Comparing season one to season two:

Kevin Cheveldayoff

In hindsight was there a move in late March/early April he could have made to get his team in playoffs:

Kevin Cheveldayoff

Will Claude Noel be back as head coach of the Jets:

Kevin Cheveldayoff

With so many players contract status in the air, will team look a lot different next season:

Kevin Cheveldayoff

With cap coming down, does he expect market to be exciting for the Jets:

Kevin Cheveldayoff

Oilers MacT said there would be significant and meaningful change in Edmonton with 6-8 new players, is that the sort of image he has for this club:

Kevin Cheveldayoff

Injury updates (Kane, Stuart, Enstrom, Slater):

Kevin Cheveldayoff

Moving to the West, does he need to tweak his roster:

Kevin Cheveldayoff

Play of Dustin Byfuglien:

Kevin Cheveldayoff

Preparing to make a bigger splash this summer potentially:

Kevin Cheveldayoff

What pieces does he need next year to be a better hockey club:

Kevin Cheveldayoff

Follow-up to the above questions, asked for a specific:

Kevin Cheveldayoff

Impatience from fan base, what can he say to that segment of the base:

Kevin Cheveldayoff

Prospect talk (Scheifele/Trouba mentioned):

Kevin Cheveldayoff

Play of Ondrej Pavelec:

Kevin Cheveldayoff

We also have the end of season interviews from the Jets players and Coach Noel.

GM Cheveldayoff -  Mark Scheifele talk.  Long term team goals.  Zach Redmond.  Alexander Burmistrov.

Audio courtesy of TSN Radio 1290.

Fans are concerned with the news system and so Jim Ludlow, President & Chief Executive Officer of True North addressed those concerns in today’s press conference.

Jim Ludlow

Audio courtesy of TSN Radio 1290.

Addressing the trade to get the negotiating rights for Jonas Gustavsson as well as having 3 goalies in the fold:

Chevy

Mechanics of the Gustavsson trade:

Chevy

What does he like about Gustavsson’s game?

Chevy

Does it mean you’re moving on from Chris Mason?

Chevy

Adding the Sutter name, case of good bloodlines?

Chevy

Thoughts on today’s picks.

Chevy

On drafting Jacob Trouba:

“He’s someone that provides a lot of different qualities that we’re looking at in acquiring players. He’s a big strong defender that will be tough to play against, he loves to play a hard hitting game. But his character is something that is exceptional as well. He’s been a captain on different teams, and loves to play the game, from all aspects of it we’re happy and the draft is so unpredictable we’re very fortunate to get him where we were.”

On where Trouba ranked on the list:

“We didn’t get to the ninth guy, but he was well up on our list. As it started to unfold and get closer and closer to our pick, we started to get an air of excitement that there was the possibility that he would fall into our lap.”

On the qualities Trouba possesses:

“I met him at the combine, had some great conversations with him. He’s a genuine kid, he’s got real good charisma, you can just tell that he’s got a personality; he loves to play the game. He was very relaxed, very confident in the interview, but the way he plays the game, he plays it with a real passion, and excitement for the game. With his size, and with the strength and size we hope he’s going to continue to put on, we’re very excited about that.”

On the possibility of calling up the 9th overall pick before his four year term at the University of Michigan is complete:

“Obviously we’ll see how things progress, but again it’s all about continued development for him. I think it will be a good opportunity for him to be in a good program and play. At the end of the day, it’s no different than any other player, when he’s ready to play, we’ll make the push to see him play.”

“Anytime you have a young player, you have to be patient, that’s just the way it goes. He’s a piece of the future puzzle for us, when the future becomes the now, we’ll see how that all unfolds.”

On the number  of times he saw Trouba play in person:

“Three or four times actually, probably as recently as the tournament in Europe at the end of the season. He’s someone that’s shown good leadership ability with all the teams that he’s played; his teams have had success ultimately on the championship side of things. He’s excited to be a hockey player, and excited to be a Jet.”

“He is someone that competes very hard in all aspects of the game ,that’s why you love those kids when they play in those kind of tournaments where they are representing their country where there’s lots on the line, because those games matter. They go to become formative towards their character. The wins do some things for them, but the losses instruct as well.”

On the trade discussions involving the pick:

“There was a lot of talk, but there was not a lot that really transpired, obviously there weren’t any deals that were made. As it turns out, we didn’t have to move up to get someone in an area we would have to move up for.”

On the reaction at the draft table after Pittsburgh acquired the 8th overall pick:

“Anytime there is a trade that’s made involving a pick that’s right in front of you. You kind of wonder what they are thinking. You at least have studied the teams above you, before the pick to see what their needs might be, or where it might go. Certainly when that trade was made, you’re sitting there for a couple of seconds and wondering.”

On the strategy for the rest of the draft:

“There hasn’t been much sleep at all leading up to this, but that’s the excitement about it, now thirty picks are in the books, you take a look at your list and see where different things may fall into place. Obviously there’s still some picks ahead of us in the second round that leads to some unpredictability. I think, like you’ve seen in the first round, there will be some interesting selections all over the map in the second and subsequent rounds.”

On the type of players the Jets are looking for during day two:

 “There are obviously many different needs within the organization that you hope to address at different areas. Taking a defenseman with the first pick certainly adds to the stable of prospects in those regards. But you really have to look long and hard a the people who are around when your pick is coming up. Do you tend to shift towards to a position, but again, you have to look at the names that are around there.”

On the progress made in negotiations with the Jets’ RFAs.

“Not much (progress was made in negotiations), today was mostly a day of focusing on the draft. Tomorrow will be as well. Tomorrow’s going to be an interesting day, because as long as it took for one round today you’ll probably squeeze the rest of the draft in. Things will happen at a different pace tomorrow, and certainly you have to be on your toes from a selection standpoint. That’s going to be the main focus of the day.”

GM Cheveldayoff – The Jets 1st year GM breaks down the Jets inaugural season.

True North CEO Jim Ludlow unveils the new Winnipeg Jets mobile app

From the official press release:

True North Sports & Entertainment Limited and MTS today announced the launch of the official Winnipeg Jets™ mobile app.  Powered by MTS, the Official Winnipeg Jets app is free and will be available to users across Apple, BlackBerry, and Android platforms.  The app features a variety of content designed to help Jets fans keep up-to-date with their favourite team.

“The Winnipeg Jets are constantly exploring new and innovative ways to stay connected with their fans,” said Jim Ludlow, President & CEO, True North Sports & Entertainment Limited. “We are excited about this opportunity on behalf of our fans to stay on the leading edge in digital and mobile interactivity with our technology partner, MTS.  Less than half the teams in the NHL offer official team mobile apps, and less than a third make them available across all three platforms.  We are proud to remain at the forefront of what fans expect from their sports teams.”

The Jets app provides immediate access to a huge amount of Winnipeg Jets content that fans will have at their fingertips, on eligible devices, from virtually any location.  The Jets app will include live scores, player bios, stats, league standings, Jets photos, content from jets.nhl.com, content from Jets TV as well as Facebook, Twitter and fan blog updates.

The free app will be available from Apple’s iTunes Store, RIM’s App World, and Google’s Android Marketplace.

“Winnipeg Jets fans have a well-deserved reputation for being the most enthusiastic in the NHL, and this app gives them a fantastic new way to stay connected to their team,” said Stan Kurtas, MTS’s Vice-President of Marketing.  “MTS is very proud to be involved in this initiative as it adds yet another layer to the strong and fulfilling relationship between MTS and True North. The need for a Jets app was made evident by the overwhelming response the return of the team generated throughout our province. Whether they are looking for live box scores or Coach Noel’s post-game wrap-ups, this app will deliver all the content fans want.”

The app is essentially the Winnipeg Jets official website with the visual interface to allow for use on a mobile device. The ability to look quickly at the schedule, statistics, photos or videos will now be readily available at your fingertips. Updates to the app will be made continuously, some yet to be available features are; Ticketmaster integration, JetsGear and the ability to order concessions from your seat at MTS Centre. While the app already has the necessary functions, it has potential to do much more.

I would love to give a review and some screenshots after using the app, unfortunately it is not yet available on both Blackberry devices I own (Blackberry Bold 9780 OS 6, Blackberry Playbook OS 2.0), however MTS’ is committed to making the app available on all devices. They said it should be available by the end of the month on all other devices, my fingers are crossed.

While I go find a friend with an iPad or iPhone to test it out, for those of you that have already downloaded and used the app, what are your first impressions?

To download the app visit www.WinnipegJets.com/app

Winnipeg Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff addressed the media this afternoon after the conclusion of trade deadline day. Chevy made two moves today, sending defenseman Johnny Oduya to Chicago for two draft picks and acquiring defenseman Grant Clitsome off of waivers from Columbus.

Listen to the media conference here.

Coach Noel – Wide ranging presser covering Kane/Stapleton injuries, discussed Kane’s linemates and expected playing time.  The manner in which he motivates players.  Talks about Wellwood’s maturity.  Expectations of the Leafs and much more.

Please Note: The audio is not working to play on site in Google Chrome, in order to listen click “download” or use another browser (Firefox is our recommended option but all other browsers work as well to play the embedded audio) We are working on getting this issue resolved.

Coach Noel held a 10 minute press conference to catch-up with ‘his beauties’ as he references the media.  Covered a range of topics including injury updates, current player struggles and much more.

Coach Noel

(Please Note:  The audio is not working  to play on site in Google Chrome, in order to listen click “download” or use another browser (Firefox is our recommended option but all other browsers work as well to play the embedded audio) We are working on getting this issue resolved.

Listen to the press conference here

For the post-press conference chat, tune into the Illegal Curve Hockey show which is on TSN Radio 1290 until 3 pm today.

Teemu Selanne held a press conference this morning from a Winnipeg hotel, he spoke about his excitement surrounding the return to Winnipeg and memories of his time as a player here.

Listen to the press conference here

Teemu Selanne will make his much awaited return to Winnipeg this Saturday when his Anaheim Ducks take on the Winnipeg Jets.

Selanne held a conference call this afternoon to discuss a number of topics, his time in Winnipeg, the Ducks struggles this season and his upcoming return.

Below are the Winnipeg related questions from the call, scroll to the bottom to hear the call in it’s entirety.

In the relative size of your career, your time in Winnipeg was a minority of that time. Can you tell me why that time mattered so much to you?

“Obviously that was my first NHL team, the fans and the whole city make the players feel so special. It was a dream come true starting in Canada. All of the memories I have there are so awesome.”

What went through your mind when you got the phone call and got traded?

“Well, I was shocked, obviously. What happened two weeks before, the new Winnipeg owners called me on the road. There were some rumors they might trade one of us three, (Alexei) Zhamnov, Keith Tkachuk or myself. The owner called me two weeks before and said, don’t worry about those rumors, just play hockey, you’re going to be a big part of our future down in Phoenix. That’s why I didn’t really expect to be traded, but I remember that phone call. The first trade is always really hard, you almost feel as if you have failed. A couple days later I realized this will be a great new opportunity for myself, it has been a great road down here too.”

How long did  it take you to put it in perspective

“The first couple days I was totally shocked about what happened. When you start learning the business more, and how it works, and how excited the new franchise was to have me here. You want to move on as soon as possible. Coming from Finland, we don’t have the culture there that somebody could get traded. A lot of guys they play their whole career with the same team. It was weird business to realize and face that there’s no feelings, you can get traded any time, there’s no control with that. That was a big adjustment here, when you get older and know the business better, you can accept it better. But when you are young and you get traded, it’s really really tough.”

What will it be like for you coming back on Saturday?

“I’m very excited, right when the season schedule was made public I marked the date in my calendar. Even I didn’t know if I could play still this year. I knew it would be very special, to have a chance to come back and play. I don’t really know what to expect, it’s been a long time since I played there last. With all of the memories I have I’m very excited. I heard the building is rocking and the people, the fans are so excited about their team, and the whole situation. It’s going to be a very special day there, and I can’t wait.”

They booed Shane Doan when he was here

“Hopefully they won’t boo for me.”

People in Winnipeg said they gave up their tickets (for other games) so they could go to this game, it’s been a long time since you played there, there is such a strong connection between the fans and you. Why do you think that is, and do you keep in touch with anybody from Winnipeg?

“Yeah, actually I still have a lot of friends there and keep in touch with them all the time. I think pretty much every place where I played I had special relationships with the fans, and obviously Winnipeg was really really special. There’s a reason why the plates on the cars say “Friendly Manitoba” because it’s really friendly city and has unbelievable fans. I spent a great four and a half years there. When I got traded, I didn’t have a chance to say goodbye to the people and the city, the next day I was gone. It’s tough the way you get traded, everything is rushing and you’re gone the next day. That’s why I’m really looking forward to going back there. I know there are still alot of fans there. It’s funny when I go to visitor teams building, there’s a lot of Winnipeg Jets 13 jerseys still, that makes me feel really good.”

This summer when you were still a free agent, how far did talks go with the Jets about possibly returning.

“Winnipeg called my agent and asked if they could make an offer. I told Don Baizley my agent earlier, the biggest question right now is “if I can play” not “where I’m going to play”. Obviously, I have been here for a long time, I’ve been so happy for this franchise and this team. I was very honoured that they called, but it’s too late to move.”

Listen to Teemu Selanne’s Conference Call

How much do the plates cost?

The plates cost $70 including GST.

Who gets the money?

The Winnipeg Jets True North Foundation will receive $30 from every purchase. Manitoba Public Insurance will also receive $30 (production costs, operating costs, cost recovery for implementation expenses). The Province of Manitoba will receive $10, as they do on all new licence plate purchases.

What is the True North Foundation?

The Winnipeg Jets True North Foundation is the charitable arm of the Winnipeg Jets and the “charity of choice” for the MTS Centre. The Foundation allows players, their partners, coaches, board members and the True North staff to contribute to the community of Manitoba in a concerted and centralized manner.

When can I get my plates?

Customers can go to any Autopac agent starting Monday, December 12.

Can I pre-order mine?

Pre-orders will not be accepted. Customers will be able to purchase the plates on and after December 12 from any Autopac agent.

Will I be able to personalize the plates?

No.  Like the Bomber plates, the Jet plates are a pre-established set of letters and numbers.

I already own a set of Bomber plates. Once the football season is over, can I replace them with my Winnipeg Jets plates?

Yes.  Fans who own a Winnipeg Blue Bombers licence plate are still eligible to purchase the new Winnipeg Jets plates. You can even change the plates in between seasons at no extra charge. However, because the plate numbers on the front and rear of your vehicle must match at all times, you will not be allowed to use the Blue Bombers plate and the Jets plate simultaneously (i.e. you cannot have a Jets plate on the front of your vehicle and a Bombers plate on the rear).

How many plates can I buy?

If you are the registered owner of one or more vehicles that qualify, you can apply for the Winnipeg Jets licence plates for all of them. Only one set of Jets plates will be issued per vehicle.

What types of vehicles qualify for the plates?

All passenger vehicles such as cars, trucks, farm trucks, vans and motor-homes qualify for the Winnipeg Jets licence plates. Commercial trucks, motorcycles, mopeds and other non-passenger vehicles to not qualify.

I want to buy the plates as a souvenir keepsake. Is that allowed or do they have to be affixed to a vehicle?

Customers wanting to use the plates as a souvenir keepsake can still purchase them at a cost of $70.  However, there will be an additional charge of $15 for administrative and processing fees.

Why have the jets been chosen for these specialty plates? Why not the Goldeyes or other groups?

The return of the National Hockey League and the jets was a significant milestone in the sporting history of Manitoba. The overwhelming success of the sale earlier this summer of Winnipeg Blue Bomber plates also showed that Manitoba sporting fans are receptive to purchase a specialized plate. In 2004, the Province of Manitoba approved the issuing of a specialty licence plate to honour veterans.

How many will be made available?

According to Scott Brown there will be as many available as demand will allow. If there are more than the 9999, the “J” will be removed to add another number, and then the “W” will be removed if necessary.

On juggling the lines for tonight

“Just trying to get some things going, we’ve had the same twos with a lot of lines, with the three lines we’ve had two guys on the same line since the start, we’re just trying to juggle around just to see if it unjars some things. Sometimes it helps your focus too you’ve got to pay more attention to details, it’s probably time.”

We’ll see how long he sticks with the new line combos, in recent games after they have changed the lines, they go back to the original lines after a few shifts.

On breaking the 1-3-1:

“You’ve got to get through there, carrying the puck through there is your first mistake. Just got to get it through there. It’s the 1-3-1 it’s just a different system. They do a good job, it’s well designed, it’s been around a long system. It’s a tough system to play against, they do a nice job, and you just can’t turn it over. They live and die off of it; you just got to make sure you get through it. Last time we played them in the 3^rd period, we tried to carry pucks through it, it doesn’t work, you can’t do it, you’re just shooting yourself in the foot when you do that.”

On trying to get some of the struggling players going

“It’s a tough task for those guys, Bryan, Ladder and those guys. They have a tough task, you put heavy demands on them, they’re maybe your top line and you put them against the other team’s top line. You want them not only to check them which they always do and they do it well, but you want them to create a lot of offense, it’s a big burden. Are they true first line guys? Maybe not yet, but it’s good experience for them, but it’s a tough task. They do the defensive responsibilities well, they do create some offense. It’s easy to get bogged down, they work hard, they play responsible, it’ll come around eventually. What has to happen is you have to get more from your four lines to take the burden off. That includes four lines checking. Then maybe I can put a specific line to check against the top line. Then I don’t have to deal with so much weight, because someone else is doing that. What you have to do is share the burden (of defensive responsibilities)”

On last game versus Tampa

“The reason why I think we were going through pockets of different things early then, it was around eight or ten or somewhere. We were ready to play better then, that was a gradual progression of the team, yes it should give us confidence. We showed them we can play well and we can play well for sixty minutes. At that particular juncture it was good for us. Now we’re at the stage of our team building areas and we’re going through some stuff now that’s different. It should give us confidence. There are a couple things that are important, it depends how you present it as a coach, are you getting frustrated, where are you at with your team. I feel good about tonight’s game, I think our group feels pretty focused right now. Tired of losing, we want to get back on track. I think we’ll have a good game tonight, we need a good game from the stand point of work, discipline, details and everybody play with energy. The last game we had here was not good and we need to prove that we are way better than our last home game.”

On getting to know the team identity

“Normally with your team you’re going to know your team within eighteen, fifteen, twenty games maybe. I’ve seen it go to longer than that, twenty five, last year for example it did. It was a different league but it was longer last year for whatever reason. This year there’s some complexities, the complexity is that we’re a group that has left Atlanta and has come to a new environment. We know how we want to operate here as Winnipeg Jets, our identity is very clear on what we want. Our identity and the standard of work we want is very clear. It’s in St. John because the Moose have been here for fifteen years and that identity has been forged with people in the past and with me last year. There it’s a well oiled machine, they’re doing well, leadership is good, it’s well driven. We’re going to get to that point and it takes a little longer because the situation we are in.”

“I’m hoping it doesn’t take too long, but I’m expecting it’s going to take longer than usual. It’s ok as long as we fight through this stuff and understand what it is.”

On what Jason Jaffray brings to the table

“Jason has played a little in the National League, he’s a real solid AHL player that has really good character and really battled and fought through to get this opportunity to play. He’s a good player I like him a lot. He’s a really sincere player, I don’t want him to be anything more than who he is. He can play in the league, how long will be determined by the situation.”

“It’s really good at this juncture for us, it’s good for us to bring him here, not that he’s going to bring us leadership. He just knows how to play. He knows the method of what I like, I’ve coached him, he’s been a Manitoba Moose player for some time. He’s gone through the whole deal here, he understands that. He can help a little bit with young players in his own little way. You can’t walk into the room and be the all mighty leader, it’s not his team. He knows that process, he’s a smart veteran guy. He’ll help us out and be part of the group, that’s all we want him to be, part of the group.”

On what they are expecting from recently called up Arturs Kulda

“Just to help us defend, to help us play, just move the puck, fit in, he’s played some games. We just need him to help us, just be like the other guys who came up, Flood, Festerling, Postma. Don’t try to overplay. Stay at home guy, plays with a bit of bite, can check and defend, we got to try to help him out too. Match him up in the right situations.”

On tonight’s starter in goal, Chris Mason:

“The game was what it was on Saturday, we just wanted to get things moving, two quick goals is not something we’re looking for. He’s played well enough that we’re going to give him another opportunity tonight. I’ve got two good goalies, that’s comforting.”

On what he expects from Kenndal McArdle:

“Just energy, we saw him in preseason he was good for us, he’s got good speed and plays with a bit of bite, just give us some energy, responsible play, utilize his speed, go to the net and do the necessary things that make him an effective player.”

On Evander Kane’s play last game:

“I thought he played with a little bit more energy, his speed was evident, he was taking pucks to the net more, he used his size more, I thought he did a bit more of the things he was doing, and planted himself in front of the net, it was a big weight off his shoulders to score a goal.”

On Alex Burmistrov’s play last game:

“I didn’t know him too much from last year other than watching on tape, and you weren’t able to see, you could see a little bit of what he had, but he’s really stepped up and played well. When the regular season started and when we kept him with Antropov, it seems to have chemistry there. He’s continued to play well it looks like he’s found a little comfort level with his linemates and in the game, he’s finding his range where he can be effective.

He’s playing smart he has the puck a lot, he knows his way around the ice, he’s patient with it and he’s playing smart. Has he surprised me, not too much, he’s a young player, he’s got a lot of upside, I think you can see that in him. It shows what happens to a player when he starts to get confident.”

On Ben Maxwell’s play last game:

“I thought Ben played fairly well, he hasn’t played some time in a month, I thought he did the necessary things to stay in the lineup. He’s a responsible player, he can play wing or centre, he’s been good there. We’ll continue on that path with him.”

On the status of Jim Slater:

“He’s day to day, not sure if he’s going to be in the game tonight, he’ll be assessed and we’ll look at him.”

“Good afternoon everyone, welcome, I thought I was in the neighborhood and I’d stop by. It’s pretty exciting to be in Winnipeg today. On behalf of the National Hockey League, we’re thrilled to be here. This is obviously a terrific day for the City of Winnipeg, the Province of Manitoba, the entire Country of Canada and the National Hockey League. And it’s a testament to Mark Chipman and David Thomson, their persistence and the way they’ve conducted themselves. True North has been an absolute delight to deal with; they’ve had a lot to accomplish in a short period of time and they’ve done it extremely well. The reception by the fans and the overall community has been nothing short of sensational, we couldn’t be more pleased. It’s an exciting day, it’s exciting to be here. For all of our Canadian friends, Happy Thanksgiving a day early.”

On the fan enthusiasm outside the MTS Centre

“It’s terrific, it’s exciting, it shows you the passion that fans have for our sport, it shows you what Winnipeg as a community is like when there’s a common cause to celebrate and support. It’s very gratifying and it wasn’t unexpected.”

On people outside of Winnipeg taking note

“I think everyone’s taken note at the enthusiasm, at the passion that people have for our game and I think it demonstrates in many ways the importance of hockey as a sport. Both at the grassroots level, and at the professional level.”

On his confidence in the Winnipeg market

“Completely confident, we have no reason to believe anything other than this team will be a huge success for the long term, for the foreseeable future. However you want to characterize it, but I’m not sure why anyone would focus on how long. The team is here, it’s being well supported, it’s being well run by a terrific organization, it’s owned by people who are committed and have the resources to back it up. This is all good.”

On the possibility of coming to Winnipeg sooner

“The fact is, we didn’t have the opportunity to. I know there’s been a lot of speculation and commentary about it, the fact of the matter is, when the team left, we’ve been over this many times, nobody wanted to own a team here anymore. There are a lot of reasons for that, not the least of which is the arena situation. That’s all changed, that’s all good, but what we don’t do is look at two cities and say we’d rather be in one that the other so let’s leave, because everyone who was here fifteen years ago knows how painful it is when a team leaves a city. It was only after it was clear that Atlanta was moving that we were in a position to look at coming back here. To suggest that we wish we could have done it earlier or not, that’s not really fair, because that’s not realistic. One of the things we tried to be very careful about was not raising expectations. I didn’t want people to start getting their hopes up until we knew we were going to have the possibility of a franchise to deliver. It’s a very good question, but unfortunately characterizes the process in a way than the way it ultimately had to play out.”

On other Canadian cities who want an NHL team

“We know there is no shortage of interest in having a franchise in lots of cities. Some Canadian, and some in the U.S. but as I just said, we don’t have any franchises to move.”

On previously (unfairly) being the face of losing the franchise in Winnipeg, to now being on the other end

“It’s a fair question, I don’t personalize these things, for people who understood what happened fifteen years ago, it may have been my face that was put on it, people know, I was not the least bit happy, in fact we did everything possible not to move the club. In fact, if you go back and check the old commentary and reporting of what happen, even the province said, it was time to go. It wasn’t personal then and frankly, while I’m happy to have been a part of the equation that restored the team. The credit goes to the people here in Winnipeg, without whom, this wouldn’t be happening. People think we decide we’re going to do this; we’re going to do that, and we just make it happen. Obviously, we had to be involved at the league level in making this a reality. But none of this happens without Mark Chipman and David Thomson. And that probably may be the biggest difference from where we are coupled with the building we are sitting in now. And the fact is, the province and particularly this city is a lot stronger than it was fifteen years ago, when you put the factors all together. Throughout the fifteen years, one, we never doubted that there are great fans here. Two, we never were pleased with the fact that we were left with no choice at the time the club moved.”

On the expected fan response

“I don’t really know, I was just up in the concourse before they opened the doors to do a radio show. It was very warm and enthusiastic. As long as it’s not quiet, I’m used to a lot of noise when I’m in crowds around a hockey game. As long as they are not ignoring me, one way or another we’ll take the passion.”

On the chants of “Gary, Gary” in the concourse

“The other radio guy, his name was Gary too, I thought they were cheering for him.”

On which factor was more important to the return of the NHL, the dollar or the arena

“The high Canadian dollar, I know a lot is written about that but our system compensates for that. The HRR (Hockey Related Revenue) fluctuates with the rise and fall with the rise and fall of the Canadian dollar, there’s revenue sharing. Mark Chipman will tell you if he hasn’t already that if it weren’t for the new collective bargaining agreement he wouldn’t bother having any conversations with me. The arena, was essential. You know what’s interesting about the arena here, it got built at the time when there was no expectation that there would necessarily be a hockey team. But this community determined that it was important to have an arena; concerts, family shows, ice shows and the like. Over lunch I heard a statistic from the former Premier and the current Ambassador to the United States about how on a per capita basis for concerts, this is the number one arena in North America. Having an arena is important beyond just having a hockey team, but without the arena, we wouldn’t be having this dialogue today.”

On the fan response

“Sport particularly hockey, is about passion, and hockey fans tend to be the most avid fans in all of sports. If you miss something terribly, which was clear from the reaction we have been getting over the years from the fans here; when you get it back, its cause for celebration. Today is a celebration; we started to kick that off on Thursday night with Face Off at The Forks. We’re thrilled to be back, and we never doubted…there was so much commentary about the need to prove the passion of the fans and the support. We never doubted it, the reason this club moved in the first place were factors beyond the passion and support of the fans.”

On the situation in Phoenix

“I’ll give you a short answer on that, because today is about Winnipeg and the Jets. It remains a work in progress, and there are actually a couple of active potential owners who are going through the process of seeing if they can make it work.”

On the process of selecting officials for the first game

“Terry Gregson (Director of Officiating) is in charge of doing it. While this is a great celebration and a moment in history, the fact is it is one 1230 regular season games, and the points matter. This is a real live game, under real live game circumstances, you know based on how competitive our playoff races have been, the points available tonight can be the difference in the team making the playoffs, once the puck drops, it’s business as usual.”

On the officials being from Winnipeg

“Probably not (a coincidence), it’s obviously a good feeling and our officials like to be a part of big events, and this is a big event. On one hand its one of 1230 regular season games, but let’s not lose sight of the fact that we know that today is a big deal.”

On the plans of a new arena in Quebec City

“This arena was built without the expectation of a team. No promises have been made for Quebec City because we don’t have a franchise to promise. We’ve told everybody if you are going to build the arena that’s great, but we can’t promise you a team while you’re building it. That’s another place where I wouldn’t want to raise expectations.”

On realignment

“Alignment tends to be one of those complicated and emotional issues because everybody’s got a particular interest that typically transcends in that unique case, the greater good of the league. We’ll get something done, I just can’t predict what it is yet. Just so it’s clear, I don’t get to unilaterally make that decision, I don’t get to tell teams where they go. By a two thirds vote, twenty clubs have to agree, it’s done by the board of governors.”

On playing Montreal

“We have control of the schedule, that wasn’t a coincidence, we thought it would be a terrific matchup.”

On having league events in Winnipeg (NHL Draft, All Star Game)

“I don’t remember if we’ve had a specific discussion because Marks been a little busy for the past couple of months. The Winnipeg Jets are now a full fledged first class member of the NHL, to the extent that there is an interest in any league event. That is interest that we’re going to take very seriously. There could be more league events, be it a Draft or an All-Star Game in the future. We demonstrated that out of the box by doing Face Off here on Thursday night. We’re here.”

On the effect of the struggling U.S. economy on sports and the NHL

“The US economy has been soft, for lack of a better word. We’ve had tremendous growth; we seem to be bucking the trend in that regard, we’re optimistic that even after six years of record revenue growth, we’re going to have a seventh this year, so we’re doing ok.”

How do you feel?

“I feel great, I feel really good, very grateful, the emotion around the building is extraordinary, I just made my way back from a quick radio interview, the people on the street are very warm, and very appreciative, so that makes me feel good.”

On what is going on outside the MTS Centre

“It’s obviously an outpouring of emotion that’s probably been many years coming, but I keep getting asked the question in different ways shapes or forms, I don’t know how to answer it that well to be honest with you, I have a tough time articulating or describing how everybody’s feeling, how I’m feeling, it’s just a combination of a number of emotions. “

On being nervous

“Always nervous, always nervous before a game, probably one of the strongest emotions I feel right now. Home openers are hard to play in, it’s been my experience anyways, I hope we get off to a good start, we’re obviously playing a good hockey team today. I hope they get off to a good start and play well.”

On the possibility of shedding a tear

“Yeah, I probably will, you’re going to see a tribute to Rick Rypien today that I was fortunate to have a hand in, and that’s going to be hard to get through for sure. There’s a big hole in our organization as a result of Ryp not being with us today. That will be emotional I’m sure, and there’s lots of other emotions as well that might evoke some of those types of feelings.”

When you look back on how it happened, do you sometimes feel like you have to pinch yourself to believe it?

“It does, I said to a friend of mine this morning, I know how it happened, I can go back over the past sixteen years and I can tell how it happened, but I’m not sure I can say why it happened. I’ve had enormous amount of good things happen to me, I’m not sure why that is, I struggle with that one. Even when I do pinch myself, the answer doesn’t come to me; it’s not clear to mewhy we’ve been so fortunate, but obviously, I feel very very fortunate.”

On the feelings felt today being similar to the first Moose game

“Similar feelings in a lot of ways, this is different, clearly, there’s a lot more emotion coming from the community. I was very nervous that day as well; we were trying to make a good impression. When we opened the building, similarly when we played St. John’s in that first game, fortunately we had a win. The same kind of feelings, just that nervous energy before a game.”

On his pregame ritual

“I had my regular lunch with the Prime Minister, the Commissioner, the Ambassador, the Premier. (Jokingly, accompanied by laughter from the press) No honestly, I did, it was quite a remarkable lunch. Not my regular lunch crew, but it was very humbling to be in that company. Same routine as always, it’s a game day, try to get to the rink early. I like being around our group, I like being around our coaching staff on game days. Got here early, just been soaking it up every since.”

On the topics of conversation at lunch

“Well, the Prime Minister is a Hockey Historian, I learned that he’s getting close to concluding a book he’s been writing for some time. Just hockey, and the general consensus amongst everybody that was there, including I invited Geoff Molson (Montreal Canadiens Owner and President), he and his wife were there. Just a broad range of topics, mostly centered around hockey, but everybody’s understanding on how important this is to the community. It was great to have Geoff there. I’ve been travelling through this business for fifteen years, I’ve tried to learn and observe and look at organizations. In my view, the Montreal Canadiens are the gold standard. That’s something we aspire to someday be, I joked with him that when I was a kid my favourite teams were the Bruins and whoever was playing Montreal. Put that aside, they run a fantastic organization and are so important in that community. It was very informal, and some nice conversation about the game of hockey.”

On playing Montreal for the first game

“I thank that Commissioner for that, the schedule came out with them as our home opening opponent and we were thrilled. I honestly couldn’t imagine a better team to play against. Detroit would have been cool too, in that was where the last iteration of the Jets finished off playing Detroit on that April day, a 4-1 loss I think, that would have been neat. But bringing Montreal in here, the most storied franchise, the important franchise in the history of this league, I thought was a great gesture by the Commissioner to allow us to play them.”

On the amount of Habs fans that would attend games in the old Arena, compared to the few that will be in attendance at the first game

“It makes me feel great, because, one, that means there weren’t three, four, five thousand tickets to sell.  And that’s often why, those games filled up with Montreal and Toronto fans, which was great for those fans, not so great for us Jet fans. Obviously, there’s not that kind of capacity now, I’m sure there will be some loyal Montreal fans here today, but not quite the numbers we saw in the past.”

On when he realized that this was not a dream and was in fact reality

“I don’t know if I can answer that, or if I know a specific day. It was such a gradual process, that I don’t know if I can point to a specific day. Although as I think I have said, when we were invited to make a presentation to the league in ’07, that’s when I started really considering it, in terms of it being possible. And shortly thereafter, when we started getting some interested from the league about some possibilities. May 31^st was a big day, obviously, this one is as well. But I can’ tell you I’ve dreamed my whole life of owning a NHL team. But I can also tell you, I can’ even begin to tell you how humbling it is to be a part of the National Hockey League now.”

On the one person he thinks about most on this special day

“My father has been a great example to me, he really has. I’m really pleased he could be there at that lunch. My dad was a really good hockey player, growing up played his junior hockey in Winnipeg, and allowed me to play the game. He was also smart enough to know when I needed to stop playing. I’m very grateful to him, he’s been a wonderful example to me and my brothers, I’ll be thinking him a lot today.”

On feeling the fan presence in North Dakota

“My wife’s from Grand Forks, we have family down there, and family in Bismarck, I’ve got a lot of friends that I went to school with that live in North Dakota and Northwestern Minnesota. I get texts, e-mails and reminders from my classmates and teammates from those years. That’s’ been really neat to see that it’s spread so far beyond our own community.”

“I think that will take more time (for the fan support from North Dakota to be felt by most Winnipeggers), I think I’m privy to it because we have those connections into that community, I know we’ve got some season ticket holders from Fargo, and we’re delighted that we do. Hopefully this brand, this team becomes embraced by the state of North Dakota. With Buff coming from Roseau, hopefully we can collect a whole bunch of those fans as well.”

On what today signifies

“Those are the ones that are so hard to answer, I’m glad that people feel so good about this, I really am. This is a great city and has been for a long time. I think it became an even greater city after the NHL left in ’96. As I’ve said in various interviews, rather than  wallow in self pity and roll up the sidewalks, the community dug in we pulled off a very successful Pan-Am Games, the ballpark got built, the arena got built, our cultural institutions continue to thrive, the capital campaigns around the universities have been successful, and around the hospitals. A friend of mine Sandy Riley said, “The City of Winnipeg is a collective act of will”. It really is, we’ve overcome lots, we’ve had to, for generations. I hope maybe this is just another step in that process, this is another chapter in the collective act of will. The act of will in this community over the past fifteen years, in helping the economy grow that allowed us to bring the team back. It’s just another example of that collective act of will, if that makes sense. Hopefully that’s what it is, it’s just another chapter, but a chapter that’s a very positive one of our community stepping forward.”

On the possibility of publicly honoring Assistant General Manager and Director of Hockey Operations Craig Heisinger

“You know Zinger, he’d just brush me off if I did that. We’ve had our chances to do that. He knows how proud I am of him; he knows I wouldn’t be here without him. He’s the reason we had success as a team. That success as a team turned into fans, fans turned into a business that worked, which turned into an arena. He’s the first guy I hired, he’s the most important that I’ve ever hired in this organization. He knows that, I don’t have to tell him that, it doesn’t need to be said.”

While it is only the first exhibition game, being in the first game situation of the year will give Coach Noel a feel for his team. Noel was asked about what he is looking to see from his players tonight. Here is his response

“It’s fairly simple, I think you have to put things in perspective here and get control of things, you can’t expect that this team will give us everything that we want. We’re four days into training camp. We want to be able to see who can be able to make decisions. There’s been a lot of information, I tried not to overload the players in their information. Who can think, who can make plays, who can play responsible, how is your decision process going to be, these are the evaluations. Realistically this is a 1^st game for us, for all of us, who can play in this type of pressure, whether you think its pressure or fans.

It’s really the beginning of an evaluation process, you saw a little bit of it the first couple of days, and this will give us a way better grasp. It will give me a way better grasp of being behind the bench, and feeling the pulse of the bench, which I really enjoy. The pulse of the players, and how the communication is working with one another, on the ice, the reaction, the adversity in the game, is all really good stuff. That’s all the information you can’t get from watching tape, that’s really what I need to focus in on. That’s some of the adjustments, who’s able to make the adjustments.”

Listen to the full press conference here

Listen to the audio here

Here are the major points of the press conference

• TSN to deliver live coverage of 60+ Jets games on a regional channel to fans in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, parts of Northern Ontario, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut
• TSN Jets will be made available to television service providers in the Jets broadcast region
• The channel will launch September 20, and has been confirmed to air on Bell TV on Channel 1423 in HD, and Channel 423 in SD
• Sports Radio 1290 obtains exclusive radio broadcast rights to all Jets games including playoffs and pre-season games
• Manitoba’s Dennis Beyak and Brian Munz named play-by-play voices of the Jets
• Mike Johnson and Brian Engblom will share analyst duties for television
• Recently retired NHLer Shane Hnidy will be the radio analyst
• Winnipeg’s Sara Orlesky to lead newly launched TSN Winnipeg Bureau

Listen to the full press conference 

Craig Heisinger speaks about Rick Rypien

On Rick Rypien as a person

“He was a real good guy, I got to know him first as a player when he played for the Regina Pats and then he started here on an amateur tryout, he was just a safe simple guy, but a pretty easy home life, barely had a bank account. Just a simple guy, with some issues to deal with”

What qualities attracted Zinger to Rypien as a player?

“After a 7-2 loss to the Brandon Wheat Kings in this building and he was blocking shots in practice the next day. That’s what attracted me to Rick Rypien. He could skate and he did that.”

“I had watched him play junior, and he was a good hardnosed player, I watched the Wheat Kings pound him into submission one night, and went to watch practice the next day because Curtis Hunt was a friend of mine and Rick was blocking shots in practice. I remember going down to the dressing room and saying tell me more about this guy, and it went from there. He was a true character guy, the coach Curtis Hunt really went to bat for him; we offered him an amateur tryout. There wasn’t a long line, his agent couldn’t say yes fast enough.”

Read more from Assistant GM Craig Heisinger after the jump

On his first stint with the Moose

“It was tough to get him into the lineup to start with, but once we did it was tough to get him out of the lineup. When he came in he was 5’11, 160 lbs, and Randy (Head Coach Randy Carlyle) was like, “where did you find this guy”. He wasn’t overly impressed with his size or physique, he did ok in the first practice, but once he got in, I think he established himself in the one fight here against Ole-Kristian Tollefson on Syracuse, he moved from there. He just wasn’t a tough guy he was a good useful player, he could skate he could physically get in on the forecheck, he could pound people with his body he was a good functional guy. At that time on that team we needed that in a 4^th line centre role, and he fit real good.”

“He really believed in himself, he thought he could bring a lot to the team, I thought he could too, and so did the Canucks. We were not the only team at free agency trying to sign him. Waivers were never a consideration for Rick with the Canucks. Those type of players energy guys, that can skate, kill a little bit of penalty and are as tough as we was, are hard to find, similar to a 1^st round draft pick despite all the issues, and the challenges that came with him, people were always going to give him a chance.”

“He had a lot of confidence in his game, his style was his style, he loved his style of game. Did he think he could do more, or provide more of other things offensively? Yeah probably, but nobody else expected that of him. He expected a lot of himself, but he did love being the style of player he was. He was the smaller bodied guy who fought two or three weight classes up and often came out on top”

“We had a great relationship for the most part, we differed on some things, how he dealt with some things, but I would say we had a fantastic relationship.”

On the circumstances surrounding his death

“I’m not going to expand on it a whole lot, certainly there were no drug and alcohol issues, his issues were depression, that is the word that has been used and that accurate”

On revealing the specifics

“That would be up to the family to say that, I do know the circumstances, I prefer that be left up to them”

How Zinger found out

“He was supposed to be in Winnipeg, board a flight on Sunday night to Winnipeg, for an MRI to have his knee checked. He had left me a message on Sunday morning when I was coming home from Europe, to give him a call; I must have missed him by only a couple minutes. He just wanted to know if there was some ice to skate at while he was here, he had an apartment set up. I never got to him, left him a message and texted him. We had a system going all summer when he would text back or call back within seconds, and he didn’t do it on this occasion. Rob our medical trainer, asked if I had seen him Monday morning for his appointment, I said I hadn’t. I spent some time trying to track him down, was unable to do so. Later in the evening, much like you guys, I hadn’t located him through his family or his grandmother, I started to see the odd twitter feed, and probably found him the same way you guys did. I spoke to his grandmother, and she did confirm the incident to me.”

Were there any signs?

“I think he had a fantastic summer, but obviously that wasn’t the case. Every communication I had with him, I didn’t see anything different than that. Seemed really excited to be back here, there was a comfort zone here for him, he had an apartment set up, was ready to go. The question being did we see any signs, no we didn’t”

“I forsure thought he’d made strides, I still believe that, he signed here. I think the predominant feeling was that I was the one that went to bat for Rick to sign here. That’s not 100% true, our pro scouts really liked Rick, I was probably the one that told them to back off a little bit here, there’s some baggage to deal with. At the end of the day did I think it was 100% safe, no because its Rick, and there’s sometimes issues with Rick. But I was comfortable with it and I was happy for him because I knew how much he wanted to play here and there was 100% level of comfort for him here. At the end of the day as an organization I think we felt that was worth providing to him”

“It’s a real challenge, it’s hard to put into words, its been a very challenging 24 hours, I don’t even think it’s been 24 hours yet. I’m hoping not to have to deal with it again. You learn lessons from these things. Rick always spoke about, once he had his situation under control, to speak out and help other people. At the end of the day, I hope something like this comes out of this. I’m having trouble trying to see how it will, but I suppose at the end of the day if Rick’s a lot happier today than he was yesterday, I’m happy for him.”

On the support provided by the Canucks

“I think the Canucks were really supportive of Rick during his time, not only through injury, through the time he had to leave to deal with his issues. The Canucks never questioned anything, they paid him right through. I think the level of support the Canucks showed him was phenomenal. From the Moose perspective, he started his career here, finished his career here, I think he gave a lot more back to us than we gave to him.”

On his return to the Moose last season

“I was really happy for him, I remember picking him up at the airport with that godawful long shamans beard. He seemed really ready to go, and really happy to be back playing. He didn’t care if it was AHL or NHL, he was just happy to be back playing. For Rick comfort was a big issue, playing back here was important to him, I thought in the playoffs he was arguably our best player 7 out of 10 games.”

How will the Winnipeg Jets honour Rypien?

“That’s too early to comment on, but it’s certainly been our history to honour people that have made an impact in our organization. Without getting too far ahead of myself, I would be surprised if we didn’t in some form”

The effect that this will have on the organization

 “It’s an issue right now, but you deal with a variety of different things, Rick’s a person, we’re a business and life goes on. Everybody deals with this in their life, because Rick’s an athlete it’s a higher profile. People deal with this every day, and it’s no fun for anybody but we’ll get through the next through days here and we’ll move on”

On the length of time Rypien suffered from his personal issues

“I can’t 100% tell you that, I know….a decade is probably a fair comment yes”

What triggered this event?

“I can’t answer that question, there are certain things over a course of time that have triggered these events, I never got any indication that there was something that was going to trigger it leading up until yesterday. I never got the sense that there were any problems all summer. I spoke to other people in the support group and none of us had that sense, and that’s a small tight knit group. Either something happened very quickly, or we all missed the boat”

What he will miss most about Rick Rypien

“Certainly not that beard…I’m going to miss lots about him”

When Rick signed with the Winnipeg Jets in early July he seemed genuinely excited to be a part of the new franchised, and thankful for the opportunities that True North had given him.

Listen to his early July conference call here.

He will be missed dearly.

On what he liked in the 39 year old Vincent

“For me he’s a young enthusiastic coach who’s had some success in junior hockey, he’s a guy that was assistant coach with the national junior team. He’s well versed in a lot of tactical areas of the game, also on the powerplay which he’ll be responsible for, he had some good qualities as far as his character and he comes highly recommended by a lot of people.”

In the upcoming weeks, the Winnipeg Jets coaches will spend some time planning the vision for the team, and getting to know each other.

“We’re going to look to have meetings here in the middle of august, one of the things will be important for us will be to get to know each other, build ourselves a vision and decide where we are going to go with this team, we’ve got a lot of things to cover, it will be really interesting for us”

Read more after the jump

Coach Noel likes the diversity that he (age 55), Huddy (52) and Flaherty (43) bring with Pascal Vincent.

“I think we’ve got some good people in place, we’ve got youth, we’ve got experience in Charlie Huddy, who’s been an NHL coach and coached before at different levels, we’ve got a lot of diversity as far as the staff goes, we’re really pleased with what we have and what we have to offer.”

Having coached the past 12 seasons in the QMJHL, Vincent has experience working with younger players which will be an asset in developing the Jets up and comers.

“I think he relates, one of the things I liked about him, he’s a real people person, he’s a guy who can relate to teaching players, coaching players, he fits in our young group. Myself and Charlie, and Wade are a little bit older than Pascal, I think it’s a good mix for us, we could’ve gone with older guys, but I thought the mix was really good for us for what we wanted.”

Coach Noel is doing his best to get in touch with all of the players and welcome to the team, but it is tough to do while everyone is taking time off in the summer.

“I’ve contacted a lot of players and still in the process; I’m caught being tugged in different areas. It’s really hard in the summertime you play phone tag, guys are in Europe, you text them first they don’t know who it is that’s calling. Very few players pick up the call, you’re always catching up and trying to contact players and trying to get through to them, it’s a real task, a real challenge.”

It appears that all of the players are excited about coming to Winnipeg, and playing in front of a full house every night.

“It’s been good, everything’s been really positive, the guys have been enthusiastic they’re really looking forward to getting started, to coming here and playing in front of an enthusiastic crowd and it shows in their conversations.”

While Coach Vincent coached goaltender Ondrej Pavelec in Cape Breton, that did not play a factor in his hiring.

“No that didn’t really figure in, he’s had him for a couple years, had a lot of success with him, he developed him and played him a lot, it didn’t really have to do with it. He came recommended, I liked what I heard, for me he was a guy who was a good choice, his youthful exuberance was something we looked at and we felt we needed in our staff.”

For now, it appears that the coaching staff has been filled.

“We may add someone later, but as it stands now we are staying with what we have.”

Listen to the audio of the press conference here

The following quotes were taken from GM Kevin Cheveldayoff

On wrapping up the Blake Wheeler contract:

“Well its certainly something we’re excited to be able to announce, something we’ve been working on for quite a while, from the standpoint of going back and forth with his agent. These things take time, and it played out exactly the way we thought it would, in respect to not having to go to arbitration. The talks were very constructive, and very good right from the beginning. The hard part in a situation like that is trying to take a look where everyone falls into place and come up with a number that works for both sides.”

“The situation that he is going to be afforded on the top lines right from the start, we’d like to see how things finished up last year with the Thrashers is how things pick up this year with the Jets.”

Read more quotes from Winnipeg Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff after the jump

On negotiations with defenseman Zach Bogosian

“It’s in a kind of similar process, the NHL has different deadlines and different things with respect to different players obviously when a player files for arbitration there’s a set date that that’s going to go. You work off those deadlines. With someone like Zach there’s different forces in play, the conversations are continuing with his agent, there’s really no time frame set in place to have that one done by. It’s kind of a summer negotiation type thing, where everyone’s respectful of the fact that this time is a down time for the players, and in some respects a down time for the agents at certain points in time and for management. Those talks will continue and they’ve been good.”

On the goodwill he has earned as General Manager

“You work hard at creating relationships, not only with the players but with the agents; we’ve been very open and honest, with what’s been on our plate, and when we are going to get to it. Same thing when we talked to Andrew Ladd’s agent, we told him once the draft is over we are going to be able to dig our feet into the ground and try to get that done.”

“With Bogosian it’s playing out exactly how we thought it would, it’s going to take some time. Each one of the negotiations, Ladd, Wheeler, regular RFAs and Zach all have different nuances to them.”

On his experience with arbitration

“The only arbitration situation that we got to was the Antii Niemi one, in a lot of cases players file for arbitration, but I would say the majority of them rarely get to it, but you are seeing a few that maybe go this year but a lot of them are settled before you walk in the room.”

“I think in old school arbitration there was a lot of negativity involved. Now you separate the player from the arbitration. It’s more about statistics; it’s all about comparables, that’s really how contracts are valued in this CBA. It’s all about the actual comparables, not exactly about the player itself. You tend to focus more on the stats than the personal side.”

On giving young players a greater opportunity in Winnipeg

“I think with a lot of players it’s all about opportunity, what we’ve been trying to talk to the agents and players about, is we’re here to give these players the opportunity to grow and in some organizations there’s people & depth above them. In our situation we want to give them the chance to see where they can come out, and if we went out and signed a whole bunch of free agents maybe those players wouldn’t have the chance to grow.”

“We’re going to get a chance to see what they have, and certainly we talk to the agents and the players, it’s in their hands, we can get the contracts done and talk about comparables, they’ll be given a chance to play and we hope to prove to everyone what they have in them.”

On the recently signed Jason Jaffray

“Jason Jaffray is someone that is knocking on the door from the NHL standpoint, certainly a familiar face here in Winnipeg. Someone when given the opportunity to seize that could be a real bright thing for us”

On the possibility of any additional roster moves

“I think that you’re always looking, there are some interesting options potentially out there. It’s kind of a time period now, you get the rush right after free agency, maybe the next couple days after there’s a little bit of things going on, you get your RFA situation in order, if you have an arbitration you have to deal with that. Maybe you have a unique circumstance in the negotiation side like we do with Zach that takes its own course in time. You look at all different things, the hockey industry will slow down a little bit and will pick up in August sometime and we’ll head right into the season there. You’re always looking you’re always talking, to say what you see today will be there tomorrow is hard to say at this time.”

“I think you’re always looking for that, it’s got to be a right fit for the mesh of guys, you want them to mesh together. For us obviously, you look at the roster right now there’s probably some room, you could add some forwards, we think our defense is pretty deep with respect to the national league side and the depth side. Certainly if the right opportunity presents itself at forward or defense, we’re going to look at it.”

On potentially signing Manitoban Shane Hnidy

“I spoke with Shane a couple of days ago, I ran into him here in Winnipeg, a great player, has had a really good career. From our stand point with respect to the depth that we have I’m not sure that there’s room. But if certain things presented itself, he’s someone who could be taken a look at. Right now we’re not focusing at that slot in that position.”

On the additional coaching slots to be filled

“Interviews are still ongoing, we’ve conducted several interviews for the vacant position have a couple more left this week, I would anticipate something if not by the end of this week, certainly by the beginning of next.”

Listen to the audio below

Kevin Cheveldayoff speaks to the media July 19, 2011

On the type of game that he plays

“I think I’m kind of developing into the power forward that I was projected to be when I was younger, I’m starting to learn how to use my size to my advantage, it was definitely a learning curve the first couple of years, that if I can use my size and my speed to my advantage it makes it a bit tougher (on my opponents). I’m learning how to do that and am having a bit of success with it, especially the later part of last year. That’s what I’m trying to work on, being more powerful out there, and tough to play against.”

On if the best is yet to come

“I don’t think there’s any question, after the trade to Atlanta, I was given a bigger role and more flexibility, as a player that’s what you want. I felt I did a good job with that opportunity, and got excited about a similar opportunity in the future, building off the first few years of my career.”

Read more quotes from Blake Wheeler after the jump

On his goals for the year

“I think that given that added role, I’m definitely looking forward to building on what I did in Atlanta last year. I don’t set any barriers or goals, I definitely want to build off what I did, I think I can eclipse my totals from last year. It’s all about fitting in to the team structure. At the end of the day it’s all about getting those wins, the biggest thing I want is to be able to contribute to wins every night, there’s different ways to do that, if you’re playing in a role getting those opportunities to go out there on the ice, you want to be productive. That’s my biggest goal, to be productive in the minutes I’m out there and really earn the minutes when I’m on the ice.”

On if the team has enough to make the playoffs

“There’s no reason why we can’t, look at where these guys were through January, they were in a really good spot to make the playoffs even last year, and had a really tough 20 game stretch that knocked us back there. Minus those 20-25 games, they were leading the division for a while in the Southeast”

“For the most part the pieces are in place for guys to step up, we’re a really young team. If we can build on the things we learned from last year there’s no reason we can push for a playoff spot”

On the passionate fan base in Winnipeg

“I think you want to play in front of fans, there’s no question about that, there’s really nothing better than knowing every night you’re going to have a good support system in front of you. That they’re going to be cheering you on through the good times and the bad, certainly that’s one of the exciting things when we were moved to Winnipeg, you knew what you were going to get.”

“We knew the fans up there were excited to have us, they showed that by selling out the season tickets in just a few minutes. That there solidifies it was probably the right move to go to Winnipeg. It’s too bad it didn’t work out in Atlanta, but we’re really excited about the new opportunity for us.”

On his relief about avoiding arbitration

“There’s no question, it’s (arbitration) really a great thing to have as a player, and it gives you that extra leverage, we’re fortunate to have that in the CBA. It’s a good sticking point for you in terms of negotiating, there’s no question you feel fortunate to have that right, but at the same time it’s never the most comfortable thing sitting in the room with your employer and hearing maybe not the nicest things about you. It’s definitely nice to start on a really good foot with these guys, and I’m really excited that it was done in a timely fashion. I think all sides are happy with the way it turned out.”

On if he thought it would go to arbitration

“It seemed like there was a pretty good communication base there, it seemed like they were right in the ballpark. It never seemed like they were too far off, it was just a matter of closing that window down. Based on the way they were talking around the time they were filing for arbitration it sounded like we weren’t going to have to go all the way through”

His feelings watching his former teammates on the Bruins win the cup

“It was a mixed bag for sure, I wasn’t necessarily cheering for them, but I wasn’t cheering against them. All those guys I played with, I was happy to see those guys succeed and win, I knew they were capable of it. It definitely hurt to not be a part of it, that’s unfortunately part of sports, you have to take it with a grain of salt and move on. It narrows your focus a bit, the guys who you went through the battles with for 2 and a half years, come away with the trophy; it makes you want to get your name on it too. That’s the goal, to turn this organization into one that can compete for one of those pretty soon.”

Blake Wheeler is excited about the prospects about playing in front of sellout crowds in Winnipeg. While he is a bit upset about missing out on the cup in Boston, Wheeler is using that as motivation to improve his game and take advantage of the increased opportunity offered in Atlanta/Winnipeg. Jets fans can only hope that he is able to sustain his 0.73 points per game average he had with Atlanta, with Winnipeg in 2011-12.

Listen to the audio of the conference call here

When Ladd visited Winnipeg last month, it would be no surprise to Winnipeggers that he got the impression that True North was a first class organization.

“They made me feel welcome, and how they showed me they were going to run things, and how they were in the atmosphere, when they walked into the building, everyone who worked there was raring to go, everything was first class, for me that’s a big part of having a successful organization”

When the captain spoke with his teammates, the questions that he got weren’t about the city, but they were about the quality of the organization.

“It was more hockey wise, more about the organization, as a hockey player that end of it, you feel comfortable with how things are going to be ran and how you will be treated as a player it makes it easy to be excited about things”

Read more about Andrew Ladd’s thoughts on signing a long term deal in Winnipeg after the jump.

On playing in Winnipeg:

“I knew all along it would be exciting place to play, I played there for the World Jr.’s and, I knew the atmosphere and what fans were like, passionate people, you know, to have that in your head right away.”

On playing in Canada

“Being back in Canada is a big thing for every hockey player. To say I haven’t been thinking about that first game, it’s been on my mind a lot, something that’s really driving the excitement in my life right now, it’s going to be fun to be back in Western Canada, my family can jump on a flight and get here quick and my fiancée has family in the area, I’m excited to get going.”

On his tour of Winnipeg last month

“(I saw) different restaurants, driving around, checking out different neighborhoods, how many good communities there were throughout Winnipeg, it seemed pretty neat and a great place to live, checked out the practice rink, how quickly you could get everywhere was nice”

On purchasing a home in Winnipeg with his fiancée, they are set to be married in 2 weeks in Las Vegas.

“Another thing on the list, we did a little looking, kind of getting the feel from different areas, where we want to be, after our wedding, when everything slows down we’ll look towards finding a new place.”

On the players preconceived notions about Winnipeg

“I’m sure they do (have a misconception), I think it falls along the same lines as Buffalo, in terms of maybe gets a bad rap, but when guys play there and have the opportunity to play in Winnipeg, they’re going to grow to love it and make it home. The people that are there are a big part of it, down to earth an real friendly, especially when you have guys with families coming along”

On signing a long term deal

“Putting down roots, that was a big part about doing a long term deal, the fact that they wanted me around for that long, it’s nice to be in the same spot for a long time. It seems like every time I got comfortable with the city I was in, I was getting shipped out to a different place. To be able to settle down to meet people and get ingrained in the community with my fiancé is going to be an exciting thing”

It appears that Andrew is extremely excited to be a part of the Winnipeg Jets, having nothing but nice things to say about the organization and city. Being 25 and about to get married and start a family, having a long term deal was important to him. Winnipeg is excited to have Mr. Ladd here for the foreseeable future, and as time goes on we are sure he will love it.

MARK SCHEIFELE:  You know, in the draft there’s always picks that aren’t expected.  Some people go later.  So for me to go early is definitely a dream come true of mine.  I’m just so happy right now.

Q.  One year for you in the Ontario Hockey League, can you tell us a little bit about it?
MARK SCHEIFELE:  I got traded to Barrie mid-August last year.  I was still committed to going to Cornell.  After listening to Dale in person and listening to his stories, I decided to sign with Barrie and play with them.
It was definitely a tough year not getting the wins we wanted.  So it was tough team-wise, but personally I tried to work my hardest and give it my all every game and every practice.  Keep on developing, and keep on learning from Dale.
Dale was a great person to learn from just because he knows the game so well, and he’s such a great person to learn from.  So he definitely helped me a lot.  I think my hard work and determination really helped me throughout the year.

Q.  Are you ready to play in the NHL?
MARK SCHEIFELE:  I think with a good summer, just getting stronger in my legs and getting stronger overall, I think I can be ready.

Q.  Do you get a sense from them when you interviewed with them that they’d draft you?
MARK SCHEIFELE:  Not a full sense.  Like they asked how to pronounce my last name, but I thought it was because nobody knows how to pronounce my last name.

Q.  How do you?
MARK SCHEIFELE:  It’s Scheifele.  So, yeah, I didn’t really get a huge indication.  I didn’t think I was going to go 7, but to go 7 is really exciting.

Q.  Heard any stories about Winnipeg?
MARK SCHEIFELE:  I heard a few.  I heard he always told me about the big Queen Elizabeth they used to have, and how it’s really cold.  So he was actually kidding around.  He said if you get drafted by Winnipeg, they’re going to bring a parka instead of a jersey.

But I hear it’s a great organization.  He loved it there.  I think he was there nine years and he was captain.  He had a great time there.  He said it was an unbelievable organization to play for, so I’m very excited.

More from the Q & A with the 7th pick after the jump.

Q.  Strong representation by the fans cheering here in the arena?
MARK SCHEIFELE:  It was definitely really cool to have that many fans here and hear them screaming.  The one guy told me back at the arena in Winnipeg they were going bonkers.  So it’s great to have a great fan base, especially here for Minnesota so far away.  So it’s definitely great to see that.

Q.  What can you do to get better to be an NHL player right away?
MARK SCHEIFELE:  Definitely my strength is number one right now.  I’ve been in the gym a lot since the combine.  I’ve been in the gym since I got back from Germany.  I think strength is my number one right now, and skating is also another thing I can improve on.  But as I get stronger in my legs and my skating will come.
Just to keep working on every aspect of my game.  Working on my shot as much as possible, and get it ready for the NHL level.

Q.  Can you anticipate there is going to be a lot of pressure on you?
MARK SCHEIFELE:  I definitely anticipate there is going to be a lot of pressure, but I like a little pressure on me.  Like sometimes it makes me play a little better.  I remember back in the old days if my coach would tell me there is a scout here to watch me, I’d pull off a big game.
So I think the pressure will kind of drive that inner motor inside me and push me just to work even harder and push me to play even better.

Q.  If you look into the crystal ball, do you know what it would be like in your first game against the Montreal Canadiens?
MARK SCHEIFELE:  I kind of see it.  I can see it being really crazy.  I can see it being definitely an exciting day for the franchise.  I hope I can be there.

Q.  (Indiscernible)?
MARK SCHEIFELE:  I think it was just keep on learning every day.  Like I started off the year maybe a little timid, a little not sure where I was.  But as the year went on I just wanted to work hard.  I worked hard last summer to be able to be here right now.
I think just hard work throughout the year.  I was doing video probably three times after every game with the coaches and doing it by myself.  I think it was just working hard and working on my game and learning from Dale, learning from everyone was the main thing.

Q.  How do you describe yourself?
MARK SCHEIFELE:  I see myself as a hard working, 2-way, play-making center, but I can score.  I think I have a good shot and I can play in all parts of the game.  I didn’t play penalty kill this year, but I think I can play penalty kill and five-on-five at the end of the game.  So I think I’m an all-around good player.

Q.  How does it feel to be an answer to a trivia question?
MARK SCHEIFELE:  I was an answer to a trivia question?  That’s pretty cool.  I haven’t really thought of that, but to think about it now that it could be, that’s unreal, actually.

Q.  Were you surprised at all?
MARK SCHEIFELE:  Yeah, that was an intriguing factor that Dale brought up to me in our meeting when I talked to him last year in August.  He said, you won’t be able to play against these guys like these good of players like Hishon and Gudbransen and all these great players that have gone through here.
To see all the guys that have gone through like Jeff Skinner, Taylor Hall, Tyler Seguin, to see what great players have been produced out of the OHL just made up my mind and kind of intrigued me going into the OHL.  To know it’s such a great program there throughout all teams.

Q.  What was your favorite team prior to today?
MARK SCHEIFELE:  My favorite team was always Detroit, but now it’s definitely Winnipeg.

Q.  Who was your favorite player?
MARK SCHEIFELE:  It was always Steve Yzerman.  He was always my favorite player.  Trying to model my game after him and how he was just so hard working and how he played a good 2-way game.

Q.  How does it feel that there are over a million people ready to watch you play hockey?
MARK SCHEIFELE:  Oh, it’s just unreal to actually have that feeling and know that there are going to be this many people to watch you.  It’s just a great feeling.  It’s definitely going to be exciting to think about it more.

Q.  When did you first play hockey?
MARK SCHEIFELE:  It was probably when I was three years old.  I was skating on a pond by my cottage.  My dad took me and my brother out and taught us how to skate and how to play hockey.

Q.  When did you know you wanted to play in the NHL?
MARK SCHEIFELE:  Basically right when I was born.  Right when I held a hockey stick and knew about the NHL I wanted to be there.  I wanted to be a starter, obviously.