Life so much better at top of the food chain

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 16/09/2011 (5128 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

THE past couple of years they tried desperately to get out of the home dressing room at the MTS Centre and now they’ll do just about anything to stay.

They were Manitoba Moose and always on the lookout for a move out of Winnipeg and up to the NHL, but now they want to be Jets with permanent residences right here.

“I’m excited to be back in Winnipeg and would like to hang around here as long as possible,” said defenceman Mark Flood, who was a regular with the Moose last season. “It’s exciting to be here in a different type of atmosphere and with the NHL.”

Flood, Jason Jaffray, Travis Ramsey, Marco Rosa, Shawn Weller and Kevin Clark were all with the Moose last season and they’ll be in Jets camp when it opens on Saturday morning.

“There’s opportunity here. There’s a couple of injuries up front and a couple of open spots. That’s all you can ask for going into camp. I have to have a good camp and outplay a bunch of guys,” said Jaffray, among the best players ever to wear a Moose jersey.

Flood was an alternate captain with the Moose last season and played a big role in the dressing room but will now lurk in the shadows.

“It’s a little bit different. Same building, same ice, same trainers but different stakes,” said Flood. “Last year we were in a comfort zone here but now we’re just trying to fit in. These guys are NHL stars and deserve to be treated that way and we just need to keep our mouths shut and go about our business.”

Jaffray is well liked by Jets management, including assistant GM Craig Heisnger and coach Claude Noel. They know his game inside and out.

“I think it’s an advantage,” said Jaffray, who tore up his knee in training camp last season with the Anaheim Ducks and made a gutsy comeback with the Moose at playoff time. “The more people you know in the game the better. Playing under Claude — I kind of joked with him the other day that now that my knee is better I’m going to be way faster. The coach knows that I’m responsible out there and I understand the defensive end of the game and that I’m very versatile. I’m going out there with the mindset that I have to prove myself but management knows what I can do.”

Charity, ticket info

The Jets have called two press conferences for today.

This morning, the team is expected to unveil its new plans for its charitable foundation. It was known as the Moose Yearling Foundation in the AHL Manitoba Moose years.

This afternoon, the club is expected to make public the details of how and when game tickets will be available to the general public. The team sold 13,000 season tickets in early June, so there aren’t an abundance of tickets remaining for games.

Heavy traffic

When the players hit the ice for their first training camp session on Saturday the MTS Iceplex will be a busy place.

Practices are scheduled in three groups, at 9 a.m., 10:45 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.

The Jets said Thursday that the Iceplex will be holding its usual daily activities while the NHL team is practising — there are four ice surfaces in the facility — so expect some congestion if you’re planning to attend.

Wellwood excited

One of the final arrivals to the city this week ahead of Winnipeg Jets camp is forward Kyle Wellwood.

The 28-year-old centre was signed just last Friday and after having played for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Vancouver Canucks and San Jose Sharks, as well as in the KHL for part of last season, he’s as eager as anyone for the fresh start that Winnipeg offers in so many ways.

“Talking to management, they’ve got a fresh start for everybody,” Wellwood said this week, also referring to relocated Atlanta Thrashers players.

“They know enough about my game to know that I can play. Everybody’s got a chance to earn their spot on the team and that’s what they’ll look at.”

gary.lawless@freepress.mb.ca tim.campbell@freepress.mb.ca