He was there for a good time, not a long time.
After making the most of his short time in the American Hockey League, forward Jansen Harkins is back with the Winnipeg Jets.
The Jets recalled Harkins on an emergency basis on Wednesday, while placing defenceman Logan Stanley on injured reserve.
The callup was required with forward Morgan Barron expected to miss Thursday’s game against the Montreal Canadiens while he deals with a nagging upper-body injury.
Harkins appeared in six games with the Manitoba Moose after being cut at the end of training camp and scored five goals with four assists.
“You want to play with the top team,” said Harkins. “It’s disappointing, but that’s hockey.
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“You can’t really take anything for granted. I’ve always had a good time with the Moose. It’s great we’re in the same city, and the transition is not too hard, so, just try to take what I could from it, and get a chance to play a bit more minutes, and get a good start to the season, and get my legs under me.”
The 25-year-old Harkins spent the bulk of his last three seasons with the Jets and notched seven goals in 77 games last season.
“He feels very good about himself,” said Jets head coach Rick Bowness. “He feels very good about his play. He feels very good about his contributions to the team, so, it’s a good time for us, if he gets a chance to play, to take a good look at him.”
With Nikolaj Ehlers still out, the Jets have 13 healthy forwards at their disposal, so either Harkins or Dominic Toninato will check back into the lineup against the Canadiens.
“We’ll see who’s ready to play,” Bowness said. “They’ve both been playing very, very well for the Moose. Harks has been their best forward the last couple of games, so we’re going to have to make some decisions tomorrow.”
The Jets host the Canadiens on Thursday to start a three-game homestand, with puck drop scheduled for shortly after 7 p.m.
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