Illegal Curve Hockey

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 27:32

Shane 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 28:52

Former NHLer Mike Commodore at 1:27:09