Because Fans Matter

The 2026 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic has come and gone, and all that's left at Princess Auto Stadium is a work crew who are disassembling the NHL's setup and rink. There were lots of things that happened over the course of the week leading up to the big game last night, so I want to highlight a handful of things that really should be happening more often when it comes to making fans matter. The NHL can talk about all its revenue streams all it likes, but fans in seats are still the most important resource that the league and its teams have and need so giving back should always be mandated business for all 32 clubs and the league itself.

The NHL and the Winnipeg Jets combined forces on Thursday night to announce "the completion of Jets Hockey Development Girls Learn to Play, a six-week introductory hockey program for 40 first-time players ages 6 to 10". The investment into girls' hockey in Winnipeg is big as there seems to be more girls playing than ever before, so having the Jets and the NHL work to "expand opportunities for girls and women across Manitoba to play, coach and pursue careers in hockey" is only going to make the women's game better for generations to come.

The effort made by the two organizations will see a $150,000 investment through the NHL Unites Legacy Project so "participants get on-ice instruction from an all-woman coaching staff, equipment support and connections to local minor hockey associations and girls' hockey programs". The program actually launched on September 2 at Hockey For All Centre in west Winnipeg with a welcome event for forty girls and their families that saw them outfitted with equipment thanks to Bauer Canada. The legacy project also includes a $30,000 grant from the NHL/NHLPA Industry Growth Fund to support women coaches, program resources and player retention in Manitoba.

I know I'm quick to call out the garbage seen in hockey when comes to how the NHL does business, but I need to point out when they do good as well. These investments will go a long way in helping girls in Manitoba find their way into the game while the grant from the NHL/NHLPA Industry Growth Fund will help ensure that women have a future in hockey during and after their playing days end. I cannot stress how important this is when it comes to opening doors and keeping those doors open for future generations of girls and women, so kudos to the NHL, the NHLPA, and the Winnipeg Jets for making these investments. Again, this will make hockey better in Manitoba.

From there, we jump ahead to Saturday where Ticketmaster presented the NHL Fanfest prior to the Alumni Game, and will come clean right now in that I did not attend this event. In saying that, I did have some sources there as my parents went to check out the event. They wandered around the RBC Convention Centre where a number of vendors had booths offering up giveaways and information on their businesses, and there was a street hockey game featuring a pile of youths outside the main entrance. From what my parents said, this event was packed with fans who took full advantage of the giveaway opportunities, so it was nice to see some of the NHL's sponsors giving back to the people who make the game so much fun. As a fan, there's nothing better than have the sponsors reward your loyalty with some gree gear, so this was a smart move by the NHL and the Jets to hold this event.

Of course, if one had tickets, Scotiabank was sponsoring the bigger, outdoor fan festival at Princess Auto Stadium as Scotiabank was the presenting sponsor of the 2026 Pregame FanFest. All of the NHL's biggest sponsors had tents here for their wares, and this is where I spent most of my Sunday afternoon. Seeing businesses like Upper Deck, Hyundai, Tim Hortons, DoorDash, and Fanatics in one place made the Scotiabank FanFest the place to be if you wanted free shwag as giveaways were plentiful. There were even former NHL stars who were signing autographs for fans at some of the booths! As long as one had a ticket to the game, admission to the Scotiabank Pregame FanFest was free and there were a lot of hockey fans took advantage of this offer as the festival area filled quickly.

At one point, it seemed like the Heritage Classic was being played in Montreal as Canadiens fans flooded the festival area. Jerseys of all kinds were worn as names like Suzuki, Caufield, Demidov, and Hutson were joined by some great picks such as Carbonneau, Texier, Markov, Price, and Koivu. Seeing a barber pole Canadiens Gionta centennial jersey was fantastic, there were a handful of reverse retros, and lots of other clothing with Canadiens' logos on them. The chatter of francophone fans as they greeted one another was nice to hear as those fans clearly made the trip to cheer on les Canadiens!

Jets fans began showing up a little later in the afternoon in greater numbers as they had the advantage of staying home a little longer. A handful of Hellebuyck jerseys were spotted on fans, but there were a ton of Wheeler, Ladd, Laine, Scheifele, and Connor jerseys spotted throughout the festival grounds. There were some fun ones as well as Ehlers, Morrissey, Byfuglien, Little, and a number of personalized jerseys were in the mix, but a couple of jerseys fouls were spotted. Regardless, the hometown crowd made its way down to the festival!

Again, I have to throw some kudos out to a number of companies because people got to go home with a pile of stuff. Among the best handouts were Tim Hortons where fans who showed up early got to meet Dustin Byfuglien at the Tim Hortons truck, Tide and Downy sent a ton of people home with laundry detergent and Unstopables, Hyundai let people snap a picture and turn it into a car air freshener, Upper Deck was printing hockey cards of fans who wanted their own card, Celcius was handing out beverages to adults, DoorDash was creating fabric patches for jerseys from their emojis, and both Canadian Tire and Scotiabank were handing out shwag bags.

Admittedly, I spent a lot of time with a few colleagues at the Caterpillar tent, and they were having way too much fun. There was an accuracy shooting challenge that looked easy, but was way harder with the foam pucks used in the booth. There were two claw machines that gave fans a chance to grab a Caterpillar puck stress "ball" or a Caterpillar excavator stress "ball". There was the locker setup if you wanted to get your photo with the jerseys being worn by the Jets and Canadiens. The staff working the tent were handing out Caterpillar-branded skate towels that were cut in the shape of jerseys. And, perhaps best of all, former Jets defenceman Dave Ellett stopped by the tent to sign some autographs for fans! How awesome is that?

There were other autograph signings as well as the aforementioned Dustin Byfuglien was doing his best to sign stuff while slinging coffee, Mike Keane was at the Rogers tent for a while, and Andrew Ladd signed a pile of stuff for fans at the Hyundai tent. Lots of fans were thrilled to meet some of Winnipeg's hockey heroes, so having more alumni coming out to do stuff this like would benefit all teams. And the best part is that you don't need a Heritage Classic to do something like that! All it takes is a little effort and planning!

Look, I went into this weekend aiming to give hockey fans a true experience when it comes to attending one of these outdoor events, and there was obviously both good and bad parts about the weekend. The fanfest events and the Alumni Game were fun, somewhat affordable, and certainly worth the time. I realize that one had to have a game ticket for the Scotiabank Pregame FanFest so that was less affordable for most people, but the effort made by sponsors inside those large fences was worth it from a fan's perspective.

When you consider that tickets ran anywhere from $80 to more than $500 per ticket, that's pricey for sitting 100-feet away from the action. Add into the mix that a lot of people travelled and those costs would need to be calculated, and we're now talking about an expensive investment for the 2026 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic where the game's action and payoff were hardly worth it. As a citizen of Winnipeg, it's always nice to have visitors from afar, but they weren't here for the Golden Boy nor the riverwalk at The Forks.

If you're thinking about attending the 2027 Winter Classic in Salt Lake City featuring the Colorado Avalanche and the Utah Mammoth, ticket prices range from $250 to $450 USD with "NHL experience" packages starting around $800 USD. I have no idea what the fanfest will look like in Utah, but I imagine a lot of the sponsors listed above will be there and looking to giveaway some shwag, but that's a hefty price tag for a few packets of laundry detergent, car air fresheners, and a handful of autographs. I'm not saying not to go, but budget wisely.

At the end of the day, if these costs seem like they're climbing out of your comfort zone when it comes to entertainment dollars, you likely aren't alone. I know I wouldn't have been able to afford to go had I not been granted media credentials, but that's because I have a budget. I imagine a lot of people had a blast getting to meet their heroes, pick up some shwag, and watch an outdoor game that will be a weekend of memories, but it's important to remember that a lot of people could not afford to take part in this weekend's festivities.

The 2026 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic certainly seemed like it checked all the boxes for the NHL and for fans who could attend, but this outdoor game's costs likely left a lot of fans out in the cold.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

The Great Outdoors

There is a certain nostalgia that comes with tying up the skates in subzero temperatures, trying to keep fingers and toes warm, and feeling the cold air on one's face when skating up and down the ice on an outdoor rink. While the thermometer hasn't hit subzero marks yet on this day, it is a balmy 5°C as there's a chill in the air for the 2026 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic. Fans from across North America descended upon Winnipeg where Princess Auto Stadium was the venue for the latest chapter in the NHL's outdoor game series, and everything leading up to the game felt like the game dame would be a classic. With Winnipeg and Montreal well-represented by the number of jerseys in the stands, it seems like this year's Heritage Classic was exactly what the NHL hoped it would be. All the league needed was a great game.

The pregame festivities saw fans flood the concourse when the gates opened at 4pm as thousands of hockey fans poured into Princess Auto Stadium. In the northwest corner, the Montreal Canadiens played sewerball to the delight of dozens of Canadiens fans who gather to watch. They even belted a rendition of "Olé, Olé, Olé, Olé!" to make their favorite team feel a little more at home in Winnipeg, so the Montreal faithful was representing le bleu-blanc-et-rouge well.

At one point, the TimBits hockey players got a massive surprise when Youppi! grabbed a stick and joined them on the "pond" rink that the NHL had setup. Mick E. Moose joined them as well, and the two mascots were making passes to and high-fiving all the tykes in skates as they played. Photos were taken with the mascots, and the kids all wore smiles as the two furry icons made things a little more fun.

I will say that the in-house entertainment was, at times, questionable in the choices made. There was a contest run that turned out to be an advertisement for a smoking cessation product, and there were highlights of fans in the crowd "reverse eating" their food. I honestly cringed at the ad disguised as a contest, but watching people un-eat their food was a sight I never want to see again. Watching it was weird, it looked disgusting, and it was totally unnecessary.

At 5:30pm on the dot, the teams made their way out for warm-ups, and every player except the goalies wore Heritage Classic toques. I know the NHL's mandate is to have players in helmets during warm-ups for liability reasons, but seeing the two teams clad in toques is an awesome sight. Quick checks on numbers showed that newly-acquired Nico Daws wasn't in uniform for warm-ups, but Dawson Mercer was on the ice and wearing #19. It looks like we're going to see one of the newest Jets on the ice tonight! How about that debut?

FIRST PERIOD

Jacob Fowler took the ice in the Montreal crease while Stuart Skinner was guarding the Jets net to start the game after the bilingual singing of "O Canada" done by Soulbear. Adam Lowry's line featuring the aforementioned Mercer was introduced as the starting lineup for the Jets, and the crowd gave Mercer a solid ovation as a welcome to the city. The ceremonial face-off saw Blake Wheeler, Andrew Ladd, and Dustin Byfuglien welcomed back by the fans to boisterous cheers!

The first ten minutes were largely uneventful despite the Jets missing a couple of scoring chances while Zach Bolduc rung one of the crossbar. Montreal seemed to have problems connecting passes as they were guilty of icing the puck a number of times, but the Jets could not capitalize on the offensive zone face-offs. A goalmouth scramble at 14:13 saw the fans loudly exclaim "STUUUUU!" as Skinner kept the puck out of the Winnipeg net as the chess match wore on.

With 3:46 remaining, Alexandre Carrier ran interference on Viggo Björck at the Montreal blueline, and we'd get our first power-play of the game! Alex Newhook nearly put Montreal up with a shorthanded breakway, but his shot rattled the boards behind Skinner as he missed the net. Winnipeg would be unsuccessful on their first advantage of the night, but time would end with the horn and the game tied 0-0.

I fully admit that I didn't watch a second of the intermission, so feel free to talk amongst yourselves about this. I have no comment.

SECOND PERIOD

Cole Caufield started the period off with a breakaway, but he sailed his shot over the net into the glass behind Skinner. It took a while, but we'd finally get the opening goal at the 7:19 mark when the two Montreal defenders worked down low with Noah Dobson feeding a cross-crease pass from the half-boards to a pinching Lane Hutson on the backdoor for a tap-in and the Canadiens grabbed the 1-0 lead!


Dawson Mercer got his first good look on a partial 2-on-1 with Isak Rosén nine-and-a-half minutes in, but his shot would be blocked away by Fowler. Through nearly thirty minutes of hockey, though, Dawson Mercer has been solid with heads-up defensive play, a knack from jumping into offensive rushes, and smart passes to teammates. I was already a fan, but Mercer's lunchbox style of play should make Jets fans appreciate him more. He's going to be good for this club.

Montreal would extend their lead at the 11:04 mark when Kaiden Guhle's shot found space past Skinner and a mass of humanity out in front of the Jets' crease. Honestly, I'm not surprised that Skinner didn't see that puck because there were four bodies standing directly in front of him, and that puck seemed to find whatever tiny seam there was to get past the bodies and hit the back of the net. Montreal took a 2-0 lead on their second goal from a defenceman.

Alex Newhook would be sent off at 12:53 after his stick came up and caught Isak Rosén in the face area, and the Jets went to work on their second power-play. Aside from Skinner making a stop on Josh Anderson, the Jets wouldn't get anything dangerous in the way of scoring, and another advantage took two minutes off the clock. And despite the Jets getting shots in the last five minutes, nothing would get past Fowler as that 2-0 score would carry into the second break.

The chairs in the pressbox that we were seated on could be considered a form of torture, so I needed to stretch my legs during the second intermission. Again, talk amongst yourselves.

THIRD PERIOD

Another uninspired start to the period from both sides would lead to a mistake. At 5:08, Alex Newhook tripped up Adam Lowry to send Winnipeg to its third power-play, so could the Jets capitalize on this opportunity? The Jets got their best scoring chance in two periods when Cole Perfetti set up Mark Scheifele for a one-timer from the left face-off dot, but Fowler's blocker kept that Jets off the board again. The power-play was unable to score for a third time, and the clock began to become part of the problem with Jets down two goals.

With very little action at both ends for a length of time, Mark Scheifele finally found some room in the offensive zone with 6:10 to play where he was able to get a wrist shot off from the hashmarks. The only problem? Fowler's glove picked it out of the air to keep the Jets off the board. With six minutes left, it appeared the Jets may remain scoreless at Princess Auto Stadium after falling to Edmonton 3-0 in 2016. Would Montreal keep the goalless streak alive?

That answer was a resounding NO as Isak Rosén would finally solve Fowler off a great setup from Vilardi in the high slot. Rosén, standing by the left post, one-timed the feed into the yawning cage, and thr Jets were on the board off Rosén's first goal of the season with 4:36 to play. Montreal held a 2-1 lead and this game was far from over.

Josh Anderson would add a little intrigue to the game as he was called for tripping with 92 seconds remaining, and the Jets' lifeless power-play needed to find some fire. Skinner would begin in the net, but he would be called to the bench quickly for the 6-on-4 attack. And without a shot in the final minue-and-a-half, the Jets would fall by a 2-1 score to the Montreal Canadiens as the final score wraps up the 2026 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic from Winnipeg!

FINAL THOUGHTS

For as much fun as the other events were this weekend, this game felt a lot like the 2016 Heritage Classic game where the play on the ice was entirely forgettable. I understand that there has to be a winner and loser, but the entertainment value compared to ticket prices aren't even in the same ballpark or football stadium. Had I paid for tickets to this event, I would have been disappointed with my investment. Simply put, this was not an enteraining game.

If you're a Montreal Canadiens fans, you're happy that your team picked up two points. The penalty killing efforts are definitely something to put in one's back pocket as well as they stymied the Winnipeg offence, and Jacob Fowler looks every bit as confident as I've ever seen him. While some worried when Jakub Dobes struggled, it seems very clear that the Canadiens have a 1A and 1B situation in goal as opposed to a starter-backup tandem. That bodes well.

If you're a Winnipeg Jets fan, you can take solace in the facts that Stuart Skinner's play looks solid, the return of Elias Salomonsson showed he was ready to step back into a top-six role, and Dawson Mercer will be a nice addition to the Jets' depth. Tbe power-play was dreadful, however, and there should be some concern over how the Jets attack the offensive zone. A sixth loss in seven games doesn't stop the questions about how this team is built from being asked.

From a presentation perspective, though, the NHL achieved what it set out to do: selling out the Heritage Classic at Princess Auto Stadium, selling out the Alumni Game at Canada Life Centre, stoking the passion for hockey in two major fanbases that are important in the NHL's makeup, and sending fans home with memories made. Yes, tickets to make those memories cost an extraordinary amount of money, but 32,343 fans showed up, cheered, and had a good time.

That's mission accomplished for the NHL by their business standards.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

Running It Back In Winnipeg

On a day when a former teammate was speaking to the media after being traded, the city of Winnipeg turned its attention to the weekend that lies ahead as the 2026 Tim Horton's Heritage Classic got underway in a big way on Saturday. There was a fan event in downtown Winnipeg today that saw an incredible number of people attend, but the main focus on Saturday was the Alumni Game featuring past players from the Jets and Canadiens meeting at Canada Life Centre. With all the former stars in town, there was an incredible electricity in the air as I made my way to the arena!

Fans in Winnipeg certainly turned out as the lineups at the doors to Canada Life Centre were already long on the sidewalks outside before the gates officially opened. Jerseys of every style worn by both the Winnipeg Jets and Montreal Canadiens were on display as fans wore their favorite team's colours proudly. There was a lot of bleu-blanc-et-rouge in the lines, but it was awesome seeing the Reverse Retro jerseys of the Canadiens being worn by a handful of fans. Names like Price, Gallagher, Roy were flanked by Suzuki, Caufield, and Demidov throughout the stands as the Montreal faithful showed up to cheer!

Jets fans certainly didn't disappoint in their choices of jerseys at the Alumni Game as a military-themed Wheeler jersey was seen, a couple of RCAF alternates were present, a handful of Aviator jerseys made apppearances, and both versions of the heritage jerseys were interspersed throughout the stands. There were lots of Ladd, Byfuglien, Scheifele, and Enstrom jerseys in Jets double-blue, but there was a very noticeable absence of #37 jerseys in the crowd. That wound likely will need years to heal at this point.

Video on the scoreboard showed player entrances into the arena, and the video of Dustin Byfuglien's arrival got a huge cheer from the Winnipeg crowd. Having the big defender back in Winnipeg feels right, and my hope would be that the Jets find a way to make his presence in this city a little more frequent. Make him the Executive Director of Fun or something along those lines, but it's clear that Winnipeg fans miss seeing #33's smile and personality on display.

Honestly, it was kind of surreal to see all these guys back in full uniform and going through warm-ups again. Even Jason Kasdorf, wearing #75, was kicking out pucks like he was getting his first NHL start after being drafted by the Jets in 2011, but never playing for them. It was just as lively down in the Canadiens' end of the ice as guys like Erik Cole and Andrei Markov look like they haven't lost a step. Of course, game speed is different than warm-ups, so we'll see what happens shortly when both teams lineup for real action!

Jets alumni head coach Claude Noel had already made it clear that he's going to give Jets fans what they want in reuniting Bryan Litte, Andrew Ladd, and Blake Wheeler from the early days of Jets 2.0, and he's committed to having Tanner Glass, Chris Thorburn, and Jim Slater skate together as the fabled GST line finds its way back to a rink. Beyond that, no other lineup "guarantees" have been made by either team, but there could be all sorts of fun possibilities!

Juno-nomimated band The Trews filled in the time between warm-up and the opening face-off with a solid set of music that included fan favourite "Tired of Waiting" to which a number of fans were singing. Full marks to the band, the Jets, and the NHL for having them play this event. Good Canadian bands never get enough press, and The Trews are certainly among the best Canadian rock bands on the map today. My only complaint? The Jets didn't have them in jerseys! As a result, I can't add them to the Jets' section on the Musicians in Jerseys page! C'mon, Jets - that's easy marketing for your brand!

Roster introductions were very well done with former Jets Lucien Deblois and Stephane Quintal, "coach" PK Subban, goaltender Jaroslav Halak, and defenceman Andrei Markov getting loud cheers from the Canada Life Centre crowd. On the Jets' side, the original "Stu" Mark Stuart, captain Andrew Ladd, alternate captain Bryan Little, always-entertaining Chris Thorburn, captain Blake Wheeler, shifty Mathieu Perreault, and head coach Claude Noel all had incredible pops for their introductions, but the crowd didn't hold back during Dustin Byfuglien's appearance on the scoreboard. Again, the Jets have to find a way to keep this guy in the mix. He's good for business.

In what has to be one of the cooler things done at any Heritage Classic, the Jets brought out descendents of the 1896 Stanley Cup players featuring the Montreal Victorias and Winnipeg Victorias for the ceremonial face-off. For those who are unaware, Winnipeg beat Montreal 2-0 on February 14, 1896, becoming the first team outside the AHAC to win the Stanley Cup on goals by Jack "JC" Armytage and Colin "Tote" Campbell. It also marked the first time that a Stanley Cup Parade was held in Winnipeg as the team celebrated their victory down Main Street in downtown Winnipeg! How cool is that?

FIRST PERIOD

When the game finally got underway, both sides looked for an advantage early, but it was hardly a track meet. A few missed passes led to rushes the other way, but shots came mainly outside the high-danger areas. Montreal had the first good chance in tight about four-and-a-half minutes in, but Michael Hutchinson made a big stop to keep the game tied at zeroes through the early part of the game.

The first penalty was assessed to Adam Pardy, giving Paul Byron a penalty shot from center ice after five minutes of play. He made no mistake going high blocker side on Hutchinson to put the Canadians Alumni up 1-0 as Byron's fly-by the benches earned him a few chirps. Immediately, the Jets pressed back as they looked for an equalizer, but some Jaroslav Halak made a good stop on the backdoor as Jim Slater set up Chris Thorburn, and we hit our first break at 7:09 with the Montreal Canadiens still in front off that Paul Byron goal.

The Jets would immediately respond afte the break as defender Ron Hainsey snuck in from the point and took a pass from Jim Slater to find himself all alone with Halak. A quick move to the backhand found room between Halak's pads, and Hainsey had tied the game at the 7:32 mark! Chris Thorburn drew the secondary assist, so the GST line is already paying off! Two minutes later, Hainsey broke up a Dale Weise breakaway, so the defender was making an early case for MVP!

With just over two minutes to play in the opening frame, it appeared Montreal took a 2-1 lead, but it was ruled that Erik Cole had knocked the puck out of the air with a high stick in front of Hutchinson, and the goal was waved off to the delight of the crowd. Cole would protest, but the referees would hear none of it and there are no replays or coach's challeneges in today's Alumni Game!

It would not matter, though, as 21 seconds later, Erik Cole looked to set up David Desharnais in the slot, but Desharnais fed the puck to Guillaume Latendresse and he had nothing but twine to shoot at as Hutchinson had slid across on the initial pass. Montreal led 2-1 at the sound of the horn off that tic-tac-toe Latendresse goal.

The first intermission saw The Trews back on the Samsung Stage where they played another quick three-song set to the delight of a number of fans based on all the dancing in the stands shown on the videoboard. Again, more Canadian bands featured at Canadian-based events, please. Canada has too much music talent to be overlooked for Grey Cups, Heritage Classics, and other major events.

SECOND PERIOD

The second period started with a little back-and-forth with Hutchinson stopping Cole and Halak stopping Glass. Perreault missed a backdoor chip into the net 2:46 into the frame, and Montreal raced right back and was stopped by Hutchinson. Cole hit a goal post at the 4:30 mark, and Montreal would keep the press on before Marc-Andre Bergeron hit Guillaume Latendresse with a backdoor pass that allowed him to deke around Hutchinson and tuck the puck around the post into the net. Montreal took a 3-1 lead on Latendresse's second goal of the game just before the five-minute mark of the period.

The one and only Youppi! was shown on the videoboard as the Canadiens' mascot is travelling with the team to this year's Heritage Classic. He was shown taking selfies with fans, so be on the lookout for him at Princess Auto Stadium! Less than a minute after play resumed, Mark Stuart tipped Derek Meech's shot past Halak at the 7:22 mark to make it 3-2, and Anthony Peluso, known for his fists, showed some great hands on a partial breakaway set up by Paul Stanstny as he went forehand-backhand to beat Halak high on the stick side to make it 3-3 at 7:37! The Jets were flying!

That quick succession of goals lit a fire in the Canadiens as well as David Savard put his name on the scoresheet when he beat Hutchinson at 8:13 to make it a 4-3 contest as the goals kept coming. At the 8:36 mark, Andrew Ladd got hauled down, setting him up for a penalty shot. He came in and went high glove with his shot, but Halak watched it go over the bar to keep the game at a one-goal Habs lead.

The Canadiens restored their two-goal lead on a 3-on-2 at the 9:01 mark when Paul Byron simply had to tap the puck across the line off an incredible feed from Patrice Briebois as Montreal went up 5-3. The Canadiens also opted for a goalie change as Yann Danis made his way to the crease for the second half of this entertaining game!

Another penalty shot was awarded to the Jets' Mathieu Perreault with 4:33 remaining, but his deke was stopped by the left toe of Danis to keep the two-goal lead intact. A giveaway at the offensive zone blueline by Marc Stuart almost saw Brandon Prust make it a three-goal lead, but he fired the puck wide with Hutchinson way out his net to challenge. The offence certainly ramped up in this period!

Danis turned away a partial Anthony Peluso breakaway with 2:55 left, and was saved by defence when they pulled a puck off the line that trickled through him with 40 seconds left in the frame. The horn would finally sound on the second period, though, and the Winnipeg Jets had some work to do in the third period if they want a win as the Montreal Canadiens led by a 5-3 score after thirty minutes of play!

You may be saying "isn't that supposed to be forty minutes" which would normally be correct. However, the 2026 Tim Horton's Heritage Classic Alumni Game has fifteen-minute periods rather than the traditional twenty-minute frames. Shorter periods is one of the benefits of playing in alumni games, I guess. Either way, it's been a fun thirty minutes thus far, and we have one more period to play! Oh, and more from The Trews in the intermission. Keep it coming.

THIRD PERIOD

Jason Kasdorf led the Jets onto the ice for the third period as he'll take over for Michael Hutchinson between the pipes. 34 seconds in, Yann Danis came up big again, stopping Jim Slater on a breakaway. Danis made another good stop on Blake Wheeler 90 seconds into the frame, so it looks like the Jets will need to up their game if they want to beat the Montreal netminder. He's playing very well.

Kasdorf showed his skills with a quick save on Paul Byron as he flashed the blocker before making a second stop with his pads out front at the 3:15 mark. 27 seconds later, Yann Danis flashed the leather to take a corner away from Anthony Peluso as the two-goal Montreal lead held strong thanks to their netminder's talents.

You know you're a fan favorite when every time the puck touches your stick in the offensive zone and the crowd yells "SHOOT!" Dustin Byfuglien was getting that treatment as the fans at Canada Life Centre wanted to see the big guy score, but the one clapper he did take was absorbed by Danis's pads. If he gets one tonight, the lid may explode off this arena as the fans are currently chanting his name.

9:20 into the period, Tanner Glass cut in hard off the wing with a defender on his hip, but Danis stood tall once more. He couldn't stop them all, though as Blake Wheeler and Andrew Ladd came in on a 2-on-1, and he lasered a wrist shot high glove side on Danis that found twine at 10:01 to make it a 5-4 game! That line would continue to hem the Habs in their zone after the ensuing face-off, but the Canadiens would finally break the pressure to get a change.

With 2:30 to go, the Habs flew out of their zone with Erik Cole heading down the right wing. He spotted Davis Desharnais in the middle who somehow got his stick loose, and he flipped the puck past Kasdorf to make it a 6-4 game. Honestly, full marks to Desharnais who looked like he was wrapped up, but he found a way to score.

With 1:10 to go, Bryan Little clanged the crossbar, and the Jets pulled Kasdorf to make a late play for a couple of goals. Montreal's Erik Cole would ice the game with 15 seconds to play when he scored on the empty cage from just inside the left-wing blue line, and the Montreal Canadiens' alumni skated to the 7-4 vivctory on this Saturday night!

Canada Life Centre fans didn't hold back the applause after the game, though, as they cheered both teams' salutes to the crowd as handshakes, helmet taps, smiles, and laughs were exchanged by the players as they shook hands at center ice. Honestly, this is exactly how this game should end as both sides put on a fun show for everyone in attendance and watching at home. Bravo to both squads!

After the handshakes, both teams came together for photos at center ice, and a number of fans who had been selected were let onto the ice for photos with the players. Impressively, one person was wearing a Bryan Little Atlanta Thrashers jersey, so full marks to that fan! That's an awesome jersey to sport on a night like this! Joining these fans were also Mick E. Moose, Benny, Youppi!, and Metal! as the mascots joined their respective teams. Frankly, this is an awesome way to end this game. Good on everyone involved in this part!

OVERALL

From a fan's perspective, this was a great way to kick off the actual gamneplay part of the Heritage Classic weekend. I know these sorts of alumni games can't be done every week, but it says a lot about how much these retired players mean to the fans and these teams. I don't think that can be stressed enough when you heard the cheers tonight, but they recognized their importance by acknowledging the crowd. All of this is how hockey can build fan relationships.

Winnipeg, like it always does, came out and supported hockey once again, and it's incredible to see the passion that fans have despite some of the economic strains on people right now. Seeing everyone - Jets fans and Montreal fans alike - out in their team's colours is why Winnipeg always comes through as a hockey town. Seeing the alumni interacting with fans is why hockey is part of this city's bloodstream.

Tomorrow, we head outside as the current versions of the Jets and Canadiens meet at Princess Auto Stadium for the Heritage Classic game, and fans are invited and encouraged to welcome Jets and Canadiens players as they arrive at Princess Auto Stadium tomorrow. Fans should be along the walkway to Gate 1 at 2:45pm when the Winnipeg Jets arrive and at approximaely 3:15pm for when the Montreal Canadiens arrive. Of course, the Heritage Classic Fanfest will be happening across for Princess Auto Stadium as well, so there's lots to do on Sunday before the game! I hope to see you there!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

***images will be linked shortly***

The Hockey Show - Episode 735

The Hockey Show, Canada's only campus-produced radio show that strictly talks hockey, is back tonight with all the host seats filled as Sophie returns from conquering the universe, Jason checks in after adventuring this past week, and Teebz is... well, he's there too. All in all, it's going to be a busy show that will see the main story likely spark fires in listeners because it certainly does in our hosts. That story and a few other discussions are ready for banter tonight, so make sure you're ready for The Hockey Show at 5:30pm CT!

Tonight, Teebz, Jason, and Sophie will take a long look at the recent news coming out about sports betting in Canada and how it's affecting people in the two places where online sportsbooks are legal in Ontario and Alberta. There will be a lot of information and discussion on this, but the hosts will also discuss PWHL team names and the four unnamed teams who have their names, Brady Tkachuk being welcomed back to Ottawa, Connor Hellebuyck's treatment if or when he returns to Winnipeg, a unique set of games in the ECHL that should be explored by other leagues, something about events happening in Winnipeg this weekend, and anything else we can squeeze into the hour. It's an episode that rattles some cages and has lots of discussion as the three hosts get into all the topics tonight on The Hockey Show at 5:30pm CT on one of 101.5 FM, Channel 718 on MTS TV, or via UMFM.com!

If you live outside Winnipeg and want to listen, we have options! The UMFM website's streaming player works well if you want to listen online. We also recommend Radio Garden if you need an easy-to-use online stream. If you're more of an app person, we recommend you use the TuneIn app found on the App Store or Google Play Store.

If you have questions, you can email all show queries and comments to hockeyshow@umfm.com! Tweet me anytime with questions you may have by hitting me up at @TeebzHBIC on Twitter! I'm here to listen to you, so make your voice heard! And because both Teebz and Jason are on the butterfly app where things are less noisy, you can find Teebz here and Jason here on Bluesky!

Tonight, Teebz, Jason, and Sophie chat about the betting pitfalls, bad names, crowd chants, future receptions, big events, and much more exclusively on 101.5 UMFM and on the UMFM.com web stream!

PODCAST: October 22, 2026: Episode 735

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

An Oddly-Coloured Set Of Games

You may recognize the jersey to the left as being one of the Florida Panthers "fashion jerseys" that Starter produced in the late-1990s when they held a handful of NHL merchandise rights. The Panthers never wore anything like this on the ice in their history, of course, but there were other like the red Buffalo Sabres goathead jersey, a very blue Pittsburgh Penguins jersey, and a light blue Colorado Avalanche jersey. There were more of these, but they felt somewhat like where the new Hometown Remix jerseys got their inspiration. What if, however, your favorite team came out wearing the colours of a local rival while those rivals wore your team's colours? It might be hard to stomach, but it's the "a rose by any other name" idea with a hockey twist!

The ECHL announced today that they're going to have four teams participate in an "Impossible Pair" set of games where the rivals will swap jersey colours to throw everyone for loop! As per their announcement, the Florida Everblades and Orlando Solar Bears will swap jersey colours for two games and the Indy Fire and Bloomington Bison will do the same! Make sure you cheer for the right team!

Bloomington and Indy will get things started on November 28 when the Fuel visit the Bisons. The red Bloomington jersey doesn't look all that out of place considering they've worn a red jersey before, but that baby blue Indy Fuel jersey seems all sorts of wrong. Both teams will auction off the jerseys in both games they play to help support charities in those cities, but I'm curious how many Indy Fuel fans will want a Bison-coloured Fuel jersey for their closet. The good news is that the second game goes a month later on December 26 in Fishers, Indiana where these two oddly-coloured teams will square off again! Good charities will benefit, so make sure you get your bids in!

The second two-game set features the panhandle rivalry as the Orlando Solar Bears will visit Estero, Florida for a battle with the Florida Everblades on December 26 with both teams wearing the jerseys to the left. The pink of the Solar Bears logo on the green Everblades jersey colour looks very odd, and I'm not sure I like the orange alligator on the front of the Everblades' jerseys. These are definitely unique and should be fun for both fanbases, and we'll see the second game take place in Orlando on January 11. I'm sure we'll see fans from both cities travel for these games thanks to proximity, and remember to get your bids in to help some very deserving charities!

For those wondering how this idea came about, "[t]he Impossible Pair jersey mash-up is the brainchild of PACT!, a non-partisan organization dedicated to shattering intolerance through gutsy stunts of radical goodness." PACT! has some big goals and they achieve those goals through a variety of means, but the goal in each of their actions is to bring people together, to erase hate, and, specifically in the "Impossible Pair" games, to help some great local charities in these four ECHL cities. That's where I hope ECHL fans chip in to help.

Nothing has been announced as to which local charities will be helped in each city, but the teams have a month to figure out where the money they raise in the jersey auctions go. I know money is tight for a lot of people right now as well, so, if you're planning on bidding on jerseys, please keep to a budget. I know it would be cool to have one of these jerseys, but not paying bills or buying less food and being hungry isn't a way to show your support. Be mindful of that.

We'll see these crazy colour swaps go live at the end of November, so grab tickets today for one of these games! Those two December 26 games would make great Christmas gifts for hockey fans, so that might be a fun day at the rink if you're looking for a unique gift! And if you have the means, help out a local charity by bidding on one of the jerseys. Most of all, have fun cheering for the right team in the wrong jersey on those four Impossible Pair nights this season!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!