Across the Jets Stream: Volume 1, Issue 4: Jets First Cuts & Road Trips

The Winnipeg Jets aren't quite the team that Winnipeg fans are going to be seeing all season just yet.

Two days after their first split-squad pre-season games, the Jets released eight players from their roster, including 2011 draft picks Zach Yuen, Austen Brassard, and Adam Lowry, who will return to their respective junior clubs.

Also included in the first round of cuts were forwards Ivan Telegin, Sebastien Owuya, Kendal McFaull, Mike Kirkpatrick, and Levko Koper. Telegin, Owuya, and McFaull will return to junior, while Kirkpatrick will head to St. John's and Koper will be playing at the University of Alberta this upcoming season.

The remaining players in camp are still divided into their respective split-squad teams as the Jets take to the road for three games in Nashville, Charlotte, NC, and St. John's.

Fans tuning into the Nashville and St. John's games will see captain Andrew Ladd, Evander Kane, Mark Scheifele, and Ondrej Pavelec, while fans tuning into the Charlotte game will see the likes of Nik Antropov, Dustin Byfulgien, Zach Bogosian, Alexander Burmistrov, and David Aebischer.

The Jets have the distinct opportunity of being able to play in the Kraft Hockeyville game in St. John's. Originally won by Conception Bay South, NL, the game was switch to Mile One Centre because the, now home to the Ice Caps, would hold a larger capacity.

The Jets will play the Senators, that game is available to watch on CBC's Hockey Night In Canada at 3 PM CT.

In Charlotte, the Jets take on the Hurricanes at 4 PM CT and the Jets game in Nashville starts at 7:30 PM CT on Saturday.

After the Hockeyville game, the Jets will return for their final two pre-season games on September 28th against Carolina and September 30th against Nashville.

Winnipeg Jets Rookie Camp Opens in Style

One thousand people were at the MTS Iceplex on Saturday afternoon to witness the Jets Rookie Camp, as their young stars prepare for the YoungStars Rookie Tournament in Penticton, BC later this month.

Among the players that were on the ice were first round pick Mark Scheifele, Manitoba born Jason Gregoire, Carl Klingberg, Chris Carrozzi, Ivan Telegin, Zachary Yuen, and Cody Sol.

"Wearing a Jets’ jersey is pretty cool and walking off the ice and having fans bombard you at a rookie camp practice is unbelievable," Winnipeg-born forward Jason Gregoire told the Winnipeg Free Press.

"It just goes to show all the guys what this town is made of. It’s awesome. You look up... it’s a practice and I’ve never seen anything like this for a practice. I know what Winnipeg’s about. I know the fan base, but I honestly didn’t even expect this."

The Jet rookies will be on the ice again at the Iceplex on Sunday from 10 am-11:30 am before taking a flight out to Penticton to play in the tournament.

The tournament at the South Okanagan Events Centre and includes rookies from the Jets, Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers, Vancouver Canucks, and San Jose Sharks. The Jets rookies will face San Jose on Monday night, Edmonton on Tuesday evening, and then ending against the Canucks on Thursday afternoon.

According to head coach Claude Noel, forward Carl Klingberg stood out the most to him during the first day. Klingberg went as far to describe himself and his game as a ‘pain in the ass’ to play against ‘ and to that of Washington Capitals’ superstar Alex Ovechkin. (Winnipeg Free Press, 9/10/11)