Thousands of Winnipeg Jets fans packed into the Hockey for All Centre on Saturday to get their first look at the 2025-26 squad. And with hockey season on the horizon, many are expressing optimism that this year’s team could once again be a force to be reckoned with.
“They had a fantastic season last year,” longtime Jets fan Terry Verghetti said. “I just want to see them finish it off this year. Of course, that would be fantastic, but also it’s just fun to watch them.”
Verghetti was one of approximately 4,000 people who came to the team’s practice facility on Saturday for the annual Fan Fest, a free ticketed event hosted by the Jets and the team’s American Hockey League affiliate, the Manitoba Moose.
The event featured Q&As with players, coaches, and staff, along with access to Jets training camp sessions and family-friendly activities inside and outside the facility, including inflatables, a ball hockey rink, and autograph sessions with Jets alumni.
Last season, the Jets won 56 games and finished with the best regular season record in the National Hockey League, securing the franchise’s first Presidents’ Trophy in its history.
The Jets got through the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs against the St. Louis Blues, with a thrilling Game 7 comeback that saw Cole Perfetti score with just seconds left to tie the game, and Adam Lowry potted the game and series winner in the second overtime.
The Jets would go down in the second round, losing to the Dallas Stars in six games.
Kevin D’sa, who came to Fan Fest on Saturday with his son Kyle, said he is a loyal Jets fan, and thinks the talent on this year’s team could have them at or near the top of the NHL standings once again.
“We were excited with the playoffs last year, and we’re still continuing that excitement, so we’re looking forward to the season,” he said.
D’sa said the Jets signing three-time Stanley Cup champion and born and bred Winnipegger Jonathan Toews to a one-year contract in the off-season only adds to the excitement for 2025-26.
“That’s huge,” he said. “Having a local talent here just fires everyone up, so we’re really excited to see him. Playing in Chicago, he was sort of the nemesis of the Jets, but now that he’s come here, we’re going to welcome him with open arms.”
Jets fan Iza Casar said for her, being a fan of the team is about more than just watching hockey.
“It really means community,” Casar said. “We have a lot of friends who are also fans of the Jets, and we’re really, like, part of a big family,” she said.
“I really like to bond over it with my dad, following the roster and following the players and the team.”
The Jets will also be looking for a boost at the box office this season, after averaging 14,366 fans per game last season in the team’s 15,325 seat Canada Life Centre in downtown Winnipeg.
Jets fan Jessica Bradley said if the team is successful on the ice this season, she is certain those attendance numbers will go up.
Last season, “the team was producing, and as the year progressed, you could finally see them filling up the seats, because they were the best team in the league,” she said.
“So hopefully that continues into this year, and we can finally fill all those seats up.”
The Jets kick off their pre-season schedule this weekend at the Canada Life Centre, when they meet the rival Minnesota Wild on Sunday at 4 p.m. CT.
The team will host their home opener on Oct. 9 against the Dallas Stars at Canada Life Centre, the same team that knocked them out of the playoffs last season.
