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It should be an emotional night in downtown Winnipeg as Blake Wheeler makes his much-anticipated return to the place that served as his hockey home for 12 years.
The 37-year-old, who spent six years as Jets captain, signed a one-year deal with the New York Rangers this past summer after being bought out of the final year of his contract.
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Now playing a much more low-profile hockey role – he’s currently on the third line and hasn’t registered a point in his first eight games – the Minnesota product spoke at length this morning about how he’s had this night circled on his calendar.
As for the game itself, both teams are coming in hot. Winnipeg is 3-0-1 in its last four, while New York has won four straight in enemy territory and can wrap up a five-game road trip with a flourish.
Associate coach Scott Arniel will run the bench for a fourth straight game as head coach Rick Bowness remains away from the club to be with his wife, who suffered a seizure on Oct. 22.
This is the second straight one game “homestand” for the Jets. They’ll hit the road for three straight after this in Vegas, Arizona and St. Louis.
FROM THE PRESS BOX
MIKE SAYS: Expect Wheeler to get a considerably different reaction than the one Pierre-Luc Dubois received earlier this month from Jets fans.
Where Dubois was painted as someone who turned his back on Winnipeg and was booed lustfully, hearty cheers and perhaps even a standing ovation are likely on the docket for Wheeler.
Of course, the Jets will hope this homecoming game has a different result than the last one, as Los Angeles skated away with a victory that night.
I’m curious to see the crowd count tonight. Did co-owner Mark Chipman speaking with the local broadcast rightsholders last week about challenges facing the club have an impact on sagging sales? Does Wheeler’s return, along with the once-a-year visit from the Original Six Rangers, move the needle?
Like it or not, attendance is a major storyline these days around the hockey club, so it’s something to keep an eye on.
Finally, is it time to stop calling the Adam Lowry, Nino Niederreiter and Mason Appleton trio the third line?
Given their production on the two-game trip through Detroit and Montreal – they scored five goals – they’ve been a force to be reckoned with lately.
Winnipeg Jets’ Adam Lowry (17) celebrates his goal with teammate Mason Appleton (22) as Montreal Canadiens’ Jordan Harris (bottom) skates by during second period NHL hockey action in Montreal on Saturday, Oct. 28, 2023. (Christinne Muschi / The Canadian Press)
KEN SAYS: The Jets have collected seven of a possible eight points to get things turned around after the 1-3 start, but they’re about to face a red-hot Rangers club that is looking for a clean sweep through Western Canada, having already dispatched of the Calgary Flames, Vancouver Canucks, Edmonton Oilers (and the Seattle Kraken) during this five-game road trip.
For the Jets, they’re not making any changes to their lineup or combinations, but they are making a tweak to try and kickstart the power play, which is mired in a zero-for-10 drought, is just 4-for-31 for the season and clicking at a 12.9 per cent efficiency rate, leaving them 24th in the NHL through eight games.
Nikolaj Ehlers moves back down to the second unit, where he will be the primary shooter, while Cole Perfetti bumps up to the top unit.
Perfetti will start out as the net-front guy, with Alex Iafallo moving to the high slot and Mark Scheifele sliding back onto the left-wing half wall.
Perfetti is coming off a season-high 16:33 of ice time and a move to the top power play unit should allow him to see the ice a bit more and to have the puck on his stick a bit more.
It’s a marquee matchup in goal, as Connor Hellebuyck makes his seventh start of the campaign and is looking for a fourth consecutive victory while the Rangers respond with fellow Vezina winner Igor Shesterkin, who is 4-2 and set to make his seventh start of the campaign as well.
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