Jonathan Toews Retires from NHL

Jonathan Toews (North Dakota) has called it a career.  

Toews, 38, announced his retirement last week after playing last season with his hometown Winnipeg Jets, where he recorded 11 goals and 18 assists for 29 points in 82 outings. He skated 16 full seasons in the NHL, all but one with the Chicago Blackhawks, whom he captained to three Stanley Cup titles after they drafted him third overall in 2006. He tallied 383-529—912 points in 1,149 NHL regular-season games overall with Chicago and Winnipeg, and added 45-74—119 points in 137 Stanley Cup Playoff contests, all with Chicago, while leading the Blackhawks to NHL titles in 2010, 2013, 2015, their first championships since 1961.

The Winnipeg native helped Team Canada to gold medals at the IIHF World Junior Championship in 2006 and 2007, and at the Olympic Winter Games in 2010 and 2014. He also skated in two IIHF World Championships, and won a World Cup in 2016. As an NHL player,  he also won the Conn Smythe Trophy as Stanley Cup Playoff MVP in 2010, the Selke Trophy as best defensive forward in 2013, and the Mark Messier Leadership Award in 2015. He sat out the 2023-24 and 2025-25 campaigns due to illness.

After prepping at Shattuck St. Mary's in Minnesota, Toews played two collegiate seasons at North Dakota, collecting 40-45—85 points in 76 games while helping UND to the 2006 WCHA conference championship and two NCAA Frozen Fours. He turned professional in 2007-08 with Chicago, was named Blackhawks captain the following season, and never a played game in the minor leagues.

Toronto, Winnipeg Stay Alive in NHL Playoffs

One Canadian NHL team has already moved on to the next round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs, while two others have managed to stay alive.

In Miami last night, the visiting Toronto Maple Leafs got 22 saves from Joseph Woll (Boston College) and an insurance goal by Max Pacioretty (Michigan) in blanking the defending champion Florida Panthers, 2-0, in Game Six of that Eastern Conference series. The deciding Game Seven will be played Sunday night in Toronto.

On Thursday, the host Winnipeg Jets stayed alive with a 4-0 shutout of the Dallas Stars in Game Five of that matchup. Connor Hellebuyck (UMass Lowell) stopped all 22 shots he faced, while Kyle Connor (Michigan) posted two assists for the Jets. Game Six is in Dallas tonight, with the Stars still leading the series, three games to two. The winner will face Edmonton, which ousted Vegas in five games, in the Western Conference final.

ADDENDUM: Hellebuyck made 18 saves, and Connor came up with another assist, but Winnipeg was eliminated by Dallas, 2-1, in overtime in Game Six. Florida ousted Toronto with a 6-1 victory in Game Seven of that series.

Winnipeg Wins Game 7 vs. St. Louis in Double OT

The Winnipeg Jets are alive and well. The St. Louis Blues are finished for the season.

Down 2-0 early on, and behind 3-1 with just over two minutes remaining in regulation, the host Jets tallied two goals to knot matters, and then scored late in the second overtime to oust St. Louis, 4-3, in Game Seven of their first-round Stanley Cup Playoff series on Sunday night. Winnipeg advances to the second round of the Western Conference playoffs against Dallas, which defeated Colorado in seven games.

Kyle Connor (Michigan) set up three goals for the Jets, as did Neal Pionk (Minnesota-Duluth), with both assisting on the winning goal just over 16 minutes into the second extra session. Winnipeg goaltender Connor Hellebuyck (UMass Lowell) overcame a rough start to finish with 26 saves and pick up his fourth win of the 2025 postseason, all at home. Colton Parayko (Alaska Fairbanks) assisted on the first goal by the Blues, who won all three games in St. Louis in their return to the NHL postseason for the first time since 2023.

Blues Force Game Seven with Jets

The St. Louis Blues have forced a deciding Game Seven to close out the first round of this year's Stanley Cup Playoffs.

The host Blues routed visiting Winnipeg, 5-2, on Friday night to knot their first-round series at three wins apiece. The home team has won every game in the best-of-seven Western Conference series so far.

Jimmy Snuggerud (Minnesota), Justin Faulk (Minnesota-Duluth), Ryan Suter (Wisconsin) and Colton Parayko (Alaska Fairbanks) all recorded assists for the Blues, who broke open a tie game with three consecutive goals in just over two minutes in their four-goal second period. Kyle Connor (Michigan) and Mason Appleton (Michigan State) set up goals for the Jets, who got 18 saves from Connor Hellebuyck (UMass Lowell) before he was pulled for the third straight game in Missouri, after surrendering all five St. Louis scores tonight.

Game 7 will be Sunday night in Winnipeg. The winner will go on to face the winner of the only other first-round NHL playoff series still being contested—Colorado and Dallas, who will play their own Game 7 tonight in Texas.

DU's Stastny Plays 1,000th NHL Game

Paul Stastny (Denver) played in his 1,000th NHL regular-season game on Tuesday night, as his Winnipeg Jets blanked Vancouver, 5-0.

Stastny, 35, the son of Hockey Hall of Fame forward Peter Stastny, was presented with a silver stick by his Winnipeg teammates prior to the game, making him the first player to be so honored in franchise history. He has recorded 263 goals and 492 assists for 755 points for Colorado, St. Louis, Winnipeg and Vegas in an NHL career that began in 2006-07. He has also recorded 25-42—67 points in 97 Stanley Cup Playoff appearances, and has never played a game in the minor leagues.

Stastny skated for two seasons at the University of Denver (2004-2006), and as a freshman helped the Pioneers to the 2005 NCAA title while personally winning WCHA Rookie of the Year accolades. In 81 career games at DU, he tallied 36-62—98 points, and earned Second Team All-America status as a sophomore after a 19-goal, 53-point campaign.

Born in Quebec, Stastny grew up in New Jersey and St. Louis, and has represented the United States in international competition on several occasions. He won a silver medal with the U.S. at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, and later helped the Americans to a bronze medal at the 2013 IIHF World Championship in Sweden.

Former RedHawk Roslovic Returns to Columbus

Columbus-born Jack Roslovic (Miami) is heading home to Ohio.

Roslovic was part of the Saturday NHL deal that sent him and fellow Winnipeg Jets forward Patrik Laine to the Columbus Blue Jackets, in exchange for forward Pierre-Luc Dubois and a third-round 2022 draft choice.

Drafted 25th overall by Winnipeg in 2015 after his second season with the U.S. National Team Development Program in Michigan, the six-foot, 187-pound Roslovic played his formative years with the Ohio Blue Jackets program. He skated the 2015-16 season with Miami, where he tallied 10 goals and 26 points in 36 outings with the RedHawks in his lone NCAA campaign. 

The following year he turned pro with Manitoba (AHL), notching 13 goals and 48 points in 65 games while also making his NHL debut with Winnipeg. He split the next season between the AHL and NHL, collecting 20 goals and 29 assists for 49 points between the top two pro levels.

Roslovic, 23, joined the Jets full-time for the 2018-19 campaign, and to date has tallied 26-41—67 points in 180 NHL regular-season appearances, all with Winnipeg. He has also recorded five assists in 20 career Stanley Cup playoff contests with the Jets.

Michigan's Trouba Traded to Rangers by Jets

Jacob Trouba (Michigan) is headed back east.

The Rochester, Mich. native and former Wolverines defenseman was traded on Monday from the Winnipeg Jets to the New York Rangers. Trouba, who according to eliteprospects.com earns $5.5 million annually, was acquired in exchange for defenseman Neal Pionk (Minnesota-Duluth), plus the 20th overall pick in the 2019 NHL Draft, which begins Friday in Vancouver.

Trouba, 25, was drafted ninth overall by Winnipeg in 2012, and had spent his entire NHL career with the Jets after prepping with Compuware, the U.S. National Team Development Program, and Michigan. In his lone NCAA season, he tallied 12 goals and 17 assists for 29 points in 37 outings in 2012-13, and then joined the Jets full-time the next season. In 408 NHL regular-season games to
date, the 6-foot-3, 203-pound blueliner has tallied 42-137—179 points.

Pionk played at UMD from 2015 to 2017, recording 11-40—51 points in 82 appearances while helping the Bulldogs to the 2017 NCAA Frozen Four. He spent all of last season in the NHL with New York, collecting 6-20—26 points in 73 games.

Earlier this month, the Jets traded the rights to forward Kevin Hayes (Boston College), who came to them at the trading deadline from the Rangers, to the Philadelphia Flyers. Hayes registered a career-high 55 points in 2018-19 with New York and Winnipeg.

Kinkaid, Hayes Traded at NHL Deadline

A pair of former NCAA players left the New York metropolitan era on Monday at the 2019 NHL trading deadline.

New Jersey Devils goaltender Keith Kinkaid (Union College) and New York Rangers forward Kevin Hayes (Boston College) were dealt to the Columbus Blue Jackets and Winnipeg Jets, respectively, prior to the trading deadline at 3 p.m. ET. Kincaid went for a second-round draft choice in the 2022 NHL Draft, while Hayes was exchanged for Brendan Lemieux, plus a 2019 first-round draft selection and a 2022 conditional fourth-round choice.

Kinkaid, 29, a Farmingville, N.Y. native, signed with New Jersey as a free agent in 2011. In 151 career NHL regular-season outings, all with the Devils, he has posted a 64-55-17 record with a 2.90 goals-against average and seven shutouts. Last season he went 26-10-3 in a career-high 41 appearances, and also backstopped the Devils to their first Stanley Cup Playoff berth since 2012. In two seasons at Union, the 6-foot-3 netminder went 37-18-6 and led the Dutchmen to their first-ever NCAA Division I Tournament berth in 2011 before signing with New Jersey as a free agent.

Hayes, 26, from Dorchester, Mass. was originally drafted 24th overall in 2010 by the Chicago Blackhawks. He turned pro with the Rangers in 2014 as a free agent and has spent his entire career to date in the NHL and with New York, collecting 87 goals and 129 assists for 216 points in 361 regular-season games. The 6-foot-5 center scored a career-high 25 goals in 76 games a year ago, and also has 10 points all-time in 34 Stanley Cup Playoff contests. He played at Boston College from 2010 to 2014, notching 44-88—132 points in 142 outings. He won an NCAA title as a sophomore at BC, before recording 27 goals and 65 points as a senior while also earning Hobey Baker Memorial Award finalist status.

Tuch Goal Boosts Vegas to Game Three Victory

A goal by Alex Tuch (Boston College) in the ninth minute of the second period stood up as the game-winner as the Vegas Golden Knights edged the visiting Winnipeg Jets, 3-2, in Game Three of their 2018 Stanley Cup Playoff Western Conference semifinal series. Vegas now leads the best-of-seven NHL postseason series, two games to one.

Tuch's goal, his fifth of these playoffs, gave Vegas a 3-1 lead at the time, after Erik Haula (Minnesota) had assisted on the Golden Knights' second goal. Blake Wheeler (Minnesota) set up both Winnipeg goals, while Connor Hellebuyck (UMass Lowell) made 27 saves for the Jets.

Game Four will be held Friday night at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas (8 p.m. ET, NBCSN, CBC).

Winnipeg Advances to NHL's Western Conference Final

Paul Stastny (Denver) scored two goals, including the game-winner, and Blake Wheeler (Minnesota) set up another score as the Winnipeg Jets advanced to the first Western Conference final in team history with a 5-1 win at Nashville in Game 7 of the conference semifinals on Thursday.

Stastny's goal gave him five for the seven-game series, while Wheeler's assist was his ninth of the 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs, both of which are team highs. Connor Hellebuyck (UMass Lowell) stopped 36 shots in all as the Jets eliminated the host Predators, the defending Western Conference champions and the team with the best record in the NHL this season. Winnipeg took a 2-0 first-period lead on Thursday, surrendered a Nashville power-play goal late in the opening stanza, and then scored three times over the final two periods to continue the Jets' best postseason run since relocating from Atlanta in 2011.

Winnipeg will begin a best-of-seven series against the Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday night (7 p.m. ET, NBC TV). The winner of that matchup will then face the winner of the Eastern Conference final between the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Washington Capitals for the Stanley Cup itself.

Jets Advance to NHL's Second Round

A second straight shutout by Connor Hellebuyck (UMass Lowell) has boosted the the Winnipeg Jets to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

The Jets, who relocated to Manitoba from Atlanta in 2011, earned their first Stanley Cup Playoff series victory with a 5-0 win over the visiting Minnesota Wild on Friday night. Winnipeg won the best-of-seven series in five games.

Hellebuyck, a finalist this season for the Vezina Trophy as the NHL's top goaltender, made 30 stops in the Game 5 victory. Jacob Trouba (Michigan) scored the winning goal just 31 seconds into the game, while Paul Stastny (Denver) had two assists on the night.

Winnipeg will now face the winner of Colorado and Nashville in the Western Conference semifinals.

UML's Hellebuyck, Hutton Top NHL Goalie Stats

Two former UMass-Lowell goaltenders were atop the NHL statistical charts as hockey's top league finished its 2017-18 regular season on Sunday.

Connor Hellebuyck of the Winnipeg Jets led all NHL goaltenders with 44 victories, setting a new league standard for American-born netminders, while Carter Hutton of the St. Louis Blues paced the circuit in both goals-against average (2.09) and save percentage (.931). Hellebuyck finished 44-11-9 in 67 games this season, while Hutton went 17-7-3 in 32 contests.

Hellebuyck, a 2012 Jets' draft choice, from Commerce, Mich., played at UML from 2012 to 2014. He backstopped the River Hawks to both the 2013 Hockey East championship and the 2013 NCAA Frozen Four as a freshman, and went 38-12-2 (1.60, .946) in 53 career appearances. Hutton, a free agent from Thunder Bay, Ont., went 32-41-10 (2.33, .913) in 85 outings at UML from 2006 to 2010.

Winnipeg will face the Minnesota Wild in the first round of the 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs, while St. Louis was eliminated from postseason contention by the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday night.

Appleton Leaves MSU to Sign with Winnipeg

Michigan State has lost its captain less than three months before the 2017-18 season begins.

Rising sophomore Mason Appleton recently signed an entry-level contact with the Winnipeg Jets, rather than return to East Lansing in the fall, according to USCHO.com. The Green Bay, Wisc. native was drafted by the Jets in the sixth round (168th overall) of the 2015 NHL Entry Draft.

Appleton, 21, led the Spartans in scoring last season with 12 goals and 19 assists for 31 points in 35 games, including seven power-play goals, as MSU went 7-24-2 overall and finished last in the Big Ten. In two seasons at State, the Tri-City (USHL) product tallied 17-36—53 points in 72 outings.

MSU begins its first campaign under new head coach and Spartan alumnus Danton Cole on Oct. 7 with an exhibition game against Toronto at Munn Ice Arena.