockey players visit his youth teams and how much that meant to him as he was starting out in the sport.

“Now it’s kind of cool to be on the opposite side of the spectrum and be able to give back,” he says. “It’s just so nice to chat with them, and it seems like they’re having a lot of fun, which is great. That’s the most important thing right now at this stage. Hopefully they keep playing. That’s what you want to do. Grow the game, and give back.”

mike.mcintyre@freepress.mb.ca

X: @mikemcintyrewpg