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We’ve just experienced Blue Monday — supposedly the most depressing day of the year — and that was quickly followed by a polar plunge into some truly bone-rattling temperatures.
On top of that, I realize this space has been filled with a bit of gloom and doom lately, as real-world events became impossible to ignore.
That being said, I’m here today to tell you brighter days are just around the corner. And so, without further ado, here’s an entirely positive rendition of this little missive:
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Want to crack a smile?
- Just imagine super hockey pests Matthew Tkachuk and Brad Marchand of the Florida Panthers stepping off their comfy charter yesterday and being greeted by this Arctic blast. You’ll probably have a hard time wiping the smile off your face, although that might also be because it’s frozen solid.
Florida Panthers forwards Matthew Tkachuk (19) and Brad Marchand (63) scuffle with Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Joseph Woll (60) and defenceman Simon Benoit at the final buzzer on Friday, May 16, 2025, in Sunrise, Fla. (Lynne Sladky / The Associated Press files)
- Dogs. Dogs are always the cure for what ails you. I count my blessings every time I come home and am greeted by two adorable, wiggly bums at the front door. Our oldest, Bodie, actually loves this weather and is almost impossible to get back inside these days. At 12, his favourite thing in the world is doing nose dives and barrel rolls in the snow. Our youngest, Piper, wants absolutely nothing to do with Mother Nature right now. Even the simple act of peeing in the backyard has become a race against time, with a personal best of about seven seconds from door to door.
Bodie and Piper (Supplied)
Bodie loves the snow. (Supplied)
Piper prefers to stay inside. (Supplied)
- It’s about Logan Stanley. The Stanimal. Stanzilla. There’s no denying the big man’s popularity right now, and there’s a noticeable buzz inside Canada Life Centre every time the Jets defenceman gets the puck on his stick. It reminds me of when Patrick Laine used to wind up for a one-timer. I’m not sure where things are headed with the pending unrestricted free agent — I wrote in my latest column that selling at what might be an all-time high could be the Jets’ best move —but there’s no question his popularity is soaring during a career year. I loved the T-shirt worn by the lead singer of Mach 10, the in-house band at the downtown rink, which read: “Stanimal’s #1 Fanimal.” I’m surprised those aren’t being mass-produced already, though perhaps the organization is waiting to see if a long-term extension happens first.
Logan Stanley (Matt Slocum / The Associated Press files)
- Speaking of the Jets, how can you not be excited about the pending return of Dustin Byfuglien to the Heritage Classic alumni game next October? I was genuinely stunned to hear he’d agreed to participate. Big Buff is as private and elusive as they come — I’ve tried for years to land an interview with him, to no avail — but good on Blake Wheeler for convincing him to put down the fishing rod and return to Winnipeg for a well-deserved, long-overdue moment in the spotlight.
Dustin Byfuglien (Jim Mone / The Associated Press files)
- Who else could/should be joining them? How about Nik Antropov, who scored the first goal in 2.0 history? Since Chris Thorburn is coming, there needs to be a GST reunion with Tanner Glass and Jim Slater. Give me Adam Pardy just for the fun memories of that infamous game in Chicago. Ondrej Pavelec would be the obvious choice in net, while I could also see Michael Hutchinson as well. Might Toby Enstrom be open to a return? Things didn’t exactly end well with the organization. Ron Hainsey, Kyle Wellwood… the list of possibilities is endless. And how about Claude Noel bringing back some joy to Joyland and putting on the vest one more time to return behind the bench?
- Tip of the cap to the Chicago Blackhawks and their fans for a first-class tribute to Jonathan Toews on Monday night. It hit all the right notes, and I’m fairly certain the standing ovation inside United Center is still ongoing.
Winnipeg Jets centre Jonathan Toews waves to the crowd during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Chicago Blackhawks in Chicago, Monday, Jan. 19, 2026. (Nam Y. Huh / The Associated Press files)
- On a personal note, I just celebrated my 51st trip around the sun this past Saturday and feel like a whole new world has opened up — because I’ve officially started wearing progressive lenses. I don’t care if that’s another undeniable sign of aging; I truly can see clearly now, especially when reading things up close like my computer and phone screen. What a difference!
- Shout-out to one of the truly good humans in Winnipeg, Joe Aiello, and his restaurant Frankie’s Italian Kitchen, for an amazing birthday dinner last Friday night. The seafood linguini was top-notch.
- Don’t look now, but we’re just 19 days away from pitchers and catchers reporting to MLB spring training. I’ll admit I was bummed to see Bo Bichette move on in free agency, and his claim that winning was his top priority when signing with the New York Mets was… ambitious. If that were truly the case, why leave a team that was within an out of winning the World Series last fall for one that didn’t even make the playoffs? But I digress. I still like Toronto’s offseason, particularly on the pitching side, and I’m as excited for baseball as I’ve been in a long, long time. That might also be influenced by the likelihood of a lengthy lockout as early as 2027, given a business model that’s clearly due for an overhaul. Salary cap and salary floor? Yes, please.
- Finally, the countdown is on to the Winter Olympics. I officially leave in 12 days, and to say I’m excited to cover my first-ever Games would be a massive understatement. Free Press editor Paul Samyn wrote a lovely piece in his personal newsletter outlining the decision-making process behind sending me to Italy for 19 days, and I can’t thank him — and our readers — enough. On that note, I’m taking a brief pause from this newsletter to prepare for the trip, so the next time you hear from me will be in two weeks, when I check in from Milan.
Ciao!
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