Jets open summer training camp at Bell MTS Iceplex

WINNIPEG -For the first time since March 11, 2020 - a span of 122 days - the Winnipeg Jets took to the ice as a team on July 13.

A total of 30 skaters and three goaltenders were split into two groups, and while the drills looked the same, it was anything but a normal skate.

"It's nothing anybody has been through before," said Mathieu Perreault, who spent the last four months in Drummondville, Quebec with his family. "The skate was fairly easy. It was more just moving your feet and your hands…. The hands feel good, the feet feel good. All in all, pretty good."

Both groups skated for close to an hour, with Perreault's group getting on the ice at 7:45 am CT. The 32-year-old winger really had to think hard to determine the last time he had an ice session that early.

"When I was in peewee probably? It's been a while," he laughed. "With the kids, I'm always up this early, so it wasn't too bad to get up this morning. I just had a coffee and once you get on the ice, you're good to go."

Perreault was on the left wing with Nick Shore and Mason Appleton, the same group he was with in the 4-2 win over the Edmonton Oilers back in March.

Head coach Paul Maurice kept a number of his lines the same and that was by design.

"That's how we ended. I know it was a long time ago, but that was four (wins) in a row. Prior to that, we liked a lot of the trends we saw from February 1 on. Familiarity is very important," said Maurice.

"Where we thought we liked the line together, we put them together again."

The full lines from both sessions looked like this:

Group 2:

Connor-Scheifele-Wheeler

Ehlers-Eakin-Laine

Copp-Lowry-Roslovic

Morrissey-DeMelo

Kulikov-Pionk

Sbisa

Hellebuyck

Group 1:

Perreault-Shore-Appleton

Bourque-Harkins-Shaw

Suess-Gustafsson-Letestu

Beaulieu-Poolman

Dahlstrom-Niku

Comrie

Maurice has the majority of training camp's first week planned out, but has left room for flexibility. It's a fine line between pushing his team to prepare for Game 1 against the Calgary Flames on August 1, and pushing them too hard too early.

"We're going to really be in tune to how our players are feeling," said Maurice. "That will green light us in terms of when we start to push heavier, when we get into the battle. The early part of camp is going to be about getting the feet, the hands, and the groins warmed up and back to it."

Captain Blake Wheeler had a goal and an assist against Edmonton was happy to be back on the ice with his teammates. He and the Jets have made the Stanley Cup Playoffs in each of the last two seasons, but the Jets captain isn't sure how much of a role playoff experience will play once the puck drops.

"Two years ago, we made the Conference Final with no experience. It can go either way. It's a unique situation. It's uncharted territory," Wheeler said. "I don't think anyone knows what to expect. Once things get rolling in August, it can be any team that catches fire and goes on a run. You just hope you're that team."

Wheeler's family is with him in Winnipeg, but he admits it will be tough to leave his wife alone to manage all three of their kids while he is in Edmonton.

But Wheeler's wife, Sam, is still cheering for a long Jets playoff run.

"When we've talked about it, she says 'don't just leave and only play three games. That would be a waste of time. At least give me something to entertain me,'" Wheeler said. "That's where we've left it for now and hopefully we can go on a little bit of a run and give everyone back at home something to cheer for."

No Jets players opted out of playing - a right given to all NHL players as part of the Return to Play protocol - and part of the reason they feel safe to return to action are the numerous safety measures in place.

Maurice noted all the hard work that has gone into getting Bell MTS Iceplex ready for Monday's start of Phase 3.

"In the last month especially, the number of precautions that needed to be taken, processes that needed to be developed in your room - there has been a whole lot of non-hockey effort," said Maurice. "The medical guys and the equipment guys have been going flat out for a long time to make it right.

"You get on the ice, and it's just hockey. That felt really good."