Leaving Raleigh easy

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 26/02/2015 (3913 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

As a home city, Raleigh, N.C., is one of the preferred locations in the NHL, so it’s unusual to hear a player say he was happy to leave.

New Winnipeg Jets left-winger Jiri Tlusty said exactly that on Thursday, and it was based on hockey.

The 26-year-old pending unrestricted free agent was acquired Wednesday by the Jets for a third-round draft pick next year and a conditional pick in the fifth or sixth round this year.

“When things change, it kind of helps you,” Tlusty said upon arrival at the MTS Centre for a few minutes of Thursday’s game-day skate. “I went through one trade already, from Toronto to Raleigh (in 2009). It was kind of a boost.

“I’m going to be so excited to play for the Jets right now. We are in the playoffs right now and (want) to make sure we’re going to clinch the playoff. It’s just a different story than being with the bottom teams in the east in that division. It’s just so much more fun being in the hunt or being in a playoff spot, knowing you are (not) on the bottom.

“And with my status, UFA after the season, I definitely understand the move and I was happy with it.”

The Carolina Hurricanes are currently last in the Metropolitan Division and 15th out of 16 in the Eastern Conference.

In his Jets debut Thursday against the Blues, Tlusty skated on a line with centre Mark Scheifele and winger Drew Stafford, who moved back to the right wing.

Tlusty said he was expecting a move.

“It was clear that UFAs wouldn’t be staying in Raleigh,” he said. “I was prepacked already. When I heard the news, they kind of rushed me out of Raleigh.”

A bonus of this move for Tlusty and the Jets is he’s now on a team with two of his best friends from home in Czech Republic, goalie Ondrej Pavelec and right-winger Michael Frolik.

Having known both since he was eight or nine years old, he said, he played youth hockey with Frolik and has played in the world championships with Pavelec.

“It was always fun,” Tlusty said. “We were great friends since we were little, sleepovers and stuff like that. So it was definitely nice when I heard I was coming over here, nice knowing someone over here already and having two great friends on the team.”

“It’s an unusual situation, not just three players who know each other but players coming from a faraway land to land on the same team,” Jets coach Paul Maurice said. “You’re hopeful when you bring a new guy in that there are some connections in the room. It makes that transition so much easier.”

Tlusty said he was expecting some move.

“When I heard the news, I was really excited about leaving Raleigh,” he said. “It was hard but I know I’m excited to be over here and part of the Jets. And it makes things easier that I have two great buddies on the team.”

Tlusty also has a long relationship with defenceman Jay Harrison from their previous stops in Toronto and Carolina.

“Obviously I think it’s a real exciting addition for our team,” Harrison said Thursday. “He’s got some great skill, he’s a great teammate, and I think he’s really going to help our hockey club. He’s a great finisher. He has an ability to skate with the high-end guys.”

Harrison said Tlusty is a good fit because of his personality.

“He’s speaks amazing locker-room English,” Harrison said. “It’s little things about the game that you see. There are European guys who learn English formally and guys who learned English in the locker-room. He’s got every catchphrase you can imagine. It’s really neat, the really fun part that he gels in well with the guys.”

tim.campbell@freepress.mb.ca