Hockey – Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Jets

Lopsided loss not as damaging as it could have been for the Jets

Mike McIntyre 6 minute read Friday, Mar. 20, 2026

PITTSBURGH — There once was a time in the National Hockey League when a putrid performance like the one the Winnipeg Jets delivered Thursday night in Boston would have carried some painful consequences.

Namely, a next-day practice filled with skating, skating and more skating — and perhaps nary a puck in sight.

But those “old-school” days are long gone, which is why Friday was all about rest and recovery for the Jets. Only a handful of players took part in an optional skate, while the majority stayed back at the team hotel for workouts and video sessions.

“Just reset. That’s a big thing. Do what everybody feels like they need to do today in order to be ready for tomorrow,” said rookie forward Isak Rosen, who was one of the few to hit the ice.

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KYUSUNG GONG / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS FILES
Winnipeg Jets defenceman Elias Salomonsson has cleared concussion protocol and plans to be a full participant at Thursday’s Moose practice, paving the way for a Game 2 Calder Cup playoffs debut on Friday.

Salomonsson hopes to be in Manitoba Moose lineup for Game 2 against Milwaukee

Ken Wiebe 6 minute read Preview

Salomonsson hopes to be in Manitoba Moose lineup for Game 2 against Milwaukee

Ken Wiebe 6 minute read Yesterday at 1:35 PM CDT

Elias Salomonsson isn’t holding a grudge, he’s viewing his time in concussion protocol — and the reason behind it — as a valuable learning opportunity.

As the Winnipeg Jets top defence prospect spoke to the media for the first time since being on the receiving end of a reverse hit that knocked him out of the final seven games of the NHL season, Salomonsson made it clear he had no issue whatsoever with the check Dallas Stars forward Jason Robertson delivered in the second period of a game on April 2.

“It was a good hit. I have nothing bad to say about the hit,” said Salomonsson, who was loaned to the Manitoba Moose of the American Hockey League on Wednesday but wasn’t in the lineup for Game 1 of the Calder Cup playoffs against the Milwaukee Admirals. “I just wasn’t ready for it, so it’s a learning lesson for me, for sure.”

This was the first concussion Salomonsson has dealt with during his hockey career and working his way through the symptoms brought some challenges, though he passed his baseline test on Tuesday and was removed from concussion protocol.

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Yesterday at 1:35 PM CDT

Mike Sudoma / FREE PRESS FILES
Manitoba Moose forward Colby Barlow is riding high on the eve of his first Calder Cup playoffs after regaining his scoring touch.

Moose forward goes into first AHL post-season campaign with hot hands

Ken Wiebe 7 minute read Preview

Moose forward goes into first AHL post-season campaign with hot hands

Ken Wiebe 7 minute read Tuesday, Apr. 21, 2026

Colby Barlow had his patience tested, so naturally, his confidence was occasionally wavering.

But on the eve of his first taste of the Calder Cup playoffs, the Manitoba Moose forward prospect is riding high after regaining his scoring touch.

Barlow, who was chosen 18th overall by the Winnipeg Jets in the 2023 draft, battled his way through some lengthy dry spells and has been firing on all cylinders as the Moose welcome the Milwaukee Admirals to Canada Life Centre on Wednesday to open a best-of-three series.

“Yeah, it can get frustrating, for sure,” said Barlow, who finished his first full professional season with eight goals and 16 points in 65 games.

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Tuesday, Apr. 21, 2026

MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS
Winnipeg Jets forward Jonathan Toews played all 82 games this season in his return to the league after past health issues related to COVID-19.

Toews mum on hanging up blades

Ken Wiebe 8 minute read Preview

Toews mum on hanging up blades

Ken Wiebe 8 minute read Friday, Apr. 17, 2026

Jonathan Toews insists that he hasn’t made a final decision on his playing future.

But when you listened closely to the words he spoke on Friday morning and saw the number of lengthy embraces he had with teammates who exchanged souvenir signed hockey sticks along with the usual pleasantries, you got the sense that Toews might have played the final game of his memorable NHL career.

Toews was greeted by a large contingent of friends and family members after the game on Thursday, though that was a frequent occurrence, not to mention one of the benefits of spending this season suiting up for his hometown team.

“I don’t know if they need a specific shoutout at this point. They know who they are, but yeah, it was really great,” said Toews. “Even when I signed here last summer, the reception from friends, family, people I hadn’t talked to or seen in years was really special and something that I didn’t think about or didn’t really expect.

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Friday, Apr. 17, 2026

MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS
Winnipeg Jets forward Mark Scheifele said Friday that ‘any chance you have the opportunity to go and compete for your country, you’ve got to take it with honour.’

Jets Scheifele, DeMelo to wear Maple Leaf at men’s worlds

Ken Wiebe 7 minute read Preview

Jets Scheifele, DeMelo to wear Maple Leaf at men’s worlds

Ken Wiebe 7 minute read Friday, Apr. 17, 2026

Mark Scheifele finally got another call from his country — even if it wasn’t the one that he was eagerly waiting for.

While the invitation from Team Canada general manager Brad Treliving to play at the upcoming IIHF men’s world hockey championship in Switzerland won’t take away the sting of missing out on the 2026 Olympics in Italy or the 4 Nations Face-Off the previous February, the chance to extend this disappointing season with the Winnipeg Jets was something he wasn’t about to pass up.

“Yeah, I am going… I’m really excited for it. Any chance you have the opportunity to go and compete for your country, you’ve got to take it with honour and I’m just excited to play more hockey,” Scheifele said on Friday, as the Jets worked their way through exit interviews. “I love this game, I love playing, I love competing. I want to go over there and win a gold medal and do that with some good friends, so I’m really excited for that opportunity.”

There’s been some speculation that the Jets centre might politely decline the opportunity, the thinking being that after being snubbed previously that he might prefer to get a start on his off-season training.

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Friday, Apr. 17, 2026

David Zalubowski / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS FILES
Winnipeg Jets forward Cole Perfetti had a tale of two seasons, some of which was due to the high ankle sprain he suffered late in training camp.

Hard personnel decisions aplenty for Winnipeg Jets after missing playoffs

Ken Wiebe 6 minute read Preview

Hard personnel decisions aplenty for Winnipeg Jets after missing playoffs

Ken Wiebe 6 minute read Wednesday, Apr. 15, 2026

Change is both inevitable and necessary for the next edition of the Winnipeg Jets.

After sorting through the organization-wide disappointment of going from a Presidents’ Trophy winning regular season to missing out on the Stanley Cup playoffs entirely — and finishing in the bottom third of the standings — some hard decisions are on the horizon for general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff and his management team.

The Jets will close out the regular season at home on Thursday against the San Jose Sharks, but the autopsy is already underway.

Although there were some impressive individual seasons put together by the likes of Mark Scheifele, Kyle Connor, Gabriel Vilardi and Josh Morrissey, to name a few, this group was not deep enough or talented enough to earn one of the 16 available spots to the post-season party.

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Wednesday, Apr. 15, 2026

John Woods / THE CANADIAN PRESS FILES
The Winnipeg Jets may need another dose of former head coach Rick Bowness’ (right) version of tough love — a remedy attempted by current head coach Scott Arniel (left) earlier this season.

Tough love could be remedy for the Jets — again

Mike McIntyre 6 minute read Preview

Tough love could be remedy for the Jets — again

Mike McIntyre 6 minute read Wednesday, Apr. 15, 2026

Winnipeg Jets players and fans may have experienced some déjà vu this week as old friend Rick Bowness stepped in front of the cameras and microphones and lobbed a few verbal grenades at his current hockey club, the Columbus Blue Jackets.

A push for a playoff spot down the stretch, with “Bones” coming out of retirement to lead the way, went from promising to pathetic in short order. A season-ending 2-1 loss on home ice to the Washington Capitals was the last straw for the veteran head coach.

“These guys, they don’t care. Losing is not important enough to them. It doesn’t bother them,” fumed Bowness, who had to repeatedly pause to compose himself and seemed on the verge of tears at one point.

That, folks, is about as damning as it gets in pro sports.

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Wednesday, Apr. 15, 2026

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Melissa Majchrzak / The Associated Press
Winnipeg Jets goalie Eric Comrie stops a shot by Utah Mammoth left wing Brandon Tanev during the second period of the Jets 5-3 loss, Tuesday in Salt Lake City.

Jets fall to Mammoth 5-3 in final road game of season

Mike McIntyre 9 minute read Preview

Jets fall to Mammoth 5-3 in final road game of season

Mike McIntyre 9 minute read Tuesday, Apr. 14, 2026

Eric Comrie showed up to work on Tuesday night in Salt Lake City.

The majority of his Winnipeg Jets teammates? Well, it appears they were still licking their wounds — and perhaps feeling a bit sorry for themselves — after being eliminated from the Stanley Cup playoffs a night earlier.

Comrie, the club’s reliable backup goaltender, might qualify for hazard pay given the wide disparity in play for large stretches of play. He did everything possible to keep his club in the game against the Utah Mammoth in an eventual 5-3 loss inside Delta Center that was a lot closer than it deserved to be.

“There was a little bit of hangover from last night coming in from Vegas or we were real slow,” Jets coach Scott Arniel told CJOB, the team’s radio rightsholder.

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Tuesday, Apr. 14, 2026

MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS FILES
Gabe Vilardi is a frequent contributor to the Project 11 program and regularly volunteers to speak with students about mental health.

‘It’s been a lot of fun for me’: Jets’ Vilardi honoured by team nomination for humanitarian award

Mike McIntyre 6 minute read Preview

‘It’s been a lot of fun for me’: Jets’ Vilardi honoured by team nomination for humanitarian award

Mike McIntyre 6 minute read Sunday, Apr. 12, 2026

Gabe Vilardi learned plenty of valuable lessons as a child, ones that continue to guide him to this day.

His parents, Giovanna and Natale, were hard-working Italian immigrants who came to Canada in 1998 and settled in Kingston. They sacrificed plenty to ensure their two boys could pursue their athletic passions, primarily hockey, even taking on extra work such as delivering newspapers.

Older brother Francesco spent three solid years in the Ontario Hockey League before finishing his career at Queen’s University. Gabe, meanwhile, realized his big-league dream and is now in his seventh NHL season, his third with the Winnipeg Jets.

It has been his best yet, with career highs in goals (29), assists (36), points (65) and games played (79).

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Sunday, Apr. 12, 2026

JOHN WOODS / THE CANDIAN PRESS
Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Dan Vladar (80) makes a save against the Winnipeg Jets during the second period in Winnipeg on Saturday.

Jets’ season on the brink

Ken Wiebe 8 minute read Preview

Jets’ season on the brink

Ken Wiebe 8 minute read Sunday, Apr. 12, 2026

The margin for error has seismically shifted from slim to none.

By virtue of a 7-1 shellacking at the hands of the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday night at Canada Life Centre, the Winnipeg Jets playoff hopes are officially on life support and they’re now perilously close to next-year country.

Coupled with the Los Angeles Kings 1-0 victory over the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday afternoon, the Jets now face a five-point deficit in the chase for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference with just three games remaining in the regular season.

That essentially ensures the Jets must run the table, while also receiving plenty of help on the out of town scoreboard.

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Sunday, Apr. 12, 2026

Mike Sudoma / FREE PRESS
Manitoba Moose forward Jacob Julien (right) battles for the puck with Grand Rapids Griffins’ John Leonard at Canada Life Centre on Friday. Julien scored his first professional goal for the Moose in the matinee clash.

Moose in playoff hunt

Mike McIntyre 6 minute read Preview

Moose in playoff hunt

Mike McIntyre 6 minute read Friday, Apr. 3, 2026

Not unlike the parent club, time is of the essence these days for the Manitoba Moose.

But in contrast to the Winnipeg Jets, the American Hockey League squad is currently on the right side of the playoff line. However, their perch got a bit more perilous on Friday afternoon following a 6-3 loss to the Grand Rapids Griffins at Canada Life Centre to kick off a crucial, six-game homestand.

It was a roller-coaster game that saw the Moose go down 3-0 after 20 minutes, claw back to tie it in the second period, then give up three straight late goals (including an empty-netter) to the No. 1 team in the Central Division.

“We made some irresponsible plays with the puck and they pounced. That’s who they are,” said head coach Mark Morrison. “The way we’ve played the game as of late, we don’t score a lot of goals. So when we score three, we’ve got to win the hockey game. To give up some Grade A chances against to that team, they’re going to put them in.”

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Friday, Apr. 3, 2026

TONY GUTIERREZ / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Dallas Stars left wing Jamie Benn (14) takes control of the puck in front of Winnipeg Jets’ Alex Iafallo (9) in the first period of Thursday’s game in Dallas.

Jets’ playoff hopes dimming with loss to Dallas Stars

Ken Wiebe 7 minute read Preview

Jets’ playoff hopes dimming with loss to Dallas Stars

Ken Wiebe 7 minute read Thursday, Apr. 2, 2026

DALLAS – The Winnipeg Jets picked a bad night to have too many passengers.

After winning four of the previous five games — including a tidy effort against the league-leading Colorado Avalanche on Saturday to open the road trip – the Winnipeg Jets were mostly overwhelmed in this battle with a Central Division rival that was looking to get its mojo back as they worked through a lacklustre stretch of hockey.

Just when you thought the Jets might be catching the Dallas Stars at a good time, it turned out to be the complete opposite.

A Stars team that had managed just one victory in the past seven games and two in the past nine came up with a dominating effort and won this one in a cakewalk, handing the Jets a 3-0 defeat that was damaging to their flickering playoff hopes.

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Thursday, Apr. 2, 2026

ETHAN CAIRNS / THE CANADIAN PRESS FILES
Winnipeg Jets Morgan Barron (36) and Vancouver Canucks Linus Karlsson (94) vie for the puck during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Vancouver, B.C., on Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026.

‘I feel great on the ice’: Barron back as Jets face off against Dallas

Ken Wiebe 6 minute read Preview

‘I feel great on the ice’: Barron back as Jets face off against Dallas

Ken Wiebe 6 minute read Thursday, Apr. 2, 2026

Morgan Barron felt it was both necessary and important to take a stand, even if there were unintended consequences he had to deal with.

The Winnipeg Jets forward emerged from concussion protocol to suit up in Thursday’s game against the Dallas Stars after being on the receiving end of a heavy right hand from Colorado Avalanche defenceman Josh Manson.

Following the morning skate, Barron explained why he took exception to the hit Manson delivered, resulting in a minor penalty for interference.

“I didn’t have the puck. I think he got a two for it, that was kind of what I thought was the appropriate call,” said Barron, who started the game on the fourth line with Isak Rosen and Parker Ford. “I don’t think it was anything more than that.”

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Thursday, Apr. 2, 2026

7 minute read Wednesday, Apr. 1, 2026

CHICAGO — Scott Arniel clearly understood the challenges of facing the 31st team in the NHL standings were considerably different than facing the top team, like the Winnipeg Jets did in their past two games.

But the head coach gave his group a quick mathematics lesson as part of his message before they faced the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday night.

“Two points against Chicago are the exact same two points against Colorado,” said Arniel. “We have to make sure what we did the other night is a constant. It isn’t changing because we’re playing a different team.”

Well, the outing wasn’t quite as crisp as the recent 4-2 triumph over the Avalanche in Denver, but the final outcome brought the two points Arniel was seeking after a 4-3 overtime victory that pulled the Jets within one point of the final playoff spot in the western conference.

Erin Hooley / The Associated Press Files
Winnipeg Jets Mark Scheifele, left, and Cole Perfetti.

Overtime win in Chicago leaves Jets one point behind wildcard spot

Ken Wiebe 7 minute read Preview

Overtime win in Chicago leaves Jets one point behind wildcard spot

Ken Wiebe 7 minute read Tuesday, Mar. 31, 2026

CHICAGO — Scott Arniel clearly understood the challenges of facing the 31st team in the NHL standings was considerably different than facing the top team, like the Winnipeg Jets did in the two prior games.

But the head coach gave his group a quick mathematics lesson as part of his message before they faced the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday night.

“Two points against Chicago are the exact same two points against Colorado,” said Arniel. “We have to make sure what we did the other night is a constant. It isn’t changing because we’re playing a different team.”

Well, the outing wasn’t quite as crisp as it was in Denver in the 4-2 triumph over the Avalanche but the final outcome brought the two points Arniel was seeking after a 4-3 overtime victory that pulled the Jets within one point of the final playoff spot in the Western Conference.

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Tuesday, Mar. 31, 2026

SUPPLIED
During the 2025 playoff run, KFC leaned into Kyle Connor’s “KFC” nickname, running a Stanley Cup playoff promotion that encouraged fans to wear buckets on their heads during the Winnipeg Jets series against the St. Louis Blues. The new Kyle F#*@in’ Connor meal promotion is currently on.

That’s Colonel Connor to you

Ken Wiebe 5 minute read Preview

That’s Colonel Connor to you

Ken Wiebe 5 minute read Tuesday, Mar. 31, 2026

CHICAGO — Kyle Connor isn’t expecting to become the next Peyton Manning or Charles Barkley as someone who is routinely called upon to promote a lengthy list of products.

Having said that, the Winnipeg Jets left-winger recently shot a commercial with KFC where he fully leaned into the Kyle Freakin’ Connor persona.

“I don’t think I’m getting any (lead) roles anytime soon,” Connor said before the Jets faced the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday night at the United Center. “But it’s fun to be able to do something like that.”

Decked out in a white suit and a Kentucky bow tie that Colonel Sanders made famous, the video shows Connor arriving at the rink in a snazzy white sports car and entering the building before nodding at several staff members who are enjoying fried chicken.

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Tuesday, Mar. 31, 2026

April 23, 2026

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