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Blake Wheeler didn’t like his coach Rick Bowness’s comments

 Manuel Sperandio-Lemay
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Blake Wheeler didn’t like his coach Rick Bowness’s comments
Once again, the Winnipeg Jets disappointed their fans this season with a brief, uninspiring playoff run.

The Jets were eliminated in five games by the Vegas Golden Knights, winning only the first game of the series before losing four in a row.

In Game 5, the final game of the series, the Jets players seemed to have no motivation whatsoever.

They didn’t show much, and already seemed to have accepted their fate.

Several players, including Pierre-Luc Dubois, were criticized by the media for their lack of effort.

It was as if some players already had their heads elsewhere and outside Winnipeg.

#DuboisÀMontréal

It’s a scenario that’s unfortunately repeating itself for the Jets, who have several good players on hand who don’t seem to want to stay in Winnipeg for the long term.

In fact, this lack of effort and intensity was keenly noted by head coach Rick Bowness after Game 5.

Bowness wasn’t shy about planting his players, and that obviously didn’t sit well with former team captain Blake Wheeler.

Indeed, as the Jets held their season wrap-up today, Wheeler said he didn’t appreciate his coach’s comments.

Here’s the full excerpt from Wheeler and Connor Hellebuyck’s end-of-season remarks.

The Jets’ number 26 said he didn’t like the way Bowness handled himself in front of the media. Wheeler would have thought his coach would have saved himself a little embarrassment in front of the media, so he would have given that closed-door speech in the locker room.

So there’s clearly some misunderstanding between the two men, who are two strong heads in the dressing room.

In short, it remains to be seen whether the two men will still be in Winnipeg next season, which is highly unlikely considering that rumors suggest the Jets will be cleaning house.

Wheeler has one year left on his contract, worth $8.25 million annually.

The 36-year-old winger could very well be traded by the Jets, should they decide to clean house and rebuild.

As for Connor Hellebuyck, the Jets’ star goaltender said he wanted nothing to do with a rebuild.

The 29-year-old goalie says he lives for the playoffs, so he doesn’t want to have to spend several years in the cellar.

Hellebuyck will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of next season, so if the Jets decide to rebuild, he could very well be traded.

If Hellebuyck is ever available on the market, many teams will be interested in his services.

In short, things aren’t going great for the Jets, and their off-season will be one to watch very closely.


In a gust

– Here are comments from Kyle Connor and Nino Niederreiter.

– Likely Rangers trios for tonight’s game.

– Stay tuned tonight for Game 6 between the Leafs and Lightning.

– A ranking of the 2023 hopefuls.

– What can you expect from the Penguins this summer?

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