Remember in May when I was craving a rivalry? Remember when I talked about how easy it would be to build a resentment for certain players on the other team? <a href="https://gameonhockey.ca/2020/05/29/craigs-corner-craving-a-rivalry/">Take a look at this snippet from Craving a Rivalry</a> and see if it’s accurate…

“Hey Jets fans, how long do you think it will take to build a solid resentment for Milan Lucic or Matthew Tkachuk? No longer than a shift? I agree.”

So Jets fans, how long did it take? Not even a period.

Here is our rivalry. It’s finally here. The Jets have their backs against the wall and must win the next two games to move on even though their best players are dropping like flies.

Can Hellebuyck bounce back? Can the back-end stop the Flames’ top talent? Can the Jets’ secondary scoring continue to play the role of primary scoring?

There are so many questions, and all of them are going to be answered on Thursday night.

So, after you’ve finished watching the first round of the PGA Championship, tune into the Jets vs. Flames to find out if it’s going to be Lafreniere watch, or if the Jets will live to fight another day.

Can August get any better?

Craig's Corner: A Rivalry Has Been Found

From the brilliant return of Payton Chornley to the on-ice brilliance of Carson White, Maisie Duffin and Nolan Fielding, the top teams and league in Manitoba are providing fans with both excitement and entertainmentGame On Hockey Brief — October 12–18The week’s best story came from RINK Winnipeg, where Payton Chornley scored in her return to CSSHL competition after missing last season while battling cancer. The MMJHL’s St. James Canucks and MWJHL’s Polar Ice remain the early pace-setters.MMJHL<ul><li>Standings:&nbsp;St. James improved to 8-1 and extended its winning streak to six with Sunday’s 5-2 victory over St. Boniface. The Riels remain second at 6-3, followed by River East at 5-3.</li><li>Sunday results:&nbsp;Transcona 4, Pembina Valley 1; River East 5, St. Vital 3; Charleswood 4, Twins 1; Raiders 3, Stonewall 2 in overtime.</li><li>Player watch:&nbsp;League-leading Jayden Ward scored twice for St. James and now has 24 points. Charleswood’s Carson White also scored twice and sits second with 22. River East’s Nolan Fielding has reached 10 goals.</li><li>Team storyline:&nbsp;Terry Sawchuk Arena has been closed for the season because of structural concerns involving its roof beams, leaving River East with a significant scheduling and operational challenge.</li></ul>Source:&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.mmjhl.ca/?utm_source=chatgpt.com">MMJHL official site</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>Two teams at the top: Arborg and Beausejour continue to lead the league with 4-1-0 records. Jackson Kostiuk of the Comets had a goal and four assists while teammate Job Peters had two goals and two assists as Beausejour whipped St. Malo 7-2 on Oct. 16. Meanwhile, Arborg beat arch-rival Lundar 4-2 on Oct. 18 as Ronin Mouck scored the winning goal on the power play with four seconds remaining on the clock.</li><li>Top Players:&nbsp;Kostiuk, who spent last season with the Steinbach Pistons, is the top scorer in the CRJHL. The Beausejour star has four goals and 14 points while teammate Peters is third in scoring with seven goals and 11 points. Sandwiched between the two Beausejour snipers is LaBroquerie rookie Steele Jowett who has five goals and 12 points and in fourth spot is last year’s MVP Brandon Burak of the Ice Dawgs who has five goals and 11 points and LaBroquerie captain Colton Pakoo with four goals and 11 points.</li><li>Feature angle:&nbsp;Altona’s early competitive education—how the Maroons are measuring progress beyond wins and losses during their inaugural season.</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>Standings:&nbsp;Cross Lake leads the way with a 4-1-0-1 record while Peguis is next with a record of 4-2-0-0.</li><li>Top Players:&nbsp;Keestin Danielson of the OCN Storm leads the league in scoring with 11 goals and 19 points in just four games. Darian Sinclair of the Peguis Juniors is tied in points but has just nine goals and 19 points in six games. Jayden Blacksmith of Cross Lake and Shaden Duliak of OCN are next with 18 points. Blacksmith has 12 goals and Duliak has eight goals.<img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1.-darian-sinclair-peguis-juniors-11.23.57-am.jpeg">Darian Sinclair, Peguis Juniors (Photo by Ava Cameron)</li><li>Team storyline:&nbsp;It looks like it will be a battle at the top all season between Cross Lake and Peguis with Norway House and defending champion OCN challenging.</li></ul>Sources:&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.keystonejr.ca/leagues/standings.cfm?clientid=4338&amp;leagueid=18880&amp;utm_source=chatgpt.com">KJHL standings</a>,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.keystonejr.ca/leagues/schedules.cfm?clientID=4338&amp;leagueID=18880">KJHL schedule</a>.&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://keystonejr.ca">keystonejr.ca</a>MWJHL<ul><li>Key results:&nbsp;Silvertips beat the Grey Owls 4-3 on October 15 and Western 6-3 on October 17. Polar Ice defeated Prairie Blaze 7-3, then handled visiting Thunder Bay 4-1.</li><li>Standings:&nbsp;Polar Ice sits first at 6-1 with 12 points and a five-game winning streak. Unbeaten-in-regulation Manitoba Blizzard is one point back at 5-0-1; Prairie Blaze follows with nine points.</li><li>Player watch:&nbsp;Polar’s Maisie Duffin leads the league with 16 points. Silvertips’ Chloe Nicolas has 14, while teammate Taylor Audette leads everyone with 10 goals.</li><li>Goaltending:&nbsp;Northern Stars’ Jordyn Nepinak-Sargent owns a .971 save percentage and 0.98 goals-against average; Blizzard’s Sofia Lund is at .967 and 1.00.</li><li>Feature angle:&nbsp;“The last line of defence” — Manitoba’s remarkable early goaltending numbers and the development paths behind Nepinak-Sargent, Lund and Polar Ice’s Victoria Johnson.</li></ul>Source:&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.themwjhl.ca/?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>Players of the Week:&nbsp;Evan Boulanger of the Central Plains Capitals was named the MFHL U18 AAA Forward of the Week while Kasia Baranyk of the Westman Wildcats was named Defender of the Week and goalie Sannon Hees of Central Plains was Goalie of the Week.</li><li>Pembina Valley on the road:&nbsp;At the Tradition NIT in Minnesota, the Hawks lost 2-0 to Team Colorado and 2-0 to Atlantic Coast Academy on October 17. Those were tournament games and did not affect MFHL standings.</li><li>Feature angle:&nbsp;“The value of going south” — what Manitoba teams gain from American showcase tournaments in competition, exposure and recruitment.</li></ul>Sources:&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.mfhlu18aaa.com/?utm_source=chatgpt.com">MFHL U18 AAA</a>,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.pvhawksfemale.com/teams/default.asp?p=schedule&amp;s=hockey&amp;u=PVHAWKSFEMALE&amp;utm_source=chatgpt.com">Pembina Valley schedule</a>.CSSHL — Manitoba programsRINK Winnipeg<ul><li>The Female U18 Prep team routed Pilot Mound 13-0 on October 17. Rowyn Street produced four goals and two assists, while Morgan Gage scored four times and added an assist.</li><li>The week’s leading story:&nbsp;Payton Chornley recorded a goal and two assists in her first CSSHL game since February 21, 2025, following a season away while battling cancer.&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.csshl.ca/game-day-recap-october-17-2026/?utm_source=chatgpt.com">Canadian Sport School Hockey League</a></li><li>Pilot Mound answered one day later with a 5-3 victory. Street scored twice for RINK.</li><li>RINK’s U15 Prep team recorded three convincing victories, including 8-2 over Northern Alberta Xtreme and 7-2 over OHA Edmonton. Nash Smook scored a hat trick against NAX; Lyrik Selch had two goals Sunday.</li><li>The U17 team lost twice to NAX, including a 6-5 overtime defeat after leading 5-2 through two periods.</li></ul>·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Feature priorities:&nbsp;Chornley’s courageous return is the clear first call. Pilot Mound’s overnight response to a 13-goal defeat offers another strong piece on resilience, coaching and dressing-room leadership.Pilot Mound<ul><li>The Female U18 Prep team’s rebound from a 13-0 loss to a 5-3 victory over the same opponent within 24 hours was the program’s defining result. Gracie Bray scored twice and Bella Ferguson supplied the third-period winner.</li><li>U17 earned one point in a 2-1 overtime loss to OHA Edmonton. Nixon Gabruck scored for Pilot Mound.</li><li>U15 Prep’s Dane Magwood produced three points in a 6-4 loss to OHA Edmonton and added a goal and assist against NAX.</li><li>Goaltender Tyne Derkach stopped 46 of 51 shots in Sunday’s U17 Prep loss.</li></ul>Balmoral Hall<img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/5.-brannagh-rae.jpg">Brannagh Rae of the Blazers (Photo by James Carey Lauder)<ul><li>Outstanding Start:&nbsp;The Blazers are off to a tremendous start, going 3-0-0 to open the 2026-27 season. The Blazers beat Delta Black, the RINK Kelowna and Shawnigan 4-3 in overtime. The Blazers play again on Oct. 31, against Northern Alberta Xtreme.</li><li>Top players: Brannagh Rae leads the Blazers in scoring after the first three games with three goals and five points. Lydia Hill and Rachel Lyver each have two goals and three points.</li></ul>Sources:&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.csshl.ca/game-day-recap-october-17-2026/?utm_source=chatgpt.com">CSSHL October 17 recap</a>,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.csshl.ca/game-day-recap-october-18-2026/?utm_source=chatgpt.com">CSSHL October 18 recap</a>.&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.csshl.ca/game-day-recap-october-17-2026/?utm_source=chatgpt.com">Canadian Sport School Hockey League</a>

The Brief: Chornley has an Amazing Return while Kostiuk and Duffin have been Terrific

The NHL Is Building Something Special in Winnipeg And The League Wants the World to See It

Despite Clay Stevenson’s best efforts, the Winnipeg Jets could not upset the defending Stanley Cup champions.&nbsp;On Saturday afternoon in front of 14,415 paying customers at Canada Life Centre, former Jets star Nikolai Ehlers scored the winning goal nearly seven minutes into the third period as the visiting Carolina Hurricanes beat the Jets 3-2.&nbsp;<img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/_p3a2239e.jpg">Scheifele scores (Photo by Rusty Barton)Stevenson played brilliantly in the Jets net, stopping 33-of-the-36 shots he faced, but despite holding a 2-1 lead late in the second period, the Jets had no answer for the Hurricanes power play that scored on both of its chances.&nbsp;Mark Scheifele and Akex Iafallo scored for the Jets who fell to 4-2-2 with the loss.&nbsp;The first period was scoreless, but it was a dandy. Up and down, solid goaltending, some terrific plays. The Jets outshot the defending Cup champs 10-7, and probably should have had the lead, but Pyotr Kochetkov was too good.&nbsp;The Jets got on the board first in the second period, when Mark Scheifele stole the puck from Nikolai Ehlers in the Carolina zone and walked in alone on Kochetkov and beat the Carolina goaler with a backhand high to the stick side. Scheifele’s second of the year, at 4:53, was unassisted.&nbsp;Carolina tied it on the power play at 8:19 when Mark Jankowski had a deflection in front of the Jets net land on his stick and he ripped a shot high over Stevenson’s gloved hand. It was Jankowski’s sixth goal in six games.&nbsp;Then the Jets got a fluke. Kochetkov mishandled the puck to the left his net, Adam Lowry corralled it and stuffed it in front where Alex Iafallo simply had to tap it into the open net. It was Iafallo’s third of the Year while Lowry picked up his third assist.&nbsp;The Hurricanes tied it at 16:50 of the period when Jesperi Kotkaniemi tipped a shot from the point by Shane Gostisbehere. At this point, the ’Canes were outshooting Winnipeg 17-4 in the second period and 24-14 overall.&nbsp;To their credit, and to the credit of Stevenson, it was 2-2 after 40 minutes and the Jets certainly had some opportunities to score (with two minutes to play in the period, Scheifele was sent in alone by Perfetti and shot wide).&nbsp;At 6:43 of the third period, Ehlers made up for his second period gaffe with a power play goal. It was a slapper from 20 feet in front and Stevenson had no chance. It was Ehlers’ first of the season and turned out to be the winner.<img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/_p3a2431e.jpg">Nikolai Ehlers scored the winner (Photo by Rusty Barton)Despite a Jets push in the final two minutes, the crowd excited before the final buzzer as Winnipeg lost its second straight game (the Jets suffered a 4-3 overtime loss in Chicago on Thursday night). Carolina outshot Winnipeg 37-24.&nbsp;Unless they find some scoring in a hurry, that encouraging start to the season, may have been nothing but a mirage for the Jets. This team couldn’t score last season and if it weren’t for the No. 1 line, they wouldn’t have much to show this year.&nbsp;The Jets play again on Tuesday night in St. Louis.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

STEVENSON HAS GREAT NIGHT, BUT JETS STRUGGLE TO SCORE AND FALL 3-2 TO 'CANES

It might be mid-October but Manitoba's best are playing all over North America and are ripping it up. From the young women in the NCAA to the young me in the Western League and NHL, it's been a red-hot start for many of Manitoba's top players.<img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1.-linnea-misner-defender-of-the-week.png">Linnéa Misner was one of the finest defenders ever to play for Dale Bear’s provincial Indigenous women’s hockey team. A star at Balmoral Hall and The RINK Kelowna, Misner spent the 2025-26 at Robert Morris University (NCAA D-1) in Pittsburgh where she was named to the All-AHA Rookie Team. In the spring, Misner transferred to Vermont for the 2026-27 season and made an immediate impact. The 5-foot-9 defender from Springfield, had three assists in her first three games and was named Hockey East Defender of the Week.<img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/2.-haley-mcdonald-kate-manness-and-sara-manness-with-canada_s-national-u22-women_s-team.png">Hayley McDonald (East St. Paul) and the Manness sisters, Sara and Kate (LaSalle), played for Hockey Canada’s National Development Team in a three-game series against the United States at the Richmond Olympic Oval this summer. The USA won the series 2-1 after three very close games. McDonald and Sara Manness were then invited to the National Women’s Team training camp in Quebec City in October. A load of Manitoba players attended at the camp. Along with forwards Sara and Hayley, were goalies Raygan Kirk (Ste. Anne) and Corinne Schroeder (Elm Creek) and defenders Ashton Bell (Deloraine), Jocelyne Larocque (Ste. Anne) and Kati Tabin (Winnipeg).<img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/3.-ryder-mcclure.jpg">Four-year veteran Ryder McClure of the Transcona Railer Express got off to a smokin’ start to the 2026-27 Manitoba Major Junior Hockey League season. After picking up an assist in the season opener, a 7-2 win over Charleswood, McClure had four goals and three assists in a 9-5 win over the Raiders. He followed that up with three goals and three assists in a 10-2 win over St. Vital. He cooled off in losses to Fort Garry/Fort Rouge (Twins) and St. James but with 14 points in his first three games this year, McClure is off to the best start of MMJHL career.<img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/4.-athens-shingose-had-five-points-at-the-national-u17-development-camp-this-summer.png">&nbsp;Athens Shingoose, the 16-year-old forward from Waywayseecappo who starred at Winnipeg’s RINK Hockey Academy and now plays with the Western Hockey League’s Prince Albert Raiders, had two goals and three assists in three games at the Team Canada’s U17 Development Camp this past July. Shingoose was also named the 2025-26 Indigenous Male Athlete of the Year by the Manitoba Aboriginal Sports &amp; Recreation Council.<img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/5.-jocelyne-larocque-was-inducted-into-the-umd-athletic-hall-of-fame-class-of-2026.png">Ste. Anne, Manitoba’s Jocelyne Larocque, a defender with the PWHL’s Ottawa Charge and Canada’s National Women’s Hockey Team was inducted into the University of Minnesota-Duluth’s Athletic Hall of Fame. A five-year veteran of the PWHL and a member of Canada’s national team since 2011, Larocque, 38, is the most highly decorated international Indigenous athlete in Canadian history. Larocque played four years of varsity hockey at UMD and had 19 goals and 105 points and was the team’s captain in her senior year (2010-11).<img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/6.-brek-liske-at-flyers-development-camp.png">Beausejour’s 18-year-old Brek Liske had a tremendous Philadelphia Flyers camp and it looks like he’s firmly on the NHL team’s Futures’ radar. In the meantime, back with the Western Hockey League’s Everett Silvertips, Liske got off to a solid start and was among the league leaders in power play goals through the first month of the season.&nbsp;<img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/three-panel-hockey-portraits.png">From left: Nicol, Ferreira and Mateychuk (Photos courtesy the Western Hockey League)The Western Hockey League has announced that three Manitobans have been named to Team Canada’s two rosters at the 2026-27 U17 Challenge. Playing for Team Red will be Kamloops Blazers D-man Mateo Ferreira of Winnipeg and Everett Silvertips forward Reid Nicol of Brandon and on Team White will be Vancouver Giants’ defenceman Crosby Mateychuk of Dominion City.<img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/8.-sam-court-2.png">A few months before the tragedy at Arizona State, when Matthew Mayich, 21, a third-round draft pick of the St. Louis Blues collapsed during an outdoor workout, Winnipeg’s Sam Court, 22, had already made his decision. He was out. After two seasons with the Sun Devils, Court quietly entered the NCAA transfer portal and will play his junior year of NCAA D-1 hockey with the Minnesota State Mavericks in Mankato, Minn. Mayich is still in hospital and while Court was gone long before the incident, it was as if he knew something was not right at ASU. Now, happy at Minnesota State playing alongside two other Manitobans – Daimon Gardner and Raiden Legall -- Court opened the season Oct. 9-10 against Wisconsin and scored MSU-Mankato’s only goal in 4-0 and 4-1 losses.<img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/9.-hayden-paupanekis.png">Hayden Paupanekis, 19, was one of the stars of Indigenous Team Manitoba when they won the gold medal at the National Aboriginal Hockey Championship in 2023 in Winnipeg. In early October, he scored his first NCAA D-1 goal for St. Cloud State University. At 6-foot-5, 210 pounds, he has a very bright future in the game. He was a third-round selection of the Montreal Canadiens in 2025 NHL Entry Dfat.<img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/7.-joel-hofer.jpg">It’s hard to imagine anyone has worked harder at becoming an NHL goaltender than Winnipegger Joel Hofer. Hofer, who grew up playing in the Assiniboine Park Rangers Minor Hockey Association, starred with the WHL’s Swift Current Broncos and Portland Winterhawks has been trying to win the No. 1 job with the St. Louis Blues since the 2021-22 season. He played mostly in the AHL until the 2023-24 season when he played 30 games in. St. Louis. Last year, he played in 46 and had a 2.61 goals against average to go with 9.10 save percentage. This season, he’s off to a red-hot start. In two games he had 1,01 GAA and a .955 save percentage to go with two wins and a shutout. Looks like he’s finally made it. And at 26, he just could be Canada’s next No. 1 Olympic team goaltender.&nbsp;

THE NOTEBOOK: MOVES, AWARDS AND QUICK GOALS FROM MANITOBA'S STARS 

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;

Craig's Corner: A Rivalry Has Been Found

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