Winnipeg Free Press https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/sports/hockey/jets/jets-end-season-on-high-note- 479070933.html

Jets end season on high note Tip hat to Broncos, beat Blackhawks, look forward to playoffs

By: Mike McIntyre

It was about so much more than the game, with the Humboldt Broncos bus crash tragedy weighing heavy on everyone's minds.

But the Winnipeg Jets took care of the required business at hand Saturday night with an efficient 4-1 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks to close out their best-ever regular season on a winning note — with a loud portion of the crowd at Bell MTS Place chanting "Let's Go Broncos" in the final moments.

"Everyone is kind of heartbroken. As players, every one of us has done what those players were doing. When things like this happen, you step back and you really appreciate what you have. Those guys were chasing the dream that all those players out there tonight and around the league have achieved. It just breaks your heart that something like this is possible," captain Blake Wheeler said following the emotional game.

"The best thing we could have done tonight was honour those guys by working hard and continuing the journey that they were on."

Several notable feats were set in the process. Winnipeg finished with a franchise-best 52 wins and 114 points. Wheeler recorded his 68th assist to tie for the NHL lead. And goalie Connor Hellebuyck broke Tom Barrasso's record for single-season wins by an American goaltender, recording his 44th of the year by making 30 saves.

"I’m very excited about it. To be in the history books is something that I’m always going to look back and be proud of. The fact that this locker room has come together, playing the way we’re playing, now the city is behind us the way they are, it’s a fun time being in Winnipeg," Hellebuyck said of the accomplishment.

However, he quickly steered the conversation back to the Broncos and honouring the 15 people who lost their lives Friday night.

"I think what we did was right. I hope they feel that we’re with them, that we’re behind them and we’re here to support them if they need it," said Hellebuyck.

Coach Paul Maurice praised his goaltender for being the backbone of a team that exceeded even the most optimistic predictions coming into the year.

"He took those lessons last year hard, but got full value from them. All of the things that he went through were difficult. We knew they weren’t permanent, that he would grow with them. But all credit to him, for the summer he needed to do as a pro," said Maurice. "Came in, definitely we gave him a better chance night in and night out in front of him. But that’s a big number. The gentlemen he just passed has an awful lot of hardware that says he was one of the greats in the game. So it’s a number he can be proud of."

As well, Winnipeg's ninth straight home victory is also a new franchise record, and they finish out the campaign with an NHL-best 32-7-2 record at Bell MTS Place.

Patrik Laine was held off the scoresheet and finished second in the NHL's Rocket Richard Trophy race with 44, five behind winner Alex Ovechkin. And linemate Nikolaj Ehlers couldn't pot his 30th goal of the year despite several chances.

Chicago, meanwhile, appeared to simply be playing out the string of what has been a miserable season. Winners of three Stanley Cups since 2010, they came up well short of making the playoffs for the first time in a decade with a disappointing 33-39-10 record.

This one was never really in doubt for Winnipeg.

Dustin Byfuglien opened the scoring late in the first period with the Jets on a prolonged five-on- three advantage. Laine fed Wheeler, who sent it back to Byfuglien for a big point blast. The helper on Byfuglien's eighth of the year gave Laine 70 points.

Rookie Kyle Connor made it 2-0 just 34 seconds into the middle frame, stealing a loose puck from Chicago defenceman Brent Seabrook and racing in on a breakaway. That was his 31st of the year, which is tops among all first-year pros.

Winnipeg's fourth line then struck twice, with Andrew Copp getting both.

First, speedy forward Brandon Tanev jumped on a loose puck, raced down the wing and dropped it to Adam Lowry, who fed Copp a perfect pass. Then Joel Armia sprung Copp on a shorthanded breakaway a few moments later.

Copp's goals brought him to nine on the year, which tied a career-high.

Seabrook beat Hellebuyck midway through the second period with a point shot through a screen, but that's as close as Chicago would get.

"It was a very sombre mood on the ice, kind of one of those things where it could have been any one of us. You kind of count your blessings. You kind of look to the guy to your left and right, they’re not usual teammates or brothers but you feel that sense of camaraderie and community with them," Copp said of the game, which included a powerful tribute before the opening face- off in which players from both teams all wearing "Broncos" on their namebars gathered in a large circle for a moment of silence.

"Now’s a good time to reflect and understand that we’re kind of all in the same boat together. It was the poorest of circumstances but it ended up being a special moment," said Copp.

Maurice said it was incredible to have more than 15,000 people in the building and "not hear a pin drop" at the start. But he felt his team responded to a tough day with a quality performance.

"We were good enough, hard enough. For what was surrounding the game I thought both teams still tried to make plays, still tried to be focused, do the right things. It was difficult. It was difficult to do," said Maurice.

Winnipeg will now enjoy a day off Sunday before returning to practice Monday to get ready for their first-round playoff match-up with the Minnesota Wild. Specific dates and times for the series, which will begin at Bell MTS Place, have not yet been announced. But it's expected to begin next Wednesday.

YEAR-END AWARDS: The Jets announced a trio of year-end award winners. Hellebuyck was given the "Three Stars" honour for getting the most post-game accolades during the regular- season. Forward Matt Hendricks won the "Community Service Award" for his efforts. And defenceman Toby Enstrom won the "Dan Snyder Memorial Award" for perseverance, dedication and hard work.

STANDING O FOR SHARP - Chicago forward Patrick Sharp, who was born in Winnipeg but moved at a young age, was given a standing ovation by the crowd at Bell MTS Place Saturday night as he played his final game. Sharp is retiring after 14 NHL seasons, playing 939 games regular-season games with 287 goals and 333 assists. Most notably, he won three Stanley Cups with the Blackhawks. https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/sports/hockey/jets/jets-express-shock-and-horror-over- humboldt-tragedy-479054413.html

'Hit so very close to home for all of us' Jets mourn devastating loss of Humboldt hockey 'family'

By: Mike McIntyre

They gathered together at centre, two fierce division rivals who put aside all their usual on-ice differences to come together for something so much more important than the game they were about to play.

Saturday's powerful pre-game tribute involving the Winnipeg Jets and Chicago Blackhawks included a moment of silence honouring the Humboldt Broncos following a devastating bus crash that left 15 dead, numerous other injured and countless lives impacted forever.

All players wore "Broncos" in place of their usual namebars on the backs of their jerseys. And the Jets, Blackhawks and NHL all donated $25,000 each to a 50/50 draw in which all proceeds would be sent to Saskatchewan

Earlier in the day, Jets players and coaches expressed shock and sorrow over the tragedy.

"The whole hockey community mourns today. Such a horrific situation that hit so very close to home for all of us who spent our lives at that age riding buses to hockey games and it being part of the fabric of playing in Canada. Our deepest thoughts and prayers to you in your grieving and we grieve with you," said Maurice.

"All the best stories are told on the buses, in the locker rooms, in the private areas where it’s just them. It’s contained. It’s where the friendships are born, the anticipation builds, the quietness of a bus after a tough loss — all things that you go through when you’re playing a sport. It’s so much a part of sporting life, hockey life, especially at that age. To have it end like that, to have it be a part of all of the survivor’s lives now, it’s just an incredibly difficult thing."

Maurice believes hockey will play a vital role in helping to heal.

"The rinks will be full. In every NHL city, every NHL player — they’ve all gone through it, they’re all a part of it, so they’re there, then, with them. People around you, I can only assume, helps you get through something that must feel impossible to get through today. In all the rinks around Canada and the (United) States, they will be remembered (Saturday night)and certainly every day going forward," he said.

Several Jets skaters spoke Saturday morning, recalling their own years riding buses in junior hockey. Adam Lowry was visibly upset as he met with the media.

"It’s devastating news. First of all, our thoughts and prayers go to the whole Humboldt community. It’s a devastating event. Playing (junior hockey) in Swift Current, with the bus crash there 30 years ago, it still affects the community. I can’t imagine what the families and friends in that community are going through right now," Lowry said of a 1986 bus crash in which four Swift Current Broncos died.

"Every Swift Current minor hockey team, and we did as well, we wear the clover with the four numbers on it. It’s definitely something that hits close to home. A lot of guys that have played junior have spent countless hours on the bus. To see something like this happen, it’s really tough to see."

Lowry was asked if he had a message for the people of Humboldt and Saskatchewan.

"We’re all thinking of you guys, and praying for you guys. This is something that’s going to be with them for a long time. But the whole hockey world is behind them," he said. "Something like this is something we’ve all done. We’ve rode the bus, we’ve gone through those years, long hours on bus trips, you’re going to play the game you love. You never expect something like this to happen. And then you see it does happen. All these kids, their dreams to go on to play college hockey, western league hockey, playing the game they love. It’s taken away from them. It’s so, so sad."

Defenceman Josh Morrissey played his junior hockey in Prince Albert and said he "felt sick" upon hearing the news.

"You think for all those players and their families, everyone involved, the communities. It’s just horrible. You think about all the times and hours you spent on the bus yourself, not far from that area. It’s devastating," he said. "At this time, it’s so difficult. Everyone’s grieving, everyone has to grieve in their own way. The hockey community is there for those people, those kids, everyone. It’s a tight-knit community, and there’s people that will be there to help and do their best to help the process going forward. We still don’t know the details and everything like that, but there’s people that will be there for those people. The hockey world cares."

Morrissey and several teammates spoke about how some of their best memories of hockey are the times spent on the bus.

"It’s one of those things, playing in (Prince Albert), being in Saskatchewan, we had a lot of long bus rides, bus rides through storms, through the night. Just looking back, I’m so thankful we were always able to be safe. Our bus driver really did an amazing job for us, keeping us safe. We were fortunate that way. It’s just devastating. You think about going on to a playoff game and everything like that, it’s just horrible," he said.

"It puts things into perspective, it makes you realize how lucky you are, how you have to embrace every day and really enjoy every day because you just never know when something like that can happen. It is pretty hard to see something like that happen, and try to think about anything else but how tragic that was."

Forward Mark Scheifele played junior hockey in Ontario.

"It’s really sad. I think all of us in the room have travelled on a (team) bus before. When you hear that happen, it’s definitely something you never want to hear. Our thoughts and prayers are with those guys and all the families," Scheifele said. "The amount of bus trips every team takes on a yearly basis, it’s crazy. The amount of hours guys log on the bus, and for something like this to happen. The hockey community is so tight-knit. People come together when bad things happen like that. Hopefully, the whole hockey community and the ones affected come out of it stronger."

Defenceman Tyler Myers, who played junior hockey in B.C., said this kind of disaster puts everything into perspective.

"Thoughts and prayers go out to the Humboldt family. It’s very tragic and a very sad day for sure," Myers said this morning. "All you can do is wish everyone the best, and give as many thoughts and prayers as you can to all the families." https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/sports/hockey/junior/tsns-munz-fondly-remembers-his-time- covering-the-humboldt-broncos-479060953.html

TSN's Munz fondly remembers his time covering the Humboldt Broncos

By: Randy Turner

Brian Munz has made the trip by bus from Humboldt to Nipawin so many times the route is etched in his brain.

Munz is a radio and TV broadcaster for the Winnipeg Jets and TSN now, but his start in the business began in the mid-1990’s with the Humboldt Broncos, his hometown club.

He spent five years on the bus with the Broncos, to towns across Saskatchewan and into Flin Flon; Kindersley, Estevan, Yorkton, Weyburn, and, of course, Nipawin.

So when Munz first got news of the tragic bus accident that claimed the lives of 15 members of the Broncos team Friday, he could close his eyes and envision the spot.

'It's just crazy when you think about them being 16 to 20 years old and the impact they have on a town like that both on and off the ice' — Brian Munz

"As soon as I was told where it happened I had a 100 per cent picture in my mind of exactly where it was," Munz said Saturday, shortly before working the radio broadcast of the Jets last regular season game at Bell MTS Centre.

Munz could even picture the scene on the Broncos’ bus near the end of a two-hour drive.

"I think back on the days when you’re on the road trip and everybody gets on the bus and has a bite to eat and just nap for awhile," he recalled. "You look at the scenario for the Broncos and last night I would assume they were just waking up from a pregame snooze on the bus, or were about to because they were only a few minutes from getting into Nipawin.

"That’s when the coaches would start getting the players up and start thinking about hockey. Then tragedy obviously struck."

Munz’s family moved from Regina to Humboldt in 1993. And it didn’t take long before understanding what made the community tick.

"You realize in a matter of minutes that everybody knows everybody," he said. "In a town of 6,000-7,000 people, everybody gravitates to the hockey rink. That’s what you do in the winter.

"Before there was the internet and every game was on television, so everybody went to the Broncos games as a meeting point, as a social place. And they’ve had such a rich history of success and championships. The Humboldt Broncos are one of the most storied franchises in Canada."

Which is why Munz doesn’t hesitate to call the horrific accident "one of the most tragic hockey and life stories that Canada has ever seen."

"It’s heartbreaking," he added. "Everybody knows someone who’s affected. You know, all those kids billet. There’s only a few local guys. So everybody opens up their house to a kid who’s coming in from Winnipeg or B.C. or the United States.

"So it’s the billet families who become the player’s families and the players are out playing street hockey with the neighbours’ kids. In a small community like that, the Broncos team is big but it’s the individual players who spread out across the town and become a part of the community and do much more than just play hockey. They’re apart of everybody’s daily life.

"People get upset when they lose and when they win they’re the kings of the town. It’s just crazy when you think about them being 16 to 20 years old and the impact they have on a town like that both on and off the ice."

Bus trips are a reality in prairie hockey, in particular, for junior players. Munz remembers them fondly.

"Some of the best stories, some of the best memories, you have is really on the bus," he noted. "Until cellphones came in that was really your time as a team to bond. You look back and you remember the goals or see highlights on television but, for me, it was the time together on the bus with the coaches and management and trainers. Then you had the one broadcaster and the players. And you became a family for nine months of the year. You knew everything about them and they knew everything about you.

"Some of those guys are still my closest friends today."

Today, though, the memories were jarred by a brutal, deadly reality.

"And obviously you feel for the families," Munz said, "to get the word that your son is going to play in one of the great Junior A cities in Canada and then you get the call and find out he was one of the 15 that didn’t make it...."

One of the 15 on the bus who didn’t make it was a young man named Tyler Bieber.

He was the team’s radio broadcaster.

Winnipeg Sun http://winnipegsun.com/sports/hockey/nhl/winnipeg-jets/playing-with-heavy-hearts-jets-close- out-remarkable-regular-season-with-win-over-hawks

Playing with heavy hearts, Jets close out remarkable regular season with win over Hawks

By Ted Wyman

Playing with heavy hearts, Jets close out remarkable regular season with win over Hawks

There was a hockey game at Bell MTS Place on Saturday night but it was unlike any other that has been played in a very long time.

It was more a memorial than a sporting event, much more about paying tribute to victims of a true hockey tragedy than winning or losing.

The Winnipeg Jets and Chicago Blackhawks paid respects to those killed and injured in Friday’s horrific Humboldt Broncos bus crash in a touching pre-game ceremony.

There were 40 players on the ice, gathered at centre ice, rivals at any other time but united in grief on this night.

The players from both teams wore the word “Broncos” on their backs in place of individual nameplates to honour the 15 souls from Humboldt who lost their lives.

They joined 15,000-plus fans in a moment of silence and remained standing together as the Bros. Landreth sang solemn but touching renditions of the American and Canadian anthems.

The players from opposing teams, normally used to hitting and slashing one another, tapped each other with their sticks before the starters lined up at centre for the opening faceoff.

Then there was a hockey game, one that didn’t mean a thing in the standings and was a mere formality in the wake of the tragic news of the day.

“Everyone is kind of heartbroken,” Jets captain Blake Wheeler said. “As players, every one of us has done what those players were doing. Those guys were chasing the dream that all those players out there tonight and around the league have achieved.

“The best thing we could have done tonight was honour those guys by working hard and continuing the journey that they were on.”

The players on the ice came from all over the world, places like Tampere, Finland, Yaroslavl, Russia, Robbinsdale, Minn., and of course, Western Canada.

But they could all identify with the pain and suffering being felt across the hockey community by parents, coaches, players, fans and the tight-knit community of Humboldt. They’ve all ridden buses on road trips and all realize this shows how precious and fleeting life can be.

“That’s where rivalries or matchups go out the window and we’re just hockey players,” Wheeler said.

One minute, a team full of young players is heading down the highway, full of excitement for a playoff game, the next they are … it’s too unspeakable to even finish the sentence.

“I hope they feel that we’re with them, that we’re behind them and we’re here to support them if they need us,” Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck said in a voice barely above a whisper, speaking to the people of Humboldt, the Broncos organization and the families of the victims.

Despite playing with heavy hearts, the Jets and Blackhawks had to soldier on and the game was played with a fitting lack of intensity. It might have been anyway, given it was the last game of the regular season, with no bearing on the standings, but you got the sense the events of the day played a role.

In the end, the Jets skated to a 4-1 victory to improve their record to 52-20-10 on the season and finish with a remarkable 114 points, second overall in the Western Conference and right near the top of the overall standings.

They’ll play the Minnesota Wild in the first round of the playoffs, starting Wednesday or Thursday at Bell MTS Place.

The Jets took advantage of some loose play by the mostly disinterested Blackhawks to build up a 4-0 lead.

Dustin Byfuglien scored with a two-man advantage in the first period, Kyle Connor scored on a breakaway 34 seconds into the second period and Andrew Copp added a pair of goals, one of them shorthanded, before the period was seven minutes old.

Copp was in no frame of mind to celebrate.

“We all know somebody who was affected by this pretty deeply, so it was a sombre mood on the ice,” Copp said.

There were some bright moments too.

Hellebuyck made 30 saves to record his 44th win, breaking the record for victories in a season by an American goaltender, previously set by Tom Barrasso of the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1992- 93.

In another touching moment, Winnipeg-born Hawks winger Patrick Sharp played his last NHL game and got a standing ovation from Jets fans.

And the Jets gave their year-end awards to Hellebuyck (three stars award), Matt Hendricks (community service) and Toby Enstrom (Dan Snyder Memorial).

Other than that, what was most interesting thing about the game was the 50/50 pot. The Jets, Blackhawks and NHL each contributed $25,000 to the prize, the proceeds of which will be donated to the Broncos. It ended at a total of $272,795, half of which will go to Humboldt.

Like the players, the fans of Winnipeg are clearly affected by what happened on that cold Saskatchewan highway.

In the waning minutes of the game, they chanted “Let’s go Broncos,” in unison before rising to their feet for the final 60 seconds to bring the Jets home with a prolonged standing ovation.

Even with the playoffs just around the corner, the whiteout about to make its return to Winnipeg and the Jets having their best chance ever to make a long run in the post-season, this weekend will be one people in the Winnipeg hockey community will never forget.

How on Earth could they? http://winnipegsun.com/sports/hockey/nhl/winnipeg-jets/jets-broadcaster-brian-munz-grieving- for-hometown-of-humboldt

Jets broadcaster Brian Munz grieving for hometown of Humboldt

By Ted Wyman

Playing with heavy hearts, Jets close out remarkable regular season with win over Hawks

For several years, Winnipeg broadcaster Brian Munz sat at the front of the bus, right next to the coaches, as the Humboldt Broncos traveled around Saskatchewan for hockey games.

He was living the dream, calling games on a regional radio station for his hometown team in his first play-by-play job, a gig that would eventually lead him to the NHL, where he works on Winnipeg Jets’ broadcasts.

On Saturday he was sharing in the grief of both his hometown and the hockey world after a tragic accident took the lives of 15 people from the Broncos organization, including a young broadcaster named Tyler Bieber.

When a semi-trailer T-boned the Broncos bus at the intersection of highways 35 and 335 on Friday, Bieber would have been seated near the point of impact, at the front, along with coach Darcy Haugan, who was also killed. Several players also perished, including team captain Logan Schatz.

“We were on a road trip last week out east and I listened to Tyler do one of the games,” Munz said. “I listened to the third period of one of their playoff games just cause I wanted to click on it to see what was going on.

“You hear how excited everybody is with the broadcast and what’s going on with the team that they were able to get to the final four in the league … and then you get the call last night that 15 are gone and you feel for everyone.

“It’s hard to explain. I got the call 10-15 minutes after it happened and it just kind of occupied every minute since.”

Munz still has strong ties to Humboldt and the Broncos organization. His family moved there in 1993 and he went to high school in the town of 6,500.

He hosted the Broncos Hall of Fame dinner last June. He was friendly with Haugan and some of the players.

He was also familiar with the stretch of highway where the accident happened.

“I’ve driven that road probably 500 times and that’s not an exaggeration,” Munz said.

“As soon as I got the call that there was an accident and was told where it was, I could pretty much paint you a picture. It is horrific to say the least.”

The accident sent shockwaves through hockey communities across the country. So many people can identify with the situation and can only hope something like this never happens to their loved ones.

“Just thinking about how tragic it is for the families,” Munz said. “They send their 16- 20-year-old kids off to a small town in Saskatchewan that’s got such a rich hockey tradition and you just want to be a part of the aura of the Humboldt Broncos and today, they’re one of the biggest sports tragedies that our country has ever seen.”

Another Jets broadcaster, play-by-play man Paul Edmonds, got his start in the Western Hockey League, doing colour commentary for Swift Current Broncos broadcasts and calling games for the Regina Pats in the 1990s.

He arrived in Swift Current five years after four players were killed when the Broncos team bus slid off an icy highway in 1986.

It’s the kind of tragedy that never leaves a community.

“There wasn’t a time that I didn’t get on that bus and think of those four players that had passed away,” Edmonds said. “There’s an area in the arena where they’ve immortalized the players and you see that every time you walk by. It’s around you all the time. You couldn’t just go to Swift Current and not think about it.

Edmonds immediately thought back to the Swift Current tragedy on Friday when he heard the news about Humboldt, and eventually learned this accident was on a whole new level of devastation.

“Essentially half a team is gone,” he said.

“Here we are with these kids who are just so young, and teenagers and their future and lives were so much ahead of them. To have it end so tragically and quickly is just so sad.”

Edmonds spent years riding the buses with the Winnipeg Goldeyes baseball team and he, Munz, and Jets TV play-by-play man Dennis Beyak — who also worked for years calling junior hockey games and working as an executive in the WHL — all travel regularly with the Jets on the road.

Somehow, all that travel doesn’t seem so routine today.

“Like (Jets coach) Paul Maurice said today, you get on a bus every day in the NHL when you are travelling,” Edmonds said. “The buses are still part of hockey, always have been and always will be.

“You think about what happened in Humboldt and about how lucky you are to continue to roll along.”

The truth is, there are not going to be many people in Canada who won’t be touched by this accident.

“There’s big fraternity that is affected by this because of how deep hockey runs in our country,” Edmonds said.

Canadian Press https://www.chrisd.ca/2018/04/07/winnipeg-jets-chicago-blackhawks-win-connor- hellebuyck/#.WspHOi7wZhF

Connor Hellebuyck Sets American Goalie Record in Jets’ 4-1 Win Over Blackhawks

By Judy Owen, The Canadian Press

WINNIPEG – Connor Hellebuyck was proud to know a list of NHL records will now include his name.

Andrew Copp scored twice and Hellebuyck set an NHL record for most wins in a season by an American goaltender as the Winnipeg Jets beat the Chicago Blackhawks 4-1 on Saturday.

The 24-year-old Commerce, Mich., goalie made 30 saves to pick up his 44th win (44-11-9), surpassing Tom Barrasso’s 1992-93 feat with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

“To be in the history books is something that I’m always going to look back and be proud of,” said Hellebuyck. “The fact that this locker room has come together, playing the way we’re playing, now the city is behind us the way they are, it’s a fun time being in Winnipeg.”

Hellebuyck also tied the NHL record for most wins at home by a goaltender in a single season with 30. Wayne Stephenson of the 1975-76 Philadelphia Flyers had the same tally.

Dustin Byfuglien and Kyle Connor also scored for the Jets (52-20-10), who have won five straight and a franchise-record nine in a row at Bell MTS Place.

Winnipeg opens the NHL playoffs next week at home against the Minnesota Wild.

Jeff Glass stopped 35 shots for the Blackhawks (33-39-10), who didn’t make the playoffs for the first time since 2007-08.

Brent Seabrook scored Chicago’s lone goal.

“It sucks,” Seabrook said. “I’ve said (to the media) a million times, I think it’s the best part of the season coming up here. To not be a part of it, not playing any meaningful games for us down the stretch, it’s been tough.”

Blackhawks forward Patrick Sharp got a standing ovation in the third period after the announcer told the crowd the 36-year-old is retiring after 14 NHL seasons, 11 with Chicago.

“Being born in Winnipeg and then hearing the ovation from the crowd, seeing the other team tap their sticks and clap their hands, that hit hard and I’m just thankful for it, grateful for it,” Sharp said.

The victims and survivors of the fatal bus accident Friday involving Saskatchewan’s Humboldt Broncos junior hockey team were honoured before the game.

Standing together in a circle at centre ice, Jets and Blackhawks players wore jerseys with the word ‘BRONCOS’ on the back of them in place of their own names as there was a moment of silence and then the anthems.

“It was a very sombre mood on the ice, kind of one of those things where it could have been any one of us,” Copp said.

“You kind of count your blessings. You kind of look to the guy to your left and right, they’re not usual teammates or brothers, but you feel that sense of camaraderie and community with them.”

Winnipeg had mounted a 4-0 lead by early in the second period.

Byfuglien began the onslaught when he scored 13 seconds into a two-man advantage with a high blast from the point at 15:12 of the first period.

Connor beat Glass on a breakaway 34 seconds into the second. It was his 31st goal of the season, which leads all NHL rookies.

Copp put in his eighth and ninth of the campaign, the second a short-handed goal, to make it 4- 0 at 6:35.

Seabrook stopped the shutout with a screened shot at 9:08 of the second.

The Jets, who relocated from Atlanta in 2011, also set franchise records for wins (52), points (114) and home wins (21).

NHL.com https://www.nhl.com/news/chicago-blackhawks-winnipeg-jets-game-recap/c-297777684

Hellebuyck makes history in Jets win against Blackhawks Gets 44th victory, most in season by U.S.-born goaltender by Scott Billeck / NHL.com Correspondent

WINNIPEG -- Connor Hellebuyck got his 44th win, setting an NHL record for most in a season by a United States-born goalie, and the Winnipeg Jets defeated the Chicago Blackhawks 4-1 at Bell MTS Place on Saturday.

Hellebuyck passed Tom Barrasso (Pittsburgh Penguins, 1992-93), who played before shootouts were introduced in the NHL. Hellebuyck had four shootout wins this season.

"I'm very excited about it," said Hellebuyck, who made 30 saves. "To be in the history books is something that I'm always going to look back and be proud of. The fact that this locker room has come together, playing the way we're playing, now the city is behind us the way they are, it's a fun time being in Winnipeg."

Andrew Copp scored twice, and Dustin Byfuglien and Kyle Connor scored for the Jets (52-20- 10), who finished second in the Central Division and will play the third-place Minnesota Wild in the Western Conference First Round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Hellebuyck also tied the NHL record for home wins in a season with 30 (Wayne Stephenson, Philadelphia Flyers, 1975-76).

Brent Seabrook scored, and Jeff Glass made 35 saves for the Blackhawks (33-39-10), who are eliminated from playoff contention. This was the final regular-season game for each team.

"It [stinks]," Seabrook said. "I've said a million times, I think it's the best part of the season coming up here. To not be a part of it, not playing any meaningful games for us down the stretch, it's been tough."

Byfuglien gave the Jets a 1-0 lead at 15:12 of the first period on a 5-on-3 power play. His point shot beat Glass high to the blocker side.

With an assist on the goal, 19-year-old Patrik Laine (44 goals, 26 assists) became the first Europe-born teenager in NHL history to have at least 70 points in a season.

Connor made it 2-0 on a breakaway 34 seconds into the second period.

Copp made it 3-0 at 3:56 on a rebound in front and scored his second of the game shorthanded on a breakaway at 6:35 to make it 4-0.

Seabrook made it 4-1 at 9:08.

Forward Patrick Sharp, a three-time Stanley Cup winner with the Blackhawks, likely played in his final NHL game. He has 620 points (287 goals, 333 assists) in 939 League games.

Sharp, 36, has played 11 of his 15 NHL seasons with Chicago.

"A special career, a lot of good things he accomplished," Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville said. "One of the guys that, as a teammate, really helped the young guys come in 10 years ago and really made an impact on our team as a leader."

Goal of the game Connor's goal at 34 seconds of the second period.

Save of the game Hellebuyck's save on Brandon Saad at 4:19 of the first period.

Highlight of the game Copp's goal at 6:35 of the second period.

They said it "The game was going well there until they acknowledged me [in the arena] and I'm not sure if that was [Winnipeg general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff] or if it was the Jets organization or what, but being born in Winnipeg and then hearing the ovation from the crowd, seeing the other team tap their sticks and clap their hands … that hit hard and I'm just thankful for it, grateful for it. It's pretty special that I get a chance to do that." -- Blackhawks forward Patrick Sharp

"It was very powerful. That connection all hockey players have together. They go through that, traveling as a team, being part of a team. So it was really emotional. You put 15 and a half thousand people in the building and you can hear a pin drop for as long as you can. I think the crowd sang the national anthem differently. It was a very fitting tribute." -- Jets coach Paul Maurice on the pregame ceremony honoring the 15 people killed in a bus crash involving the Humboldt Broncos of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League on Friday

Need to know The Jets and Blackhawks wore name bars that read "Broncos" on their jerseys to honor those killed in the crash. The jerseys are expected to be auctioned off with proceeds going to Humboldt. ... Wheeler got his 68th assist, tying him with Philadelphia Flyers forward Claude Giroux for the most in the NHL.

What's next Blackhawks: Season over Jets: Host the Minnesota Wild in Game 1 of Western Conference First Round, TBA

Chicago Sun-Times http://www.dailyherald.com/sports/20180407/hawks-jets-honor-humboldt-junior-hockey-team- sharp-bid-farewell

Hawks, Jets honor Humboldt junior hockey team; Sharp bid farewell

By Mark Lazerus

WINNIPEG, Manitoba -- Hockey people always say that the hockey world is a small one, and the bus crash that killed 15 members of the Humboldt Broncos junior team in Saskatchewan on Friday evening left an entire sport with heavy hearts.

"It's a sad, sad day for the hockey world today," Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville said after extending the team's condolences to the team and its fan base.

Quenneville played three years in junior hockey with the Ontario Hockey Association, so he's been on those buses, riding down seemingly endless country roads. The Humboldt bus was T- boned by a truck while the team was en route to a playoff game. Authorities have put the death toll at 15, with the other 14 injured. The players in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League are 16 to 20 years old.

Quenneville was reminded of the Lokomotiv team plane crash in Russia in 2011 that killed 43 of 45 passengers, including NHL standout Pavol Demitra.

"You can't imagine that," Quenneville said. "It's the worst fear as a parent, as a team. … There's been some tough ones over the years, but it certainly hits home in how close the hockey world and the hockey community is. Not just in Western Canada, but throughout all the leagues and America. [But] especially here."

All the Hawks and Jets wore BRONCOS on the backs of their jerseys instead of their last names, and the Hawks matched a $25,000 donation to the Humboldt club by the Jets and the NHL.

Current Rockford assistant coach and former Hawks defenseman Sheldon Brookbank played for the Broncos for three years, and Hall of Fame goaltender Glenn Hall was born in Humboldt.

Hawks drop season finale: Andrew Copp scored twice and Connor Hellebuyck set an NHL record for most wins in a season by an American goaltender and the Winnipeg Jets beat the Chicago Blackhawks 4-1 on Saturday.

Hellebuyck, the 24-year-old Commerce, Michigan, goalie made 30 saves to pick up his 44th win (44-11-9), surpassing Tom Barrasso's 1992-93 run with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Blackhawks forward Patrick Sharp got a standing ovation in the third period after the announcer told the crowd it was the veteran's final game. Sharp is retiring after 14 NHL seasons, 11 with Chicago.

Dustin Byfuglien and Kyle Connor also scored for the Jets (52-20-1), who have won five straight and a franchise-record nine in a row at Bell MTS Place.

The Jets, who relocated from Atlanta in 2011, also set franchise records for wins, points and home wins (21).

Winnipeg opens the NHL playoffs next week at home against the Minnesota Wild.

Jeff Glass stopped 35 shots for the Blackhawks (33-39-10), who didn't make the playoffs for the first time since 2007-08.

Brent Seabrook scored Chicago's goal.

Roster report: Jonathan Toews missed the last eight games of the season with an upper-body injury. He finished with a career-low 20 goals, one fewer than he had last season.

• This report was produced in partnership with the Chicago Sun-Times. For related coverage, check chicago.suntimes.com. The Associated Press also contributed to this report.

Chicago Tribune http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/hockey/blackhawks/ct-spt-blackhawks-jets-season-finale- 20180407-story.html

Blackhawks' 4-1 loss to Jets begins offseason turnaround effort

By Rich Campbell

The final horn sounded at Bell MTS Place on Saturday night, mercifully ending the Blackhawks season.

Their 4-1 loss to the Jets was a mere formality for both clubs, the Hawks with one last obligation to cross off their calendar, and the Jets enjoying a final tuneup before their Western Conference playoff series against the Wild.

Now, after missing the playoffs for the first time since 2008, the Blackhawks can exhale and look forward to engineering the quick turnaround team President John McDonough believes is possible.

Just as the Hawks went from the conference’s top seed last season to missing the playoffs this year, other teams have improved their fortunes just as quickly.

The Lightning, for instance, went from missing last year’s postseason to finishing atop the East this year. They’re one of five teams in this postseason who failed to qualify last year. The Jets are another.

So how do the Hawks make sure this last-place season is just a hiccup instead the start of a downward trend?

Coach Joel Quenneville believes it’s a matter of consistency. The Hawks actually finished with a winning record against Eastern Conference opponents (17-12-3), evidence that this team did possess something worth mining.

“We’ve seen many games this year where we look like we could be a really good team,” Quenneville said. “And then just that consistency, putting that in place, it’d be fun getting some momentum when we do things right on consecutive shifts in consecutive games.”

Getting goalie Corey Crawford back healthy is central to the mission. The Hawks were tied for the final wild-card spot Dec. 23 when he last played, sidelined by an upper-body injury that multiple media outlets have reported were symptoms related to a head injury.

Quenneville, McDonough and general manager Stan Bowman have insisted Crawford will be healthy for next season.

“I know he’s making some progress here,” Quenneville said Saturday. “A couple times he was close to getting back playing. We expect him to be ready.”

The Hawks used five goaltenders in Crawford’s absence, which exposed a porous defense. Bowman said Friday during the pregame show on NBC Sports Chicago that signing a top-four defenseman this offseason would depend on salary-cap considerations.

The top priority, Bowman said, is ensuring a cap situation that could accommodate the next contracts for Nick Schmaltz and Alex DeBrincat. DeBrincat became the first rookie to lead the team in goals (28) since Tuomo Ruutu did with 23 in 2003-04.

Regardless, the Hawks are aware of their defensive shortcomings.

“Our puck management this year was poor, and that led us to having more holes defensively,” Quenneville said. “And it was across the board, whether it was from the back end or the forwards.”

Then, as McDonough emphasized Thursday, the Hawks need their best — and best-paid — players to play up to those expectations.

Whether it was captain Jonathan Toews finishing with a career-low 20 goals or defenseman Duncan Keith posting a career-worst minus-29 rating or Brandon Saad finishing with 35 points after posting at least 47 every year since 2013 — the Hawks big names didn’t play big enough.

Next season they’ll be out to prove that was an aberration.

“It has been a while since these guys have had a long summer,” said Saad, who returned to the Hawks this season after two with the Blue Jackets. “We’re all capable. We know if we train hard in the summer, we’ll get that fire burning again.”

McDonough retained Quenneville and Bowman to ensure it. Now they must discover the path back upward.

Rich Campbell’s three stars

1. Andrew Copp, Jets: Scored twice in the second period, including a wicked wrist shot from inside the left circle.

2. Connor Hellebuyck, Jets: Recorded his 44th win of the season, a record for an American- born goaltender.

3. Kyle Connor, Jets: Scored to finish with 31 goals in his rookie season. http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/hockey/blackhawks/ct-spt-blackhawks-humboldt-broncos- bus-crash-20180407-story.html

Blackhawks mourn victims of tragic bus crash involving Canadian junior hockey team

By Rich Campbell

The Blackhawks joined a shaken hockey world Saturday in mourning the deaths of at least 15 members of a junior league team in a bus crash in Saskatchewan on Friday night.

The Humboldt Broncos’ bus collided with a tractor-trailer en route to a playoff game, killing the team’s head coach, captain and other players and people associated with the team, according to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and Canadian media outlets. The tragedy has rocked the tightly-knit hockey community

“It’s a sad, sad day for the entire hockey world today,” Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville said before Saturday’s game against the Jets.

Quenneville, like most NHL coaches and players, has experience riding buses through remote locations as part of life at the lower levels of competitive hockey.

There were 24 Broncos players ranging in age from 16 to 21.

“I can’t imagine that,” Quenneville said. “It’s the worst fear as a parent, as a team. There’s been some tragic accidents in Russia. There have been some tough ones over the years. But it certainly hits home in how close the hockey world and hockey community is, not just in Western Canada but throughout all the leagues, American and especially here (in Canada).”

The Jets are the second-closest NHL team to Humboldt, approximately 430 miles away (the Edmonton Oilers are about 30 miles closer).

Before the game, players from both teams interspersed and formed a circle at center ice for a moment of silence and for the national anthems. During the Canadian national anthem, the videoboard camera captured a fan wearing a Humboldt Broncos sweater, and the crowd cheered.

The Blackhawks and Jets altered their jerseys to read “BRONCOS” across each player’s nameplate instead of his last name. Each team donated $25,000 to the Jets’ 50/50 raffle, the proceeds of which the Jets are donating to the Humboldt Broncos club.

CBC Winnipeg http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/winnipeg-jets-moment-of-silence-humboldt-broncos- 1.4610185

Moment of silence held for victims of Humboldt Broncos fatal bus crash before Winnipeg Jets game Players from Jets, Chicago Blackhawks met at centre ice before game

By Shane Gibson

Fans at Bell MTS Place all stood and not a sound could be heard throughout the arena as players from both benches formed a circle at centre ice and stood with their heads down.

Players from each team stood staggered next to one another in the circle.

Before Saturday's game the Jets and the Blackhawks announced players from both teams would wear the word "Broncos" on the back of their jerseys during the game.

"In place of individual names, 'Broncos' is meant to symbolize the unity and support of our hockey communities coming together as one for the Humboldt Broncos' family, " read a release from the Jets.

Earlier in the day Jets' head coach Paul Maurice said all of the hockey world is in mourning.

"At all the rinks in Canada and the States, they'll be remembered tonight and certainly every day going forward," he told media.

"The game will not take centre stage. It won't. It will be played and that's it."

As well the Jets said all money raised by the 50/50 draw at the game would be donated to the Humboldt Broncos.

Father of Humboldt Broncos player says survivors will be 'bonded for life' Additionally, the Jets, Blackhawks and the National Hockey League each donated $25,000 to the 50/50 draw in order to "sweeten the pot".

A Winnipeg player with the Humboldt Broncos, Matthieu Gomercic, 20, survived the fatal crash, a close friend of the player's family confirmed to CBC News.

Sports Illustrated https://www.si.com/nhl/2018/04/07/blackhawks-jets-honor-humboldt-broncos-bus-crash

Saskatchewan Bus Crash: Jets, Blackhawks to Honor Humboldt Broncos With Donations

By CHARLOTTE CARROLL

The Jets and Blackhawks, along with the NHL, will honor the Humboldt Broncos hockey team Saturday in Winnipeg, Canada, a day after the horrific bus crash on Friday night in Saskatchewan, Canada.

The accident left 15 dead, including the head coach and team captain, along with injuring 14 others.

There will be a moment of silence before the game, and the two teams will wear the word "Broncos" on the back of their jerseys in place of individual names. The gesture is meant to "symbolize the unity and support of our hockey communities coming together as one for the Humboldt Broncos' family," according to the Jets press release.

The Jets, Blackhawks and NHL will each donate $25,000. All proceeds from the 50/50 draw will also be donated to the Broncos.

As the extent of the crash has become clear, condolences have poured in from across the NHL.

Other teams, including the Capitals, will hold moments of silence prior to their games.

Coaches and players from the area had trouble discussing the accident, including the Maple Leafs' coach Mike Babcock.

Support has also flowed in, with one Humboldt resident starting a GoFundMe page that has raised over $1 million with the money going to families at the appropriate time.

Global Winnipeg https://globalnews.ca/news/4128644/5-things-you-should-know-about-the-winnipeg-jets-vs- minnesota-wild-playoff-series/

5 things you should know about the Winnipeg Jets vs Minnesota Wild playoff series

By Tamara Forlanski Sr. Digital Broadcast Journalist

For almost two weeks, Winnipeg Jets fans have known their team was in the NHL playoffs. But who they were facing in the opening round was only decided Thursday.

With the Nashville Predators securing the top spot in the Western Conference, the Jets will take on the Minnesota Wild.

While the NHL playoffs start Wednesday, the date of the first game in the best-of-seven series won’t be known until the league releases its schedule on Sunday.

Playoff appearances The post-season is nothing new for Minnesota. The team has been in the playoffs for the past six seasons and is making its ninth appearance since joining the league in 2000.

The Winnipeg Jets are still relatively new to the post-season. Including its time in Atlanta, this is only the third time in 18 seasons the franchise has qualified for the playoffs.

The team is still looking for its first playoff win. It was swept by the Anaheim Ducks in four games during their last showing in the 2014-15 season. When the franchise was in Atlanta it lost all four post-season games against the New York Rangers in the 2006-2007 season.

Home ice advantage Winnipeg has beaten Minnesota three of the four times the two teams met this season.

Since the franchise moved to Winnipeg, it has played the Wild 26 times and won 14 those games.

The Jets secured home ice for the series, meaning the team will play its first two games at Bell MTS Place. If needed, games five and seven would also be played in Winnipeg.

It’s a rink the Wild have struggled at, winning just five of 13 games there.

Minnesota has the winning record at Xcel Energy Centre, netting seven wins in 13 games against the Jets.

Proximity One key factor for both teams is how close the rinks are to each other. There is no time difference between Minnesota and Manitoba.

The flight between Winnipeg and Minneapolis-Saint Paul is under 90 minutes.

When the Jets faced the Ducks in the 2015 playoffs, players and fans dealt with a two-hour time difference.

If Wild or Jets fans wanted to, they could even follow the team on the road. The Twin Cities are a regular road trip for many Winnipeggers. The drive is less than eight hours.

Top scorers The Winnipeg Jets have the slight edge when it comes to leading scorers.

Patrik Laine has 44 goals so far this season while the Wild’s top scorer, Eric Staal, has netted 41 goals. Stall does manage to have nine more assists than Laine’s 25.

Even though Staal leads Minnesota in overall points at 75, he doesn’t come close to Winnipeg’s top point getter.

Blake Wheeler has recorded a personal-best 90 points so far this season. The captain has also played one less game than Staal.

Players with 20+ goals Winnipeg also tops the depth chart, with five players scoring 20 or more goals this season. Minnesota has three players in that category.

At 30 goals, Kyle Conner has had an impressive rookie season with the Jets. His name is also being tossed around as a possible Calder Memorial Trophy winner for the league’s top rookie.

Excluding goalkeepers, every player on the Jets’ roster has also scored at least one goal. Four Minnesota players have been kept of the goal sheet.

Note — all game statistics as of Friday, April 6.

The Athletic https://theathletic.com/305143/2018/04/08/wild-rout-sharks-playoffs-jets-lineup-cullen-ennis- greenway-belpedio/

After blowout of Sharks, here's a look at Wild's potential playoff-opening lineup

By Michael Russo

SAN JOSE, Calif. — Eighty-two games are in the books, and now the real season begins this week against the big, bad, brisk Winnipeg Jets.

Saturday night, the Wild put an exclamation point on their regular season by smoking the San Jose Sharks, 6-3. The win pushed the Wild over the 100-point mark (101, to be exact) for the fourth time in franchise history and allowed Bruce Boudreau to hit the 100-point plateau for the eighth time in his eight full seasons as an NHL bench boss.

“It means we make the playoffs a lot. Now just have to go far in there,” Boudreau said.

In the third victory of a season-series sweep of the Sharks, Louie Belpedio, in his NHL debut, tallied as many assists (two) as he had in 10 minor-league games. Jordan Greenway also picked up his first NHL point.

Eric Staal scored an empty-netter to match Marian Gaborik’s franchise record with 42 goals in a season. Jason Zucker, right after his wife trolled him on Twitter, scored his 32nd and 33rd goals. Devan Dubnyk won his 35th game. And Tyler Ennis, trying to persuade Boudreau into putting him into the Game 1 lineup over the rookie Greenway, made a statement with two assists.

It was an interesting tune-up for the playoffs. Most are speculating the Wild-Jets series will begin in Winnipeg on Wednesday, although we’ll find out for certain Sunday.

In a sit-down with The Athletic on Friday, Boudreau said he was trying to determine which right wing would play next to Zucker and Staal on the top line, which winger would play the left side and right sides of Matt Cullen on the third line in Game 1 and what his second and third defense pairs will be if Jared Spurgeon returns as expected.

“Other than the (Mikko) Koivu line, everything else is up in the air,” Boudreau said.

— Since the second line consists of Zach Parise (he got the night off Saturday), Koivu and Mikael Granlund and the fourth line which Boudreau doesn’t want to break up for now is made up of Marcus Foligno, Joel Eriksson Ek and Daniel Winnik, it’s clear Boudreau is trying to decide if Nino Niederreiter or Charlie Coyle will skate on the Staal line or the Cullen line. He’s also trying to decide who will sit between Greenway and Ennis.

“It’s always great when they’re making the coaches have tough decisions, but I thought we had a lot of good play throughout the lineup,” Boudreau said.

There’s no doubt whatsoever from reading the tea leaves that the 6-foot-5 Greenway had the inside track on the diminutive Ennis, who had a disappointing 22-point season and isn’t as assertive or physical as Boudreau would like against a team like the Jets, at least before Saturday’s, let’s call it, audition.

It was crystal clear that Ennis, scratched in five of the previous eight games and nine times this season, was trying to make a lasting impression in his final chance to show off.

“I'm trying to play well and play hard and help the team win. Just play my game and generate chemistry with whoever I'm with,” Ennis said. “You've got to stay ready. Just making sure I'm working hard in practice and after practice making sure I'm getting reps and staying conditioned. And staying with it mentally is probably the most important thing. Just always knowing that I might be going in and expecting to play well.”

Ennis admits he has been frustrated.

“Everybody wants to play,” Ennis said. “My goal is the same as it was, to win a Stanley Cup, and I'm going to stay ready and play as hard as I can every time I'm on the ice.”

Ennis assisted on Jonas Brodin’s game-opening goal, then Cullen’s follow-up goal 3:59 later with a dazzling pass. Ennis, handcuffed, ended up with his stick behind his back with the puck right there at his blade. So, Ennis, like it was nothing, nonchalantly fed Cullen with that stick behind his back.

“I just ended up getting tangled and the puck was sitting there and Cully was just waiting in the slot and I wanted to get it to him somehow and that was the easiest route to him,” Ennis said, smiling. “It was fun. It's awesome that he scored.”

There’s no denying Ennis’ skill. But Boudreau hasn’t been fond of the turnovers, lack of production and how easily he is pushed off the puck.

In the case of Greenway, Boudreau feels he could be a value in a hard, tough series against Winnipeg.

Greenway played his sixth NHL game since his college career at Boston University ended. He hadn’t done much.

No points until Saturday, no big hits like was advertised.

But he has gotten opportunities next to Staal, Koivu and Cullen and is slowly looking more comfortable with the dramatically increased pace in the NHL compared to the collegiate level.

“It's been good,” said Greenway, who had a sweet assist on Granlund’s 21st goal. “Tonight playing with Koivu and Granlund was pretty easy out there. They helped me out a ton. It was a good thing tonight. Even playing with Cullen and Coyle they have helped me out tremendously my first few games. They have probably been patient with me just to allow me to transition. It's been good. Everyone has been a big help for me.”

Again, read between the lines, and Boudreau’s comments even after Saturday’s game gives the sense it’ll still be Greenway over Ennis at least in Game 1.

“Greenway was good tonight,” Boudreau said. “He’s a big body and his reach is so long, he’s never out of the play. I don’t know where he’s going to play, but I’m sure I’ll find a spot.”

As for Ennis, Boudreau said, “I thought he had a great first period.”

Boudreau then noted that in the playoffs, even if you’re not in the Game 1 lineup, you’re likely eventually going to play in the case of injuries or simply the fact that eventually a coach wants to change things up depending on what’s needed.

Maybe you’ve lost a game or two and need a spark. Maybe there comes a point where you realize you do need more speed or skill.

“All these guys have pride, they all want to play,” Boudreau said. “And unless we’re winning every game, I’m sure they all are going to play. Any team in the playoffs that does anything, it’s amazing how many players they use because you sacrifice so much during each game that people get hurt. It’s a battle of attrition now.”

— After Saturday’s game, it’s very likely that Boudreau will decide for sure to go with a Zucker- Staal-Niederreiter top line and skate Cullen with Coyle initially. The latter two looked great with Ennis, while Niederreiter, who has been missing in action for weeks and has started to concern Boudreau, had the primary assists on both of Zucker’s goals.

“Tonight, we were good,” Staal said. “Zucks was wheeling really well. He seems to be skating really well right now. Nino, a couple great passes. I think we’ll see once Game 1 hits. Regardless of who I’m with, we’ll do our best to play a strong two-way game.”

— At least to start, Boudreau won’t fiddle with the Foligno-Eriksson Ek-Winnik line. Remember, it was in that 7-2 loss in Winnipeg in November that the fourth line of Foligno-Cullen-Chris Stewart was a liability all game long.

“Our fourth line, I have way more faith in them at any stage last year and at any stage the first half of this year,” Boudreau said. “Eriksson Ek’s game is just evolving. It’s why I also experimented with him with Nino and Charlie (in L.A.) because maybe Greenway or Cullen centers the fourth line at some point. But right now, we’ll stick with Cullen on the third line. I mean, this is why we got Cully, because he’s won back-to-back Cups and played a big role in both.”

— As for the back end, with Ryan Suter shelved until next season, Brodin will skate with Matt Dumba.

Spurgeon missed his 12th game with a partially torn hamstring Saturday. Boudreau still expects him to practice Monday and be in the postseason opening lineup.

Again, reading the tea leaves, Boudreau so liked Carson Soucy’s game during a three-game look that he’ll be recalled in time for Monday’s practice and he could very well be paired with Spurgeon. Boudreau feels his mobility and size could complement Spurgeon.

“He’s going to be a good player. We like him,” Boudreau said of Soucy.

That would leave big, tough Nick Seeler to skate with Nate Prosser. Same as the Greenway vs. Ennis decision, Boudreau said there may come times where perhaps he feels the Wild need more of an offensive mind from the back end. If that happens, he’d insert Ryan Murphy.

Belpedio impresses in debut On the roster will also be Belpedio, signed to his entry-level contract Thursday. He became the first Wild player in history to have more than a point in his first NHL game.

The right-shot defenseman played his off side alongside Prosser. His first NHL point came on Cullen’s goal.

Cullen, perhaps playing his final regular-season game in a 20-year career, was drafted by the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim on June 22, 1996. Belpedio was born May 14, 1996.

“He's special, honestly,” Belpedio said of Cullen. “He's been one of the most welcoming guys in this room. It was pretty cool to be a part of a locker room with him in it, so it was pretty cool for me.”

Belpedio humbly said he got lucky with both his assists (he also got the second assist on Zucker’s second goal).

“That's what happens when you’re around good players,” Belpedio said.

Belpedio’s mom, dad and a couple family friends attended the game.

“I don't know if they did go away to be honest with you,” Belpedio said of the nerves. “I just caught myself looking around a little bit and kind of take it all in. As exciting as it was, it was a little bit nerve wracking. We just tried to put that aside and funnel it away. Luckily, we got the win so it was pretty good, it was a good day for me, I'm happy with it.”

As for the debut, Boudreau said, “Not bad. Really pleasantly surprised.”

Staal matches Gaborik’s record Staal, who had three shots on goal and eight attempts overall, was able to equal Gaborik’s 2007-08 team record with his 42nd goal. He sent it into an empty net for his sixth empty-netter of the season, which ranks second in the NHL. Since his rookie year in 2003-04, Staal ranks second in the NHL with 30 empty-netters.

“The guys were looking for me tonight, I could tell,” Staal said. “Couple good looks early and a couple rush chances where I could tell Zucks was looking for me the whole way up the ice, but the pass really wasn’t there and then he makes a great shot. Just the way it kind of worked out to get that chance at the end of the game. Wasn’t going to miss that one. It’s cool. It’s fun to have that alongside Marian. He’s a great player and a great goal scorer.”

Staal also reached 76 points, which is the third-most in Wild history. Zucker finished with 33 goals, tied for fifth-most in a Wild season.

“Everything gets washed up now and we’ll look forward to getting geared up for Game 1,” Staal said.

No surprises in Suter surgery Wild general manager Chuck Fletcher said there “were no surprises” during Thursday’s surgery to repair Suter’s right ankle. Suter can put no weight on the ankle for an anticipated four months but the doctor was pleased how the surgery went. Obviously, it’ll be impossible to know a further prognosis until late this offseason, and there is a chance he’s not ready by the start of next season.

“Regardless if he’s ready in August, September or even October, just the fact he has a good chance to be 100 percent is all I care about,” Fletcher said. “We’ve seen our depth with Soucy and Seeler and even Murphy, so I feel much better with our depth if it takes Suter awhile.”

Suter was operated on in Green Bay, Wisconsin, by a renowned foot and ankle specialist that has surgically repaired several pro athletes, including Ottawa’s Erik Karlsson and Montreal’s Shea Weber.

Etc. Because he had to be reassigned due to the Belpedio signing and subsequent debut, Soucy was able to watch University of Minnesota Duluth win the national championship game Saturday night. Soucy signed with the Wild last spring after playing four years for the Bulldogs. …

Late in the game, Dubnyk took a stab at scoring into the empty net, but his attempt was intercepted on the way.

“I gotta be honest, I'm pretty proud of that attempt,” Dubnyk joked. “It's the first time in my life I've ever actually considered shooting the puck down the ice. Even as the puck was coming around, I was like, 'Oh, I don't know if I got this one in me.' … I was like, 'Ah, screw it.' I go for it, and I was able to get it off the wall. … I could not believe I got that much on it, and it was on line, and then the guy just skated by.” …

Defenseman Gustav Olofsson, who has missed five games with a concussion, is feeling better and rejoined the Wild in San Jose just to get in a full skate with his teammates. He didn’t play, however, and is not expected to be in the lineup when the playoffs start. https://theathletic.com/302904/2018/04/06/supported-at-every-turn-by-his-father-heinz-nikolaj- ehlers-has-achieved-many-of-his-hockey-dreams/

Supported at every turn by his father Heinz, Nikolaj Ehlers has achieved many of his hockey dreams

By Murat Ates

Nikolaj Ehlers, the point-scoring speedster who was born in Aalborg, Denmark and raised in cities throughout Europe before becoming an NHL star in Winnipeg, is enjoying perhaps the least celebrated 60 point season in Jets history.

Given the sheer amount of talent at the Jets’ disposal, there are many aesthetic joys to watching Winnipeg play hockey this season. But for those who love hockey at high speeds, there is perhaps nothing more electrifying than watching Ehlers flying through open ice at speeds few in the NHL can match.

In many other markets, Ehlers would get a lot more press. Not only do the Jets often fly under the league-wide radar, Winnipeg also boasts Patrik Laine’s 44 goals, Blake Wheeler’s league- leading 67 assists, and Kyle Connor’s 30 goal rookie season.

According to his father, Heinz Ehlers, the lack of fanfare suits the Jets speedster just fine.

“I don’t think it’s a bad thing,” said the elder Ehlers by telephone. “At the moment, they have so many players on the team that can score and who have played well. I would say I don’t mind as a parent and I think it may even be the best for Nikolaj – that he’s not the focus.

“The other guys have more attention – (Mark) Scheifele, Laine, Wheeler, and Kyle Connor. I don’t think that’s a bad thing. You can only just try to perform every night.”

Heinz Ehlers is not your typical hockey parent. In addition to being drafted by the New York Rangers in 1984, he had a long playing career in the Swedish Elite League, Swiss-A league, and Deutsche Elite League before beginning a professional coaching career.

He is currently the head coach of Switzerland’s SCL Tigers and when he talks, his son listens.

“I learned a lot from him,” Nik said. “He played in Europe for many years and he was a really good player too so, you know, whenever I wasn’t doing well he’d tell me – even though I felt I was doing well. And when I was doing well, he’d tell me as well.”

At the moment, almost everything is going well for the younger Ehlers, 22.

Playing on a line with Paul Stastny and Laine, Ehlers’ 60 points on the season are supported by strong underlying numbers.

The trio is enjoying 52.3 per cent of 5-on-5 shot attempts, 51.6 per cent of expected goals, and – buoyed by high shooting and save percentages – have outscored its opposition 15-7.

With Scheifele, Wheeler, and Connor firmly established as Winnipeg’s top line, Ehlers and company have been able to feast on slightly softer competition. Despite the occasional costly turnover, there are times when it looks nearly impossible for teams to stop Ehlers flying through the neutral zone.

Across the NHL, only Connor McDavid attacks opposing bluelines with more frequent success:

You’re looking at how often each player gains the opposing blueline with possession of the puck (and can play with the data yourself, courtesy Corey Sznajder and CJ Turtoru, here.) Naturally, the list is a who’s who of NHL speedsters.

It is perhaps not surprising that Ehlers took to skating quite easily as a child.

As a boy, a four-year-old Nik would watch his father practice with the Berlin Capitals of the DEL – eyes wide, mind sharp, face pressed up against the glass – with a quiet intensity unmatched by other kids his age.

And when practice was over and Heinz brought him onto the ice, Ehlers was an instant success on his skates.

“I could see it all, already, after his second time on the ice,” Heinz said. “He was four years old and, I remember, I’d take him out on the ice after (practice) and the other guys would watch him skate. They would say, ‘He’s four years old – how long has he been skating for?’

“It was the third or fourth time on the ice. Unbelievable. I could tell very early that he could skate.”

As the four-year-old boy turned into a teenaged phenom, his superlative speed remained one of his most effortless strengths. Learning to accept his father’s wisdom took more work.

Heinz Ehlers’ high-level knowledge of the game meant constructive criticism even when goals and points were coming easily to Nikolaj.

“I think that too often, when I watch him play, I forget to be a hockey dad,” Heinz said. “I’m more – I’m looking more at his game with a coach’s eye. So I’ve been… I would say critical is probably the wrong word, but when I saw him making mistakes I would definitely tell him.”

“Sometimes it was hard,” Nik said. “Sometimes you didn’t want to listen to him at all. You thought he was a little too hard on you.”

“I would also praise him when he was playing well,” Heinz said. “Don’t get me wrong. I probably had a little bit too critical or coaching eye on him than, just as a dad, being happy with whatever he did.

“He’s still young. He still makes mistakes. That (happens) when you’re a creative player. You make more mistakes. But to be a great player you get better at learning when to do it and when not to do it.”

One thing I’ve noticed in the Jets dressing room this season is the sincerity and thoughtfulness with which Nik Ehlers approaches the questions he is asked – including those about his mistakes. For example, after a bad first-period giveaway against the Rangers in February led to an easy Mats Zuccarello goal, Ehlers took full responsibility for the play.

“It was a stupid pass from me trying to make it into the middle there,” he said at the time. “It got picked off and they score. It's something that I gotta take on me, but we let them get back into the game.”

These are the types of plays father and son talk about and certainly ones both Ehlers men would like to see removed from Nik’s game. Still, creativity holds value. Skilled players give the puck away more because they try to do more with it.

Heinz Ehlers said the most important thing to do when mistakes get made is to own them.

“We always taught him to own his mistakes,” Heinz said. “I always said to him that one of the best things you can do when you fuck up with a turnover on the offensive blueline is come on the bench and say, ‘Sorry guys, my mistake.’ Then everyone knows.

“You know what? Most of the time, after a game when he feels he’s been bad, I wake up to a message. I wake up to a message a lot of the times, saying, ‘I was really bad today. I kept making mistakes or turnovers.' He’s critical. Sometimes when things are not going well and he gets a little bit too critical and too hard on himself, then I try to push him in the other direction.”

“When I look back now, sometimes you fight with him over something that happened on the ice and you’re 100 per cent sure you were right… And now I’m here so he was probably right,” Nik said. “Because I was changing (to) whatever he said. You know, when he didn’t like seeing something that I did on the ice, even though I thought I was right, I would still change it.”

And whatever the level of criticism, whatever the difficulty of conversations throughout the years, Nik knows his father’s words have paid off.

“It never got to the point where I was sitting by myself and crying or something like that, right? So it was all worth it,” Nik said.

Heinz wasn’t the only hockey professional who gave Nik advice.

When the 2012-13 NHL season was partially lost to a lockout, star players like Patrick Kane and Tyler Seguin looked for work on teams in beautiful cities around the world. That brought them to Biel HC in Biel-Bienne, Switzerland.

Nik Ehlers practiced regularly with Biel HC and even suited up for 11 games at just 16 years old. His speed and skill caught the eye of the NHL superstars he played with.

“It all started when I was playing in Switzerland with Patrick Kane and (Tyler) Seguin,” Ehlers said. “They kind of gave me a hint and told me to come over and play junior hockey over here – and it sounded exciting. So I went straight home and I was like, ‘Hey, listen, these guys are saying this.’

“I mean, I was 15 at the point. I was practicing and played the last half of the season in a pro hockey league in Switzerland, which is not bad hockey at all. Having those guys in the league and telling me that I should think about going over and playing… It’s pretty cool to hear.”

Like Seguin and Kane, Heinz Ehlers knew his son had a special talent. When the path towards North American hockey and an NHL career began to look like a distinct possibility, he was fully supportive. Heinz saw his son’s skill, his speed, and – most of all – his drive to succeed.

“He’s got ambition, I can tell you that,” Heinz said. “He wants to score, he wants to get better because he’s always done it his whole career. He’s ambitious. If you’re 15 years old and you’re playing in the highest league in Switzerland and one of the better leagues in Europe, then you’re going to know in yourself that you’re good. I guess hearing it from those kinds of guys, that motivated him to go to North America.

“Of course, it hurts. It was tough, saying goodbye at the airport. But no problem – he should follow his dreams. He had a shot at making the NHL. I knew that was his goal – that was what he really wanted.

“Why not just follow your dreams? Things turned out. It’s gone the right way.”

Nik Ehlers’ next dream is to win the Stanley Cup.

Winnipeg has clinched home-ice advantage to open the NHL playoffs and, thanks to a 2-1 win over the Calgary Flames on Thursday night, Ehlers knows his first round opponent will be the Minnesota Wild.

“No one here is playing for second place,” he said on Thursday.

But when the Jets face off against the Wild at Bell MTS Place Heinz Ehlers won’t be there – he will be getting ready for the 2018 World Hockey Championships in Denmark.

Heinz Ehlers and I talked about the NHL playoffs, about the world championships, and about the kind of trash-talking text messages the Ehlers family throws around depending on whether Nik’s Chelsea FC, his brother’s Liverpool FC, or Heinz’s Manchester United are at the top of the English Premier League table.

After all of that, Heinz still wanted to say this about his son:

“The human being Nikolaj… I’m really proud of the way that he is. He’s very generous to the family and his friends and inviting people over all the time. And people really appreciate it. Especially with his talent. He’s making not yet the big money that he’s going to be making next year but he really tries to love the people around him. He’s just, in general, a good boy.

TSN.ca https://www.tsn.ca/nhl/video/staying-healthy-an-ongoing-concern-for-jets~1364920 (VIDEO LINK)

Staying healthy an ongoing concern for Jets

The Jets already know they'll be facing the Wild in the first round of the playoffs, so their regular season finale on Saturday against the Blackhawks means nothing. But as Sara Orlesky explains, staying healthy is an ongoing concern. www.winnipegjets.com https://www.nhl.com/jets/news/jets-close-regular-season-with-win-over-blackhawks/c- 297786392

Jets close regular season with win over Blackhawks Teams honour Humboldt Broncos in emotional pre-game ceremony by Mitchell Clinton @MitchellClinton / WinnipegJets.com

WINNIPEG - Captain Blake Wheeler said it best.

"The best thing we could have done tonight is honour those guys by working hard, and continue the journey they were on."

During an emotional pre-game ceremony, where both Winnipeg Jets and Chicago Blackhawks stood together around centre ice, and a moment of silence to honour the memory of those who lost their lives in the Humboldt Broncos bus crash Friday night.

"Those guys are chasing the dream that the guys in this room, the guys out there tonight, the guys around the league, have achieved," said Wheeler. "It just breaks your heart that something like this is possible. You just wish there was something you could do for their families and that community."

Then the puck dropped, and the Jets finished the regular season with a 4-1 win over the Blackhawks.

It was a game that wasn't easy for both teams to play.

"It was a very somber mood on the ice. It was one of those things that it could have been any one of us," said Copp. "You kind of count your blessings, and look to the guy on your left and right, and they may not be your usual teammates or brothers, but you feel that sense of camaraderie and community with them.

"Now is a good time to reflect and understand that we're all in the same boat together. It was the poorest of circumstances, but it ended up being a special moment."

Copp would score twice on the night, while Dustin Byfuglien and Kyle Connor added singles to help the Jets finish the regular season at 52-20-10.

Wheeler finished the game with one assist, which leaves him tied with Claude Giroux for the most assists in the NHL, at 68.

After getting a few good looks early, the Jets power play would take advantage of a 5-on-3 advantage. Just 13 seconds after Andreas Martinsen's boarding penalty put Chicago down two men, Byfuglien wired home his eighth of the season to put the Jets up 1-0.

Then just 34 seconds into the second, Connor pounced on a loose puck when Brent Seabrook fanned on a one-timer, and took it the other way. On the ensuing breakaway, Connor made a quick fake to the backhand, then flipped the puck over the stick side right shoulder of Jeff Glass.

The goal increased Connor's total to 31, the most of any rookie in the NHL.

The Jets made it 3-0 off the rush, when Brandon Tanev delayed, and found Adam Lowry in the slot. Lowry sent a backhand pass into the crease to Copp, who tapped home his third goal, and sixth point, in his last seven games.

"(Our line) had a really good stretch in November and December, and then injuries kind of hit everywhere. I think since we've been back together we've been really solid," said Copp.

"I feel like we've put up points in almost every game that we've been together. Our main mantra is shutting down the other team's top line, and it feels like we've done a good job with that…. We feel really confident with our game right now."

Copp wasn't done there. With Josh Morrissey in the box for slashing, Copp outraced Duncan Keith on the left wing, and whipped a wrist shot over the glove of Glass for his second of the night.

He came close to getting the hat trick shortly after.

"Lows made an unbelievable pass, and I just tried to put it past his right arm, and somehow it hit his pant and went back in front. I was looking for it," said Copp.

"I got an extra shift in the last minute, so I appreciated that."

Just before the midway mark of the second, Brent Seabrook's slap shot put Chicago on the board, with Brandon Saad providing the screen in front of Connor Hellebuyck.

But that was all Chicago would get, as Hellebuyck stopped 30 of the 31 shots he would face on this night to earn his 44th victory of the season, a number that sets a new record for wins in a season by an American born goaltender.

"I'm very excited about it. To be in the history books is something I'm always going to look back and be proud of," said Hellebuyck.

"The fact this locker room has come together, and playing the way we're playing, and the city is behind us the way they are, it's a fun time to be in Winnipeg."

The Jets will stay off the ice on Sunday, as they await the schedule for their First Round series of the Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Minnesota Wild.

ICE CHIPS Instead of regular nameplates on the back of their jerseys, both the Jets and Chicago Blackhawks wore the word 'Broncos' to symbolize the unity and support of the hockey community coming together.

"Mr. Chipman and (President) Mr. McDonough from the Blackhawks talked. I think Mark also talked to Mr. Bettman. But I believe Mark Chipman forwarded that thought early this morning," said head coach Paul Maurice.

"It was very powerful. I'm sure all of you who spent the day here this morning could feel it in the room. Again, that connection that all hockey players have together, they go through that idea of travelling as a team, and being part of a team.

"It was really emotional. You put 15 and a half thousand people in a building, and you can hear a pin drop for as long as you can, and the crowd sang the national anthem differently. I think it was a very fitting tribute."