Winnipeg Jets hockey is officially back tonight. No more training camp and no more pre-season, as the regular season begins for the Jets at the Canada Life Centre. The home opener opponent is none other than the team that eliminated the Jets last April, the Dallas Stars. After a franchise record 116 points in the 2024-25 regular season, the Jets look to start their new season with a win in front of what should be a sold-out home crowd.

Before taking a look at tonight’s starting lineups and goalies, it’s important to look at the injury report for both teams. Each team will be without key players, which opened up roster spots for some new faces on both team’s opening night rosters.

The Jets will open the season without Adam Lowry, Dylan Samberg and Cole Perfetti. Each of their injuries will keep them out for various amounts of time, but it will be at least a few weeks before Jets fans will see any of these three players in the lineup. Jonathan Toews was also listed on the injury report on October 7th as “day to day”, but he was full participant at practice this morning so he should be good to make his Jets debut tonight.

The Stars will be without their Captain Jamie Benn, who required surgery for a collapsed lung after being injured in a pre-season game. After placing Benn on the long-term injured reserve, the Stars signed forward Adam Erne to a two-way contract. This move also allowed them to re-call defenceman Lian Bichsel from the Texas Stars of the AHL. Oskar Back is the only other rostered player on the injury report for the Stars, and there are two players from the Texas Stars listed on the non-roster injured reserve.

As for tonight’s lineups, Mitchell Clinton (colour analyst for the Jets), provided the updated Jets line rushes at practice this morning:

Connor – Scheifele – Vilardi

Nyquist – Toews – Chibrikov

Niederreiter – Namestnikov – Iafallo

Koepke – Barron – Pearson

Extras: Ford, Lambert

Morrissey – DeMelo

Fleury – Pionk

Stanley – Schenn

Extras: Miller, Gustafsson

Hellebuyck

Comrie

The Jets top forward line remains unchanged, featuring the recently extended Kyle Connor. The 2nd line would have included Cole Perfetti, but instead it will be Nikita Chibrikov, who has earned himself an opening night roster spot after a very solid pre-season. The projected 3rd and 4th lines are as expected (after Lowry was confirmed out), with Ford and Lambert two good options for players that will be “next up”. Morrissey and DeMelo will get big minutes tonight, and Fleury gets a chance in the top 4 defence without Samberg. Logan Stanley will be paired with Luke Schenn, which will be a very physical shutdown pairing. Connor Hellebuyck, the reigning Vezina and Hart Memorial winner, gets his 1st start of the season in net.

The Dallas Stars expected lineup, as noted by Sam Nestler (beat writer for the Stars), at practice Tuesday morning goes as follows:

Steel-Hintz-Rantanen

Blackwell – Duchene – Seguin

Robertson – Johnston – Bourque

Erne – Faksa – Bastian

Lindell – Heiskanen

Harley – Lundkvist

Bichsel – Lyubushkin

Extra: Petrovic

Oettinger

DeSmith

The Stars forward group features a lot of familiar faces from last season, including their big addition on the 1st line Mikko Rantanen. The 4th line features the only two players that weren’t on the Stars at some point last season, Adam Erne and Nathan Bastian. All three Stars defence pairings feature a good two-way mix of skill, and it will be intriguing to see how the Jets match up their lines at times throughout the game. Jake Oettinger gets the start in goal for the Stars, as he looks to build off a very good 2024-25 regular season.

The first game of the season is always one of the most exciting games of the year, as it’s the first time to see the new Jets lineup in action. You never know what to expect in game 1 of 82, but Jets fans are all hoping for a win. Puck drop will be just after 7:00 pm CT, (after player introductions) and make sure to come back here to Jets Nation for a full recap of the first home game on the Jets 2025-26 schedule.