The wait is over, as today the NHL announced the Winnipeg Jets first and second quarter-century teams. My PREDICTIONS weren’t too far off, but looking at the official choices, I think the selection panel got them pretty spot on. If you’re unfamiliar with the NHL’s quarter-century teams announcements this month, here’s the press release from Winnipeg Jets PR from NHL.com, posted this afternoon:
Release from Winnipeg Jets PR:
“The National Hockey League today announced the First and Second Quarter-Century Teams for the Winnipeg Jets. These teams were selected by a panel of Winnipeg media, retired players and executives. Voters were asked to determine the franchise’s best players over the past twenty-five years (Jan. 1, 2000 to Jan. 1, 2025) with each team including three forwards, two defencemen and one goaltender.
Once all franchises’ teams are announced a league-wide vote will take place to determine the NHL Quarter-Century Team. Voting will take place Feb. 12-26 on NHL.com and X, with results to be announced at a later date.”
The Winnipeg Jets 1st team, by position and in alphabetical orders, goes as follows:
Forwards: Ilya Kovalchuk, Mark Scheifele, Blake Wheeler
Defencemen: Dustin Byfuglien and Josh Morrissey
Goalie: Connor Hellebuyck
The 1st team features a trio of past and current legends from the Jets franchise. Ilya Kovalchuk may have never played a game in a Winnipeg Jets jersey, but his impact was felt from his 8+ seasons spent at the beginning of his NHL career with the Atlanta Thrashers. The 1st overall pick from the 2001 NHL entry draft scored 52 goals in a season twice with the Trashers. Kovalchuk went on to play 926 games in the NHL, scoring 443 goals and adding 433 assists for 876 points.
Mark Scheifele is the current Jets great. The 31-year old has spent his entire NHL career with the Jets after being drafted 7th overall in the 2011 NHL entry draft. Scheifele’s contributions continue to be felt by the current Jets roster, and having recently signed a long-term contract extension, he’s due to spend the large majority (if not all) his career here in Winnipeg. In 839 games with the Jets, Scheifele has scored 320 goals and has added 445 assists for 765 points.
Blake Wheeler was a member of the Atlanta Thrashers in their final season before they became the Winnipeg Jets 2.0. The 38-year old spent 12+ seasons with the Jets and was a two-time all-star who served as the Jets captain for 6+ seasons. The 5th overall pick from the 2004 NHL entry draft collected 91 points in 2 separate seasons with the Jets in 2017-18 and 2018-19. Wheeler hasn’t officially retired yet, but the current free agent has appeared in 1172 games, scoring 321 goals and has added 622 assists for 943 points.
Dustin Byfuglien, sometimes referred to as “Big Buff”, was a fan favourite in Winnipeg for being a tough, yet equally skilled defenceman. After winning the Stanley Cup in 2009-10 with the Chicago Blackhawks, Byfuglien joined the Thrashers during their final season, before spending the rest of his NHL career with the Winnipeg Jets. Byfuglien was a one of a kind player who began his career as a forward after being drafted in the 8th round, 245th overall from the 2003 NHL Entry Draft. Byfuglien ended his NHL career with 869 games played, 177 goals and 348 assists for 525 points.
Josh Morrissey is the Jets current number 1 option on the blueline. Morrissey represents the “new age” type of defenceman, bringing speed and offensive skill in addition to his play on the back check. Morrissey was drafted 13th overall by the Jets in the 2013 NHL entry draft, and has currently appeared in 624 games in the NHL. Morrissey’s “breakout” season in 2022-23 saw him collect 76 points in 78 games, putting his name on the map as a top defenceman in the league. Morrissey continues to have a big impact on the current Jets team, and now has 71 goals and 278 assists for a total of 349 points in his career.
The final member of the Jets 1st quarter century team is the man who just picked up his 300th career win in goal: Connor Hellebuyck. The two-time Vezina Trophy winner began the 2016-17 season as the Jets starter and has not looked back since. In the midst of another Vezina-calibre campaign in 2024-25, Hellebuyck has been a top goalie in the league since his 44 win season back in 2017-18. Hellebuyck recently became the 3rd fastest goalie in NHL history to reach 300 career wins, doing so in only 538 games. The 31 year old was drafted in the 5th round, 130th overall back in the 2012 NHL entry draft, and continues to be a large reason why the Jets are one of the top teams in the league this season.
The Winnipeg Jets 2nd team, by position and in alphabetical orders, goes as follows:
Forwards: Kyle Connor, Nikolaj Ehlers and Bryan Little
Defencemen: Toby Enstrom and Jacob Trouba
Goalie: Ondrej Pavelec
Kyle Connor is the current Jets “go to goal scorer”. The 17th overall pick from the 2015 NHL entry draft has been a goal scoring machine for the Jets ever since his 1st full season in the NHL. In 573 games, Connor has 266 goals and 272 assists for 538 points.
Nikolaj Ehlers was the Jets 1st round pick, 9th overall, the year before they selected Kyle Connor. Compared to Connor, Ehlers has been more of a two-way player so far in his career, showcasing his speed and skill. In 638 games, Ehlers has 213 goals and 278 assists for 491 points.
Another 1st round pick, this time by the Trashers, was Bryan Little, selected 12th overall in the 2006 NHL entry draft. After spending his first 4 seasons with the Trashers, Little continued the remainder of his career with the Jets. Little was a fan favourite for his hard work on the ice, and he finished his career with 843 games played, 217 goals and 304 assists for 521 points.
Toby Enstrom began and ended his career playing for MODO in the Swedish hockey league, but his time with the Trashers and Jets won’t be forgotten. Enstrom did the majority of his NHL scoring with the Trashers, but continued to play a very solid and stable defensive game with the Jets. In 719 games, Enstrom scored 54 goals and added 254 assists for 308 points.
Jacob Trouba was the Jets 9th overall selection from the 2012 NHL entry draft. The first 6 years of his career were spent with the Jets, before playing with the Rangers for 5+ seasons before his current team, the Anaheim Ducks. Trouba was a leader in the locker room during his time with the Jets, a trait which would earn him captaincy in New York. Trouba’s best season came in 2018-19 where he put up 8 goals and 42 assists for 50 points in 82 games. Trouba has currently played 788 NHL games and has scored 73 goals and added 244 assists for 317 points.
Before Connor Hellebuyck, Ondrej Pavelec was the main starting goalie for the Thrashers/Jets franchise. The 41st overall pick from the Trashers in the 2005 NHL entry draft began his career in the AHL, but eventually found his way to a starting job with the Thrashers and Jets. Pavelec ranks 2nd in most Jets 2.0 goalie statistics all-time (only behind Hellebuyck) and is remembered for being the 1st consistent starting goalie in Jets 2.0 history.
That completes the list of the Winnipeg Jets quarter-century teams! Overall, I believe the people who put these teams together did a pretty good job, highlighting players from the Trashers and Jets 2.0 that have made an impact for this franchise in the 21st century. The Jets are preparing to take on the Kings tonight at 7 pm CT, before a back-to-back against the Colorado Avalanche at 6 pm CT tomorrow night as the season long 8 game home stand continues.
