Illegal Curve Hockey: Winnipeg Jets

The Jets go to the QMJHL for their fifth round pick as they select Alexandre Taillefer with the 135th overall pick.

He’s a left-shot defenceman standing 6’0″ who plays for the Québec Remparts, will return there next season and is committed to play at the University of Massachusetts in the NCAA for the 2027-28 season.

The Jets go back to the USHL for their 4th round selection taking centre (and Minnesotan) Zach Wooten who is a 6'2", 20-year old prospect committed to the University of Wisconsin next season.

He's an overager who was selected in his third year of eligibility although that seems to only have motivated the young man.

The Jets go the goalie route with their first selection of Day 2 of the NHL Draft picking Samuel Hrenak in the third round (71st overall).

He's a 6'3" Slovakian netminder who catches left playing with the Fargo Force of the USHL. And he is quite excited to be a member of the Winnipeg organization based on this chat.

It's NHL Draft Weekend, and the Illegal Curve Hockey Show is here to break down everything ahead of Day 2 of the NHL Draft as well as reflect on Day 1.

As it stands, the Winnipeg Jets are scheduled to make six selections on the second day of the draft, including picks in the 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, and 7th rounds. Of course, with trades always a possibility, those plans could change before the day is done.

Join Dave Minuk, Ezra Ginsburg, and Drew Mindell as they recap Winnipeg's first-round selection, analyze the Jets' Day 2 picks, discuss any trades and surprises around the league, and examine what the newest prospects could mean for the future of the organization.

Guest:

Murat Ates of The Athletic Winnipeg.

Unlike last year the Jets made an early selection when they called outViggo Björck at No. 8. Once the full NHL Draft concluded we heard from GM Kevin Cheveldayoff who was clearly quite happy with the player they got this evening in Buffalo.

Fresh off hearing the Jets call his name with the 8th overall selection, we heard from Swedish centre Viggo Björck in his first media availability as a drafted player.

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.