The Winnipeg ICE are moving on to the second round of the Western Hockey League playoffs.

Thanks to their fourth-straight postseason win, the ICE have swept the Medicine Hat Tigers and will wait for the other Eastern Conference playoff series to conclude before learning their second round opponent.

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Taking Wednesday evening's road game by a 3-2 count, the ICE got goals from Matthew Savoie, Owen Pederson and Ty Nash - whose third period marker stood as the winner in the narrow one-goal game from Co-Op Place in Alberta.

Goaltender Daniel Hauser turned aside 30 of the 32 shots he faced, improving his playoff record to 4-0 on the year, while owning a .925 save percentage and a 2.25 goals against average over the first round. Once again, the ICE were heavily outshot, this time to the tune of 11 total shots through 60 minutes of work. But it was goaltending that made the difference.

Still missing offensive star and 2023 project Top-10 NHL Draft pick Zach Benson, Winnipeg was unable to convert on any of its four power play chances, while Medicine Hat picked up a single goal on one of its two man advantages.

Coming off a 7-2 blowout Game 3 win on Tuesday, the ICE finished the series with 20 total goals for, while giving up nine in the four games. Savoie, who opened the scoring just 1:14 into Wednesday's game, leads the team with nine playoff points, while Ben Zloty (eight assists) and Connor McClendon (seven points) trail closely behind.

Joining the ICE with opening round sweeps were the Moose Jaw Warriors (4-0 over the Lethbridge Hurricanes) and the Seattle Thunderbirds (4-0 over the Kelowna Rockets). Both Kamloops and Portland hold 3-0 series leads over their first round opponents. The second round is expected to get underway next week.

ICE Sweep Opening Round Playoff Series with Victory Over Tigers

From Dauphin to Jets Hockey Development, the Manitoba coach is helping young players discover that individual improvement is the foundation of team success.When Devin Himpe was a kid growing up in Dauphin, his father used ice cream buckets to build a Stanley Cup.The neighbourhood kids played street hockey for it. They battled for it. They celebrated winning it.And somewhere along the way, a young boy from Parkland discovered that hockey wasn't just about putting the puck in the net.It was about competition. Friendship. Teamwork. And having a whole lot of fun.These days, Himpe isn't chasing homemade Stanley Cups. He's helping develop the next generation of Manitoba hockey players as a coach with Jets Hockey Development, while also working as an Assistant Coach with the University of Manitoba Men’s Bisons Hockey Team.<img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/bisonsvsund.jpeg">Devin Himpe (middle) on the University of Manitoba Bisons bench (Photo courtesy University of Manitoba)And the lessons he learned on those Dauphin streets remain as important today as they were 25 years ago."I grew up in Dauphin, Manitoba," Himpe said. "I played all of my minor hockey through Dauphin. I played AAA with the Parkland Rangers. I grew up wanting to be a Dauphin King."He eventually made the Kings, but hockey wasn't always a straight line for Himpe.At one point, he decided education was more important than pursuing his junior career. He enrolled at the University of Manitoba and eventually found himself playing in the Manitoba Major Junior Hockey League with the Fort Garry Twins.That's where something wonderful happened.He fell in love with hockey all over again."I think that was a big part of the coaches that I had at that time that just made it fun again," he said. "Made it seem more something that I'd want to do for my life."And that's exactly what happened.Himpe studied Recreation Management and Community Development at the U of M. Through a work placement with Bison Sport, he developed a relationship with longtime Bisons coach Mike Sirant, who gave him an opportunity to get involved in coaching.It wasn't easy.Himpe suddenly found himself coaching players he had grown up playing with or against."Being able to coach at a high level pretty early on was difficult," he admitted. "I'm kind of one of those people that you throw me in the fire and I'm going to try and figure a way out of it."He certainly figured it out.Himpe worked with Hockey Manitoba, became involved with Team Manitoba's video preparation, moved into assistant coaching roles and eventually became a head coach.Along the way, he learned from some outstanding hockey minds, including Sirant, Bisons assistant Ryan Bonni, numerous Team Manitoba coaches and Dave Cameron, who helped introduce him to the finer points of individual skill development.<img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/jhd.jpg">Devin Himpe of Jets Hockey Development with his young charges at hockey for all centre (Photo by Jonathan Kozub)"I've been very fortunate, very lucky to work with some great coaches," Himpe said. "I just kind of sat there and tried to be a sponge as much as I could with them."His education included Hockey Canada skills certification and the realization that developing individual players and building successful teams aren't separate objectives.They're connected."Individual skills that lead into team skills, that lead into team play and systems," he explained.It's a philosophy he brings to Jets Hockey Development every day.During the winter, Himpe and the JHD staff work with numerous Manitoba teams, including U13, U15, U17, and U18 players at the AA and AAA levels, on both the male and female sides.Their emphasis isn't necessarily on teaching complicated systems. It's about making young players better with and without the puck.Puck control. Stickhandling. Shooting. Skating. Keeping their heads up. Reading the ice.The fundamentals that can turn an ordinary player into a very good one."We focused a lot on just getting the puck on their stick as much as we can," Himpe said of a recent series of sessions. "Doing a lot of puck control, a lot of stickhandling. A lot of getting their head up, scanning the ice, understanding where they need to be and where their teammates and opponents are."He understands that team coaches have their own responsibilities. Jets Hockey Development can complement their work by giving players additional repetitions and more individual attention.That might mean working on offensive-zone cutbacks, shooting techniques or power skating. It might mean a one-on-one session in the Ice Lab, where a player can spend 30 minutes concentrating on one specific skill in a small space.It's also about helping coaches."What we're trying to do a little bit more of is communicate with the coaches," Himpe said. "And not just help the players develop, but help the coaches develop as well."For Himpe, the ultimate example of combining individual ability with team commitment came during his recent experience as head coach of Team Manitoba.His team captured the WHL Cup, overcoming the familiar challenge of competing against provinces with larger player populations. Not only did they win, they went undefeated, something no Team Manitoba team has ever done.Manitoba entered with the underdog mentality that Himpe remembers from his Parkland playing days.But he wasn't interested in simply participating.He wanted to win.<img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/teammbflyby.jpeg">A Team Manitoba Fly-By at the WHL Cup. Mateo Ferreira (4) and Crosby Mateychuk (6) were just named to the Hockey Canada U17 Challenge (Photo courtesy Hockey Manitoba)"We've always had that mentality of it's us versus the world type of thing," he said. "We have to be a team to be able to win this or at least be competitive."The secret wasn't simply assembling the most talented individuals.It was finding the right players."We're not building a team of the absolute best players of that age at that time," he explained. "It was, can we build the right team to go there and be competitive, but not just be competitive, have that mentality that we're going there to win."They found that combination.The players accepted their roles, challenged one another and arrived at the rink determined to improve. Two outstanding goaltenders provided the confidence and stability every championship team needs."It was just a group of kids that wanted to work," Himpe said. "They wanted to be challenged and they came to the rink every day wanting to get better."Today, Himpe continues balancing his work at Jets Hockey Development with his responsibilities at the University of Manitoba, where the Bisons are adapting to a new coaching approach under Gord Burnett.He's enthusiastic about the team's direction, particularly its emphasis on speed and its ability to compete against strong NCAA opponents during exhibition play.But whether he's working with university athletes, provincial all-stars or youngsters still learning how to control a puck, Himpe's message doesn't change.Make yourself better. Make your teammates better. And never forget why you started playing.After all, the coach who now helps develop Manitoba's hockey future once learned some of his most valuable lessons chasing a Stanley Cup made from ice cream buckets.And that's a pretty good foundation on which to build a coaching career.&nbsp;

DEVIN HIMPE: DEVELOPING SKILLS, BUILDING MANITOBA CHAMPIONS

<h2>Jets Feast on Wild</h2>The Winnipeg Jets took care of some local business on Tuesday night. And they did so by way of a 5-2 clubbing of the visiting Minnesota Wild.Winnipeg handed its nearest geographical rival the loss on a night which the Jets' stars showed up to play, and quite frankly, the Wild's stars were either injured, tired or irrelevant.Well, that is other than Kirill Kaprizov. He scored twice for Minny, but Cole Perfetti answered back with two goals of his own for the hosts.Mark Scheifele got a goal and two assists. Kyle Connor got a goal and an assist. Neal Pionk got two assists and Cole Koepke finished things off with a third period dagger. Stuart Skinner stood tall in the crease for Winnipeg once again, slamming the door shut on all but two of the pucks sent his way. Winnipeg product Calvin Pickard didn't quite fare as well for Minnesota, allowing five goals on 25 shots. Next up for the Jets is a Thursday night test in Chicago against Patrick Kane, Connor Bedard and the Chicago Blackhawks. HIGHLIGHTS:<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://x.com/CBrooksie84/status/2110166388560273815">https://x.com/CBrooksie84/status/2110166388560273815</a><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://x.com/CBrooksie84/status/2110171332864581949">https://x.com/CBrooksie84/status/2110171332864581949</a><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://x.com/CBrooksie84/status/2110173350056366258">https://x.com/CBrooksie84/status/2110173350056366258</a><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://x.com/CBrooksie84/status/2110189988994539850">https://x.com/CBrooksie84/status/2110189988994539850</a>PHOTOS:The extended photo library from Tuesday's game vs. Minnesota is courtesy of Danny Truong:<img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/_l9a8816.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/_l9a8971.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/_l9a9111.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/_l9a9147.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/_l9a9519.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/_l9a0110.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/_l9a9937.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/_l9a0298.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/_l9a0460.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/_l9a0679.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/_l9a0845.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/_l9a0864.jpg">QUOTEABLE:Cole Perfetti on what he sees playing with Mark Scheifele:“You're always open. Even when you think you're covered or when you think you're out of the play, you're never out of it. Just go find open ice. Even when you think he's getting defended pretty well and doesn't have much of a play to make, he's able to make so many cross-seam plays, little tight plays. I don't think you really understand until you play with him how you feel like you're not even a part of it at that point. Like you're like, ‘I'm not open,’ and then all of a sudden the puck's on your stick. You're like, ‘here we go,’ so you better be better be ready at all times. It's awesome to play with him.”Mark Scheifele on Neal Pionk filling in for Josh Morrissey: “He’s been great. When you lose a guy like J-Mo, you can never fill the shoes of one of the best defencemen in the league, but he’s done an awesome job. He’s been great. The pass to me was incredible. He was awesome tonight. In those big Central Division matchups, you need your guys going and he played fantastic.”WHAT’S NEXT:Winnipeg now hits the road for a one-off road trip stop in Chicago on Thursday, before returning home to host Nikolaj Ehlers and the Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday afternoon.

GAME ON GAME RECAP: WINNIPEG JETS 5 Minnesota Wild 2

It was a tremendous week for the likes of Maisie Duffin, Reeve Sukut, Noah Hawkins, Ben Tulugak and Yuki Kido. The stars are starting to shine.Game On Hockey Brief — October 5–12The MMJHL, MWJHL and Manitoba CSSHL programs produced the strongest material this week. The CRJHL and KJHL official sites did not provide sufficiently dependable current results for publication.MMJHL<ul><li>St. James seized first place&nbsp;at 5-1-0, beating the Raiders 6-1 on October 6 and Pembina Valley 6-4 on October 9. Nicholas Cullen has eight goals and 15 points, one behind league leader Carson White of Charleswood.</li><li>St. Boniface moved into second&nbsp;at 4-2-0 after victories over River East, 6-4, and the Raiders, 9-2. Reeve Sukut scored a hat trick in Friday’s rout and has 13 points through six games.</li></ul><ul><li>Stonewall edged Transcona 3-2, Charleswood beat River East 4-3 and the Twins kept St. Vital winless with a 4-1 victory.</li><li>Player watch:&nbsp;White leads the league with 16 points; Cullen, Jayden Ward, Nolan Anderson and defenceman Rhylan Baxter are immediately behind him. Stonewall goalie Spencer Hunnam owns a .952 save percentage.</li><li>Feature angle:&nbsp;“Defenceman or quarterback?” Baxter has 14 points—including 11 assists—in six games while helping drive the league-leading Canucks.</li></ul>Sources:&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.mmjhl.ca/schedule/2026-2027/league">MMJHL schedule and results</a>,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.mmjhl.ca/">MMJHL standings and statistical leaders</a>.&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.mmjhl.ca/?utm_source=chatgpt.com">Manitoba Major Junior Hockey League</a>CRJHL<ul><li>Ice Dawgs Undefeated: The Arborg Ice Dawgs are off to a tremendous start this season. The Dawgs opened the season with a 4-1 win over North Winnipeg, then a 7-1 thrashing of Lundar and a 4-1 win over Selkirk. Arborg’s Brandon Burak, the MVP last season, is the league’s leading scorer with five goals and eight points in the first three games.</li><li>Selkirk and Beausejour remain tied for second with 2-1-0 records. Jackson Kostiuk of Beausejour is second in scoring with two goals and seven points while Job Peters of the Comets is next with fourv goals and six points.</li></ul><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/brandon-burak.jpg">Red Hot Brandon Burak of the Arborg Ice Dawgs (Photo by Rayme Thompson)Expansion Altona remains the league’s most compelling developing story. The Maroons are 0-2-0, having lost 5-2 to Lundar and 6-3 to St. Malo.<ul><li>Feature angle:&nbsp;Is Brandon Burak the CRJHL’s best player? He’s off to a blazing start.</li></ul>Source:&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.crjhl.com/">CRJHL official site</a>.&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://crjhl.com">crjhl.com</a>KJHL<ul><li>The Cross Lake Islanders, Norway House North Stars and Peguis Juniors have jumped out 3-1-0 starts to create a logjam atop the Keystone Junior B Hockey League. The big story has been NCN Flames’ star Ben Tulugak from Rankin Inlet, Nunavut. The Flames are 0-5-1 on the season, but Tulugak leads the league in scoring with eight goals and 13 points in six games.</li><li>Jayden Blacksmith continues to lead Cross Lake. Blacksmith has nine goals and 12 points in his first four games.</li><li>Logan Grenier of OCN is the top goaltender in the KJHL with a 1-1-0 record to go with a 2.52 goals against average and a .907 save percentage. Grenier is in his fourth season in the KJHL.</li><li>Feature angle:&nbsp;A look at the number of great players who join the KJHL via Nunavut.</li></ul>Source:&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.keystonejr.ca/">KJHL official site</a>.&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://keystonejr.ca">keystonejr.ca</a>MWJHL<ul><li>All eight teams played October 8. Northern Stars beat the Golden Eagles 7-3, Polar Ice defeated the Silvertips 5-3, Manitoba Blizzard beat the Western Predators 3-1 and Prairie Blaze edged the Grey Owls 4-3.</li><li>Standings:&nbsp;Blizzard and Blaze share first with nine points. Northern and Polar sit one point back; both have won at least three straight. The Golden Eagles remain winless at 0-5-1.</li><li>Player watch:&nbsp;Polar Ice’s Maisie Duffin leads with nine points. Northern’s Taylor Audette has a league-best five goals and eight points. Prairie Blaze goalie Arianna Murdock owns a .967 save percentage and 0.48 goals-against average. Those are eye-popping numbers.</li><li>Feature angle:&nbsp;“Four teams, one early race” — the league’s top four are separated by one point.</li><li>Player angle:&nbsp;Audette’s fast start—five goals while helping Northern win four straight—is ready for an early-season profile.</li></ul>Source:&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.themwjhl.ca/">MWJHL results, standings and leaders</a>.&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://themwjhl.ca">themwjhl.ca</a>MFHL U18 AAA<ul><li>Standings movement:&nbsp;Winnipeg Ice leads at 4-0 with 15 goals scored. Westman and Eastman are both 3-0; Westman has allowed only one goal.</li><li>Winnipeg Avros stand fourth at 2-1. Pembina Valley, Central Plains and Interlake remain winless.</li><li>Complete individual results and current player statistics for October 5–11 were not reliably exposed through the league’s public feed, so no dependable weekly scoring leaders are listed here.</li><li>Team storyline:&nbsp;The early race has quickly become a three-team battle among the Ice, Westman and Eastman.</li><li>Feature angle:&nbsp;“One goal against” — examine Westman’s defensive structure and goaltending after three nearly perfect outings.</li><li>Secondary angle:&nbsp;How Central Plains and Pembina Valley manage confidence while trying to secure their first victory.</li></ul>Sources:&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.mfhlu18aaa.com/">MFHL official site</a>,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://gamesheetstats.com/seasons/15966/standings">official 2026–27 standings</a>.&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://mfhlu18aaa.com">mfhlu18aaa.com</a>CSSHL — Manitoba programsRINK Hockey Academy Winnipeg<ul><li>U18 Prep:&nbsp;Beat North Shore 8-1, lost 6-4 to Delta despite a 46-28 shot advantage, then stunned previously unbeaten Yale 2-1.</li><li>Goalie&nbsp;Noah Hawkins stopped 51 of 52 shots&nbsp;against Yale. Colton Brum scored the third-period winner.</li><li>U17 Prep:&nbsp;Beat Okanagan 4-3 and RINK Kelowna 6-4. David Ring scored in both victories.</li><li>Feature angle:&nbsp;Hawkins’ 51-save masterpiece—how a goalie steals a showcase game against an unbeaten opponent.</li><li>Team angle:&nbsp;RINK’s U18 group showed both extremes: territorial dominance without a win against Delta, followed by a goaltending-led upset of Yale.</li></ul>Pilot Mound Hockey Academy<ul><li>U18 Prep:&nbsp;Earned its first victory, 6-1 over Wenatchee. Max Schütz and Xianen Evans each recorded three points. PMHA later lost 3-2 to St. George’s despite&nbsp;49 saves from Yuki Kido.</li><li>U17 Prep:&nbsp;Endured difficult showcase losses but finished the week with a 6-2 victory over North Shore. Avery Cantleberry stopped 39 of 41; Christian Caby scored shorthanded and added an assist.</li><li>U15 Prep:&nbsp;Beat RINK Winnipeg 9-8 in overtime. Dane Magwood completed a hat trick with the tying goal, while Brycen Faul collected six points and set up Nash Ramage’s winner.</li><li>Feature angle:&nbsp;“Goalies under siege” — Kido and Cantleberry faced enormous workloads yet gave Pilot Mound chances to win.</li><li>Secondary angle:&nbsp;Faul’s six-point performance in the 17-goal Manitoba derby.</li></ul>Balmoral Hall Blazers<ul><li>Inactive/unavailable:&nbsp;No verified CSSHL game involving Balmoral Hall was located during October 5–11; therefore, there was no confirmed standings movement or weekly player performance to report.</li><li>Feature angle:&nbsp;An early-season captaincy follow-up with Maggie Litchfield-Medd: how the Blazers’ leadership group is settling into its responsibilities before November’s World Sports School Challenge.</li></ul>Sources:&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.csshl.ca/game-day-recap-october-6-9-2026/">CSSHL October 6–9 recap</a>,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.csshl.ca/game-day-recap-october-10-2026/">October 10 recap</a>,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.csshl.ca/game-day-recap-october-11-2026/">October 11 recap</a>.&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.csshl.ca/game-day-recap-october-6-9-2026/?utm_source=chatgpt.com">Canadian Sport School Hockey League</a>Best immediate Game On leads:&nbsp;Noah Hawkins’ 51-save upset, the MWJHL’s four-team early race, Rhylan Baxter’s remarkable production from the St. James blue line and Pilot Mound’s goaltenders keeping undermanned teams alive.&nbsp;

The Stars are Starting to Shine: Tulugak, Duffin, Sukut, Hawkins Have a Big Week

There are nights during an NHL season when a team just isn’t ready for what their about to face.&nbsp;Friday night at Canada Life Centre, the Winnipeg Jets had one of those nights.&nbsp;In front of a crowd of 13,693 of the faithful, the Jets squandered some early chances, were scored against first and never recovered, falling 5-1 to a very good young flock of Anaheim Ducks.&nbsp;<img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/goal-1h0a6514.jpg">Tom Washe beats Clay Stevenson for Anaheim's second goal (Phot by James Carey Lauder)Kyle Connor, playing in his 700th NHL game, scored his sixth goal of the season, but it was hardly enough as the Ducks got goals from, five different players to drop the Jets to 3-1-1 early in the 2026-27 season.&nbsp;The Ducks outshot the Jets 17-16 as Clay Stevenson took the loss in the Jets net, stopping just 12 of 16 Anaheim shots. The final Anaheim shot and goal by Nikita Nesterenko, was an empty netter to put an exclamation point on Anaheim’s impressive road win.&nbsp;In the first period, the Jets took complete control. Through the first 14 minutes, they had outshot Anaheim 7-1 and missed the net from point blank range five more times. But as the Jets often do, they squandered outstanding scoring chances and it cost them.&nbsp;At 14:41, the Jets were in control in the Anaheim zone until Brad Lambert game up the puck and the Ducks had a three-on-two break. Jeff Mallott was sprung down the left wing, went in alone on Clay Stevenson and while Stevenson stopped Mallott’s shot, he couldn’t stop the rebound. Judd Caulfield was allowed to slam the rebound into an empty net and Anaheim had a 1-0 lead.&nbsp;The Jets owned the game to that point but as they did on dozens of occasions last year, they failed to take advantage of their own hard work and found themselves a goal behind.&nbsp;The highlight of the opening period arrived at 19:47 when Jets captain Adam Lowry laid a huge bodycheck on Anaheim’s A-J Greer in the Ducks zone. The Ducks’ Travis Mitchell decided he was going to make Lowry pay for his “indiscretion” and the gloves came off. Lowry pounded on the former Islanders D-man until he tapped out. Lowry got five for fighting while Mitchell got five for getting hammered and two for unsportsmanlike conduct.&nbsp;The Jets, who outshot Anaheim 7-4 in the opening period, had a power play to start the second period and had a number of solid chances but couldn’t beat Lukas Dostal. Then, while they had control of the Ducks’ zone and were outshooting the visitors 11-5, Anaheim broke out of their zone and two passes later, Tom Washe had beaten Clay Stevenson for the Ducks’ second goal.&nbsp;At this point, the boo birds at Canada Life Centre started announcing their presence. The Jets simply weren’t prepared to play, and poor Clay Stevenson even had to stop a two-on-nothing Anaheim breakaway. The Jets couldn’t even capitalize on the first four power-plays of the game. It was ugly.&nbsp;The teams went to their dressing rooms after 40 minutes with Anaheim up 2-0. Winnipeg had outshot the Ducks 13-9 and enjoyed territorial dominance, but their inability to score was on full display.&nbsp;In the third period, Sam Colangelo, Mikael Granlund and Nesterenko scored for Anaheim. Connor, from Mark Scheifele and Dylan DeMelo scored Winnipeg’s only goal. It was a lovely goal but it went hand-in-hand with an ugly loss and one that needs to be forgotten before the Jets play host to the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday night at 7:30 p.m.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Jets Throttled 5-1 by Anaheim, Hangover from the BIG Colorado WIN, Perhaps?

It wasn’t a full house, but the folks who were inside Canada Life Centre on Wednesday night, nearly screamed the roof off the joint.&nbsp;With one minute to play in regulation time, Mark Scheifele made an absolutely magical pass from the right wing onto the stick of Kyle Connor cruising into the slot. Connor drilled it past Colorado Avalanche goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood for the winning goal as the Winnipeg Jets upset the Colorado Avalanche, the team considered to be the best in hockey, by a score of 3-2.&nbsp;As 14,006 of the faithful at Canada Life Centre went nuts, they all knew that the difference in the game was goaltender Stu Skinner. Skinner made 32 saves on 34 shots as Colorado outshot Winnipeg 34-19 – 7-2 in the third period. Skinner was brilliant from opening faceoff to final buzzer as the Jets improved to 3-0-1 to start the 2026-27 season.&nbsp;“it makes me feel at home to be here,” said Skinner. “We stick together every game and we’re really tight. We just play with a passion to win games. In that dressing room it’s a real brotherhood of man. It’s a great team to be on.”&nbsp;The Jets also earned the victory without their best defenceman for most of the game. Josh Morrissey injured his hand on the last shift of the first period, played one shift in the second and was done for the night. But when Morrissey went down, Neal Pionk, Dylan Samberg, Dylan DeMelo, Mario Ferraro and Jack St. Ivany picked up the slack and did what they were asked.&nbsp;It certainly didn’t hurt, however, that Skinner brought his A game.&nbsp;In fact, the first period was all Skinner. On the Avalanche’s first and only power-play of the night, they had seven shots on goal, many from ideal spots around the net and Skinner stopped all of them.&nbsp;In the end, Colorado outshot Winnipeg 17-6, but Skinner stopped everything he saw. It was a virtuoso goaltending performance, and it kept the Jets in a game they had no right to be in.&nbsp;In the second period, Skinner made three stops – two of them were magnificent – until the Jets gave the puck away in the slot and Jaden Schwartz ripped a one-timer to Skinner’s stick side. It was 1-0 Colorado at 2:51 of the second and the Avs had outshot the Jets 20-6.&nbsp;But to their credit, the Jets didn’t back off. At 4:01, Neal Pionk took a shot from the point that was tipped by Kyle Connor, and the Avs’ Mackenzie Blackwood never saw it. That tied the game on the Jets’ ninth shot. It was Connor’s fourth of the season as Pionk and Dylan Samberg drew the assists.&nbsp;The crowd was only kept awake for the next 10-12 minutes because of the brilliance of Skinner and a couple of decent chances for Mark Scheifele and Viggo Bjorck that were turned aside by Blackwood.&nbsp;Then, at 18:16 a seemingly meaningless shot from the point by Samberg deflected off Cole Perfetti in front and eluded the Avs’ goaler. Suddenly the Jets had a 2-1 lead as Samberg and Scheifele (his first point of the season) drew the assists on Perfetti’s third of the year (he had 12 goals all last season).<img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/_l9a6939.jpg">Mark Scheifele before the big goal (Photo by Danny Truong)When the period ended, the Jets were ahead by a goal despite being outshot 27-17 (11-10 Jets in the second) and did not look out of place against the best team in the NHL.&nbsp;However, in the third period, after checking the Avs right into the ice, Winnipeg gave up the puck in its own end once again and Fedor Svechkov found a loose puck in front of Skinner and shoved it between the Winnipeg goaltender’s legs. That came at 12:35 and Colorado was all even and back in the driver’s seat.&nbsp;In fact, although Scheifele had a great chance and fired it wide, the Jets had one shot on goal in the first 15 minutes of the third period. It was all Colorado.&nbsp;But then came the rush. Scheifele brought the puck out of his own end, skated into the Avs zone, went toward the corner and then whipped the pass back into the slot where Connor ripped it home for his second of the game. It was a brilliant way to finish a terrific evening of hockey.&nbsp;The three stars were Skinner, Connor (now with five goals in four games) and the Avs’ Jayden Schwartz, but Scheifele was easily one of the most effective players on the ice, picking up his first two points of the season. Amazingly, all four of the Jets games this season were decided by one goal -- the 4-3 OT loss to Boston then the three 3-2 wins over Detroit, Pittsburgh and Colorado.&nbsp;The Jets have a day off and will then play host to the Anaheim Ducks on Friday evening at 7 p.m. at the downtown rink.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Skinner is Brilliant As Scheifele and Connor Combine on A Sensational Winning Goal

The season has begun and players such as Ryder McClure, Mars McHenry, Jackson Kostiuk, Maisie Duffin, Jayden Blacksmith, Shaden Duliak, Isabelle Labossiere, Nolan Fielding, Taylor Audette and Carson White are off to red-hot starts.&nbsp;Game On Hockey Brief — September 28–October 4The MMJHL’s early scoring race caught fire, RINK Winnipeg’s female team received outstanding goaltending, and Balmoral Hall opened with a victory. Public reporting remains a serious limitation in the CRJHL, KJHL and MFHL U18 AAA.<h3>MMJHL</h3><ul><li>Pembina Valley remained perfect through three games after defeating St. Boniface 4–2. Transcona reached 3–0 with a 10–2 rout of St. Vital before later moving to seven points through four games.</li><li>River East rebounded from a 7–2 loss to the Raiders by beating previously unbeaten St. James 8–5. Charleswood crushed Stonewall 9–1, St. Boniface beat Charleswood 4–2, and the Raiders defeated St. Vital 7–4.</li></ul><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/6.-jayden-ward-2.jpg">Jayden Ward of the St. James Jr. Canucks has 11 points in four games (Photo by Dave Willson)Standouts:&nbsp;Transcona’s Ryder McLure led the league with seven goals and 14 points through four games. River East’s Nolan Fielding had six goals and 10 points, while Charleswood’s Carson White also reached 10 points.<ul><li>Team movement:&nbsp;Transcona held first with seven points, followed by unbeaten Pembina Valley with six. The Raiders, St. James, River East and St. Boniface formed a four-team group at four points.</li><li>Feature angle:&nbsp;“Fourteen points in four games” — McLure’s staggering opening run and the offensive freedom within Transcona’s attack.</li></ul>Sources:&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.mmjhl.ca/news/2026-2027?utm_source=chatgpt.com">MMJHL statistics</a>,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.mmjhl.ca/railerexpress?utm_source=chatgpt.com">Transcona 10, St. Vital 2</a>,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.mmjhl.ca/canucks?utm_source=chatgpt.com">River East 8, St. James 5</a>,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.mmjhl.ca/standings/2026-2027/league?utm_source=chatgpt.com">MMJHL standings</a>.&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://mmjhl.ca">mmjhl.ca</a><h3>CRJHL</h3><ul><li>Scores:&nbsp;Selkirk and Beausejour have jumped off to great starts. Beausejour beat LaBroquerie 5-4 and St. Malo 8-4. Job Peters had two goals and an assist in the win over St. Malo while Jackson Kostiuk, who left the MJHL’s Steinbach Pistons to play in Beausejour, had a goal and three assists. Meanwhile, Selkirk beat Lundar 8-2 and then topped LaBroquerie 2-0 as goalie Caleb Legal made 30 saves to claim the shutout.</li><li>Feature angle:&nbsp;More than one player has left Jr. A to play at the Jr. B level this season. What’s the appeal?</li></ul>Source:&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.crjhl.com/">CRJHL official site</a>.<h3>KJHL</h3><ul><li>Scores:&nbsp;Both Cross Lake and Norway House are off to great starts. Cross Lake beat the NCN Flames 8-6 and 9-2 to start the season at home as Jayden Blacksmith had nine goals in two games to open the 2026-27 campaign. Meanwhile Norway House beat NCN 5-1 and 8-7 in overtime. Gregory Wiseman had three goals and two assists to lead the way for the North Stars. In the other weekend series, Peguis and OCN split. Peguis won on Friday night 2-1, but OCN bounced back on Saturday to win 12-3 as first star Shaden Duliak led the way for the Storm with five goals and three assists.<h2></h2><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/jayden-blacksmith-4.png">Jayden Blacksmith of the Cross Lake Islanders has nine goals in two games (Photo by Kelly Jacobson)</li><li>Feature angle:&nbsp;Jayden Blacksmith and Cross Lake offer a natural player-driven entry into the new season, particularly when paired with the broader growth of KJHL players pursuing college hockey.</li></ul>Source:&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.keystonejr.ca/">KJHL official site</a>.<h3>MWJHL</h3><ul><li>Verified midweek results included Polar Ice’s 8–2 victory over the Manitoba Golden Eagles, Manitoba Blizzard’s 6–3 win over the Grey Owls and Northern Stars’ 2–1 decision over the Western Predators.</li><li>Complete October 3–4 results and refreshed standings were not yet reliably displayed Monday morning.</li><li>Some familiar veteran names have jumped out to lead all scorers at the start of the season. Taylor Audette of the Silvertips has four goals and three assists, Maisie Duffin of Polar Ice has three goals and four assists and Raya Hrankowski of Silvertips is tied with a large group with two goals and four assists.<img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1.-maisie-duffin-polar-ice-2.jpg">Maisie Duffin of Polar Ice already has three goals and four assists (Darryl Gershman)</li><li>Team watch:&nbsp;Northern Stars entered the weekend with consecutive victories, while Polar Ice’s eight-goal performance was the week’s largest verified offensive output.</li></ul>Sources:&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.themwjhl.ca/teams/default.asp?p=scores&amp;s=hockey&amp;u=MWJHL&amp;utm_source=chatgpt.com">MWJHL scores</a>,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.themwjhl.ca/teams/default.asp?p=schedule&amp;s=hockey&amp;u=MWJHL&amp;utm_source=chatgpt.com">MWJHL schedule</a>.&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://themwjhl.ca">themwjhl.ca</a><h3>MFHL U18 AAA</h3><ul><li>Inactive/unavailable:&nbsp;No reliable current league scores, standings or player statistics were available on the public site.</li><li>The Central Plains Showcase supplied useful preseason evaluation, but dependable regular-season statistical reporting had not begun.</li><li>Feature angle:&nbsp;Ferdi Nelissen’s league forecast could become a sharp season-opening companion piece: projected contenders, emerging teams and players positioned for breakout seasons.</li></ul>Source:&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.mfhlu18aaa.com/">MFHL U18 AAA official site</a>.<h3>CSSHL — Manitoba programs</h3><h4>&nbsp;</h4><h4>RINK Winnipeg</h4><ul><li>The Female U18 Prep team beat RINK Kelowna 2–1 behind Mars McHenry’s 44 saves, then defeated North Shore 4–3 with McHenry stopping 41 more shots.</li><li>Chloe Anderton scored in both victories. Rowyn Street, Attica Sobering and Sophia Saurette helped produce three power-play goals against North Shore.</li><li>The U15 team rallied from 3–0 down to beat Calgary International 4–3 in overtime before losing the rubber match 4–3. Jordan Hallock scored his first CSSHL goal in overtime; Jackson Ross scored twice during the comeback.</li><li>The U18 Prep team erased a 4–0 deficit against Edge but lost 5–4 in a shootout.</li><li>Feature angle:&nbsp;“Eighty-five saves, two wins” — McHenry’s exceptional first weekend and the composure required to backstop a showcase schedule.</li></ul>Sources:&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.csshl.ca/game-day-recap-sept-28-oct-1-2026/?utm_source=chatgpt.com">September 28–October 1 recap</a>,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.csshl.ca/game-day-recap-october-3-2026/?utm_source=chatgpt.com">October 3 recap</a>,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.csshl.ca/game-day-recap-october-4-2026/?utm_source=chatgpt.com">October 4 recap</a>.&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.csshl.ca/game-day-recap-sept-28-oct-1-2026/?utm_source=chatgpt.com">Canadian Sport School Hockey League</a><h4>Pilot Mound</h4><ul><li>The Female U18 Prep team lost 6–3 to RINK Kelowna Red. Lauren Nychyporuk scored twice—once shorthanded and once on the power play—while Hilla Parviainen added the tying goal before Kelowna pulled away.</li><li>The U17 Prep Buffaloes were beaten 9–2 by Calgary International but responded with a 3–2 overtime victory Sunday. Bladen Norton scored twice, including the winner.</li><li>The U17 team earned a point in a 3–2 shootout loss to Edge.</li><li>Player watch:&nbsp;Nychyporuk’s special-teams versatility makes her an early female-team standout.</li></ul>Sources:&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.csshl.ca/game-day-recap-sept-28-oct-1-2026/?utm_source=chatgpt.com">CSSHL midweek recap</a>,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.csshl.ca/game-day-recap-october-3-2026/?utm_source=chatgpt.com">October 3 recap</a>,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.csshl.ca/game-day-recap-october-4-2026/?utm_source=chatgpt.com">October 4 recap</a>.&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.csshl.ca/game-day-recap-sept-28-oct-1-2026/?utm_source=chatgpt.com">Canadian Sport School Hockey League</a><h4>Balmoral Hall</h4><ul><li>The Blazers opened with a 3–1 win over Delta Black. Lydia Hill and Brannagh Rae scored 64 seconds apart before Rachel Lyver added a goal and an assist.</li><li>Isabelle Labossiere stopped 18 of 19 shots for her first CSSHL victory.</li><li>Team storyline:&nbsp;An immediate win reinforces the standards being set by Maggie Litchfield-Medd and the Blazers’ newly appointed leadership group.</li></ul>Source:&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.csshl.ca/game-day-recap-sept-28-oct-1-2026/?utm_source=chatgpt.com">CSSHL September 28–October 1 recap</a>.&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.csshl.ca/game-day-recap-sept-28-oct-1-2026/?utm_source=chatgpt.com">Canadian Sport School Hockey League</a>Best immediate Game On leads:&nbsp;Ryder McLure’s 14-point MMJHL start, Mars McHenry’s 85-save CSSHL weekend and Balmoral Hall’s captains delivering an opening victory.&nbsp;

McClure, Duffin, McHenry, Blacksmith, Ward, Audette, Kostiuk Start Strong

Overall, the Winnipeg Jets played a solid, entertaining hockey game on Friday night.&nbsp;And still, they lost.&nbsp;J.J. Peterka scored on a breakaway in overtime to give the Boston Bruins a 4-3 victory over the Jets in a heartbreaking loss for both the Jets and the sellout crowd at Canada Life Centre.&nbsp;The Jets new No. 1 goaltender Stuart Skinner played tremendously in. the Jets net, but Boston scored the game’s tying goal at 18:22 of the third period and then notched the winner at 3:21 of overtime as Boston goaltender Jeremy Swayman stole one for the Bruins.&nbsp;It was particularly gut-wrenching loss for Skinner who was cheered mightily all night long by the Jets faithful. The sounds of S-T-U-U-U-U-U were still ringing throughout the downtown barn long after the game ended.&nbsp;In fact, Skinner made some saves in the third period that last year’s No. 1 goalie, Connor Hellebuyck, would never have made.&nbsp;And yet, because the Jets still don’t get enough secondary scoring – the Jets got goals from Kyle Connor and defencemen Dylan DeMelo and Mario Ferraro – Winnipeg just couldn’t build a lead necessary to beat a solid Bruins team.&nbsp;The Jets went to the attack right out of the gate, but Swayman was just too good. He robbed Connor, Scheifele and rookie Viggo Bjorck early and saved the day during Winnipeg’s first power play of the night.&nbsp;But then, seemingly out of the blue, Dylan DeMelo ripped a slapshot from the point that Swayman didn’t see and suddenly it was 1-0 Winnipeg at 4:52. Morgan Barron and Adam Lowry drew the assists.&nbsp;Then, eight minutes in the Bruins Mark Kastelic decided to take on Jets rookie D-man Tyrel Bauer who smacked Kastelic around and sent him to the dressing room for repairs. The sell-out crowd went crazy.<img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/bauer-aboput-to-deliver.jpg">Tyrel Bauer about to land a hard right hand on Mark Kastelic (Photo by James Carey Lauder)&nbsp;Meanwhile, at that point in the game, the Jets had outshot the Bruins 8-1.&nbsp;The Jets had outshot Boston 9-3 when Hampus Lindholm beat Stuart Skinner low to the glove side at 9:23 on a shot from the point with no screen. It was a weak goal and the fans who had been screaming ST-U-U-U-U-U on his first three saves had to be wondering if their new starter was the Stuart Skinner who took the Edmonton Oilers to the Stanley Cup finals or the one who was shaky in Pittsburgh last year.&nbsp;The Bruins took a 2-1 lead at 15:20 when the Jets tired second line – playing out a shift that was far too long – allowed Boston’s James Hagens to pick up a loose puck in front of the net. Hagens tucked it past Skinner and reality was beginning to set in.&nbsp;Winnipeg got off to a great start but hadn’t had a shot in seven minutes when the Bruins took the lead. Boston had taken over the game, and they didn’t appear as if they were going to give it back. Even though the Jets had a little burst at the end of the period and ultimately outshot Boston 12-9 in the first 20 minutes, Swayman made half a dozen game-saving stops and Skinner was less than average.&nbsp;In the second period, the Jets tied the game on an early power play.<img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/demelo-scores.jpg">Adam Lowry, who had two assists, celebrates Dylan DeMelo's first of the season (Photo by James Carey Lauder)&nbsp;At 1:10, Kyle Connor, pick up a tight pass near the crease from Gabriel Vilardi and stuffed the puck under Swayman. It was the first goal of the season for a guy who had 39 last year. Vilardi and Cole Perfetti picked up the assists.&nbsp;It was the ninth straight year in which Kyle Connor scored a goal in the opening game of the season – an NHL record.&nbsp;The Jets regained the lead at 19:48 of the second period when D-man Marrio Ferraro ripped a shot from just inside the Boston zone that went over Swayman and under the bar. Connor and Lowry drew the assists on Ferraro’s first goal as a member of the Winnipeg Jets.&nbsp;The Jets had taken the game back, outshooting Boston 12-8 and outscoring the visitors 2-0 as Skinner had a rock-solid period in the Jets net.&nbsp;Boston scored the only goal of the third period, and it was a gut-punch for the Jets.&nbsp;After playing a tremendous third period, Skinner was finally beaten at 18:22 of the third period. Skinner made some brilliant saves, including stopping J.J. Peterka on a breakaway, but in the dying minutes, Boston tied it when Elias Lindholm tipped home a pass from David Pastrnak to tie the game at three. It was a heartbreaker for Skinner who had done everything he possibly could to give the Jets a regulation win.&nbsp;With only 1:39 left in overtime, Peterka went in alone and beat Skinner on the short side to end it.&nbsp;The Jets outshot Boston 33-30. The Jets were one-for-three on the power play while the Bruins were zero-for-one. Boston outhit Winnipeg 26-17.&nbsp;On the upside for the Jets, rookie Viggo Bjorck, playing centre on the second line, had a solid game and did not look at all out of place for an 18-year-old playing in the best hockey league in the world.&nbsp;The Jets start the 2026-27 season with one point. It should have been two. But unless they start getting some secondary scoring from their forwards, this could be a long, long year.&nbsp;The Jets play again on Sunday at Noon in Detroit. The game can be seen on TSN3.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Jets Lose Overtime Heartbreaker 4-3 to Boston in Season opener at Home

The 2026-27 Manitoba hockey season is now upon us. The regular season has started for all of our major elite leagues and stars are emerging every night. It’s going to be an exciting year.Game On Hockey Brief — September 21–27In fact, the new season arrived with a flourish in the MMJHL, while Pilot Mound produced an explosive opening weekend in the CSSHL.MMJHL<ul><li>Pembina Valley and Transcona share the early lead at 2–0.</li><li>The Twisters opened with a 5–1 victory over St. Vital, then overwhelmed the Twins 8–2. Transcona beat Charleswood 7–2 before defeating the Raiders 9–5.</li><li>Other Sunday results: St. Boniface 6, St. Vital 2; St. James 7, Charleswood 4; River East 4, Stonewall 3. Stonewall had opened with a 3–2 win over the Twins.</li><li>Standouts:&nbsp;Transcona’s Brett McLure scored four times Sunday; River East’s Nolan Fielding had a hat trick; St. James’s Nicholas Cullen collected two goals and four points; St. Boniface’s Nolan Anderson scored twice; Pembina Valley’s Dwight Sawatzky reached four points through two games.</li><li>Team storyline:&nbsp;The Twisters have outscored their opponents 13–3, providing immediate evidence that Chris Unger’s rebuilding project has entered another stage.</li></ul>Sources:&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.mmjhl.ca/twisters?utm_source=chatgpt.com">Pembina Valley’s opener</a>,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.mmjhl.ca/railerexpress?utm_source=chatgpt.com">Transcona–Raiders</a>,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.mmjhl.ca/?utm_source=chatgpt.com">Sunday’s MMJHL team results and leaders</a>,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.mmjhl.ca/standings/2026-2027/league?utm_source=chatgpt.com">MMJHL standings</a>.&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.mmjhl.ca/twisters?utm_source=chatgpt.com">MMJHL</a>CRJHL<ul><li>The Selkirk Fishermen opened the 2026-27 season with an 8-2 win over Lundar while Beausejour beat LaBroquerie 5-4.</li><li>Greyson Wood led Beausejour with a pair of goals while Sage Courchene had a pair of goals for Selkirk on a night when six Fishermen had at least two points.</li><li>Team Storyline: Altona’s debut, attendance, competitive balance and whether expansion has altered travel or scheduling.</li></ul>Source:&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.crjhl.com/">CRJHL official site</a>.KJHL<ul><li>Cross Lake opened the season with a pair of home wins over the NCN Flames by scores of 8-6 and 9-2.</li><li>Jayden Blacksmith of Cross Lake jumped out to the KJHL’s scoring lead with nine goals and zero assists in the first weekend. Teammate Melvin Scatch was No. 2 in scoring with a goal and five assists.</li><li>Feature angle:&nbsp;“Hockey is back in the North” — build an opening-weekend piece around the players, families and volunteers responsible for getting each club onto the ice.</li></ul>Source:&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.keystonejr.ca/">KJHL official site</a>.MWJHL<ul><li>The season began September 24. Defending champion Prairie Blaze won twice, 4-1 over the Western Predators and 3-1 over the Silvertips. The Silvertips opened their season with a 4–0 victory over the Manitoba Golden Eagles before losing to the Preds. Manitoba Blizzard won twice, beating Polar Ice 7-1 and Northern Stars 2-1. Northern Stars bounced back to beat Manitoba Grey Owls 5-1. Polar Ice beat the Grey Owls 3-2.</li><li>Halle Chabluk of Prairie Blaze got off to a good start with a goal and three assists in two games while teammate Annika Russell had four assists to start the year. Last year’s Top Scorer Maisie Duffin of Polar Ice had a goal and two assists while Ella Honkonen-Makkonen of Manitoba Blizzard had three goals to start the new season.</li></ul><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/3.-maisie-duffin.jpg">Maisie Duffin of Polar Ice by Scott Stroh<ul><li>Team storyline:&nbsp;A season-opening shutout makes the Silvertips’ new goaltending tandem an immediate watch.</li></ul>Sources:&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.themwjhl.ca/teams/default.asp?p=schedule&amp;s=hockey&amp;u=MWJHL-5&amp;utm_source=chatgpt.com">Silvertips schedule</a>,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.themwjhl.ca/teams/?s=hockey&amp;u=MWJHL&amp;utm_source=chatgpt.com">MWJHL official site</a>.&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://themwjhl.ca">themwjhl.ca</a>MFHL U18 AAA<ul><li>It’s all Underway: The teams most people expect to be near the top once the playoffs arrive got off to great starts. Westman beat Pembina Valley 4-0, the Avros shutout Central Plains 4-0, The ice knocked off Interlake 4-3 and Eatman beat Central Plains 3-1</li><li>The goalscorers: Ava Snyder, Georgia Koop, Lily Wells and Ivy Fry scored for Westman while Londyn Hrubeniuk had a pair of assists and Indigo Stone earned the shutout. Aubrey Sykes, Brooke Froese, Vanessa Ball and Sienna Cotroneo scored the Avros goals while Anya Kauenhowen garnered the shutout. Brooklyn Thornhil, Gabby Robbins and Kate Cairns scored third-period goals to give the Ice a win over Interlake. Leah Simes also scored for the ice while Keirlyn Nohlgren had two for the Lightning and Teagan Bragg added a single. Bryelle Muntain, Mya Grenier and Sloane Gunn scored for eastman while Ava Mirrlees answered for Central Plains.</li></ul><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/20251012_u18mfhl_ice_v_caps_0596.jpg">Gabby Robbins of Winnipeg Ice by Darryl Gershman<ul><li>Team Storyline:&nbsp;The Ice, Avros and Selects are the league’s three favourites heading into the new season.</li></ul>Source:&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.mfhlu18aaa.com/">MFHL U18 AAA official site</a>.CSSHL — Manitoba programsPilot Mound<ul><li>The U15 Prep Buffaloes opened with a 10–2 victory over Notre Dame on September 26, led by Zac Klassen’s three goals and two assists. They followed with a 6–1 win Sunday, with Mohammad Rafih scoring a hat trick.</li><li>Pilot Mound’s U17 team split two games with RINK Winnipeg: a 4–3 home victory Saturday and a 3–1 road loss Sunday.</li><li>Standouts:&nbsp;Klassen, Rafih and goaltender Vojta Svoboda, who made 41 saves in Saturday’s win over RINK.</li><li>Team Storyline:&nbsp;“The Czech wall in Pilot Mound” — Svoboda’s adjustment to Manitoba and his 41-save performance offer a strong international-development story.&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.csshl.ca/game-day-recap-september-26-2026/?utm_source=chatgpt.com">Canadian Sport School Hockey League</a></li></ul>RINK Winnipeg<ul><li>The U17 team rebounded from Saturday’s loss to Pilot Mound with a three-goal third period in Sunday’s 3–1 victory. Owen Anderson assisted on two goals.</li><li>The U17 Prep team endured an 11–1 loss to South Alberta on September 21, leaving it 1–1–2 at that point.</li><li>Team storyline:&nbsp;RINK’s ability to respond after setbacks—both within a weekend and between games—provides an early measure of its young teams.</li></ul>Balmoral Hall<ul><li>Game-inactive/unavailable:&nbsp;No verified result or standings movement was located during the reporting window.</li><li>The CSSHL published a September 23 Women’s Spotlight on Chelsea Dinnin, offering a timely off-ice storyline about the people shaping the Blazers’ environment.</li><li>Team Storyline:&nbsp;Dinnin’s role within Balmoral Hall could anchor a broader piece on the women behind Manitoba’s female academy programs.</li></ul>Sources:&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.csshl.ca/game-day-recap-september-26-2026/?utm_source=chatgpt.com">September 26 CSSHL recap</a>,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.csshl.ca/game-day-recap-september-27-2026/?utm_source=chatgpt.com">September 27 CSSHL recap</a>,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.csshl.ca/?utm_source=chatgpt.com">CSSHL official site</a>.&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.csshl.ca/game-day-recap-september-26-2026/?utm_source=chatgpt.com">Canadian Sport School Hockey League</a>Best immediate Game On Stories:&nbsp;Pembina Valley’s 2–0 MMJHL launch, Vojta Svoboda’s 41-save performance for Pilot Mound and the developing Pilot Mound–RINK U17 rivalry.&nbsp;

The 2026-27 campaign is upon us, transcona's mcClure has Season's First Monster game

<h2>Jets fall to Oilers in final home pre-season test</h2>The Winnipeg Jets' B team didn't quite have the firepower to out-play the Edmonton Oilers' B team on Tuesday night from Canada Life Centre.In the second test of a back-to-back for Winnipeg, the Jets fell 2-1 in overtime to the visitors, ending their brief home exhibition schedule in the shortened four-game NHL pre-season this fall.Having beat the visiting Avalanche on Monday night with an entirely different roster, head coach Scott Arniel opted to bring out the other half of his training camp group in a home game before a number of cuts take place on Wednesday.Winnipeg used Domenic DiVincentiis in goal, to whom made 21 saves on the 23 shots he faced. He gave up a goal that looked like goaltender interference in the first period, but due to Coach's Challenges being unavailable on Tuesday, it was not reviewed. He then gave up the winner on what looked like a too-many men rush up ice from the Oilers.Alex Iafallo got the Jets' lone goal 13 minutes into the game as he put home the rebound off a Nino Niederreiter shot.The Jets hit the road for Colorado to which they will play their final pre-season contest, before opening the season on Friday, October 2 against the visiting Boston Bruins.HIGHLIGHTS:<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://x.com/CBrooksie84/status/2102544269357588667">https://x.com/CBrooksie84/status/2102544269357588667</a>PHOTOS:The extended photo library from Tuesday's game vs. Edmonton is courtesy of Rusty Barton and James Carey Lauder:<img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/rusty_mg_0915.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/rusty_mg_0862.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/rusty-_mg_0851.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/rusty-_mg_1048.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/rusty_mg_1029.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/rusty-_mg_0889.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/carey-1h0a9205.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/rusty-_mg_1105.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/carey-1h0a8990.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/carey-1h0a7101.jpg">QUOTEABLE:Alex Iafallo on the younger Jets:“Oh, for sure. I think seeing that these guys, they're asking questions. They're putting work in.&nbsp;I wish I would have asked more questions when I was younger. I want to streamline a lot of things faster, but I think they're doing a great job. And you make mistakes, obviously, but it's just how you correct them.”Domenic DiVincentiis on his first game back:"Yeah, it was awesome. It was great to be back. &nbsp;I mean, hockey seasons around the corner, and felt good to be back out there, get the rust off, and unfortunately, we just came short. But I thought we played a really solid game out there."WHAT’S NEXT:Winnipeg will conclude its exhibition schedule on Friday in Colorado before preparing to host the Boston Bruins one week later to open the 2026-27 season.

GAME ON GAME RECAP: WINNIPEG JETS 1 EDMONTON OILERS 2 (OVERTIME)

Everything is heating up. The Manitoba hockey season has started right across the province. Here’s the latest news…Game On Hockey Brief — September 14–20The MMJHL supplied the week’s verified game action. The other leagues remained in tryout or preseason mode, with several official sites still lacking dependable scores and individual statistics.MMJHL<ul><li>River East posted two victories: 5–2 over St. Boniface on September 15 and 5–3 over Charleswood on September 18.<img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/4.-kartsten-woloshen-river-east.jpg">Karsten Woloshen off the River East Royal Knights (Dave Willson)</li><li>St. James delivered the week’s biggest offensive statement, routing the Raiders 13–2. Stonewall beat Pembina Valley 7–3, St. Vital defeated the Twins 4–2, and Transcona downed St. Vital 3–1.</li><li>These were exhibition games, so the regular-season standings remain at zero. League play begins September 24.</li><li>Team watch:&nbsp;River East’s unbeaten week makes the Royal Knights an early team to monitor. St. James’s 13-goal outburst raises expectations for another dangerous Canucks attack.</li><li>Top Storyline:&nbsp;“Life after Barry Bonni” — how new owner Manny Minuk intends to preserve River East’s culture while putting his own stamp on the organization.</li></ul>Sources:&nbsp;<a target="_new" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.mmjhl.ca/news/2026-2027/Exhibition-Game-Result-September-15-2878">September 15 result</a>,&nbsp;<a target="_new" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.mmjhl.ca/news/2026-2027/Exhibition-Game-Results-September-16-17-2879">September 16–17 results</a>,&nbsp;<a target="_new" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.mmjhl.ca/news/2026-2027/Exhibition-Game-Results-September-18-2880">September 18 results</a>.CRJHL<ul><li>Inactive/unavailable:&nbsp;No verified results, standings movement or current individual statistics were available from the official site for September 14–20.</li><li>Expansion Altona remains the central preseason storyline as the league prepares to grow to eight clubs.</li><li>Top Storyline:&nbsp;League President Chris Poponick comments on what’s in store for the 2026-27 season and beyond.</li></ul>Source:&nbsp;<a target="_new" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.crjhl.com/">CRJHL official site</a>.KJHL<ul><li>Inactive:&nbsp;No league games or standings movement. The published schedule points to opening action on September 26, including NCN visiting Cross Lake.</li><li>Current rosters and individual player information remain limited publicly.</li><li>Top storyline:&nbsp;Preview opening night through the NCN–Cross Lake rivalry—returning players, community significance and the travel demands behind northern Junior B hockey.</li></ul>Source:&nbsp;<a target="_new" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.keystonejr.ca/">KJHL official site</a>.MWJHL<ul><li>The final rookies-and-draft-eligible evaluations were scheduled for September 15. No official results or individual assessment statistics were published.</li><li>The regular season begins September 24 with Prairie Blaze–Western Predators and Silvertips–Manitoba Golden Eagles. All eight clubs currently sit 0–0.</li><li>Top storyline:&nbsp;A new season begins this week.</li><li>Source:&nbsp;<a target="_new" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.themwjhl.ca/teams/?s=hockey&amp;u=MWJHL">MWJHL schedule and standings</a>.</li></ul>MFHL U18 AAA<ul><li>Inactive/unavailable:&nbsp;No verified league scores, standings movement or statistical leaders were publicly available.</li><li>The Central Plains Capitals held their annual female showcase at Stride Place in Portage la Prairie. The competition was intense, the friendships that developed were even more important.<img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/westman-wildcats-at-the-showcase.jpg">The Westman Wildcats enjoying the 2026-27 Central Plains Showcase (Darryl Gershman)</li><li>Top Storyline:&nbsp;A preseason “seven players to watch” package—one returning leader or impact rookie from each team—would fill the information gap before meaningful league results arrive.</li></ul>Sources:&nbsp;<a target="_new" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.mfhlu18aaa.com/">MFHL U18 AAA official site</a>,&nbsp;<a target="_new" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.mfhlu18aaa.com/teams/?s=hockey&amp;t=c&amp;u=PVHAWKSFEMALE">Pembina Valley Hawks</a>.CSSHL — Manitoba programs<ul><li>RINK Winnipeg:&nbsp;The U15 Prep team hosted Team North Dakota for three exhibitions from September 18–20. The official schedule did not publish final scores or individual statistics, so no dependable standouts can be identified. No CSSHL standings movement resulted.</li><li>Pilot Mound:&nbsp;No verified result was located during the reporting window.</li><li>Balmoral Hall:&nbsp;Played at the Stoney Creek, Ontario Showcase.</li><li>Team storyline:&nbsp;RINK’s three-game U15 weekend provided its first sustained test before October’s CSSHL schedule, including meetings with Pilot Mound.</li><li>Top storyline:&nbsp;“Building chemistry in a weekend” — how academy coaches use condensed exhibition series to determine lines, defensive pairings and goaltending roles.</li></ul>Sources:&nbsp;<a target="_new" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.rinkhockeyacademywinnipeg.ca/u15-prep/schedule/">RINK Winnipeg U15 Prep schedule</a>,&nbsp;<a target="_new" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://pilotmoundhockeyacademy.com/csshl-releases-2026-27-western-division-schedule/">Pilot Mound schedule announcement</a>,&nbsp;<a target="_new" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.csshl.ca/">CSSHL official site</a>.Best immediate Game On leads:&nbsp;River East’s ownership transition and fast preseason start, the construction of Altona’s first CRJHL roster, and the final placement of players following the MWJHL’s centralized evaluations.&nbsp;

ICE Sweep Opening Round Playoff Series with Victory Over Tigers

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