I know that many fans of the Winnipeg Jets only take a marginal level of interest in the club’s AHL team, preferring to wait until they make their NHL debuts or the mainstream media bring up the fact that one of the prospects are doing particularly well. And that is totally fine..82, now 84 NHL games are plenty to keep track of. That being said, I am not one of those in the above group, as I am an avid following of the mini-Jets.
Over the past 10 years, the True Northers didn’t help themselves by rarely giving a legit shot at an NHL roster spot to their prospects, allowing them to dwell in the AHL until they were eventually claimed on waivers….Jonathan Kovacevic, Mikey Eyssimont, Declan Chisholm, etc. Yet the winds of change are in the air with Winnipeg giving a bunch of kids a shot this year. So maybe it is about time to start paying a bit more attention to what is happening in the minors to see who might come next. Then you add to that the fact that the parent club all of a sudden has the goaltending position wide open without long-time starter Connor Hellebuyck anymore….which could make people interested in whether either of the tending prospects on Manitoba this year could eventually become a NHL starter or back up. And if so, how close are they?
Well, the Manitoba Moose had their own home opener on Saturday afternoon, less than a full 24 hours after their NHL affiliate had theirs. So some maybe this will be the start of getting some of those answers. The Canada Life Centre was hosting an opponent that will certainly be familiar to Moose fans, as the Central Division rival Chicago Wolves will be our club’s first opponent.
Manitoba’s roster has undergone quite a few changes in the off-season, despite them having 19 players who have suited up for at least 1 game with the team in the past. Seven AHL rookies are on the overall roster, with Jets’ prospects Kieron Walton (hurt), Kevin He, & Alfons Freij leading the way. A few NCAA graduates have joined the Moose as well, with Lucas Wahlin, Davis Burnside, & Lukas Gustafsson making the pro leap. Another rookie who will be joining the squad once he recovers from the injury sustained during the Jets’ camp is defenseman Garrett Brown. Other Winnipeg prospects like Brayden Yager, Nikita Chibrikov, Danny Zhilkin, Parker Ford, Colby Barlow, Jacob Julien, & Isaak Phillips will be continuing their AHL journeys, will be joined by the NHL veteran presence of Noah Gregor (330 gms). The Moose crease will see the return of Thomas Milic (last yr’s team MVP) and Dominic DiVincentiis (lights out in playoffs).
Manitoba ended up sneaking into the AHL Playoffs last season, winning a play-in series against the Milwaukee Admirals before falling to the Grand Rapids Griffins in the next round. While Chicago (Carolina Hurricane farm team) ended up taking out the AHL West’s best (Griffins) in the Division Finals and made it all the way to the Championship series, where they lost 4 games to 2 versus the Toronto Marlies. New Moose defenseman Henry Thrun was a part of that Marlies’ squad, chipping in 9 pts (tied for 10th on the club) in the 24 playoff games it took to lift the Calder Cup trophy.
Both franchises will be opening up their seasons on Saturday afternoon, so here are last season’s stats for comparison:
While only 7 points separated the clubs in the standings, the offensive & defensive differences were much larger (Wolves had 70 more goals and 57 less goals against). The Moose will be hoping for a much more balanced performance in 2026-27 and this is the line up they will be using in the opener:
GAME RECAP
**forgive the time saving, choppy, point form nature – still gives you the idea of the flow of the match**
1ST PERIOD
Moose’s Gregor rings the crossbar from the right face off circle early on. He forecheck creates a scoring chance for Julien. 4th line cycle shift….all MB in first 3 mins…shots 3-0. Zhilkin flew up left wing & had chance from low face off circle. DiVincentiis (DiV from now on) stops first shot 5 mins in – off CHI rush. He shot from L f/off circle. Couple failed zone clears gave CHI long cycle – escape unscathed. Thrun stick lifted on breakout, last man resulted in a breakaway for the Wolves’ Robidas, but shot was gloved by DiV. Good push by CHI just before midway…slew of shots stopped by DiV. Shots even at 6 at midway point. Freij intercepted puck to break up CHI cycle shift, had stick slashed out of hands for penalty. 1st MB PP – had trouble creating at 5 on 4, but another PP game them a 5 on 3 for 30 secs. 2nd MB PP – a couple good chances – Chibrikov & Gregor. Back at 5 on 4 PP, Gregor gets puck in left corner and drives across the front of the net to tuck it in the far side.
MB 1-0 on the PP GREGOR FR. CHIBRIKOV & THRUN
CHI pushback & MB penalty, slash by Mayo. 1st CHI PP – failed 2 on 1 short-handed chance for MB – pass didn’t connect. Limited chances against, but late in tight deflection tested DiV.
Gregor stoned on great deke by sprawling speadeagle goalie – off rebound from a Wahlin shot. 13-8 MB shots w/ 3 mins left. Late tripping penalty by Julien on CHI zone entry….2nd CHI PP for last 1:27- early clear by MB, then icing from CHI – kept to perimeter for most part, but DiV made big blocker save before period ended.
Shots 13-9 Moose
2ND PERIOD
DiV is able to pounce on a loose puck among the feet of many players battling in front of his net just as the CHI PP ended.
Yager with a glorious chance when a wide shot off the back boards bounced right to him all alone at the other side of the net. Took the puck to the front, beat goalie, rang iron. CHI play sprung with long pass – shot from left face off circle goes off DiV’s pad and wide. The MB goalie bobbles a rebound, but then sprawls across the crease to deny the resulting chance.
Ford open ice bodychecked when a pass was sent near, but not actually going to him. Immediately popped up & started throwing punches. Refs were calling the original interference but Ford was given an even up penalty for starting the scrum.
4 on 4 play – early Moose possession, couple wide shots Chibrikov & Phillips – DiV blockers left face off circle attempt from Nadeau, then a snapshot from the other side a bit later – CHI have pulled out in shots 19-14, 5 mins in – Gregor right wing rushes twice, wide just right both times on his shots. Back & forth action requires the tenders to make big stops – DiV on breakaway by Slavin, snuck in behind Freij
Yoder skates onto loose puck 10 ft in front of goalie, but has to 1 time it because of chasing d-man – off shoulder. Very questionable non-call on interference during long CHI zone time, MB defender pulled down in corner. Moose able to clear but then rush to change the tired defenders resulted in odd man rush where DiV was forced to make a top notch save by coming across to get a piece of a 1 timer. CHI 23-15 at midpoint. Barlow looked fast as he split the D on a rush, but his backhand couldn’t beat the tender. Wahlin good rush, but another backhand failed to light the lamp – shots 26-18 with 5:44. Barlow takes a highstick as he rushes through the neutral zone. MB 3rd PP – 1 for 2 so far – early chance goes just high, Yager deflects a Gregor pass – odd man SH rush by the Wolves that sees the trailer get a pass, forcing Ford to slash his stick in half instead of letting the shot from the low left face off circle test the Moose goalie.
4 on 4 – CHI possess early, cycle but it pops out of zone – reset & cycle – Barlow block clears defensive zone – offsides on zone entry by the Wolves with 24 secs left – Gregor rush kills last of that time.
CHI short 3rd PP – block by Julien, cycle continued but Ford was able to get the puck out of the Moose zone before a shot on net was given up.
One bad angle shot from close after PK – more CHI cycle – Badinka robbed from low slot by DiV. Yager & Wahlin 2 on 1, the latter couldn’t get a ton on the shot after a pass near his feet. Late period shot from top of left circle through traffic stopped by DiV, then jams pad to post to deny rebound. Long change for Manitoba in the 2nd caused all kinds of issues with shift lengths and getting stuck in their own end.
Shots in period 20-6 Wolves, they are up 29-19 overall
3RD PERIOD
Gregor sprung for early break – shot from left face off circle, rebound right out front, Ford denied from slot. Moose, like the parent club Winnipeg, seem faster this season early on. Yager drives up left wing, dangles by d-man at the top of the circle, goes to the net and tries to flip it short side (seems more dynamic this yr too). Zhilkin opts to keep on 2 on 1, passing lane likely covered, stop by CHI goalie. Nice backcheck by Burnside stops CHI rush, Empey gets a chance on counter attack – 5 hole fail. MB shots 6-1 in the opening 7:43. Rush by He up the ice, chips puck in & forechecks to get it back. On next rush, from the corner Barlow sets up He right in front of the net for a 1 timer, another Moose almost gets the rebound.
Unger Sorum takes a bad slashing penalty for the 1st infraction in the 3rd. MB 4th PP – lost face-off & CHI clear – Zhilkin zone entry & try for spot under armpit off rush – young Swede Freij is QBing the PP, misses Barlow with back door pass – later same cycle, the Moose do successful find Barlow uncovered, after He’s centering shot was partially blocked, Julien came from net front to get puck, spun and passed to the eventual goal scorer, allowing him to put it high over the Wolves’ goalie.
MB 2-0 on the PP BARLOW FR. JULIEN & HE
Next shift another MB rush, Zhilkin sets up another 1 timer but huge sliding stop, no rebound. Outshooting CHI 12-1 in first 13 minutes as the Moose forecheck continued to cause turnovers & chances to add to their lead. Wolves eventually get a quality look from the slot shortly after that and then they pick up the pace. CHI cycle by top line (who were hard to contain all game), kept to perimeter until Yager makes a great defensive place to poke puck out of zone. Robidas tests DiV – next zone entry by the Wolves is denied. Last 4:30 left in the period – 34-31 CHI in shots. Zhilkin line cycle – long point shot but kill over 30 seconds. CHI 1 timer from the slot and DiV shines yet again.
Goalie pulled – 6 on 5 – Yager able to poke out of zone to stop cycle – CHI zone entry & cycle, but pressured and Thrun is able to clear but tries for empty net from behind center and came close, but missed – icing – D zone face off with 2 mins left, Wolves time out – face off lost & CHI starts cycle around the perimeter, blocked shot by Barlow sends puck out of the Moose end – He comes out of no where to win the race for the loose puck & scores an empty netter after scooping it up, cutting through the defender’s stick to drive to the yawning cage for his 1st AHL goal.
MB 3-0 at 6 on 5 HE FR. BARLOW
DiV makes 36th save with a minute left – scrum in front after but that was the last save the Manitoba tender would have to make before he earned his first shutout of the campaign.
Shots in the period were 14-6 MB
FINAL SCORE: MANITOBA MOOSE 3 – CHICAGO WOLVES 0
FINAL SHOTS: CHI 33 – MB 31
*****
What an exciting game to kick off the Manitoba Moose season!! For the fans at home & in the arena, it was surely to test their hearts as our squad clung to a 1-0 lead through a desperate 2nd period. Yet I give them kudos for coming out strong in the 3rd and totally flipping the momentum for the rest of the game. A bunch of players caught my eye….
Dominic DiVincentiis had 3 AHL shutouts in his first two seasons, plus another one in last year’s playoffs. Great start to the year to continue his excellent post-season play (1.43 GAA/.955 sv% in 5 games) with a shutout in the opener. Some absolutely vital stops in today’s contest, especially in the 2nd period when Manitoba was severely outplayed and only the play of Dom kept the home side up 1.
Kevin He started the game out slowly, but became more involved as it stretched on, especially in the 3rd period where his speed created turnovers, scoring chances, and eventually an empty netter. I thought Colby Barlow looked a lot quicker too, with some nice rushes up the ice….still needs to unleash his shot more often though (did have 4 in the contest).
It is possible that Brayden Yager is feeling more comfortable after having a full pro season under his belt…because he seemed much more dynamic than my memories from last year. Made a couple nice dangles to beat defenders 1 on 1, played responsible defense, and created looks for his linemates. Danny Zhilkin was another Jets’ prospect that looked good, flying all over the ice to get a team high 5 shots.
A veteran also made their mark, as Noah Gregor was one of Manitoba’s best forwards, scoring early (in his 400th professional game) and having a bunch of looks after that, which might not be surprising after how effective he looked in Winnipeg’s exhibition games. Saw Alfons Freij make a couple nice plays, but really didn’t notice him that often, which is good on the defensive side of things. Think Jacob Julien needs to bulk up still, but the Jets’ prospect showed some promise in net front battles, getting an assist on the Barlow insurance goal from that role.
THREE STARS
1st star: Dominic DiVincentiis (36 saves & SO)
2nd star: Kevin He (Goal, Assist)
3rd star: Colby Barlow (Goal, Assist)
3300 attendance at the CLC
**will post the video recap to the article once it is available on YouTube.**
