Winnipeg Send Danny Zhilkin & Isaak Phillips to Manitoba

The Winnipeg Jets have sent Danny Zhilkin and Isaak Phillips back to Manitoba ahead of the Moose’s Friday night clash against the AHL’s top team, the Grand Rapids Griffins.

Zhilkin spent just over two weeks with the Jets, appearing in four games and was held scoreless in that time. Phillips was recalled just a little bit later due to the need for a defenceman with the NHL team being without three of their current rostered defenders. Phillips got into two games and was also held scoreless in that time.

They’re set to suit up in game action against Grand Rapids tonight, and it’s likely a move that keeps them warm in case the Jets call them up for the clash against Detroit tomorrow night.

As the 2025-26 season progressed, both Zhilkin and Phillips have emerged as significant contributors to the Moose team that have been well-rounded and stays in the middle of the AHL’s Central Division.

While Zhilkin’s call-up was emotional, given that it was his first NHL run, Phillips made his Jets debut against the team that drafted him, something that felt lost in the moment of Jonathan Toews’ return to Chicago and Zhilkin garnering a ton of media attention for his famous barbershop call-up.

Zhilkin hasn’t seen game action since January 13th in the Jets’ 5-4 win against the New York Islanders, while Phillips most recently played in the Jets’ 3-1 win over the St. Louis Blues on January 20th.

Regardless if the duo are recalled ahead of tomorrow’s Hockey Night in Canada clash against Detroit remains to be seen, but they certainly have plenty of stories to tell respectively of their runs in the NHL.