WINNIPEG — The year 2018 marked the beginning of a hopeful new chapter for the Winnipeg Jets.
With a core group of talented young players the team had drafted and developed, the Jets reached within three games of the Stanley Cup Final. This run marked the team`s first significant playoff achievement since relocating from Atlanta and being re-established in Winnipeg in 2011.
Key players on that squad included rookie Kyle Connor (21), Nikolaj Ehlers (22), future top defenseman Josh Morrissey (23, in his second season), and recently-turned 25-year-olds like future captain Adam Lowry, premier center Mark Scheifele, and star goaltender Connor Hellebuyck.
What heights could such a talented young team reach?
Leveraging this mix of youth and potential, the Jets won two playoff rounds in that memorable 2018 spring. Their run was ultimately ended in the Western Conference Final, where they were defeated 4-1 by the expansion Vegas Golden Knights.
Remarkably, seven years later, and still featuring these six players, the Jets have won two playoff rounds in total since that time.
Morrissey reflected this week, stating, “As a younger player, you constantly hear veterans discuss the difficulty of merely reaching the playoffs. They talk about the challenge of succeeding in the postseason and having a genuine opportunity to contend for the Stanley Cup. Looking back to 2018, it was only my second season, and we made it to the conference finals. At that moment, I didn`t fully grasp the immense difficulty of reaching that stage.”
He continued, “Now, seven years later, I haven`t returned to the conference final or gone further. That absolutely fuels my desire and serves as significant motivation. You realize you don`t get many chances like that, and you don`t know which years you`ll genuinely have a shot.”
These current Jets, however, truly have that chance. Still.
Their Presidents` Trophy win this season or their league-leading 154 wins over the past three years are not flukes.
However, playoff victories are far more challenging, and this spring, the Jets are navigating a difficult path once more.
They mounted a comeback in a thrilling Game 7 win against the St. Louis Blues in the first round, marking their first series win since 2021 and their first home playoff victory witnessed by fans since 2018. Currently, they are attempting another rally against the Dallas Stars, despite a convincing 4-0 win on Thursday, the Stars still hold a 3-2 lead in the second-round series.
The next game, Game 6, is scheduled for Saturday in Dallas.
