Week of January 7th - 13th: Sunday Papers (Open practice today)

[ICdave]

Sunday, January 13th Jets, CBA and NHL news

Jets and Affiliate news:

TSN: Jets open second training camp to cheers from fans. It was a rousing success today. 5000 fans came to the MTS Centre today and enjoyed seeing their Winnipeg Jets return to the city.

Illegal Curve: Coach Noel audio. The Jets coach was back in business today having fun with the media and discussing his team's chances this season.

Illegal Curve: Audio, pictures and video. We covered the day and if you want a quick peek at what those who were in attendance saw, we have you covered.

CBC: Shortened season will leave Jets bushed. As many of the Jets have said they are conditioned athletes and provided coach Noel manages their rest properly, should be able to handle the rigors of the shortened season.

Winnipeg Sun: Practice open to the public today. With competition from the NFL playoffs, it will be interesting to see how many folks head on down to the MTS Centre to take in practice. According to the Jets site “Each fan in attendance will receive a voucher valid for one (1) complimentary 24 oz Fountain Beverage and one (1) complimentary Regular Popcorn.”

Winnipeg Sun: Money photo still just a joke to Kane. Is TNT further provocation? Who knows. However, I am quite tired of this entire money phone nonsense. It is done and best left behind so we can focus on talking about goals and wins.

Winnipeg Sun: Kane won’t let criticism derail him. At this point his best bet is to score goals. And lots of them. This will make fans quickly forget any concerns they have with any off ice issues.

Winnipeg Sun: Five burning questions. Ken asks the 5 questions about (Pavelec, Kane, Scheifele, new players & blueline support) that will certainly determine what type of team the Jets have and whether or not we will be discussing a team that could be playing into May.

Winnipeg Sun: Scheifele hopes to stick. With just 5 games to impress the Jets brass, the 2011 first round pick has stepped up his game with the Barrie Colts this season and it will be interesting to see what kind of impact he could have with Winnipeg.

Illegal Curve: Winnipeg Jets 2013 schedule released. Not too different from the draft schedule that leaked the other day. The Senators home opener on Saturday is a 2 pm start, not 1:30 and the missing games are obviously on this schedule.

The Telegram: IceCaps lose seventh straight home game. The baby Leafs were short handed but that didn’t stop them from handing St. John’s their 7th loss in a row at Mile One Centre.

The Coloradoan: Penalties doom Colorado in loss to Stockton. The Eagles had a bit of a let down last night as they dropped a penalty filled game. They had taken the first 2 games against Stockton but couldn’t complete the sweep.

NHL news:

TSN: Restricted free agent Del Zotto agrees to terms with Rangers. A solid player for NY. Terms have not been disclosed aside from fact that it is a 2 year deal.

CBC: Canadiens will buy out contract of Scott Gomez. And so ends the 1st post-lockout relationship.

CBC: Hockey Night in Canada returns with 60th season. The Jets and Sens will be the first Canadian teams to open the 2013 NHL season.

TSN: TSN announces national NHL on TSN broadcast schedule. It is going to be a whirl wind but stay tuned to all the action on TSN.

Globe and Mail: Questions remain as bombastic Burke exits Toronto stage. Gotta love that Burke isn’t afraid to go out guns blazing.

CBA news:

CBC: NHL, players’ association officially end lockout. Well that 113 days was totally worth it.

For the Jets, CBA and NHL news click here.

Click to read more...

 

[ICdave]

Monday Papers

Monday, January 7th Jets, CBA and NHL news

Note: Today is the first day of the post-lockout papers. We need to take a moment to enjoy the relatively CBA free papers that will soon become a thing of the past. I say relatively free because while the deal is still being ratified, we will still cover all the latest from New York, but happily our focus will continue to be on the team that you come here to follow, the Winnipeg Jets. Here are some of the many ways in which you can stay up-to-date.

Jets & Affiliate news:

Winnipeg Free Press: Practice free of tension. Players actually are able to relax and not have to answer the same CBA questions they have already been asked repeatedly for months. If you want to hear from some of the Jets who were practicing at the IcePlex, we have audio from Bryan Little, Jim Slater and Zach Bogosian we have it here.

Globe and Mail: Jets aim to bring playoff hockey back to Winnipeg. Anything can happen in a shortened season and folks in Winnipeg would be ecstatic to see their team in the top 8 of the East. Although popular sports betting site Bodog.ca has the Jets at 50-1 (worst among Canadian teams and 3rd worst in the league, just ahead of Columbus Blue Jackets and the New York Islanders). You are welcome to submit your thoughts on where the Jets will finish in our pre-season prediction poll.

Winnipeg Free Press: Reintroducing your Winnipeg Jets. It is understandable if you’ve forgotten who exactly plays on this team. Ed gives you a heads up.

Winnipeg Free Press: Snooze button no longer an option for Jets’ Slater. While he might not have as much time for his ‘Take Jim Slater to work’ days, the central member of last season’s GST line is an extremely important piece for the Jets moving forward. He is healthy and eager to get started on this season which should have Jets fans very pumped.

Winnipeg Free Press: It’s your move, Jets fans. The greatest reward that TNSE can do for their fans is to ensure that this team is not only entertaining to watch but competitive and able to challenge for a top spot in the next few years.

Winnipeg Free Press: Zach’s status and other essential information. Ed answers some essential questions for Jets fans. One positive of this lockout is that Zach Bogosian who was expected to be sidelined by injury for 4-6 months has now had time to heal and might simply be unavailable for just a short period of time. If this team plans to challenge for the playoffs during this shortened season, that is important.

Winnipeg Free Press: He’ll be ready when he’s ready. Slow and proper development is the only way to go. We have seen the disaster that can result when you try and rush your prospects to the NHL too quickly. As Gary has been saying for awhile and which was further confirmed by Tim, the Jets will bring the 2011 first round choice back to camp instead of sending him to his OHL squad.

Winnipeg Sun: Fans are ready to forgive NHL for lockout. If one city will likely see zero impact as a result of this lockout it is Winnipeg. Just entering the 2nd year back in the NHL, fans have been waiting too long for professional hockey to bother to demonstrate any signs of fan displeasure. Additionally, many fans don’t feel that this lockout was the desire of TNSE, another reason they are unlikely to boycott.

Winnipeg Sun: MTS Centre staff, downtown eateries are … let’s just say excited about end of NHL lockout. While these are the people who will never be ‘made whole’ it is nice for many to just get the opportunity to start earning a wage now that the NHL will be returning to downtown Winnipeg.

Winnipeg Sun: Stuart ready to start. The Jets stay at home defenceman was caught on a bus in South Carolina with his ECHL teammates, but quickly boarded a plane to return to the Peg’. Stuart joined the Florida Everblades about 3 weeks ago.

National Post: Jets must meet raised expectations in return from NHL lockout. Winnipeg fans are too sophisticated to simply be satisfied with the fact that the team has returned. Is this team a playoff team? Perhaps not, but fans are going to want to see the best they have to give during this shortened season.

Winnipeg Sun: What will the Winnipeg Jets look like when they hit the ice? Still so many questions remain as we get ready to enter a condensed training camp. As always stick to @illegalcurve for the latest news from twitter.

Winnipeg Free Press: End of lockout a “late Christmas present†says Kane. Lots of last minute flights are being purchased as players head to Winnipeg.

CBA news:

CBC: How shortened season could work. Elliotte Friedman is always a great read. Includes a brief point about Jets prospect Trouba in the article (thought 19).

Globe and Mail: Why a 50-game season won't be too compressed. Count me in as someone who will be happy to have another couple of games added to the schedule. It is also the easiest in terms of scheduled as we discussed on air yesterday. 5 games against your 4 division rivals for a total of total of 20 games and 3 games against the other 10 teams in conference for a total of 30 which equals 50 games.

Globe and Mail: Who won what in the new CBA. Heaven forbid we don't categorize things in a win or loss column. Anyways, according to Shoalts the owners were victorious in more of the pieces to this puzzle.

Toronto Star: Will hockey fans send message? My guess is fans do not stay away in this city, however that will be quite different in some of the non-traditional markets who may have been struggling prior to this lockout.

Globe and Mail: The challenge now for the NHL moves to fixing a tarnished brand. I would start by buying the book “Fixing your image after a completely unnecessary lockout for dummiesâ€.

Minneapolis Star-Tribune: Biggest assist goes to federal mediator. As Drew said yesterday on a special edition of our lockout coverage on TSN Radio 1290, add the name Scot Beckenbaugh to the list of contributors to hockey who arrive out of nowhere but have such a significant impact.

Globe and Mail: Last truncated NHL season in 1994-95 was ‘awesome’. According to Pierre LeBrun the “NHL sent out memo to teams tonight saying Jan 19 puck drop is most probable, however if ratification process goes fast, Jan 15 still in play,â€. What we know regardless of whether it is a 48 or 50 game season is that you cannot afford to fall out of contention early in the season or you can pretty much kiss the playoffs goodbye.

National Post: Storylines to watch as NHL moves on from lockout. Have to think where Luongo ends up is most intriguing storyline outlined.

Globe and Mail: Both sides give ground to save the season. The most important group, who keep the entire operation afloat, and are truly the ones saving the season are the fans. Of course they are the ones completely taken for granted, although you can expect to hear the platitudes very soon.

Hockey news:

FS Arizona: Jamison ready to move forward with Coyotes. Kudos have to be given to Jamison who worked hard to apparently get a deal done in Arizona.

Arizona Central: NHL deal paves way for Phoenix Coyotes to finally begin season. The cynic in me says it is curious that this information is being release at the same time of the CBA results, perhaps with the aim of burying it.

For the Jets, CBA and NHL news click here.

 

[ICdave]

Statement from Jets to community

The Winnipeg Jets Hockey Club today issued the following message to our community:

We are extremely pleased that the combined efforts over the past several months between the NHL and the NHLPA have resulted in a tentative agreement on a new10 year Collective Bargaining Agreement.

We would like to acknowledge and thank all of our fans, partners, broadcasters, employees and our community for being patient with our organization, the League and the Players during the negotiation process that led up to this exciting news.

In the coming days we expect the agreement to be ratified and within the same time frame also expect to receive confirmation of the new 2012-2013 schedule, the commencement date of training camp and the date and time of the Winnipeg Jets home opener at the MTS Centre.

Upon confirmation of the revised 2013 schedule fans can expect to receive, within two business days, their Jets season ticket package via Canada Post. Upon receipt, season ticket holders can log on to MY JETS ACCOUNT for complete account updates.

The Winnipeg Jets will continually provide regular updates to all of our fans as new information becomes available to us. Please refer to our website at winnipegjets.com on a regular basis.

On behalf of True North Sports & Entertainment Limited and the Winnipeg Jets Hockey Club, we thank you for your patience and look forward to another exciting season of Winnipeg Jets hockey at the MTS Centre and on TSN Jets & TSN 1290 in 2013.

Sincerely,

James C.R. Ludlow Norva Riddell

President & CEO Senior VP, Sales & Marketing

 

[ICdave]

Tuesday Papers

Tuesday, January 8th Jets, CBA and NHL news

Update: Gary Lawless of the Winnipeg Free Press just tweeted that the Jets will open the season against the Senators on Saturday, January 19th at 1:30 pm.

TSN: Captain Ladd says team can't stumble out of gate. I took a look at what teams made the playoffs in 1993-94 and then the following lockout shortened year and only 2 teams changed from the previous year. (All the same Western Conference teams made it and only 2 Eastern Conference teams changed. Mtrl/NYI were out and Que/Philly were in). Now this might not occur this time around but the best bet for the Jets will be to come firing out of the gate from the start.

Winnipeg Free Press: Fans won’t see Jets tickets until schedule is released. Not surprisingly until the CBA is ratified and the schedule is released Jets tickets won’t be making their way to season ticket holders.

Winnipeg Free Press: Jets’ website posting doesn’t cut it with fans. Some fans did @tweet us saying they failed to notice the word ‘sorry’ anywhere within the message from the Jets (read that statement here).

Winnipeg Free Press: New Jet Jokinen brings a little bit of Finland and a lot of skill and leadership. While he remained silent during the lockout, fans will be very happy to hear what he had to say yesterday, when he spoke with the media for over 20 minutes.

Winnipeg Sun: Finnish sniper Jokinen now a leader. At 34 he is one of the older players on this relatively young squad and his leadership will be needed as the team begins the spring to the playoffs.

Winnipeg Sun: Teemu gave Jokinen good word on Winnipeg. Even though Teemu has long since departed our city, the love affair continues and his good word probably helped the Jets being able to acquire his fellow Finn. Talk like this will have fans giving Jokinen the key to the city.

Winnipeg Sun: No time to celebrate for Hainsey. With all the time he has been spending in the boardrooms down in NYC, one might wonder what sort of time he has had to get into game shape. Luckily for Hainsey, with the long breaks between negotiations we’re sure he likely found the time.

Winnipeg Sun: Players expect ‘hockey crazy’ Jets fans. I don’t think it will come as any surprise that fans in this city are going to go absolutely wild when their team steps on the MTS Centre ice for that first game. You have to appreciate the pragmatism with which the players respond when asked if they expect boos from the crowd.

CBC: Winnipeg fans, businesses rejoice at lockout deal. The downtown should see quite the influx as 15,000+ head down for 24 or 25 home games during the season.

Global Winnipeg: MTS Centre scrambling to prepare for return of the Jets. The media will be down at the MTS Centre today to watch the application of the Jets logo on the ice at the rink.

Illegal Curve: Statement from Winnipeg Jets to the Community. A message from the Winnipeg Jets to fans everywhere.

Illegal Curve: Player audio from the IcePlex. Jim Slater, Bryan Little and Zach Bogosian offered up their thoughts on a wide variety of topics.

The Telegram: IceCaps will need A-game from young D-man. The end of the NHL lockout will provide some prospects in the AHL the chance to develop as they see some teammates head to the parent club and they get the chance to step up.

Northern Colorado 5: Eagles Weekly Update. Taking a look back at the week the Colorado Eagles had and what fans can expect from the Jets ECHL team in the week ahead.

CBA news:

Globe and Mail: Marketing master must figure out how to regain NHL’s mojo. I will be very interested to see what approach the league decides to take to regain the image they had prior to this lockout.

Globe and Mail: NHL and union finally realized they needed a season most of all. Former Habs goalie turned politician Ken Dryden offers his thoughts on what it took for both sides to get a deal done. And he is likely right that in less than a decade, neither side will remember the lessons they should have learned from this lockout.

Globe and Mail: Fans want to know what’s in it for them. My guess, not much of anything. It is interesting to read and hear fans reaction to the end of the lockout. Some want an apology, others a discount, while still others say that they do not expect anything from the NHL.

CBC: HNIC commentators gearing up for season. And similarly fans from across this great nation are excited to turn on their televisions and watch some good old Hockey Night in Canada.

Toronto Star: Will frustrated sponsors warm up to hockey again? While some companies might be regretting their commitments to the league, the reality is that with a 10 year CBA and the labour peace it is expected to usher in, the NHL can now market themselves accordingly.

NHL news:

TSN: Parise and Suter finally hit the ice for Wild. For Minnesota fans it has to be very nice to see these two, not just on the ice together but to be wearing the Wild jerseys. With the heavy spending of owner Craig Leipold, the State of Hockey has big expectations for this team.

Edmonton Journal: Return of hockey could give arena deal ‘psychological’ push. The pride in Oil country is quite high these days. They are positively glowing at the prospects who have been ripping up the AHL with Oklahoma. The last feather in the cap will be to finally get this arena deal done.

For the Jets, CBA and NHL news click here.

 

[ICdave]

Wednesday Papers

Wednesday, January 9th Jets, CBA and NHL news

Jets & Affiliate news:

Winnipeg Free Press: Jets' goalie remorseful after DUI. Give Pavelec credit. He met with media even though he wasn't participating in the skate to clear the air. He was apologetic for his actions. Is that sufficient? You can hear the audio here.

CBC: 2013 Jets season preview. Key is whether this young group can continue to grow together and will have enough lasting power for the short sprint to the playoffs.

Winnipeg Free Press: Noel must transform Jets from pushovers into mature pros. You can bet that coach Noel hasn’t been sitting idle during the lockout and I’m sure he has quite the game plan in place for when he has access to his troops.

Winnipeg Free Press: Training camp dates won’t be announced until CBA ratified. Tim and Ed answers questions about the schedule.

Winnipeg Free Press: The wild-card round. Tim looks at the top 5 wild-cards of training camp. It is going to be condensed so make sure you stay tuned next week because it is going to be busy.

Winnipeg Free Press: Jets trickling into Winnipeg. The Jets previously working out during CBA negotiations barely had enough for 2 on 2 drills. In the next couple of days a steady influx of players will make the IcePlex practices significant. Will other teams who have fuller rosters be at an advantage to start the season?

Winnipeg Free Press: Jets to host Sens Jan. 19. There was some talk of the Jets playing the Devils but now the game is back to the one that Winnipeg was originally scheduled to play on the 19th, although that game time was 9 pm and now it is a 1:30 pm start. How do you feel about this match-up? Which team would you have wanted to see if not Ottawa?

Winnipeg Free Press: What’s on TV? Hockey, of course. All the providers must be salivating at finally being able to activate the Jets channel for their subscribers.

Winnipeg Sun: Wheeler set to hit the ice flying. I watched one of his games in the DEL and let me tell you, while it might not be even close to NHL level, Wheeler was flying around the ice. If the Jets are going to make a post season run, he is going to have to have an even better year than he did last season.

Winnipeg Sun: Jets have little time to find answers. A lockout shortened season does not lend itself to soul searching at any point during the year. To have any chance you need to get a quick start out of the gate and not look back.

Illegal Curve: Player audio from the IcePlex. Captain Andrew Ladd and Chris Thorburn return to the city and were swarmed by the media.

Illegal Curve: Application of the Winnipeg Jets logo at MTS Centre. It takes about 4 days to get the ice properly prepared for the start of the season. The Jets logo was being applied and included some innovations, like the Jet in the red line.

CBC: IceCaps player, coach relieved lockout is over. The good news for coach McCambridge is that his opponents will lose some of the high level NHL talent that has found its way to the AHL (see Oklahoma Barons roster) but it will also mean that a number of his top guys will be called back to the parent club.

CBA news:

CBC: Owners gather to vote on labour deal. This should be a slam dunk. While there has been speculation that not all owners are pleased with this deal, the vote will be unanimous.

Toronto Star: Agents scurry to find loopholes in latest. It won’t be just agents that test the boundaries of the new rules. As we saw during the last CBA, GMs also become quite creative within the system that becomes the NHL bible.

Globe and Mail: Breaking down the new rules in proposed CBA. While fans might find these details boring and tedious, they remain important pieces in understanding many different aspects of the off-ice game.

Globe and Mail: How the NHL’s salary cap could hit 90 million. Small market teams and those in large markets but with poor revenue might be a bit wary of the 2017-18 season.

NHL news:

Globe and Mail: Training camps expected to open on Sunday. As always stay glued to illegalcurve.com as we will be bringing you wall to wall coverage of every aspect of your Winnipeg Jets at training camp. The best way to ensure you are up-to-date is to follow us on twitter @illegalcurve.

Globe and Mail: Luongo saga churns onward as Schnider patiently waits. Kudos for Roberto for showing a good sense of humour. Yesterday he took to his other twitter account and tweeted this:

Globe and Mail: KHL declares war on NHL contracts. Ironic that these players are suggesting that the league should honour their contracts (when a rollback was being talked about during CBA negotiations) but would consider not honouring the contracts they currently have with their NHL teams. Won’t know anything until NHL deal is ratified and the teams need players back for training camp.

CBC: Injury report. Taking a look at all the players currently unavailable to start the season.

USA Today: Dallas Stars taunt Tony Romo, Cowboys after Twitter diss. Totally harmless fun but I noticed this morning that the offending tweet by the Dallas Cowboys had been deleted. Of course the Cowboys issued the standard twitter apology saying their tweet was “posted accidentally”. I’m pretty sure you have to make a conscious decision to write something and then hit send. Personally I like it when teams mix it up and show some personality. Good for the Stars for not backing down.

For the Jets, CBA and NHL news click here.

 

[ICdave]

Thursday Papers

Thursday, January 10th Jets, CBA and NHL news

Jets & Affiliate news:

Winnipeg Free Press: Memos from the boss. Gary had an exclusive 1 on 1 with the Jets Mark Chipman. Fans will be interested to hear what he had to say.

Winnipeg Free Press: Chipman wants to recognize local fans. Well said by the Jets co-owner: “But yeah, we’re kicking some ideas around. We don’t want it to be patronizing. I’d rather do nothing than have it come off as some hollow effort to appease people that are still angry. We have to come up with the right thing to do.â€

Winnipeg Free Press: FAQ-thurs. An update for those who still have questions about what is happening and when you might start getting some Jets news.

Winnipeg Free Press: Hainsey eager to get back to playing. I thought his interview yesterday was the most interesting audio that has been done this week.

Winnipeg Sun: Andrew Ladd calls out Evander Kane. Jokingly he sent a tweet at the Jets young star to get to Winnipeg so the team can get ready for the compressed schedule. Any additional time the team can practice together will help as they get ready for the mini-training camp which will begin on Sunday.

Winnipeg Sun: Chevy wants small, competitive training camp. This will be a strange camp to say the least.

Winnipeg Sun: Dustin Byfuglien ready to ‘go to work’. You get the feeling that these players are eager to get on the ice and to be able to discuss hockey related questions. While Buff isn’t the most engaging with the media, you can bet that he would rather be pestered by a question about the Jets power play than something CBA related.

Winnipeg Sun: Ondrej Pavelec comes clean. He made a poor decision. The good news he showed an understanding that his actions were wrong and a willingness to discuss this with the media. It cannot be easy to have to take it on the chin but that is what he did when he met with the media and was peppered with questions about the incident. What would be nice is to see Pavelec turn this into a positive by getting involved with a cause that explains to young people the problems with drinking and driving.

Winnipeg Sun: Montoya likes fit with Jets. The Jets newest backup said all the right things yesterday. His attitude towards the city is excellent and he will be a very nice addition to this team.

Illegal Curve: Player audio from the IcePlex. The most recent Jets to skate at the Iceplex and speak with the media were Ron Hainsey, Dustin Byfuglien and Al Montoya. The Hainsey audio is especially interesting.

Illegal Curve: Ondrej Pavelec audio from the IcePlex. While he didn’t practice he came down to the IcePlex to take his lumps off the ice as the media peppered him with questions about his DUI. As I said above he took the questions and gave pretty forthright answers.

The Telegram: A half-dozen IceCaps pegged for Jets’ camp. What a thing to experience mid way through your season. It is one thing to lose a player or two to injury, but to lose 6 players to the parent club, even if it just lasts for the training camp has got to be tough to handle. The IceCaps have a game this Saturday and then the team is off until Friday the 18th so they might be able to weather this storm.

Reporter Herald: Colorado Eagles silence Stockton Thunder. The Jets ECHL team unleashed 8 goals on the Thunder in the victory. Perhaps they could share that scoring with the AHL IceCaps.

CBA news:

Globe and Mail: Commissioner Gary Bettman apologizes to fans for lockout. The apology by commissioner Bettman should be taken at face value but fans need to see what the NHL offers to truly show the value in which they are viewed. If it becomes business as usual or they go from offering a 15% discount to a 20% discount on merchandise, then fans will know the depth of the apology. Tangible efforts are required to repair the damage done.

ESPN: BOG’s grumblings not sign Bettman is out. The vote ended up 30-0 in favour of ratifying the deal so clearly Bettman won the day. Sounds like in 8-10 years the BOG might want things done differently but that is years away…isn’t it?

NHL news:

CBC: Brian Burke firing was personal. The firing caught the hockey world by storm as twitter blew up with the news yesterday. Speculation abounded as to the reasons and rumours are still filtering out of Toronto as to why he was given the heave-ho.

National Post: Expect new Leafs GM Dave Nonis to be more patient than predecessor. Nonis is like the Kenny Bania of the NHL. Always seems to be following behind Burke’s lead. And just like he was able to do in Vancouver, he will be given a chance to turn things into ‘Gold Jerry Gold‘ in Toronto.

CBC: European stats leaders during the lockout. The Oilers are going to be the team I want to watch in the West this year. Their young guns have been very successful during the lockout and should prove worth the price of admission.

For the Jets, CBA and NHL news click here.

 

[ICdave]

Friday, January 11th Jets, CBA and NHL news

Note: We are at the conclusion of the fourth week of the Team Illegal Curve Beard growing competition as Ezra and Drew help support the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Manitoba in conjunction with the Festival du Voyageur in the 31st annual beard growing contest. Every Friday we will be giving readers an update on the beard progress and here is Ezzy and Drew’s growth from Week 3 to Week 4:

Note II: Don’t forget to tune into the Illegal Curve Hockey Show Fantasy Hockey special on TSN Radio 1290 from noon to 3 pm on Saturday as the guys discuss all the latest Winnipeg Jets, CBA and NHL news. This week’s show will have a special emphasis on fantasy hockey. Guests: Jeff Angus (Managing editor for DobberHockey), Justin Goldman (Director of Goalie Scouting for McKeen’s Hockey and an NHL.com writer) and Gus Katsaros (McKeen’s Hockey Pro Scouting Coordinator).

Jets & Affiliate news:

Winnipeg Free Press: Jets 1st draft leaked. Weirdest thing I noticed was the Washington back-t0-back home games in Winnipeg.

Winnipeg Free Press: Wellwood joins teammates on ice. Must have been fun traveling across the boarder to get in his skates with fellow NHLers.

Winnipeg Free Press: U.S. goaltender shows Canadian pride. Always interesting to hear the rationale behind a goalie mask. They are quite personal for both the artist and the netminder.

Winnipeg Free Press: Germany OK, ‘Peg great. Wheeler definitely enjoyed his time in Germany but there is no place like home. For the Jets to enjoy post season success, need to see him continue to lift his level of play. Hopefully the games he played in the German DEL have him ready.

Winnipeg Free Press: Pavs time to shine. The Jets fortunes will rise and fall on the back of their workhorse netminder. Is Pavelec up to the challenge? As well Ed looks at 4 other things the Jets will need to be successful this season.

Winnipeg Free Press: Tait lockout box back. Some noteworthy items, tidbits, quotes and notes as the NHL gets back to work from Ed.

TSN: Sizing up the Jets in the post-lockout world. Nice to have Dennis back giving his thoughts on the Jets and where they will be going from this point forward. To avoid the CBA quagmire that occurred this year, both sides would be well advised to tackle some of these questions now and not wait 8 more years.

Winnipeg Sun: Kane still a no-show on ice. Ed Tait tweeted that Kane will be back in the city today so let’s not panic. While the title of the article suggests Kane was the lone no-show, 3 other Jets (Wellwood, Antropov and Ponikarovski) were also not on the ice. To be fair to Kane, assuming Kyle Wellwood was in Windsor, that is just an 1 and a half flight from the Peg’.

Winnipeg Sun: Redmond wants to make a run at Jets blue-line. When we spoke with Robin Short on the Illegal Curve Hockey Show a few weeks back, he said that Redmond was the likely number 1 defenceman in St. John’s based on his level of play. While watching him practice at the IcePlex yesterday you couldn’t help but notice him on the ice. Smooth skating and possesses a wicked wrist shot. Definitely a player to watch this training camp.

Winnipeg Sun: More consequences coming for Pavelec says Chipman. While that certainly sounds ominous and the crime is of a serious nature this can be handled quite well if, as I suggested yesterday, Pavelec gets involved spreading the message to young people about the problems that can result when drinking and driving.

Winnipeg Sun: Rock experience served Burmistrov well. He was back on the ice at the MTS Centre and told media following practice that he feels 100%. Hopefully his time in St. John’s gave him some of the tools that he will need to be a more effective player in the NHL this season.

Winnipeg Sun: New NHL deal a good one for Jets says Chipman. During the conference call yesterday he seemed quite certain that the structure of the CBA was a good one for this market. You have to trust that TNSE has done their homework and knows what it will take to ensure the long term viability of the team in a market like Winnipeg.

Winnipeg Sun: Jets defenceman Postma has Bogosian’s number. This did cause me to double-take yesterday at the MTS Centre as I initially forgot that Bogosian has switched to 44. The reports out of St. John’s are pretty positive about him and it looks like he will be given that opportunity to finally show whether he belongs in the NHL or not.

Winnipeg Sun: Max Macenauer all smiles after call to Jets camp. His was a name that was not really mentioned as one of the IceCaps players who might be making the trip to Winnipeg for the camp. But like anyone invited to camp, he will be given an opportunity to impress the Jets brass when camp starts on Sunday.

Barrie Colts: Colts 5 Steelheads 4 in SO. Just the scoresheet from last night’s Colts game where Jets 1st round pick in 2011 Mark Scheifele could possibly be playing in one of his final Jr. games depending on what the Jets decide. He had the game tying goal in the 2nd, finished +2 and was voted 3rd star of the game. Barrie plays again tonight in Guelph and then back to Barrie for a game Saturday night against Niagara. Still no word as to when Scheifele will be brought to Winnipeg.

Illegal Curve: Jets player audio from MTS Centre. Blake Wheeler and Paul Postma were the two newest players to step up and face the Winnipeg media scrum.

NHL news:

Globe and Mail: Teams south of the border begin offering discounts, in Canada, not so much. Many teams in the United States are making efforts to help mend the wounds that this lockout has caused. The response by many of the Canadian teams seems to be that they are still in the process of crafting something for fans. Before they are castigated for inactivity, it is best to see how they choose to respond.

Globe and Mail: To survive as Leafs GM, Nonis has lengthy checklist to fill. While that checklist is quite full, I would whittle it down to getting this team into the playoffs and having them contend for the Stanley Cup. It is inconceivable that a team that can be so successful economically has not won a Stanley Cup since 1967.

Globe and Mail: Who is left as an unsigned free agent? There are some veteran names on that list that you would have to think could help a team that wants some leadership and Stanley Cup championship leadership in some cases.

CBA news:

Globe and Mail: Social media emerged as powerful voice during lockout. Giving fans a voice unlike any they have ever had in the past, it allowed them to get loud and in some instances get organized and really let their teams know how they felt about the lockout. Many of you have entrusted @illegalcurve to provide you with all the latest throughout the lockout and now expect and will receive all the latest Winnipeg Jets news.

CBC: NHLPA vote on CBA ratification to last until Saturday. This is essentially window dressing as you know the process wouldn’t be moving forward if the PA didn’t think the members would vote it forward. So this formality will finally conclude on Saturday, we can start training camps on Sunday and then a week following the conclusion of voting the 2013 NHL season can begin.

For the Jets, CBA and NHL news click here.

 

[ICdave]

Saturday Papers

Saturday, January 12th Jets, CBA and NHL news

Note: Don’t forget to tune into the Illegal Curve Hockey Show Fantasy Hockey special on TSN Radio 1290 from noon to 3 pm on today as the guys discuss all the latest Winnipeg Jets, CBA and NHL news. Today's show will have a special emphasis on fantasy hockey. Guests: Jeff Angus (Managing editor for DobberHockey), Justin Goldman (Director of Goalie Scouting for McKeen’s Hockey and an NHL.com writer) and Gus Katsaros (McKeen’s Hockey Pro Scouting Coordinator).

Jets & Affiliate news:

Winnipeg Free Press: Ladd must crack whip hard. While he will have help of some veterans around him, this team is Andrew Ladd’s and the guys look to him to lead by example.

Winnipeg Free Press: Scheifele’s arrival should put all hands on deck. Fans are eager to see what the highly touted prospect will do once he gets back to Winnipeg for his 2nd training camp with the team.

Winnipeg Free Press: Path to the playoffs. Ed isolates 10 areas in which the Jets must improve in order to make the post season. Do you think it can be done? Vote in our IC Poll. Right now 71% of you believe the Jets finish anywhere from 6th to 10th.

Winnipeg Free Press: Lockout lessons from 1994-95. Hopefully the Jets 2.0 fair better than the 1.0 version who went into the lockout having finished 12th but only managed to move up to 10th in the West.

Winnipeg Sun: Clitsome ready to accept larger role with the Jets. The Ottawa native has worked hard during the lockout and will have an opportunity to prove himself and possibly earn a more substantial role with the team.

Winnipeg Sun: Position by position preview of training camp. Kirk goes through the entire lineup and shows where there might be room for a change in the lineup.

Winnipeg Sun: Winger Machacek returns. He caught a lot of attention towards the end of the season last year and many will be curious to see if he can continue this rise.

Winnipeg Sun: Leaked schedule shows Jets on the road early, often. Welcome to a central division team playing in the Eastern Conference. Let the insanity begin.

The Telegram: You had the forecast, you don’t have to like the result. If we think we had snow in Winnipeg, you should check out the weather in St. John’s.

Reporter Herald: Colorado Eagles nail down ninth straight home win. This ECHL team just keeps on winning.

NHL news:

Washington Post: Eric Fehr set to sign with Capitals. We will be seeing the Winkler, Manitoba product back in Winnipeg, but it will be on the opposition as a member of the Jets south east division rival.

CBC: Injuries already a factor for NHL stars. Part of the concern of players playing overseas is the possibility of injury. While you might have financial recourse, reality is more teams just want their players back healthy and ready to play for their squad.

CBA news:

TSN: NHLPA concludes ratification vote, results expected today. At this point it is simply a question of how much did it pass by!

Globe and Mail: How Shane Doan’s sincerity paved way to the deal. The chronology of time on the fateful night in which the deal got done.

Globe and Mail: It always had to be January says Ryan Miller. The Sabres goalie is a quote machine and showed his usual flair as he met with the Buffalo media for the first time in the quasi post-lockout.

For the Jets, CBA and NHL news click here.