<h2>League suspends wheat kings forward eight games</h2>The Western Hockey League has announced an eight-game suspension to Brandon Wheat Kings forward Matt Henry.Although not divulging the exact cause of concern, the league made it clear that the 19-year-old had been banned as a result of a failed drug test. All players are subject to random drug tests, which test for blood doping and the use of banned substances or performance enhancing drugs.The WHL did not specify why Henry was suspended, other than it being his first violation for using a prohibited substance. The league did maintain both the player and the team in question cooperated fully during the investigation.The Wheat Kings later sent out a release indicating that it was a performance-enhancing drug that Henry was caught using. “The Brandon Wheat Kings and the WHL take the issue of performance-enhancing drugs very seriously,” the club shared. “We believe in maintaining a level playing field for all athletes and in fostering a culture of healthy, fair competition.“Matt has expressed his regret over the situation and has agreed to participate in counseling to address this issue. The Brandon Wheat Kings fully support Matt in his journey to understanding and overcoming this challenge. We are committed to his health and well-being and will be with him every step of the way.”Henry, a fourth-line player from Saskatchewan, is well-built in nature, standing 6-foot-1 and weighing in at a stout 210 pounds. Whether or not his positive test came from trace amounts of a substance or an overwhelming amount, it is clear that the Wheat Kings do believe in rehabilitation and will work with Henry through the process.In 37 games with Brandon this season, Henry put up just one assist to go alongside 100 penalty minutes.The Wheat Kings are currently down 0-2 in their best-of-seven Eastern Conference Quarterfinal playoff round with the Moose Jaw Warriors. The series shifts to Brandon for games 3 and 4 on Wednesday and Thursday evenings. Both get underway at 7:00 PM from Westoba Place.

Wheat Kings Forward Matt Henry Suspended Eight Games for Drug Violation

<h2>Denton Mateychuk named BIll Hunter Memorial Trophy winner</h2>Moose Jaw Warriors captain Denton Mateychuk has been awarded the Bill Hunter Memorial Trophy as the Western Hockey League’s top defenceman following the 2023-24 season.Mateychuk beat out fellow Manitoban Hudson Thornton (Prince George), as well as Carter Yakemchuk (Calgary) and Graham Sward (Wenatchee) who were also nominated for the award.“It’s a huge honour to win the top defenceman award this year,” said Mateychuk. “I want to take the time to congratulate all the other division winners on their great seasons.”The Dominion City product – and 12th overall pick of the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2022 – posted a career-high 75 points in the regular season, where he played only 52 games.Mateychuk’s 17 goals and 58 assists placed him third among WHL d-men this season—his 1.44 points per game ranked first.“It was pretty cool to be able to tell my family that I won the award after all we’ve been through together and all they’ve done for me,” Mateychuk said.The 19-year-old came out of the gates swinging this season, tallying six goals and 35 points in 23-straight games from October 10, 2023, to December 8, 2023.Mateychuk also played a significant role on the blueline for Team Canada in the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championships in Sweden—totalling four assists and a plus-six rating in just five games.In this year’s NHL preseason, Mateychuk contributed three assists in four games with Columbus, before returning to Moose Jaw.His 1.44 points per game not only lead all WHL defencemen, but rank second among all CHL d-men. He has been a point-per-game player throughout his entire WHL career, which began in 2019-20.Mateychuk has tallied 215 points in 203 career regular season games with Moose Jaw, while in the playoffs, he has averaged 1.25 points per game with 45 points in 36 career games.The WHL’s East Division First Team All-Star has also eclipsed his first 100-point season, currently standing at 102 points after eight goals and 19 assists in 16 postseason games this year.With a plus-89 rating over the past three seasons and 249 points in 216 games, the future is bright for Manitoba’s 5-foot-11, 191-pound defender, and also for Blue Jackets fans.Mateychuk and WHL scoring leader Jagger Firkus lead Moose Jaw into the WHL championship, where they hope to win their first Ed Chynoweth Cup as the Warriors (the Moose Jaw Canucks were Ed Chynoweth Cup champions in 1966-67).The Warriors begin their championship series against the Portland Winterhawks Friday night in Oregon.

Dominion City's Denton Mateychuk Named WHL’s Best Defenceman

<h2>Hi there! Winkler Flyers gear up for centennial cup after 32-year absence</h2>In 1992, the Winkler Flyers lost in the Canadian National Junior A Championship to Thunder Bay by a score of 10-1. 32 years later they are making their return and will represent the Manitoba Junior Hockey League (MJHL) at the Centennial Cup National Championship in Oakville, Ontario this week.On paper, the road to the Centennial Cup may look like a breeze for Winkler, but it was far from it. After taking down a mighty three-seed Portage Terriers in five games, the Flyers had their work cut out for them in beating the Virden Oil Capitals in six.&nbsp;The Flyers and Oil Caps had three games go to overtime in the semi-final, with the deciding Game 6 being finished early into the fourth overtime by Jakob Jones.&nbsp;In the league final, Winkler swept the top-seed – and last year's Turnbull Memorial Trophy winner –Steinbach Pistons. Once again having two of the four games going into overtime.The Flyers’ regular season was just as strong as their gritty postseason run, posting a 42-11-5 record - good enough for second in the league behind those same Pistons.Local Winkler product Trent Penner and Brandonite Dalton Andrew have been the two mainstays for the &nbsp;dominant Flyers offense over the past three seasons, practically doubling their point totals from the previous season each year they have been in Winkler.Andrew was named the MJHL’s top scorer in the regular season with 43 goals and 82 points, while Penner was named MJHL MVP with 29 goals and 78 points. They were also tied for the MJHL playoff point lead with 14 points in 15 games.Winkler's goaltending may have been the biggest factor in solidifying the league championship, with 20-year-old Malachi Klassen earning playoff MVP honours.&nbsp;In the regular season, the Flyers had one of the most dominant duos between the pipes in all of Junior A Hockey. Malachi Klassen posted a .917 save percentage and a 2.16 goals against average in 36 games played, while rookie goaltender Liam Ernst had an outstanding first season with a .928 save percentage and 1.78 goals against average in 22 games.Even the Flyers’ talent behind the bench was unmatched. Justin Falk, Ryan White and Eric Fehr have a combined 1,337 games of NHL experience to their names. After the COVID-19 shortened season, Falk was brought on as the assistant coach and general manager, before being promoted to GM and head coach after a short three months. White came over in the summer of 2021, while Fehr joined the Flyers as the director of player development in June 2022.What Falk and his staff have been able to do in a span of three years is nothing short of amazing. They turned a bottom feeder team in an albeit shortened 2020 season into a Junior A powerhouse.&nbsp;For the last 51 years, Junior A teams across Canada have played for the Centennial Cup. The Flyers will look to bring the first Junior A championship back to Manitoba since Portage did it in 2015, doing so as the host club.&nbsp;The Centennial Cup runs from Thursday May 9 to Sunday May 19 in Oakville. The Flyers will play four preliminary games against four other CJHL league champions.Winkler Flyers preliminary round schedule: (Rankings according to CJHL Top-20 Power Rankings)Winkler (4) will head into the Centennial Cup as the second highest ranked team behind the top ranked team in Canada the Collingwood Blues, OJHL (1).Thursday May 9, 12:00 PM EDT Winkler Flyers (4) @ Sioux Lookout Bombers, SIJHL (Unranked)Manitobans on Sioux Lookout:No. 22 Owen Riffel - G:36 A:31 P:67 (Onanole, MB)No. 14 Ty Lone - G:7 A:8 P:15 (Boissevain, MB)No. 16 Ty Kirk - G:6 A:3 P:9 (Hamiota, MB)No. 28 Beau Bannerman - G:0 A:4 P:4 (Balder, MB)No. 23 Ty Love - G:2 A:3 P:5 (Miami, MB)Saturday May 11, 12:00 PM EDT Melfort Mustangs, SJHL (11) @ Winkler Flyers (4)Manitobans on Melfort:No. 22 Logan Belton - G:21 A:26 P:47 (Winnipeg, MB)No. 4 Nolan Roberts - G:3 A:9 P:12 (Brandon, MB)No. 55 Bo Eisner - G:2 A:6 P:8 (Swan RIver, MB)Monday, May 13, 7:30 PM EDT Oakville Blades, OJHL (Host) @ Winkler Flyers (4)No Manitobans on OakvilleTuesday, May 14, 7:30 PM EDT Winkler Flyers (4) @ Miramichi Timberwolves/Summerside Capitals, MHL (Unranked)Manitobans on Miramichi:No. 11 Trentyn Crane - G:22 A:52 P:74 (Morden, MB)No. 3 William Irvine - G:11 A:45 P:56 (Morden, MB)&nbsp;

MJHL's Winkler Flyers Gear up for Centennial Cup

<h2>Winkler flyers' dalton andrew has signed with the UND Fighting Hawks</h2>Winkler Flyers star forward, Dalton Andrew, has announced his commitment to the University of North Dakota Fighting Hawks to play NCAA Division 1 men’s hockey beginning in the 2024-25 season.&nbsp;The Brandon product led the MJHL in scoring with 43 goals and 82 points to earn the MJHL’s Mike Ridley Trophy, given annually to the league’s top scorer following regular season play.The third-year Winkler Flyer was an MJHL First Team All-Star and co-led the MJHL playoffs in scoring with four goals and 10 assists in 15 games (tied with teammate Trent Penner).The 6-foot-5, 205- pound forward previously committed to play U-SPORTS hockey for the Acadia University Axemen in the Atlantic University Sport (AUS) Conference. But this new opportunity far superseded his earlier option with Acadia.

Flyers' Star Forward Dalton Andrew Commits to the University of North Dakota

<h2>Bowness calls it a career, retires at 69</h2>Winnipeg Jets head coach Rick Bowness has&nbsp;announced his retirement after 38 years of coaching in the NHL.Bowness has only been with the Jets for the past two seasons, but his 2,726 games behind the bench are the most by anyone in NHL history.The 69-year-old spent time with nine NHL teams as an assistant or head coach over the course of his coaching career, which makes his retiring as a Jet even more special.40 years ago, in the same city he now calls home, Bowness was offered his first NHL coaching position, an assistant coaching job under Barry Long with the Winnipeg Jets 1.0.His first head coaching job also came in Winnipeg, when he took over for Dan Maloney in February of 1989 for the remainder of the season.After lending his expertise to five other NHL clubs as a head coach, Bowness found his way back to the place it all began as a coach, taking over for interim head coach Dave Lowry in July of 2022.The Jets went 98-57-9 over Bowness’ two-year stint, earning a trip to the postseason both years.Not only did Bowness start and end his coaching career with the Winnipeg Jets, he also ended his playing career with the organization in 1984.The Winnipeg Jets were the last NHL team Bowness suited up for. He spent the final two seasons of his career with the Jets’ minor-league affiliate in Sherbrooke, even operating as a player-coach for the 1982-83 season.“This game has given us a tremendous lifestyle that we never could have dreamed of as kids,” said Bowness in his year-end media availability Thursday. “Never ever ever take a day for granted in this league. And I never have. And I never will.”When Bowness was announced as the Jets’ head coach on July 3, 2022, it was not an attractive situation to walk into.The Jets had just missed the playoffs, tensions were high in the dressing room, and the team was playing uninspired hockey.Bowness’ motto of accountability brought new life to the Jets, which posted a record of 23-13-1 from October-December of 2022.The team found its way back to the postseason, falling in the first round to the eventual Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights in just five games.And for the better part of this past season, Bowness and the Jets found themselves vying for not only the top spot in the Central Division, but the entire league.At the all-star break, the Jets sat atop the Central Division in points, and Bowness earned himself coaching honours for the Central Division’s Team MacKinnon.After tying the franchise record for wins in a regular season, Bowness and the Jets came back to the playoffs, again falling in five-games to the Colorado Avalanche.Though the last couple postseason runs have been anti-climactic, Jets fans have been given much to cheer about over the past two seasons under the familiar face atop the bench.Bowness’ passion for the game is unrivalled. However, even he knows that some things are bigger than hockey.The veteran coach took a leave of absence in October of 2023 to be with his wife, who had suffered a stroke.“Well, if you go through life there is always life-changing moments”, said Bowness in an interview in November of 2023, “That was certainly a life-changing moment for us.”In March of this year, Bowness also went on medical leave for what he said was a “minor medical procedure”.The game of hockey is faster than it ever has been. It comes with many twists and turns, every change bringing with it a wave of emotions.Of course, life moves fast as well. And for Rick Bowness, it’s time to slow things down and prioritize what matters most to him at the age of 69: family.As Bowness’ 38-year coaching career comes to an end in the same place it began, we know that he will always have another family of 15,225 strong down at Canada Life Centre, cheering on their Winnipeg Jets.&nbsp;

Once a Jet, Always a Jet - Bones Bids Adieu

<h2>Canada Takes Home Gold at the IIHF U18 World Championships.</h2>The boys in red and white have once again been crowned victorious at the IIHF U18 World Championships after a three-year hiatus.&nbsp;A miraculous third-period turnaround in Sunday’s gold medal game was the difference for Canada against its rival United States. The Canadians were able to fend off the Americans and capture gold in what ended as a 6-4 barn-burner at Espoo Metro Arena in Finland.“It’s the best feeling in the world… I’ll remember this forever,” Canadian forward Gavin McKenna said post-game, grinning from ear-to-ear after snatching victory from the jaws of defeat.The 16-year-old product of Whitehorse, Yukon was the catalyst of the Canadians’ offence in this tournament, racking up 10 goals and 10 assists for 20 points in just seven games.McKenna’s 10 goals not only led the entire tournament but also broke a record for most-ever goals by a Canadian at the U18s, topping Shane Wright’s previous record of nine.&nbsp;&nbsp;His 20 points in the tournament also broke the Canadian U18 World Championship scoring record for most in a single tournament, ousting Tyson Jost and Macklin Celebrini’s record of 15.And since we’re already this far along with U18 World Championship records being broken, let's keep going.&nbsp;&nbsp;Team Canada captain Porter Martone garnered five goals and 12 assists over the course of the tournament, good for 17 points in seven games. Now having accumulated 23 career points (8 goals, 15 assists) in just 14 IIHF U18 World Championship games, the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.eliteprospects.com/team/12595/mississauga-steelheads/2023-2024?tab=stats">Mississauga Steelheads</a> forward set a new Canadian scoring record. The player Martone surpassed in setting the points record (22) was none other than Connor Bedard.With all these records being broken, it may appear as though Canada’s eventual gold medal celebration was a walk in the park, but in fact, capturing its fifth gold medal at the U18s and acquiring the gold hardware didn’t come trouble-free.After taking down Latvia 4-0 in the quarterfinal with goals by Maxim Massé, Ryder Ritchie, Martone, and Jett Luchanko, the Canadians booked a date with the Swedes in the semifinal.&nbsp;This game handed the Canadians their first taste of adversity in the whole tournament, but not how one might think.The first period was undoubtedly the best-case scenario the Canadians could have possibly hoped for, as they put up four on the board with goals by Liam Greentree, McKenna, Tij Iginla, and Ritchie to go up 4-0.&nbsp;In the second, the Swedes got on the board early with a tally by Viggo Nordlund, and then both teams exchanged one goal each in just under two minutes, with a goal from Henry Mews and another tally by Nordlund.5-2 going into the third, and it’s a fairly comfortable lead for the Canadians, but they almost found a way to blow it.With around six minutes left in the third period, Sweden only trailed by one after goals from Victor Eklund and Hugo Orrsten. As much as the Canadians tried to remain calm and stick to their game, there was certainly a seed of doubt planted among the team.The Canadians held on in the third period to advance to the finals, but they took a valuable lesson from that game: never take your foot off the gas.&nbsp;Fast forward to Sunday, where Canada found itself down 3-2 through the first forty minutes of the gold medal game. The Americans put up goals from Christian Humphreys, Cole Eiserman, and Cole Hutson, while Ritchie and McKenna scored for Canada through the early stages.The game was evidently USA’s to lose with forward Trevor Connelly giving the Canadians a five-minute powerplay as he was handed a major penalty for an illegal check to the head. In that moment, the Canadians realized they couldn’t take their foot off the gas.&nbsp;They cashed in on their big opportunity and scored three goals from McKenna, Cole Beaudoin, and Iginla. The USA did its best to fight back, but it wasn’t enough, as Canada prevailed.“It feels amazing,” said Martone. “We fought back there in the third period and really dug deep and came away with a gold medal. And that’s all that matters.”&nbsp;“Every single guy in that room gave it their all,” McKenna shared after leading his team offensively with a hat-trick performance. “I love all those guys; they’re going to be my brothers for life.”

Red, White and Gold: Canada Wins U18 Championship Over USA

<h2>"This one stings the most" Jets Defenceman Dylan Demelo left perplexed </h2>No words were minced from the Winnipeg Jets at the annual end-of-season media availability on Thursday afternoon from Canada Life Centre. The 52-24-6 Jets were knocked out of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs in Game 5 on Tuesday by Lord Stanley’s 2022 champion, the Colorado Avalanche.Many of Winnipeg’s culture carriers, such as Adam Lowry, Josh Morrissey, and Brenden Dillon all gave very honest assessments of the team’s play this postseason in their respective media debriefs.No one was as candid as 31-year-old defenceman Dylan DeMelo.“We just didn’t execute well, we didn’t play well,” DeMelo said. “They (Colorado) went to the net harder than us, their special teams were better than us, they were on the puck faster, they were just better in all aspects.”The veteran blueliner from London, ON. said he’s still searching for answers regarding what went wrong in the best-of-seven clash against the lower-ranked seed.“I think if I had an answer for you so fast we probably wouldn’t be here,” DeMelo said. “I am truly kind of puzzled why it didn’t work because I thought we had a really good group.”The Jets, who were outscored by the Avalanche 28-15 in just five playoff games, became the first team in NHL history to allow five-plus goals in each of the first five games of a team’s postseason.Saying this is uncharacteristic of the Jets’ identity would be a massive understatement, as the foundation of Winnipeg’s success this regular season relied on prioritizing defence. With the solid defensive structure employed by head coach Rick Bowness, his squad led the entire NHL with the least number of goals against (199) over the 82-game calendar.“We were nowhere close in all aspects of playing our best hockey, so that’s why this one hurts the most for me,” said DeMelo. “To underachieve is what stings the most. That’s why it’s going to take me a minute to really process why this happened and really why this one stings the most.&nbsp;Although his team ditched its identity in the postseason, DeMelo played his role quite well in the five-game series; however, he is well aware there is plenty of room for improvement.“I’ll look in the mirror at my own game at what I could have done better,” he added.Averaging over 22 minutes of ice time in the series, DeMelo tallied three blocked shots, 20 hits, and accumulated only a minus-one rating after his team closed the postseason with a minus-13 goal differential. And although he only racked up one assist through five games, points are far from what makes DeMelo’s services so valuable.Over the past three seasons, he has been one of the Jets’ most undervalued blueliners, providing a stabilizing force on the top defensive pairing, allowing partner Josh Morrissey to step in offensively and establish himself as one of the league’s elite defencemen.Playing in the final season of a four-year, $12 million contract ($3 million AAV), DeMelo is included in the long list of Jets players with expiring deals this summer: Tyler Toffoli, Sean Monahan, Cole Perfetti, David Gustafsson, Dillon, Colin Miller, Logan Stanley, and Laurent Brossoit.One thing is for certain, GM Kevin Cheveldayoff is not going to be spending much time at the cabin this summer with all the important personnel decisions left to be made.Given DeMelo’s role on this team, one would imagine that he has worked his way to the top of Cheveldayoff’s to-do list this offseason.DeMelo is a minute-munching defensive stalwart who has found a home on the top pair. His stellar defensive awareness gives Morrissey the confidence to jump in on the rush without the team being in danger, knowing DeMelo will hold down the fort with ease.Not to mention, he is also an extremely underrated puck mover who also kills penalties, although that has been a significant struggle for the Jets all season and in the postseason against Colorado.Accompanied by his 164 hits and 139 blocked shots, DeMelo showed he can pitch in on the scoresheet too this season, as he set a career-high with three goals and 28 assists for 31 points.DeMelo’s worth to this club is why his agent, Brian MacDonald, will most definitely be asking Cheveldayoff for a raise this offseason.

“We Have to Question Everything.” – Jets' Dylan DeMelo on Postseason Failure 

<h2>Captain adam lowry reflects on another year lost</h2>Winnipeg Jets captain Adam Lowry spoke to the media alongside goaltender Connor Hellebuyck Thursday morning, as the two teammates tried to summarize the team’s 4-1 first-round series loss to the Colorado Avalanche.“I would say winning in this league is extremely difficult,” Lowry said. “You can have a great regular season, but it’s about finding your game, finding ways to win at the most critical time of year. I think to take that next step it’s — like Helle mentioned with the intensity — it’s learning how critical every shift is, whether it’s the second period or it’s late in a game.”Lowry is one of many Jets players who appeared during the team’s year-end press conference from Winnipeg’s downtown venue. Across the board, Jets players spoke of searching for answers and takeaways from their disappointing first-round exit.Perhaps the first place the team should look is toward its captain.Lowry’s postseason efforts this season stem far beyond his stat-line of two goals and a minus-three rating.The third line centreman was trusted with defending Colorado’s top line of Nathan MacKinnon, Valeri Nichushkin and Mikko Rantanen all series.Despite 11 goals from the Avs’ gunslingers in the series, only five of those goals came at even-strength.Lowry finished a team-best 61.1% in the face-off circle this postseason, winning 55 of the 90 draws he took.Despite averaging only 14:21 of ice time in the playoffs, Lowry was second on the team in faceoffs taken, just two behind Mark Scheifele (92), who averaged 21:43 of ice time per-game in the series - over seven minutes more per-game than Lowry.Lowry also led all Jets forwards in face-offs taken (1,380), and face-off win per centage in the regular season. He did this despite playing over four minutes less than Scheifele each night—who was second in draws taken with 1,253.Lowry’s 25 hits this postseason led the Jets, while his 181 hits in the regular season led all forwards – an impressive 65 more than Winnipeg’s next-most-physical forward, Nino Niederreiter.Coach Rick Bowness and the Jets trust their captain, having called on him in various crucial moments throughout the regular season and playoffs.This is because Lowry exemplifies the qualities Winnipeg seemingly fell short of in the postsesaon.“Just the desire to win every battle and the desire that the guy across from you isn’t going to beat you that night. That’s the learning curve. That’s the thing you need to do to take the next step,” said Lowry Thursday on what the Jets need to take away from the loss.When the stakes are high, Lowry has a history of rising to the occasion.In his last three postseasons, Lowry has finished third, fifth, and first in team scoring. He accomplished this with significantly less ice time than the players around him.The 10-year Jet is also fifth all-time in Jets postseason scoring, with 49 playoff appearances under his belt.After sweeping the Avalanche 3-0 in the regular season series, the Jets became complacent at the wrong time—allowing Colorado to do what it does best throughout the first-round matchup.“We didn’t do a good enough job protecting the middle, slowing down their rush, kind of slowing them down and getting them away from what makes them successful,” said Lowry, crediting the Avs’ slot play and ability to rush the puck.“This year we were dynamite at protecting the slot, denying zone entries and things like that,” Lowry added, mentioning the results were not the same come playoff time. “The chances we gave up, we gave up so many grade-As.”MoneyPuck.com says the Avalanche generated 83 medium-to-high-danger shot attempts in the series, with 27 high-danger shots.The Jets mustered only 15 high-danger shots, and 51 medium-to-high-danger shots - significantly less than their divisional opponents.Lowry says the Jets tried to adjust throughout the series, though it wasn’t always reflected on-ice.“I think part of it is on us as players and the accountability of implementing those changes consistently,” said Lowry. “We had one PK kind of in Game 5, we changed the forecheck, like, it wasn’t for lack of awareness where things were going wrong. I think part of it was now going out there and performing on the ice.”For now, Lowry and the Jets have been forced into a long offseason, where they will have lots of time to digest what they could have done differently.“We had a great regular season. We showed over 82 games we can be a really good team, but at the end of the day, we didn’t perform in the playoffs, that doesn’t really mean a whole lot.”

"Definitely Disappointed” - Jets Captain Adam Lowry Speaks on Early Playoff Exit

<h2>The nhl's top defensive club in the regular season gave up the most goals in the playoffs</h2>On April 29, Connor Hellebuyck was named a Vezina Trophy finalist for the fourth time in his career. Just a day later, his Winnipeg Jets were eliminated by the dominant Colorado Avalanche in the first round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs.Hellebuyck rocked a .921 save percentage and 2.39 goals against average through 60 games in the regular season – his best numbers since his 2019-20 Vezina-winning season.But the heavy favourite for the NHL’s 2024 top goaltending honours did not have the postseason he or the Jets were hoping for. He posted a .870 save percentage and 5.23 goals against average.&nbsp;Despite being knocked out much earlier than the Jets had hoped, Connor Hellebuyck doesn't believe the stat sheet tells the whole story.“You’re probably not going to believe me when I say, I was playing the best hockey of my career,” Hellebuyck said in his exit meeting on Thursday. “That’s truly how I was feeling. Not only was I playing some of my best hockey, but I was in that zone where you’re not thinking, you’re just playing.”This is the same Hellebuyck who got lit up for 24 goals this postseason. He and his team believe it was more than just the high-powered Colorado offence that lost them the series.“I didn’t think we made the right changes and implemented them the right way,” he added. “And that’s not a throw at the coaching staff. That’s on all of us… But I don’t want to say we didn’t give everything we had and we didn’t change some things. We definitely did. And it’s on all of us to make that stuff work.”Hellebuyck didn't have much time to rest during the five-game-series, facing the most shots and making the most saves of any netminder in the round.“I feel like in a lot of those games I was stealing some goals,” Hellebuyck reflected. “That being said, I’m not going to go and tell you I don’t want to be better. I absolutely need to be better if we’re going to win — I can't be giving up that many goals. But when I’m looking, when I’m watching video and looking back on my game, I'm not seeing a goal like, ‘oh, I’ve got to have that.”At times Hellebuyck kept the Jets somewhat close in the series, but the 30-year-old netminder also allowed the most goals by any goalie. The next closest backstop was Los Angeles’ Cam Talbot who let in 16 (eight less than Hellebuyck) and was later benched for former Jet David Rittich.&nbsp;“Looking back, I don’t know if I even saw half of the pucks that went into the net. They did a great job, but for me to not be able to put my foot down even in a single game is really heartbreaking. It’s not typically how I do things,” said Hellebuyck.Hellebuyck’s -6.47 goals saved above expected is also the worst of any goalie in the playoffs so far.&nbsp;&nbsp;The star netminder’s playoff struggles didn’t come out of nowhere either. Despite being a top goaltender since joining the league in 2015, Hellebuyck has struggled to find the dominant levels to his game in recent playoff runs.&nbsp;Since 2020, Hellebuyck has a 6-12 record, winning only one playoff series against the Edmonton Oilers. In those 18 games he has had a below average .900 save percentage and a subpar 3.30 goals against average.&nbsp;Although there is a lot to learn in a quick five-game series like this one, Hellebuyck hopes this is the last time the Jets have to.“I’d like to think this is hopefully the last learning curve that we’re going to go through, but… I mean, we were so good. You can't imagine you’d be good for 82 games and then you just don’t… you’re just not there, you’re not the same team.”&nbsp;“I hope we’re going to learn that this is the small difference between playoffs and the regular season,” he added.Hellebuyck felt humbled after getting pulled for the third period in Game 4, something that has never happened in his playoff career.“That was my mindset, I needed to do this alone,” he said. “That was the realization that I need to be part of this team more than I am, and to take everything onto my shoulders, I’m talking me personally, that’s not me talking against the team, it's just the way my mentality is.”“I think what I need to do is just dive into a team game even more, and that will hopefully bring me peace of mind.”Last offseason Hellebuyck signed a seven-year, $59.5 million contract extension with the Jets, which has a no-move clause through the first three years of the deal and a modified no-trade clause through its final four.Hellebuyck didn’t rule out the possibility of joining team USA at the IIHF World Championship starting next Friday in Czechia, but it seems highly unlikely.

Playoff Pressure: Hellebuyck's Struggles Highlight Jets' Postseason Woes

<h2>Jets eliminated from postseason in 6-3 defeat to avalanche</h2>It will be a long summer for the Winnipeg Jets.The 2023-24 season and post-season are over and once again, the Jets weren’t good enough.&nbsp;This time, the Colorado Avalanche were simply too much. The Avs were faster, quicker and tougher and now the Jets brain trust will have to spend another long off-season trying to figure out how to compete with those teams that truly can be considered the game’s best.Tuesday night at Canada Life Centre, the Jets scored first and then watched as the Avalanche played like a team that was destined to win the series. They didn’t do much, but they did enough to end the Jets 2023-24 dream with a 6-3 victory, becoming the fourth team in NHL history to score at least five goals in each of their first five games of the post-season.&nbsp;It should have been different. This Jets team, a team that had beaten Colorado all three times during the regular season, couldn’t get a break and couldn’t muster enough offence to beat an opponent that played inspired hockey in Games 2, 3 and 4. Their William Jennings Trophy-winning goaltender couldn’t steal a game for them, their big scorers didn’t score and the defence couldn’t corral the likes of Nathan MacKinnon, Valeri Nichushkin and Mikko Rantanen.&nbsp;Oh, the Jets were definitely better in Game 5 at home, but the Avs had too much momentum and too much speed to give up an impressive three-game win streak of their own.In the end, Colorado simply had a better hockey team.Winnipeg opened the scoring at 1:15 of the first period on a fluke. With the Colorado net empty and the puck in the crease, when defenceman Josh Manson fired a clearing pass off the leg of teammate Artturi Lehkonen and puck went right to the back of the net. Kyle Connor got credit for the goal, his third of the playoffs, but it just seemed to piss off the Avs.Colorado scored two minutes later as Valeri Nichushkin ripped one passed Connor Hellebuyck from the right circle. It was Nichushkin’s seventh goal of the series.Colorado outshot Winnipeg 13-7 but didn’t dominate the period by any stretch. The difference was, the Avs shot the puck while the Jets just played around with it. Combine the Jets failure to shoot with the fact that Colorado doesn’t hesitate and the Avs had themselves a 1-1 tie at the end of what might have been their weakest period of the series.&nbsp;In the second period, the Jets might have played their best 20-minute stretch in the series and yet came out of it down 3-2. They outshot Colorado 19-11 and should have been in complete control, but two horrible mistakes and some spineless officiating left the Jets looking up at a one-goal deficit heading into what would be the final period of the post-season.Colorado’s Yakov Trenin scored at 5:42 of the second to give the Avs a 2-1 lead, but Josh Morrissey scored on a rocket from the point on the power play to tie it up. Mark Scheifele and Gabriel Vilardi drew the assists and the Jets suddenly had some jump.They controlled the rest of the period and outshot Colorado 7-3 late as they continued to pepper Avs goalie Alexandar Georgiev. But Georgiev barred the door until Artturi Lehkonen scored his fifth of the playoffs on a dump from the point to the corner. That’s right, the puck was simply fired into the corner when it hit Neil Pionk’s stick in front and was redirected into the empty net. It was the kind of fluke goal that can break a team, especially one that’s already fragile.&nbsp;The Jets trailed 3-2 after 40 minutes and there was no real reason for it. A lack of puck-luck -- something that had hurt them for stretches during the season -- was killing the Jets again.Early in the third period, the Jets thrilled the raucous white-clad faithful when Tyler Toffoli blasted a wrist shot passed a startled Georgiev and suddenly the Jets had drawn even. There appeared to be hope.However, the celebration would be short-lived.Mikko Rantanen scored his first of the playoffs at 4:11 and then Rantanen took a gorgeous pass from MacKinnon and ripped it past Hellebuyck at 8:01 to put the game and the series away. Josh Manson scored into an empty net at 19:58 of the third but at that point, only Manson cared.The Jets outshot Colorado 11-8 in the third and 36-32 overall, but nobody cared about that, either.&nbsp;The final 12 minutes were tough for everybody in the downtown barn, but be certain, no one took it harder than the Jets players themselves. On this night, they had played well enough to win, but they didn’t and for the second straight year, they were out of the playoffs in five games.Fact is, they simply weren’t good enough and there really isn’t much more to say.For the Winnipeg Jets, it’s going to be another long summer.&nbsp;

Another Long Summer Ahead for the Winnipeg Jets

<h2>Jets come up empty again to colorado's attack:</h2>The Winnipeg Jets are going home, for good. On Tuesday night, the Colorado Avalanche finished off the Jets by way of a 6-3 final from Canada Life Centre in Game 5 of the opening round Stanley Cup Playoffs series. No, not many expected the series to be done before Game 6, and after the 7-6 Game 1 victory by Winnipeg, it was looking like Colorado, not the Jets, that would be going home early.However, the lower-ranked seed proved to be the tougher out, as the Avalanche followed the Vegas Golden Knights' 2023 postseason script and took care of Winnipeg with four-straight wins. If the Avalanche continue following that path, they will win the Stanley Cup. Winnipeg came out firing and scored first on Tuesday, but then failed to capitalize on any other chance until midway through the second period. Colorado scored two quick ones, before pulling ahead 3-2 as the second period came to a close.Tyler Toffoli breathed a breath of fresh air into Canada Life Centre with a goal general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff had visions of back on trade deadline day, but Winnipeg once again could not hold off Colorado's pressure.The Avs potted the eventual winner just two minutes after Toffoli's strike, before adding an insurance marker and an empty-netter as time ticked down on the Jets' season.Captains Adam Lowry and Josh Morrissey spoke following the game, with both passionately defending their teammates, while jointly challenging their group to learn and be better over the summer months in order to put a better foot forward next spring. Head coach Rick Bowness would not comment on his plans for next season, as the Jets do have a third-year option on his contract. But his indications were that of pointing towards being in Winnipeg for training camp.Next up for the Jets is locker clean-out day on Thursday morning. HIGHLIGHTS:<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://twitter.com/CBrooksie84/status/1785486368455458932">https://twitter.com/CBrooksie84/status/1785486368455458932</a><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://twitter.com/CBrooksie84/status/1785487287666569296">https://twitter.com/CBrooksie84/status/1785487287666569296</a><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://twitter.com/CBrooksie84/status/1785488318320308391">https://twitter.com/CBrooksie84/status/1785488318320308391</a><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://twitter.com/CBrooksie84/status/1785492597382820118">https://twitter.com/CBrooksie84/status/1785492597382820118</a><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://twitter.com/CBrooksie84/status/1785505605110644862">https://twitter.com/CBrooksie84/status/1785505605110644862</a><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://twitter.com/CBrooksie84/status/1785516868993757229">https://twitter.com/CBrooksie84/status/1785516868993757229</a><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://twitter.com/CBrooksie84/status/1785527361133273595">https://twitter.com/CBrooksie84/status/1785527361133273595</a><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://twitter.com/CBrooksie84/status/1785527779468960076">https://twitter.com/CBrooksie84/status/1785527779468960076</a>PHOTOS:The extended photo library from Tuesday's game vs. Colorado is courtesy of Scott Stroh:<img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/image3.jpeg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/image4.jpeg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/image0-5.jpeg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/image1.jpeg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/dsc04190.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/dsc04247.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/dsc04500.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/dsc04453.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/dsc04451.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/dsc04473.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/dsc04474.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/dsc04634.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/dsc04553.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/dsc04566.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/dsc04787.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/dsc04874.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/dsc04877.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/dsc04917.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/dsc04975.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/dsc04984.jpg">QUOTABLE:Josh Morrissey post-game:"Right now, it’s just disappointing and frustrating. It feels like a missed opportunity. But, the only way that there is any good from this is that we learn from it and we actually look at how we can improve as individuals and as a group. Because, they brought that Stanley Cup-winning class to this series, and we didn’t return it for three or four of those games. We have levels that we need to find this offseason. I hope it stings for all of us into the summer and we use it as motivation."Adam Lowry post-game:"They’re an elite team over there, they have high-end talent and I think when we look back at the series, special teams, especially our penalty kill, that really hurt us in a couple of big moments and in a couple of games. Just our inability to get to our 5-on-5 game until tonight. Those will be the two keys that you take away. Credit to the Avs. They played a hell of a series and they’ve got a great team. They’re going to be a tough out."

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