Plenty of giddy up left in Nyquist’s game Helping the Jets claim the Cup top reason forward inked deal By: Mike McIntyre Posted: 4:56 PM CDT Tuesday, Jul. 8, 2025

Gustav Nyquist is the first — and likely last — member of the Winnipeg Jets to have a Kentucky Derby winner named after him.

“He was a stud,” the 35-year-old Swedish forward told the Free Press, referring to 2016 Derby champion Nyquist — the pre-race favourite who held off a charging Exaggerator to capture the 142nd running at Churchill Downs.

Owner J. Paul Reddam was a huge fan of the Detroit Red Wings and named his horses after his favourite players on the roster. Nyquist was the runaway star of a stable that also included Lidstrom, Datsyuk, Zetterberg, Kronwall, Tatar and Mrazek.

“I was in Moscow at the time playing the World Championships and was up at like 3 a.m. watching the race,” said Nyquist, who was drafted by Detroit in 2008 (fourth round, 121st-overall) and spent the first eight years of his NHL career in the Motor City.

“A very, very cool thing and a fun story to tell.”

Now, Nyquist is chasing a different kind of winner’s circle — one that ends with lifting the Stanley Cup. That goal was top of mind when he signed a one-year, US$3.25-million deal with the Jets last week. Although he had other suitors, the idea of helping Winnipeg cross the finish line first was too good to pass up.

“Free agency is always a stressful time. You want to make sure, at the end of the day, you’re making the right choice,” said Nyquist, speaking by phone from his summer home in Nashville.

“I wanted to take a little time to go over the options, but to get an opportunity like this with such a good team… I’m really excited to join these guys.”

Nyquist remains an intriguing player. He posted a career-high 75 points (23G, 52A) in 2023-24 over 81 regular-season contests with the Nashville Predators, suggesting there’s still plenty of giddy up left in his game. However, he fell to just 28 points (11G, 17A) in 79 tilts last year with Nashville and the Minnesota Wild — who acquired him at the trade deadline.

So which version of Nyquist will the Jets get?

“I still feel young, legs feel good, and body feels good. Hopefully I can take that game (from two seasons ago) and bring that to Winnipeg,” said Nyquist.

“I wanted to take a little time to go over the options, but to get an opportunity like this with such a good team… I’m really excited to join these guys.”–Gustav Nyquist

“I want to contribute offensively as much as possible, but just be an all-around good player.”

The Predators’ splashy additions last summer — Steven Stamkos and Jonathan Marchessault among them — pushed Nyquist down the lineup and into a less offensive role. He’s expected to get a much bigger opportunity in Winnipeg, where the departure of unrestricted free agent Nikolaj Ehlers to Carolina has created a significant hole up front.

The Jets are expected to keep their top line of Mark Scheifele, Kyle Connor and Gabe Vilardi intact, but Nyquist could be a fit on the second line alongside Cole Perfetti and new centre Jonathan Toews, who is returning to the NHL after a two-year medical hiatus to join his hometown team.

“He’s been an incredible player throughout his career,” Nyquist said of Toews. “I played a lot against him in the first half of my career with Detroit. We played Chicago a lot. Faced them in the playoffs, too — in 2013, when they ended up winning the Cup. We lost Game 7 in overtime in Round 2.”

“It’s going to be awesome to meet him and get to know him as a person. I’m just excited to have a chance to play with so many good players.”

Toews and Nyquist were the two biggest names signed in free agency by the Jets, joined by depth wingers Tanner Pearson and Cole Koepke. Winnipeg also lost forwards Mason Appleton (Detroit) and Brandon Tanev (Utah) to free agency.

Nyquist, meanwhile, already has a few connections in Winnipeg. He’s close with defenceman Luke Schenn, and the two spoke at length before the deal came together. He’s also previously played with Jaret Anderson-Dolan and Mason Shaw and knows Vladislav Namestnikov from summer training in Michigan.

He’ll also feel right at home with several Swedish players in the organization, including forward David Gustafsson and recent draft picks Elias Salomonsson, Alfons Freij, Sascha Boumedienne, Fabian Wagner and Viktor Klingsell.

“I’m really impressed with what the Jets have done up there,” said Nyquist.

“They’re just a complete team to me — very deep. The power play is obviously really dangerous. Penalty kill is good. One of the best goalies, if not the best goalie in the world. It’s been impressive to watch from afar.”

He’s also looking forward to playing in a Canadian market for the first time in his career.

“I’m expecting the media around morning skate is going to be probably a little bit different than in Nashville,” he said with a laugh.

“Any time you play road games up in Canada you always see just how big hockey is. It’s going to be really cool to experience that.”

Nyquist is no stranger to the Jets, having played against them frequently in the Central Division. With 863 regular-season NHL games under his belt — and 531 career points (209 goals, 322 assists) — plus another 30 points in 83 playoff games, he brings valuable experience. He turns 36 in September and understands the urgency of the moment.

“I’ve played in a lot of playoffs but never won the Cup. That’s something that’s on your mind, probably a little bit more than in your younger days,” he said.

“When you’re young, your first years in the league, you don’t realize how hard it is to go all the way, how few chances you actually get. That was a big part of the decision to join the Jets. They’ve shown to be such a good team for quite a while here, and now I’m obviously hoping to take that next step with them.”

mike.mcintyre@freepress.mb.ca

X and Bluesky: @mikemcintyrewpg