Jets GM offers sympathy — but no hard answers — to fans for team's struggles

As his team languishes in the cellar of the NHL, Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff offered a mutual feeling of disappointment with fans — but no commitment to make immediate changes to try to salvage something from a miserable season.

"To this point, obviously, it's been very disappointing. We need to find a way to be better," Cheveldayoff said Monday during a mid-season media availability.

He then offered a hat trick of cliches:

The sputtering Jets are on a nine-game losing streak and dead last in the 32-team National Hockey League with a 15-21-4 (wins-losses-overtime losses) record for 34 points.

This time last year the Jets were 27-12-2 with 56 points and second in the league. They would go on to win the Presidents' Trophy after finishing first in the regular season with a 56-22-4 record and 116 points.

After a promising 8-3 run to the start of the current season, the Jets have been in a tailspin, going 7-18-4, including blowing a three-goal lead against the Toronto Maple Leafs last week.

In Ottawa, at the most recent loss on Saturday, TV cameras spotted a Jets fan with a paper bag over their head.

"Fans in our market are very, very passionate and that is something we care deeply about," Cheveldayoff said on Monday.

"Sports are very unpredictable and that's the nature of the game here right now. I feel their [fans'] disappointment as much as they do."

Only one team in NHL history — the 1942-43 New York Rangers — went from being league champions one season to placing last the next year. However, there were only six teams then, which make the Jets' collapse even more staggering.

Cheveldayoff said many of those losses have been one-goal games, and the team could easily be on the winning side if it sticks to its