Yes, we know that this is taking a while!

As many of you know, we at Notinhalloffame.com are slowly generating the top 50 of each major North American sports team. That being said, we have existing Top 50 lists and consistently look to update them when necessary and based on necessity. As such, we are delighted to present our post-2023-24 revision of our top 50 Winnipeg Jets.

As for all of our top 50 players in hockey, we look at the following:

1.  Advanced Statistics.

2.  Traditional statistics and how they finished in the National Hockey League.

3.  Playoff accomplishments.

4.  Their overall impact on the team and other intangibles that are not reflected in a stat sheet.

First, as mentioned on the main Winnipeg Jets page, this takes on the lineage of the original Atlanta Thrashers, as that is the history they own, despite the acknowledgment of their previous incarnation throughout the city, team, and home arena.   This is why you won’t find Dale Hawerchuk here!

Last year, the Jets had their best regular season, but they were bounced in five games in the first round. There were many changes in the Top 50, with two new entrants.

As always, we present our top five, which saw a new number one:

1. Connor Hellbucyk
2. Blake Wheeler
3. Ilya Kovalchuk
4. Mark Scheifele
5. Dustin Byfuglien

You can find the entire list here.

Hellebucyk took over the top spot at #1 off his second Vezina Trophy-winning season.

Another top five change was Mark Scheifele moving from #5 to #4.

Notably, Kyle Connor, who had a decent season, remains at #6

Defenseman Josh Morrissey went up two spots to #7.

Right behind Morrissey is Left Wing Nikolaj Ehlers, who advanced from #10 to #8.

Defenseman Neal Pionk advanced from #18 to #15.

Left Wing Adam Lowry climbed to #25 from #19.

Defenseman Dylan DeMelo went up to #32 from #36.

The first new entrant is Brenden Dillon, who appears at #35.

The second debut is Nate Schmidt, who enters at #43.

We thank you for your continued support of our lists on Notinhalloffame.com.

Brenden Dillon was an undrafted Defenseman who had already logged nearly 12 years of pro service before he was traded from Washington to Winnipeg in the summer of 2021.

Dillon brought size and toughness to the Jets blueline, and while he was known for his defensive acumen, he also had his best offensive numbers with Winnipeg, compiling three straight 20-Point years, including 8 Gals in 2023-24, which turned out to be his last year in Winnipeg as he signed in the 2024 off-season with New Jersey.

He left Winnipeg with 63 Points, 651 Hits, and 327 Blocked Shots.

Nate Schmidt was an eight-year NHL veteran when the Defenseman was traded to the Winnipeg Jets from Vancouver.  In the three seasons in Manitoba, he was a stay-at-home defenseman who could provide offensive punch in situational play. 

Schmidt accured65 Points with 286 Hits and 148 Blocked Shots

Yes, we know that this is taking a while!

As many of you know, we here at Notinhalloffame.com are slowly generating the 50 of each major North American sports team.  That being said, we have existing Top 50 lists out and we always consistently look to update them when we can and based on necessity.  As such, we are very happy to present our post 2022/23 revision of our top 50 Winnipeg Jets.

As for all of our top 50 players in hockey we look at the following:

1.  Advanced Statistics.

2.  Traditional statistics and how they finished in the National Hockey League.

3.  Playoff accomplishments.

4.  Their overall impact on the team and other intangibles not reflected in a stat sheet.

Last year, Winnipeg snuck into the playoffs, but this is such a strange list to do.  The Jets technically do not own the history of the original team (although they honor that period), so we have to do his list based on this rendition which began as the Atlanta Thrashers.  There was one new entry and several fluctuations.

As always, we present our top five, which saw one change:

1. Blake Wheeler

2. Connor Hellebucyk

3. Ilya Kovalchuk

4. Dustin Byfuglien

5. Mark Scheifele

You can find the entire list here.

Hellebucyk, a former Vezina Trophy winner, took over #2, and should overtake Wheeler with a good year for the top spot on the next list.  Scheifele, who is still active, did not do enough to move up over Byfuglien.

Left Wing, Kyle Connor, climbed to #6 from #9.

Defenseman, Josh Morrissey, had a breakout year, and reached #9 from #16.

Danish Left Wing, Nikolaj Ehlers, moved up two spots to #10.

Defenseman, Neil Pionk, had a nice jump, advancing to #18 from #29.

We welcome your input and comments and as always, we thank you for your support.

Left Wing, Adam Lowry, went to #25 from #37.

Forward, Pierre-Luc Dubois, who is now with the Los Angeles Kings, rocketed from #49 to #31.

The lone new entry was Defenseman, Dylan DeMelo, who enters the list at #36.

We thank you for your continued support for our lists on Notinhalloffame.com.

The Winnipeg Jets were very fortunate to have traded for Defenseman, Dylan DeMelo at the 2020 Trade Deadline.  This was not just because of defensive skills, but because they had a player who wanted to be in frozen tundra of Winnipeg.

DeMelo plays hockey with a simple credo; protect your end of the ice.  An excellent penalty killer, DeMelo rarely puts the puck in the net, but can provide solid passing when needed.  In 2022/23, DeMelo had his 27 Points, with 120 Hits, and last year he had his best season to date with career-highs in Points (31), Plus/Minus (+46), Blocked Shots (139) and Hits (167).

Going into this year, DeMelo is a quiet contributor to a very good team.

Yes, we know that this is taking a while!

As many of you know, we here at Notinhalloffame.com are slowly generating the 50 of each major North American sports team.  That being said, we have existing Top 50 lists out and we always consistently look to update them when we can and based on necessity.  As such, we are very happy to present our post 2021/22 revision of our top Winnipeg Jets.

As for all of our top 50 players in hockey we look at the following: 

1.  Advanced Statistics.

2.  Traditional statistics and how they finished in the National Hockey League. 

3.  Playoff accomplishments.

4.  Their overall impact on the team and other intangibles not reflected in a stat sheet.

Last year, the Jets failed to make the playoffs, but as this is our first update in two years, there were three new entries and multiple changes.  Please note that Winnipeg technically does not have the lineal history to the original Jets, so this Top 50 is based on the franchise that originated as the Atlanta Thrashers.

As always, we present our top five:

1. Blake Wheeler

2. Ilya Kovalchuk

3. Dustin Byfuglien

4. Connor Hellbuyck

5. Mark Scheifele

You can find the entire list here.

Wheeler advanced to the top spot, though his time with Winnipeg might be coming to an end.  Hellebuyck moved from #5 to #4, overtaking Scheifele, who stayed at #5.

Kyle Connor makes the top ten for the first time, elevating to #9 from #17.

Nikolaj Ehlers, moved up two spots to #12.

Defenseman, Josh Morrissey, reaches #16 from #21.

Center and now New York Ranger, Andrew Copp, rose from #39 to #28.

Our highest debut is Defenseman, Neal Pionk, who enters at #29.

Left Wing, Adam Lowry edged up to #37 from #41.

Forwards, Paul Stastny, who is now with the Carolina Hurricanes, enters at #45, and Pierre-Luc Dubois comes in at #48.

We welcome your input and comments and as always, we thank you for your support.

Pierre-Luc Dubois began his career with the Columbus Blue Jackets, where he played three-years-and-change before he requested a trade out of Ohio.  He got it, with Winnipeg as his landing place in January of 2021, though that was not necessarily where he wanted to go.

In Dubois's first full year with the Jets, he had his best season since his sophomore campaign with a 28/30/60 line.  He followed that with 63 Points, breaking his previous best, but it was well known that he had no intention of staying in Manitoba when hs contract expired so in the 2023 offseason, he was traded to Los Angeles.  Dubois had a solid run with 143 Points in 195 Games for Winnipeg.

The son of Hockey Hall of Famer, Peter Stastny, Paul Stastny cut his teeth with the Colorado Avalanche, where he had his best campaigns, cracking the 70-Point plateau three times.  After a run with the Blues, Stastny was traded to the Jets, bringing a veteran presence for their playoff run.  Stastny had the most productive post-season of his life, scoring 15 Points in 17 Games, but he departed for the Vegas Golden Knights as a Free Agent shortly after.

Stastny returned to the Jets via trade before the 2020/21 Season where he played two years, the latter of which saw him break 20 Goals for the first time since 2013-14.  Stastny bolted again from Winnipeg as a Free Agent after the 2012-22 Season, this time for Carolina.

With the Jets, Stastny had 87 Points.

Undrafted from the University of Minnesota-Duluth, Defenseman, Neal Pionk signed with the New York Rangers, and made the team late in the 2017/18 season.  After a full season on Broadway, Pionk was dealt to the Jets, where he found a greater role.

Pionk found a role on the power play and the second defensive pairing while securing 45 Points in his first Winnipeg campaign.  The native of Omaha, Nebraska, has not broken 40 Points since, but the smooth skater is beginning his sixth year with the Jets and is young enough to add to his ample skills.

Yes, we know that this is taking a while!

As many of you know, we here at Notinhalloffame.com are slowly generating the 50 of each major North American sports team.  That being said, we have existing Top 50 lists out and we always consistently look to update them when we can and based on necessity. As such, we are very happy to present our first revision of our top 50 Winnipeg Jets of all-time.

As for all of our top 50 players in hockey we look at the following: 

1.  Advanced Statistics.

2.  Traditional statistics and how they finished in the National Hockey League. 

3. Playoff accomplishments.

4. Their overall impact on the team and other intangibles not reflected in a stat sheet.

This one went a complete overhaul, which was reflected in our top five as seen below.

The complete list can be found here, but as always, we announce our top five in this article.  They are:

1. Ilya Kovalchuk                 

2. Blake Wheeler

3. Dustin Byfuglien

4. Mark Sheifele

5. Connor Hellbuyck

In the top five alone, Kovalchuk remains at the top, but Wheeler moves up from #6 to 2.  Mark Sheifele came from #19 to #4.  The biggest change in this group is Hellbuyck, who was not on the previous list, and is the reigning Vezina Trophy winner.  The Goalie looks to have the number one spot in sight.

Many more significant changes are present on our new top fifty, with eight new additions.

Finnish Right Wing and one-time All-Star, Patrik Laine, debuts at #11.  

Jacob Trouba, who was traded to the New York Rangers last year, moved up ten spots to #13.  

Danish Wing, Nikolaj Ehlers makes his first appearance at #14.

Current Vancouver Defenseman,Tyler Myers shot up from Mathieu Perreault also breaches the top twenty, moving from #38 to #20.

The other new entries are Ben Chiarot (#38), Andrew Copp (#39), Adam Lowry (#41) and Dmitry Kulikov (#50).

We welcome your input and commentsand as always, we thank you for your support.

After his rookie year at the University of Michigan, Andrew Copp was selected in the Fourth Round by the Winnipeg Jets.  Two years later, Copp was the team captain of the Wolverines, and he decided to sign his pro contract rather than play his senior year.

Ben Chiarot was drafted by the Winnipeg Jets in 2009 when the team was still located in Atlanta, and four years later he played a single game for the team in the 2013-14 Season.  Chiarot was a regular afterwards, utilizing a stay-at-home defensive game, which every team needs.

From the state of Michigan, Kyle Connor naturally played his college hockey at the University of Michigan where he was one of the most decorated players in school history.

Nikolaj Ehlers came to the National Hockey League by way of Denmark, making him one of the first true stars from the small Northern European nation.

As of this writing, Adam Lowry has played ten seasons in the NHL, all of which as a Winnipeg Jet.

From Finland, Patrik Laine was the Second Overall Pick in 2016 behind Auston Matthews, and he has since shown the Winnipeg Jets that he was worthy of the selection.

Josh Morrissey was taken in the First Round with the 13^thOverall Pick in 2013 and after two years, he was a fixture on the Jets blueline.

As of this writing, Connor Hellbuyck is the best American Goalie in the game of hockey, which is a statement that many would not have seen coming in 2015.

Sweden produces some of the world’s best hockey players but there was a time where it was believed that Scandinavians could not cut the mustard in North America.  Ulf Nilsson helped changed that perception.

As most of the regular visitors to Notinhalloffame.com are aware we are (very) slowly putting together our top 50 players of every franchise in the “Big 4” of North American sports. After that is completed we will take a look at how each organization honors their past players and executives.

As such, it is important to note the Winnipeg Jets Hall of Fame has announced that they will be inducting former players, Lars-Erik Sjoberg and Ab McDonald to their institution at their February 26 home game.

Sjorberg joined the Jets after playing in his native Sweden for various teams and twice at the Olympics (1968 & 1972). The Defenceman would be 30 when he arrived in Manitoba and he proved himself to be a good playmaker accruing 40 or more Assists in his first four years in the WHA. In the 1977-78 season Sjoberg would win the Dennis A. Murphy Trophy as the league’s best blueliner and he would help the team win three Avco Cups (1976, 1978 & 1979). When the team joined the National Hockey League, Sjoberg would become the first Jets Captain in the NHL. He would retire after the 1979-80 season.

Ab McDonald was a three time Stanley Cup Champion and five time Al Star who played fourteen years in the NHL before he joined the Jets in their inaugural season. McDonald was named the first Team Captain and he was with the team for two years scoring 70 Points with the team.

We do want to point out that while the Jets Hall of Fame includes players from the first incarnation, the current one does not own the history of the franchise hence when we do our all-time 50 for this team we have to base it on the beginning as the Atlanta Thrashers.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate Lars-Erik Sjoberg and Ab McDonald for earning this very impressive honor.