Saturday marks the Winnipeg Jets’ annual Fan Fest event — an exciting opportunity for Jets fans to get a glimpse of the 2023-24 lineup in action, but also a big deal for the players themselves.
Not only is it the beginning of training camp, as preseason games are just around the corner, but it’s also a chance for the new faces on the squad to get their first glimpses at just how much Winnipeggers love their team.
Head coach Rick Bowness told 680 CJOB’s The Start that new acquisitions like Gabriel Vilardi and Alex Iafallo — who came to Winnipeg from the Los Angeles Kings in this summer’s Pierre-Luc Dubois trade — are excited at the prospect of playing here, and will get a taste of it Saturday.
“I want them to be impressed with it. … I want them to walk out and have their eyes opened and realize what a passionate following we have in this city, which is a wonderful thing for all involved,” Bowness said Friday.
“They want to be here. They want to help us become a better team, and they’re going to come out tomorrow to see what we’re talking about in terms of a passionate fanbase.”
“For the guys who have been here, it’s a reminder we’ve got great fans here — let’s do everything we can to keep them on our side and keep them supporting us.”
The coach, 68, is no stranger to training camps. Prior to his decades of experience behind an NHL bench, Bowness attended numerous camps as a player, including as a Winnipeg Jet himself in 1980-81.
The main difference between then and now, he said, is that players in today’s NHL arrive at camp already in tip-top physical condition, while, in the past, players who were secure in their jobs used training camp as an opportunity to get back into shape.
“Our guys come in great shape. It’s a big business. There’s a lot more at stake today than years ago, and I think all the changes have been made for the better,” he said.
That off-season prep extends to the coach as well. Bowness said his preparations for 2023-24 began as soon as the final whistle was blown on the Jets’ playoff hopes last season.
“The guys I play golf with back in Halifax, they love it when we’re playing golf and all of a sudden, I’ll start thinking about a play or a player or something. … Then they know they’re going to take all my money because I’m distracted.”
Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff said the team has a simple focus from day one of camp: to win. Especially after a first-round exit in last season’s playoffs.
“You’re not looking for silver linings when you lose, you’re looking for solutions,” Cheveldayoff told Global Winnipeg.
“For us, obviously, we didn’t win the Cup, so it’s one of those things where you’re looking to get better, but you have to put it in perspective. You need to make the playoffs first — that’s your first goal — and once you get there, you need to make some noise.
“Our singular focus here, as the puck drops in training camp, is winning and improving upon last year. I think we’ve got a good group of guys here who are focused. We’ve got a coach who’s coached over 2,600 games in the National Hockey League. … The only reason he’s coaching is to win the Stanley Cup.”
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