Illegal Curve Hockey

Fresh off signing a five-year deal with the Jets worth 30 million dollars last week, we heard from Winnipeg winger Cole Perfetti on his new contract that will run until the 2031 season.

The offseason was in full swing as we wrapped up another season of the Illegal Curve Hockey Show.We discussed the latest Winnipeg Jets news, including the organization's new ECHL affiliation with the Bloomington Bison, the release of the Manitoba Moose schedule, and everything else that happened around the club since Development Camp came to a close. We also took a look at what was still left on the Jets' offseason checklist and whether any more moves could be on the horizon before training camp.As always, we answered your questions, broke down the biggest stories from around the NHL, and reflected on another season of the Illegal Curve Hockey Show.Guest:Jets play-by-play voice on TSN Dan Robertson at 26:45

New Winnipeg Jets defenceman Mario Ferraro joined the Illegal Curve Hockey Show to discuss his experience as an unrestricted free agent, why he chose to sign with Winnipeg, what he learned about the organization during the process, his thoughts on the Jets' defence, breaking into the NHL alongside Brett Burns, winning a World Championship with Gabriel Vilardi and Cole Perfetti, his durability, offseason plans, the evolving NHL, and even his YouTube channel, The Youngest of Plugs.Topics:1) What was the process like being a UFA? (:32)2) What did his July 1st look like? (2:59)3) How did he come to know that the organization treats players well? (5:11)4) Assessing the Jets defence (6:34)5) What was it like to break into the league with Brett Burns? (8:39)6) Winning a World Championship with Vilardi/Perfetti, guys he knows on team (12:40)7) His consistency of being available (15:27)8) Summer plans (17:27)9) The "new" NHL (19:47)10) The Youngest of Plugs, his YouTube channel (21:40)11) Being relied upon by his team when shorthanded (23:38)

The hockey world hasn't slowed down since the NHL Draft and we had it all covered on this week's Illegal Curve Hockey Show.We looked back at the Jets' 2026 draft class and shared what we learned from watching the organization's newest prospects at Development Camp in Winnipeg. We also dove into the start of NHL free agency, including the additions of Stuart Skinner and Mario Ferraro, discussed what they bring to the club, and examined whether there are more moves still to come.As always, we covered the latest Jets news, answered your questions, and broke down everything happening around the NHL. Thanks to everyone who joined us for another busy edition of the Illegal Curve Hockey Show.Guest:Jamie Thomas, Jets team reporter at 24:12Mario Ferraro, Jets defenceman at 1:23:25

We wrapped up the final day of Development Camp with a chat with Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff who spoke about the state of his hockey team, the prospects in the system, free agency, Connor Hellebuyck, Shane Doan and more.Topics:1) Reflections on Free Agency2) Any awkwardness dealing with Ray Petkau (agent for Skinner & Hellebuyck)? (:32)3) What does Wade Flaherty do to get the most out of goalies? (1:47)4) How much do they lean on Flaherty when bringing goalies in? (2:38)5) What are areas where they still need to work on? (3:04)6) What is his to-do list left for free agency? (4:03)7) What is the plan in goal for the Jets? (5:15)8) Having the Jets identity known as taking care of their players (5:59)9) What's the latest on the Connor Hellebuyck front? (7:04)10) Have other core pieces reached out regarding the "plan to win"? (7:13)11) What stood out about Viggo Björck this week? (7:30)12) Does bringing in Skinner impact the conversations about Hellebuyck? (8:07)13) Did they have any interest in Mavrik Bourque? (8:40)14) Is Viggo Björck a centre? (9:07)15) Not bringing in a lot of veteran depth guys = more opportunities (9:49)16) Was this a unique free agency period? (10:34)17) The legacy of Jonathan Toews on this organization (11:37)18) Insight into Shane Doan being brought into the fold? (12:44)19) Adam Lowry looking to bounce back (13:01)20) Cole Perfetti's next contract (14:29)21) Thoughts on the prospects this week (15:10)

Viggo-mania continues to grip Winnipeg after the first-rounder (8th overall) from last weekend ends his first Jets Development Camp. He reflected on his first week in his new hockey home, seeing the passion of the fans, being seen as a centre and more.

On the last day of Dev Camp in Winnipeg we caught up with Minot’s Zach Nehring as the Jets prospect (2023 3rd) reflected on another week in the city. He spoke about his year at Western Michigan, putting on weight this summer, playing in front of his family and more.

Now that the players have been drafted, it's time to focus on development and to that end we heard from Director of Player Development Jimmy Roy following Day 4 on the ice at Development Camp in Winnipeg. He shared plenty of insight into the organization's thoughts on prospect development.

The smile hasn't left the face of Jets third-round pick Samuel Hrenak since Winnipeg selected him in the 2026 NHL Draft this past Saturday, and he's still beaming at Development Camp. We caught up with him after today's skate to discuss the whirlwind since the Draft in Buffalo, what made his conversation with Moose goalie coach Drew MacIntyre so meaningful, reaction to his being drafted from his family in Slovakia, and more.

Last night the Jets announced they had signed defenceman Mario Ferraro to a three-year contract. The left-shot defender has spent his entire NHL career with the Sharks organization. We caught up with him today to get insight into his decision to choose Winnipeg, his style of game,

Sticking with the Swedish theme we caught up with Jets prospect Viktor Klingsell (2025 5th) to discuss another countryman being added to the prospect pool, development of his game the last year, communication from the Jets during his season in Sweden, why Alfons Freij cost him in pickleball and more.

Fresh off signing a two-year deal with the Jets we heard from Edmonton-born netminder Stuart Skinner about his decision to sign.

We were a little late to join the conversation with Jets D prospect Alfons Freij but we were there to hear him talk about all the Swedes in the mix and also what he's working on this summer.

After winning a National Championship with Denver and playing his first pro playoff games with the Moose we caught up with Jets D prospect Garrett Brown on his experiences, being at Dev Camp, playing pro next season and more.

We heard from Jets prospect Kevin He as he shares his thoughts on his last season of junior, joining the Moose for the playoffs, getting ready to turn pro and more.

In the seventh round of the 2026 NHL Draft, the Jets used the first of their two picks on Alofa Tunoa Ta'amu, a big-bodied defensive defenceman who plays for the WHL's Edmonton Oil Kings. "Noa," as he is known, spoke in Winnipeg today for the first time as a drafted prospect, discussing becoming the first player of Samoan heritage ever selected in the NHL Draft, his style of play, becoming a Canadian citizen, and more.

Jets prospects stayed off the ice today for training purposes, but we still had a chance to catch up with several of them, including first-round pick (8th overall) Viggo Björck. He discussed being drafted by Winnipeg, joining an organization with so many fellow Swedes, the possibility of playing in the NHL next season, and more.

Winnipeg Jets Director of Amateur Scouting Mark Hillier discusses the team's picks following the 2026 NHL Draft in Buffalo.And you're gonna wanna hear what he has to say about 8th overall selection Viggo Björck.

The Jets go to the QMJHL for their fifth round pick as they select Alexandre Taillefer with the 135th overall pick. He’s a left-shot defenceman standing 6’0″ who plays for the Québec Remparts, will return there next season and is committed to play at the University of Massachusetts in the NCAA for the 2027-28 season.

The Jets go back to the USHL for their 4th round selection taking centre (and Minnesotan) Zach Wooten who is a 6'2", 20-year old prospect committed to the University of Wisconsin next season.He's an overager who was selected in his third year of eligibility although that seems to only have motivated the young man.

The Jets go the goalie route with their first selection of Day 2 of the NHL Draft picking Samuel Hrenak in the third round (71st overall). He's a 6'3" Slovakian netminder who catches left playing with the Fargo Force of the USHL. And he is quite excited to be a member of the Winnipeg organization based on this chat.

It's NHL Draft Weekend, and the Illegal Curve Hockey Show is here to break down everything ahead of Day 2 of the NHL Draft as well as reflect on Day 1.As it stands, the Winnipeg Jets are scheduled to make six selections on the second day of the draft, including picks in the 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, and 7th rounds. Of course, with trades always a possibility, those plans could change before the day is done.Join Dave Minuk, Ezra Ginsburg, and Drew Mindell as they recap Winnipeg's first-round selection, analyze the Jets' Day 2 picks, discuss any trades and surprises around the league, and examine what the newest prospects could mean for the future of the organization.Guest:Murat Ates of The Athletic Winnipeg.

Unlike last year the Jets made an early selection when they called outViggo Björck at No. 8. Once the full NHL Draft concluded we heard from GM Kevin Cheveldayoff who was clearly quite happy with the player they got this evening in Buffalo.

Fresh off hearing the Jets call his name with the 8th overall selection, we heard from Swedish centre Viggo Björck in his first media availability as a drafted player.

Join us for a special edition of the Illegal Curve Hockey Show from the Winnipeg Jets NHL Draft Party at Canada Life Centre as we brought you complete coverage of the first round of the NHL Draft.Dave Minuk, Ezra Ginsburg, and Drew Mindell broke down all the action with analysis of the night's biggest storylines, reaction from the Draft, and insight into the Jets' decision-making process as Winnipeg made the 8th overall selection.The crew discussed the top prospects, trade scenarios, the latest draft buzz, and what the Jets' first-round pick means for the future of the organization.They were also joined by Jets prospects Sascha Boumedienne, Colby Barlow, Owen Martin, and Brayden Yager.Listen to the full broadcast for complete analysis and reaction as the next chapter of Winnipeg Jets hockey got underway.

Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff is set to speak ahead of tonight's NHL Draft, marking his first media availability since the end of the regular season. Expect plenty of questions about the status of Connor Hellebuyck, prospect injury updates, and more.

On today's Illegal Curve Hockey Show, we continued our discussion from last week on Connor Hellebuyck and the latest wave of conversation surrounding the Jets goaltender. We also reflected on the news of Jonathan Toews’ retirement, discussed Darren Dreger’s comments about Kevin Cheveldayoff being in the early stages of an extension, looked ahead to the NHL Draft (now less than a week away), and covered anything else relevant to the Winnipeg Jets.Guest:Danielle Bain of TSN at 28:24

Jets head coach Scott Arniel discussed Jonathan Toews' impact on Winnipeg and the hockey community following his retirement announcement.

We heard from Jets captain Adam Lowry as he spoke about the impact on his hockey club from having future Hall of Famer Jonathan Toews join the mix this last season.

Jonathan Toews met with the media following his retirement from the NHL, reflecting on a remarkable 16-season career that concluded with a return to his hometown Winnipeg Jets. The Winnipeg native discussed his decision to step away from the game after a career that included three Stanley Cups, two Olympic gold medals and a future place in the Hockey Hall of Fame.

The Jets held a formal media availability to celebrate the career of future Hall of Famer Jonathan Toews who was officially announcing his retirement. We heard from Sr. Director of Hockey Communications Scott Brown as well as from Toews and team co-owner Mark Chipman. 

Shane Malloy of Hockey Prospect Radio joined us on the Illegal Curve Hockey Show to discuss the 2026 NHL Draft and what options could be available to the Winnipeg Jets with the 8th overall pick. We break down some of the top prospects in the class, potential fits for Winnipeg, and what the Jets should be looking for on draft day.Topics:1) General sense on the 2026 Draft class.2) What can he say about Viggo Björck (1:19)3) What would a team be getting in Ethan Belchetz (3:20)4) What's his perspective on Daxon Rudolph (5:40)5) Why would Tynan Lawrence be a good pick 8th overall? (6:56)6) Thoughts on Manitoba product Carson Carels (9:20)7) Alberts Šmits as potentially most NHL ready draft pick (10:40)8) Prospect timelines getting to the NHL (13:54)9) Why is he high on Alexander Command? (16:29)10) What is his assessment of Malte Gustafsson? (22:48)11) What stands out to him about Ryan Lin? (25:04)12) CHL players going to college before turning pro (29:30)

On today's Illegal Curve Hockey Show, we discussed the latest Connor Hellebuyck speculation, debated whether the Jets should keep the 8th overall pick in the upcoming NHL Draft, and examined whether the organization needs to commit to a clear direction rather than straddling the line between competing and retooling. We also touched on the Stanley Cup Final and looked ahead to the NHL Draft and the key storylines Jets fans should be watching.Guests:Christian Aumell of 680 CJOB at 27:32Shane Malloy of Hockey Prospects Radio at 1:22:50

Two hours of hockey talk on the Illegal Curve Hockey Show as we continue to discuss all things Jets including the talk about Shane Doan potentially joining front office, chat about the impact of Manitobans in the Stanley Cup Final, continue our focus on the NHL Draft and more.Guests:Sean Reynolds of Sportsnet at 28:52Former NHLer Mike Commodore at 1:27:09

Two hours of hockey talk on the Illegal Curve Hockey Show as we continue to discuss all things Jets, reflect on the NHL playoffs, discuss the success of Winnipeg players at the World Championship, chat about next month's NHL Draft and more. Guests:Mike McIntyre of the Winnipeg Free Press at 32:20Jeff Marek of The Sheet on Daily Faceoff at 1:25:33

TSN’s Director of Scouting Craig Button shared his insight on the Illegal Curve Hockey Show, ahead of next month's Draft with some thoughts on players Winnipeg could draft with the eighth overall pick. He also shared thoughts about whether they might trade it to fill an immediate need on this hockey club. Plenty of good insight from the affable analyst.Topics:1) How deep is the 1st round? (:25)2) Carson Carels/move to UND (3:00)3) Viggo Björck (8:34)4) If Jets should trade 8th overall pick (11:21)5) Daxon Rudolph (15:41)6) Alberts Šmits (17:54)7) Diamonds in the rough (20:05)8) Timelines for prospects (23:26)

Two hours of hockey talk covering all the latest with the Winnipeg Jets news including next month's draft and a look at Cole Perfetti's next contract. We also looked at how Jets players were doing at the World Championship. We touched on the latest doing with the Moose with Tyrel Bauer winning the Yanick Dupré Memorial Award as AHL Man of the Year as well as Samuel Fagemo heading over to the SHL. And we looked at what's happening in the NHL Playoffs.Guests:Jets team reporter Jamie Thomas at 25:46TSN's Director of Scouting Craig Button at 1:35:42

For as much as Moose defenceman Tyrel Bauer does for his teammates on the ice, he does so much in the community and he was recognized by his teammates during their end of season awards and now by the AHL as he was named the winner of the Yanick Dupré Memorial Award as AHL Man of the Year.He follows in the skates of former Moose captain Jimmy Oligny who won the award in 2023 which means two winners of this award in the last four seasons. The only other player to win it was Jimmy Roy who did so in 2003.We caught up with him this afternoon to discuss his being awarded this honour by the AHL.

Jets prospect Brayden Yager had a busy 2025-26 season, playing 68 games for the Manitoba Moose and recording 10 goals and 20 assists. The Saskatoon product also made his NHL debut with the Winnipeg Jets, appearing in three games.Yager also got his first taste of pro playoff hockey, helping Manitoba to a first-round series win over the Milwaukee Admirals before the Moose were eliminated by the Grand Rapids Griffins. He finished the post-season with four assists in seven games.He joined us on Saturday’s Illegal Curve Hockey Show to reflect on his first season as a professional hockey player.Topics:1) Reflections on his first season.2) Playing in his first NHL game (1:43)3) Difference in NHL vs AHL/what he learned (3:26)4) Lambert also being a Sasky kid (5:31)5) What he learned from the Moose veterans (5:54)6) What is his summer schedule of training look like? (8:10)7) What was it like playing in the AHL playoffs? (11:10)8) Balancing need to get stronger but need to maintain speed (13:44)9) Connecting with fellow prospect Colby Barlow (15:57)10) What moment stood out in his first year as a pro? (17:48)11) Doing the Jager Bomb Cards with his brother Connor (20:00)

Two hours of hockey talk coming your way on the Illegal Curve Hockey Show as Dave, Drew and Ezra discuss being another week closer to the NHL Draft with folks continuing to discuss who Winnipeg could select 8th overall. We will cover this, if what's old will become new again for next season with the Jets, we go around the NHL to discuss the playoffs and other moves happening in the league.Guests:Jim Toth of 680 CJOB at 28:30 Jets prospect Brayden Yager at 1:26:23

Two hours of hockey talk coming your way on the Illegal Curve Hockey Show as Dave, Ezra and Drew chat about the Jets sliding to the 8th overall pick during the NHL Lotto, who might be an option for them at eighth, we’ll cover all the latest from the NHL playoffs, discuss the second round series between the Moose and Griffins as well as anything else that may be Jets related.Guests:Dan Robertson, Jets play-by-play voice for TSN at 27:29Grant McCagg, NHL Draft analyst at 1:25:59

Two hours of hockey talk coming your way on the Illegal Curve Hockey Show as Dave and Drew cover all the latest from the NHL playoffs, preview Game 1 of Round 2 between the Moose and Griffins and discuss anything else that may be Jets related.Guests:Kelly Moore of 680 CJOB at 34:33Moose play-by-play voice Daniel Fink at 1:28:47