‘A great change,’ Perfetti

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This article was published 14/09/2022 (1142 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

There was a back-to-school feeling down at Bell MTS Iceplex on Wednesday, with members of the Winnipeg Jets organization formally gathering for the first time since last spring.

There will be no shortage of teaching opportunities in the coming days and weeks, with an entirely new approach on the curriculum. Manitoba Moose head coach Mark Morrison, who is leading the group of Young Stars players into Penticton this weekend, says a crash course is already underway.

“One of the things happening here is there’s a new head coach and systems are changing. This is really the start of the systems changing with these guys,” Morrison said of the biggest priority under new Jets bench boss Rick Bowness, associate coach Scott Arniel and assistants Brad Lauer and Marty Johnston.

“We’re going to have to implement some systems stuff with them and see how that works out. They’ll be interested to see how that works out but it’s going to be a work-in-progress and it’s going to take some time and we’re going to have to be patient, especially with this group.”

Forward Cole Perfetti, a real student of the game, gave out high marks based on what he’s seen so far.

“I’m not going to give away exactly what we’re doing but it’s definitely new,” said Perfetti.

“It’s what they used I think in Dallas and with other teams (Bowness) has been with. It’s definitely transition. It’s new for us. We’re going to learn and there’s going to be some mistakes that we make and we’re going to have to learn from that. But we’re learning now and we’re going to use it camp and pre-season, all that kind of stuff, to get us up to speed. I think it’s going to be a great change for us and really help us, our play style. It’s going to benefit us down the road. It’s really exciting to learn the new system and meet all the new coaches and new faces and work with them. It’s been great so far.”

A large contingent of Jets regulars are already in town ahead of training camp next week and have been holding informal skates every morning for the past week or so. Perfetti has taken part in several, saying the focus is clear.

“For everyone, it was a long summer. When you don’t make the playoffs, we’ve been done since May. I think everyone’s really sick and tired of working out, skating by themselves,” he said. “It’s a different feel when you come back, start seeing the guys and hanging out with them and building that relationship as a team again. It was great to come in the other day and see everyone and catch up, see how their summer was. There’s a lot of excitement and buzz around the team.”

The Jets were often too easy to play against last year as they missed the playoffs. With very few changes to the roster this summer, internal improvement seems to be the gameplan. Morrison said it starts this weekend, and is as much about a mindset as anything.

“We talked this morning with the group and there are some things we want to do, and the biggest thing is we want to compete,” said Morrison. “And not just compete, but we want to be the hardest competing team there. I think, really, what we want to look for at the end of the day is getting these guys some ice time and getting them up to standards so when they get to camp, they can go. I think that’s about it.”

The Young Stars roster is a mix of high-end prospects such as Perfetti, Chaz Lucius and Brad Lambert, mid and late-round draft picks, and even undrafted free agents here on tryouts. Morrison said everyone is starting with the same clean slate.

“One-hundred per cent it is, for all these guys,” he said.

“This is an opportunity for them to show. They get a chance to see what they got. But the biggest thing we want to see that they do here is compete. We want to be the hardest competing group. Everybody on this team wants to compete hard and show everybody what they got. That’s our message to them — be the team that competes the hardest. If they all do that, and they’ll get a look.”

mike.mcintyre@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @mikemcintyrewpg