Former Blue Gregoire Signs with Hometown Jets

Jason Gregoire has come a long way since his time with the Winnipeg Blues. 

After being a part of the Turnbull Cup Champion Blues back in 2005/06,  as well as collecting MJHL Rookie of the Year honors that same year,  Gregoire went south to suit up for the Lincoln Stars of the USHL for the next 2 seasons.  The 2007/08 season saw Gregoire named a first team all star, Forward of the Year, as well as USHL Player of the year after tallying 69 points in 54 games for the Stars.

At the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, the New York Islanders chose Gregoire in the 3rd round, 76th overall.

Instead of turning pro, Gregoire decided to go the University route, choosing to attend the University of North Dakota, putting up 109 points in 120 games over three seasons with the Fighting Sioux.

After his playing time in North Dakota, Gregoire used a loophole in the current CBA which allows a player who is no longer in college a chance to sign with another NHL club, as long as the club he was drafted by didn’t sign him.

And Gregoire chose to sign with his hometown Winnipeg Jets.

I had a chance to catch up with the former Blue to find out how he’s doing.

1.  I guess first of all, it’s been quite an off season for you.  How has your summer been?

Summer is always great to come home and recharge the batteries. I spend a lot of time at my cabin, fishing, tubing and a lot of family time too. It was hectic for a while leading up to and shortly after signing but it has been nice and quiet and now I can get into a groove for working out and skating.

2.  You signed with the Jets this off season, there were quite a few teams vying for your services, what made signing with the Jets so appealing to you.

 When I was looking at different teams the important criteria were opportunity to play, a well run organization and a team that has the chance to win. I thought Winnipeg fit that bill to a tee and the fact that it’s in my home town made it even more desirable. The support and energy around the city is unbelievable and I’m really excited to be a part of it.

3.  You would have been like 6 or 7 years old when the Winnipeg Jets left back in 1996.  Do you have many memories of them from when you were a kid?

 I was pretty young so I don’t have a ton of memories but I remember the famous “white out” and hopefully that will be brought back this year.

4.  You played for the Winnipeg Blues back in the 2005/06 season, and it was quite a year as you guys went all the way, winning the Turnbull Cup.  What are some of your favourite memories or what do you remember most about your time as a Blue?

 We had a fairly old team that year but some of my favourite memories came in the playoffs. When we went up to OCN in the finals tied 1-1 in the series and swept them in their own rink back to back nights and came back home and won the 5^th game to win the MJ, I just thought it was greatest thing ever; to beat the tough and intimidating Blizzard. Another great memory was after the season was over, seeing so many guys move on to division one schools. Andrew Loewen our goalie, made cards up for everyone thanking us for such a memorable year. That’s just how our team was then. I still keep in touch with a lot of guys from that team including head coach Ken Pearson and assistant Jeff McGill.

5.  What do you remember about the competition or level of hockey in the MJHL when you played.

 Every game was a battle even if the scoreboard didn’t show it. Every team in that league had the ability to beat any team any given night. It’s a great league and was an important step for my progress as a hockey player and person.

6.  After being drafted you chose to go to University instead of going pro.  What was the reasoning behind that and how much did playing NCAA hockey help your development?

 To this day I’m not the biggest guy on any roster and I knew that going the college route gave me the most time to grow and mature physically and mentally. The NCAA has some of the best talent in North America and playing with and against that skill level every night certainly builds your capabilities as a player. Besides the hockey you can work towards a degree which is vital to everybody at some point in time. But on ice you practice 4 or 5 days a week honing in your skills and developing what needs to be improved upon.

7.  What advice would you give to junior players throughout the MJHL about what it takes to get to the next level.

This day and age you need determination and dedication. Guys that don’t want to be there will get weeded out in a hurry because it shows. Even if you think nobody is watching you, somebody always is and whether it’s a lazy back check or a bad penalty, that doesn’t reflect well. You have to work hard on and off the ice and carry yourself in a professional manner. Just remember, if you’re slacking off, somebody out there is working harder than you and they may take your spot. But you won’t get far if you don’t enjoy it because in the end we’re all playing the game we love.

I'd like to thank Jay for taking the time to do this, and it would be great to see him in a Jets jersey this season.  A class act and a great hockey player. 

Veteran Gingera Excited To Get Season Underway

Derek Gingera can’t wait to begin his 4^th season of Junior hockey.  

After spending the past 3 seasons as part of the Selkirk Steelers organization, the 20 year old from Winnipeg was acquired by the Blues at the end of last season completing the futures deal that sent Adam Stoykewych to the Steelers back in January.

Training camp is set to get underway very shortly, and for the Winnipeg Blues it’s been a long wait coming off a disappointing 2010/11 campaign.   But Gingera likes what he sees heading into training camp.

“Last season, the Blues were a young squad for the most part, but now with a good core of returning players who are a year older, and combined with the off season acquisitions, I’m confident with the group we have heading into camp”

And confidence hasn’t been a problem for the high scoring forward. 

Last season was Gingera’s best of his junior career, lighting the lamp 33 times, while adding 27 assists.  And he’s confident the best is yet to come.

“Personally as a player I always want my next game to be better than my previous and I treat seasons just like that too.”

And coming so close to a league championship last season with Selkirk, losing in the final to the Portage Terriers, Gingera knows what it takes to win.

“Obviously the team goal is to win a championship but I expect us to compete every night, to be a playoff team and to contend for a championship”

The veteran of three previous MJHL seasons will no doubt bring leadership into a relatively young Blues dressing room, and Winnipeg GM and Head Coach Don Macgillvray just expects Gingera to continue to play the way he’s always played.

"Derek has shown the ability to put the puck in the net, and isn't afraid to go into the dirty areas to do it" adds Macgillvray.   "Combine that with being a great penalty killer and good hockey instincts who has played on a terrific Selkirk squad and his experience will definitely help our team"

The winger will bring a lot of speed and natural scoring touch to the Blues, along with being able to play comfortably in most situations. 

And Gingera, who credits Steve Yzerman as the player he tries to emulate, has been working hard in the off season to make sure he will be ready to play whenever coach Macgillvray calls his number.

“I have been enjoying my summer, getting on the ice and working out as much as possible” adds Gingera.   And with training camp coming soon, I’m trying to get into the best shape possible so I don’t need to do any catching up during camp.”

With the Blues coming off a disappointing season last year, you can bet most players, especially the returning ones, have been chomping at the bit to get back on the ice.  That also includes the Blues coaching staff.

"With main camp getting underway August 26th, there is obviously some excitement about a new season." says Macgillvray.  "I think as a coaching staff we are cautiously optimistic.  Alot of things can change in junior hockey but we are definitely looking forward to getting back at it with our group."

And for Gingera, Macgillvray, and the rest of the Blues, the good news is the wait is almost over.