Veteran Perreault digs in, hopes to earn role on Jets

“It’s a great age,” Mathieu Perreault was saying on Monday. “But it’s challenging.”

The Winnipeg Jets forward was talking about his Winnipeg-born twins, who join the terrible twos later this month.

He may as well have been talking about himself and his hockey career.

Perreault will turn 32 midway through the coming season. Prime working years for most of us, the back nine for most NHLers.

When you don’t have a spot on the top two lines and you’re earning just north of US$4 million a season for two more years, you’ll even find plenty of people who say your contract is a problem.

Especially when your team is trying to scrape together enough dough to re-sign stars Patrik Laine and Kyle Connor.

Perreault read those opinions after last season and when they quickly became full-blown trade rumours, he got a little concerned.

He never really got the sense from the Jets he was going to be moved, but you never know.

“At some points I was a little worried I was going to get traded,” Perreault said.

“I could see what the salary cap situation was, and they were trying to sign some of these guys, so ... I talked to my agent to get a feel for what’s going on. Obviously, I have a family, so if I’m going to move somewhere, I like to know, so I can plan on moving everybody.

“So I asked, but it was not real. Sigh of relief, for sure.”

Players Perreault’s age who don’t have a contract face the prospect of no offers.

When the so-called kids start landing deals worth $8 million, $9 million, even $10 million a season, it can squeeze out the vets.

“That’s just how this game is going,” Perreault said. “It makes it harder for the older guys like us. A good friend, Derick Brassard, felt that this summer. He’s still a good player, but because of all this salary cap stuff and young guys signing big contracts, he couldn’t find a job for the longest time. He did eventually. But it was maybe not what he was expecting.”

Brassard, also on the verge of 32, finally landed a one-year deal with the Islanders, taking a pay cut from $5 million to $1.2 million.

Of course, nobody’s going to feel sorry for players who’ve earned millions over their careers.

You might have felt sorry for Perreault at the end of Monday’s practice, though, as head coach Paul Maurice capped it with yet another hard skate for those who weren’t making the trip to Edmonton for the first pre-season game.

“This one’s tough,” Perreault said of training camp. “That’s four days in a row, now, with a hard skate at the end of practice. You’re never really fully ready. This is harder than anything you can do in the summer. So it’s a battle for everybody. But it’s good to get through it.”

This will be the Drummondville, Que., product’s sixth season with the Jets.

What he could use now is a second lease on his hockey life.

And wouldn’t you know it, the opportunity is right in front of him, along the wings of the Jets top two lines.

Until Laine and Connor arrive, there are huge holes to fill.

So Perreault sets his sights there, puts his head down and works — just like he’s done throughout his nine-year NHL career.

“I just want to have a role. I just want to have a chance to be part of this. And not just a guy that knocks a few minutes off for the other guys to rest. I want to be part of the solution.”