Winnipeg Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff was in Penticton Sept. 11 through 14 to attend the 2015 Young Stars Classic at the South Okanagan Events Centre. The Vancouver Canucks hosted the event.
Cheveldayoff, his staff and his NHL counterparts say they appreciate the opportunity to witness high-calibre hockey prospects compete for roster spots at this fifth annual event.
Jim Benning, GM Vancouver Canucks, informed the audience through a public announcement that since its inception more than 80 players have gone on to play at the NHL level.
“It is about providing the young prospects aged 18 to 22 with an opportunity to showcase their skills, talent, teamwork and sportsmanship,” commented Cheveldayoff during an interview Sept. 13 following the Winnipeg-Vancouver game. He commended organizers on providing an excellent format to develop and assess prospects in a competitive game situation.
“Players are building that bond together,” said Cheveldayoff. “When players play amongst their peers, you start to see who are the leaders and who likes to take on different roles.”
“But certainly, for some of the kids turning pro, I think it’s a real important first step for getting ready for this season and learning the expectations,” added Cheveldayoff indicating there were a few prospects who certainly caught the eye of his staff. He continued to explain that, at this stage, these young men are beginning to narrow their career focus.
Penticton was one of a number of rookie evaluation tournaments held throughout North America whereby rookies were evaluated before being cast for a possibility in the AHL and NHL.
Cheveldayoff indicated the only downfall is that the event commences during the college season thus eliminating a chance to see some of their prospects who are still in college.
Penticton has great hockey history and passion, which is clearly displayed by the support for its local Penticton Vees, which is a junior “A” hockey team in the British Columbia Hockey League. Notable Penticton Vees alumni include National Hockey League leaders Duncan Keith, Brett Hull, Paul Kariya, Andy Moog, Zac Dalpe and Beau Bennett to name a few.
The Jets opened the event against the Calgary Flames Sept. 11, faced the Vancouver Canucks Sept. 13 and the Edmonton Oilers Sept. 14.
The Jets roster features a host of top prospects that includes goalies Connor Hellebuyck and Eric Comrie, defencemen Josh Morrissey and Jan Kostalek and forwards Nikolaj Ehlers, Nic Petan, Brendan Lemieux and Andrew Copp, among others.
Kevin Cheveldayoff was born in 1970 to Alex and Lucy Cheveldayoff of Blaine Lake. His passion for hockey was nurtured at a young age and, as he played minor hockey, it became evident that his ability was not just a learned skill but was also a gifted talent.
This ability provided an opportunity for advancement and, by age 15, Cheveldayoff moved on to continue his ice hockey career with the Saskatoon Blazers Midget AAA. Continued dedication and encouragement from his family would earn him a position in the Western Hockey League and he relocated to Brandon, Man., to play for the Brandon Wheat Kings. While with the Wheat Kings, Cheveldayoff received many awards.
Cheveldayoff spent the remainder of his teen years as a Wheat Kings’ defenceman before being drafted in the first round, 16th overall, by the New York Islanders in the 1988 NHL entry draft. He played defenceman at the junior level with the Capital District Islanders of the AHL. He turned pro at age 20 and played for four years with the NYI organization.
A serious knee injury prevented him from continuing with the physical aspect of his sport of passion and ended his career after five seasons. Once his playing contract expired, Cheveldayoff knew another opportunity would present itself – and he was correct – in the form of coaching and management positions.
“When I decided to quit playing at 24 years of age, I knew I wasn’t going to be a NHL player,” explained Cheveldayoff. “I was realistic about my chances and, when I did decide to stop, my next goal was to make it to the league as general manager.”
He was named assistant general manager and coach of the Denver Grizzlies at the International Hockey League level. He spent three years with the Grizzlies before moving into the general manager position for the Chicago Wolves in 1997.
During Cheveldayoff’s term with the Wolves, he led the team to many championships.
Cheveldayoff has earned one AHL and four IHL championships as a coach and an executive. Seven of the 12 teams he has assisted in building have cracked the 100-point mark in the regular season.
He held the GM of the Chicago Wolves position until Aug. 4, 2009, when he was named the assistant general manager of the Chicago Blackhawks. A highlight of that two-year term was the winning the Stanley Cup.
Cheveldayoff was named executive vice-president and general manager of the National Hockey League’s newest team, Winnipeg Jets in June 2011 after the Atlanta franchise was transferred to Winnipeg.
Starting a franchise has been a lot of work and Cheveldayoff ensured the foundation for the future was laid correctly. Last season, the Jets earned a 37-35-10 record and a 0.512 winning percentage. In Cheveldayoff's three seasons with the team, the Jets have earned an overall record of 98-91-23 and a 0.516 winning percentage.
