Winnipeg Jets

Salomonsson’s surgery calls for Jets to make blue-line changes in off-season

Ken Wiebe 9 minute read Tuesday, May. 19, 2026

It won’t be a major overhaul for the Winnipeg Jets blue line, but there’s certainly an opportunity to make some improvements to the back end this summer for general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff and company.

Roster construction is top of mind as the Jets and 28 other teams continue to watch what’s happening in the Stanley Cup race.

While the NHL is a copycat league, the teams that have advanced to the Western and Eastern Conference finals — the Colorado Avalanche, Vegas Golden Knights, Carolina Hurricanes and Montreal Canadiens — don’t exactly fit under the one-size-fits-all template.

After taking a look at the second-line centre position, it’s time to identify another area that should welcome some additional talent, whether that’s via trade or free agency.

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Manitoba Moose

Bauer making an impact on and off the ice

Mike McIntyre 4 minute read Preview

Bauer making an impact on and off the ice

Mike McIntyre 4 minute read Tuesday, May. 19, 2026

You don’t have to tell the Manitoba Moose how much of an impact Tyrel Bauer has on and off the ice — the club experiences it on a regular basis.

But now the rest of the hockey world knows it after Bauer was named the winner of the Yanick Dupré Memorial Award for the 2025-26 season.

This prestigious honour has been presented annually since 1998 to an AHL player for his contributions to his local community and charities. It is selected by the AHL and representatives from two partner organizations from among 32 individual team Man of the Year honorees.

Bauer, 24, just wrapped up his fourth pro season of hockey with the Moose after being selected by the Jets in the sixth round of the 2020 draft. The Alberta native is one of the toughest customers in the league, racking up 401 penalty minutes so far in his career while also chipping in five goals and 16 assists over 214 AHL games.

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Tuesday, May. 19, 2026

NHL

GRAHAM HUGHES / THE CANADIAN PRESS FILES
Forward Patrik Laine hasn’t suited up for the Montreal Canadiens since Oct. 16 when he suffered a core muscle injury that required surgery.

Former Jets forward Patrik Laine could be good gamble for club

Mike McIntyre 8 minute read Preview

Former Jets forward Patrik Laine could be good gamble for club

Mike McIntyre 8 minute read Thursday, May. 14, 2026

Who’s ready for another hockey homecoming?

One year ago, all the focus around here was on whether the Winnipeg Jets could land St. Vital product Jonathan Toews as he returned to the sport following a two-year, health-related hiatus. History shows the man known as Captain Serious did indeed sign on the dotted line.

Now, another prominent player with major ties to this city and organization could soon be searching for a new place to lace up his skates once free agency opens on July 1. And it would make plenty of sense — both on and off the ice — to get a deal done.

We’re talking about Patrik Laine.

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Thursday, May. 14, 2026

Winnipeg Jets

How do you solve a problem like the Jets’ second-line centre position?

Ken Wiebe 8 minute read Preview

How do you solve a problem like the Jets’ second-line centre position?

Ken Wiebe 8 minute read Tuesday, May. 12, 2026

It is the most glaring need — and one of the most difficult things to acquire.

That’s why the Winnipeg Jets once again find themselves in a bit of a quandary when it comes to addressing the second-line centre position this off-season.

Even more pressing is that Jets management is operating on dual tracks — ramping up 2026 NHL Draft preparations, where they currently hold the eighth overall pick, while also doing a lot of due diligence as it pertains to the pro scouting side.

The Jets are just three years removed from a draft week deal that sent Pierre-Luc Dubois to the Los Angeles Kings for a package that included forwards Gabriel Vilardi, Alex Iafallo, Rasmus Kupari and a draft pick that turned into Swedish defence prospect Alfons Freij.

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Tuesday, May. 12, 2026

Manitoba Moose

Powerhouse Griffins put Moose down

Mike McIntyre 8 minute read Preview

Powerhouse Griffins put Moose down

Mike McIntyre 8 minute read Friday, May. 8, 2026

The effort was certainly there. The execution? Not nearly enough.

And now the end has arrived for the Manitoba Moose, who were eliminated by the Grand Rapids Griffins on Friday night with a 5-2 loss.

“It stings,” veteran defenceman Ashton Sautner said during a post-game Zoom call from outside the visiting locker room at Van Andel Arena.

“I’m very proud of this group. We’ve been through a lot this year. It didn’t matter whether we were going through highs or lows, this group of guys is special. It definitely made it a lot of fun to come to the rink. It’s not easy losing.”

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Friday, May. 8, 2026

Manitoba Moose

Moose ready for Game 4 showdown against Griffins

Ken Wiebe 7 minute read Preview

Moose ready for Game 4 showdown against Griffins

Ken Wiebe 7 minute read Thursday, May. 7, 2026

Head coach Mark Morrison didn’t go out and name names, and that was clearly by design.

But in the moments after the Manitoba Moose had been pushed to the brink of elimination after a 4-2 loss in Game 3 to the Grand Rapids Griffins, Morrison made it clear he was going to need a little more from a number of players in order to prevent this season from coming to a close.

“They’ve got a real solid D corps back there and we’ve got a couple of lines that are forcing them into turnovers and we need the other two lines to do the same thing,” Morrison said via Zoom from Michigan. “If we can have four lines forcing them, obviously we can tire them out. But we need a couple of lines with a little bit heavier forecheck.”

The Moose trail the Griffins two games to one in this best-of-five Central Division semifinal going into Friday’s elimination game at Van Andel Arena, with puck drop set for just after 6 p.m. CT.

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Thursday, May. 7, 2026

Winnipeg Jets

NICHOLAS CARRILLO PHOTO
Grand Rapids Griffins forward Carter Mazur (left) is congratulated on his second goal of the game, into an empty net, by centre Sheldon Dries during Game 3 of the best-of-five Calder Cup playoff series in Grand Rapids, Mich., on Wednesday.

Moose facing third elimination game of post-season after loss in Grand Rapids

Ken Wiebe 7 minute read Preview

Moose facing third elimination game of post-season after loss in Grand Rapids

Ken Wiebe 7 minute read Wednesday, May. 6, 2026

The Manitoba Moose find themselves in familiar territory, though it’s fair to say this will be the biggest test of their resolve all season.

The Moose are facing elimination for a third time this post-season after dropping a 4-2 decision to the Grand Rapids Griffins on Wednesday before a crowd of 7,581 at Van Andel Arena.

That’s an awful lot of living on the edge since the primary affiliate of the Winnipeg Jets has played six post-season games.

The good news for the Moose is they survived the first two scares and eliminated the Milwaukee Admirals.

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Wednesday, May. 6, 2026

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Winnipeg Jets

CHRISTOPHER KATSAROV / THE CANADIAN PRESS FILES

Czechia’s Adam Novotny skates with the puck during the IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship final against Sweden.

Winnipeg Jets fall one spot to eighth in NHL draft lottery

Ken Wiebe 7 minute read Preview

Winnipeg Jets fall one spot to eighth in NHL draft lottery

Ken Wiebe 7 minute read Tuesday, May. 5, 2026

Now that history didn’t repeat itself, the focus for Kevin Cheveldayoff and his amateur scouts will be firming up their final draft list.

Two teams moved up significantly in the 2026 NHL Draft lottery on Tuesday, but the Winnipeg Jets weren’t one of them.

After the Toronto Maple Leafs moved from fifth to first overall, it was the San Jose Sharks that jumped to second from ninth, which meant the Jets slipped one spot from seventh to eighth in the 2026 NHL Draft.

Once the Leafs claimed the first overall pick, it was hard not to wonder if the Jets would follow suit and choose second, just like they did in 2016 when they moved from sixth to second overall.

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Tuesday, May. 5, 2026

NHL

Ruth Bonneville / FREE PRESS
Cypress River’s Carson Carels, who plays for the Prince George Cougars of the Western Hockey League, is predicted to be picked in the top 10, setting up the possibility the Winnipeg Jets could select the homegrown defenceman in the NHL draft.

Jets gunning for NHL Draft Lottery luck

Mike McIntyre 7 minute read Preview

Jets gunning for NHL Draft Lottery luck

Mike McIntyre 7 minute read Monday, May. 4, 2026

Memo to Winnipeg Jets fans, coaches and management: grab your rabbit’s foot. Scour the nearest field for four-leaf clovers. And — if your memory goes back that far — try to find what you were wearing on April 30, 2016, and hope it still fits.

This team could use a little luck.

The NHL Draft Lottery takes place at 6 p.m. Tuesday (live on Sportsnet), and the Jets are hoping their fortunes go from good to great.

Winnipeg finished 26th overall in the regular-season standings, which means it is currently slotted to pick seventh overall in the draft, scheduled for June 26 (first round) and 27 (rounds two through seven). But that position could rise or fall depending on how the ping-pong balls bounce.

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Monday, May. 4, 2026

NHL

Nam Y. Huh / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS FILES
Winnipeg Jets forward Jonathan Toews has been named a finalist for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, the annual award presented to an NHL player ‘who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey.’

Jets’ Toews named Masterton finalist

Mike McIntyre 5 minute read Preview

Jets’ Toews named Masterton finalist

Mike McIntyre 5 minute read Monday, May. 4, 2026

Winnipeg Jets forward Jonathan Toews has been named a finalist for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy.

The award is presented annually to the NHL player “who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey” and is voted on by approximately 300 members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association.

Toews certainly fits the bill. The 38-year-old Winnipegger returned to the sport this past season following a two-year health-related hiatus caused by long COVID and Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome.

The three-time Stanley Cup winner and long-time captain of the Chicago Blackhawks signed with his hometown Jets and played all 82 games, recording 29 points (11 goals, 18 assists) in the process. He was one of the league leaders in faceoff percentage (62.1 per cent) and served as a mentor to many of Winnipeg’s young players.

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Monday, May. 4, 2026

Manitoba Moose

Moose rookie Wahlin impresses as he learns pro game

Mike McIntyre 6 minute read Preview

Moose rookie Wahlin impresses as he learns pro game

Mike McIntyre 6 minute read Sunday, May. 3, 2026

Lucas Wahlin has adopted a simple but smart mindset when it comes to his hockey career.

“That every day is a tryout,” he told the Free Press on Sunday.

So far, so good for the rookie Manitoba Moose forward, who has given head coach Mark Morrison every reason to keep him in the lineup even as the stakes have gotten higher for the hockey club.

“It’s an honour to be playing,” said Wahlin. “There’s so many different guys here and there’s so many different skilled guys here with so many different attributes that they can throw in. You just have to capitalize on every opportunity, and that’s what I’m trying to do day-by-day.”

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Sunday, May. 3, 2026

Manitoba Moose

Griffins blank Moose to even series

Ken Wiebe 9 minute read Preview

Griffins blank Moose to even series

Ken Wiebe 9 minute read Sunday, May. 3, 2026

Tyrel Bauer had a message for anybody worrying that the Manitoba Moose were simply going to fade quietly into the night.

Even after dropping a 2-0 decision to the Grand Rapids Griffins on Sunday afternoon before a crowd of 5,487 at Canada Life Centre, the Moose believe they’re in strong position to advance in these Calder Cup playoffs.

“We feel good going into Grand Rapids. We thought we made a statement here this weekend,” said Bauer, whose team earned a 1-0 victory in Game 1 on Saturday. “We thought we played two hard games, two solid games. It’s the nature of the playoffs in the AHL. The series are a little shorter, but we’re going to go into Grand Rapids and we’re going to play the same way. We’re going to play hard and we need two of three. It’s very manageable for our group.”

The Griffins may have finished 29 points ahead of the Moose in the standings and taken six of the eight meetings during the regular season, but that hasn’t proven to be much of an advantage in a series that has been hotly contested and tight checking throughout the first six periods.

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Sunday, May. 3, 2026

Manitoba Moose

Moose D stand tall

Ken Wiebe 7 minute read Preview

Moose D stand tall

Ken Wiebe 7 minute read Saturday, May. 2, 2026

It wasn’t exactly air tight, but it was pretty darn stout.

When you consider that the Grand Rapids Griffins strolled into Canada Life Centre as the second highest scoring team in the American Hockey League during the regular season, you had to be impressed by the sound defensive effort the Manitoba Moose put forth in a 1-0 victory on Saturday afternoon.

It was just the second time in 73 games that the Griffins had been held without a goal – the other coming back in Feb. 6 against the Charlotte Checkers – and that is a testament to the superb play of goalie Domenic DiVincentiis (who made 39 saves for his first playoff shutout) but also the effort of the players in front of him.

“I just think we’ve been stressing and emphasizing defending as a five-man unit all over the ice,” said Moose defenceman Kale Clague, who moved up onto a pairing with Isaak Phillips that was relied on heavily. “I thought we did a really good job in the D-zone of closing fast and then, also being there for support when there was a loose puck to break it out.”

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Saturday, May. 2, 2026

Manitoba Moose

Dom-ination in the crease

Mike McIntyre 9 minute read Preview

Dom-ination in the crease

Mike McIntyre 9 minute read Saturday, May. 2, 2026

The Manitoba Moose are not for the faint of heart these days. But they are proving to have a flair for the dramatic — with the latest example coming Saturday afternoon.

Captain Mason Shaw broke a scoreless tie with 2:26 left in regulation to power the home team to a 1-0 upset victory over the heavily-favoured Grand Rapids Griffins inside Canada Life Centre as their best-of-five series began with a terrific, hard-fought game.

A crowd of 5,007 erupted as Shaw pounced on a rebound created by a Walker Duehr one-timer with the Moose on a late power play. His shot just eluded a diving Michal Postava, the Griffins’ rookie goaltender who had stopped the first 22 shots that came his way.

“Playoff hockey, right. A game of inches all over the ice,” said Shaw, who led Manitoba in points during the regular season with 44.

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Saturday, May. 2, 2026

NHL

Carson Carels says his hockey work ethic that has NHL general managers taking notice is owed to working on his family’s farm. (Ruth Bonneville / Free Press)

Working the family farm set up top NHL draft prospect Carels for hockey success

Mike McIntyre 11 minute read Preview

Working the family farm set up top NHL draft prospect Carels for hockey success

Mike McIntyre 11 minute read Friday, May. 1, 2026

It takes a village to raise a hockey player.

Carson Carels would be the first to tell you his just happens to include hundreds of cows, goats, peacocks, chickens and whatever else might be wandering the 2,000 acres of rolling hills in south-central Manitoba that he and his family call home.

The farm isn’t just where the 17-year-old lives. It’s where he was built.

“It has shaped who I am,” said Carson.

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Friday, May. 1, 2026

Manitoba Moose

Melissa Majchrzak / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS FILES
With 160 NHL games under David Gustafsson’s belt — including 11 Stanley Cup playoff games — the centre has taken on a mentorship role with the Manitoba Moose.

All aboard the Gus Bus: Moose Game 2 hero heating up in the post-season

Ken Wiebe 7 minute read Preview

All aboard the Gus Bus: Moose Game 2 hero heating up in the post-season

Ken Wiebe 7 minute read Wednesday, Apr. 29, 2026

A cursory look at his Hockey DB page suggests that the development of the Gus Bus might have stalled this season.

After all, it was the first time in six seasons that David Gustafsson didn’t get into a single game for the Winnipeg Jets, the team that chose him in the second round (60th overall) of the 2018 draft.

After the shock of being sent down unexpectedly, Gustafsson found himself at a fork in the road as it pertains to his professional hockey career.

The Swedish centre could either spend his time lamenting what could have been or adopting a woe-is-me attitude about his lot in life — or he could embrace the role that helped him get to the NHL in the first place with the Manitoba Moose.

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Wednesday, Apr. 29, 2026

May 23, 2026

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