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 has already made it clear that he's going to give the Jets 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 did 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, Guillaume Latendresse looked to set up David Desharnais in the slot, but Desharnais fed the puck right back to him 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 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 tocuhes 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!

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!

It's Official!

I'm not one to ever post things to social media. I find the idea of living my life through the approval of others to be an absurd concept, and I certainly never want to be an influencer. Frankly, the idea of celebrating anything online seems vapid to me when those moments should be celebrated with people who have a vested interest in my life. In short, this article already makes me uncomfortable, but today marked the first time that UMFM got called up to the big show!

If you were listening to The Hockey Show on Thursday, you may have heard that Jason and I have been credentialed for the upcoming Heritage Classic game taking place in Winnipeg. The entire idea started out as a lark because we never, in a million years, thought the NHL would consider us as a media outlet like 680 CJOB or CBC Radio One 98.3FM, but the NHL processed our application for access and we were approved for credentials to NHL events moving forward!

Both Jason and I have been credentialed before - we both were in the pressbox for the PWHL Takeover Tour game in Winnipeg - so this isn't like we're getting our first seat on media row. It does mark the first time, however, that UMFM has been invited to an NHL event, and we plan on covering the events this weekend as closely as we did during the PWHL's event. Expect photos and write-ups from both of us!

Today, I went down to Princess Auto Stadium to pick up those credentials in order to be ready for the weekend. I thought the place would be busier, but I was literally the only person there to acquire said credentials. There could have been media inside with NHL executives where they were going over rink dimensions and having questions answered, but I arrived at the pressbox at Princess Auto Stadium and it looked like a ghost town. There were a handful of construction guys working inside the gate and they asked me if was there to work. I had to respectfully decline that work, but one of the guys joked that working on the Heritage Classic venue was the only way he could it in-person. After a few laughs, I left them working on their project, headed back to my car, and sat there for a few moments examining the credentials.

The little yellow square had caught my attention because it gave us access to the players pre-game and post-game! I'll be completely honest in saying that I will not be heading to either locker room at any point on the weekend despite having access because I want to talk about the Heritage Classic experience from a fan's perspective. Fans don't have that kind of unfettered access, so I won't be taking advantage of it either. It's a surreal feeling knowing I could go down and chat with players, but that's not what this blog nor the radio show does unless it's a full interview rather than some quotable press snippets.

In any case, getting the opportunity to cover the Heritage Classic will be a fun experience where Jason and I can go behind the scenes for a major NHL event. We saw how Winnipeg came out and supported the PWHL's Takeover Tour, and it's pretty clear that Winnipeg has been wanting another outdoor game after the Oilers and Jets met here in 2016 and the Oilers prevailed 3-0. The Montreal Canadiens aren't going to be a pushover of any kind with how they're playing, so it should be a great game that features two passionate fanbases!

We'll have more about this on The Hockey Show this week, so make sure you tune in to hear what Jason and I will be doing as the big game approaches on Sunday. We will be going to different parts of the events all weekend, so find out which of us will be where when it comes to the 2026 NHL Heritage Classic in Winnipeg this weekend!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

History Tonight

There were a lot of firsts that happened tonight in Rio Rancho, New Mexico where the ECHL's New Mexico Goatheads took the ice in an ECHL regular season game for the first time. The Goatheads were hosting the Idaho Steelheads in their inaugural game, so there would be first saves, first penalties, first fights, and, hopefully, first goals scored by both teams. I watched the majority of this game with the camera positioned somewhere in the upper deck at the Rio Rancho Events Center, but we'd see history made on this night as the Goatheads took the ice!

We'll get a few easy historical moments out of the way as #88 Dakota Seaman recorded the first shot in Goatheads history 2:44 into the game. Idaho's Jaxon Fuder was turned away by #40 Isaiah Saville in the New Mexico net just 57 seconds in to record the first save in franchise history. #27 Lynden Breen was called for hooking at 4:54 of the first period as he was the first Goatheads player to visit the sin bin, and Idaho's #11 Angus MacDonell was the first person to light the lamp behind Saville at the 15:19 mark of the first period as MacDonell scored the first goal on the Goatheads. It was a busy opening frame.

Idaho would add a pair of goals in the second period to lead 3-0 after forty minutes, and there was some trepidation that the Goatheads may not solve Jake Barczewski on this night. However, we'd see the Goatheads make a push in the third period where this moment was captured and posted on the New Mexico Goatheads' Twitter account!
The very first Goatheads goal in the ECHL belongs to #18 Cameron Buhl who found room past Barczewski at 7:34 of the third period while on the power-play to cut the Idaho lead to 3-1 as #27 Lynden Breen and #12 Saige Weinstein collected the first primary and secondary assists, respectively, in franchise history! Idaho's Charlie Dodero was in the penalty box for the goal after being called for interference at 6:11. Clearly, Buhl's goal was a big moment in the franchise's history, but there was still hockey to be played as points were on the line as the Goatheads looked to rally for a win!

Unfortunately for the Goatheads and their fans, Idaho was in a stingy mood as they shut the door after that goal. Mason Nevers would score an empty-netter with eight seconds remaining, and the Steelheads downed the Goatheads by a 4-1 score in New Mexico's inaugural game. In watching this game, I wanted to see New Mexico put more pucks on net as they were outshot 35-25, but had multiple opportunities to send pucks to the net with players heading towards the crease. I'll let head coach Zack Stortini sort that out, though.

While the fans may have left disappointed in the result tonight, the Goatheads sold out tonight's inaugural game and there are a limited number of tickets available for tomorrow's rematch. No one should be celebrating this expansion as an unquestionable success just yet, but two sellouts against a division rival to start the season is a good way to impress the ECHL brass. Here's hoping the fans keep coming back!

Winning would certainly help, and the Goatheads will go into Saturday 0-1-0 after a spirited, but unsuccessful, first game. Can they bounce back and win the back-half of the two-game set against the Steelheads? We'll find out tomorrow when Idaho and New Mexico meet again at the Rio Rancho Events Center at 7pm MDT!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!