Jets young guns get their shot at tourney

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This article was published 28/08/2017 (2941 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Winnipeg Jets will once again send a squad to Penticton, B.C., for the annual Young Stars Classic in September. 

Blue-liner Logan Stanley, who won a Memorial Cup with the Windsor Spitfires, will be on Winnipeg’s roster for the four-team tournament Sept. 7-11. Highly touted defenceman Tucker Poolman, who turned pro earlier this year after playing at the University of North Dakota, is also on the roster despite having off-season shoulder surgery.

A team spokesman said Poolman’s status won’t be determined until closer to the tournament.

Only two teenagers drafted this summer in Chicago — forward Skyler McKenzie and defenceman Leon Gawanke — are on Winnipeg’s roster making the trip to B.C., and will take on youngsters from the Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers and Vancouver Canucks organizations.

Finnish-born forward Kristian Vesalainen, taken by the Jets with the 24th-overall pick in the 2017 NHL Draft, won’t participate in the tournament. Neither will defencemen Dylan Samberg and Johnny Kovacevic, also drafted by the Jets this year.

Kyle Connor and Jack Roslovic, both 2015 first-rounders who had solid pro seasons with the Manitoba Moose in 2016-17, won’t be on Winnipeg’s prospects team. Several players on amateur tryouts will be on the squad heading west.

Moose coaches Pascal Vincent, Eric Dubois and Marty Johnston will be running Winnipeg’s bench in Penticton. The group will be on the ice together for the first time at Bell MTS Iceplex on Sept. 7 at 12:30 p.m.

Radio TSN1290 will carry all three Jets games, while games can be viewed online live on winnipegjets.com.