Game Seven.
The two most exciting words in sports.
An intersection where one team feels exhilaration and advances to the next round, while the other is left with a long, excruciating offseason of anguish to mull over the what-if moments.
JOHN WOODS / THE CANADIAN PRESS FILES Winnipeg Jets’ Dylan DeMelo (2), Vladislav Namestnikov (7), Gabriel Vilardi (13) and Kyle Connor (81) celebrate DeMelo’s goal against the St. Louis Blues during second period NHL playoff action in Winnipeg on Wednesday, April 30, 2025. The Jets are hoping they have reason to celebrate after Game 7 Sunday evening against the Blues.
“It’s a great opportunity,” said Winnipeg Jets forward Morgan Barron. “These Game 7s are kind of the moments you grow up watching on TV and dream about playing in them.”
The dream is about to turn into a reality for the Jets and St. Louis Blues, with that seventh and deciding game set for Sunday night at Canada Life Centre, with puck drop slated for just after 6 p.m.
Whether you’re preparing for your first Game 7 or have a bunch of them on your resume, embracing the moment is something that players on both teams will be encouraged to lean into.
“You know what, it’s special, whether you’re a player or a coach. Obviously, you know what’s at stake,” said Jets head coach Scott Arniel, noting his New York Rangers earned Game 7 victories in the opening round over the Philadelphia Flyers and the second round against the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2014 as the Broadway Blueshirts advanced to the Stanley Cup final against the Los Angeles Kings.
“It’s win and move on and the elation that comes from doing that. Enjoy it, live it, be the best version of yourself.
“If you haven’t been through (a Game 7) yet, this is your chance. Go make a lasting impression in your minds and a memory , so that you have it maybe for the next series. It’s just something that is part of your growth as a player. Those guys who have it already, you want to build on it. Guys that have never been here, put it in your resume that you’ve won a Game 7.”
For Jets defenceman Dylan Samberg, that means drawing on his experience from elimination games on the road to winning consecutive Frozen Four titles as a member of the University of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs in 2018 and 2019.
“I don’t think it quite compares to a Game 7. I guess we’ll see,” said Samberg. “It all comes down to one game, so just making sure we put our best foot forward and leave it all out there on the ice. There’s going to be a lot of energy out there and it’s going to be exciting. But just make sure we channel that the right way.”
There was a surprising and unexpected development on Saturday afternoon, as Jets centre Mark Scheifele was on the ice for a brief skate in a track suit and helmet.
FRED GREENSLADE / THE CANADIAN PRESS St. Louis Blues’ Radek Faksa (12) checks Winnipeg Jets’ Morgan Barron (36) during second period NHL playoff action in Winnipeg, Monday April 21, 2025.
With Jets assistant coach Marty Johnston keeping a close eye, Scheifele did some light skating, puckhandling and shooting before leaving the ice to take part in a team meeting.
Whether this was simply the next step in his recovery process remains to be seen and further clues may be available during Sunday’s morning skate.
After suffering an undisclosed injury in Game 5 — when he was on the receiving end of two jarring hits from Blues captain Brayden Schenn and centre Radek Faksa — Scheifele didn’t travel to St. Louis and was scratched for Game 6.
“All year long, we’ve put our work in to build towards this. Now it’s here. It’s Game 7. We’ve gone through building blocks to get here. To get to this moment. I’d like to think our group is prepared. Now we go out and do what we do best.”–Jets head coach Scott Arniel
On Saturday, Arniel left the door open for Scheifele to return — though it’s tough to put a percentage on it, since neither the nature or severity of his injury is known.
“Yeah, that’s a great sign. Obviously, a great sign,” said Arniel. “Feels a lot better today than he did yesterday. He wanted to go out and see how he felt and we’ll move forward. He’ll be a game-time decision.”
Not having Scheifele available in Game 6 was a blow for the Jets, but they showed in the final periods of Game 5 that their depth is something they can lean on.
“When you lose your No. 1 centreman, that’s tough to replace,” said Arniel, who has welcomed Nikolaj Ehlers and Gabe Vilradi back from injury during the past two games. “We’ll see how Mark is. Progression today. Might be in there tomorrow. We’ll wait and see.
JOHN WOODS / THE CANADIAN PRESS FILES Winnipeg Jets head coach Scott Arniel talks to his team during first period NHL action against the St. Louis Blues in Winnipeg on Monday, April 7, 2025.
“That’s just part of what happens in playoff hockey. If you want to move on, you’ve got to step up. Everybody needs to step up and do a little bit more. And sometimes you’ve got to come outside of your skin a little bit and do something that maybe you’re not necessarily known to do. But hopefully that helps us have the winning result.”
This is the first home-ice Game 7 for the Jets since 1977, when the WHA edition hosted the San Diego Mariners in the first round of the playoffs.
“Hopefully it has a great ending to it,” said Arniel. “All year long, we’ve put our work in to build towards this. Now it’s here. It’s Game 7. We’ve gone through building blocks to get here. To get to this moment. I’d like to think our group is prepared. Now we go out and do what we do best.”
“These Game 7s are kind of the moments you grow up watching on TV and dream about playing in them.”–Jets forward Morgan Barron
As for 2.0 Jets playoff history, they’ve been involved in just one Game 7 back in 2018, when Winnipeg went on the road and defeated the Nashville Predators at Bridgestone Arena.
In that game, the Jets chased Vezina Trophy winner Pekka Rinne in the first period and cruised to a 5-1 victory to advance to the Western Conference final.
There are eight players on the Jets’ roster who suited up in that game: goalie Connor Hellebuyck, defenceman Josh Morrissey and forwards Kyle Connor, Adam Lowry, Nikolaj Ehlers, Mason Appleton, Brandon Tanev and Scheifele.
“I talked to some guys about it (Friday) night. I know that Nashville game a few years ago. they said they lost game 6 at home and then were able to go into Nashville and take Game 7,” said Barron. “We’ve talked a little bit in this series about how there’s no momentum between games. I think momentum starts fresh every game. So, they were able to do that on the road a few years ago and there’s no excuse for us to not go out there and have a real good effort and see where it takes us.”
CONNOR HAMILTON / ASSOCIATED PRESS Winnipeg Jets’ Dylan Samberg (54) and Connor Hellebuyck (37) defend the net against St. Louis Blues’ Colton Parayko (55) during the second period in Game 4 of an NHL hockey first-round playoff series Sunday, April 27, 2025, in St. Louis.
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Where it takes the Jets is one of two places: the jubilation of victory or the agony of defeat.
One of those options is far more appealing than the other.
“Well, I mean we’ve had some real highs and some real lows. Guess what. This is going to be that again,” said Arniel. “And we’re hoping for one more big high.”
X and Bluesky: @WiebesWorld
Ken Wiebe
Reporter
Ken Wiebe is a sports reporter for the Free Press, with an emphasis on the Winnipeg Jets. He has covered hockey and provided analysis in this market since 2000 for the Winnipeg Sun, The Athletic, Sportsnet.ca and TSN. Ken was a summer intern at the Free Press in 1999 and returned to the Free Press in a full-time capacity in September of 2023. Read more about Ken.
Every piece of reporting Ken produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press’s history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.
