Daniel Carcillo (Icon SMI)

Elephant in the Room

The Winnipeg Jets are winless in 6, having gone 0-5-1 over that stretch. Last night’s OT loss to the Canucks showed glimpses of improvement from the previous contests, which featured undisciplined penalties, a fake bite and some questionable defensive zone coverage. However, it wasn’t the play of the Jets on Tuesday that had me stirring in my seat but rather a comment made by veteran broadcaster Dennis Beyak. The game was tied 1-1 with almost half the game left to play when Beyak brought up Friday’s matchup with the Blackhawks and the potential return of Daniel Carcillo. The game against the Canucks hadn’t even finished and we were looking to Friday. The elephant in the room had been addressed, so let us dive in.

Daniel Carcillo was born in King City, Ontario and played the majority of his junior hockey with the Sarnia Sting of the OHL. He was drafted in the 3^rd round, 73^rd overall by the Pittsburg Penguins in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft. Carcillo would never suit up with the Penguins, making his NHL debut with the Phoenix Coyotes nine years ago. Since then, he has suited up with the Flyers, Blackhawks, Kings and Rangers accumulating 1211 penalty minutes in 421 games. Carcillo won a cup with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2013 after only appearing in a quarter of the regular season, followed by 4 playoff games. He has made over $6,000,000 in his career by being an antagonizing, mouthy pest, who will not hesitate to make a dirty play. On January 16^th, 2015, he did just that by taking out Winnipeg Jets’ center, Mathieu Perreault.

(Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports)

The Return

This Friday could very well be the first game that Carcillo will participate in since being suspended for the crosscheck on Perreault. He was handed a six game suspension for the cheap shot, ironically the same length of time as the Jets’ recent losing streak. To some, the situation is quite simple, the act was followed by a punishment-case closed. For others, myself included, I’m looking for the cheap shot to be addressed but it cannot be countered from a place of pure reaction.

Dan Carcillo is paid $550,000 by the Blackhawks to create havoc and get under opponent’s skin. If I’m Joel Quenneville and I’m coming off a 3-0 loss in Minnesota, I may consider playing him against the team that has swept the Blackhawks at home this season. He may have been following the Jets and watching as the penalty minutes rack up. He plays Carcillo and lets whatever happens, happen, knowing full well that at the very minimum, he will be a distraction for the Jets and the hometown crowd. Maybe take some heat off Toews and Kane, allowing them to do what they do best, make plays. Mission accomplished. However, when it comes to the Jets’ season and playoff hopes, Carcillo and his previous antics cannot become a factor in Friday’s game.

With Friday approaching and the possibility of #13 being in the lineup, I could not help but refer back to Brandon Prust’s article, Why We Fight, and his comment, “Guys really do remember”. If Carcillo does dress, the memory of what he did to Perreault will be on the minds of the Jets. What they do with that memory will help to decide the outcome of the game and perhaps shift the undisciplined trend that has taken over the past few games. What better way to honour Perreault than to get the two points? You aren’t forgetting about what happened, you are channelling that energy into playing hardnosed hockey. If by the third period the game is lopsided then maybe a big hit on Carcillo or a challenge to drop the gloves is in order to send the message.

Remembering

This whole article could immediately become null and void, if Joel decides to sit Carcillo, so just in case, I’m going to thank you in advance for reading this. The memory of what Carcillo did, may not be addressed on Friday. It may not be addressed this season. However, Prust’s words, “Guys really do remember”, leaves a situation like this wide open for debate, theories and possible outcomes. What I do know is that Jets’ fans are just like the team they cheer for, they are fueled by passion. When one of our guy’s is hurt, we all hurt…and we remember. See you Friday.

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