Building on historic season a motivating next step

Winnipeg Free Press

20-05-2025

Connor Hellebuyck had a few things to tend to before his obligatory final meeting of the season with the media.
As the Winnipeg Jets All-World goalie was grabbing one of his goal sticks off the rack, one couldn't help but notice the image of the Stanley Cup, painted on the doors that led to the home bench at Canada Life Centre, looming in the background behind him.
With another longer-than-hoped-for off-season having arrived for these Jets, the pursuit of that elusive silver chalice very much remains top of mind.
After surviving an exhilarating seven-game series with the St. Louis Blues to advance to the second round for the first time since 2021, the Jets were eliminated in overtime of Game 6 by the Dallas Stars.
'There is only one team that gets to say we've figured it out.'–Connor Hellebuyck
The emotional toll of what transpired leading up to the game after the death of Mark Scheifele's father, Brad, coupled with the effort put forth by the Jets entire team, was admirable.
Had one additional bounce gone the Jets way, they could have easily forced a Game 7 on home ice.
But when exit interviews are held, the reality of the situation sets in.
And the reality for this edition of the Jets is that they took an incredible step forward, but they also finished the campaign 10 wins shy of the ultimate goal.
A year ago, after the Jets were bounced in five games (which included four consecutive losses) to the Colorado Avalanche in Round 1, the message was simple.
Players, coaches and members of the management team spoke about the need to get five to 10 per cent better.
The words weren't hollow and the premise led the Jets all the way to the best regular season in franchise history, a first Central Division title and a Presidents' Trophy banner.
There wasn't necessarily one theme emerging from the eight players who spoke on Tuesday, but some longtime members of the core — and some newcomers — steadfastly believe the Jets remain on the right trajectory.
RUTH BONNEVILLE / FREE PRESS
'We're going to take what we've built this year and take it to a whole new level next year,' Connor Hellebuyck said.
RUTH BONNEVILLE / FREE PRESS
'We're going to take what we've built this year and take it to a whole new level next year,' Connor Hellebuyck said.
'The cruel part about our game is a lot of people are trying to answer that question right now, right?' Hellebuyck asked rhetorically, when the subject of those 10 additional wins was broached.
'There is only one team that gets to say we've figured it out. What's it going to take? I think it's kind of what we've been doing. We're just continuing to grow our game as a group and figuring out what we want to work on and tweak. We don't want to over tweak things because we did have a lot of success.
'But we have to build on that. Just because we had success it doesn't mean this team is going to sit back and say 'let's just do that.' No. I know this team and we're all a bunch of guys that love to learn the game and love to study the game. We're going to take what we've built this year and take it to a whole new level next year.'
As thin as the margin for error is, a whole new level is precisely what will be required from this group — which will require further roster upgrades to a roster that already featured plenty of depth but could still use more.
'We've shown, (with) this group, the body of work we have done in the regular season the past couple years. And obviously taking a step in the playoffs this year, gaining that knowledge, gaining that experience,' said Jets left-winger Kyle Connor, who is eligible to sign a contract extension on July 1.
'Great regular season. But the season is always judged by the playoffs and what you do. We won a round, but at the end of the day, it was a failure. We didn't win a Cup and that's our job as players here and the organization. With how good of a group we feel we had, it's going to come back next year even more focused.'
'We didn't win a Cup and that's our job as players here and the organization. With how good of a group we feel we had, it's going to come back next year even more focused.'–Kyle Connor
Connor wasn't trying to be a downer, though he's been around long enough to know that the clock is ticking for this core group.
Sustained success isn't a guarantee, even when many of the important pieces are in place.
Keeping the entire band together is a challenge and bringing in the right complementary pieces is something every team in the league is trying to do.
'Every year is different. It's got a way of ending on its own and its own script that has been written,' said Connor. 'You could say there could be more anger that we've gotten that much closer and we didn't win, so there are two ways of looking at it.'
As the only player on the roster that's been to the top of the mountain and has his name engraved on the Stanley Cup, Jets defenceman Luke Schenn knows what it takes for a group to level up.
He also knows that you don't get to hit fast forward when it comes to the process of team building and strengthening the foundation.
'Well, I mean, it doesn't get any easier. You've got to start from day one again, too, and it's a journey,' said Schenn. 'You look how competitive this league is and teams are going to obviously try to get a lot better in the off-season and make changes and make moves. Every guy has to go back in the summertime and try to get better themselves, too.
'If you rely on your past, that's not exactly a setup for success in the future. So, you've just got to continue to go back and try to get better and grind.'
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On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop.
Although he's only been around the Jets for a couple of months, Schenn knows what a winning team and organization is supposed to look like.
He's seen what belief can do and by exorcising some long-lasting playoff demons this spring, the Jets have a better idea of the path they need to go down next.
'There's a lot to be proud of,' said Jets defenceman Josh Morrissey. 'This year, the disappointment is still there, but we pushed, obviously, a great Dallas team to six and overtime, and I think all of us felt if we'd managed a way to get that to Game 7 that there's no way we weren't going to win that game at home.
'At least that was our mindset. For us, we had a great season. The things we talked about improving, we did improve on. We worked extremely hard last summer to do that, and through this entire year. We won an incredible Game 7 and obviously moved forward.'
Morrissey was quick to acknowledge that the hard work is just beginning.
The road to going from one meagre playoff win in each of the past two springs to six in 2025 took a lot of sacrifice and effort, all of which was well worth it.
'To get to that next level of, obviously, the ultimate goal of winning the Stanley Cup, we've got to continue to push to go to that next level.'–Josh Morrissey
But getting the job done requires even more.
'The sentiment is that drive that we had after last season when it didn't go our way, when we felt we needed to make some serious changes, we need to have that same attitude this summer in terms of pushing ourselves, and maybe even harder than we did last year,' said Morrissey.
'We saw the results of our hard work this season and how we got rewarded and improved. But to get to that next level of, obviously, the ultimate goal of winning the Stanley Cup, we've got to continue to push to go to that next level.'
That feeling of being oh-so-close but yet-so-far is a driving force, yet separating your team from the rest of the pack is easier said than done.
'You learn more from losing than you do winning,' said Jets defenceman Haydn Fleury. 'There's a lot to learn, but there's also so much good that we showed in that series, and I think just the steps that we took as a group throughout the year is just a testament to what they're building here.'
Arriving in next-year-country is the bus stop no team wants to arrive at, but 31 of the 32 clubs eventually do.
It's also a great motivator.
'It's not the end result that we wanted. But we have all the keys in this room to have success and I think we'll be back stronger next year,' said Jets forward Vladislav Namestnikov. 'It's unfinished. I think the guys here understand what we can achieve. It leaves that sour taste and hunger to come back and do it again next year.'
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Ken WiebeReporter
Ken Wiebe is a sports reporter for the Free Press, with an emphasis on the Winnipeg Jets. He has covered hockey and provided analysis in this market since 2000 for the Winnipeg Sun, The Athletic, Sportsnet.ca and TSN. Ken was a summer intern at the Free Press in 1999 and returned to the Free Press in a full-time capacity in September of 2023. Read more about Ken.
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