Six games not to miss at Canada Life Centre this season

There are 41 home games on the Winnipeg Jets 2022-23 regular season schedule, and all of them promise to deliver an exciting night.
But if we're being picky, we're circling these opponents on the calendar.

Colorado Avalanche -The Stanley Cup champions from the 2021-22 season come into Canada Life Centre twice this season, with the first of those match-ups coming on November 29.
The Jets won the final meeting of the regular season against the Avalanche, and nearly pulled off a miraculous comeback in the second to last meeting between the two clubs on April 8. Mark Scheifele and Nikolaj Ehlers scored in the final 3:35 of regulation before Colorado left Canada Life Centre with the extra point in overtime.
All this is to say that speed and skill will be at the forefront whenever these two teams clash, and whenever the defending Stanley Cup champions are in the building, there is a little extra intensity at Canada Life Centre.
Edmonton Oilers -Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and the Edmonton Oilers come into the 2022-23 season fresh off a run to the Western Conference final, where they were eliminated by the eventual champion Colorado Avalanche.
The only time the long-time Jets rivals - dating back to the WHA days and the classic Stanley Cup Playoffs rivalries in the NHL - come into the Manitoba capital is on March 4.
And even though the rosters have changed, last season was very much an indicator that the bitterness from the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs - a four-game sweep in favour of the Jets that included three overtime victories - won't be going away any time soon.

Toronto Maple Leafs - Honestly, this spot could be taken up by any Original Six franchise, as Canada Life Centre seems to have a different kind of buzz on those special nights.
However, last season's meeting with the Toronto Maple Leafs was special. Milestones were celebrated, the goal celebrations seemed to have a little more energy, and so did the chants in the crowd.
This season, Auston Matthews and the Toronto Maple Leafs roll into Winnipeg on October 22, and while these two teams aren't in the same division, it feels like a divisional tilt whenever the puck drops.
Minnesota Wild -Everything said about the Maple Leafs can be said about the Wild, with one exception - these are divisional games.
Whether it's the playoff series in 2018, the close proximity between the two teams, the passionate fan bases, the duelling slogans (Friendly Manitoba versus Minnesota Nice), or something in between, the fireworks come early and often when the Jets face the Wild.
NHL All-Star Kirill Kaprizov is just one of the names that make the Wild a far more fast-paced and skilled team than many remember, and they showed the entire league that very fact last season - finishing second in the Central Division with 113 points.
Winnipeg was 2-1-1 against Minnesota last season, with both victories coming at Canada Life Centre. Get your tickets for any of the two home match-ups between these two teams (the first one in downtown Winnipeg coming on December 27), and get ready for the sparks to fly.
Florida Panthers -Paul Maurice returns to Canada Life Centre with his new team, the Florida Panthers on December 6. Maurice served as head coach of the Jets for nine seasons and took over the duties in Florida, home of the 2021-22 Presidents Trophy winning Panthers, during this off-season.
Home Opener - This season, the home opener goes on October 14 against the New York Rangers. It's always a special night in downtown Winnipeg, with individual player introductions, and it will also be the first regular season game on home ice for new head coach Rick Bowness, who played 45 games in a Jets uniform back in 1980-81, and remained in the organization in various coaching roles through 1989.
The Jets will be starting the 2022-23 campaign on the road/on home ice, and the path to a return to the Stanley Cup playoffs often relies on a spectacular home record. Since the start of the 2016-17 season, Winnipeg's home record of 245-168-42 is the 11th best in the NHL, and they finished last season with five consecutive wins on home ice.
Be in the stands for all the excitement that comes with the home opener, experience the festivities first hand, then stay on the edge of your seat for what is sure to be a memorable night.