Jets drop puck on sweet 16th season at home

The Winnipeg Jets will be a busy bunch when the new season begins. The NHL released the freshly expanded 84-game schedules for all 32 teams on Thursday and the Jets [...]

Jets drop puck on sweet 16th season at home NHL’s expanded 84-game schedule released Thursday To continue reading, please subscribe: Digital Subscription One year of digital access for only $205* - Enjoy unlimited reading on winnipegfreepress.com - Read the E-Edition, our digital replica newspaper - Access News Break, our award-winning app - Play interactive puzzles *First annual payment billed as $205.00 + GST for one year. This annual subscription will automatically renew at $233.00 + GST every 52 weeks (10% off the regular annual price of $259.35). Offer available to new and qualified returning subscribers only.

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After four weeks, your payment will increase to $24.95 plus GST every four weeks. The Winnipeg Jets will be a busy bunch when the new season begins. The NHL released the freshly expanded 84-game schedules for all 32 teams on Thursday and the Jets open the campaign with 14 games during the month of October — including seven at Canada Life Centre.

The busiest month of the season for the Jets will be November, as they will play 15 games in 30 days. Following the home opener against the Boston Bruins on Oct. 2, the Jets head out for two games in two days against the Detroit Red Wings and Pittsburgh Penguins before returning home for a three-game homestand that includes a visit from Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar and the Colorado Avalanche. Winnipeg’s own Seth Jarvis and former Jets forward Nikolaj Ehlers — along with the defending Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes — will be make their lone appearance in Manitoba on Oct. 17.

Before the opening month is complete, the Jets will host the Montreal Canadiens in the Heritage Classic on Oct. 25 at Princess Auto Stadium. Back-to-back road games against the Tampa Bay Lightning and Florida Panthers close out October as part of a four-game stint away from home ice that also features games against the Hurricanes and Canadiens. With the expansion of the regular season, the Jets will play each team in the Central Division four times and each team in the Pacific Division three times, leaving two games apiece (one at home and one on the road) with all Eastern Conference opponents to round out the schedule.

March features a season-long six-game homestand against the Seattle Kraken, Washington Capitals, Calgary Flames, the Red Wings, Toronto Maple Leafs and Nashville Predators. The Jets have three occasions where they go out for a four-game road trip, though they play six consecutive road games in and around the NHL All-Star break as part of two trips. The 2027 NHL All-Star festivities will be held on Feb. 5 and 6 at UBS Arena in Elmont, N.Y., at the home of the New York Islanders.

The Jets will play on consecutive days nine times this season, including six times as the road team for both contests, twice where they play a back-to-back home and away game, and a unique back-to-back home matchup when the club hosts the Dallas Stars on both Dec. 19 and 20. The final game before the Christmas break goes on Dec. 22 against the Predators. The club then travels to Minnesota to face the Wild on Boxing Day.

The Jets will ring in the New Year in Calgary against the Flames in what will be their final visit to the Scotiabank Saddledome, which will be replaced by the new Scotia Place arena for the 2027-28 season. Penguins captain Sidney Crosby makes his lone appearance in Winnipeg on Feb. 21, while Macklin Celebrini and the San Jose Sharks will be in Manitoba on Dec. 28 and March 18. In April, the Jets will play five games, with home games against the Edmonton Oilers and Vancouver Canucks.

The final game of the regular season is on the road against Connor McDavid and the Oilers on April 10. Shortened pre-season Along with the longer regular season means the Jets will play a shortened pre-season. The club’s training camp officially begins on Sept. 17 followed by four pre-season games — two on the road and two at home.

Puck drops on pre-season matchups Sept. 19 on the road in Rogers Place against the Oilers before the club hosts the Avalanche at Canada Life Centre on Sept. 21. The Jets then play host to the Oilers on Sept. 22 before going on the road to face Colorado at Ball Arena on Sept. 25 in Denver. winnipegfreepress.com/kenwiebe Ken Wiebe is a sports reporter for the Free Press, with an emphasis on the Winnipeg Jets.

He has covered hockey and provided analysis in this market since 2000 for the Winnipeg Sun, The Athletic, Sportsnet.ca and TSN. Ken was a summer intern at the Free Press in 1999 and returned to the Free Press in a full-time capacity in September of 2023. Read more about Ken.

Every piece of reporting Ken produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press’s history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism.

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