The Hockey News
http://www.thehockeynews.com/news/article/down-goes-brown-five-games-that-could-havechanged-the-2017-draft-lottery-results
Down Goes Brown: Five games that could have changed the 2017 draft lottery
results
By: Sean McIndoe
Knowing what spots in the standings ended up with the best lottery results means we can come
up with all sorts of scenarios that would have changed the outcome. Look away, Canucks fans.
Saturday night's lottery certainly shook up the draft order, with four of the league's worst teams
suffering the dreaded three-spot drop while the Devils, Flyers and Stars all moved up.
We probably should have seen at least part of that coming. Earlier in the week, I predicted that
the Devils would win because they had the lottery's most unbeatable good luck charm: Taylor
Hall. He was drafted with a lottery-winning choice, he stuck around Edmonton for multiple lottery
wins, he was eventually traded for another player taken with a lottery-winning choice, and now
he's willed his team to yet another one. By the time it was made official, even Hall himself was
having some fun with it.
But were Saturday night's results really inevitable? Maybe not. The beauty of the NHL system is
that once you know which spots in the standings held ended up holding the winning combos,
you can go back and play "what if?" with certain games during the season. That's how you get
Patrik Stefan's empty net miss costing the Oilers the Patrick Kane pick, or how a comical Ryan
Getzlaf giveaway ends up costing the Coyotes the services of Patrik Laine.
Now that we know which spots in this year's standings turned out to be the lucky ones – 27th,
19th and 24th if you're keeping track – let's take another run at some alternate history with five
games that may have single-handedly changed the lottery results. Warning: This can get painful
for certain teams. You've been warned, Canucks fans.
January 24, 2017 – Sharks at Jets
The Jets are a fun team to play the what-if game with. They hung around the fringe of the
playoff race for much of the season, but were basically done by the time the season's final few
weeks rolled around. With nothing to play for, the Jets infuriated their fans by going on a lateseason win streak, rattling off seven straight. That would be great news is the NHL used the far
superior Gold Plan system, but all it did for the Jets was torpedo their lottery odds.
Or so we thought. As it turns out, that late-season streak left the Jets just one point short of
catching the Flyers for that 19th spot. That means we could technically take any Jets loss from
the season as the one that cost them a second straight lottery win. So let's go with one of the
most painful.
This January meeting with the Sharks marked the return of Patrik Laine, who'd missed time with
a concussion. But it was remembered for a controversial third-period play that saw Jacob
Trouba knock the puck away from Melker Karlsson on a partial breakaway with the Jets up by
one. Replays seemed to show Trouba making a nice stick-on-stick defensive play, but Karlsson
was awarded a penalty shot. He converted to tie the game, and the Sharks went on to a 4-3
win. To make matters worse, the Jets appeared to tie the game in the dying seconds, only to
have the goal waved off.
Paul Maurice and the Jets were fuming about the calls after the game. They might have been
even more upset if they'd known the loss would eventually cost them the second overall pick.
InGoal Magazine
http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/mts-centre-introduces-no-re-entry-policy421197253.html
Eric Comrie IIHF World Championship Journal #1
by Eric Comrie | May 5, 2017
Winnipeg Jets goaltender Eric Comrie is currently overseas at the 2017 IIHF World
Championship. He has kindly agreed to share his experience while he is in France, taking part
in his first non-junior international competition for Team Canada. We hope you enjoy this
behind-the-scenes look from one of the top young goalies in the game today!
I’ve been very fortunate to play for Hockey Canada a number of times in the past. My first
experience was with U17 Team Pacific, which was a really fun tournament. After that, I
participated in the prestigious U18 Ivan Hlinka tournament. Then came the World Juniors, the
biggest of them all. The experiences that I’ve had have been so different. It’s so exciting to go
through each event, because it feels like you’re part of a pretty big deal. I know it gets said a lot,
but it really is a great honour to be able to represent your country.
The greatest memory of international competition I have is definitely when I suited up for Team
Canada at the World Juniors. It was so exciting to win the gold medal on home soil in Toronto.
Words can’t describe the feeling. I was very, very lucky to get to be a part of that. Now, going to
the World Championship, I’m really proud to be able to represent this country once again.
This tournament feels a lot different from the other ones, though. In the others, you’re playing
within your age group. Now in this one, you’re playing against NHL all stars. I’m very lucky to
even be a part of this – to get to add it to my resume. It’s something I’ve wanted to do since I
was a kid. I’ll try to take full advantage of it, and enjoy every single moment.
Not only have I had the chance to play for Team Canada, I’ve also had the chance to work at a
handful of their camps. I love helping out Fred Brathwaite. He’s been a great goalie coach and
mentor for me. Winning the World Junior gold medal with him there was really special. Having
him by my side was really great, so I always try to help him out as much as I can. There are so
many young, great goaltenders in Canada, so I love helping out. It really is the least I can do to
help Canada become the best it can possibly be at the position.
Wearing the Team Canada jersey is always really special. You dream of playing in the World
Championship, World Juniors, and Olympics when you’re a kid. I know envisioning myself
putting the jersey on is always something that I dreamt about. I always think back to Carey Price
making that big save in the shootout to defeat the U.S., and that drives me to push myself to
play in international tournaments – so I can be a part of moments like that.
When you play for team Canada, you’re playing for more than just the tournament.
Representing your country is something that I take very seriously. I have a lot of pride in my
country, and I take a lot of pride in wearing this jersey. It’s very different than playing for your
club team. It feels so much bigger. You’re representing an entire nation.
I have a lot of pride in my country, and I take a lot of pride in wearing this jersey. It’s very
different than playing for your club team. It feels so much bigger. You’re representing an entire
nation.
Playing in the World Juniors made every big game since then so much easier. It’s such a big
stage. You know everyone is watching and overanalyzing. Everyone is tuned in and will be
judging you. I think Fred Brathwaite had the best advice. He said: “Treat every game as if you’re
playing on an outdoor rink with your friends.” I remember that advice every time I play a big
game, whether it’s my first NHL game, or the game against the USA at the World Juniors. It
helps me settle in and get into my game. It’s something that has stuck with me, and hopefully I
get to use that advice here at the World Championship.
Walking into the World Championship dressing room was a little bit more nerve-wracking for
me. I’d say I was even more nervous than when I walked into the World Junior locker room.
You’re surrounded by similar teammates at the World Juniors. You’re all the same age, have
the same interests, and know each other a little bit. Not at the World Championship! It’s a lot of
older guys here. These are NHL All Stars. This is the cream of the crop. These guys have been
in the NHL for a long time. I’ve grown up watching some of these guys on TV! Now all of a
sudden I’m meeting them.
I’ve been staying quiet for the most part, and getting to know them slowly so I can work my way
into the mix. There are a few other Winnipeg Jets players here that I know, like Josh Morrissey
and Mark Scheifele, so that helps. I also know Calvin Pickard, who is a great friend of mine. We
like to skate together when we’re in Winnipeg, or with my goalie coach Lyle Mast during the
summer. That has definitely helped me settle in a bit easier. Getting into your routine is
important, so being comfortable around a good group of guys helps a lot. I’m really looking
forward to our first game!
– Eric
http://ingoalmag.com/features/eric-comrie-iihf-world-championship-journal-2/
ERIC COMRIE IIHF WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP JOURNAL #2
by Eric Comrie | May 6, 2017
Winnipeg Jets goaltender Eric Comrie is currently overseas at the 2017 IIHF World
Championship. He has kindly agreed to share his experience while he is in France, taking part
in his first non-junior international competition for Team Canada. We hope you enjoy this
behind-the-scenes look from one of the top young goalies in the game!
Day one is in the books! I was really happy to get going with the first day of the tournament.
Looking back, we started off the morning with a pre-game skate. The guys were looking great
out there. Calvin Pickard, who started the first game, was making some great saves early on,
and it looked like he was tracking the puck well.
I didn’t get a lot of work in today because it was a pre-game skate and the two guys that were
dressing for the game tonight had to feel the puck and get ready. I just hopped on after the team
stretch with only about nine minutes left in the skate. I still managed to get a pretty good sweat
on, though.
We did a little forward shooting drill with a cycle with a 2-on-0 from behind the net. The guy
would come around and pass it out in front, and the other shooter would have to fire a quick
one-timer at the net.
It was a bit of an adjustment from day one. We had a practice ice time that day, but we were
skating on the main rink today because we had a game later. The practice rink is NHL-sized,
which is smaller. The main rink is a much bigger Olympic-sized ice sheet. It’s an adjustment
when you push off your post. I had to stay deeper in order to get my angles down, because I
didn’t want to over push. Once I got my bearings, I could start taking my usual amount of depth.
It’s all about feel.
The bigger ice is certainly tough to get used to for your angles and reads. You really need to
stay patient, or else you’ll start to overplay things. If you play a smart, patient game – the bigger
ice can work wonders for a goaltender. It almost makes the game a bit easier.
After the skate we headed back to the hotel with a police escort. Hockey Canada treats us
great, and makes sure we’re safe with the police escorts, and a security team following us
around. They have done a very good job at keeping us organized.
Then we had a pre-game meal, and afterwards I headed down for a little nap. When I woke up,
Chris Lee, who also wasn’t playing in the game, went with me to the players lounge to have a
ping pong battle. If we are both going to stay out of the lineup, I think we’ll keep doing that. Not
only is it a lot of fun, it also keeps your hand-eye coordination going. It’s actually one of my
favourite sports besides hockey!
Then we hopped into the car and headed to the game. It’s a beautiful arena in Paris, absolutely
fantastic. I was pleased to see how nice it was, and the game had a great turnout. It was a loud
stadium with a huge crowd, which made it a fun game to watch.
The Czechs came out hard to start the game, but Picks was too good. He had some longer
shots early in the game which allowed him to get a feel, and his timing down. He settled in really
nicely. He agreed with me after the game when we talked about it. Pickard was reading the
back-door plays really well. He knew exactly when to play deeper in certain situations. His
hands were great from start to finish.
Petr Mrazek was great at the other end as well. He made some huge saves, especially on a
couple of back-door plays, like Pickard. Mrazek’s best save was when he made an outstanding
blocker stop coming across in the first period, it was pretty special to watch. Both of those guys
are premier athletes, and they battle extremely hard. Even on the first goal against Pickard, he
made a back-door save, then he almost got across with his glove while diving over. It was a
great game from both goalies.
Nothing better than seeing Canada win, and both goalies picking up player-of-the-game
honours! It was a very successful first game of the tournament.
– Eric
http://ingoalmag.com/features/eric-comrie-iihf-world-championship-journal-3/
ERIC COMRIE IIHF WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP JOURNAL #3
by Eric Comrie | May 7, 2017
Winnipeg Jets goaltender Eric Comrie is currently overseas at the 2017 IIHF World
Championship. He has kindly agreed to share his experience while he is in France, taking part
in his first non-junior international competition for Team Canada. We hope you enjoy this
behind-the-scenes look from one of the top young goalies in the game today!
I woke up this morning and went to a breakfast pre-game meal since the game was a 12:15pm
start, which is a bit earlier for us. We didn’t have a pre-game skate because we didn’t have any
ice. That means it was kind of a day off for me. I wasn’t going to dress for the game, so I just
had some breakfast, went back to my room and took the shuttle to the rink to settle in before the
game.
Chad Johnson was slated to get the start for Canada. It’s been interesting to see the difference
in his style compared to Calvin Pickard. Just from watching them in practice, you can see that
Calvin is a bit more athletic, and tries to bait shooters. Johnny’s a bit more technical, very
patient with his positioning. He makes sure he gets there, and really trusts his angles. It’s cool to
see the difference, and how they both work with different systems in front of them.
We had a great start in game number two. We had some big opportunities early, but Slovenia
fought back with some chances of their own. They had a breakaway, but Chad Johnson made a
solid save with his elbow. The player shot it high blocker, and he just got his elbow up in time to
make a really, really nice save. He made a lot of timely saves as the game went on. Slovenia
had a powerplay, but Johnson stayed calm and patient. He did a very good job of just letting the
puck come to him. You could really see that he was on, which eventually helped us get the win.
When Chad is on, he stays very calm. He likes to beat passes on his feet, which keeps from
being too reachy. He keeps his hands centred in front of his body, which allows him to control
his rebounds and smother pucks.
That’s all Canada really needed.
There was a 5-on-3 in the second period, and you could see how awesome his skating is.
Slovenia had a backdoor chance, and the only reason he got there was because he held his
edges. It went left-to-right down low, and he stayed on his feet the whole time. It went back
across the crease, and the only reason he was able to get there was because he stayed on his
feet. It was an excellent display of goaltending, even though they didn’t end up getting a shot on
goal.
The Slovenian goalie Gasper Kroselj made some highlight reel saves. Canada played a really
strong game, and he was forced to come up big a bunch of times. We have so much skill on our
forward lines, they can really go tic-tac-toe with the puck, but Kroselj knew how to read it. In the
first period, one of our Canadian players cut across the middle, so the goalie took a step up
when he saw the back door was covered. That allowed him to take the shot right in the chest. A
couple of other times we had a backdoor threat waiting, and he backed up a step because he
knew it was coming. That allowed him to be very quick when moving side-to-side. I liked his
game a lot. Canada was just a bit too much to handle for them today.
We were really happy as a team with the victory, it was a strong game. Chad’s early saves
allowed the team to relax knowing that they would get strong goaltending. After the game we
relaxed and came back to the hotel for a team dinner, and then we made our way to the players’
lounge. We played some more ping-pong (which I love). I had a really good night because I won
a lot (I don’t lose often). I was happy about that. Then we played a little 2-on-2 NHL on the
Xbox.
Our next game is against Belarus the next day, so we have some time to relax until then.
Overall it was a successful day with another big win that we can build on!
– Eric
www.winnipegjets.com
http://www.winnipegsun.com/2017/05/03/mts-centre-announces-no-re-entry-policy
Morrissey adds to impressive international resume
Jets blueliner representing Canada for the sixth time
by Aaron Vickers @AAVickers / Special to WinnipegJets.com
PARIS, France -- Canada's called often. Josh Morrissey has always answered.
Morrissey, currently representing Canada at the 2017 IIHF World Championship in Paris,
France and Cologne, Germany from May 5-21, isn't about to let an invite to represent his
country on the international stage go to voicemail.
"It's a pretty big honour," said Morrissey, who had six goals and 20 points in all 82 games as a
rookie with the Winnipeg Jets this season. "When I got the call I was really excited. Anytime you
get to represent Canada, whether it's U17, U18 Worlds twice, Hlinka, World Juniors twice…I've
always loved it.
"You feel so much pride. To get the call and go to the Worlds, that's a whole 'nother level up. A
few levels, really. It's pretty exciting. I'm excited to be here."
The feeling, no doubt, is mutual.
Not with how quickly Canada came calling.
Morrissey, naturally, didn't have to wait long after the end of the regular season to get the wellearned nod.
"During the season I just tried to just play my game," he said. "I thought I improved a lot as the
year went on. I ended up having a pretty good rookie year. The coaches said it was a possibility
I might get the call and to watch my phone a bit.
"It was exciting. You never expect to get the call for a team this good, I guess, with this many
players to choose from. I'm very honored and humbled and excited."
Morrissey would've been hard for Canada to pass on, too.
He does have plenty of experience internationally.
And plenty of golden results.
The 22-year-old defenceman owns gold from the IIHF 2015 World Junior Championship, the
IIHF 2013 World Under-18 Championship, and the 2012 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament. He
also earned a bronze with Canada at the 2012 IIHF World Under-18 Championship.
"He's a guy that isn't going to turn down this opportunity," said Jets teammate Mark Scheifele,
who is also representing Canada at the tournament. "It's fun to represent your country and he's
a guy that, in Hockey Canada's eyes, is a premier player in the league. I think he's continuing to
make those steps. Him being in his first year, I think he's a pretty underrated guy. When you
watch him play you see the special plays he makes.
"Hopefully this tournament he can turn some heads."
Chances are Morrissey will.
He's done so at every other level, after all.
At the Hlinka five years ago, Morrissey had eight assists and nine points in just five games to
help Canada clinch gold. Eight months later, he added three goals and seven points in seven
games as an assistant captain on Canada's golden Under-18 entry to lead all defencemen in
scoring at the tournament.
Morrissey was also named an all-star in helping Canada to gold in 2015 with a four-point
performance.
Nothing yet, he admits, has topped that latest medal.
"I think, obviously, winning World Junior gold at home was the best moment," Morrissey said.
"Winning Hlinka gold and winning U18 gold was exciting as well. But World Juniors at home was
amazing.
"You just learn from those short-term competitions, those international competitions. You know
that it's a long tournament and you have to get better as the tournament goes on, keep
improving.
"You build from there and fall in with the guys as fast as possible."
It's Morrissey's goal now in his sixth trip to the international stage.
Around more senior defenders like Tyson Barrie of the Colorado Avalanche, Jason Demers of
the Florida Panthers, Calvin de Haan of the New York Islanders and Marc-Edouard Vlasic of the
San Jose Sharks, Morrissey plans on becoming a sponge at his highest stage yet.
It's exactly what he needs to do in that environment to set himself up for a successful
sophomore season with the Jets, his teammate suggested.
"You can always take little tidbits from everyone's game," Scheifele said. "You're playing with
some of the best players in the world and playing against some of the best players in the world.
You can learn certain things from them. He's going to rise to that opportunity.
"He already has. He's enjoyed himself and enjoyed playing with some good players.
"I think he's only going to get better as the tournament goes on."
-- Aaron Vickers, Special to WinnipegJets.com