GAMEDAY: Jets at Flames

CALGARY - The Winnipeg Jets open the 2023-24 season tonight in Calgary against the Flames.

The last two days have been busy on and off the ice, with training camp coming to a close and Mark Scheifele and Connor Hellebuyck signing seven-year extensions with the club.

***READ MORE ON SCHEIFELE AND HELLEBUYCK***

After a long summer of training, two weeks of training camp, and six preseason games, the fact game day is finally here has the whole room excited.

With that excitement comes the reality that there are two points on the line - points that are valuable as both teams try to put themselves into the postseason come April.

"You look at both teams, we weren’t satisfied with how we finished last year," said captain Adam Lowry. "Calgary missed the playoffs and we were out in five. There is a lot of anticipation, everyone wants to get underway. You get through the preseason and this is what you train all summer for - to be ready for game one and opening night."

PROJECTED LINE-UP

There weren't any surprises when it came to line rushes at this morning's pre-game skate at Scotiabank Saddledome.

The Jets used the same lines that they have in practice the last couple days, and that includes Nikolaj Ehlers - who didn't play in the preseason - lining up alongside Cole Perfetti and Nino Niederreiter.

Based on those line rushes, the projected line-up is:

Connor-Scheifele-Vilardi

Niederreiter-Perfetti-Ehlers

Iafallo-Lowry-Appleton

Barron-Kupari-Namestnikov

Morrissey-DeMelo

Samberg-Pionk

Dillon-Schmidt

Connor Hellebuyck is the projected starter.

QUICK STAT:

Winnipeg won their season opener in 2022-23 over the New York Rangers by a score of 4-1, improving the Jets' record in season openers to 7-5-0.

Within that, the Jets are 4-2-0 on the road when opening the season.

QUOTE OF THE DAY:

Today's quote of the day comes from captain Adam Lowry, who will play in his 622nd NHL game tonight.

"We have some veterans but we still like to look at our team as a pretty young team. We all get along really well," he said. "Having that youth, it’s that youthful enthusiasm appreciating every day in the NHL. Time flies in this league. I’m going into my 10th year now. I still remember the days when I was living with Scheif and (Jacob Trouba) - the frat house we called it - we were 21 and not a care in the world. And now I’m in my 30s."