Winnipeg Jets prospects prepare for Young Stars Classic tournament

For the ninth time since the Winnipeg Jets rejoined the National Hockey League, the organization will be sending a team of top prospects along with selected members of the Manitoba Moose and free agent invitees to Penticton for the Young Stars Classic Tournament.
The host Vancouver Canucks, along with the Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames will also be represented in the four team competition which begins Friday at the South Okanagan Events Centre with the Jets rookies squaring off against the Flames in a 6 p.m. CT start.
Winnipeg’s tournament roster will include 16 healthy forwards, 7 defencemen and 2 goalies. 2021 first-round draft pick Chaz Lucius will travel with the team, but skated in a non-contact jersey during Wednesday’s practice at the Hockey For All Centre.
“He hasn’t had a chance to get in any contact over the summer so it’s just being very careful and very sure of him coming back at the right time. We’re slowly trying to fit him back into contact practice,” said Manitoba Moose Head Coach Mark Morrison of Lucius, who is recovering from ankle surgery performed last January that cut his AHL season short.
On the flip side of the coin is Brad Lambert. The 30th-overall pick in the 2022 NHL entry draft will be playing in his third Penticton Tournament this fall. And while that’s considered a rarity for a first rounder, Lambert is looking forward to the challenge of leading Winnipeg to a successful event.
“Every time you step on the ice you want to do the best you can,” said the 20-year-old centre who skated on a line in practice with 2023 first round pick Colby Barlow and Kevin He, Winnipeg’s fourth-round selection this past June. “Through the years we haven’t done it yet while I’ve been there, so just go there and win three games and help the team do that.”
Lambert will have a lot of eyeballs on him because he is seen as one of several candidates to fill the vacancy at centre on the Jets second line when Sean Monohan opted to sign as a free agent with Columbus on July 1st. And it certainly doesn’t hurt that Lambert’s name was the first mentioned by Mark Scheifele on Tuesday when the star pivot was asked about the young players he was excited to see at Main Camp next week.
“It’s always unbelievable when one of the great players in this organization says something like that,” said Lambert who confirmed he spent part of his summer working with Gary Roberts in Toronto and added eight pounds in the process.
Another Jet prospect sure to be under the microscope in Penticton will be newcomer Brayden Yager, who was acquired from Pittsburgh on Aug. 22nd in exchange for Rutger McGroarty. Yager already has one of these rookie tournaments under his belt after playing for the Penguins in Buffalo last fall.
“I think it’s a good opportunity for the Jets to showcase the draft picks and all the invites that the organization made the decision to bring up,” said Yager, who was the 14th-overall pick by Pittsburgh in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft. “It gives a little bit of an advantage coming into Main Camp.”
Yager says he’s sharing a hotel room with Lambert, who he has skated with in his hometown of Saskatoon the past few summers. And Barlow is also a familiar face through previous Hockey Canada events. But he’ll be using the tournament to get to know the rest of his new teammates and coaches. The Moose Jaw Warrior star forward certainly made a favourable first impression on Morrison with some of the slick moves he pulled off during the Wednesday practice.
“Yeah, it looks like he has good hands, a real good shot — he gets it off quick,” said the Moose bench boss. “He’s a smart player and uses his linemates pretty well out there.”
In addition to Friday’s game versus Calgary, the Jets will also play the host Vancouver Canucks on Sunday at 4 p.m. CT and then finish up against Edmonton Monday afternoon in a 1 p.m CT start.
All games will be live streamed via winnipegjets.com
Kevin He-Brad Lambert-Colby Barlow
Brayden Yager-Jacob Julien-Nikita Chibrikov
Daniel Torgersson-Danny Zhilkin-Keiron Walton
Markus Loponen-Henri Nikkanen-Connor Levis
Carson Golder-Mark Liwiski-Ben King
Luke Mistelbacher
Chaz Lucius (Non-Contact)
Dylan Anhorn-Elias Salomonsson
Dmitri Kuzmin- Dawson Barteaux
Graham Sward- Hunter Mayo
Ben Zloty
Thomas Milic-Domenic DiVincentiis