Adam Lowry has brought his “A-Game” to the Winnipeg Jets for a long time, and well-deserves the new A he’s been awarded.
Lowry the Jets’ Sole New Alternate
When Rick Bowness made the gutsy decision to strip Blake Wheeler of the captaincy last month, he put everyone on notice that the changing of the guard is on and that new leaders need to step up.
A few weeks ago, we speculated as to who could be in the running to be named new alternate captains — and if Bowness would appoint just one or two more — in addition to Josh Morrissey and Mark Scheifele who retained their letters. NHL rules allow teams without a captain to have three alternates dressed, but also allows teams to rotate through alternates if they wish.
Bowness ended up appointing just one more, and he picked the right one.
Lowry Has All the Attributes of an Effective Alternate
The 29-year-old Lowry has been a loyal member of the Jets for a long time.
He is their second-ever draft pick, chosen 67th overall in 2011, and has spent his entire eight season, 539-game career with the team. While he is not a massive points producer (168 in those 539 games,) he has been an effective third-line centre who is trusted to take key draws and play on the penalty kill.
A big-bodied and pugnacious power forward, Lowry is the embodiment of hard work and grit. He does whatever it takes to win, whether that’s throwing a hit (he has 1535 of those), blocking a shot (he has 308 of those,) or dropping the gloves (he’s done that 20 times.) The Jets finished 6th in the Central Division and well out of the playoffs last season and would have done better if they followed Lowry’s example.
Despite not having a letter until now, Lowry has been been well respected and a strong voice in the room for a number of seasons. He is under contract through 2025-26, having committed long-term to WInnipeg in the form of a five-year contract he inked in April, 2021.
Being outspoken and honest about the Jets’ sorry state of affairs last season was awkward for Lowry due to his dad Dave being the interim head coach after Paul Maurice resigned in frustration in December. This led to him being quieter than usual.
“Last year was a little different having your father as the head coach. Sometimes it cuts your voice out a little bit,” Lowry admitted last month, but said he didn’t shy away on the ice or in the room.
“It’s just, for me, how I play on the ice. Don’t cheat the game, play hard, do what’s asked of you, what the coach is asking of you, and if there are some uncomfortable conversations that have to happen in the room — that’s something you have to do, you have to be comfortable in different situations. It’s taking on a little more responsibility, a little more ownership of not only your game but the team’s game as well.”
(From ‘Lowry ready to step up,’ Winnipeg Free Press, Sept. 23, 2022.)
Bowness, unlike Maurice, has been blunt and straightforward when holding court and assessing his team’s flaws. Since getting a letter is a sign of trust from a coach, Lowry should feel free to do the same.
Bowness Expects Jets to Lead By Committee
Bowness actually downplayed the importance of letters — likely the reason he didn’t appoint more than necessary — when speaking with reporters a day ahead of the home opener against the New York Rangers. “The leadership group is the room,” he said.
A stern taskmaster who has shaken up the stale status quo, Bowness expects every player to be a leader in some way and has made it obvious that no one will be allowed to coast like they did under the old regime.
“The league mandates we wear three As. We can give that to a lot of guys,” Bowness said. “The leadership, that could apply to five 10, 12 guys. You’re not going to have a leadership group of 10 or 12 guys. But right now, this room is in a very, very good spot… that’s what I thought coming into camp: this team’s a lot tighter than anyone else thinks.”
Despite a promising 4-1-1 preseason, where the energy and effort were noticeable, the Jets still have a ton of questions swirling around them as they begin a pivotal season. A chance to regain relevance and the long-term trajectory of the franchise are both at stake.
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