Trouba Requests Trade

Jacob Trouba has requested a trade out of Winnipeg.  As it stands right now, Trouba is unhappy with his minutes and his position on the right side.  Apparently the Jets 2012 first-round pick wants more of an opportunity to play on the left side.  At least that's what he claims through his agent.

This isn't a complete shocker as Trouba has been without a contract since July and with no real progress in that area, the rumors have been in full swing since then.  Apparently, Trouba and his agent have made their feelings clear about his position on the ice since May.

Trouba's agent, Kurt Overhardt said in a statement:

“Our client, Jacob Trouba, will not be attending the Winnipeg Jets NHL training camp. Since May, we have been working with the Jets management in an effort to facilitate a trade of Jacob’s rights. Both parties continue to work on this matter.

There has been no negotiation regarding the terms of a contract between our client and the Jets over the course of the last several months. The situation is not about money; it is solely about our client having the opportunity to realize his potential as a right shot NHL defenseman.

To the Jets credit, the club has two outstanding right shot veteran defensemen and our client simply wants the opportunity to have a greater role. As a consequence of the Jets depth on the right side, we believe it is in both parties’ best interest to facilitate a mutually advantageous trade.

Our client has nothing but respect for the people and City of Winnipeg, the Winnipeg Jets, its fans, management and ownership – our desire to get him moved has everything to do with opportunity. We will continue to work with the Jets in good faith to achieve this end.”

More to come as the story unfolds...

Training Camp Opens

Well joy of all joys, hockey season is upon us again.  How do we know?  You mean other than the fact that the World Cup of Hockey is almost concluded, it's October, and members of the most awesome hockey team have flooded back into town?  Yep.  Those are sure signs alright.

The Winnipeg Jets have officially opened their training camp for the 2016-2017 NHL season and once again, due to this past summers entry draft and signings of Patrik Laine and Kyle Connor (not to mention the upping of Mark Scheifele's eight-year, $6.125 million contract) expectations are high in River City.

Of course I suppose all fans say that about their team upon the dawning of a new season.  New players, new opportunities, new dreams.  Not that too much stock is put into this, but The Hockey News did in fact name the Winnipeg Jets the 2019 Stanley Cup champions.  Hey, a guy can dream can't he?  So what if that article was meant to salivate Jets fans in two seasons, the dreaming starts now!

But as for the present, will the Jets measure up this season to what expectations were for 2015-2016?  If so, who will lead the way and bring the excitement of the NHL playoffs back to the Manitoba capital?  The core players will obviously carry the mantle as expected.  So for now, we'll ignore players like new captain Blake Wheeler, Dustin Byfuglien, Brian Little and Ondrej Pavelec.

What Jets fans really want to know is how many goals will Patrik Laine score?  Will he challenge the Maple Leafs Austin Matthews for the Calder trophy as the NHL's rookie of the year?  Will he seize the brass ring as another Teemu Selanne or will he *GULP* be a bust?

With all eyes on Laine, will college stand-out Kyle Connor slip in under the radar and turn some heads as I believe he will, or will he be a regular scorer with the Manitoba Moose?  Will Josh Morrisey finally make the big club?  Will he be able to let Jets fans exhale a collective sigh of relief and ask Jacob who?  Who will win the back-up position to Pavelec, who is in the final year of his five-year deal?  Or will it be Pavelec fighting to retain his starter job?  Will Micheal Hutchinson continue his wonderful play from last year or will newcomer Conner Hellebyck outplay them both and start the season between the pipes for the Jets?  Will Nikolai Ehlers continue his break-out that he began last season?

Hull To Pass On Hall Of Fame Ceremony

Bobby Hull, one of the most dominant and respected players ever to don a Winnipeg Jets jersey, who was to be honoured by True North Sports & Entertainment and the Winnipeg Jets along with "Hot Line" line mates Ulf Nilsson and Anders Hedberg; has decided to pass on being present to accept the induction.

Why?  It's simple really.  With all the controversy surrounding his induction, due to many Winnipeggers not at all thrilled about honouring a man who had allegedly beat his wife during their marriage of 20 years; Hull has decided to take himself out of the equation.  He's still going into the Hall, he just won't be there in person to accept.  I'm sure having to field personal questions that I'm sure he has had to answer numerous times before isn't the funnest thing he can think of doing.  But also, taking the rightful spotlight off of his former line mates isn't something he's very much interested in either.  Call it what you will.  Avoiding the elephant in the room or whatever.  He's doing the right thing by by-passing the sure-to-be media circus of matters time past.

Not to minimize domestic violence, and I totally understand why people would not support anyone of that caliber of character, but is this induction about his accomplishment on the ice, or what he did in his private life?  It certainly is about the accomplishments of his teammates, Nilsson and Hedberg.  No one is going to be asking them about their personal life.  Don't think they won't have to attempt to answer questions about Hull either.  That shouldn't be put on them, but it will be.

Kroppy Passes at 98

Len Kropioski, otherwise known to Winnipeg Jets fans as "Kroppy," has died.  He was 98.  Kropioski was a World War II veteran and a life-long Jets fan.  Well as long as the Winnipeg Jets existed, both now and between 1972 and 1996.  He had been a season-ticket holder since the inaugural 1972 World Hockey Association season and again since 2011, when the Atlanta Thrashers were re-located to Winnipeg.  He was also a Manitoba Moose season-ticket holder since 1997.

He was first introduced to the Winnipeg public back in 2011 at the Jets first game back against the Montreal Canadiens on March 9th.  The cameras caught him saluting and singing his heart out to O Canada.  Since then he became a game-day tradition with his image on the scoreboard every night at the conclusion of the national anthem.  He was an advertising gold mine for the Jets as Kroppy showed (and the Jets brass hope he showed) what a die-hard Winnipeg Jets fan was made of.  Kroppy epitomized what it was (and is) to be a Winnipeg Jets fan.  Being there for your team through thick and thin.  Showing up and cheering your heart out when you know that the team may not be very good and may disappoint you every season; only to show up the next year for a guaranteed 42 more games.

With the Jets donning their WHA-style jerseys of the 1970s for the Winter Classic as well as a couple of other regular-season games, plus the White-Out that returned to Winnipeg for the 2014-2015 playoffs, perhaps another long-standing, but slightly different tradition may be introduced.  Why not replace the old portrait of Queen Elizabeth II that hung at the south end of the old Winnipeg Arena with the same such honour for Kroppy?  I don't think one Winnipeg Jets fan would complain.  If they did, simply rescind their season's tickets.