The Jets need their top players to play like it in Game 6. (Mandatory Credit: James Carey Lauder-Imagn Images)

Winnipeg Jets Announce 2025-26 Opening-Night Roster

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers
By Declan Schroeder | Last updated Oct 7, 2025 10:05 AM ET

The Winnipeg Jets have unveiled their 2025-26 opening-night roster.

Teams were required to trim down their rosters to a maximum of 23 healthy players Monday, one day ahead of the start of the regular season, but the Jets released theirs Tuesday morning.

Forwards (17, 14 Healthy):

Morgan Barron, Kyle Connor, Nikita Chibrikov, Parker Ford, David Gustafsson, Alex Iafallo, Cole Koepke, Brad Lambert, Adam Lowry, Vladislav Namestnikov, Nino Niederreiter, Gustav Nyquist, Tanner Pearson, Cole Perfetti, Mark Scheifele, Jonathan Toews, & Gabriel Vilardi

There were few battles to be had for spots up front in training camp given the Jets’ depth, but Lowry, Perfetti, and Toews all being out with injury paved the way for Chibrikov, Ford, and Lambert to all crack the roster rather than one or two being sent to the Manitoba Moose.

They are all waiver exempt and are likely to be victims of the numbers game once the team gets healthier.

Defensemen (8, 7 Healthy):

Dylan DeMelo, Haydn Fleury, Colin Miller, Josh Morrissey, Neal Pionk, Dylan Samberg, Luke Schenn, & Logan Stanley

The top four, which seemed set, took a hit when Samberg broke his wrist in the preseason. That means competition for playing time will be a little less fierce than it would have been otherwise.

It’s likely head coach Scott Arniel deploys some sort of rotation to get all eight defenders some playing time early on.

Goaltenders (2):

Eric Comrie, Connor Hellebuyck

There are surprises here. 2025 Vezina Trophy and Hart Trophy winner Hellebuyck will continue to get the bulk of the starts, while Comrie will back him up again. They are one of the tightest-knit tandems in the entire NHL with great chemistry.

Lowry (hip surgery recovery,) and Toews (undisclosed) begin the season as injured non-roster players, while Samberg (broken wrist) and Perfetti (high-ankle sprain) begin the season on injured reserve.

The Jets begin their campaign on Thursday at home versus the Dallas Stars. They are looking to have another strong season after winning the Presidents’ Trophy in 2024-25.