Reflecting on Bowness' comments

[DRW204]

don't want to get into the series breakdown as a whole in granularity, however after last night's Win i was thinking back to the 2022-2023 season when Bowness was initially hired, the 2nd half, and the concluding games vs Vegas and infamous press conference.

last night's game was like the anti-2023 Jets. no denying that series wasn't unicorns and rainbows, & still serious questions about Helle..... however that game-7 was the definition of push-back. no scheifele, morrissey. the Jets dominated 3rd and OT.

Even prior to this series, this team has come a long way from where it was in these intangibles and culture. but the game last night just stamped it even further for me...

to reflect: this is chronological from Jan - April '23

Jets’ Rick Bowness, after a disastrous night: ‘I’m surprised there weren’t more boos’

Jets' Bowness resumes candidness Monday after rare night off

'That's what we're dealing with': Jets' Bowness pulls back curtain on issue of motivation, commitment

and lastly:

'No pushback': Bowness calls out long-standing issues after Jets knocked out of playoffs

I have no doubt that Bowness has had a strong effect on this team's improvement, watch the interaction with him and Lowry last night:

 

[TS Quint]

I think the best thing Bones did was make the players accountable to themselves. The way that team spoke after games at the end of Maurice and into Lowry was just the opposite. Seemed like there was a lot of finger pointing and deflecting by even players who were normally great team guys like Connor and Ehlers.

I think Bones also chopped the head of that snake when he took the C off Wheeler who was an absolute cry baby anytime he or the team was held accountable. I think Bones evaluation of Wheeler lead to his buyout.

 

[winnipegger]

I think bones had big problems with Wheeler. Nobody can have problems with Adam Lowry he's just too hard-working and humble.

 

[DRW204]

I think the best thing Bones did was make the players accountable to themselves. The way that team spoke after games at the end of Maurice and into Lowry was just the opposite. Seemed like there was a lot of finger pointing and deflecting by even players who were normally great team guys like Connor and Ehlers.

I think Bones also chopped the head of that snake when he took the C off Wheeler who was an absolute cry baby anytime he or the team was held accountable. I think Bones evaluation of Wheeler lead to his buyout.

i lean toward this to. things were supposed to improve in 2021, didn't. but really the above seems like the turning point as you noted.

 

[JetsFan815]

I think bones had big problems with Wheeler. Nobody can have problems with Adam Lowry he's just too hard-working and humble.

I disagree. The one thing you can't say about Wheeler is a lack of effort and intensity. He was one of the only guys providing pushback in the Vegas series for example

 

[winnipegger]

I disagree. The one thing you can't say about Wheeler is a lack of effort and intensity. He was one of the only guys providing pushback in the Vegas series for example

I obviously don't know the guy so you may be right. I got the sense from Wheeler that he thought pretty highly of himself and pretty low of everyone else. It's not lack of effort, he just seemed selfish and arrogant to me.

 

[Eyeseeing]

I disagree. The one thing you can't say about Wheeler is a lack of effort and intensity. He was one of the only guys providing pushback in the Vegas series for example

This roster is soooooo much better without him period.
Yeah he had work ethic but it seems his interpersonal relationship skills didn’t mesh well with everyone, bad things for a captain.
That got pulled from him and here we are with what appears to be a much better room.

 

[MardyBum]

I disagree. The one thing you can't say about Wheeler is a lack of effort and intensity. He was one of the only guys providing pushback in the Vegas series for example

He had great intensity on the ice, but I don't think he was much of a leader, and when guys weren't matching his he cut them down instead of lifting them up.

He's a guy you'd want on your team but not leading it. Like JT Miller.

 

[TS Quint]

I disagree. The one thing you can't say about Wheeler is a lack of effort and intensity. He was one of the only guys providing pushback in the Vegas series for example

When Bones made the no push back comment Wheeler cried like a little baby in the media. That sealed his fate. You look at Wheeler's attitude when held accountable and then you look at how the Jets reacted to getting bounced last year it was night and day. Bones didn't have to call anyone out for no push back last year. The players all came out and took responsibility.

 

[Jet]

It's so disgusting the way that Wheeler's reputation has been absolutely dragged around here.

The guy for most of his career here was the closest thing we had to a superstar, he was a model in the community, and was always positive about playing in Winnipeg and for the Jets.

He admitted that he wasn't always the greatest leader and even after he lost the C he continued to bust his ass even though his game had fallen off considerably. It's not like he all of the sudden started playing great again after he left.

He gave us countless exciting moments and joy, and he will always be one of the great Jets in my mind.

He got the Andrew Ladd treatment but worse.