Winnipeg’s outdoor stage had a familiar look before the 2026 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic, with three major figures from the modern Jets era stepping back onto the ice at Princess Auto Stadium.
Jets alumni return for Heritage Classic ceremony
- Former Winnipeg captains Blake Wheeler and Andrew Ladd joined franchise great Dustin Byfuglien for the ceremonial faceoff ahead of the Jets’ outdoor meeting with the Montreal Canadiens.
- Current Jets captain Adam Lowry and Canadiens defenseman Mike Matheson took part in the puck-drop ceremony alongside the returning alumni.
- Wheeler, who spent 13 seasons in Winnipeg, appeared in 897 games for the Jets.
- Ladd wore a Winnipeg sweater for six seasons, while Byfuglien played nine years with the club and became one of the defining blue-liners in franchise history.
Byfuglien and Wheeler helped drive 2018 run
Wheeler and Byfuglien were central pieces of the Jets team that reached the Western Conference Final in 2018. Winnipeg’s playoff push ended with a five-game loss to the Vegas Golden Knights.
Byfuglien’s impact remains all over the Jets record book. Used at both forward and defense during his NHL career, he owns the franchise mark for goals by a defenseman with 122.
His 2018 postseason remains the standard for a Jets defenseman as well. Byfuglien produced 16 points in that run, scoring five goals and adding 11 assists, the most points by a Winnipeg player in one playoff year.
For one pregame moment at Princess Auto Stadium, Wheeler, Ladd and Byfuglien brought the memories of that era back to the rink before the latest chapter of Jets-Canadiens hockey began under the open sky.
