Leadership comes in many forms on Jets roster

MONTREAL - Leadership comes in many forms, and with Winnipeg Jets captain Blake Wheeler sidelined with a concussion, the team will use every definition of leadership to fill the void for as long as he's out.
However, that doesn't mean anyone on the bench will act out of character.
"I feel like we've got guys have been in the battles before," said Jets forward Andrew Copp. "Especially up front, you know, it's pretty veteran group and guys know what they need to do. There's obviously little conversations with your line mates and as a whole, but nothing more than the standard game really."

Copp is just one of the examples of leadership, as he's playing right wing - a position even the versatile forward hasn't done much of at the National Hockey League level - as a way to cover off Wheeler's absence.
The left-handed shooting Copp has spent time on the left wing and centre, but admits there are some adjustments to playing on his off side.
"The defensive zone is probably the hardest part, just on the breakout. Especially the D coming down jamming you, kind of just trying to figure out your depth of how far towards the blue line you want to be," said Copp. "If you want to present forehand, backhand, what the pressure on the D-man is like. All those things kind of go into it."
A leadership role is something Copp is used to. He was named captain in his third season at the University of Michigan in 2014-15, just one season after being an alternate captain in his sophomore season. On top of that, he also wore an 'A" on his jersey for the 2014 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship for the United States.
He knows leadership when he sees it. He sees it in the play of Mark Scheifele and the veteran forwards, in Josh Morrissey and the defence, and he also sees it between the pipes in Connor Hellebuyck.
The Jets goaltender made 36 saves in Thursday's 4-2 win over Montreal. More importantly, he bounced back from a tough bounce in the second period, as a rimmed puck took a funny kick, and ended up in front of the Jets net.
The resulting goal cut the Jets lead from 3-1 to 3-2 - and it was the second time this season that type of play had happened to Hellebuyck at the Bell Centre - but Copp knew Hellebuyck would answer back.
"I think a lot of games I've seen and he only lets up one and that one he wants back but he made six or seven big-time saves after that to kind of redeem himself," said Copp. "He's very valuable in that aspect, too, where he's not a diva back there at all. He's not screaming at a defenceman ever. He kind of keeps the team connected. He never bashes anyone.
"That ownership, and leadership really, is important on top of how good of a goalie he is."
That mentality reminds head coach Paul Maurice of some of the goaltenders he's had over his career. The closest comparison he could come up with is Tom Barrasso, who has ended up being a good friend of Maurice's.
"Barrasso was a Calder, Vezina, Stanley Cup champion, and we're hopeful Connor can get to that point with accolades. But certainly in his mindset that would be the same," said Maurice, who said one of Hellebuyck's best attributes is never blaming teammates, or showing frustration toward them for a high-danger chance against.
"There's a whole lot of love for Connor Hellebuyck because he thinks he should have stopped it," said Maurice. "He's never banging on the door complaining about the odd-man rush or the goal that beat him because it was somebody else's fault, you're right about that. So there's why he's a great leader. That rubs off on your team on how to handle adversity."
Handling adversity is something the Jets will have to continue to do on this road trip without their captain.
He plays a big role not only at five-on-five, but also on the power play. The Jets went 0-for-3 on the man advantage with three shots on goal on Thursday, and Paul Stastny said there was definitely an adjustment period without Wheeler there.
"To me, when our unit is playing well, we're moving the puck, we're not stagnant, we're kind of attacking," said Paul Stastny. "Without Wheels there, the goal-line presence is a little different, but then, all of a sudden, what's nice with Scheifele having the puck there is he has so many different options. Whether we keep it on Scheif's side or it goes to KC's side, he can attack and that opens up a lot of lanes for all of us, too."
The Jets held an optional practice on Friday as they prepare for a rematch with the Canadiens on Saturday night.
Winnipeg is third in the North Division, eight points up on Montreal (who sits in fourth) and one point back of Edmonton for second. With 16 games left on the schedule, the Jets are 16 points above the playoff line, but that doesn't change their focus moving forward.
"I think when you've got a bit of a cushion you're in a far better position to work on your game," said Maurice. "It's on 'what do we want to look like in a month? Where are the parts in our game we've got to make the most improvement?'
"You work hard to create that cushion, so the benefits should be you don't have to chase a game as hard that maybe you're down a goal, you don't have to run back-to-back nights with your 'A' guy, you could make slightly longer term decisions. But the focus will always be on the quality of your game."