Lowry to become Jets captain

*Photo from Sportsnet*

   Another new player will be donning the C this season. Forward Adam Lowry has been named as the next captain of the Winnipeg Jets, according to the team on Tuesday.

   Jets head coach Rick Bowness said that "Mark, 'Mo' and 'Low' did a great job last year taking over the room, and the communication within the room, which we were trying to achieve, it worked. So there were a couple of really good candidates. And sometimes there's no wrong answer. So this is the right choice for us right now. And was it a difficult decision? Absolutely. It wasn't one where we said at the end of the year, 'OK, Adam's our captain.' That wasn't the case at all. We had a lot of conversations over the summer with the staff, with management and everyone involved. So, ultimately we came to this conclusion."

   Last season, the Jets stripped Blake Wheeler of the captaincy and bought him out this summer. Lowry, Josh Morrissey, and Mark Scheifele served as alternate captains last season, with the Jets going without a captain.

   Now, Lowry will become the 10th captain in the history of the franchise, and the 3rd since the Jets relocated from Atlanta. Wheeler and Andrew Ladd, who recently retired, were the first two. Scheifele and Morrissey will remain alternate captains.

   Lowry said of being named captain "It's extremely special to get the opportunity to lead an NHL franchise, and a Canadian market for that matter. It’s a huge honor to know that management, coaching staff and your teammates have the belief in you that you are the right guy and you're going to be the guy to steady the ship when things don't necessarily go our way, or when we hit some difficult patches throughout the season. I am really looking forward to taking on that challenge."

   Last season, Lowry enjoyed a strong season for the Jets, who made the playoffs. He put up 13 goals and a career high 23 assists for a career high 36 points, averaging 15:39 of ice time while posting a +4 rating in 82 games. Lowry had 4 goals and one assist in 5 playoff games.

   Chosen by the Jets in the 3rd round of the 2011 NHL Draft, Lowry has been in Winnipeg for his entire career. Lowry ranks 6th in Jets/Thrashers history in points with 204, and had the second highest average ice time in his career last season.

   Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff said of Lowry that "He's a guy that’s earned his right to be in the National Hockey League. He'd be the first to tell you he’s not the most skilled, he's not going to break the bank on the point side of it, but what he brings to a team, what he brings to a locker room, what he brings to a franchise, and what he brings to a city, those are all the things that you want. He leads by example and he drags people along with him when he plays and how he plays."

   Last season, the Jets finished in 4th place in the Central Division with a 46-33-3 record, losing in the first round of the playoffs to the eventual champion Vegas Golden Knights.