The two top goalies for the Jets will both play the starting two periods for the Jets in their respective games while prospects will netmind for the final period in each game.
The Columbus roster looks like this:
Ron Hainsey
Evander Kane
Julian Melchiori
Tim Stapleton
Tanner Glass
Jim Slater
Chris Throburn
Blake Wheeler
Peter Mannino
Mark Flood
Kenndal McArdle
Jason Jaffray
Riley Holzappfel
Spencer Machacek
Derek Meech
Carl Klingberg
Chris Mason
Zach Redmond
Travis Ramsey
John Albert
The Winnipeg roster:
Ondrej Pavelec
David Aebischer
Zach Bogosian
Mark Stuart
Dustin Byfuglien
Brett Festerling
Andrew Ladd
Mark Scheifele
Ivan Telegin
Nikolai Antropov
Jason Gregoire
Shayne Weibe
Troy Bodie
Kevin Clark
Alex Burmistrov
Janne Pesonen
Paul Postma
Patrice Cormier
Ben Maxwell
Arturs Kulda
It is somewhat ironic if you look at this from a aestitics point of view. If you compare the two teams, they have similar color schemes. It is especially obvious in the Columbus third jerseys, and the long runner down the sleeve is present on both away jerseys. Colorado does it too on both home and away while Florida and Minnesota have runners on their aways only, like the Jets and Blue Jackets. Washington has highlights running down their jersey sleeves. But the Jets and Jackets are so similar in look because of the colors.
See what I mean? Really it's the red pants that distinquishes the most in the home and aways. But that third looks so much like the Jets home, it's the double stripes on the sleeves and the shoulder colors that seperate them. I'm not saying they are identical or hard to tell apart, but they are similar. That's all.
By the way, the Jets have shown us some of the full uniform looks by releasing some behind the scenes photos from their photography shoot.
Here are your Winnipeg Jets in uniform.
Note the socks Ladd is wearing in the home jersey. Those are NOT the socks. They can't be. I'm not saying that because I don't like the look but because by hockey rules they can't be. The only thing that the team can use in both their home and away uniforms is the pants. Those can be the same, but everything else from socks to helmets has to be different. Many tenders have different pads and some players use different gloves, both both of those are personal choice and not dictated by NHL law. Teams can wear different pants if they choose, but every single team uses the same pants home or away because they are the biggest piece of equiptment that is seen on the ice, followed closely by the helmet (ignoring goalie pads which we've already talked about). And because it's large piece of equipment, it helps with travel costs to keep the pants the same. Helmets must be white for away and a color for home.
So why is Ladd wearing the same socks as the away uniform in this home uniform shot? It's probably just a head shot and there wasn't a need to totally change uniforms.
I cannot wait to see this game tomorrow. And many games to come, all the way into the post season.
Oh yes. Post season. And I'm not the only one who sees them there. Head Coach Claude Noel sees the same thing. And I bet many of the thousands that are thinking the same thing.
Another person who might (probably not) but might be pulling for a Jets post season is Eddie Vedder, lead singer for Pearl Jam.
At a recent concert in Winnipeg, an imprompt "Go, Jets, Go!" chant started. And Vedder joined in.
The band also had a shirt created for the concert.
Apparently, they are known for making special tour shirts. This one looks fantastic. If it looks familiar, it's because it is a variation of the original Jets' original logo.
Yes, I meant to say "original" twice to make sure it was clear it was the first Winnipeg team's first logo when they were part of the WHA.
But let's get back to the ice.
Part of the practice that has gone on thus far has been a scrimage game between two squads. Impressively, Group B took Group C by a score of 3-1 in the morning match with Levko Koper, Spencer Machacek and Mark Scheifele picking up the goals. Blake Wheeler scored the lone goal for Group C. Group B including Dustin Byfuglien and Evander Kane took to the ice at 9:00 a.m for a 45 minute practice. Group C including Blake Wheeler and Tanner Glass joined in for a 50 minute scrimmage. Both groups battled hard in front of scouts, coaches, management and media to strut their stuff and make their best impression.
Wow. Two of the three goals scored by Group B were scored by rookies just back from Vancouver. This includes Jets first round draft pick Scheifele. I think this guy definately has some great potential to thrive in the NHL.
"I just have to show them that I can be here and show them that my body is ready and I'm ready mentally as well," Scheifele explained. "I have to go out every skate, every practice, every game and show what I can do and work my hardest and battle through everything. That's the thing, they want to see if I can battle through playing with older guys and battle through the tough wrenches of the NHL."
"To get a goal is awesome," said Scheifele. "Really I just wanted to play good defense, make good passes and just wanted to play my game and at least make an impression."
Scheifele is scheduled to appear on the Winnipeg side of the split-squad roster.
So now, we must wait to see how he and the rest of the fairs against a different NHL team. Now, I do not care what happens in preseason as far as game results. Yeah, wins are nice, but it's team chemistry I'm looking at. Getting guys used to playing at the NHL level or shaking the rust off from the off season for veterans.
But this split-squad thing. Is that normal?
It is becoming more and more common because it give a team a chance to play 40 guys in game action instead of the normal 20 of the 60 person preseason roster. But you know what isn't normal? Doubleheaders.
Yeah, like two games in one day. Not a home and home. Not the split squad like the Jets are doing. Two games. One day.
It's not as common in baseball, as it once was. Nowadays, baseball doubleheaders are the result of a makeup game because of rain or weather. But in the NHL? Unheard of.
Well, almost unheard of.
Today, the Nashville Predators will play at the Florida Panthers at 3:00 and again at 7:30.
Looking to generate some buzz as hockey’s preseason opens, the Panthers will host the Predators on Monday in what’s believed to be a first-of-its-kind event for the NHL. A true doubleheader at hockey’s top level is believed to have never been done before.
And that's going back to the way way back. The NHL was formed in 1917. Back in the day when things were very different. This is when teams also picked up on popular trends from baseball. Like the Pittsburgh team naming themselves the Pirates after the baseball team. They even adopted the team colors.
So if baseball doubleheaders were so popular, it seems that hockey would have perhaps at least attempted it once. Now, this experiment today is exibhition so it kinda doesn't count, but it is an attempt.
That's it from me for now.
TTFN
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