Note: The second last day of the decade was incredibly busy with Jets holding an optional skate at the University of Denver (which saw Mathieu Perreault wearing a regular uniform) as well as the news that Mark Scheifele and Connor Hellebuyck had been named to the All-Star game in St. Louis as representatives for Winnipeg. What will the last one hold? Today the Jets morning skate gets underway at 11:30 am. Will Mathieu Perreault return to the lineup? Be sure to check back for the pre-game report for the latest news and audio from Denver. Puck drop at 7 pm and we will have our recap on site.
Note II: Yesterday in Denver Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff had a 45 minute chat with scribes Scott Billeck (Winnipeg Sun), Mike McIntyre (Winnipeg Free Press) and Ken Wiebe (The Athletic Winnipeg). Couple of interesting notes including status of David Gustafsson following the World Junior Tournament and Dustin Byfuglien.
Note III: With it being the final day of the decade we look back at 10 memorable moments for the Winnipeg Jets in the last decade.
Note IV: Before the Jets get underway it is expected to be a capacity crowd inside Bell MTS Place for the Moose and IceHogs re-match to close out 2019 which gets underway at 4 pm. Will Eric Comrie get the start in net? We will have complete coverage of today’s New Year’s Eve game.
Jets news:
Sportsnet: 31 Thoughts. His entire preamble deals with reflections of Eric Comrie’s last three months.
Sportsnet: Three big Winnipeg Jets storylines to watch for in 2020. His list includes: 1) Dustin off the equipment yet? 2) If not Byfuglien, then who? 3) What will Patrik Laine’s next contract be worth (and will he sign this summer)?
The Athletic Winnipeg: Six pressing storylines to follow as the Winnipeg Jets enter 2020. (Paywall). Ken and Murat teamed up for this story. Their six include: 1) Will Hellebuyck keep Jets in a playoff race? 2) Jack Roslovic solidifying his place in the top-six. 3) Will the Jets 2020 trade deadline look to the future or focus on immediate returns? 4) Where will Sami Niku finish the season? 5) The Byfuglien saga. 6) Maurice will sign a contract extension.
Winnipeg Sun: Jets Gameday – Five Keys to the Game. Scott’s big matchup is Connor Hellebuyck vs. The Nathan MacKinnon line. His five keys to the game include: 1) Rebound. 2) Brutal penalty kill. 3) Perreault return? 4) Feed Laine. 5) Fourth-line help.
Photo Credit: Colby Spence
Winnipeg Sun: If the fit is right, Jets would welcome Byfuglien back says Jets GM. Scott touches on this and the other relevant topics he, Mike and Ken discussed with Kevin Cheveldayoff on Monday.
Winnipeg Sun: Here’s to the most memorable decade in Winnipeg sports history. Paul looks across the spectrum of sports here in ‘Peg City. We will have our top 10 specifically Jets related later this morning.
Winnipeg Free Press: No panic for Chevy despite Jets’ recent slump. (Paywall). Mike and the guys had a wide-ranging chat with the Jets GM. Plenty to read in his column.
The Athletic Winnipeg: Jets GM says Dustin Byfuglien would be welcomed back. (Paywall). Imagine a healthy, refreshed and ready to play Dustin Byfuglien ensuring the team doesn’t need to make a big deadline deal to solidify the team in February. While that might take quite a bit of imagination it has to be part of a daily day dream for the Jets GM.
The Athletic Winnipeg: Contract efficiency and the Jets: with the trade deadline approaching, where is Winnipeg getting value? (Paywall). Who is providing the most bang for their bucks? That’s what Murat answers with his latest column.
Jets audio:
Jets TV: Ground Control Podcast: A chat with GM Kevin Cheveldayoff. In the 60th episode of Ground Control, Jamie and Tyler recap the home-and-home series with the Blues, chat about Winnipeg’s All-Star selections and more! Plus, Jamie welcomes GM Kevin Cheveldayoff to the show to chat about Dustin Byfuglien, the season so far and much more.
Moose news:
Winnipeg Free Press: Waived, weary and glad to be back. (Paywall). “I’m really happy to be back”. That is how Eric Comrie opened his first official scrum wearing Manitoba Moose colours once again.
Moose video:
Moose TV: Interviews with Eric Comrie and Pascal Vincent. It is pretty clear that Goaltender Eric Comrie is happy to be back home in Manitoba and it is equally clear that his coach and teammates are also as happy he is back. This was his first official chat following a practice after he cleared waivers on Sunday.
World Juniors:
The Athletic: A look back at the best world junior team ever assembled. (Paywall). With Jets prospects Ville Heinola and David Gustafsson over in the Czech Republic doing battle for their respective countries it is a reminder of how big the World Junior Tournament can be. Here is a great read from Ken as he casts his eyes back to 2005 and looks at the greatest junior team put together for the tournament which was held in Grand Forks.
