Winnipeg Jets: 3 Talking Points from the Jets 2021-2022 Schedule
The Winnipeg Jets have announced their schedule for the upcoming season. Here are three early talking points about the Jets schedule for next season.
As this offseason is off to a hectic start, we now turn our attention to the Winnipeg Jets 2021-2022 schedule which was released by the NHL a couple of weeks ago.
With the announcement, the NHL is back on track with a full 82-game schedule and the divisions are back to what they were in 2019-2020 with a Central, Metropolitan, Pacific, and Atlantic divisions.
The league season is set to kick off on October 12 when the Tampa Bay Lightning will raise their Stanley Cup championship banner against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Two days later, on October 14, the Winnipeg Jets will begin their season when they travel to Anaheim to take on the Ducks at the Honda Center.
When looking at the Winnipeg Jets’ list of opponents, there are many matchups that are already intriguing. Here are three talking points from the Jets schedule for 2021-2022:
3. No Long Road Trip for the Jets
In years prior, we have seen the Winnipeg Jets go on long road trips throughout the season. Some would last for a couple of weeks as the Jets would play anywhere from five to eight games away from home.
But this season, that is not the case as the Jets will not have any long road trips. Throughout the course of next season, the Jets will not be away from Winnipeg for a substantial period of time.
The longest trip the Jets have this upcoming season is from January 29-February 27. I know that seems like an extremely long road trip because it is just under a month, but the Jets will only be playing five games during that time frame. There is a three-week and a day break between the Jets’ February 1st game at the Philadelphia Flyers and their February 23rd games in Dallas against the Stars due to the 2022 Olympics.
The Jets will have a road trip of four games two times during the next season. The first of these four-game trips will be during the month of January, while the second trip comes at the end of the season in Mid-April.
During the 2021 season, Winnipeg was by far a better road team last year than they were at home. it will be interesting to see how Paul Maurice and the Jets coaching staff manage their lineup during the different four-game trips against a wide variety of opponents.
2. March 1 vs. Montreal
One of the most talked-about and controversial plays during the 2021 NHL Playoffs happened during the second round between the Winnipeg Jets and Montreal Canadiens. In the dying stages of game one of that series, and with the Jets down by a goal and their goaltender pulled, Mark Schiefele delivered a vicious hit to Jake Evans after he slotted him the empty-net goal.
On March 1, 2022, these teams will meet for the first time since the Canadiens swept the Jets out of the postseason and it will be Scheifele’s first time playing against Montreal since the hit that got him suspended four games.
This game will definitely be a must-watch matchup. Evans’ teammates were extremely unhappy after the hit happened and at the time Joel Edmundson said “if he gets back in the series, we’re going to make his life miserable.”
Even though the league did give Scheifele a suspension, and he did not return to the series, do not expect Montreal players to forget what happened. Expect this game to be extremely physical as the Canadiens will get to respond directly to Scheifele for his hit on Evans.
1. March 22- Patrik Laine Returns to Winnipeg
It was just over a week into the 2021 season that one of the biggest trades of the season happened when the Winnipeg Jets traded Patrik Laine and Jack Roslovic to the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for Pierre-Luc Dubois and a third-round pick in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft.
Before that trade, there was constant speculation and rumors regarding Laine after his agent said it would be “mutually beneficial” if he left Winnipeg.
After Laine finally got his trade, he had one of his worst statistical seasons in Columbus. The prolific goal scorer was held to ten goals and eleven assists in 45 games with the Blue Jackets and finished with a minus-29 plus/minus.
But with a new head coach taking the helm in Columbus, Laine decided to accept a one-year qualifying offer with the Jackets for this upcoming season.
On March 22, for the first time since the blockbuster trade happened, Laine will be back on the ice in Winnipeg but this time he will be appearing in opposing colors.
The twenty-three-year-old had outstanding numbers as a member of the Jets, scoring 140 goals and adding another 110 assists in only 306 games.
It will be interesting to see the kind of reception the Jets faithful will give Laine upon his return to the Canada Life Centre.
Winnipeg Jets Fans: As of right now, which Winnipeg Jets game are you most excited for during the 21-22 season? Leave your comments below!
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*All Stats Provided by the NHL*