Dazzling debutants come up big

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This article was published 18/04/2024 (508 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It’s often not a good thing when the coach wants to see you in his office.

But rather than be taken to task by Manitoba Moose bench boss Mark Morrison for something they’d done wrong, Brad Lambert and Nikita Chibrikov were on the receiving end of some terrific news: They were headed to the NHL.

The two rookie skaters got the promotion shortly after Wednesday night’s game in Milwaukee, triggering a hectic 24-hour span in which they arrived in Winnipeg too late for Thursday’s morning skate, but early enough to be in the lineup as the Jets closed out the regular-season against the Vancouver Canucks.

Safe to say they both made the most of the opportunity as the Jets opted to rest a number of regulars. And then some.

Lambert, 20, showed off his speed and skill early and often, not to mention poise with the puck that comes from polishing his game in the AHL. Centering a line with Gabe Vilardi and Alex Iafallo, the Finnish product recorded his first big-league assist when he started an offensive zone cycle play that ended with Vilardi’s 22nd goal of the year in the first period.

“Dream come true,” said Lambert. “Unbelievable feeling when I figured out that I was going to play. It didn’t feel real at first.”

Chibrikov, 21, then one-upped his teammate early, taking a pass from Nino Niederreiter and ripping a shot past Thatcher Demko early in the third period to give Winnipeg a 3-2 lead in what would prove to be the game-winner.

“It’s like the dream that starts from your first steps on the ice,” Chibrikov said. “You live for this every day. I’m really excited to be here, and thankful for the opportunity from the Jets.”

Lambert is having quite a week, having been named to the AHL All-rookie team on Wednesday after posting a team-leading 54 points (2p goals, 34 assists) in 63 Moose games this year. That is second in first-year AHL players behind only Logan Stankoven, who is now a full-time player with Dallas after being summoned from the Texas Stars.

Hard to believe the 30th pick in the 2022 draft was playing in Canada Life Centre just 11 months ago as a member of the Seattle Thunderbirds, who beat the Winnipeg Ice in the WHL Final to advance to the Memorial Cup.

His parents were in attendance on Thursday night, and cameras showed them beaming with pride after he registered his assist and the puck was removed from play to be put aside as a cherished souvenir.

Chibrikov, the 50th-overall pick in 2021, has 46 points (17 goals and 29 assists) in 69 games with the Moose, and showed off his gritty nose for the net in scoring his goal. Unfortunately, none of his family could make it to Winnipeg in time.

“They were watching online from Russia,” he said. “Nino made a great look for me and I just tried to make a shot to the open space. First emotions were you couldn’t believe it. Unbelievable.”

Jets coach Rick Bowness, who has presided over hundreds of NHL debuts during his 40 years behind an NHL bench, offered up some sage advice to the youngsters, who took the customary “hot lap” together during the pre-game warmup.

“Go out and enjoy it. You’ve worked your whole life to get here. Just enjoy the game,” Bowness said.

“And we know they’ll be excited, we know they’ll be nervous. And again when they’re playing that well down there they deserve a shot. But the most important thing is it’s a game they’re going to remember for the rest of their lives, and we want them to enjoy it.”

They certainly did.

A third rookie, Parker Ford, was also called up Thursday, but he didn’t play. However, he did take part in the warmup and will collect NHL pay for a day or two.

Expect Lambert, Chibrikov and Ford to all be returned to the Moose on Friday, re-joining the club in Texas as they close out their regular-season with back-to-back games against the Stars. They’ll remain in the Lonestar State as the Moose and Stars face off next week in a best-of-three first round series.

If Winnipeg’s playoff run outlasts that of the farm club, there’s a good chance they’ll be back in town as members of the so-called “black aces,” the group of extras that teams typically carry in the postseason once roster limits and the salary cap have been removed.

“It helps, obviously, confidence-wise. To be able to see what you can do. Now I know what the pace is like and what the standard is,” said Lambert. “There’s still a lot of work to do. I know what I need to improve on.”

mike.mcintyre@freepress.mb.ca

X: @mikemcintyrewpg