Presidents' Trophy-winning Winnipeg Jets have sights set on much larger prize

Judy Owen · The Canadian Press

· Posted: Apr 14, 2025 9:51 AM EDT | Last Updated: 8 minutes ago

Dylan DeMelo wants to bring Canadian hockey fans much than a Presidents' Trophy.

The Winnipeg Jets clinched the franchise's archetypal Presidents' Trophy Sunday for astir points successful the NHL regular play adjacent though they mislaid 4-1 to the Edmonton Oilers.

The accomplishment gives the Jets home-ice vantage passim the Stanley Cup playoffs.

The past Canadian squad to triumph the Presidents' Trophy was the Vancouver Canucks successful 2011-12, who besides won it the erstwhile season.

DeMelo, who hails from London, Ont., was asked if helium felt much pridefulness successful ending that drought.

"No, not really, to beryllium honest," helium said. "I deliberation we privation to beryllium the archetypal Canadian squad since '93 to triumph the cup. That's what we're present for."

The Montreal Canadiens are the past nine to assertion the cupful successful 1992-93.

"To beryllium capable to person that quality to person location crystal passim the full playoffs, and hopefully we tin spell connected a agelong tally and usage that to our advantage," DeMelo said. "It's not the trophy we are after, but it's a bully accomplishment."

The Jets captured the trophy aft Washington mislaid 4-1 to the Columbus Blue Jackets earlier successful the night, leaving them incapable to drawback Winnipeg successful the standings.

The Capitals (50-21-9) person 109 points and 2 games near to play. Winnipeg is astatine 114 points (55-21-4) and has 1 lucifer near Wednesday astatine location against the Anaheim Ducks.

When the trophy quality was announced, 15,225 fans astatine Canada Life Centre gave the squad a lasting ovation. It was Winnipeg's seventh consecutive afloat location and 15th of the season.

"It is decidedly a large accomplishment," Jets guardant Nino Niederreiter said pursuing the game. "After 81 games, being capable to get the Presidents' Trophy is simply a large accomplishment, but it is lone the archetypal measurement arsenic present it is the playoffs that substance most."

Winnipeg's first-round hostile isn't known yet. The Oilers volition instrumentality connected the Los Angeles Kings successful their opening round.

Connor Brown, Adam Henrique, Corey Perry, and Viktor Arvidsson into an bare net, scored for Edmonton (47-28-5), which has won 3 successful a row. Connor McDavid had 2 assists.

Stuart Skinner made 17 saves for the Oilers, who big the Kings connected Monday earlier finishing the regular play Wednesday successful San Jose against the Sharks.

Alex Iafallo scored for the Jets, who had a three-game triumph streak snapped.

Backup goalie Eric Comrie made 35 saves for Winnipeg, which besides ended a four-game triumph tally astatine home.

Winnipeg already clinched apical spot successful the Western Conference and Central Division for the archetypal clip successful Jets/Atlanta Thrashers' history. The Thrashers did triumph the Southeast Division successful 2006-07.

Jets caput manager Scott Arniel said the league and part apical spots were connected the team's to-do database this season, but not the Presidents' Trophy.

"No, never," Arniel said. "Certainly, it jumped connected determination implicit the past period oregon so. At the extremity of the day, it's a heck of an accomplishment. Guys should beryllium existent arrogant of it.

"Just what we've gone done this twelvemonth and to beryllium close successful the heavy of things each twelvemonth long, arsenic 1 of the champion successful the league, it's a heck of an accomplishment. But astatine the extremity of the day, it's not the trophy we're after."

Brown flipped a backhand past Comrie 59 seconds into the 2nd play for his 13th extremity of the play and a 1-0 lead, extending his extremity streak to 4 successful 3 games.

Iafallo scored connected the powerfulness play 5 minutes later. Henrique made it 2-1 astatine 12:39, 7 seconds aft an Edmonton powerfulness play ended and with the Jets other defenceless.

Forward Morgan Barron had mislaid his instrumentality and defenceman Dylan Samberg was lying connected the crystal grimacing successful symptom aft a hard McDavid changeable deed his near leg. He was helped disconnected the crystal and went to the dressing room.

Arniel said Samberg should beryllium OK.

Perry and Arvidsson scored successful the 3rd period.

Edmonton was without injured defenceman Mattias Ekhom and guardant Zach Hyman. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins was ill.

"Tonight everyone played a truly coagulated game," Edmonton caput manager Kris Knoblauch said. "Whether it was the archetypal oregon 4th line, each six defence. Obviously, [Skinner] had a coagulated game. So it was bully to see."