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Dustin Byfuglien gets warm welcome at alumni game

To say that Dustin Byfuglien wasn’t a fan of the spotlight is an understatement of epic proportions.

The guy with the personality that was larger than life preferred to keep that side of him mostly contained behind the hallowed halls of the Winnipeg Jets locker room.

Since he unexpectedly stepped away from the game in the fall of 2019, Byfuglien has limited his rare interviews to discussions about fishing, happily leaving the NHL game in his rearview mirror.

But on Saturday morning, there was Byfuglien standing in the newly-renovated Jets’ dressing room, holding court with a group of reporters hanging on his every word prior to the alumni game that was part of the 2026 Heritage Classic.

Jets players glad to have Hellebuyck trade behind them

Relief? Regret? Rage?

How are the Winnipeg Jets feeling following Friday’s Connor Hellebuyck trade — particularly those with deep roots and strong bonds with the franchise goaltender who now finds himself a member of the New Jersey Devils?

“It was a bit of a cloud hanging over our heads,” captain Adam Lowry admitted on Saturday. “It’s nice we can look forward now. We don’t have to keep talking about it. We’ve got guys that want to be here.”

That was a bit of a common theme around the room following an outdoor practice at Princess Auto Stadium ahead of Sunday’s Heritage Classic game against the Montreal Canadiens.

Caretaker of canines: Clinic helpers keep dogs calm during blood donations

Animal lover Sophie Ethier was looking for a volunteer role when she came across an appeal for donor clinic volunteers at the Canadian Animal Blood Bank and was immediately drawn to the cause.

She’s been volunteering regularly since the summer, taking on three-hour shifts at one of the many collection clinics around the city.

A typical shift starts with a canine meet-and-greet before Ether collects pre-donation health information and weighs the dog. Then, if the donor is a new one, a regional veterinary technologist will collect blood samples to identify blood type.

Dogs, like humans, have different blood types, Ethier points out. Canine blood falls into either DEA (Dog Erythrocyte Antigen) 1 negative or positive. Only 40 per cent of dogs have type DEA 1 negative and can only receive negative blood.

Memorable Jets debut for Mercer

It didn’t take Dawson Mercer long to find out what a friendly Manitoba reception looks — and sounds – like.

The newest member of the Winnipeg Jets was taken aback when the public address announcer singled him out on the walk to the ice at Princess Auto Stadium, prompting the crowd to provide a warm ovation for Mercer prior to the 2026 Heritage Classic game with the Montreal Canadiens.

“It kind of caught me off guard when I got introduced when I was walking out there, so that was pretty good to get that welcome,” said Mercer, who was acquired from the New Jersey Devils in Friday’s blockbuster deal for Connor Hellebuyck. “Having the Jets flyover was pretty sick. That was pretty memorable also.”

Although he was held off the scoresheet in Sunday’s 2-1 loss, Mercer made a favourable first impression, taking 20 shifts for 15:22 of ice time, recording two shots on goal and a blocked shot while skating alongside captain Adam Lowry and Isak Rosen (who scored the lone goal for the Jets).

B.C. Conservative’s Lorne Doerkson sets out urgent priorities to govern

VANCOUVER - British Columbia's premier-designate Lorne Doerkson's long to-do list includes lowering taxes, while reviewing the provincial finances, working with Alberta and the federal government on the proposed Pacific Link pipeline and repealing Indigenous legislation.

Doerkson laid out his priorities at a news conference Sunday, just hours after his party was elected with about two-thirds of the province's 93 seats in the legislature.

He said he has spoken to the lieutenant-governor and named Kim Henderson, a former deputy to the premier to previous Liberal governments, to lead his transition team.

"We are going to do this properly, and we are going to do it with obviously some urgency," he said. "When this government is sworn in, it will be ready on Day 1, and it will hit the ground running."

Letters, Oct. 26

This story and these incidents should spark the city to install speed bumps, enact 30 km/h default speed limits in residential areas, build more bike lanes, narrow car lanes, and add more sidewalks. These things are proven to actually make kids and seniors safer.