from Mike McIntyre of the Winnipeg Free Press,

The Winnipeg Jets were counting on a big assist from both the federal government and National Hockey League. Instead, the club has been given the cold shoulder and shut out, learning the hard way that cross-border trades during a global pandemic aren't as simple as they'd hoped.

And that has them silently stewing, believing they are victims of an uneven playing field that has put them at a competitive disadvantage.

Patrik Laine was given a hero's welcome as he landed on a private charter in Columbus after obtaining his work visa last weekend, greeted by a huge Finnish billboard and spending just 48 hours in COVID-19 protocol before getting the green light to make his Blue Jackets debut earlier this week. Jack Roslovic didn't have to wait at all to jump into the lineup of his hometown team, with four games already under his belt.

And Pierre-Luc Dubois? He's only met his new teammates through Zoom and hasn't touched a sheet of ice in the 13 days since the blockbuster deal went down. The 22-year-old Quebec product remains under mandatory lockdown here in Winnipeg and isn't eligible to emerge from quarantine until Friday night.

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