Jets D-man Poolman used to empty seats

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This article was published 23/07/2020 (1900 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

WINNIPEG Jets defenceman Tucker Poolman admits he’s played in a fan-free environment before, although that was owing to a pandemic of apathy.

Support for his junior squad in northern Texas during the 2011-12 campaign was in short supply.

“My first year after high school, my 18-year-old year, I played (in the) North American (Hockey) League and the franchise (the Wichita Falls Wild Cats), the team I was playing for, we didn’t get many fans so I got some good experience playing with no fans there,” Poolman, speaking after Thursday’s skate, said with a smile. “You’ve just got to learn it’s a hockey game. You got to get up for them no matter what. It will be playoff hockey. It will be fun.”

The 27-year-old product of East Grand Forks, Minn., in his first full season in the NHL, was referring to the Jets’ upcoming qualifying-round series with the Calgary Flames. The survivor of the best-of-five series in the Western Conference hub city of Edmonton moves on to the round of 16 in the chase for the Stanley Cup.

Spectators won’t be allowed inside Rogers Place. Players, team and league staff must remain in the bubble for the duration of the NHL postseason, and that includes the swanky new home of the Oilers, all training facilities and hotels.

As for trash-talking to up the volume in the quiet building, Poolman scoffed.

“That’s not been part of my game too much,” he said. “I don’t know if that’s something you need to practise… you either got it or you don’t.”

Poolman, who is skating on the third pairing with Nathan Beaulieu, said he spent months waiting and wondering if a resumption of the 2019-20 season was in the cards.

Getting summoned back to Manitoba for summer training camp, was, indeed a blessing.

“There’s a physical side to it as far as keeping your body right and getting it ready, but the mental as far as we went into the pause and no one really knew what was going on, no one had a real timeline, it was just kind of like, ‘Are we off a month? Are we even going to play?’ So it was just, mentally, trying to stay into it was definitely odd,” he said.

“I think once everyone — speaking for myself — once I got to Winnipeg, it felt like another training camp at the start of the year although we’re not heading into the regular season, we’re heading into the playoffs. Once I got here, it was kind of work-mode type feeling.”

Poolman, who notched four goals and added 12 assists in 57 games this year, had his eyes opened to playoff-style hockey when suited up for a pair of games against the Minnesota Wild in the opening round of the 2018 playoffs.

That past experience, though limited, should help provide a level of comfort, with crunch time just over a week away.

“What I draw on from those couple of games is how simple the game turned into in the playoffs compared to the regular season. There’s certain things where it’s just simple and hard. Guys weren’t playing with the puck as much,” he said. “That was kind of the mentality the guys were playing with in the games that I remember. So, that’s something I think I can use going into these games.”

Ehlers misses scrimmage

Jets winger Nikolaj Ehlers skated in drills Thursday but didn’t participate in a 25-minute scrimmage afterward.

Any hopes of an update from Maurice during his Zoom chat with media about the speedy Dane’s early exit were quickly dashed.

“I didn’t want him to scrimmage today. That’s it. I don’t think I can tell you a whole lot more,” he said.

The Jets have today off and then skate Saturday morning and again early Sunday before flying to Edmonton late in the day.

jason.bell@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @WFPJasonBell