Scott Billeck

Declan Chisholm will suit up for his third NHL game on Saturday when his Winnipeg Jets welcome Connor Bedard and the Chicago Blackhawks to town.

The losing streak is over. Article content The Winnipeg Jets snapped their three-game skid on Saturday afternoon, downing Connor Bedard and the Chicago Blackhawks 3-1 at Canada Life Centre.

Declan Chisholm woke up Saturday morning chock full of energy. Article content

Advertisement 1 Share this Story : BILLECK: Chisholm impactful in season debut BILLECK: Chisholm impactful in season debut Author of the article: Join the conversation Article content Declan Chisholm woke up Saturday morning chock full of energy. Advertisement 2 Article content BILLECK: Chisholm impactful in season debut Back to video By the end of his season debut with the Winnipeg Jets, a 3-1 win for the young defenceman's club where he recorded his first NHL point, it seemed like he could have gone another round. Have your say Leave a comment and share your thoughts with our community. Article content “I'm just so happy,” the 23-year-old said. He had every reason to be. The first point, a win for his team — one that snapped a three-game slide — and just some overall solid work put on tape for Winnipeg's coaching staff to mull over was all he could have hoped for. “I thought he was very confident and poised with the puck and that's what we wanted him to do tonight,” head coach Rick Bowness said. “He skates well we know that but he was confident with the puck and he moved it. The plays that he made were the right play, he didn't make the wrong play in terms of passing it to the wrong guy.” Advertisement 3 Article content Chisholm defended well a second-period 2-on-1, leading to Chicago not getting a shot on goal. In all, he saw a modest 12:58 of ice time alongside fellow Manitoba Moose alum Dylan Samberg, which included 1:53 on the power play on Winnipeg's second unit. Chisholm fed the D-to-D pass to Samberg that led to Cole Perfetti's ninth of the season to pick up his first NHL point. “I'm glad he could help me out by getting that point,” Chisholm said. “And a tip by Fetts, too. And two of my buddies, too, that I've played with on the Moose starting here when I came to Winnipeg. So it's pretty cool.” Chisholm will likely have to sweat out Bowness's next move with the Jets off on Sunday. Winnipeg is set to face the Carolina Hurricanes in the finale of their four-game homestand on Monday. Advertisement 4 Article content Does the experienced bench boss reward Chisholm's efforts with a second game, or does he return Nate Schmidt into the fold after sitting the veteran player on Saturday? Chisholm did was he was tasked with doing. He showed he's been listening to Bowness in practice and meetings, jumping up in the rush and attacking. That will bode well after the team had sagged a bit in that department. For now, those are worries for another day. “Just take it one day at a time,” Chisholm said. “Go back, look at some video about this game — what I did well, what I did wrong, and just focus on the next task at hand. Hopefully, have a good morning skate (on Monday) and see where I go from there.” Patience has certainly been a virtue for Chisholm, who was drafted in the fifth round, 150th overall, in 2018. Advertisement 5 Article content He's been with the Moose since 2020-21, and got his first taste of NHL action in Detroit and St. Louis with the Jets in 2021-22. Winnipeg's logjam on defence has played its part in keeping Chisholm in the minors, as did Paul Maurice's reluctance to give younger players a chance. But in speaking with Chisholm on Thursday, he's got a level head about it all. “When you're younger, you think you're going to play (junior), get drafted, maybe get some AHL action and then work your way up and be right in the lineup,” Chisholm said. “You overlook the in-between that I'm in right now. “Once you get here, you realize it's a lot of hard work. You don't really realize what the scratched guys are going through every day. They're just champing at the bit to get into the lineup. There's nothing you can really do. You just have to stay patient. I've learned to really work on my craft in practice and really focus on practice and not take that for granted.” Advertisement 6 Article content Some finer points from Saturday's win: • It's a shame that Gabriel Vilardi missed six weeks with an MCL sprain because we've been robbed of watching some excellent skill on the ice. Vilardi's silky-smooth hands on power play in the first period helped tie the game after Vilardi deked a defender before shovelling a pass to Mark Scheifele to make it 1-1. After getting his feet wet again in his return on Thursday against Edmonton, Vilardi looked much more comfortable. He took a couple of bumps that tested out the strength of his knee and showed good pace. Can't imagine it's long before he's back on the top line. “Strong on the walls, strong around the net and he hangs onto pucks and he makes plays,” was Bowness's verdict on Vilardi on Saturday. “The only way you do that in this league is if you have size and strength. So we have certainly missed him for sure, around the walls, around the net and the patience and the skill to make those plays.” Advertisement 7 Article content • What can't Perfetti do? His ninth goal of the season and 19th point in 23 games on Saturday came off a deft tip in front of the net on Samberg's point shot. It was just a quality goal from a guy who set a career-high with the tally. Perfetti had eight goals in 51 games last season. Perfetti has taken a big step this year, which is all the more impressive given how much hockey he's missed over the past two seasons due to injury. “He's trying to take the next step,” Bowness said. “The more he plays, the more experience he gains, you hope he just keeps getting better and better. He's got that hockey IQ, he's got that ability to see the ice and know where to be and know where to put his stick and know where people are. “You can't teach some of the stuff that he does.” sbilleck@postmedia.com X: @scottbilleck Article content Share this article in your social network Share this Story : BILLECK: Chisholm impactful in season debut Comments Join the Conversation Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion and encourage all readers to share their views on our articles. Comments may take up to an hour for moderation before appearing on the site. We ask you to keep your comments relevant and respectful. We have enabled email notifications—you will now receive an email if you receive a reply to your comment, there is an update to a comment thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information and details on how to adjust your email settings Latest National Stories News Near Elliot Lake This Week in Flyers

The ball really got rolling when Nino Niederreiter's agent visited Winnipeg a few weeks ago. Article content

Advertisement 1 Share this Story : "He wants to be a Jet": Niederreiter signs three-year extension in Winnipeg "He wants to be a Jet": Niederreiter signs three-year extension in Winnipeg Author of the article: Join the conversation Article content The ball really got rolling when Nino Niederreiter's agent visited Winnipeg a few weeks ago. Advertisement 2 Article content "He wants to be a Jet": Niederreiter signs three-year extension in Winnipeg Back to video In town for a few days, taking in a couple of his client's games, Andre Rufener sat down with Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff to hash out some business. Article content On Monday morning, that business was finalized, with Niederreiter putting pen to paper on a three-year, $12 million ($4 million average annual value) contract with the Jets. “I'm very happy to be here for another three years,” Niederreiter said Monday after Winnipeg's pre-game skate ahead of their matchup against one of the 31-year-old's former clubs in the Carolina Hurricanes. Niederreiter's deal kicks in for the 2024-25 season. He will be 34 when it expires in 2026-27. Even dating back to the end of last season and into the summer, when Niederreiter spoke at the World Championships, it was evident he was looking to extend his stay in a city he'd only been for a few months after the Jets acquired him at the trade deadline from the Nashville Predators for a 2024 second-round pick. Advertisement 3 Article content Niederreiter praised the fan base, one he's seen both sides of now, after spending a few years with the Minnesota Wild, among other teams. He also lauded the organization, one he said is a lot better than people give it credit for. “For me, personally, it's been a great experience and I would like to stay here, definitely, for next year and even longer,” Niederreiter said during his exit interview. The Swiss-born former first-round pick saw opportunity and stability. “I feel like we've got a really good chance to be a contending team here,” he said Monday, with the Jets in the thick of the Central Division battle. “That's where I wanted to be.” Niederreiter, who has 14 points in 23 games entering Monday's action, was staring down unrestricted free agency next summer and would have been a coveted asset on the open market given his uber-consistent play and physical presence on the ice. Advertisement 4 Article content “The big players getting paid a lot of money, the middle class, I guess, they've got to work for it to earn it and I think that's why free agency is always a dangerous thing to go into,” Niederreiter said. “Very fortunate to be able to be here.” That's been music to Rick Bowness's ears. “That he wants to be here, it's plain and simple,” Bowness said. “He wants to be a Winnipeg Jet.” Bowness's cultural shift has produced great results, but on and off of the ice this season, and Niederreiter has been right at the heart of that. “You need the character guys that work hard every night,” Bowness said. “Loves the game, loves being at the rink, always being in good cheer, loves being a hockey player, loves everything that comes with it. Again, he wants to be a Jet. You love his versatility, you love his character. You love a lot of things that he brings to the table.” Advertisement 5 Article content On the ice, Bowness has used Niederreiter as part of one of the league's most dominant trios alongside captain Adam Lowry and Mason Appleton, which has outscored their opposition 11-5 this season. “It's good to know that he'll be here and to hopefully get the opportunity to play with him a lot more and continue building that chemistry,” Lowry said. “Been a great fit since we got him last year, he's really well-liked and respected in the dressing room. He plays super hard and I think he's kind of what we're all about in this organization.” Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind'Amour, who had Niederreiter in Carolina for three-and-a-half seasons, echoed many of the same sentiments. “You know the kind of game he plays,” Brind'Amour said. “Not a flashy player but he's a big body that knows how to play. Very steady. Not a lot of highs and lows in his game. He's there, he does a job that you want.” Niederreiter's been a perfect fit for Winnipeg's re-branded, tough-to-play-against style. It's exactly how he plays the game. “It's a hard-working group,” he said. “I feel like they keep each other honest and you've got to earn your ice time. the coach is straightforward with the things, the lineup, being on with (Mason Appleton) and (Adam Lowry), I think we've got a great role. We know exactly what we've got to do and we're doing a pretty good job with it. We know it's a long season, a lot of tough games ahead for us, but it's been fun.” sbilleck@postmedia.com X: @scottbilleck Article content Share this article in your social network Share this Story : "He wants to be a Jet": Niederreiter signs three-year extension in Winnipeg Comments Join the Conversation Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion and encourage all readers to share their views on our articles. Comments may take up to an hour for moderation before appearing on the site. We ask you to keep your comments relevant and respectful. We have enabled email notifications—you will now receive an email if you receive a reply to your comment, there is an update to a comment thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information and details on how to adjust your email settings Loading... Latest National Stories News Near Elliot Lake This Week in Flyers

Laurent Brossoit needed that one. Article content So, too, did his Winnipeg Jets. Article content

The ball really got rolling when Nino Niederreiter’s agent visited Winnipeg a few weeks ago.

It was the type of performance that the Winnipeg Jets were hoping for when they brought Laurent Brossoit back into the fold. Article content

Advertisement 1 Share this Story : Laurent Brossoit's 42 saves backstop Jets to win Laurent Brossoit's 42 saves backstop Jets to win Author of the article: Join the conversation Article content Laurent Brossoit needed that one. Advertisement 2 Article content Laurent Brossoit's 42 saves backstop Jets to win Back to video So, too, did his Winnipeg Jets. Start the conversation Have your say Leave a comment and share your thoughts with our community. Article content Winnipeg's backup netminder, beleaguered by inconsistent results early on this season, put together a jaw-dropping performance on Monday night at Canada Life Centre, stopping 42 shots to lift the Jets to a 2-1 win over the Carolina Hurricanes. Brossoit was called upon early and often in the game, shutting the door 15 times in the first period alone after the Jets were outshot 12-0 through the first 16:30 of the period and 15-3 overall. The 30-year-old Stanley Cup champ was up to the task, coming into the game without a quality start under his belt in his five previous outings. Brossoit stopped more than 90% of the shots he faced for the first time this season, putting up a .977 save percentage to move to 3-2-1 on the year. Advertisement 3 Article content His shutout bid ended late in the second period on a goal credited to Martin Necas, which ricocheted off Jets defenceman Dylan DeMelo with 51 seconds left in the frame. Kyle Connor, who snapped a six-game goal drought, and Nikolaj Ehlers, who scored for the first time in five games, provided the run support Brossoit needed for his third victory. The Jets improved 14-8-2, moving one point back of the Colorado Avalanche for second place in the Central Division. Winnipeg next plays in Denver on Thursday to begin a four-game road trip. The Jets were heavily outplayed from the first drop of the puck, watching Carolina ring up the shot clock early. Winnipeg's first shot came with 3:29 left in the first and was met with a mighty Bronx cheer. Advertisement 4 Article content Their second, 27 seconds later, was in the back of the net. With the Jets in transition, Scheifele pick out Ehlers, who took the puck deep into the Hurricanes zone before feathering a cross-ice pass to Connor, who buried his 15th to make it 1-0. Connor moved back into a tie for third in NHL goal-scoring. Ehlers made it 2-0 on a beautifully manufactured goal at 11:39 of the second. The Dane dropped a pass in the neutral zone to Scheifele, who fed it to Connor just inside Carolina's zone. Connor returned it to Scheifele down low and the latter found Ehlers in space in the slot, wiring his seventh where Grandma hides the cookies. Winnipeg finished 0-for-1 on the power play but went 3-for-3 on the penalty kill. sbilleck@postmedia.com X: @scottbilleck Article content Share this article in your social network Share this Story : Laurent Brossoit's 42 saves backstop Jets to win Comments Join the Conversation Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion and encourage all readers to share their views on our articles. Comments may take up to an hour for moderation before appearing on the site. We ask you to keep your comments relevant and respectful. We have enabled email notifications—you will now receive an email if you receive a reply to your comment, there is an update to a comment thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information and details on how to adjust your email settings Loading... Latest National Stories News Near Elliot Lake This Week in Flyers