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Winnipeg Jets Star Suffers Tragic Injury: Likely to Miss the Playoffs

Originally posted on House of Hockey | By Tom Banks | Last updated Mar 24, 2025 9:41 PM ET

The Winnipeg Jets are rolling into the Stanley Cup Playoffs as the No. 1 seed in the West, but now, they've suffered a brutal blow right before the post-season.

This season has been nothing short of a smash hit for the Winnipeg Jets, as the team have been the Western Conference's best team for the entire 2024/25 season as they head into the Stanley Cup Playoffs likely to hold the No. 1 seed.

They were full of confidence a year ago when they were beaten 4-1 by the Colorado Avalanche in the first round however, so this year they need as much luck on their side as they can possibly get.

Unfortunately, with just a few weeks remaining in the regular season, they've been dealt a brutal blow, with Gabriel Vilardi now officially ruled out for the remainder of the regular season and is unlikely to return at any point during the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

While it's not been revealed what the injury was, Head Coach Scott Arniel deemed it a 'freak accident' during the third period of their loss to the Buffalo Sabres in a turn of events that could be a brutal blow down the stretch.

At 25-years of age, Vilardi still has an incredibly bright future in the NHl with Winnipeg, but after a career year, this is simply terrible luck for the talented forward, so now the hope is that he can turn it on again in 2025/26 as the Jets look to cash in on the brilliant play that they've shown in the regular season over the last two years.

This article first appeared on House of Hockey and was syndicated with permission.

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