Winnipeg Jets fan survey: Playoff feelings, Rick Bowness’ impact and confidence in direction

The Winnipeg Jets climbed as high as No. 1 in the NHL standings during the regular season before looking outclassed by Colorado in five first-round games.

Then Rick Bowness retired, Scott Arniel was hired, and you teed off on everything from Winnipeg’s playoff loss to the pros and cons of True North’s reputation for loyalty, the need for a president of hockey operations and the wavering belief in the Jets’ development system.

You’re as passionate a fan base as ever and you also gave a clear-eyed accounting of what made this season so good, too — and what Winnipeg needs to do to take its next major steps. You expressed your belief in — and concerns with — Jets players, coaching, management and ownership. You graded the team’s performance, decided on team awards, evaluated its roster moves, picked next season’s roster and more — so much more that I had to break this into a multi-part series to show you all the data.

Without further delay, I present to you … You! 

Let’s start big and broad. In the most general sense, how does it feel to be a Jets fan right now?

There’s not a lot of sheer terror (or glee) at the moment. The overwhelming majority fit between “disappointing but not devastating” and “optimistic but not elated” responses.

The Jets finished the season with 52 wins, 110 points, standout performances from key players, the fewest goals against … And a first-round playoff exit. Was this season a success?

Does the sting of two straight first-round exits make everything short of a playoff series win feel like failure? Most of you say this season was mostly successful but it’s not a landslide win. With 41.9 percent of you voting “not at all” or “mostly no” — the urgency might not have boiled over but a large number of you are still feeling the heat.

About that five-game playoff loss, then. Based on the quality of each roster … Should Winnipeg have beaten Colorado?

Yes, Winnipeg should have beaten Colorado, according to you, and I wonder if that adds to the summer sting.

I also wonder what the numbers would be if Colorado had dominated Dallas in the same fashion as it beat Winnipeg … But we’ll never know.

Why didn’t they? (Find a way to pick just one, please.)

When a good team gets its doors kicked down, a lot of things tend to go wrong in the process. That’s reflected here, with the majority of your vote split between special teams, compete level, coaching and Colorado’s star power. And you know what? I agree: Winnipeg fell short on all four of those fronts.

Some popular write-in votes included defence, right-side defence, line deployment and “all of the above.”

Why didn’t they? (This one is optional but this time you can say as much as you like.)

There were oft-repeated themes in your answers to this question. It was a combination of a lot of factors, you said, including a lack of star power, special teams, a failure by Jets coaches to make the necessary adjustments, subpar goaltending from Connor Hellebuyck and various flavours of “this team isn’t built to win in the playoffs.”

Here are some excerpts, with slight edits for clarity and style:

• “This team is not built for playoff hockey.”
• “The final four teams are all built with big, mobile and skilled defencemen who excel at both ends of the ice.”
• “The playoffs are about who wants it more and who is willing to make those sacrifices, mentally and physically.”
• “It is embarrassing how robotic and stale our power play is. Watch Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Quinn Hughes, Elias Pettersson, etc. on the power play. They never stand in one place. They move around. They make it tough for the penalty kill to defend.”
• “After all of the talk about accountability, keeping Neal Pionk in the lineup didn’t make sense and not putting Cole Perfetti in the lineup from Game 1, especially when they were looking for scoring, was inexcusable.”
• “The Jets were not as relentless as they were during the regular season. They needed more hustle and crash. We did not play big enough to create the turnovers, win board battles or stop the breakouts needed to win games or series.”

We all remember Rick Bowness calling out his players in Vegas last year. The Jets’ post-series media had a much brighter tone this time, though … I think they were more proud of their effort. What about you, Jets fans? Does the way Winnipeg lost make you feel better about it happening?

They say moral victories are for minor league coaches. I tried to give you an out here and, while many of you feel like the Jets loss felt a little better, very few of you were satisfied by losing just because the Jets didn’t seem to quit this time around.

The sense I get is you feel like it’s about darned time you get to celebrate another playoff series win.

Game 5 was Rick Bowness’ final game as head coach. Just in terms of how it impacts the team going forward, how do you feel about Bowness’ retirement?

There was a lot of love and respect for Bowness in the optional question that comes two questions after this one. At the same time, you’re happy for Bowness to have moved on by a roughly 2:1 margin.

But how will you remember him?

How will you most remember Bowness’ tenure as Jets head coach?

Sometimes I look back at the articles I wrote in 2022, when the Jets were calling each other out for not playing as a team, and marvel. They’re not perfect. They have a long way to go to be great in the playoffs and a large part of this survey digs into that.

But they grew a lot under Bowness. Some major, basic, structural, foundational fixes happened during his tenure, and you will remember him for those — the cultural changes, the leadership and the defensive accomplishments you’re celebrating now felt like a world away just two seasons ago. The next steps won’t be easy, either, but you can’t even try to take them without Bowness having had the impact he did.

Bowness had a lengthy, well-respected NHL career. He stood behind the bench more times than anyone in history, including during two stints with the Winnipeg Jets, and finished third in Jack Adams voting this year. If you want to share warm words or sentiments, by all means put them here.

This section was touching. I’m going to gather some of your responses and send them to Bowness.

Some quick highlights:

• “Bowness was first class. He loved Winnipeg and gave us everything he had.”
• “Bowness was the right coach at the right time for the Jets. His long career gave him instant credibility in the locker room.”
• “I think this was the perfect way to cap off his career. The Jets needed his voice and vision to renew their culture and leadership, while instilling more defensive accountability.”
• “Class act. Elevated the team. Wish him the very best in retirement.”
• “I remember Bowness as a Jets player, assistant coach and head coach. His success as a coach makes me proud of the Jets 1.0 legacy and I am thankful he carried it into the 2.0 level. He is a great hockey guy and a wonderful person.”
• “The Jets are better off for having Bones as a coach that hopefully pays dividends for years. He brought a family atmosphere (seemingly everywhere he went) and we should be fortunate he chose us as his swan song. Enjoy your much-deserved retirement, Bones!”

Let’s end this section with numerical confidence ratings. I compare these to other years. We’ll get much deeper into Jets head coaching options further on in the survey. For now, how confident are you in the Jets’ most recent coaching staff?

Your confidence in Winnipeg’s previous coaching staff was split almost perfectly down the middle.

Note: approximately 90 percent of responses were collected prior to Scott Arniel’s promotion and the dismissal of Brad Lauer.

Which of these does Winnipeg’s coaching staff handle best?

No surprises here: Winnipeg’s five-on-five play in all three zones was its biggest regular season strength.

Which of these does Winnipeg’s coaching staff handle worst?

No surprises here, either: Winnipeg’s penalty kill was good in Bowness’ first season but, other than that, the Jets special teams struggled. Sean Monahan’s arrival — and his chemistry with Mark Scheifele and Gabriel Vilardi — helped a stagnant looking power play start scoring but the 62.5 percent playoff penalty kill was an enormous part of Winnipeg’s early trip home.

How confident are you in Kevin Cheveldayoff as Winnipeg’s GM?

Your confidence in Cheveldayoff is strong, with 67.3 percent of you choosing the top two options.

Which of these does Jets management handle best?

With Vilardi, Alex Iafallo, Rasmus Kupari, Morgan Barron, Brad Lambert, Elias Salomonsson and Thomas Milic to show for PL Dubois and Andrew Copp, I’m going to have to agree with you on this one. Obviously some things bounced Winnipeg’s way on the Copp return but then you’ve also got Nino Niederreiter, Vladislav Namestnikov and Monahan — perhaps re-signed — for a first-, second- and fourth-round pick. Much of the Jets’ roster quality is about trades working in Winnipeg’s favour.

Which of these does Jets management handle worst?

Free agency? Obvious. It’s a leader every season.

But Winnipeg’s reputation as a “draft and develop” organization has taken a hit in recent years: You voted “development” as the Jets’ single biggest managerial weakness. And, if I might share gossip: I’ve talked to more than one smart person in the NHL who agrees with you. (And I do, too, in part: I think part of what we’re seeing is the Jets’ relatively low number of draft picks from 2017 to now coming home to roost … But that’s an entirely different column and this story is about you.)

What about ownership? How confident are you in TNSE right now?

There was a time I’d ask this question and it would be all 4’s and 5’s. There was a stark downturn last season, with your average vote falling close to 2.5, but you’re back up to 3.4 this time around. I think the Jets deserve some of the credit here: My perception is that Mark Chipman and Cheveldayoff had a strong year in terms of media relations, rebounding from the failed season ticket drive video of 2023. Not all of you would agree with that, though, based on the comments that came next.

Please share any additional thoughts you have about ownership, management and coaching

There were so many responses at such length that I asked Chat GPT to summarize some themes. Here is what it spat out, which tracks based on my reading through the comments, too.

“The themes in this collection of comments encompass several key areas:

1. Fan Engagement and Innovation: There’s a call for increased fan engagement and innovative solutions to enhance the fan experience, such as utilizing technology for virtual seats.
2. Management and Ownership: Opinions vary on management and ownership. Some express satisfaction with the general direction but highlight areas for improvement, such as better communication and more proactive decision-making.
3. Coaching and Leadership: There’s a desire for fresh coaching perspectives and leadership, with suggestions for new coaching hires and concerns about loyalty to past connections potentially hindering progress.
4. Player Development and Roster Management: Concerns are raised about player development strategies, roster management decisions, and the utilization of young talent.
5. Market Challenges: The unique challenges of the Winnipeg market are acknowledged, particularly regarding player recruitment and fan attendance.
6. Ownership Influence: Questions arise about the extent of ownership influence on hockey decisions, with some advocating for a more hands-off approach from ownership.
7. Critiques and Praise for Management: There’s a mix of critiques and praise for management, acknowledging both successes and areas needing improvement, such as free agency performance and player utilization.

Overall, the comments reflect a passionate fan base with diverse perspectives on the team’s performance, management decisions, and the future direction of the franchise.”

Here’s an assortment of comments that ranged from pessimistic to optimistic — this time in your words:

• “The Winnipeg Jets organization is awfully close to a dark, dark decade. Once they hire Scott Arniel, get hosed in a Nik Ehlers deal and commit long-term money to Sean Monahan, you can consider this window closed and you can start looking at Mark Chipman in the same way we all made fun of the mid-2010s Daryl Katz for the Oilers.”
• “Cheveldayoff has had a long runway and has made some good trades. He manages the cap reasonably well, but there are deficiencies in player evaluation that resulted in a defensive corps paid above its value. I think it is time for a new GM with a less conservative vision. I don’t expect that to happen after a successful season, though.”
• “Ownership has deep pockets and a vested interest in Winnipeg as a community. I have full confidence that they want to be the best they can be. With respect to management, full marks to Cheveldayoff for continuing to do better than people expect with the handicap of managing a team in Winnipeg. A lot of confidence in him comes from the results of the recent Dubois trade, navigating Scheifele and Hellebuyck’s contacts, his aggressive trade deadline moves, and very few stinkers of contracts.”

Still to come from The Athletic’s Jets fan survey:

Part 2: Grading the Jets season, handing out awards and zeroing in on areas for improvement

Part 3: Making the Jets’ offseason moves, building a roster and closing thoughts

(Photo of Rick Bowness and Cale Makar: Jonathan Kozub / NHLI via Getty Images)