Exactly As Designed

Winnipeg's last remaining professional hockey team was facing elimination in Game Four on the road tonight, so the Manitoba Moose needed a big effort to keep their season going. Twice they had fought off elimination against the Milwaukee Admirals, but the Grand Rapids Griffins were an entirely different monster. The Moose took advantage of the Griffins not having played for a week in Game One, but Games Two and Three looked very much like the Western Conference's best team was ready to roll. Could the Moose hand the Griffins their tenth loss at home all season and force a Game Five in this series?

The Moose certainly were never out of the game in any of their three-straight losses, but it was evident that the Griffins were playing at a different level in those games including tonight's 5-2 win over the Moose. Perhaps the most telling statistic from those three losses was that Grand Rapids was 4-for-7 on the power-play despite have no power-play opportunities in Game Three. The team that wins the special teams battle usually finds itself on the right side of the ledger, and this was the case with Grand Rapids advancing tonight.

If defence truly wins championships, the Griffins certainly showed why they should be a favorite for the Calder Cup. Despite losing Game One, the Griffins outscored the Moose 11-5 in four games that saw them score nine goals over their last two games. The Griffins seemingly got stronger as the series went on while the Moose couldn't find another gear. If the Griffins carry that Game Four effort into the next series against Chicago, the Wolves will be in for a tough series.

There will need to be some evaluation done by Jets and Moose management now, and one of the statistics that has to worry them is that goaltender Thomas Milic has yet to win an AHL playoff game. There's no denying that the 23 year-old Milic has the necessary talent and drive to get to the next level, but his 0-4-0 record, 3.70 GAA, and .846 save percentage in AHL playoff games suggest that he's not quite ready despite solid regular season numbers. If he's aiming for Eric Comrie's job or, potentially, Connor Hellebuyck's job, Milic has yet to win a game when it mattered most at the AHL level.

One can argue that losing Nikita Chibrikov and Elias Salomonsson before this series started hurt the Moose's chances, and that's not wrong. However, Salomonsson's shoulder injury likely would have kept him out of this series even if he hadn't opted for surgery while Chibrikov had his core muscle surgery done once the Jets' season ended, so he hadn't been available for the Moose since the Calder Cup Playoffs began. Would they have helped if they were healthy? Absolutely, but these absences were known going into this series.

Since 2022, the Moose are 7-12 in playoff games. They missed the playoffs in 2025, but have only won the play-in series with Milwaukee this season in terms of playoff series wins. If we eliminate that play-in series, the Moose are 5-11 at the big dance with zero series wins over the last five seasons which, quite frankly, isn't indicative of a "draft and develop" model in any way. It's not like the Jets are flush with talent they developed, and the Moose are proving that whatever coaching Mark Morrison claims he's doing isn't delivering NHL or AHL results as he's been the guy in charge of the Moose since 2021.

One can argue that Winnipeg is Jets-obsessed which isn't entirely wrong, but it would certainly benefit True North Sports and Entertainment to have two successful hockey teams playing in their barn. While the Jets will always be the marquee attraction, the Moose could be the fun, affordable option for hockey fans and families who aren't willing to buy the NHL's outrageous ticket prices. With neither the Jets nor the Moose making deep playoff runs in recent memory, it seems like the entire system needs an overhaul.

If you're tracing the line as to where the Jets' and Moose's paths converge, it would be at the general manager's office. I know I'm not the owner of the Jets nor am I related to him in any way, but if I were Mark Chipman I'd be asking some very tough questions of Kevin Cheveldayoff before this year's draft. With the Jets poised to be a bubble team again next season and with the Moose being first-round exits every season, Cheveldayoff's draft-and-develop strategy has proven to be entirely mediocre at best over the last five years.

I enjoyed the five home games that Moose fans were able to see this season, but it's evident that "make the playoffs" is the pinnacle for both the Jets and Moose under True North Sports and Entertainment's current regime. Winning is not a priority despite all the lip service that's been spewed about it. If either team were to win, that's a bonus for management and a credit to the players because both coaching and management haven't set either team up for long-term success. If they had, we'd be seeing some sort of payoff of that effort put in over the last five seasons. Clearly, that hasn't happened.

Congratulations to the Grand Rapids Griffins on their four-game victory, and good luck to them as they prepare for another IHL battle with the Chicago Wolves. The Moose will return home, clear out their lockers, and disperse to wherever those players spend the summer. Their season didn't end the way they likely wanted it to end, but it finished exactly how every other season under Mark Morrison and Kevin Cheveldaoff did: an early playoff exit. Almost as if by design.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!