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Winnipeg Free Press
18-05-2025
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
A magical season, and an agonizing defeat
Opinion Frauds. Chokers. Losers. Let the record show the Winnipeg Jets are none of these things. Perspective and nuance can be difficult to find at the best of times these days, never mind in the immediate aftermath of a devastating end to the greatest regular season we've ever seen around here. But don't let the truth get buried under a flood of tears, angry hot takes and all the other emotions folks may be feeling right now following Saturday's overtime dagger in Dallas that sent the Presidents' Trophy winners packing in Game 6 of their second-round series. Winnipeg Jets defenseman Neal Pionk (4) and Dallas Stars center Roope Hintz (24) compete for control of the puck in the first period of Saturday's game. The Stars won 2-1 in overtime. (Gareth Patterson / The Associated Press) The 2024-25 Jets were a damn good hockey team. And while the year may not have concluded with a Stanley Cup parade down Portage and Main, that doesn't change the fact it was filled with incredible highlights and moments that repeatedly reminded us what sports is truly all about. We saw it throughout these playoffs as they began their quest for a first-ever championship without a couple key players in Nikolaj Ehlers and Gabe Vilardi, were without top centre Mark Scheifele for a must-win Game 7 against the St. Louis Blues and then lost top defenceman Josh Morrissey early in that contest. The dramatic, game-tying goal by Cole Perfetti with 2.2 seconds left in regulation and the overtime winner by captain Adam Lowry was the stuff of legends around here. Truly the highest of highs. This community came alive in a way we rarely see, showing how sports can unite. Those memories are forever. That thrill of victory was ultimately followed up with the most agonizing defeat, one which reminded us that life isn't always fair. If it were, there's no way Scheifele would have been the one sitting in the penalty box, head buried in his lap as Dallas defenceman Thomas Harley scored the power-play winner. In a perfect world Scheifele would have been the hockey hero, the way it looked like he might be when he scored the opening goal just a few hours after learning his father, Brad, had died. Instead, the cruellest plot twist of all. It was during that lowest of lows that we were provided with more incredible moments that will again stay with us forever. There was Lowry, as fine a leader as there is, rushing into the penalty box to console Scheifele within seconds of the red light going on behind Connor Hellebuyck. This had little to do with hockey, and everything to do with humanity. The rest of Scheifele's teammates surrounded him afterwards, including Kyle Connor, who lost his father, Joe, in 2021. Morrissey couldn't be there, having suffered another injury earlier in the game, but he was at Scheifele's side as they walked into the rink together. He also knows the pain all too well as his dad, Tom, died of cancer four years ago. Head coach Scott Arniel, who lost his father three years ago, spent hours with Scheifele at the team hotel prior to puck drop. This was about so much more than a game. The post-game news conference with Lowry and defenceman Neal Pionk, who had to lean on his Jets clan last year following the tragic on-ice death of his best friend, Adam Johnson, was heartbreaking. Both men were fighting back tears as they struggled to put everything they'd just experienced into words. The tight-knit Jets showed during the course of the 82-game campaign that they were the real deal, setting franchise records for wins (56) and points (116) while a number of key core players set personal bests. There was nothing fake about that. But going all the way in the spring is truly a different animal. Just ask the last 12 Presidents' Trophy winners, including Winnipeg, who have failed to capture the Cup. It's hard. Really hard. The Washington Capitals won the Eastern Conference and finished second-overall to Winnipeg, and they didn't get beyond Game 5 of the second-round. Nor did the Vegas Golden Knights, who finished third in the NHL. At the end of it all 31 teams will ultimately come up short. Ideally, you build a strong enough foundation to keep taking runs every spring and hope that eventually you'll get enough good fortune, puck luck, timely scoring and goaltending and all the other intangibles that result in winning 16 high-stakes hockey games. The Jets finished 10 wins short, which represents the second-longest run they've ever had. They were among the final six squads still standing, and there's enough good pieces still in place here to believe the window remains wide open. Winnipeg Jets' Mark Scheifele (55) talks to referee Dan O'Rourke (9) after Scheifele was issued a tripping penalty in the third period of Saturday's game in Dallas. (Gareth Patterson / The Associated Press) If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. Sports is ultimately a results-based business, one that typically treats coaches and players as chattel. The Jets haven't always been as cut-throat as most, which has opened them up to criticism. Some pundits say being overly loyal has led to a blindness at times when it comes to things like deployment and personnel decisions. There may be some truth to that, and there will be plenty of time to discuss and dissect decisions that could or should be made in the coming months. But it says here the family environment that's been created with the Jets is what truly endears them to this community — and to each other. Through good times and through bad times. As strong of a year as the Jets had on the ice, they scored some major victories off it, too, by boosting attendance and their season-ticket base while winning 30 regular-season games and six more playoff ones at Canada Life Centre. They re-connected with some lost fans and made plenty of new ones along the way. That's significant. Ideally, everything that went down this year represents a new beginning, rather than an end. Arniel talked all season about 'calluses' his group had formed from previous playoff disappointments and how they'd use them to get better. For 82 games, it worked like a charm. Now, some fresh wounds that run deep. Scheifele, knowing what we do about him, will likely come back with more fire in his belly than ever to chase the trophy he's grown up dreaming about. Morrissey as well, no doubt gutted to be sidelined for key games multiple times in these playoffs, on top of being too sick to play in the 4 Nations Face-Off Final in February. Winnipeg Jets Game Days 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. Same for Hellebuyck, who was the losing goalie in that best-on-best overtime showcase. He saved his best road performance for last, giving the Jets every chance to win on Saturday and force a Game 7 back in Winnipeg. The soon-to-be three-time Vezina winner now has a blueprint in the all-important space between his ears to go back to. It may not feel like it now, but this truly was a magical, memorable season — right down to the bitter end. Gusty. Resilient. Winners. That's who these Jets really are. X and Bluesky: @mikemcintyrewpg Mike McIntyreReporter Mike McIntyre is a sports reporter whose primary role is covering the Winnipeg Jets. After graduating from the Creative Communications program at Red River College in 1995, he spent two years gaining experience at the Winnipeg Sun before joining the Free Press in 1997, where he served on the crime and justice beat until 2016. Read more about Mike. Every piece of reporting Mike produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
CNN
18-05-2025
- Sport
- CNN
Winnipeg Jets' Mark Scheifele scores goal in Game 6 loss, just hours after his father's unexpected death
Just hours after his father unexpectedly passed away, Mark Scheifele stepped out onto the ice to play for the Winnipeg Jets in their must-win Game 6 of their second-round playoff series against the Dallas Stars. And he imposed himself on the game too, scoring the opening goal five minutes into the second quarter, which his teammates celebrated by engulfing him in a group hug. But, later on, Scheifele had a tripping penalty with 14.8 seconds left of regulation and was in the penalty box when Thomas Harley scored the winning goal for the Stars 1:33 into overtime. That goal secured a 2-1 win for the Stars, propelling them to the NHL Western Conference finals for the third season in a row and ending the Jets' bid for the Stanley Cup. '(It's) heartbreaking,' said Jets captain Adam Lowry after the game, his voice thick with emotion. 'For it to end the way it did and everything else that was surrounding the day, it's just a lot of emotion, I think. It's tough to put into words what Mark went through today – it's a huge goal for us, plays a heck of a game, and it ends the way it does.' As soon as the game was over, the Jets players once again huddled around Scheifele and many of them embraced him. The Stars players too, knowing the gravity and emotion of the day for Scheifele, hugged and talked to him in the handshake line afterward. 'We're there for him,' said Jets defenseman Neal Pionk. 'We're a family. Scheif's a big part of our family and we're here for him no matter what, we weren't leaving the ice without him. We did everything we could to get him and his family a win, just didn't pull through.' That Scheifele played at all was remarkable. That he had a goal, won 7 of 12 faceoffs and had a team-high nine hits is even more remarkable. 'For him to go through what he had to go through, and then perform the way he did, so proud of him. And his dad would be so proud of him. He wanted to win so bad,' Jets coach Scott Arniel said afterward. 'The circumstances, so, so tough. To be in a situation like that, I couldn't imagine it. The pro that he is, the leader that he is, the year that he had with us, his dad and his family would be very proud of him.'
CNN
18-05-2025
- Sport
- CNN
Winnipeg Jets' Mark Scheifele scores goal in Game 6 loss, just hours after his father's unexpected death
Just hours after his father unexpectedly passed away, Mark Scheifele stepped out onto the ice to play for the Winnipeg Jets in their must-win Game 6 of their second-round playoff series against the Dallas Stars. And he imposed himself on the game too, scoring the opening goal five minutes into the second quarter, which his teammates celebrated by engulfing him in a group hug. But, later on, Scheifele had a tripping penalty with 14.8 seconds left of regulation and was in the penalty box when Thomas Harley scored the winning goal for the Stars 1:33 into overtime. That goal secured a 2-1 win for the Stars, propelling them to the NHL Western Conference finals for the third season in a row and ending the Jets' bid for the Stanley Cup. '(It's) heartbreaking,' said Jets captain Adam Lowry after the game, his voice thick with emotion. 'For it to end the way it did and everything else that was surrounding the day, it's just a lot of emotion, I think. It's tough to put into words what Mark went through today – it's a huge goal for us, plays a heck of a game, and it ends the way it does.' As soon as the game was over, the Jets players once again huddled around Scheifele and many of them embraced him. The Stars players too, knowing the gravity and emotion of the day for Scheifele, hugged and talked to him in the handshake line afterward. 'We're there for him,' said Jets defenseman Neal Pionk. 'We're a family. Scheif's a big part of our family and we're here for him no matter what, we weren't leaving the ice without him. We did everything we could to get him and his family a win, just didn't pull through.' That Scheifele played at all was remarkable. That he had a goal, won 7 of 12 faceoffs and had a team-high nine hits is even more remarkable. 'For him to go through what he had to go through, and then perform the way he did, so proud of him. And his dad would be so proud of him. He wanted to win so bad,' Jets coach Scott Arniel said afterward. 'The circumstances, so, so tough. To be in a situation like that, I couldn't imagine it. The pro that he is, the leader that he is, the year that he had with us, his dad and his family would be very proud of him.'
CTV News
07-05-2025
- Sport
- CTV News
After first-round struggles Jets goalie Hellebuyck gets clean slate against Stars
The Winnipeg Jets are waiting to see if they'll be at full strength for Round 2 against the Dallas Stars. The Winnipeg Jets are waiting to see if they'll be at full strength for Round 2 against the Dallas Stars. WINNIPEG — Connor Hellebuyck says he feels like he's been given a second chance to show what he can do for the Winnipeg Jets. After faltering at times during Winnipeg's opening-round Stanley Cup playoff series against the St. Louis Blues, the star goalie is carrying a lighter mental load after last Sunday's 4-3 double-overtime Game 7 victory. 'At this point, the pressure has kind of fallen off,' Hellebuyck told reporters after the team's optional skate on Tuesday. 'The weight of the world is off my shoulders. And that had nothing to do with anyone else, it's just the mental grind of that series. That being said, in that moment it was like a second chance for me. 'I just got to go and play my game and do what I do best. I don't need to do everything.' The victory sent the Jets into the second round of the Western Conference playoffs against the Dallas Stars, which begins Wednesday in Winnipeg. Jets defenceman Neal Pionk said Hellebuyck made a promise to his teammates during intermission after the Blues took a 3-1 lead with 35 seconds remaining in the second period of Game 7. 'He said they're not getting another one (goal),' Pionk recalled. 'So when he says something like that, he believes it. And we believed him and we knew we had to get two more for him and then we're going to do the rest from there.' The Jets did just that. With Hellebuyck out of the net for the extra attacker and just over three minutes left in the third period, Vladislav Namestnikov scored with 1:56 remaining and Cole Perfetti tied it up with three seconds left. 'Getting into that OT it was, 'I'm not going to let these guys down,'' Hellebuyck said. He stopped four shots in the first overtime and then five more before Jets captain Adam Lowry had the puck bounce off him past goalie Jordan Binnington for the series-clinching marker at 16:10 of the second overtime. 'I don't want to call it an awakening, but there was definitely a moment there where I was able to take my game to another level,' Hellebuyck said. 'And feeling that, it definitely gives you some momentum and some confidence going into the next round.' The Jets had jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the series against the Blues, but the gap was closed after St. Louis won its three home games. Hellebuyck was pulled in those road matches and replaced by Eric Comrie. The goaltender from Commerce, Mich., had allowed six goals in a 7-2 loss in Game 3 and all the goals in a 5-1 Game 4 defeat. In a return trip to St. Louis, he was pulled after the second period when he let in five goals in what ended up being a 5-2 loss in Game 6. The reigning Vezina Trophy winner, who's up for the top goalie award again and the Hart Trophy for league MVP this season, said he felt like he was playing the puck well. 'And then bad bounces happened or breakdowns happen and you start chasing results a little bit and in the back of your mind the results kind of creep in,' Hellebuyck said. 'It makes you wonder, is what you're doing enough? And that was the biggest thing this series, is what I'm doing enough?' But he feels the support from his teammates and calls it a 'family growth moment.' 'I'm really excited. It's a re-start for me,' Hellebuyck said. 'Who cares about what just happened? We got through it, and moving forward here I'm really excited to put my best foot forward and do my job.' Hellebuyck finished the St. Louis series with a .830 save percentage and 3.85 goals-against average. Dallas netminder Jake Oettinger backstopped the Stars to the Game 7 win over the Colorado Avalanche in their opening-round matchup. He has a .911 save percentage and 2.85 goals-against average. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 6, 2025. Judy Owen, The Canadian Press
CBC
06-05-2025
- Sport
- CBC
Jets' Hellebuyck relieved to hit reset button against Dallas after dismal performance in Round 1
Social Sharing Connor Hellebuyck says he feels like he's been given a second chance to show what he can do for the Winnipeg Jets. After faltering at times during Winnipeg's opening-round Stanley Cup playoff series against the St. Louis Blues, the star goalie is carrying a lighter mental load after last Sunday's 4-3 double-overtime Game 7 victory. "At this point, the pressure has kind of fallen off," Hellebuyck told reporters after the team's optional skate on Tuesday. "The weight of the world is off my shoulders. And that had nothing to do with anyone else, it's just the mental grind of that series. That being said, in that moment it was like a second chance for me. "I just got to go and play my game and do what I do best. I don't need to do everything." The victory sent the Jets into the second round of the Western Conference playoffs against the Dallas Stars, which begins Wednesday in Winnipeg. Jets defenceman Neal Pionk said Hellebuyck made a promise to his teammates during intermission after the Blues took a 3-1 lead with 35 seconds remaining in the second period of Game 7. "He said they're not getting another one [goal]," Pionk recalled. "So when he says something like that, he believes it. And we believed him and we knew we had to get two more for him and then we're going to do the rest from there." The Jets did just that. With Hellebuyck out of the net for the extra attacker and just over three minutes left in the third period, Vladislav Namestnikov scored with 1:56 remaining and Cole Perfetti tied it up with three seconds left. "Getting into that OT, it was, 'I'm not going to let these guys down,"' Hellebuyck said. He stopped four shots in the first overtime and then five more before Jets captain Adam Lowry had the puck bounce off him past goalie Jordan Binnington for the series-clinching marker at 16:10 of the second overtime. "I don't want to call it an awakening, but there was definitely a moment there where I was able to take my game to another level," Hellebuyck said. "And feeling that, it definitely gives you some momentum and some confidence going into the next round." 'It's a restart for me' The Jets had jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the series against the Blues, but the gap was closed after St. Louis won its three home games. Hellebuyck was pulled in those road matches and replaced by Eric Comrie. The goaltender from Commerce, Mich., had allowed six goals in a 7-2 loss in Game 3 and all the goals in a 5-1 Game 4 defeat. In a return trip to St. Louis, he was pulled after the second period when he let in five goals in what ended up being a 5-2 loss in Game 6. The reigning Vezina Trophy winner, who's up for the top goalie award again and the Hart Trophy for league MVP this season, said he felt like he was playing the puck well. "And then bad bounces happened or breakdowns happen and you start chasing results a little bit and in the back of your mind the results kind of creep in," Hellebuyck said. "It makes you wonder, is what you're doing enough? And that was the biggest thing this series, is what I'm doing enough?" But he feels the support from his teammates and calls it a "family growth moment." "I'm really excited. It's a restart for me," Hellebuyck said. "Who cares about what just happened? We got through it, and moving forward here I'm really excited to put my best foot forward and do my job." Hellebuyck finished the St. Louis series with a .830 save percentage and 3.85 goals-against average, compared to .901 and 2.53 for Binnington. Dallas netminder Jake Oettinger backstopped the Stars to the Game 7 win over the Colorado Avalanche in their opening-round matchup. He has a .911 save percentage and 2.85 goals-against average.
