While the rest of us wonder where the summer went, Winnipeg Jets goalie Ondrej Pavelec says he’s glad to see it in the rear-view mirror.

“It’s been a long summer and I’m kind of sick of it already,” Pavelec, back in town for some pre-training-camp skating, said Monday. “Everybody is.”

I’m not so sure about that.

But if there’s anybody who should be in a hurry for winter, it’s Pavelec.

The 27-year-old Czech’s stock is at an all-time low after a season he and Jets fans would like to deep-six as quickly as possible.

“I wasn’t happy last year with the way I played,” he said. “It’s no secret.”

Buried near the bottom of the NHL’s list of starting goalies — 25th in goals-against-average, 26th in save percentage among those who played at least half the season — nobody stands to gain as much from the switch to head coach Paul Maurice, either.

Maurice, who replaced the fired Claude Noel, mid-season, promises an edgier, defence-first approach, with a premium on hard work and fitness.

And while that’s not exactly a novel idea, Maurice’s words back on April 16 still ring like a slapshot off the crossbar in his goaltender’s ears.

“He's got to do the things every other player is being asked to do,” Maurice said of Pavelec that day. “Get himself in shape, get himself routine, get focused — to give himself the chance to be as good as he can be.”

The implication being too many of the Jets, including their downward-trending goalie, were soft.

Well, it’s pudgy Pavelec no more.

The five-year vet showed up in town with not only a new haircut, but a trimmer physique to go with it.

“He said through the media that everybody has to be in better shape and be ready for training camp,” Pavelec said. “He gave us the message and I think everybody’s ready.

“I did some little things differently than I did before, and hopefully it’s going to help me.”

Asked directly if he’s in better shape and how much weight he’d lost, Pavelec was coy.

“I hope so. I think I am,” he said. “I haven’t seen my strength coach. I don’t know (the weight) yet. You always can improve your fitness.... and that’s what I’ve been trying to do. Now’s a little bit early to talk about it. We’ll see... I’m pretty sure it’s going to help me.”

One thing that seemed to hurt the usually friendly puck-stopper last season was the criticism he faced.

By season’s end he’d cut down on interviews, and said little when he did talk.

The barrage didn’t stop in the summer, social media rife with ‘get-rid-of-Pavelec’ chatter.

The target of it vowed to pay it no heed this season.

“Jets have great fans and they always support us, no matter what,” Pavelec said. “Sometimes we didn’t deserve it and they were still there.

I don’t have any social media. It’s Canada. The people love hockey, and the media are all over the place. That’s part of the game. Don’t read it, don’t watch TV — that’s what I’m trying to do.”

What Pavelec simply has to do is be more consistent, and he knows it.

The spectacular saves are nice highlight-reel material, but the game tape doesn’t skip over the missed routine ones, or the goals caused by being out of position.

“It’s a tight game, you make unbelievable saves. But two minutes left you have to make another save, no matter what,” Pavelec said. “I just want to be there for the team every night. It doesn’t help if you play good two games and don’t play well the next two games.

“Last year, we changed the coach and it wasn’t easy at all for us and for me. So this year is a new start and a new challenge.”

What about a challenge from another goalie?

Not only didn’t the Jets make an off-season move, but GM Kevin Cheveldayoff all but erased the notion of a competition by saying Pavelec would be the No. 1 going into 2014-15.

“That helped a lot, for sure,” Pavelec said. “To hear that from a GM gives you the confidence that he still believes (in) you.”

Last season’s backup, Al Montoya, posted better numbers than Pavelec and a winning record (13-8-3 to Pavelec’s 22-26-7), but he’s gone, leaving 24-year-old Michael Hutchinson as the primary challenger.

Hutchinson posted a 2-1 record and 1.64 GAA in limited, late-season action, nifty numbers but hardly enough to bank on.

Pavelec says he doesn’t feel any more pushed than usual.

The fact is, he may be pushed less.

“He played very well,” Pavelec said of Hutchinson. “It’s always pressure on a goalie. It doesn’t matter who’s behind you. You play your best, and if not you are on the bench and the other goalie’s playing. It’s no different this year.”

Ah, but it has be different.

Behind the bench and between the pipes, most of all.

paul.friesen@sunmedia.ca

Twitter: @friesensunmedia