On Wednesday the Nationwide Hockey League formally launched the 2025-26 schedule, giving followers the chance to see precisely what obstacles lay in the best way of a playoff berth. On the subject of our Winnipeg Jets, I didn’t actually get the prospect to dive into the schedule absolutely till this weekend….however now that I’ve, I figured I would as properly lay out what I found is in retailer for the True North franchise this season.
I’m not planning on outlining every recreation on this article, so if you wish to see the whole schedule, following the hyperlink under to ESPN:
Through the use of final yr’s outcomes, I’ll try and assess the power of competitors Winnipeg can anticipate this yr. Statistically, of the 16 NHL golf equipment that certified for the playoffs final yr, solely 2 to 4 of them will fail to make the playoffs this yr….so it ought to not less than put us within the ballpark of when the Jets will face the highest half of the league. Nevertheless, earlier than I get to that…listed here are another highlights for the upcoming marketing campaign:
Again-to-Backs: (8)
- 1 in October (Twenty third-Twenty fourth) – vs SEA & CGY
- 1 in November (Twenty eighth-Twenty ninth) – @ CAR & @ NSH
- 1 in December (Fifth-Sixth) – vs BUF & @ EDM
- 2 in January (Eighth-Ninth & Nineteenth-Twentieth) – vs EDM & LA – @ CHI & vs STL
- 2 in March (14th-Fifteenth & Twenty first-Twenty second) – vs COL & STL – @ PIT & @ NYR
- 1 in April (Thirteenth-14th) – @ VEG & @ UTH
Highway journeys:
- 6 video games – Nov 4th to Fifteenth – LA, SJ, ANA, VAN, SEA, CGY
- 5 video games – Nov twenty sixth to Dec third – WSH, CAR, NSH, BUF, MTL
- Two 4 recreation treks – Jan twenty seventh to Feb 2nd (NJ, TB, FLA, DAL) & Mar Twenty eighth to Apr 4th (COL, CHI, DAL, CLM)
- 4 3 recreation journeys – Dec seventeenth to 21th (STL, COL, UTH), Dec thirty first to Jan third (DET, TOR, OTT), Feb twenty fifth to March 1st (VAN, ANA, SJ), & March Nineteenth to Twenty second (BOS, PIT, NYR).
House stands:
- 8 video games – March third to seventeenth – CHI, TB, VAN, ANA, NYR, COL, STL, NSH
- 5 video games – Jan Sixth to Thirteenth – VEG, EDM, LA, NJ, NYI
- 4 video games – Dec Ninth to Fifteenth – DAL, BOS, WSH, OTT
- Three 3 recreation units – Oct Twenty third to twenty sixth (SEA, CGY, UTH), Nov 18th to Twenty third (CLM, CAR, MIN), & Jan Twentieth to Twenty fourth (STL, FLA, DET).
Due to the break required for NHL gamers to take part within the 2026 Winter Olympics (Feb Fifth to Twenty fourth), as soon as once more the golf equipment will face a condensed schedule and that resulted in Winnipeg having extra back-to-back conditions than final yr when the 4 Nations match disrupted issues (6 vs 8).
November shall be a journey heavy month for the Jets, as they may play 69% of the video games on the highway (9 of 13), which is simply forward of April’s 62.5% (5 of 8). But it’s in the course of the restricted NHL motion in February that Winnipeg will go to the opposition’s arenas most frequently (75% – 3 of 4). Apart from the break even month of December (7 of 14), the True Northers will hit the ice on the Canada Life Centre extra typically for the remaining durations: October (63.6%), January (56.3%), & March (62.5%).
Within the graphic under, I broke down the Winnipeg Jets’ schedule by month, outlining house/highway video games and the power of opposition our workforce will face.
A constructive signal that the Jets’ path to the playoffs could be simpler than regular is because of it going by way of golf equipment that earned a mean of 89.6 factors final yr, which wouldn’t have been sufficient to qualify for the post-season (96 pts in West, 91 pts in East).
One other good omen for Winnipeg is the shortage of prime finish competitors early on within the season. With captain Adam Lowry having hip surgical procedure on Could twenty seventh and anticipated to want 5 or 6 months to recuperate, it’s good to see that the Jets’ early bouts received’t embody many playoff groups (simply 4 of the opening 21 contests). After I pull out the calendar, it might appear that we would anticipate the massive middle to return someday between October Thirteenth and November tenth, which might see Lowry solely lacking 2/3 common season matches (vs DAL, LA, NYI) as much as 15/16 clashes (solely incl. playoff groups DAL, LA, CAR). That ought to assist our membership put up some “W’s” whereas they await the massive guys’ return.
And that’s essential within the NHL. I’m positive that we’ve all heard the outdated stat about American Thanksgiving that claims any franchise holding onto a playoff spot at that early level of the common season has an 80% probability of qualifying for the dance. Nicely, that vacation falls on November twenty seventh this yr and Winnipeg could have solely performed 22 video games at that time. With 68% of these contests towards the league’s backside half, it ought to give the Jets an important probability to seize a playoff spot early.
And they’ll want it too. The coldest stretch of the yr in Manitoba may even present this yr’s membership its most troublesome take a look at. As soon as the calendar flips to December, the highway will get a lot bumpier for the Jets, over the subsequent three months Winnipeg will see final yr’s playoff groups going through off towards them a whopping 73.5% of the time. The month of January specifically may be very scary, with 13 of 16 video games towards the highest half, together with a stretch of 6 straight contests to kick off the New Yr (TOR, OTT, VEG, EDM, LA, NJ).
Fortuitously for our squad’s playoff hopes, the schedule eases up within the last two months (24 gms), permitting Winnipeg the chance to feast on 62.5% decrease half groups because the common season attracts to an in depth.
Nicely, that wraps up my have a look at the upcoming Winnipeg Jets’ schedule. With out figuring out precisely what each NHL workforce will seem like when the motion kicks off on October seventh, it not less than seems the True Northers have a great shot at a return to the post-season. What do you assume??
