Winnipeg Jets: Pierre-Luc Dubois denies making trade request to Montreal Canadiens

WINNIPEG –

Pierre-Luc Dubois says he by no means requested the Winnipeg Jets for a commerce and feedback that he needs to play in Montreal have been blown out of proportion.

The five-year NHL ahead spoke with the media on a cellphone name Monday after agreeing final Friday to a one-year, US$6-million qualifying supply with the Jets.

“You hear stuff that I need out of Winnipeg,” Dubois stated. “If I wished out, I might have requested for a commerce. I did not ask for a commerce. Not for one second. It did not cross my thoughts for one second to ask for a commerce.”

The 24-year-old Dubois arrived in Winnipeg early within the 2020-21 season in a commerce with the Columbus Blue Jackets for Patrik Laine, Jack Roslovic and a third-round draft decide.

The native of Ste-Agathe-Des-Monts, Que., performed 81 video games for the Jets final season, recording a career-high 28 targets and 32 assists. His 60 factors was one shy of the career-best 61 he posted with Columbus in 2018-19.

Jets basic supervisor Kevin Cheveldayoff had wished to lock up the top-six centre to a long-term deal. He is now a restricted free agent once more subsequent summer season and turns into an unrestricted free agent in 2024.

Hypothesis about Dubois’ future ramped up after his agent, Pat Brisson, was reported as saying Dubois want to play for the Montreal Canadiens.

Dubois felt as if the query to Brisson, and his reply, have been misinterpreted.

“I noticed the feedback that (Brisson) made,” he stated. “I believe persons are blowing them out of proportion. I believe individuals took a bit of factor and blew it up instances 20, and it is nice. Folks can learn into it (if) what they need.”

Dubois identified that the query Brisson had been requested was actually, “Is Montreal a market he’d wish to play in in the future?”

“And he (Brisson) stated, `Perhaps it is a spot he would see himself taking part in in,”‘ Dubois stated.

Dubois had attended the NHL draft in Montreal earlier this month, igniting a report he was there as a result of a deal was within the works to commerce him to the Canadiens.

He defined he is a fan of hockey and has gone to previous drafts. He’d been invited to the Montreal one by his financial institution, which had a field for the occasion.

Dubois additionally lives 10-Quarter-hour away from Bell Centre.

It would not be unusual for a participant to be requested in the event that they’d wish to play of their hometown market, Dubois identified.

When requested if he’d wish to play for the Canadiens in the future, Dubois stated: “You by no means know what may occur. There are such a lot of issues on the desk, so many issues that might occur.

“I’ve signed my contract with Winnipeg and I look ahead to the season beginning. That is all I am occupied with proper now.”

The one-year deal was the size he felt snug with at this level in his life. He needs to offer a long-term deal quite a lot of thought, plus get the opinions of his household and girlfriend.

“In the course of my subsequent contract I might need a household,” he stated. “You do not know, there are such a lot of issues that might occur that I do not need to transfer too rapidly and remorse it later.

“Whenever you inform your self you need to be someplace a very long time, you must be certain about it not only for the primary or second yr, however for the size of the contract.”

The Jets (39-32-11) missed the playoffs this previous yr for the seventh time since relocating to Winnipeg from Atlanta in 2011.

Gamers expressed frustration in regards to the season, which included Paul Maurice unexpectedly resigning as head coach final December. The membership completed with interim bench boss Dave Lowry.

Earlier this month, the Jets employed new head coach Rick Bowness.

Dubois plans to go to Michigan this summer season to skate with some teammates. He stated he is wanting ahead to coaching camp and turning the web page from final season’s underachieving end result with the brand new teaching employees.

“It was disappointing, irritating, a tough capsule to swallow and virtually like a slap within the face, a wake-up name,” he stated.

“However we all know the expertise we have now on our staff. We all know we have now a great staff. We all know we have now confidence in one another ΓǪ Generally when you’ve a chip in your shoulder and you’ve got that further motivation, it may go a good distance in having a great yr. So we’ll begin at coaching camp and go from there.”

The third total decide within the 2016 NHL Draft, Dubois has 239 factors (102 targets, 137 assists) and 306 penalty minutes in 361 profession video games for each the Jets and Blue Jackets.

He is additionally performed for Canada on a number of events, together with three world championships, and gained world silver in 2019 and 2022.

Dubois is the son of Manitoba Moose assistant coach Eric Dubois.

This report by The Canadian Press was first printed July 25, 2022