WINNIPEG – There was a moment back on January 20, 2025 when Adam Lowry thought he’d be able to play through the injury he’d just suffered.
Of course, that was back in Utah when the Winnipeg Jets captain went into the end boards in an awkward fashion in the team’s loss to the Utah Hockey Club.
“I tried to get some treatment on it in the intermission, and when I was getting my gear back on I just felt like it was probably in the team’s best interest that I didn’t go back out there and play at 50 percent,” said Lowry. “After some more tests we figured out the significance. It sucks missing time. You want to be out there battling with your teammates and contributing, but a bunch of guys stepped up to rattle off eight wins.”
The 31-year-old was a full participant in Wednesday’s practice at hockey for all centre, the first full team session since the 4 Nations Face-Off break began. Alternate captain Mark Scheifele was happy to see Lowry feeling better and ready to help the Jets in the stretch run.
“He’s our captain. He does so much for this team,” said Scheifele. “He’s on PK, face-offs, he’s sneaky good offensively, he makes a lot of really good plays that a lot of people don’t notice. It’s going to be huge having him back. A lot of us are excited to see him back skating with us.”
The Jets skated for just over an hour as they work to get up to speed for Saturday’s divisional tilt with the St. Louis Blues. Head coach Scott Arniel said Lowry is trending in the right direction to be available for that game, though the final decision rests with Lowry.
“It’s about his conditioning. He’ll get tomorrow and Friday,” said Arniel. “I’m never going to tell a player you have to play just because we’ve taken the yellow (non-contact) jersey off you. He has to say he’s ready to go.”
With 11 goals this season, Lowry has secured his fifth straight season with double digits in the goal column (and eighth overall). He’d love to continue building on that and help the team improve its league-leading 39-14-3 record, and possibly reach nine straight wins – which would be a franchise record.
Lowry said he and Morgan Barron – who skated on his own prior to the team’s practice today – had a light-hearted moment while watching the team excel without them in the line-up.
“We were joking one game in the press box that we might have to find a way to get in the line-up,” he said with a smile. “It has made it a little easier sitting out that the guys are playing as well as they are.”
All joking aside, Lowry believes the recent win streak is another example of the depth the Jets have as a team and how they’re still improving as the season goes on – regardless of how the line-up looks.
“To see the strides we’re making, to see some key wins – that was a big win in Washington to run the table on that trip – then come home and finish off the two against Carolina and New York before the break, it’s been great,” he said.
“I don’t want to come back in the line-up and things to change, I’m really excited to hopefully be back. We’ll see how the rest of the week goes, but it’s nice to be back on the ice with the guys.”
