Chevy says Slater, Scheifele, Maurice keys

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This article was published 10/10/2014 (4355 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

GLENDALE, Ariz. — As he enters his fourth season in charge of the NHL’s Winnipeg Jets, GM Kevin Cheveldayoff spoke Thursday about the run-up to the 2014-15 campaign. Chatting with reporters after the team’s morning skate at Gila River Arena, here are the three most pertinent subjects the GM addressed:

Q: Why do you think the team will be better this season?

Kevin Cheveldayoff: On paper, there are 30 teams out there that are saying they’ve improved themselves. The wonderful thing about this game is that now you get to go and compete. We’ve changed some things on the fourth line — getting a player like T.J. (Galiardi) in there and hopefully having (Jim) Slater getting back up to speed. T.J. has had experience in different parts of the game and I think it will give our fourth line some depth and some real good options in that regard. Obviously Jimmy’s faceoffs were missed sorely by the organization when he went down, so hopefully that will help. With the addition of (Mathieu) Perreault — the game has to be played and they have to compete — faceoffs could become a strength, or at least not as much of a detriment. So if you can start with the puck, that’s a good place to start.

I’m really encouraged with the summer that Mark Scheifele put in and the testing scores that came back. It just shows the maturity of a young player wanting to take the next step. The fitness level and the commitment level that the players from top to bottom have shown coming into training camp, you guys all saw the first couple of days and it wasn’t, ‘Let’s ease into this.’ It was, ‘Get it going.’ There were some messages sent at the end of the year last year when Paul (Maurice) took over.

We feel we’re going to be a better team.

Q: What have you discovered about Paul Maurice you didn’t know when you brought him in last January?

K.C.: For a person like Paul to take on the challenge like ours, to take on the challenge the way he did (with no long-term guarantee), it just shows the confidence he has. There are lots of people in this world that are very confident in what they do and what they believe but his confidence is a humble confidence. It’s just a ‘Go out there and roll up your sleeves’ kind of confidence. It’s a positive confidence, not a Pollyanna one.

He comes to the rink each and every day, regardless of what happened the night before, he’s got a feeling that he imparts on the rest of the group around him, be it his coaches or his players — today’s a new day, let’s attack it, let’s jump at it, let’s go for it. In this game and the 82 games of ups and downs that go with it, that’s where the experience really starts to shine through. He’s been there, he’s seen the highs, seen the lows, but it’s how you handle it. It’s how the players watch you handle it.

Being around him, you just see that every day. His hockey knowledge… just sit there and watch a hockey game with him and it’s just an enjoyable time to be around him. He’s very to-the-point. He’ll look you straight in the eyes and tell you.

Through training camp you go through cuts and go through different things like that. We all sit in the room and talk to the kids and it’s a very disappointing time for some of them. For some, it’s a revealing time. You go through your spiel from the organization’s side, but when you hear Paul talk to the players and basically tell it like it is, and see the players’ reactions, you see there’s a special coach-player bond that develops very quickly.

Q: What’s the background to acquiring Peter Budaj this week?

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K.C.: Even as far back as July 1, we said our goal was to try to have another goalie within the organization that would compete for the backup job and the jobs within the organization. As the summer unfolded there were different opportunities. This situation worked well for us, budget-wise and fulfilling depth within the organization. Connor Hellebuyck is going to be put into a rookie situation there (in the AHL) and you want to be able to think about development as well. It’s important that he plays and if we do get into a situation here where there’s an injury, (he’ll need to) continue to play.

We knew there were some risks to it with respect to him being claimed on waivers, but it was worth the opportunity.

There was a level of shock as to how things unfolded, but when we did our homework on him as a person, you’d be hard-pressed to find anybody to ever say a bad word about him. His work ethic is legendary. We’re real fortunate to have him.

tim.campbell@freepress.mb.ca