WINNIPEG, Jan. 10, 2025 – The National Hockey League today announced the First and Second Quarter-Century Teams for the Winnipeg Jets. These teams were selected by a panel of Winnipeg media, retired players and executives. Voters were asked to determine the franchise’s best players over the past twenty-five years (Jan. 1, 2000 to Jan. 1, 2025) with each team including three forwards, two defencemen and one goaltender.
Once all franchises’ teams are announced a league-wide vote will take place to determine the NHL Quarter-Century Team. Voting will take place Feb. 12-26 on NHL.com and X, with results to be announced at a later date.
The teams are, by position in alphabetical order:
Winnipeg Jets First Team
Forward Ilya Kovalchuk
Forward Mark Scheifele
Forward Blake Wheeler
Defenceman Dustin Byfuglien
Defenceman Josh Morrissey
Goaltender Connor Hellebuyck
Winnipeg’s first team features a trio of current Jets in Mark Scheifele, Josh Morrissey, and Connor Hellebuyck, along with Jets alumni Blake Wheeler and Dustin Byfuglien and Atlanta Thrashers legend Ilya Kovalchuk.
Kovalchuk led the franchise over the past quarter-century with 328 goals and 115 power play markers. The 2004 Maurice ‘Rocket’ Richard trophy winner also ranked third in points (615) and fifth in assists (287)
Scheifele ranked second among the franchise’s forwards over the past twenty-five years in points (761), goals (319) and assists (442). The two-time All-Star led the club with 15 overtime goals and had the second-most power play goals (82).
Wheeler is a two-time All-Star who led the franchise since 2000 in games played (897), points (812) and assists (550) and served as the team’s captain from 2016-17 to 2021-22. He also tied for the NHL lead in assists (68) in 2017-18.
Byfuglien, a 2010 Stanley Cup winner with the Chicago Blackhawks, led the franchise’s defencemen over the past quarter-century in points (416), goals (122) and assists (294). The hardnosed blueliner also ranked second on the team in penalty minutes (826) and logged a team-high 24:22 time-on-ice per game.
Morrissey ranked second among the franchise’s defencemen over the past twenty-five years in points (345), goals (69) and assists (276). The 2023 NHL All-Star was also a plus-72 in his 621 games, the team’s third highest plus/minus since 2000.
Hellebuyck, the 2020 and 2024 Vezina Trophy winner, led the franchise’s goaltenders over the past quarter-century in games played (535), wins (299), and shutouts (42). The Commerce, Mich. native ranks in the top-20 goaltenders since 2000 in wins (T-18th: 299) and shutouts (18th: 42), despite playing less games than almost all the goalies ranked higher.
