The Winnipeg Jets wrapped up their 2021-22 season Sunday afternoon with a comeback victory against the Seattle Kraken, but fell short of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The Jets have their work cut out for them when it comes to improving on what, for many, was a disappointing season, but general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff gave indications Monday that changes for next season will likely start behind the bench.
Cheveldayoff, who spoke at a press conference Monday afternoon, said the Jets will conduct a search for a new head coach, although he gave no timeline for when that might occur.
Longtime Jets coach Paul Maurice stepped down from the team in December of last year, leaving the reins to assistant Dave Lowry — who, the GM said, will be welcome to interview to retain his job.
“Late in the evening, after everything had kind of died down, I met with all the coaches, and I informed them we’re going to be conducting a full-scale interview process for a new head coach,” Cheveldayoff said.
“I met with (Lowry) and said to him if he wanted to part of that formal search, that he had earned the opportunity.
“I met with all the assistant coaches as well and told them that, again, we are going to through this process, and there’s a chance that (they’ll be) part of the process moving forward when we finally select a head coach, but there’s also a chance that you might not be there.”
In addition to Lowry as interim head coach, the team’s staff included assistants Jamie Kompon, Charlie Huddy, Wade Flaherty, and Matt Prefontaine.
Goalie coach Flaherty is the only one who has been offered an extension, although Cheveldayoff said the others are welcome to take part in the process.
One member of the Jets staff who won’t need to interview for his gig is Cheveldayoff himself.
The 52-year-old executive — the only GM the team has known since relocating from Atlanta in 2011 — was given another three years to right the ship. He said the extension had been agreed to ‘a little while ago’, but the team was waiting to make the announcement until after the season.
“Over the course of time here, I think we’ve built an organization that has tried to compete for the Stanley Cup over the last couple of years,” Cheveldayoff said.
“I think that there’s obviously lots of work to to do here, continue to move forward and and try and push this forward. And I’m just very fortunate that I have the opportunity to and the confidence and from ownership to to move that forward.”