PENTICTON – After two flights and one bus ride, the Winnipeg Jets prospects arrived in the Okanagan in Penticton on Thursday afternoon and began preparation for the 2024 Young Stars Classic.
Less than an hour after pulling up at the South Okanagan Events Centre, the coaches and players were on the ice for another practice which lasted 35 minutes.
“I think it’s important. Just with my experience with teams. First of all, it’s an early wake up call, it’s two airports, two different flights and then a bus,” said Moose coach Mark Morrison.
“I think it’s good to get the legs going and now the timings right. They get a meal in and at a decent hour they get to go to sleep. I think it’s important they skate and mentally they will feel better.”
The players agreed with Morrison.
“It felt great obviously to get the legs moving and stuff,” said 2024 sixth round pick Kieron Walton.
“It was really important after a long travel day like that, felt good to be able to touch the puck a little bit.”
The Jets had a full skate this morning but there was more of a focus on special teams. Here is the lineup for tonight's game:
He – Lambert – Barlow
Walton – Zhilkin – Torgersson
Julien – Yager – Chibrikov
Loponen – Nikkanen – Levis
Anhorn – Salomonsson
Kuzmin – Barteaux
Sword – Mayo
Morrison said Thomas Milic will start in goal for the Jets.
It’s been an exciting couple of days for Kevin He, who was selected by the Jets in the fourth round in Vegas and now he’s skating alongside a couple of first round picks in Colby Barlow and Brad Lambert.
“It is early, we’ve had him at development camp. He’s busy, he skates well,” said Morrison.
“(We) put him with Brad Lambert because Brad’s got some speed to him and Kevin does too. He keeps up with him (Lambert) so that’s good.”
He is welcoming the opportunity to make his Jets debut with Barlow and Lambert.
“They’re amazing players. I’ve tried to build on the chemistry right off the hop on and off the ice and I think that’s important,” said He.
“(Barlow) is a hell of a shooter obviously everyone knows he can rip the pill but just try and get him the puck, try to set him up. With Brad, we’re going to work pretty well together and I’m looking forward to it.”
Another thing that He is excited about is playing on the same team as his childhood friend (Kieron) Walton when the Jets open the Young Stars Classic against Calgary at 6 pm CT.
“Quite the journey coming from minor hockey, bantam, moving up to minor midget and now here with Winnipeg,” said He.
“Yeah, it’s been fun. I think I’ve told this a million times, but I was super stoked when we took him. He should be a big presence on the ice, you notice him, he’s going to play his game. He can play the skill game and he’s a power forward as well.”
Expect the younger players like He, Walton and Markus Loponen to be nervous in the game against the Flames as they are all learning a new system and making their first appearance in a game in Jets colours. The kids also are trying to make a big impression on the organization.
"I was saying this earlier, it's almost hard to coach here to start with because you're either shorthanded or the power play. They've got so much energy and so much jump that they're taking penalties, the shifts are too long," said Morrison.
"So it takes awhile for them to calm down and look after the details but it always seems to be the same (to start). This year maybe a little bit different because we have some guys that have played in the tournament before, some older guys who are playing in their third tournament. That should give us a little bit of experience and a little bit of leadership."
