Winnipeg Jets

NHL

Gene J. Puskar / The Associated Press Files
Winnipeg Jets’ Mark Scheifele, centre, recorded two assists in the Jets’ win over the Avalanche, Wednesday.

Scheifele’s scoring ‘drought’ ends with pair of assists in win over Avs

Mike McIntyre 5 minute read Yesterday at 10:25 PM CDT

Mark Scheifele insisted he wasn’t worried.

But make no mistake: When a prolific point producer coming off a career-best offensive season puts up zeroes in his first three games, people are going to start talking.

Is this an ominous sign, some fans wondered? Is Father Time starting to catch up, others pondered?

Let the record show the so-called drought officially ended on Wednesday night in a big way when Scheifele assisted on Cole Perfetti’s second-period goal, then set up Kyle Connor’s dramatic game-winner with 60 seconds left in regulation.

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Netminder no stranger to heavy workload as Jets new No. 1 readies for regular-season start

Ken Wiebe 8 minute read Preview

Netminder no stranger to heavy workload as Jets new No. 1 readies for regular-season start

Ken Wiebe 8 minute read Wednesday, Sep. 30, 2026

Stuart Skinner is quick to admit that he wasn’t always wired this way.

As the Winnipeg Jets new starting goalie prepares for his fifth NHL season, Skinner conceded that the accountability aspect that is now synonymous with his character took some time to build up.

“As I grew up and got older, you go through certain things in life that either build character or make things worse for you. It depends on your choice and your decision,” Skinner said during a recent conversation with the Free Press. “I learned it through trial and error. I learned that, sometimes, it’s hard to get honest with yourself… For me, it’s definitely been a road for me to get to a place like this.

“It definitely is one of my pillars. Accountability is so important because that brings you into a spot of what you’re going to do next. It’s easy to let yourself off the hook. I’m more in the business of putting myself on the hook.”

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Wednesday, Sep. 30, 2026

Winnipeg Jets

Ferraro gets call-up to the Jets

Mike McIntyre 6 minute read Preview

Ferraro gets call-up to the Jets

Mike McIntyre 6 minute read Wednesday, Sep. 30, 2026

Landon Ferraro vividly recalls the moment his NHL career came to an extremely painful end — Oct. 20, 2017, in downtown Winnipeg.

“My last play was a breakaway on Connor Hellebuyck,” Ferraro told the Free Press this week.

“I tried to poke the puck past the first D. It was me and (Dustin) Byfuglien chasing it down. I thought he was going to throw me across the ice, so I tried to cut in on him, and he moved. I overextended, and I literally ripped my abductor off the bone and gave myself a hernia.”

Ferraro — at the time playing forward for the visiting Minnesota Wild — said he managed to get off a weak shot that hit the Jets goaltender square in the chest. But his 77th appearance in the big leagues would be his last following previous stops with Detroit (which drafted him 32nd overall in 2009) and Boston.

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Wednesday, Sep. 30, 2026

NHL

NICK WASS / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS FILES
Former Washington Capitals goalie Clay Stevenson is joining the Jets and will immediately step into the role as backup goalie.

Jets pick up netminder as relatively new 23-man roster announced

Mike McIntyre 6 minute read Preview

Jets pick up netminder as relatively new 23-man roster announced

Mike McIntyre 6 minute read Monday, Sep. 28, 2026

Let’s get the caveats out of the way: Nothing is set in stone, nor written in permanent ink, and what you see right now could change in the blink of an eye.

With that being said, allow us to introduce you to the 2026-27 Winnipeg Jets — where change is very much in the air.

The 23-man roster submitted to the NHL offices by Monday’s 4 p.m. deadline includes seven players who were not on the team at this time last year. In fact, there could be as many as 10 new faces in the opening-night lineup on Friday against Boston when you factor in three regulars didn’t start the 2025-26 campaign due to injury.

That’s a lot of turnover, which isn’t surprising for a team that finished 26th overall in the standings and was — to most fans and pundits — too old and too slow.

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Monday, Sep. 28, 2026

Winnipeg Jets

Bauer ‘better and better every year’

Ken Wiebe 8 minute read Preview

Bauer ‘better and better every year’

Ken Wiebe 8 minute read Monday, Sep. 28, 2026

Tyrel Bauer makes no apologies for the pugilistic piece of his path.

The Winnipeg Jets defenceman is ready to drop the gloves and throw down when the situation calls for it and he takes great pride in protecting his teammates.

It’s a big part of the reason Bauer will be among the 23 players submitted by the Jets on the opening-day roster on Monday.

“I’ve fought and clawed, both metaphorically and literally and now I just want to show that I can play as well,” Bauer said during a chat with the Free Press during training camp. “(Toughness) is always something that I have, it’s always something in my back pocket and something that I take a lot of pride in doing, for my teammates, for the city and the people who invest in this hockey club. That will never change.

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Monday, Sep. 28, 2026

Manitoba Moose

BROOK JONES / FREE PRESS FILES
Nikita Chibrikov is still working his way back to peak form.

Four Jets clear waivers to join Moose

Ken Wiebe 3 minute read Preview

Four Jets clear waivers to join Moose

Ken Wiebe 3 minute read Saturday, Sep. 26, 2026

The Winnipeg Jets organizational depth has yet to take a hit on the waiver wire.

On Saturday afternoon, all four players exposed to waivers — defenceman Isaak Phillips and forwards Nikita Chibrikov, Noah Gregor and Parker Ford — cleared, which means they can be assigned to the Manitoba Moose of the American Hockey League.

Owing to injuries to captain Adam Lowry and winger Cole Perfetti, both Chibrikov and Ford started last season on the NHL roster but spent the bulk of last season with the Moose.

Chibrikov, chosen in the second round of the 2021 NHL Draft, has dealt with multiple lower-body injuries during the prior two seasons and is still working his way back to peak form.

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Saturday, Sep. 26, 2026

NHL

JOHN WOODS / FREE PRESS
Winnipeg Jets power-play unit stalwart Kyle Connor (left) was involved in the penalty kill skate on Thursday, suggesting the forward could see some double duty at times this season depending on the circumstances.

Jets focus on power play and penalty kill as shortened pre-season winds down

Mike McIntyre 6 minute read Preview

Jets focus on power play and penalty kill as shortened pre-season winds down

Mike McIntyre 6 minute read Thursday, Sep. 24, 2026

You can point the finger of blame in a number of directions when it comes to finding fault with last season’s Winnipeg Jets.

A lineup that was too old and too slow. Injuries to key players. Regression from other core members. Inconsistent goaltending. The list goes on.

Well, here’s another culprit that doesn’t get talked about nearly enough: spotty special teams. More specifically, a power play that was anything but potent and a penalty kill that was far too porous.

That has to change — and fast — if this team is going anywhere.

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Thursday, Sep. 24, 2026

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Winnipeg Jets

No more Jets 1.0 or 2.0: League announces all eras of Winnipeg’s club to be merged

Ken Wiebe 6 minute read Preview

No more Jets 1.0 or 2.0: League announces all eras of Winnipeg’s club to be merged

Ken Wiebe 6 minute read Thursday, Sep. 24, 2026

Mark Scheifele’s goal was always to chase down his mentor and former Barrie Colts head coach Dale Hawerchuk, no matter what the official record book said.

So when the NHL and the Winnipeg Jets announced on Thursday morning that they were consolidating the franchise history to include the 1.0 and 2.0 eras (including the Atlanta Thrashers chapter of the club), Scheifele was among those to give the move two thumbs up.

“Yeah, it clarifies it for you guys more, not as much (for) me,” said Scheifele. “It’s really cool to bring in the old Jets records, and especially Dale. Chasing him down was always on my mind. So, it’s cool to do it actually in the record books.”

Scheifele remains the franchise leader in games played (961) and he’s likely to eclipse Hawerchuk in goals (Scheifele has 372 to Hawerchuk’s 379) and points (Scheifele has 907 to Hawerchuk’s 929) this season. He now has Thomas Steen’s 553 assists in his sights after amassing 535 heading into 2026-27.

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Thursday, Sep. 24, 2026

Winnipeg Jets

Jets St. Ivany looking to solidify himself as a regular on defence

Ken Wiebe 6 minute read Preview

Jets St. Ivany looking to solidify himself as a regular on defence

Ken Wiebe 6 minute read Monday, Sep. 21, 2026

Jack St. Ivany was on the driving range preparing for a round of golf on the morning of June 29 when he noticed he had missed a call from Kyle Dubas.

The general manager of the Pittsburgh Penguins was reaching out to inform St. Ivany that he had been moved to the Winnipeg Jets in a deal for Swedish forward David Gustafsson.

“He’s not really calling me on the regular, so I figured I was traded or that something bigger happened,” St. Ivany said before the Jets faced the Colorado Avalanche in exhibition action on Monday. “I had never really been traded. Everything unfolds quickly. It was pretty crazy. Before you know it, you’re with a new team and you turn the page.”

A series of phone calls followed, including one from Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff, welcoming him to the organization.

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Monday, Sep. 21, 2026

NHL

Winnipeg Jets’ goaltender Thomas Milic (32) (Mike Deal / Free Press files)

New Jets show promise despite loss to experienced Oilers

Mike McIntyre 8 minute read Preview

New Jets show promise despite loss to experienced Oilers

Mike McIntyre 8 minute read Sunday, Sep. 20, 2026

Preseason hockey games are always more about the process than the result, and that’s especially true when the opposing rosters appear to be a major mismatch on paper.

So a 5-2 loss by an inexperienced group of Winnipeg Jets skaters against a star-studded Edmonton Oilers squad on Saturday night in the Alberta capital was neither surprising nor alarming.

There was, however, plenty to like from the visitors’ perspective despite the outcome.

Let’s break it down.

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Sunday, Sep. 20, 2026

Winnipeg Jets

Jets’ Niederreiter looks for bounce-back season after return to full health

Ken Wiebe 6 minute read Preview

Jets’ Niederreiter looks for bounce-back season after return to full health

Ken Wiebe 6 minute read Friday, Sep. 18, 2026

Nino Niederreiter called it the equivalent of playing on one leg.

Whether you’ve played one NHL game or more than 1,000 — like Niederreiter has — it’s not hard to quantify just how big a difference it is to be at full health. And after a season of reaching the millennium mark and suiting up for Switzerland at the 2026 Olympics, the Swiss forward is noticeably moving with a lot more spring in his step in what is his 16th NHL training camp.

Limited to just 61 games last season, Niederreiter’s production was also way down, with eight goals and 19 points — his lowest total since recording one goal in 55 games during his first full season with the New York Islanders in 2011-12.

“I mean, the biggest thing was definitely health,” said Niederreiter. “I mean, if you only have one functional knee, it doesn’t get you up to speed. So that’s something which I know I had a chance to repair and recover from. So, I feel great out there. So that’s something which I know I’m going to be better at.”

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Friday, Sep. 18, 2026

NHL

Mike Deal / FREE PRESS
Winnipeg Jets forward Kyle Connor, who is close friends with goalie Connor Hellebuyck, said Thursday there were ‘signs throughout the whole summer’ that the netminder had not returning to the club for the season on his mind.

Jets vets weigh in on franchise goalie Hellebuyck not reporting to training camp

Mike McIntyre 7 minute read Preview

Jets vets weigh in on franchise goalie Hellebuyck not reporting to training camp

Mike McIntyre 7 minute read Thursday, Sep. 17, 2026

Hockey is the ultimate team sport, where it’s supposed to be about the crest on your chest rather than the name on your back.

So how is Connor Hellebuyck’s trade request and subsequent training camp strike playing out inside the Winnipeg Jets locker room — particularly among other core players he’s gone to battle with over the years?

“Obviously the news is heartbreaking,” Jets forward Kyle Connor said Thursday.

“It feels like we had such a special group here and for whatever reason — I can’t speak to the reason until we hear from the man, I’m not going to speculate on what it is but I know that a lot of guys in that room that are heartbroken.”

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Thursday, Sep. 17, 2026

NHL

Jets GM insists club’s not working under any deadline in netminder’s trade request

Mike McIntyre 7 minute read Preview

Jets GM insists club’s not working under any deadline in netminder’s trade request

Mike McIntyre 7 minute read Thursday, Sep. 17, 2026

Connor Hellebuyck and his family were subject to so much post-Olympic vitriol that both the Winnipeg Jets security team and even police had to get involved.

General manager Kevin Cheveldayoff revealed new details about the situation when asked about it Thursday by the Free Press, acknowledging it may have played a role in the star goaltender now refusing to report to training camp while he awaits word of a trade he’s demanded.

“That’s the dangers of being on social media today,” said Cheveldayoff, who took aim at the mostly anonymous trolls.

“You open yourself up, obviously to the fans and you want to make that connection, but some of the fans aren’t true blue fans. There’s a lot of things that probably get said that have nothing to do with anybody in our market. They might not even be from a Canadian market.”

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Thursday, Sep. 17, 2026

NHL

Fred Greenslade / THE CANADIAN PRESS FILES
Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck (centre) turning up to training camp will be a major plot twist since the netminder has been absent so far this fall.

Plotlines aplenty in pre-season prep

Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe 10 minute read Preview

Plotlines aplenty in pre-season prep

Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe 10 minute read Wednesday, Sep. 16, 2026

Welcome to a Winnipeg Jets training camp like no other — one where the on-ice storylines and battles threaten to be trumped by what’s happening away from the rink.

Yes, the dark cloud that is the Connor Hellebuyck situation looms over the organization as it prepares to try and turn the page on a terrible 2025-26 campaign which ended with a 26th-overall finish.

It’s not going to be easy, especially in a highly competitive Central Division and Western Conference and with such a major unresolved issue.

But the work starts now, and Free Press hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe get you set for what to expect ahead of the 84-game regular season, which begins Oct. 2.

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Wednesday, Sep. 16, 2026

Winnipeg Jets

Suspension on the horizon for Hellebuyck as pre-season set to start

Ken Wiebe 6 minute read Preview

Suspension on the horizon for Hellebuyck as pre-season set to start

Ken Wiebe 6 minute read Tuesday, Sep. 15, 2026

In this high stakes game of chicken, Kevin Cheveldayoff, Connor Hellebuyck or any of the potential suitors for the Winnipeg Jets franchise netminder appear ready to blink.

That’s why this summer-long stalemate is on the verge of stretching into autumn.

Jets players have been saying what you would expect them to say over the past week, both during informal skates and at Monday’s golf tournament at St. Charles Country Club — which was an official team event.

And the ability to separate the personal relationship with the business side of the game has been prevalent in most conversations.

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Tuesday, Sep. 15, 2026

Winnipeg Jets

‘I love being here and I love being a Jet’

Ken Wiebe 8 minute read Preview

‘I love being here and I love being a Jet’

Ken Wiebe 8 minute read Monday, Sep. 14, 2026

Josh Morrissey insists that a trade request from the franchise goalie doesn’t change his desire to be a lifelong Winnipeg Jet.

The top-pairing defenceman and alternate captain reinforced that view on Monday morning when speaking to a group of reporters prior to the Winnipeg Jets Golf Classic at St. Charles Country Club.

“At the end of the day, I love being here and I love being a Jet. That’s how I’ve always felt,” said Morrissey, who spoke for just over nine minutes on a variety of topics. “That doesn’t change because of somebody else’s decision. Nothing is finalized, so who knows, he could be back. My position doesn’t change.”

Morrissey has two years left on a contract that pays him US$6.25 million and he’s only eligible to sign an extension on July 1, but the future of the franchise pillar will be a topic of discussion as the Jets work to sort through the situation with franchise goaltender Connor Hellebuyck, which remains unresolved.

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Monday, Sep. 14, 2026

October 8, 2026

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