The Edmonton Oilers are just one win away from the Western Conference Final.

On Tuesday evening, the Oilers hosted the Calgary Flames in Game 4 of the battle of Alberta from Rogers Place. Unlike Sunday's 4-1 thrashing by the visiting Oilers, Tuesday's game was nose-to-nose and went right down to the wire.

A number of heavy collisions - including one between run-and-gun teammates Zack Kassian and Josh Archibald - highlighted what was a fast paced start to an incredibly important Game 4 that saw Edmonton enter up two games to one after starting the series on the road.

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But despite the hilarity, the Oilers did get out to a scorching start. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored just 21 seconds into the contest, before a Zach Hyman power play marker gave Edmonton a quick 2-0 lead before the 10 minute mark of the opening frame. With just over a minute left to play, Evander Kane scored, putting the Oilers up 3-0 after 20 minutes.

Two goals in 36 seconds of the second period got Calgary right back in the game. Elias Lindholm's power play marker at 9:04 of the middle stanza set the tone for an immediate response from Mikael Backlund on his fourth of the postseason.

Then, with half a period to go, Rasmus Andersson knotted the game at threes on an absurdly unbelievable dump-in that seemingly caught Oilers' goaltender Mike Smith sleeping.

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"I can laugh now," Smith told reporters post-game. "I don't think there has been a time in my career where I lost a puck and had no idea where it went."

It wasn't pretty, but luckily for the veteran goaltender his teammate Ryan Nugent-Hopkins bailed him out by potting his second of the game with just 3:27 to play. Evander Kane added his second marker - a power play empty-netter - sealing the deal on a 5-3 win over arch-rival Calgary.

The two teams will now return to Calgary where the Flames will look to keep their season alive at home, while the Oilers will look to close out the hosts and move on to the third round with a date against either the Colorado Avalanche or St. Louis Blues. Action from the Saddledome will begin at 8:30 PM central on Thursday.

Oilers Take Massive 3-1 Series Lead in Battle of Alberta

There would appear to be new life in the Winnipeg Jets.&nbsp;After Tuesday’s remarkable comeback in Montreal, the Jets kept rolling on Thursday night in front of 13,312 at Canada Life Centre. Winnipeg got goals from six different players en route to a 6-2 shellacking of the last place Vancouver Canucks.&nbsp;Suddenly, after struggling through a nine-game losing streak, the Jets have won two-in-row and are now 6-8-3 and, amazingly, back in the thick of things in the Western Conference. Meanwhile, the lowly Canucks have fallen to 3-14-1 and are dead last in the NHL.&nbsp;The Jets got multi-point nights from a handful of players – Mark Scheifele had a goal and an assist. Dawson Mercer scored his first of the year and first as a Jet and added an assist. Kyle Connor and Dylan DeMelo each had two assists and Viggo Bjorck assisted on Scheifele’s goal -- his first NHL point. The Jets, after struggling to score for nine games, have suddenly notched 10 goals in two games and have a pile of secondary scoring.&nbsp;<img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/dawson-mercer.jpg">Dawson Mercer (Photo by James Carey Lauder)All in all, it was a fun night for the Jets and their fans at the downtown rink.&nbsp;It didn’t take long for the Jets to get on the board. On the power play at 3:49 of the opening period, Alex Iafallo, tipped Haydn Fleury’s shot from the point and it eluded Vancouver netminder Leevi Merilainen. It was Winnipeg’s fourth shot of the period, and it gave Iafallo his fourth goal of the season. Fleury and Dawson Mercer drew the assists.&nbsp;The Jets made it 2-0 just 13 seconds later as Cole Koepke’s shot from an odd angle deflected off Merilainen’s pad and dribbled between his legs across the red line. It was Koepke’s second of the year as Morgan Barron drew the assist.&nbsp;The Jets had outshot Vancouver 7-0 when Lian Ohgren crossed the Winnipeg blueline and appeared to be making a pass when he adjusted and whipped a shot along the ice past a started Stu Skinner. That made it 2-1 even though Winnipeg was dominating the game.&nbsp;The Jets got their two-goal lead back at 14:04 as Dawson Mercer scored his first goal of the season and first as a member of the Winnipeg Jets. After Cole Perfetti drove hard to the net and was turned away by Merilainen, Mercer got in position in the slot and rifled a pass from Perfetti into the back of the Vancouver net. Perfetti (6) and Dylan DeMelo (6) drew the assists. Getting Mercer rolling would be the best thing to happen to the Jets.&nbsp;<img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/scheifele-and-connor.jpg">Scheifele and Connor each had two-point nights (Photo by James Carey Lauder)At the end of the first 20 minutes, the Jets led 3-1 and had outshot the Canucks 12-6.&nbsp;The Jets made it 4-1 at the 6:52 mark of the second period when Neal Pionk banged home a Kyle Connor rebound right on the Canucks doorstep. Connor (5) and Gabriel Vilardi (7) drew the assists.&nbsp;The Jets widened the lead to 5-1 at 11:36 when Kyle Connor left another rebound right in front of the Vancouver net and Mark Scheifele poked it home with one hand to record his third of the season. Connor and Viggo Bjorck, with his first NHL point, gave the Jets a four-goal lead.&nbsp;<img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/skinner-stop.jpg">A Skinner stop (Photo by James Carey Lauder)After 40 minutes, the Jets were in complete control, had outshot Vancouver 22-18 and were getting another solid goaltending performance from Stu Skinner.&nbsp;In the third period, Mario Ferraro fired a shot from the left circle into a wide-open cage as the Jets took a 6-1 lead at 11:32. Mark Scheifele set it up and picked up his 13th assist of the season while DeMelo also drew an assist, his second of the night.&nbsp;Brock Boeser made it 6-2 with a goal at 15:09, but it didn’t alter the outcome.&nbsp;Winnipeg outshot Vancouver 29-26, and outhit them 32-20. Stu Skinner got the win in goal. Mercer, Scheifele and Bjorck were the three stars.&nbsp;The Jets will get back at it again on Sunday night when the Tampa Bay Lightning come to town for a 6 o’clock puck drop. It’s Filipino Heritage Night.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

The Comeback In Montreal GiveS Jets New Life, Come Home & Whip Canucks 6-2

Kids ask Coach Andy Kollar, “What is the best pathway to success in hockey?” He always answers the same way. “There isn’t just one.” And he’s living proof.Andy Kollar has been inducted into the University of North Dakota Athletics Hall of Fame twice.That's two more times than the Winnipeg-born goaltender probably expected when he couldn't even make his local AAA bantam hockey team.Then again, nobody ever said the road to hockey greatness had to be a straight line.For Kollar, the longtime head instructor of goaltender development at Winnipeg's Ice Lab, that road included a few community clubs, a stop with the River East Kodiaks, a Manitoba Junior Hockey League championship, a season in Fargo and, eventually, two trips to the NCAA national championship game.And now, 25 years later, another trip back to Grand Forks to celebrate one of the most memorable periods of his life.The funny thing is, when North Dakota called to tell him his 2000-01 Fighting Sioux team was being inducted into the Athletics Hall of Fame, Kollar thought somebody had made a mistake."I got a call this summer and they said they're inducting us into the Hall of Fame," Kollar laughed. "I'm like, 'I think you guys are wrong because you already inducted us.'"I didn't know that it was per team and that each team could get in. I thought once you're in, you're in."Turns out, the university knew exactly what it was doing.Kollar was already a Hall of Famer as a member of North Dakota's 1999-2000 national championship team. Now, the 2000-01 squad, which returned to the national championship game before losing to Boston College in overtime, was receiving its own recognition.Two teams. Two inductions. One remarkable college hockey career.And one very grateful Winnipegger."It's pretty exciting because it was such a big period of my life," Kollar said. "Not just the hockey, but the people that I've met there. We've kept track of each other and had group chats over the last 25 years."I cringe when I say that number because it's been that long."The reunion was almost as enjoyable as the honour itself."It's fun to get back and see everybody and see the gray hairs and the no hairs and the weight changes and everybody's families and what the kids are doing," he said."It's such a great program to be a part of and how well they treat us. I'm very humble about it, but it's a big part of my life and very important to me."Kollar spent five years at North Dakota, including a redshirt season. During his four playing seasons, he was part of two teams that reached the NCAA championship game.In 2000, North Dakota defeated Boston College in Providence, Rhode Island, to capture the national title.A year later, the Fighting Sioux met Boston College again, this time in Albany, New York.<img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/5.-andy-kollar-2.jpg">Andy Kollar coaching at hockey for all centre's Ice Lab (Photo by Jonathan Kozub)That second championship game became memorable for coach Dean Blais's decision to pull his goaltender with approximately five minutes remaining. North Dakota rallied to force overtime but couldn't complete the comeback."We tied it up and got to overtime, which was pretty cool," Kollar recalled. "But we didn't get to pull that one off."Just to be able to go back to it back-to-back, it's pretty cool."For a young man whose hockey career began in Winnipeg's River East neighbourhood, it was an extraordinary accomplishment.And it all started with his father."My dad was my idol and he was a goalie," Kollar said.His father immigrated to Canada from Slovakia in 1968, during the Soviet-led invasion of Czechoslovakia. Although he'd grown up playing soccer, he developed a passion for hockey after arriving in Canada.He became a recreational goaltender, and young Andy was hooked."I just saw him playing beer hockey and I loved it," Kollar said. "I just wanted to do it. I think I've been a goalie since I started. I don't even know how to skate in regular hockey skates. I've been in goalie skates my whole life."Kollar's minor hockey career took him through seemingly every corner of northeast Winnipeg: Gateway Flyers, Bronx Bruins, Melrose Missiles, North Kildonan Cobras, Valley Gardens “whatever we were.”If there was a rink in the neighbourhood, chances are Andy Kollar played there. But his journey wasn't without disappointment.He was cut from his local AAA program and wound up playing high school hockey with the River East Kodiaks. That disappointment could have ended his dream. Instead, it became part of a hockey education that would eventually take him to one of the NCAA's most prestigious programs.From the Kodiaks, Kollar joined the St. James Canadians of the MJHL, where he helped win a league championship in his rookie season.He then moved to the Fargo Sharks of the United States Hockey League before earning an opportunity at UND.High school hockey. Junior A. The USHL. NCAA Division I. Four seasons. Four different levels.Not exactly the conventional route to college hockey stardom."That's another part of the story when kids ask me what's the right path," Kollar said. "There is no right path to me. Just be ready. Make yourself the &nbsp;best as you can when your opportunity arises."It's a philosophy he now shares regularly with young goaltenders at the Ice Lab. And it's one that comes from experience."I've been through a lot of it and there's been a lot of heartache and a lot of leaving friends," he said. "I gave up a lot."I loved hockey so much. I just wanted to play anywhere I could. Just persevere as much as you can. When your time's ready, be able to shine."Interestingly, after his playing career ended, Kollar wanted nothing to do with hockey. He returned to Winnipeg, took a job selling industrial fasteners and spent approximately seven years working in industrial sales.He needed a break from the game. But hockey has a funny way of calling people home.In 2014, Dwayne Green, who had been involved with the St. James Canadians during Kollar's junior career, contacted him about an opportunity at the Ice Lab. Kollar jumped at it."I started missing hockey a lot," he said. "When Dwayne asked me, it was a no-brainer. I jumped right on the opportunity, and I've been here since 2014."Today, he helps young goaltenders develop their skills, confidence and understanding of a position he has loved since childhood.He also understands that hockey success isn't always measured by championships, scholarships or Hall of Fame plaques.Sometimes it's about perseverance.Sometimes it's about opportunity.And sometimes it's about a kid who gets cut from AAA, keeps working and eventually winds up celebrating two remarkable teams at one of college hockey's great institutions."I love what I do," Kollar said. "My body's hurting, but when I get on the ice, I forget about it."And I just have a blast."Two Hall of Fame inductions later, Andy Kollar is still having a blast.And somewhere along the way, that kid from River East who just wanted to be like his dad became a pretty remarkable example for the next generation.&nbsp;

Twice as Nice: Andy Kollar Inducted Once Again into UND's Athletics Hall

<blockquote>Together, the hockey for all centre and the folks from Hockeyball are taking the game into Winnipeg’s Schools. Meghan Dubé is helping to lead the charge.</blockquote>Forget the expensive equipment. Forget the early-morning practices. Forget the ice time, the skates and the long drives to the rink.Sometimes, all it takes to fall in love with hockey is a stick, a ball and a school gymnasium.And if Meghan Dubé and the folks at hockey for all centre have their way, thousands of Winnipeg youngsters are about to discover that Canada's favourite winter game doesn't necessarily need winter — or even ice.Welcome to floor hockey, an exciting school-based initiative designed to put hockey sticks into the hands of children who might otherwise never have the opportunity to play.It's hockey without the barriers. And it's already making an impression."We're hoping within the next two years that we're able to reach all the elementary and middle schools in Winnipeg," said Dubé, the IGF Program Coordinator at hockey for all centre. "Our thought process is kind of just if we can get sticks in the hands of as many kids as possible, we're creating better athletes, more well-rounded athletes."The initial undertaking is ambitious.Working with the Winnipeg School Division, the program is scheduled to visit approximately 65 elementary and middle schools before Christmas. It's a pilot project with the potential to become something much bigger.And for Dubé, who joined hockey for all centre only five months ago, it's already one of the most rewarding parts of her job.<img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/6.-hockeyball-sticks-at-hockey-for-all-centre.jpg">Hockeyball sticks at hockey for all centre (Photo by Jonathan Kozub)"We've already started," she said enthusiastically. "We've done five schools already and we'll do another couple to finish off the week. The next week's fully packed as well."The concept is beautifully simple.Schools can choose a half-day or full-day visit, during which floor hockey coaches work alongside physical education teachers to introduce students to the game.Using specially designed equipment and a curriculum developed by Sport for Life, youngsters learn everything from holding a stick to controlling the ball, developing skills and eventually playing the game.But there's something particularly interesting about floor hockey.It doesn't necessarily matter whether a youngster has played ice hockey for years or has never picked up a stick.The equipment and playing style are different enough that almost everyone begins on relatively equal footing."Today, for example, we spent time with a class where half the kids had never really played hockey and half the kids were very experienced," Dubé explained. “Because floor hockey is so different from on-ice hockey, everyone's kind of on a level playing field -- it's a new stick, it's completely different with a little ball. Everyone's on a pretty even playing field."That's an important distinction.For a youngster who has never played organized hockey, stepping into a gymnasium with experienced players can be intimidating.Floor hockey with Hockeyball equipment changes that dynamic. Instead of watching the established players dominate, newcomers can participate, learn and enjoy the experience from the opening whistle. And perhaps, just perhaps, discover a sport they'll want to play for years.The program also delivers something valuable to the teachers.Participating schools receive a year's access to Sport for Life's PlayBuilder platform, an extensive online resource featuring drills, demonstrations, lesson plans and teaching materials for numerous sports."It's incredible," Dubé said. "It is so detailed. It's got drills and lesson plans and practices and demonstrations. You can create a lesson plan for your entire semester or your term in like six steps."That means the program's impact can continue long after the floor hockey &nbsp;coaches have packed up their equipment and moved on to the next school.And there's another important reason the Winnipeg School Division was selected for the pilot project: Accessibility.For many families, organized ice hockey is simply too expensive. Between equipment, registration fees, transportation and ice time, the financial barriers can be overwhelming.Dubé pointed out that the school division serves neighbourhoods where many youngsters might never have the opportunity to experience traditional hockey.Floor hockey offers another door into the sport."Kids who might not otherwise have the opportunity to try on-ice hockey — there's just so many barriers," she said. "Equipment is expensive. To be able to give the equipment to these kids for them to try it, and then maybe steer them toward programming for kids who've never tried hockey."It's an approach that fits perfectly with the growing emphasis on introducing children to sport before worrying about competition.First, make it fun. Then, give them an opportunity to develop. And if some eventually graduate to ice hockey, terrific.If they simply become more active, confident youngsters who enjoy participating in sport, that's a pretty impressive victory, too.The launch received additional support from Hockeyball representatives Dave and Greg Beaudin, who travelled to Winnipeg around the NHL Heritage Classic festivities to help introduce the program and train the local coaching staff.Dubé and two fellow coaches received hands-on instruction before assuming responsibility for delivering the program in Winnipeg schools."It's been really nice because we're getting hands-on training," she said. "Once Dave and Greg leave, we kind of get to take over and be the main coaches for the program."And the initiative has already extended beyond Winnipeg.Dubé recently travelled to Pikangikum First Nation in northwestern Ontario as part of a visit involving the NHL, former NHL player Andrew Ference and Project 11.The Hockeyball group brought equipment and introduced the program to local educators, while Project 11 provided mental-health education and resources.Three bags of Hockeyball equipment were donated, along with additional hockey equipment from the NHL."It was an amazing visit," Dubé said. "The community was awesome. They were so welcoming."That experience has opened conversations about bringing similar opportunities to additional First Nations and remote communities. For Dubé, it's another example of how hockey can connect people regardless of geography or circumstance. And she knows a little something about that connection.A lifelong hockey player who grew up in the Southdale and East End hockey communities, Dubé began her working career teaching skating lessons for True North.She eventually became involved in coaching and introductory hockey programs, while also working tournaments at hockey for all centre.After graduating from the University of Manitoba's Recreation Management and Community Development program, she joined the organization full-time. Today, her responsibilities include tournaments, girls' hockey programming and now implementing the floor hockey program.She's also in her fifth year of coaching female hockey in Winnipeg, currently working with U15 and high school teams."I love it," she said. "It's so fun."Having grown up without female coaches herself, Dubé appreciates the opportunity to become a role model for young players. And although floor hockey wasn't part of her own playing background, she has quickly recognized its possibilities."It's such a good pathway into ice hockey for kids who might not get to try," she said.That's really what this program is all about: Not creating the next Stu Skinner or Mark Scheifele — although nobody would complain if that happened. It's about opportunity. It's about opening doors that have traditionally been closed by cost, circumstance or geography.And it's about introducing youngsters to the joy of hockey before anyone starts worrying about standings, statistics or championships.Sixty-five schools before Christmas. Potentially every elementary and middle school in Winnipeg within two years. And maybe, eventually, communities far beyond the city limits.For Meghan Dubé and the hockey for all centre floor hockey team, the mission is simple: Get sticks into kids' hands.Let them play.And watch what happens next.&nbsp;

Floor Hockey Returns to Winnipeg Schools: Sticks in Hands, Smiles on faces

&nbsp;River East provided the big upset, D-man Rhylan Baxter and U15 RINK star Lyric Selch provided the points and Isabelle Labossiere made the saves. It’s been another great week of Manitoba hockey.Game On Hockey Brief — October 26–November 1River East ended St. James’ nine-game MMJHL winning streak, RINK Winnipeg’s teams produced several eye-catching performances, and Balmoral Hall split two radically different CSSHL results.MMJHL<ul><li>Headline result:&nbsp;River East defeated first-place St. James 6-2 Sunday. The Royal Knights scored six times over the final 40 minutes, with Paul Woloshen contributing two goals. The loss ended the Canucks’ nine-game winning streak.</li><li>Standings:&nbsp;St. James remains first at 11-2 with 22 points. St. Boniface is four points back at 9-4, followed by River East at 7-4-1 and Transcona at 6-4-2.</li><li>Other Sunday results:&nbsp;Transcona edged the Twins 5-4 in overtime; St. Vital earned its third win, 4-3 over the Raiders. St. Boniface extended its streak to three victories.</li><li>Player watch:&nbsp;St. James defenceman Rhylan Baxter has moved atop the league’s scoring list with 28 points, including 18 assists. Transcona’s Ryder McLure has 21 points, while Pembina Valley’s Haiden Friesen also has 21.</li><li>Team storyline:&nbsp;River East has won two straight despite losing Terry Sawchuk Arena for the season. Sunday’s victory over the league leader provides the strongest evidence yet that the disruption has not derailed the team.</li><li>Feature angle:&nbsp;“The road warriors” — how River East has converted displacement, schedule changes and uncertainty into a legitimate challenge for a top-three position.</li></ul>Sources:&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.mmjhl.ca/?utm_source=chatgpt.com">MMJHL results</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/?utm_source=chatgpt.com">Manitoba Major Junior Hockey League</a>CRJHL<ul><li>Comets Flying: The Beausejour Comets continue to ride high atop the CRJHL standings. With a record of 8-1-0 in their nine games so far this season, the Comets lead second-place LaBroquerie and Arborg by nine points. There is a huge game coming up this Friday night at the Hylife Centre with Beausejour in LaBroquerie.&nbsp;</li><li>Maroons on the Board: It took seven games, but Altona finally notched its first win, a 4-1 victory over Selkirk at the Sunflower Centre. Carson Inman led the way with two goals and an assist.</li><li>Scoring Leaders: Beausejour’s Jackson Kostiuk continues to lead all scorers with nine goals and 25 points. Teammate Job Peters is next with nine goals and 20 points. Last year’s MVP, Brandon Burak of Arborg is third with seven goals and 15 points in eight games.</li><li>Feature angle:&nbsp;“Expansion at the quarter pole” — assess Altona’s first month through roster stability, attendance, community response and the players who have seized larger opportunities.</li></ul>Source:&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.crjhl.com/?utm_source=chatgpt.com">CRJHL official site</a>.KJHL<ul><li>Two at the Top:&nbsp;The defending champion OCN Storm and the talented Cross Lake Islanders lead the KJHL standings although OCN has two games in hand. OCN is 5-1-2 after eight games while the Islanders are 5-3-2 after 10. Peguis Juniors also have five wins. The Juniors are 5-3-0 after just eight games and are right in the hunt while Norway House is next at 4-2-1 after seven outings.</li><li>A Scoring Flurry: Goals have been easy to come by this season. OCN’s Player of the Month Keestin Danielson is on top of the scoring heap with 15 goals and 29 points in. eight games. Cross Lake’s Jayden Blacksmith is next with 18 goals and 25 points in nine games. Shalen Duliak of the Storm is third with 10 goals and 25 points while veteran Peguis star Darian Sinclair is fourth with 11 goals and 24 points in eight games.</li><li>Feature angle:&nbsp;“Who keeps Junior B alive in the North?” — profile the team governors, billet families, drivers and volunteers doing the behind-the-scenes work in KJHL communities.</li></ul>Source:&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.keystonejr.ca/">KJHL official site</a>.MWJHL<ul><li>Standings entering Sunday:&nbsp;Polar Ice led at 7-1-1 with 15 points, one ahead of Northern Stars. Manitoba Blizzard sat third with 13 points and one game in hand on Polar.</li><li>October 25 movement:&nbsp;Northern edged Silvertips 2-1 to move into second. The Grey Owls earned their first regulation victory, 2-1 over the Golden Eagles.</li><li>Sunday’s November 1 games were listed, but dependable final scores had not populated in the official feed.</li><li>Player watch:&nbsp;Silvertips’ Chloe Nicolas leads with 21 points. Polar’s Maisie Duffin and Silvertips’ Raya Hrankowski have 19 apiece. Duffin’s 11 goals remain the league high.<img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/raya-2.jpg">Raya Hrankowski (Photo by Rusty Barton)</li><li>Feature angle:&nbsp;“The climb of the Northern Stars” — how a team allowing fewer than two goals per game moved within one point of first place.</li></ul>Source:&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.themwjhl.ca/teams/?s=hockey&amp;u=MWJHL&amp;utm_source=chatgpt.com">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>Wildcats on Top: The Westman Wildcats are off to a red-hot start with eight wins in their first nine games to top the MFHL U18 AAA loop with 16 points. The Winnipeg Avros, coming off a thrilling overtime victory over the defending champion Ice, are next at 7-1-0 while the Ice are now 6-1-1. Eastman is fourth at 5-1-1.</li><li>Top Scorers: Hailey Terrick of the Central Plains Capitals leads all scorers with seven goals and 10 points. Kate Cairns, captain of the Ice, is next with three goals and 10 points. Two Westman Wildcats come next: Ava Snyder has five goals and nine points while Georgia Koop has four goals and nine points. Veterans Gabby Robbins of the Ice has six goals and eight points.</li><li>Feature angle:&nbsp;Winnipeg’s Ice–Avros rivalry—how the programs differ in roster construction, development philosophy and pathways beyond U18.</li></ul>Sources:&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.mfhlu18aaa.com/teams/?s=hockey&amp;u=MFHL-U18AAA&amp;utm_source=chatgpt.com">MFHL official site</a>,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.mfhlu18aaa.com/teams/default.asp?p=schedule&amp;s=hockey&amp;u=MFHL-U18AAA&amp;utm_source=chatgpt.com">MFHL schedule</a>.CSSHL — Manitoba programsRINK Hockey Academy Winnipeg<ul><li>Women’s U18 Prep:&nbsp;Rebounded from a 10-1 loss to OHA Edmonton by defeating Northern Alberta Xtreme 3-2 in overtime. Captain Rowyn Street assisted on Mullen Macintyre’s late tying goal, then scored the overtime winner.</li><li>U18 Prep:&nbsp;Beat NAX 6-5 Saturday on Madden Atkinson’s deciding goal, but lost the rematch 5-1 Sunday. Colton Ross scored a Michigan goal in Saturday’s victory.</li><li>U15 Prep:&nbsp;Outscored Prairie Hockey Academy 36-0 in two games—17-0 and 19-0—then blanked Notre Dame 11-0. Hunter Lang had four goals and two assists Saturday; Lyrik Selch scored six times over the final two games.</li><li>U15:&nbsp;Completed a three-game weekend sweep with an 8-3 win over Notre Dame. Adrian Sinclair recorded four points.</li><li>U17 Prep:&nbsp;Extended its winning streak to four with victories over Indigenous Sports Academy. Eli Wasylyk produced a hat trick and five points Saturday; Aiden Christie scored twice Sunday.</li><li>Feature angle:&nbsp;“Captain’s answer” — Street’s leadership in turning a nine-goal defeat into an overtime victory less than 24 hours later.</li><li>Editorial caution:&nbsp;The extraordinary U15 Prep margins deserve context—competitive balance, development benefits and how coaches keep such games constructive.</li></ul>Balmoral Hall Blazers<ul><li>Balmoral Hall defeated Northern Alberta Xtreme 6-1 Saturday. Defenceman Lucy Ring had two goals and an assist, Adley Harrison added three points and Isabelle Labossiere stopped 29 of 30 shots.<img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/black-green-1h0a5839.jpg">Lucy Ring (Photo by James Carey Lauder)</li><li>The Blazers then suffered their first loss, falling 7-0 to OHA Edmonton on Sunday.</li><li>Brannagh Rae continues to lead all Blazers in scoring with four goals and eight points while Lucy Ring has three goals and six points.</li><li>Team storyline:&nbsp;The weekend showed both Balmoral’s considerable ceiling and the challenge of maintaining that level on consecutive days.</li></ul>&nbsp;Pilot Mound Hockey Academy<ul><li>U18 Prep:&nbsp;Lost 9-0 to OHA Edmonton on October 31. Pilot Mound was outshot 18-4 in the opening period, while OHA’s Joshua Frazer recorded a hat trick.</li><li>No other dependable Pilot Mound result was identified during the reporting window.</li><li>Feature angle:&nbsp;Goaltending and resilience under heavy workloads—how Pilot Mound evaluates progress in games where the shot differential becomes the central challenge.</li></ul>Sources:&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.csshl.ca/game-day-recap-october-31-2026/?utm_source=chatgpt.com">CSSHL October 31 recap</a>,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.csshl.ca/game-day-recap-november-1-2026/?utm_source=chatgpt.com">CSSHL November 1 recap</a>.&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.csshl.ca/game-day-recap-october-31-2026/?utm_source=chatgpt.com">Canadian Sport School Hockey League</a>Best immediate Game On leads:&nbsp;River East thriving without its home arena, Rowyn Street’s captain’s response, Balmoral Hall processing its first defeat and the competitive-balance questions raised by RINK’s three consecutive U15 Prep shutouts.&nbsp;

Baxter, Duffin, Danielson, Terrick, Kostiuk Leap to the Scoring Leads

No. 10 Clarkson (8-4-0) remains an undefeated 2-0-0 in the ECAC and much of the reason for the team's success falls onto the shoulders of Winnipeg's gifted Manness sisters.The Golden Knights offensive production is led by junior forward&nbsp;Jessie&nbsp;Pellerin&nbsp;(Bowmanville, Ontario), who has 18 points through the first 12 games of the season. Pellerin recorded 21 points last season and is on pace to surpass her career high as early as next week.Right behind her are sophomore sisters&nbsp;Kate&nbsp;and&nbsp;Sara&nbsp;Manness from Winnipeg. Sara, a forward, has eight goals and 13 points in only eight games this season. She's missed four games while playing for Team Canada. Kate, meanwhile, is a defender, who has four goals and 10 assists and is the leading scorer among defenders in Hockey East. She is second in scoring among defenders in all of NCAA D-1 and last year led defenders in scoring with six goals and 32 points.Two weeks ago, the Manness sisters combined for four of Clarkson’s five goals in a win over Providence and finished the weekend sweep with five points apiece.Sara was recently named to Canada’s roster for the 2026 IIHF Women’s World Championship. Last season she tallied 52 points, which helped earn her the 2026 ECAC Hockey Rookie of the Year, and shared national rookie of the year honors with Ohio State’s&nbsp;Hilda Svensson&nbsp;of Oskarshamn, Sweden.Kate recorded an impressive 32 points (six goals, 26 assists) in her freshman campaign and is on pace to surpass that total this year. Both sisters were named to the ECAC Hockey All-Rookie Team last season.<img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/sara-manness-clarkson.jpeg">Sara Manness with Clarkson (Photo by Jim Meagher)The Golden Knights hit the road for a conference weekend, and without Sara in the lineup beat Harvard 4-3 on Sarturday night.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Manness Madness at Clarkson: Sophomore Sisters Lead Golden Knights

<h2>Jets fall under .500 for the first time this season</h2>The Winnipeg Jets are not a very good hockey team right now. As a matter of fact, they could be the NHL's worst club.They are currently in the midst of a stretch that has seen them lose seven of their last eight games played, including their last six in a row.Having started out the season so well, it has been all downhill since.Connor Hellebuyck is gone, but on the night that he picked up his first win for the New Jersey Devils, his former Winnipeg Jets lost 5-1 to the visiting Florida Panthers at home.Brady Tkachuk got four points. Matthew collected three. Paul Maurice got another win at Canada Life Centre. The Jets walked out of their last game at home for a while with another loss.Captain Adam Lowry scored the lone goal for Winnipeg, which now heads out on the road for four-straight games against teams from the Eastern Conference in Tampa Bay, Florida again, Montreal again and Carolina.HIGHLIGHTS:<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://x.com/CBrooksie84/status/2115238832195170454">https://x.com/CBrooksie84/status/2115238832195170454</a><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://x.com/CBrooksie84/status/2115240011058823522">https://x.com/CBrooksie84/status/2115240011058823522</a>PHOTOS:The extended photo library from Tuesday's game vs. Florida is courtesy of Danny Truong:<img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/_l9a7169.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/_l9a7120.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/_l9a7935.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/_l9a7463.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/_l9a7272.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/_l9a8270.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/_l9a8554.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/_l9a8982.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/_l9a9063.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/_l9a9267.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/_l9a9313.jpg">QUOTEABLE:Adam Lowry on his team's performance:“Unfortunately, we didn’t use it as a good reset. The first period, just mental errors. Reads, assignments, penalty kill. We give up three goals in three minutes and obviously, you have to give them credit. They did some right things, but we kind of fed all of that offence for them and kind of continue that in the second and the third. A lot of shooting ourselves in the foot right now."Dylan DeMelo on his club's (lack of) special teams:“I don't think we did ourselves any favours, some tough penalties. Some tough penalties, some in the O-zone there, and obviously we're not trying to take penalties there, we're trying to get stick and trying to turn the puck over.&nbsp;It’s unfortunate, we obviously have to be a little better with that, and they made us pay, there's no doubt about it."WHAT’S NEXT:Winnipeg now hits the road for a critical four-game road trip to which the Jets take on Tampa Bay, Florida and Montreal again, as well as Carolina. It is safe to say the team will make its way back to Winnipeg with a new outlook on life for next week's battle with Vancouver.

GAME ON GAME RECAP: WINNIPEG JETS 1 Florida Panthers 5

Jayden Ward has been sensational, Chloe Nicholas is red-hot, Keestin Danielson and Jackson Kostiuk are the Jr. B stars and the RINK’s Andrew Wilkinson is stopping almost every shot he sees. We are well into the 2026-27 Manitoba hockey season.Game On Hockey Brief — October 19–25St. James extended its MMJHL winning streak to eight, Polar Ice retained the MWJHL lead, and RINK Winnipeg’s U17 groups delivered the strongest CSSHL results. Public reporting remains unreliable in the CRJHL, KJHL and MFHL U18 AAA.MMJHL<ul><li>Standings:&nbsp;St. James is 10-1 with 20 points—six ahead of St. Boniface—after edging the Raiders 5-4 Sunday for its eighth consecutive victory. River East and the Twins share third with 11 points.</li><li>Other Sunday results:&nbsp;St. Boniface beat River East 6-5 in overtime; Charleswood defeated Transcona 5-2; Pembina Valley routed St. Vital 7-1.</li><li>Player watch:&nbsp;St. James’ Jayden Ward leads with 27 points. Teammates Rhylan Baxter and Cole Robertson are among the top five; Robertson scored twice Sunday and now has a league-best 11 goals.<img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1.-co-winner-of-the-myron-prymak-memorial-trophy-as-mmjhl-mvp-jayden-ward-st.-james-canucks-.jpg">Jayden Ward (18) of the St. James Canucks (Photo by Dave Willson)</li><li>Standouts:&nbsp;St. Boniface’s Spencer Gair, Charleswood’s Brayden Kaludjak and Pembina Valley’s Nathan Fehr and Josh McIntyre each scored twice Sunday.</li><li>Team storyline:&nbsp;The Canucks are no longer merely winning—they are finding different heroes. Thorsteinson and Robertson scored twice against the Raiders while Baxter supplied the winner.</li><li>Feature angle:&nbsp;“Four Canucks, one scoring race” — Ward, Baxter, Robertson and Nicholas Cullen have turned the league’s leading team into an unusually balanced offensive machine.</li></ul>Source:&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.mmjhl.ca/?utm_source=chatgpt.com">MMJHL results, standings and 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>Comets Flying High:&nbsp;The Beausejour Comets are starting to pull away from the rest of the CRJHL. With a 5-2 home win over the Altona Maroons on Sunday night, the Comets improved to 7-1-0 and lead second place Arborg (5-2-0) by five points. Jackson Kostiuk scored his eighth of the season for Beausejour. Kostiuk leads all scorers with 22 points.<img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/a9304879.jpg">Jackson Kostiuk, Beausejour Comets (Photo by Rayme Thompson)</li><li>In the last week, Arborg went into Lundar and won 4-3, Beausejour walloped North Winnipeg at Billy Mosienko Arena 11-1 and then went home and beat Arborg 4-1 and then beat Altona 5-2 on Sunday night. St. Malo knocked off Altona 5-4 at Sunflower Gardens in Altona, then this past Saturday, Lundar won at home, beating North Winnipeg 7-5, Arborg won at home beating Sat. Malo 6-4 and LaBroquerie won at home beating Selkirk 4-3.</li><li>Feature angle:&nbsp;A first-month report card on expansion Altona—attendance, roster stability, travel demands and the organization’s earliest lessons.</li></ul>Source:&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.crjhl.com/?utm_source=chatgpt.com">CRJHL official site</a>.KJHL<ul><li>Battle at the Top:&nbsp;It’s a real battle at the top of the KJHL. The Peguis Juniors are in top with a 5-3-0 mark in eight games while the OCN Storm are 4-1-1 after six games and Cross Lake is 4-3-1 after eight outings.</li><li>Big Scorers: Keestin Danielson of OCN has the scoring lead with 13 goals and 25 points in just six games. Darian Sinclair of Peguis is next with 11 goals and 24 points in eight games while Shaden Duliak of OCN is next with nine goals and 24 points in six games.</li><li>Feature angle:&nbsp;“Keeping the numbers” — the volunteers responsible for scorekeeping, statistics and communications in northern Junior B hockey.</li><li>Editorial action:&nbsp;Confirm the week’s results and standings directly with the KJHL before publication.</li></ul>Source:&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.keystonejr.ca/">KJHL official site</a>.MWJHL<ul><li>Standings:&nbsp;Polar Ice leads at 7-1-1 with 15 points. Manitoba Blizzard remains unbeaten in regulation at 6-0-1 and sits two points back with two games in hand. Silvertips and Northern Stars share third at 10 points.</li><li>Verified results:&nbsp;Polar Ice defeated the Grey Owls 5-3 on October 23. The standings also show Silvertips on a three-game winning streak and Blizzard on a three-game run; some weekend box scores had not populated in the public schedule.</li><li>Player watch:&nbsp;Silvertips star Chloe Nicholas leads all scorers with six goals and 21 points while veteran Maisie Duffin of Polar Ice is next with eight goals and 19 points. Raya Hrankowski of Silvertips has five goals and 19 points while Taylor Audette of Silvertips has 10 goals and 13 points.</li><li>Goaltending:&nbsp;Blizzard’s Sofia Lund owns a .967 save percentage and 1.00 goals-against average. Polar’s Victoria Johnson is at .962 and 1.00.</li><li>Feature angle:&nbsp;“Pressure without a loss” — how Manitoba Blizzard is managing its unbeaten-regulation start while chasing Polar Ice with games in hand.</li></ul>Source:&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.themwjhl.ca/?utm_source=chatgpt.com">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>Reliable league-wide update unavailable:&nbsp;The official scores and standings pages were present but did not display usable results, records or player statistics.</li><li>This prevents a defensible account of standings movement or weekly scoring leaders.</li><li>Feature angle:&nbsp;“The hidden season” — how coaches, families and scouts follow the MFHL when public scores and statistics are difficult to access.</li></ul>Sources:&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.mfhlu18aaa.com/teams/default.asp?p=scores&amp;s=hockey&amp;u=MFHL-U18AAA&amp;utm_source=chatgpt.com">MFHL official scores</a>,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.mfhlu18aaa.com/teams/default.asp?p=standings&amp;s=hockey&amp;u=MFHL-U18AAA&amp;utm_source=chatgpt.com">MFHL standings</a>.&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://mfhlu18aaa.com">mfhlu18aaa.com</a>CSSHL — Manitoba programsRINK Hockey Academy Winnipeg<ul><li>U17 Prep:&nbsp;Beat Notre Dame 4-1 Friday and 4-3 in a shootout Saturday. Max Sanders scored twice in 31 seconds Friday; Grayson Speirs scored the late equalizer Saturday.</li><li>U17:&nbsp;Swept its weekend, beating Indigenous Sports Academy 5-1 and 4-2 before defeating Notre Dame 6-2. Julien Crook finished the weekend with four goals and five points; Andrew Wilkinson stopped 40 of 41 shots Friday.</li><li>U18 Prep:&nbsp;Rallied from 3-0 down to tie Calgary International before losing, then fell 6-1 to South Alberta on Sunday. Noah Hawkins made 36 saves in the finale.</li><li>Feature angle:&nbsp;RINK’s two U17 teams found momentum simultaneously—what changed after difficult early-October results?</li></ul>Pilot Mound Hockey Academy<ul><li>U17 Prep:&nbsp;Beat North Shore 6-2, supplying the program’s best result of the week.</li><li>Women’s U18 Prep:&nbsp;Lost 10-1 to South Alberta, 5-3 to Calgary International and 5-0 to Edge. Gracie Bray scored her fourth of the season while helping Pilot Mound build a 3-1 lead over Calgary before the comeback.</li><li>U18 Prep:&nbsp;Lost 7-3 to Calgary International and 5-2 to South Alberta. Maddox Ramage scored both goals Saturday despite Pilot Mound being outshot 67-23.</li><li>Team storyline:&nbsp;Pilot Mound endured a difficult weekend, but the U17 Prep victory and competitive stretches from its other teams offer useful evidence of where development is occurring.</li><li>Feature angle:&nbsp;“Learning under fire” — how Pilot Mound’s coaches develop confidence and structure while facing heavily tilted shot totals.</li></ul>Balmoral Hall<ul><li>Inactive/unavailable:&nbsp;The Blazers are still undefeated in the CSSHL with a record of 3-0-0. Brannagh Rae is sill the team’s leading scorer with three goals and five points.</li><li>Feature angle:&nbsp;The World Sports School Challenge is right around the corner.</li></ul>Sources:&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.csshl.ca/game-day-recap-october-23-2026/?utm_source=chatgpt.com">CSSHL October 23 recap</a>,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.csshl.ca/game-day-recap-october-24-2026/?utm_source=chatgpt.com">October 24 recap</a>,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.csshl.ca/game-day-recap-october-25-2026/?utm_source=chatgpt.com">October 25 recap</a>.&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.csshl.ca/game-day-recap-october-23-2026/?utm_source=chatgpt.com">Canadian Sport School Hockey League</a>Best immediate Game On Stories:&nbsp;St. James’ four-headed scoring machine, the simultaneous surge by RINK Winnipeg’s U17 teams and Manitoba Blizzard’s unbeaten-regulation pursuit of Polar Ice.&nbsp;

St. James, Beausejour, the Blizzard and Balmoral Hall Off to Near-Flawless Starts 

<blockquote>The Winnipeg Jets, the team that can’t score, didn’t score again.&nbsp;And that inability to put the puck in the net was the only thing that took the bloom off the rose that was the 2026 Heritage Classic,&nbsp;In front of a sellout crowd of 32,323 at Princess Auto Stadium, the NHL’s vision of a Canadian log cabin motif came to life as the Montreal Canadiens came to Winnipeg and escaped with a 2-1 victory.<img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/_l9a4405.jpg">&nbsp;Three young Jets -- Elias Salomonsson, Brad Lambert and Viggo Bjorck -- march from their dressing room to start the 2026 Heritage Classic warm-ups (Photo by Danny Truong)Other than the first eight or nine minutes of the game, the Jets were clearly the dominant team. They dominated puck possession and controlled the Montreal zone and didn’t give the Canadiens too many chances, but Winnipeg’s inability to score goals came back to bite them again.&nbsp;The Jets have now lost four straight games by scores of 3-2, 2-1, 3-2 in overtime and 2-1. They are their own Vezina Trophy. Winnipeg netminder Stu Skinner has done his best, but apparently this team needs a shutout every night just to have a chance.&nbsp;With the loss, Winnipeg fell to 4-5-3 on the season while the Canadiens improved to 6-3-2.&nbsp;It was a wonderful evening on the campus of the University of Manitoba as the NHL and the Jets put on a terrific show. The stadium could not have looked more rustically Canadian.&nbsp;However, the local faithful still went home unhappy as the home side just can’t figure out how to put the puck in the net.&nbsp;The Canadiens jumped out and dominated the early going and outshot Winnipeg 4-1 through the first six minutes. But the Jets got their bearings and started to take the play to Montreal.&nbsp;Late in the period, Winnipeg had a power play and really peppered Habs goaltender Jacob Fowler, but while they had four shots during the man-advantage, they couldn’t find a way to get the puck past the Montreal goaler.&nbsp;The teams went to the break scoreless, although Winnipeg outshot the Canadiens 10-8.&nbsp;The Canadiens opened the scoring at 7:19 of the second period when Lane Hutson converted a perfect pass from Noah Dobson to score his third of the season. Cole Caufield also drew an assist as the significant number of Habs fans in the stadium were delirious.&nbsp;Later in the period, the Jets newest player, Dawson Mercer (who was obtained in the Connor Hellebuyck trade) created an outstanding scoring chance for himself but fired wide.&nbsp;The Canadiens made it 2-0 at 11:04 when Kaiden Guhle took a pass from Caufield at the Jets blueline and blistered a shot that a startled Skinner never saw. Caufield and Juraj Slafkovsky drew the assists.&nbsp;<img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/_l9a6021.jpg">Montreal makes it 2-0 (Photo by Danny Truong)The Habs now had two goal lead and against the Jets, a team that simply can’t score, that was an insurmountable lead. Winnipeg outshot Montreal 11-7 in the second (21-15 after 40 minutes), but it didn’t matter.&nbsp;In the third period, Mark Scheifele had a tremendous opportunity on the power play but was beaten by Fowler while Mercer had another solid chance in close but couldn’t convert.&nbsp;Finally, at 15:24, Isak Rosen blasted a one-time snap-shot off a pass from Gabriel Vilardi that eluded Fowler and cut the Canadiens lead to one. Haydn Fleury also drew an assist as the Jets gave themselves a chance.&nbsp;But even though they were handed their fourth power play of the game with 1:32 remaining, they couldn’t notch the tying goal.&nbsp;Winnipeg outshot Montreal 14-6 in the third period – 35-21 overall. This game should have had a different outcome, but the Jets are simply gripping their sticks too tightly. They’ll get another shot at it on Tuesday night back at Canada Life Centre when Paul Maurice and the Florida Panthers come to town.&nbsp;At the end of the game, the teams shook hands as if it were the seventh game of the playoffs. They then saluted the sellout crowd. In all, it was a tremendous evening. From the pre-game flyover to SoulBear’s stirring national anthem to the bands during the first-intermission to the introduction of the Jets alumni, it was an almost perfect night of hockey.&nbsp;Too bad the Jets couldn’t find the net.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</blockquote>

Habs and the Heritage Classic are big Winners on a Wonderful Night in Winnipeg

The Winnipeg Jets got better on Friday afternoon. Not significantly better, but better, nonetheless.&nbsp;Now, to be fair, in five years, the Jets might be significantly better thanks Friday’s trade with the New Jersey Devils, but right now, the jury is still out.&nbsp;On Friday, the Jets announced that they had acquired forwards Dawson Mercer, Alexander Command, Nick Bjugstad, goaltender Nico Daws, New Jersey’s second-round pick in the 2029 NHL Draft, and New Jersey’s seventh-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft in exchange for goaltender Connor Hellebuyck.&nbsp;<div data-youtube-video=""><iframe width="640" height="480" allowfullscreen="true" autoplay="false" disablekbcontrols="false" enableiframeapi="false" endtime="0" ivloadpolicy="0" loop="false" modestbranding="false" origin="" playlist="" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hcY0JjOl2YQ?si=2taIEs5ZqZihV7D-" start="0"></iframe></div>It can’t be the trade GM Kevin Cheveldayoff dreamed of, but it’s a trade that will give Winnipeg a 20-goal scorer, a better second line and maybe a good Swedish player in future years in exchange for a goaltender who wasn’t coming back and whose return from suspension would have cost the club $7.5 million on the cap.<div data-youtube-video=""><iframe width="640" height="480" allowfullscreen="true" autoplay="false" disablekbcontrols="false" enableiframeapi="false" endtime="0" ivloadpolicy="0" loop="false" modestbranding="false" origin="" playlist="" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hcY0JjOl2YQ?si=2taIEs5ZqZihV7D-" start="0"></iframe></div>Mercer, just 24, is the best player of the bunch and a player who had 20 goals and 42 points in all 82 games last season. During the 2022-23 campaign, he scored 27 and despite being just 24, he has five complete NHL seasons under his belt. He is consistent, durable (he’s played in all 82 games in every season he’s played) and has averaged 20 goals per season in his NHL career. He will make a line of Mercer-Viggo Bjorck- Gabriel Vilardi a very good one.&nbsp;He’s also played for Team Canada is two World Juniors (a gold and a silver) and three World Championships (one silver medal) and is a player that Winnipeg fans could truly love. He’s a Newfoundlander and a pretty dedicated national team contributor.&nbsp;This year, however, he’s off to a Bjorck-like start he has zero goals and four assists in 10 games. Maybe playing alongside Bjorck and Vilardi will help him offensively. If nothing else, it can’t hurt.&nbsp;After the Jets lost three times this week by scores of 3-2, 2-1 and 3-2 in overtime, it’s become clear once again that after the first line, this team can’t score. In 10 games, the Jets have scored more than three goals in a game only once. It’s a damn good thing Stuart Skinner and Clay Stevenson have been so good in goal.&nbsp;The Jets can’t score. It’s as simple as that. The power play is awful and right now, Skinner and Stevenson have to shut out the opposition in order for the Jets to have any late-game breathing room at all.&nbsp;So, without question, Mercer is the most important person (right now) for the Jets in this trade. He was New Jersey’s first-round pick (18th overall) in the 2020 NHL Draft, has 103 goals and 213 points in 420 NHL games and also has five goals and nine points in 17 playoff games.&nbsp;The rest of the players (and draft picks) with the exception of Bjugstad are all wait-and-see prospects. Maybe they’ll be good, maybe they won’t.&nbsp;Command, 18, was New Jersey’s first-round pick (12th overall) in the 2026 NHL Draft and he has played six games for Orebro HK in the Swedish League this season. He won a gold medal with Sweden at the 2026 World U-18 Championships where he tallied three goals and seven points in seven games.&nbsp;Daws, 25, has played four games for the Devils this season and posted a 2-2-0 record with a 2.78 goals-against average and an .874 save percentage. The Munich, Germany product was New Jersey’s third-round pick (84th overall) in the 2020 NHL Draft and has compiled a 26-26-1 record in 59 career NHL games and posted a shutout, a 2.94 GAA and a .897 save percentage. He’ll be a great No. 1 goalie for the Moose.&nbsp;Daws has also represented Canada internationally and was a teammate of Mercer’s on the Canadian squad that won the gold medal at the 2020 World Juniors.&nbsp;Bjugstad, 34, is currently recovering from surgery, but he played 61 games for New Jersey and the St. Louis Blues in 2025- 26 with six goals and nine points. He’s played 821 career NHL games and was Florida’s first-round pick (19th overall) in the 2010 NHL Draft.&nbsp;For many Jets fans, this trade is a bit of a “Meh!” At least today. However, an upside is there, especially if Mercer becomes the player he was always meant to be on a line that needs to provide some offence.

Jets send Hellebuyck to Devils, Get Four Players including Mercer and two Draft Picks

The next great Winnipeg hockey player might not be sleeping in anymore.Instead, that youngster could be pulling on skates, grabbing a stick and heading to Eric Coy Arena for an early-morning workout before the first school bell rings.And thanks to the Charleswood Hawks and Jets Hockey Development, that youngster might also be discovering something far more important than a better wrist shot.The pure joy of playing hockey.In one of the more interesting grassroots hockey initiatives in Winnipeg, the Manitoba Major Junior Hockey League's Charleswood Hawks have partnered with Jets Hockey Development (JHD) and École Charleswood School to launch the Junior Hawks program, an affordable, once-a-week, before-school hockey development opportunity for youngsters of all skill levels.It's a program that's been five years in the making, and for Hawks president Tim Scharer, it's about much more than developing better hockey players.<img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/max-2.jpeg">Max Gardiner at hockey for all centre (Photo by Carlos Lopez)It's about bringing hockey home."We've been a community-run organization for 56 years now," said Scharer. "And we need to get back into those roots of giving back to the community."For Scharer, the opportunity was almost too obvious to ignore.École Charleswood School sits practically next door to Eric Coy Arena, the home of the Hawks. There were young hockey players attending school just a short walk from the rink, and an established junior hockey organization looking for ways to strengthen its community connections.All that was missing was a program to bring them together.Scharer had been working on the idea for roughly five years, but school schedules, coaching commitments and logistics repeatedly got in the way.Then along came Max Gardiner.A Charleswood kid himself, Gardiner attended Westdale and Oak Park, played four seasons with the Hawks and eventually moved into coaching at Oak Park. He later returned to the Hawks as an assistant coach.And, perhaps most importantly, he works full-time with Jets Hockey Development.Suddenly, Scharer had the missing piece."Max is kind of the connecting factor," Scharer explained.Gardiner, who began helping coach the Hawks last season, understood both the organization and the community. He also had the professional hockey development background to help turn Scharer's long-standing idea into reality."The goal of this is to give kids a different option for skill development that is pretty reasonably priced,” Gardiner explained. “As well, there's not a huge demand time-wise since it's just once a week."At the same time we’re helping them be a little bit more aware of the quality of hockey that's right next door to them and trying to keep that hockey in the community as best we can."That combination of affordability, accessibility and community involvement is what makes the Junior Hawks program special.Unlike development programs that can demand considerable financial and family commitments, Junior Hawks is designed to fit into a child's existing school and hockey schedule.<img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/max-3.jpeg">Max Gardiner at work (Photo by Carlos Lopez)The youngsters arrive at Eric Coy Arena before school, receive professional instruction on the ice and are then escorted directly to École Charleswood for the start of classes.Simple. Convenient. And, judging by the opening session, already popular.Sixteen young skaters participated on the program's first morning, representing a wide range of hockey abilities. There were A1 players, A3 players and female participants, all sharing the same ice and receiving instruction appropriate to their development.For Scharer, that's precisely the point."We're going to develop this program so that if a kid's just at 10 years old, beginning to learn how to play hockey, we want to give him a few more skates with some good coaching and let him develop at his own pace," he said."But the biggest thing is we want this to have fun. It has to be fun for the kids."It's a philosophy shaped by Scharer's own experiences as a hockey parent.At 62, he's watched his children navigate the minor hockey system and understands that the pressures of competition can sometimes overwhelm the enjoyment of the game.Junior Hawks is intended to provide something different.There are no expectations that every youngster will become an elite player. No suggestion that hockey development must be an expensive, year-round undertaking.Instead, the emphasis is on learning, improving, making friends and enjoying the experience.And Scharer has even bigger plans.Eventually, he'd like to expand the program beyond its current once-a-week format to offer specialized sessions Monday through Thursday.That could include introductory hockey on Mondays, dedicated female development sessions on Tuesdays, AA and AAA development on Wednesdays and A1 through A3 sessions on Thursdays.The idea is to create opportunities for virtually every youngster in the community, including those who might otherwise be intimidated by organized hockey.There could also be benefits beyond the rink.Scharer hopes to speak with teachers following the fall program to determine whether students participating in morning hockey sessions demonstrate improved classroom attention and readiness to learn.It's an interesting possibility, although the program's educational impact has yet to be evaluated.Getting the initiative started required cooperation from several organizations.The school administration embraced the proposal when Scharer renewed discussions last spring, while Jets Hockey Development provided the coaching connection.The City of Winnipeg also helped overcome an important obstacle: Eric Coy Arena wasn't normally open for early-morning programming, requiring additional arrangements for rink staffing.Scharer credits everyone involved for helping make the program possible."Between the school, JHD, the city and us, this is what we need," he said. "And it's fantastic."For Gardiner, the initiative represents another chapter in a hockey journey that has remained remarkably close to home.From Westdale to Oak Park, from playing with the Hawks to coaching them, his career has been rooted in the same community where he grew up.Now he's helping introduce another generation of Charleswood youngsters to the game.And for the Hawks, there's an additional opportunity.By welcoming local children onto their home ice, the MMJHL club can build relationships with young fans and families who might otherwise know little about the quality of junior hockey being played in their own neighbourhood.Today's Junior Hawk could become tomorrow's Hawks supporter.Or perhaps, one day, even wear the Hawks jersey.But that's a story for another morning.For now, it's about 16 youngsters, an early-morning skate, a few new skills and the chance to start the school day with a smile.And in Charleswood, that's already a pretty big win.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

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